Frank Ocean: Endless

Finally, Frank Ocean has blessed us with a new record—four years after the lush Channel Orange, and plenty of teasing and anticipation. Last night, the NOLA-raised singer/songwriter released his visual album “Endless” which is streaming via Apple Music now. While the release was a surprise, the 18 songs on the album are unsurprisingly magnificent—from the ethereal “In Here Somewhere” to the spacey, spoken word outro …

Phantogram: Cruel World

The intro to Phantogram’s new track “Cruel World” (Sarah Barthel’s vocals accompanied only by minimal piano) sounds very different from their usual dark, shimmery and sexy style, but soon the hook delivers what we’ve come to adore about the NY-based duo. The song (from the upcoming album Three) delivers a dreamy but ominous, thundering sound and the lyrics are equal parts bleak and optimistic. Considering …

Lana Del Rey: BBM Baby

With each passing day it becomes clearer just how many people loved BlackBerry Messenger. Included in that list happens to be Lana Del Rey, and a recent leak of her 2011 demo “BBM Baby” makes clear the ease and joy of sexting through the service. The track, produced by Penguin Prison, is definitely a sign of the times during which it was made. But that …