lukrecia 22 Posted January 6, 2012 Non-Japanese Shabazz Palaces - Black Up * The Weeknd - House Of Balloons (& Echoes Of Silence) * Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra IceAge - New Brigade Emika - Emika * Youth Lagoon - The Year Of Hibernation * Holy Other - With U EP Clams Casino - Instrumentals (& Rainforest EP) J*DaVeY - New Designer Drug * Tyler, The Creator - Goblin Zomby - Dedication A$AP Rocky - Live Love A$AP The Kills - Blood Pressures Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde Japanese 実験台モルモット - 箱庭の音樂会 女王蜂 - 孔雀 101A - 4 * Dir en Grey - DUM SPIRO SPERO Maria Hato - The Latter Half of Aloha Droog - Love Songs XA-VAT - 艶℃ Goth-Trad - Babylon Fall EP * As far as a winner is concerned, it should be The Weeknd's album: The Weeknd - House Of Balloons Abel Tesfaye's mixtape trilogy started with this release - already containing all the things that helped The Weeknd to make it's way to the top albums of this year: especially Abel's fragile, smooth voice, his incredible falsettos, which he can turn into the voice of a self-confident man's voice, full of love and lust in both cases. (Check out his version of Michael Jackson's Dirty Diana on the third mixtape.) The Weeknd, and his producers/helpmates (like Illangelo) could show a new way to r'n'b, while still keeping the very core of it; I think it isn't too much to say, that Abel's project was one of the leaderships of the so-called "hipster r'n'b" project (think of acts like Drake, How To Dress Well) - seriously, who thought that sampling a Beach Boys song (Master Of None in "Loft Music"), or a Siouxsie And The Banshees song (Happy House in House Of Balloons / Glass Table Girls) could turn out to be a great idea? Abel sings about parties - to be more specific, the dark side of the parties, love for money, the drugs, the emptiness. Not to mention, that from the 'nothing' (Abel has a pre-band, called "The Noise"), without revealing his identity for a long time, Abel could set up a very special world, with it's own style (from the use of xoxo to the covers), and make it to the mainstream - he was featured on Drake's new album (and Drake was featured on Abel's second mixtape, in "The Zone"), he was featured on the offical Lady Gaga remix album, his song was used during an advertisement - and next year, he will do his first world tour. From this year's very strong free mixtape scene (just think about A$AP Rocky's LiveLoveA$AP, Danny Brown's XXX, Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra and so on), The Weeknd could rise out. Favourite Track: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karma’s Hat 3107 Posted January 8, 2012 Still haven't listened to the Shabazz Palaces album even though I've should have. From what what songs I've heard from it, it's great. I just always seem to forget that I have it :/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
