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STREAM: D'Angelo - Left & Right (James Blake Harmonimix)
D'Angelo, where have thou gone? I'd guess one of those old English bros from the Victorian era would have penned such a sentence if an artist of D'Angelo's caliber suddenly just disappeared for over a decade with no music to his name. Well, the world turns and now it appears that our man is back playing shows and previewing new material for eventual release in 2012. Yes! And what better way to modernize than with a James Blake remix. Spacy, tribal, intense, soulful, weird and welcome.
DOWNLOAD: Nick Waterhouse - Some Place
Nick Waterhouse rollicks, rolls, vamps, wails and explodes into a soulful fury throughout "Some Place." No, the 25-year-old San Francisco native isn't some '60s singer that was found under a rock (that would be awesome, though!). He's just a wild R&B singer with a good grip on what made old 45 records so great. Hear more on his debut, Time's All Gone, which comes May 1 via Innovative Leisure.
PREMIERE: Doe Paoro - Born Whole + Little Dreamer (Future Islands Cover)
The blithe, the blessed, the unscarred: those are not welcome here. For the rest of you, meet the haunting alley cat songstress that is Doe Paoro and her withering single “Born Whole.” With little more than her tarry vocals, a mild dubstep mist and the pounding of a few plaintive piano keys, she’ll scratch what’s left of your heart into ragged bits. Her atonal cover of Future Islands’ “Little Dreamer” is sparer still, and just as raw and emotive. Slow To Love is Ms. Paoro’s debut LP, and she’ll be unleashing it on those in need of a good cry on Valentine’s Day.
DOWNLOAD: Young Gliss - Charles Bradley (Les Professionnels Edit)
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Young Gliss is gearing up to drop his latest project The Glimmer EP, and the Philadelphia rapper is leading things off with “Charles Bradley,” a rendition of the 2011 hit song “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)” by none other than 62-year-old singer Charles Bradley. Gliss retains the soulful essence of the song, with its funky piano riffs and horns, adding his own contemplative lyrics and an updated sound thanks to some tweaks from electronic producer Les Professionnels.
DOWNLOAD: Mayer Hawthorne - You Got The Makings Of A Lover (PillowTalk Edit)
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(Photo: PillowTalk)
The Festivals' original "You Got The Makings Of A Lover" is sweet, soulful and timeless, and master of smooth nostalgia Mayer Hawthorne nailed that on his horn-laden cover. Now, that gem gets a laid-back, discofied edit by PillowTalk, and it becomes the sort of track that makes a man want to strut and swing around street lights and sing it to the skies. I'm pretty sure that's what this song is always supposed to do, anyway.
DOWNLOAD: Lee Fields - You're The Kind Of Girl
Doesn't it seem like songs honoring women for their greatness are increasingly rare? Good thing Lee Fields is an old soul. His new one, "You're The Kind Of Girl," is all innocent, exuberant love and respect. Strings flutter like a heart (I suppose) while a funk guitar hits all the right spots (sorry). Get this and more on Field's upcoming album Faithful Man, which arrives March 13 on Truth & Soul.
DOWNLOAD: Charles Bradley - Heartaches & Pain
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(Photo: Kisha Bari)
After 63 long ones, it seems that 2011 was finally the year of Charles Bradley. His No Time For Dreaming has become a critical darling sure to nab many a spot on year-end lists, and his tasteful, authentic conception of soul demonstrates how it's one of the best genres for expressing both love and pain. "Heartaches & Pain," you guessed it, falls in the latter type of track. It's a song documenting the loss of Bradley's brother – a beautiful horn-filled ode to family and finding value in a cold moment. Grab the full LP now on Dunham Records.
DOWNLOAD: Lianne La Havas - Don't Wake Me Up
With no autotune, studio trickery or Lil Wayne guest verse, Lianne La Havas uses her soulful voice to grasp at extreme beauty on "Don't Wake Me Up." There's a startling, rare intimacy here. Sure, there's also a lone guitar twisting-out chords, but it's really all about her front-and-center vocals – a velvety, powerful weapon that has already earned the British solo artist an opening slot with Bon Iver in December and should cement a U.S. fan base as each show passes.
