Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe – [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/youre-not-good-enough/id716767448?uo=4″ title=”Itunes”]
With his sophomore release, Blood Orange delivered an absolute masterpiece. The R&B meets disco groove of the album immediately captured me and drew me in. From the first track, “Chamkay”, to the closing, “Time Will Tell”, the album keeps the listener guessing, weaving in and out of multiple genres it gets almost anybody on their feet and dancing.
Arcade Fire – Reflektor – [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/reflektor/id697069412?uo=4″ title=”Itunes”]
This is something that I’ve been looking forward to since I finished listening to The Suburbs for the first time, and the record kills it. Teaming up with one of my favorite producers, James Murphy, Reflektor takes a couple steps ahead of the bands previous work, while still maintaining the heartfelt emotion that Arcade Fire so adequately layers into each song. I thought that Arcade Fire could never outdo Funeral, but with this bad boy I think you could make the argument.
Rhye – Woman – [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/open/id598779766?uo=4″ title=”Itunes”]
Starting off 2013 behind a veil of mystery, Rhye, then still an unnamed band with two singles out, “The Fall” and “Open”, had their sights set on March for the release of Woman, their debut LP. The album is rich and soulful, with the instrumentation of Robin Hannibal, and the beautiful, falsetto, voice of Mike Milosh, the two weave together a style of downtempo R&B that is completely their own. I can listen to this album from front to back every day of the week, and it will give me goosebumps every time.
Disclosure – Settle – [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/when-a-fire-starts-to-burn/id649157100?uo=4″ title=”Itunes”]
Enter two limey brothers, younger than myself. They call themselves Disclosure, and create dance music that can get the most lead-footed hipsters moving. Exploding onto the scene with their debut album, Settle, they made themselves known on the European and American club circuit. They make fires burn, they help me lose my mind, and they latch right onto my brain, their songs have been stuck in my head for months now, but that’s not a complaint…in fact I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories – [itunes link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lose-yourself-to-dance-feat./id617154241?uo=4″ title=”Itunes”]
Daft Punk, man. DAFT PUNK comma space MAN. This is the most highly anticipated album of every year since Discovery was released, and it didn’t disappoint. With their back to the basics approach to EDM, using live instruments, they tore themselves away from the genre that they created, and has been bastardized by the likes of Skrillex. They no longer rely solely on music editing software and loop after loop, now they do it live, and I think music fans can appreciate it. Hey maybe they’re too soft now for the EDM crowd now, but is that really any great loss?
Recommended Playlist:
When A Fire Starts To Burn – Disclosure
Doin It Right – Daft Punk
Reflektor – Arcade Fire
3 Days – Rhye
Help Me Lose My Mind – Disclosure
Touch – Daft Punk
Open – Rhye
The Fall – Rhye
Time Will Tell – Blood Orange
Latch – Disclosure
Porno – Arcade Fire
Beyond – Daft Punk
Afterlife – Arcade Fire
F For You – Disclosure
Lose Yourself To Dance – Daft Punk
Uncle Ace – Blood Orange
Here Comes The Night Time – Arcade Fire
Last Dance – Rhye
