ListenUp
Bodysurfing on Miguel, Warpaint’s Jenny Lee Lindberg sings solo, Cool Uncle’s break up song and more in this week’s musical round-up
Cool Uncle feat. Deniece Williams + Eric Biddines: Breaking Up
Singer Bobby Caldwell (whose 1978 R&B jam “What You Won’t Do For Love” was recently covered by electronic music duo Junior Boys) and Grammy Award-winning producer and composer Jack Splash (who works with Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Keyshia Cole, John Legend and more) have teamed up for the collaborative project Cool Uncle. Old school meets new in their single “Breaking Up,” an exhilarating, wistful tune featuring the equally legendary Deniece Williams (“Let’s Hear it for the Boy”) and Florida rapper Eric Biddines. Cool Uncle’s eponymous debut album, out 13 November 2015, features Jessie Ware, Cee-Lo Green, Mayer Hawthorne on guest vocals.
Miguel: Waves
In what’s become typical (but no less welcome) Miguel style, “Waves” (from the singer’s third album Wildheart) is smooth and sultry rock-meets-R&B that’s sex-heavy (“Body surf on me,” he sings, “I wanna ride that wave all night”) and full of posi vibes. The video—which premiered today on Noisey—is equally sensual, following Miguel into a dark, sweaty nightclub—complete with hallucinations, rainbow-colored lights and gyrating bodies.
jennylee: never
Jenny Lee Lindberg, who’s played bass in the LA-based rock band Warpaint for more than a decade, finally makes her solo debut under the name jennylee. A comparison to ’80s vibes and The Cure is unavoidable in her melancholic track “never,” with a roving bass line as its pulse; Lindberg’s voice—at one point, belting out a few wails—is what’ll keep you hooked as it seals the overall organic, raw aura. The album right on! will be out this December via Rough Trade.
SBTRKT: Flicker
During his hour-long residency show on BBC Radio 1, SBTRKT (aka Aaron Jerome) slipped in one of his own new tracks between playing Radiohead, Kaytranada and Deantoni Parks. The instrumental-only “Flicker” lasts less than two minutes, but gives you the feeling of having traveled the world and back due to its layers of intricacy. It’s an electronic music composition strongly reminiscent of his eponymous debut album and earlier work that put him on the map.
Babe Field: Z-Clip
When you’re recording at the historic Bob Marley-founded Tuff Gong studio in Kingston, Jamaica, it’s hard not to be inspired by the Caribbean surroundings. The young women of DIY rap collective Barf Troop (who met via Tumblr) got to travel there courtesy of Converse Rubber Tracks, and one of the songs to emerge from the session is member Babe Field’s tropicana “Z-Clip.” Her breezy demeanor as she raps over some nostalgic ’90s videogame soundtrack-like harmonies makes it a supremely fun listen.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
