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Autre Ne Veut – “Play By Play”

March 6, 2013 in Brooklyn, Electronic, Pop, R&B by chase | No comments

Soul power

Soul power

Over the last year we’ve seen an extremely dynamic foundational shift in R&B as it converges on electronica in a way that hip hop has only comparatively flirted with. Brooklyn producer Arthur Ashin, known as Autre Ne Veut, has taken up the flag alongside contemporaries like Frank Ocean, Miguel and The Weeknd – moving from lo-fi experimental productions to full fledged R&B songwriting.

Loosely translated as “I Want No Other,” Autre Ne Veut’s latest album Anxiety channels wrenching, complicated emotions of disappointment and self-destruction through beautifully-layered yet dissonant electronic production, delivered in spectacular dramatic fashion. Luckily for those of us in San Francisco, we can catch him at The Independent on Monday, March 11th with openers Majical Cloudz and Bago.

Lady – “Money”

January 8, 2013 in Pop, R&B, Soul by chase | No comments

Cool as the other side of the pillow

Cool as the other side of the pillow

Lest you thought this blog was going to get all dub nasty after the events of SnowGlobe, here comes a deliciously retro jam from Terri Walker and Nicole Wray. The two R&B veterans have teamed up to form Lady, and join artists like Lee Fields & The Expressions and El Michels Affair on Truth & Soul Records. Without the production values, you might expect “Money” to be a rare, unearthed soul record from the 50s era from which it owes its sound. Chirpy and full of sass, it’s a throwback tune that’ll earn a few repeat plays.

Xander the Great – “Somewhere Tonight”

November 28, 2012 in Pop, R&B by chase | 1 comment

Nothing sexier than applying the Rule of Thirds, amirite?

If it hasn’t already been apparent over the last year that R&B was going to change dramatically, here’s your final warning. The Frank Ocean/Miguel/The Weeknd “thing” has officially crossed the Atlantic and spawned Xander the Great, a duo from London. Xander Taha and Ed Sanders don’t exactly add much to the indie electro/R&B fusion that’s been growing in popularity, but I’ll be damned if they don’t stand tall next to those who’ve begun to carve out the space.

So much so that I’m even willing to pretend Xander doesn’t sound like Drake at times, and will instead pretend it sounds more like 808s & Heartbreak-era Kanye. Much better. Did I mention that Xander is only 20 years old and the duo hasn’t even played a live show yet? Back to the parallels, but that’s a lot like The Weeknd minus the obnoxious attempt at early-stage mysteriousness.

They’ve been teasing some new music dropping on December 12th so be sure to keep an eye out on their Twitter account.

Haim – “Forever”

June 14, 2012 in Indie, Indie Rock, R&B by chase | 2 comments

Somewhere, someone will read this and say to their friend,"But dude, they're like... SISTERS, man"

Many sad indie hearts were broken when Rilo Kiley called it quits. They were, of course, widely believed to be the second coming of Fleetwood Mac. While that’s still up to debate, what is not is the fact that they’re not around to prove the naysayers wrong. But all hope for another coming is not lost as Los Angeles based trio Haim dropped a bomb of an EP, much to the delight of music bloggers everywhere. They don’t have the interpersonal drama, but they do have something that sounds like Stevie Nicks collaborated with Dallas Austin.

It’s a storyline that many will eventually know. The Haim sisters (Danielle, Alana and Este) grew up playing in a classic rock covers band with their parents, developing deep roots in Americana. Four years ago, under the influence of 90s R&B and hip hop, began experimenting with their own original songwriting and Haim was born. They may not be the Mac revival you were imagining, but then again few people could have seen this fusion of sound coming along.

Despite their background, at the young ages of 19-22 it’s impressive to hear their richly textured instrumentals and mature songwriting. They released the Forever EP earlier this year (free download on their website) as what is likely a foreshadowing of great things to come. Time will tell, but for now we’ll have to be satisfied with three great songs on repeat for at least the next couple of weeks.

Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”

June 12, 2012 in Hip Hop, R&B by chase | No comments

Sing so hard

Frank Ocean is the Michael Jackson of R&B. Oh ho, heavy proclamation you say? Obviously you haven’t heard “Pyramids,” the first single off his upcoming debut, Channel Orange. There’s an eery resemblance to Jackson’s “Earth Song,” if slightly less cataclysmic. At the very least, with a 9-minute long narrative journey, Ocean embraces the ambition and grandeur of Jackson’s later years. “Pyramids” manages to capture the uncomfortable, slowly crushing tension of a changed relationship.

Ocean‘s profile has been steadily growing over the past year or so. Breaking out as the sensitive (and more long lasting) element of the OFWGKTA crew, Ocean’s Nostaliga, Ultra mixtape foreshadowed an impending force in R&B and the music industry. Having penned songs for artists like Justin Bieber, John Legend and Beyonce, his relationship with Def Jam as an artist improved, and he gained several guest spots on the highly exclusive Watch the Throne album. Now he has a true LP to drop July 17th and a nationwide tour that’s guaranteed to make eyes water and panties drop across the US.

There’s a gap in the market for someone like Frank Ocean to fill, that hasn’t been occupied since the slow fade of R. Kelly. And maybe he’ll never reach the level Michael Jackson did (who can?), but he’s got the experience, talent and grace to solidify his place in music history.

Pyramids by Frank Ocean

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