More on Homeboy Sandman here.

PLAYFUL–JANUARY 2012 PLAYLIST

Work Drugs – Ice Wharf (Southern Shores Remix)  /  Porcelain Raft – Drifting In And Out  /  André Obin – Lemondrop  /  Evan Voytas – Can’t Let Anybody Know Who You Are  /  Virals – Magic Happens  /  kool thing – Light Games  /  Giraffage – With You  /  Fort Romeau – Jack Rollin’  /  ScHoolboy Q – My Hatin’ Joint  /  Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know  /  Sinkane – Jeeper Creeper  /  Keep Shelly In Athens – Just Like Honey

Download or stream January’s PLAYFUL below.

There’s nothing that kills a pleasant conversation about Gucci Mane like the statement, “I actually got into rap through Salem.” (And nothing that more succinctly sums up art school, for that matter. And no, I didn’t laugh in their face, but it was really hard.) I actually don’t hate Salem, but let’s just say I wouldn’t dare utter their name in a discussion of rap music. Yet I’ve had a metal-guy-turned-rapper who opened for Salem on repeat all week, so maybe I should sit my stereotypical art school ass down for a minute.

Richmond native Lil Ugly Mane not only has one of the best rap names I’ve heard in some time, he’s got a mixtape Criminal Hypnosis that does the angry-sludgy-syrup-sippin’ thing more convincingly than almost all of his contemporaries. The Spaceghost/A$AP vibe is everywhere at the moment, but Lil Ugly Mane makes it sound interesting again, challenging at times (the first track is an almost unlistenable wall of noise). His Virginia accent and classic Southern flow feel so right with his drudging screwed beats, most of which are by Shawn Kemp; I think his (self-made) album art perfectly visualizes his fusion of Dirty South/Cash Money-style delivery with the new wave of creative dudes that like the devil, lean and Jeremy Scott.

My favorite track from Criminal Hypnosis “Radiation (Lung Pollution)”, slips from stuttering trap bass to a silky sax break. The best thing Ugly Mane’s done so far, though, is the Ahnnu-produced version of last year’s “U Ain’t From My Hood”, You can tell that it came out when Odd Future was starting to pop off—but imagine if they were worth the hype, and not fucking playing.

Criminal Hypnosis is up for name-your-price download on Bandcamp.

Below is the latest edition of our weekly feature, Stuck On Repeat. The premise is simple, we’ve asked all our contributors to submit one track and a brief write-up. The track can be new or it can be old, just whatever we could not stop listening to this week. These are the songs we’ve had Stuck On Repeat.

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SELECTED BY: V–MATTHEW DEAR – AROUND A FOUNTAIN

My obsession with Matthew Dear annoys even me. My love of his music (and ok, his looks) has reached a point where I’m an admitted sappy fangirl wearing blinders who’s long lost the ability to critique his output. All I’ve got left is an endless stream of synonyms for love, and a variety of high-pitched squeals. Those that weren’t happy to hear Dear embrace pop with Black City will let out screams of frustration over his newest EP, Headcage. Not only is Dear sticking with pop, but he’s defrosting the longtime icy sheen that’s characterized his music, revealing a garden of vibrant, psychedelic blooms bursting with life and emotion. The closing track off Headcage “Around A Fountain” showcases this new side of Matthew Dear. The melody and the production are treated with equal importance, and in the company of warmer, more organic sounds, the vague language of his lyrics become poetry. It feels big, significant, the kind of track you imagine as the soundtrack to one of your life’s defining moments. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get this drool puddle wiped up.

