Happy week after Thanksgiving. If you’re like us, you might still be a little groggy from all that stuffing and pecan pie, so it’s probably time to get up and do some moving. We have a playlist this week that makes getting back on task as painless as possible, thanks to danceable, new tracks from Hercules and Love Affair and Jenocide, not to mention a new offering from PJ Harvey. Celebrate our 50th mixtape by right clicking + save as on individual tracks — or scroll to the bottom and download the whole thing at once.
1. “Written on the Forehead” by PJ Harvey
Another glimpse of the Peej’s long-awaited new album, Let England Shake, “Written on the Forehead” seems to take a page out of the chillwave handbook. Dreamy, repetitive guitar licks and a reggae sample interlude meld under Harvey’s scratchy-sugary voice.
2. “The $” (Madlib Remix) by J. Dilla
A Dilla rarity from Stones Throw, this “The $” remix originally appeared exclusively on a vinyl set distributed at Throw’s Miami Winter Party. Just sit back and listen to Madlib work his magic.
3. “Treading Water” by Soft Circle
The solo project of one-time Black Dice drummer Hisham Bharoocha, Soft Circle has been playing its brand of trance-inducing noise pop since 2006. Soft Circle’s second album, Shore Obsessed, is out now and seems particularly aptly named: “Treading Water” is like an amped-up beach party song, full of buzzing electronic blips and a deep bass groove under Bharoocha’s sweet and sweltering harmonics.
4. “Releaserpm” by Win Win (ft. Lizzie Bougatsos)
A new project of Spank Rock producer XXXChange plus DJ Chris Devlin and artist Ghostdad, Win Win has an LP coming out in February that features the kind of artists that make us prick up our ears: Andrew WK, Matt Sweeney, and Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, for starters. This track has Gang Gang Dance’s Lizzie Bougatsos contributing vocals over a delicately crafted soundscape of drumbeats and synthesizers. We think Lizzie might be channeling Love Is All’s Josephine Olausson a little bit, too.
5. “Su Samsunan Evieri” by Arif Sag
Thanks to crazily specific/awesome blog Turkish Psychedelic Music (which we found thanks to Aquarium Drunkard), we’ve been listening to a lot of spooked out, gnarly Turkish garage rock lately. Sag is a famous Turkish folk singer, not to mention a former member of the Turkish parliament, who can seriously break it down. Play this song and impress your world music friends.
6. “My House” by Hercules and Love Affair
Here’s another one for that New Year’s playlist. Thunkin’, zippin’, dancey, and reminiscent of Jock Jams in the best way possible (Miami Booty Bass!), “My House” is one of those tracks that will make it hard for you to sit still.
Surf City are a noisy pop group from New Zealand, and their album Kudos just dropped last week. The title single is jangly and warm, shades of Yo La Tengo and Phil Spector worship. They also sounds like acolytes of our favorite New Zealand group, The Clean, which is usually a good litmus test of band rulingness.
8. “Resolution” by Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3
A new one off Steve Wynn’s new album, “Resolution” borrows the stomping riff from The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and adapts it to a quieter, more tuneful song that still manages to be dark and glistening.
9. “You Be Killin’ Em” by Fabolous
Fabolous is set for world domination by rap in the near future if his latest releases are any indication. This song has been out for a bit, in heavy rotation on the Hot 97 playlist, but it’s worth checking out again. Fabolous’ flow is brash but precise, pouring over the keyboard beat and driving the song along. We also love that little laugh he does to himself whenever he coins a particularly clever line (“Her feet are killin’ her/I call it shoeicide”).
Rather unfortunate moniker aside, Jenocide know how to make you get up off that thang and move. Her Knee Deep EP came out this week, and is full of the 1980s-era throbbing synths and insistent beats that her fans love so well. Check it out and try not to dance. We dare you.