ListenUp
New music by Shabazz Palaces, M83, Wilco and more this week
Jamila Woods feat. Chance the Rapper: LSD
Jamila Woods’ soulful single “LSD,” which features fellow Chicago native Chance the Rapper, has received an official music video—and the team behind the visually stunning spot happens to be aspiring filmmakers from Chicago Public Schools who entered through an open call. Winner Ashley Huicochea, from Prosser Career Academy, directed the video, building a thoughtful, bright narrative between a backyard BBQ and a lake referenced by the lyrics. The track appears on Woods’ album HEAVN out now.
M83: Do It, Try It!
After its Sundance Next Fest premiere, David Wilson’s video for M83’s “Do It,
Try It!” has hit the web and it’s a wondrous visual display. Following a young protagonist who feels at odds with his family and the depressing fast food restaurant surroundings, the video dives into the boy’s imagination—materialized through animation. The optimistic electronic disco track (released by M83 in March last year) receives colorful support from the artwork—with a triumphant ending.
Shabazz Palaces feat. Thaddillac: Shine a Light
Dropping not one but two albums today, Shabazz Palaces’ Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines seemingly condense the hip-hop duos’ tremendous talents into a diverse sonic landscape. From the former LP, “Shine a Light,” featuring Thaddillac, receives a Neil Ferron-directed music video. It’s impossible to describe the eerie, teenage wedding-style visuals as presented in any other way than joyous—and it’s an honestly exemplary and thought-provoking piece.
James Holden + the Animal Spirits: Pass Through the Fire
An epic six-and-a-half minutes of sonic exploration, “Pass Through the Fire” marks a return for electronic artist James Holden. Here, he melds digital merriment with folk sensibilities in a psychedelic jam band swirl. Holden actually worked with a five-piece band here, and the tactile instrumental experience guides this song into something uncommon and beautiful.
The Dodos: Mirror Fake
As part of the compilation Philia: Artists Rise Against Islamophobia featuring Hamilton Leithauser, Mac DeMarco, Heems, and more, comes The Dodos’ “Mirror Fake.” It’s a gentle tune full of melancholy, but there’s a sense of hope that also permeates. The record is available on vinyl or digitally, and proceeds will be given to the Unity Productions Foundation—a non-profit educational organization that focuses on combating Islamophobia.
Wilco: All Lives, You Say?
In response to Charlottesville and the use of “all lives matter,” which ignorantly misses the meaning behind “Black Lives Matter,” Wilco has released “All Lives, You Say?.” All proceeds from the relatively straightforward acoustic track benefit the Southern Poverty Law Center. Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy dedicated the song to his father noting that “he used to say ‘If you know better, you can do better.’ America—we know better. We can do better.”
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week.
