Listen Up
New D’Angelo, a jazzy Joy Division cover, music from Brainfeeder’s compilation and more
Hot 8 Brass Band: Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover)
The NOLA-based Hot 8 Brass Band has released a cover of Joy Division‘s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” and it’s a sparking jazz tune. The song, which sounds like a rush of 1,000 horns, comes in the band’s 23rd year—they’ve been together since 1993, and though not all founding members are with the band today, its current roster is packed with talent, charisma and pure joy. You can catch the Hot 8 Brass Band on tour, with stops all across Europe, beginning in the new year.
Thundercat + BADBADNOTGOOD + Flying Lotus: King of The Hill
Appearing on Brainfeeder X (a compilation album celebrating the label’s 10-year anniversary) is a mellow, hypnotic tune from Thundercat and BADBADNOTGOOD and Flying Lotus. “King of The Hill” sublimely blends the two outfit’s satisfying, jazz-inflected grooves—complete with Thundercat’s (aka Stephen Bruner) unmistakable vocals and flawless FlyLo production. This is just one of the 36 songs on the record, of which 22 are previously unreleased. Brainfeeder X is out 6 November.
D’Angelo: May I?
Perhaps surprisingly, the just-released Western-themed video game Red Dead Redemption 2 has included a new song by D’Angelo on its soundtrack. In fact, it’s still unconfirmed if it’s actually D’Angelo, but it sounds almost unmistakably like him. If the song—known under various titles, including “May I? (On the Run)” and “May I? (Standing Unshaken)”—is indeed his, it’s the first from D’Angelo since his sublime 2014 album Black Messiah, and it’s a quietly haunting piece. Bluesy and slow-burning, it’s has a mystical element that’s beautifully unnerving.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