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SELECTED BY: MONEYWORTH–SIBIAN & FAUN – I’M SORRY

I’m kind of bummed because it seems like the whole fucked-up-R&B-samples thing that dominated 2011 is now wearing rather thin. One of my favorite 2011 Best Of lists, FACT’s 50 Best Albums, put it best in their write-up of Damu’s “Unity”: “White boys sampling Aaliyah records they never liked the first time around in a sea of beige.” Ouch, but not off the mark. If you’ve followed my Stuck On Repeat selections this past year you know I pretty much rode or died for the R&B-sampling bass music trend, but far too many people jumped on the bandwagon in a year dominated by alternative R&B (I can list off the top of my head at least six flips of Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down” from last year alone), and unfortunately it’s to the point that it now sounds a bit trite if not done to perfection. Thank god for Montreal duo Sibian & Faun and their debut single, “I’m Sorry”, on Numbers. They cut up and re-pitch Ashanti’s “Hey Baby” and it by all means shouldn’t sound as fresh, well-crafted, and necessary as it does. It gives me chills.

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SELECTED BY: JAMS DEAN–SUPERTOY – THE LOBSTER JAM

Coming up next in the never-ending line of new Chicago rap releases is the homie Supertoy. According to the rapper/producer himself, Supertoy is “trying to be the middle ground between Steely Dan and UGK if that makes sense, but really inspired by kid’s television and the science behind the sounds they use, and how engaging they can be”. That description sounds fun enough for me, and anyone who is inspired by kid’s television shows gets a free pass in my book. Supertoy’s new album Lobster is the second in a trilogy of solo projects (Panther, Lobster, Giraffe) and will be released January 25th, with a release party at Cole’s on the 28th. Check out Toyfactory for a slew of fun music videos, audio and things to look at.

Chicago’s new futurebass monthly Signal returns this Thursday night to Smart Bar with another fantastic booking, Pearson Sound. The Hessle Audio boss has played alongside everyone from Rusko to Radiohead, and is lauded for his energetic production style. He will be joined by DJ Warp and Signal residents Bizzies and Sparkletone. We’re giving away a guestlist spot for you and a friend to the first reader to email the address below. (Please note that the event is 21+.) More info here.

Congrats to our winner Patrick! See you on the dancefloor.

From Buenos Aires, Paula Garcia creates lush dream pop under the name Sobrenadar. Slowly exhaling a trail of wispy breaths towards infinity, everything she touches turns to calm. It’s music that reminds you that simple things are the most beautiful; the cool feel of a first raindrop on your skin, the vivid colors of sunset, the once again familiar laugh of a friend you’ve missed. Her five-track Physeos EP is a gorgeous blend of sounds for a more gentle existence.

Sobrenadar’s Physeos EP is available as a free download via digital label Absent Fever.

Below is the latest edition of our weekly feature, Stuck On Repeat. The premise is simple, we’ve asked all our contributors to submit one track and a brief write-up. The track can be new or it can be old, just whatever we could not stop listening to this week. These are the songs we’ve had Stuck On Repeat.

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SELECTED BY: V–MINDLESS DRUG HOOVER – DON’T TAKE ECSTASY

Nowadays the dangers of ecstasy include, but are not limited to: feathers, hula hoops, day-glo body paint, and death by Skrillex stampede. But let us travel back to a simpler time, 1996 to be exact, when swallowing a pill still had some rogue fun about it, and a busker by the name of Mindless Drug Hoover recorded this cheeky, sing-along PSA for the permanently smiley-faced.

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SELECTED BY: MONEYWORTH–RICK ROSS – RICH FOREVER (FT. JOHN LEGEND) (PROD. BY DVLP)

I will forever remember 2011 as the year we almost lost Rick Ross. God that would have been so fucked up! But luckily for mankind multiple seizures on private jets don’t really mean shit to him, so we don’t have to experience the emptiness of a world without the Bawse. I feel like Rick Ross is a far more complicated person than many people give him credit for. For one, he might be one of the world’s foremost historians of sunglasses. But I think he’s been pushing himself lyrically in the past year or so; I love the shit out of “BMF”, like everyone else in the world, but when I heard his verse on “Lord Knows” (off  Take Care) I got the impression the people Ross has been working with recently (and yeah, most notably Drake) have had a good influence on him. His mixtape Rich Forever dropped last week and is full of the expected trap hits (which are fucking awesome), but lyrically they are full of these subtle little details (“crab legs with the heavy butter”) that really make the mixtape. Of course he collaborates with everyone: Diddy, Kelly Rowland, Nas, Pharrell, Drake, Meek Mill, Future, etc. It’s the title track with John Legend, though, that stood out to me, particularly in terms of his lyrical development (and I’m not a massive John Legend fan). This song is destined to be all over the radio, but it’s a good thing. Rozay, I hope you truly are rich forever. You deserve that.

