Category: Songs of the Day

Song of the Day: Anesthesia – Brasstracks (ft. Mandy Lee)

Brasstracks is the Grammy award winning project of New York based musician and producer Ivan Jackson. Over the years, Brasstracks has evolved from a hip-hop-jazz-big-band to an ever-morphing landscape where Jackson sets the framework.

The Brasstracks rap sheet runs for miles. The group scored two GRAMMY wins for their production work on Chance The Rapper’s seminal “No Problems” in 2017 (Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album). They’ve also since been nominated for their work with Harry Styles during the 2021 GRAMMYs for Best Pop Vocal Album, ultimately taking home the Best Pop Solo Performance award for their work on “Watermelon Sugar.”

Brasstracks has appeared on Saturday Night Live, performing alongside Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson, the latter of whom is a frequent collaborator. Other collaborations include Anderson .Paak, Khalid, Mac Miller, and BTS. Basstracks has also performed songs from their debut album on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The new Brasstracks era sees Jackson as an architect for this larger project of incubating artists and allowing them the space to grow.

The latest single ‘Anesthesia’ featuring Mandy Lee of MisterWives, is the second single from Brasstracks’ upcoming album. Lee soars as she sings, “Doppelgänger, I can’t hate you even though I know the grass is greener”, crooning a sneering congratulations to a nemesis who always seems to be one step ahead. The title itself is a nod to the numbness that accompanies this feeling. The vibrant single shimmers with oscillating synths and Lee’s velvet vocals, emitting an overall colorful and contagious aura. The playful track refuses to let listeners stay still, with fast-paced beats and layered instrumentation creating an all-encompassing atmosphere, captivating you from the very first second.

The upcoming album is a unique addition to the Brasstracks catalog: brimming with technical wizardry and maximal, brassy bombast, but intensely personal, rife with self-loathing and heartache. The album’s undeniable joyousness stands in unflinching contrast with its subject matter, and ‘Anesthesia’ is a microcosm of its ethos: a shimmering, groovy, soulful house record about, above all else, jealousy. The album weaves in and out of itself seamlessly, with ‘Anesthesia”’sampling Brasstracks’ previous FATHERDUDE + TOBi flanked single, ‘Nobody’s Fool’. Despite its seething subtext, ‘Anesthesia’ is a quintessential warm weather banger, and was a highlight of Brasstracks’ sold out, 6-show Blue Note run this March.

Have a listen below…

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Song of the Day: Make Me Dance – Florian Picasso

Devilishly infectious, FLORIAN PICASSO‘s Tech House banger, ‘Make Me Dance’ is attention-grabbing from the start. A Daft Punk-esque vocoder kicks in, filling it with charisma. Chord stabs add that extra something, while shakers shimmy and shine to the beat of Florian’s groove, a flavour similar to the work of Tchami and Malaa.

Florian Picasso details the ins and outs of the single: “Making this record was really fun as I wanted to have a catchy line that calls for a dance. ‘Make me dance on the floor’ is simple yet very effective. I call it a hybrid record since there’s a section with heavy bass that leads into a beautiful piano melody throughout the track.”

Florian is writing his own story with his own signature, never limiting his creative mind. He has also previously collaborated with hip-hop star NAS and famed singer-songwriter John Legend on the single ‘Tomorrow’, helping him reach 120 million streams on Spotify and Youtube.

Picasso is no stage name, Florian is the great-grandson of the mighty Pablo Picasso. He recently paid tribute to his great grandfather in the most artistic and innovative way with some exceptional shows in the unique location, the Picasso Villa ‘La Californie’.

Check out ‘Make Me Dance’ below…

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Song of the Day: One of the Good Ones – Alex Ludovico

Back from nearly a year-long hiatus full of self-reflection, therapy and partial sobriety, ALEX LUDOVICO gives a scorching single entitled ‘One of the Good Ones,’ featuring Curly Castro. In this triumphant return to releasing new music, Alex laces this Jason Griff/Illmind-produced bouncy cut with socially conscious lyrics reflecting on the constant challenges of his being a black man in America and not conforming to media-driven stereotypes.

“’You’re one of the good ones’ is a phrase I heard all my life without ever really taking stock of what it meant,” explains Ludovico, “It’s a phrase used to separate people from their Blackness. When you grow up being told your interests are ‘white,’ there’s two paths you can take. You can let it make you sad or you can take a road of intellectual superiority. But both of those paths are wrong,” he continues. “Black is NWA and Black is Living Colour. Black is being loud and proud and Black is being quiet and reserved. White supremacy forces people into boxes in order for them to be defined. We will not be defined by our interests. This is a reminder to watch out for it.”

To further emphasize the point, Ludovico enlists the lyrical swords of the incomparable Curly Castro, whose rebellious wordplay has been well-documented throughout the years, most notably on his revolutionary 2021 LP, Little Robert Hutton on Backwoodz Studioz.

‘One of the Good Ones’ is the first in a series of singles Ludovico will be releasing over the next few months, leading up to his upcoming LP this Summer. This new single is available to download for free at insubordinaterecords.com and on all streaming platforms. Check it out below…

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Song of the Day: I’m Not In Love (Remix) – Nsh Ghxst

Hailing from Philadelphia, NSH GHXST is hitting full speed with single, ‘I’m Not In Love’ (Remix) Ft Nsh Da Real. Melodic, catchy, and far from basic- Nsh Ghxst has found his sound.

Growing up, music always played a major part in the 22-year old singer/songwriter’s life. His growth in only a year paired with his grind, displays raw talent, individuality & most importantly, HUSTLE. Young and hungry, Nsh Ghxst plans to push out even more consistent music in an attempt to grow his popularity. Step by step, his efforts are beginning to pay off; having reached over 11K views on his “GYALIS” freestyle via TikTok!

Have a listen to ‘I’m Not In Love’ (Remix) below…

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Song of the Day: Badgurl – Groovy

Rising neo-pop/R&B artist GROOVY returns with the release of his intoxicating Jersey Club single ‘BADGURL’. The breakthrough act taps into the cultural phenomenon that put 2000’s R&B on the map, channeling love, lust and desire as he shares his ode dedicated to all the ladies who are looking to set themselves free by embracing their wild side. GROOVY’s vocals are easy on the ears, gracefully crossing between genres as go-to producer Alejandro flexes his ability to take a smooth slice of Y2K R&B and morph it into an ambitious Jersey Club anthem. Booming staple triplet drums, velvety sampled vocals and hypnotic keys swirl together to create a world fuelled by steamy passion, one that is sure to draw listeners in upon first listen.

The sophisticated badgurl anthem is accompanied by an official music video directed by Chris Andrade. The cult-inspired visual follows a beautiful girl who yearns for sexual empowerment and freedom. She stumbles across a magazine ad calling for all badgurls and decides to call the number listed. Soon after, she finds herself at an eerie warehouse surrounded by a group of alluring women dressed in black cloaks. GROOVY makes his entrance as the charismatic leader figure, and the two share a drink from a chalice, symbolizing the indoctrination of the newest badgurl.

‘BAD GURL’ follows the Union native’s latest release “jersey luv,” which was praised by media tastemakers around the world including BET, Mixtape Madness and more. The track also landed placements on top editorial playlists, including Spotify’s Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Hip-Hop and Apple Music’s The New New York. Keep an eye out for GROOVY as he continues to shine with his eclectic blend of neo-pop, R&B, and house while solidifying himself as one to watch in 2023.

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