ListenUp
Sinkane’s “How We Be,” Poolside resurrects The Pool, Polygrains’ debut and more in the music we tweeted this week
Polygrains: Now I Know
Armed with a staunch endorsement from Larry Gus (a part of the DFA family) is fellow Greek singer and producer Polygrains. His single “Now I Know” is a fresh downtempo electronic tune; his jazz training shows through his choice of unusual harmonies that support his tender voice climbing up and down notes, singing in an accent-tinged English. It’s a track that gains more appreciation with every listen, as you start to distinguish the different layers of simmering synths he’s laid down. Polygrains will be self-releasing his debut album Split on 5 August 2014, available for pre-order through Amazon.
Anna Calvi + David Byrne: I’m The Man, That Will Find You (Connan Mockasin cover)
BRIT award-nominated singer Anna Calvi has teamed up with the superlative David Byrne for a cover of Connan Mockasin’s “I’m The Man, That Will Find You“—one of five renditions found on her new covers EP, Strange Weather (now streaming on Spotify). Produced by Thomas Bartlett, the EP spans FKA Twigs to David Bowie and showcases the English singer’s spectacular vocal range, along with her musical interests.
The Pool: Jamaica Running (Poolside Edit)
LA-based duo Poolside—who got their name from the fact they used to record in a pool house—resurrect an obscure ’80s track and spin it into summer dance party heaven with their edit of “Jamaica Running.” Originally created by Austin-based drummer Patrick Keel, a one-man-band who produced under the moniker The Pool, the song’s laid-back bongo beat is given added depth and a faster pace from the pair, who include it on their recently released mixtape, “Stir It Up.”
MØ: Walk This Way (Lido remix)
Oslo-based beat-maker Lido is known for his remixes of the likes of Justin Timberlake and an infamous rework of Disclosure’s “Latch” that was removed from Soundcloud after a complaint from Universal Music Group. He transforms Danish singer MØ’s track “Walk This Way” (with a catchy chorus resembling a chanting childhood clapping games) into a wildly-paced rhythmic orgy. At some points too fast to dance to, the song’s best part clocks at four minutes in, when the full-bodied synth chord stabs jump in.
Sinkane: How We Be
DFA artist Sinkane may now be best known as the William Onyeabor stand-in for the Atomic Bomb Band—the group performing the reclusive Nigerian singer’s tunes—but Sudanese-born Sinkane, whose real name is Ahmed Gallab, has contributed to bands spanning Yeasayer to Of Montreal. He made a name for himself over the years with solo hits like “Jeeper Creeper,” and this September he’ll release the 10-track album Mean Love. With his vibrant but soothing voice, Sinkane continues to throw out funky jams, and songs like “How We Be” have us looking forward to the full release.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that takes a deeper look at the music we tweeted throughout the week. Often we’ll include a musician or notable fan’s personal favorite in a song or album dubbed #PrivateJam.