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SELECTED BY: JAMS DEAN–SHOW YOU SUCK – ALL LOC EVERYTHING (PROD. BY FLOSSTRADAMUS)

ShowYouSuck has been grinding his ass off lately playing shows in every corner of Chicago, and tonight is his album release party! For those unfamiliar with the man also known as Clinton Sandifer, he is a barrel-chested man with a burning passion for pizza. He also raps awesomely, or terribly, depending on when you ask him, but his live shows bring more energy than most zoos. Fellow Chicago homies Flosstradamus lent their skills to produce “All Loc Everything”, a banging track that you should probably turn up like real real loud, and then head over to Reggie’s tonight for the party. See you there.

The streets all looked so strange. They seemed so far away, but Charlotte did not cry. There’s the unshakable feeling of I know this, I’ve heard it before running through mysterious producer 1991’s newest track “Open To The Dark”. Awash in a dreamy sea of static, just out of reach, Robert Smith’s voice beckons with the plea of “Charlotte Sometimes”. Slipping out of focus and gasping for air, “Open To The Dark” sounds like a radio submerged in the bathtub, minus the electric shock. An eerie, enticing introduction to 1991 from the label that brought us GSD/GG Alien.

You can hear more from 1991 on SoundCloud. The Bjork remix is a must listen.

Irish duo Solar Bears present the first taste of their upcoming LP Supermigration with their stunning new track “Alpha People”, which features guest vocals from Sarah P. of Keep Shelley in Athens. Sarah’s voice takes on a new clarity, sparkling against the peaceful landscape of strumming synths. Ending with an unexpected, tender coda, Solar Bears suck you into the details, then urge you to step back and admire the larger portrait from afar. Try not to die of overexcitement before the album comes out.

Solar Bears sophomore release Supermigration will be out sometime later this year.

I was asked last week why I did not like Lana Del Rey. She’s a highly marketable package from an aesthetic standpoint, but that’s not why I dislike her. I’m not jealous that she’s prettier than me. I have no interest in Lana Del Rey because there’s no passion, no soul, no personality to her music, or self. We’ll watch her catapult to mainstream fame this year, and it will happen in a ridiculously short amount of time. She’s already halfway there. But hype is rarely able to be sustained, and she’ll fall just as quickly, her fans already enamored with the next new thing. Ultimately, whether we’re discussing a small town indie rock act, your favorite DJ or the biggest names in pop, what we all seek from music is to be moved, to feel something. There is no enthusiasm, no spark, no sentiment of humanness behind Lana Del Rey’s glassy eyes. There is nothing there with which to connect. Slurring her speech, she pops another pill before collapsing onto silk sheets with her hair and makeup still perfect.

Despite some of my favorite producers having remixed Lana Del Rey in the past few months, I never thought I’d post a track on this blog with her name attached, because like her original material their remixes have felt lifeless; completed transactions on her timeline towards fame. But this morning I was sent a project called The Edits from UK duo Sam Sure & Giacomo and amongst the six tracks is a rework of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”. It’s great because it’s not someone paying Joy Orbison to make a remix for the FACT crowd. Joy Orbison is never going to play his remix in the club. No one who’s come to hear Joy Orbison wants to hear “Video Games”. Sam Sure & Giacomo’s original material can be likened to Tinie Tempeh; hip-hop for those who proudly like pop. Stylistically, they’re a match made in pout-lipped heaven. Lana Del Rey plays the uninterested beauty and Sam Sure & Giacomo, the guy who won’t give up until he gets her attention. By adding original verses and sharpening the production, they introduce a storyline and the track comes alive. Lana Del Rey is transformed from an empty blur, to a character you’re interested in.

Download Sam Sure & Giacomo’s The Edits here.