Wednesday, January 20, 2010

10


From the absolutely catastrophic earthquake in Haiti to the deaths of Willie Mitchell and Teddy Pendergrass, two of souls undeniable greats, it's definitely been a very somber way to start off 2010.
It's been stormy all week. I haven't seen or experienced wet and windy weather like this in a long time. Thankfully, there's been a slew of new music I've come across so far so I've managed to weather this storm with a calm. Some to consider:
Vampire Weekend: Contra - Not as good as last year's Vampire Weekend but who cares? "Diplomat's Son" is fantastic, in all it's electro-bleepness. Does the description "tropical" make any sense?
Method Man, Ghostface, & Raekwon: "Our Dreams" - Will The Wu Massacre be any good? If it even comes out? This cut isn't what I expected to be the first to leak from their collabo but I'm not complaining. I understand what they're trying to do with the "Ice Cream" approach (minus RZA's icey touch). New Wu is always welcome.
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R.I.P. Willie Mitchell - He produced any Al Green album that was good. He was pretty much the Memphis sound behind Al Green's most endearing tunes. He's been sampled a bit too, but you already knew that.
R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass - I only discovered he was a member of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes after I became familiar with his solo hits. "Turn off the Lights", "Come Go With Me", and "Love T.K.O.", all "syrupy lovesong" classics. But man, his stint with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes produced this uber-burner (and talk about "syrupy lovesong") - "I Miss You".