We’re back this week with another new music playlist, featuring a few newcomers as well as some familiar faces. New music is a constant, with premium and exclusive-baiting streaming services popping up left and right (hear about the new SoundCloud ‘Go’ service?), and social media is a blizzard of mixtape-pushing indie kids and would-be superstars. But sorting through it all is madness, a time-sucking aural minefield.
We’re here to help. Check out the best new tracks of the week, selected by myself and our UK editor, Paul Tamburro. As always, keep up with our weekly new music finds as they arrive by subscribing to the Crave New Music Playlist on Spotify – and check out our killer New Music mixtapes from previous weeks.
Snakehips – ‘Money on Me’
Anderson leans into a little bit of a Kendrick vibe for his guest spot on the new Snakehips track, from the London-based production duo’s forthcoming EP All My Friends (out April 15).
The release also features Chance the Rapper, Tinashe, Tory Lanez and more. But damn, it’s good to hear Paak spreading his wings even further. We’re still spinning his Malibu record on the regular, after discovering him through highlight appearances on Dr. Dre’s Compton album from last year (read our review).
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Isaac Gracie – ‘Terrified’
When you manage to force your way onto the Radio 1 playlist by virtue of a bedroom demo alone, it’s clear that the stars are in alignment for you. 21-year-old Isaac Gracie from instantly became the UK’s most exciting new songwriter after his track ‘Last Words’ earned him a slot on the country’s biggest station, and he validates all of the buzz surrounding him with his first EP, aptly titled Songs From My Bedroom.
On ‘Terrified,’ the clear highlight from his debut collection, Gracie sings with the conviction of someone ten years his senior. If this is what he can create with just his voice and his guitar, 2016 is going to be an incredible year for this young Londoner. – Paul Tamburro, UK Editor
Battle Tapes – ‘Solid Gold’ (Story Of The Running Wolf Remix)
Battle Tapes are previous Crave-featured artists in our Band of The Month series, and have returned this week with a remix EP for a standout track from their album Polygon. “Solid Gold” features the vocals of electro-popping Angeleno queen Party Nails, and has been given the rework treatment by Los Angeles synthpop duo Josh D’Elia and Jeffrey Chernick, better known as Story of the Running Wolf.
Battle Tapes tell us how the collaboration came to be: “We originally met Story of the Running Wolf at a showcase we played together at SXSW and It was love at first sound(?), so for us they were an obvious first call when we started working on the Solid Gold EP. Needless to say they more than delivered – that remix is straight flame.”
Flame it is. – Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Joseph Arthur – ‘You Keep Hanging On’
“Jo is one of those rare writer-performers where you get the sense, whatever you believe, that something greater is being channeled through his music and voice. It touches something very deep and universal.” – Michael Stipe
Written entirely on a Steinway Vertegrand piano from the early 1900’s, Joseph Arthur’s new album The Family (June 3 / True North Records) is mostly a work of fiction and a meditation on the idea of family. Produced, recorded and performed by Joseph, The Family was mixed and sequenced by Tchad Blake, who collaborated with Arthur on some of his mostly well-known work, including “Honey and the Moon” and “In the Sun” (covered by Michael Stipe and Peter Gabriel). “You Keep Hanging On” is a heartfelt, poignant rush of color and emotion worn on the sleeve – can’t wait to hear the rest of this record.
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Phife Dawg – ‘Nutshell’
We’re still reeling from the loss of Phife Dawg last month, but haven’t forgotten the news that the Tribe Called Quest spitter had been working on a new solo album at the time of his death. From the production comes a new track called “Nutshell” to remind us of what we lost.
The track, from the upcoming full-length called Give Thanks, was premiered on Beats 1 with a Quest-fitting beat of looped organs, which was built by the late J Dilla. Phife confidently owns the mic, declaring himself “untouchable, unstoppable, unusual,” and “unaccustomed to unproven wack flows.”
The video features guest appearances from the likes of Pete Rock, De La Soul’s Posdnuos, and Tribe’s Jarobi White, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip. RIP Phife.
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Check out our killer New Music mixtapes from previous weeks, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Crave New Music Playlist on Spotify!
