ListenUp
Saying goodbye to Lesley Gore while welcoming new music from Romare and more in this week’s look at music
Hudson Mohawke: Valentine’s Slowjams Chapter VIII
While Valentine’s Day might be over, Hudson Mohawke released the latest in his annual slowjams mixtape series: Valentine’s Slowjams Chapter VIII. The playlist begins with a live cover version of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “You Can’t Hide Love” by the imitable D’Angelo, and continues with pure romance from the likes of Klymaxx, Deniece Williams, Stephanie Mills and Bill Withers.
Lesley Gore: You Don’t Own Me
To pay tribute to Lesley Gore—who sadly died this week at just 68 years old—we have chosen to play one of her most popular songs on repeat. “You Don’t Own Me” is one of the earliest pop versions of girl power and “embraced feminism way ahead of its time” when it was released in 1963.
Róisín Murphy: Gone Fishing
Róisín Murphy has returned (eight years after her last album) and not a moment too soon. The Irish singer/songwriter announced her record Hairless Toys and dropped the first song from it, the excellent “Gone Fishing,” which Murphy was inspired to write after seeing cult film “Paris is Burning.”
Romare: Motherless Child
London-based producer Archie Fairhurst aka Romare (who takes his name from the cut’n’paste artist Romare Bearden) expertly manipulates samples to create new songs—or rather, musical essays—that move the body as much as they do the mind. Keep an ear out for the sample of the African-American spiritual in his new slow burning track “Motherless Child.”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Multi-Love
Portland-based indie band Unknown Mortal Orchestra shared the opener off of their upcoming new album, and it’s just a taste into how their sound has gone through an exciting, serious transformation since 2013’s II. “Multi-Love” is a modern-day psychedelic jam with disco overtones; the musicianship has been upped as the instruments seem to move together in a kaleidoscope motion.
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.
