Articles from November 2012

Check out Mathieu Schreyer’s Top 10 list for 2012! See all of the DJ Top 10 lists here.
1. Lucas Santtana – O Deus Que Devasta Mas Também Cura (Mais Um Discos)
2. Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again (Interscope)
3. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
4. Blundetto – Warm My Soul (Heavenly Sweetness)
5. Mala – Mala In Cuba (Brownswood Recordings)
6. Balthazar – Rats (Play It Again Sam …

The progenitor of his own completely original genre that no one else has been able to recreate, glitchy soul divo Jamie Lidell is back! “What A Shame!” is an insane re-imagining of the bouncy mainstream R & B sounds of Destiny’s Child and/or Mary J Blige, as if produced by Lidell’s Warp peers Aphex Twin or Clark at their most spastic.
It’s a seriously good …

The Menahan Street Band have been sampled by Jay-Z, are the backing band for “the Screaming Eagle of Soul” Charles Bradley, and are simply one of the best funk bands around. If I could have a soundtrack following me around everywhere I go, it would be the Menahan Street Band.
This was my first opportunity to see the Brooklyn-based players live and they did not …

Check out Aaron Byrd’s Top 10 list for 2012! See all the DJ Top 10 lists here.
1. Hiatus Kaiyote – Tawk Tomohawk (Hiatus Kaiyote Self Released)
2. Mala – Mala In Cuba (Brownswood Recordings)
3. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
4. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes (Warp)
5. Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough? (Nonesuch)
6. Me’Shell N’Degeocello – Pour Une Ame Souveraine – …

Surahn Sidhu lives in a perfect pop universe. He’s released underground disco hits under the name Sidwho?, performed as a member of retro-futurist indie-pop outfit Empire of the Sun, written mainstream hits for Usher, and now has a brilliant EP for DFA Records.
In keeping with this history of basically doing just about whatever he wants, Sidhu’s EP takes elements of all those pieces of himself, distills …

For an up-and-coming artist to make an impression there are usually two routes. One is to be a white-hot ball of energy so destined to become a star you feel gratitude simply for sharing the same path for a little while. The other is a much more subtle approach that takes some time to stew and bubble up that, even when you’re aware of …

Curious about the album that topped the most top 10 lists here at KCRW?
Drumroll please…TAME IMPALA!
Yes, it was a big year for the Aussies and their sophomore record. See a quick tally below (12 albums got 3 picks each and tied at 9th place!).
All the individual DJ picks can be found here and keep an eye out for more lists from MBE producers, KCRW’s …

My attention is currently being held hostage by this new song by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.
The first time I heard “Holy Roller“, the Eastern-flavored instrumentation and then the opening lyric (“I am a woman of leisure”) made me stop multitasking and just sit there and listen. Download it here and stream below.
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – …

Check out Raul Campos’ Top 10 list for 2012! See all of the DJ Top 10 lists here.
1. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (ATO)
2. Hot Chip – In Our Heads (Domino)
3. Poolside – Pacific Standard Time (Day and Night)
4. The XX – Coexist (Young Turks)
5. Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again (Interscope)
6. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
7. Carla Morrison – Dejenme Llorar (Cosmica)
8. Mexican …

KCRW’s Top 50 Most Played Albums for the Week of 11/26/2012
1 CLARK, GARY, JR == Blak & Blu >> [Warner Bros.]
2 TORO Y MOI == Anything In Return – Sampler >> [Carpark]
3 MASSIVE ATTACK == Blue Lines – 2012 Deluxe Remaster >> [Virgin]
4 ALLAH-LAS == Allah-las >> [Innovative Leisure]
5 RHYE == Fall >> [Republic]
6 BUGG, JAKE == Jake Bugg >> [Mercury Uk]
7 BUG, STEVE …