Saturday, December 31, 2016
Right Back Sriracha: Choice Cuts Volume 15 (2016)
In no particular order, I've selected the favorite tracks from 2016's playlists for our fifteenth annual Choice Cuts end-of-year mix.
1. "Never Going Back" -- Caveman Kicked off this year's Choice Cuts mix with a catchy tune by Brooklyn-based Caveman. "Never Going Back," the lead single from their third album, "Otero War," has been accused of sounding too much like War On Drugs' 2014 track "Red Eyes." But I think it sounds just fine on its own.
2. "Rising Water" -- James Vincent McMorrow
Powerful song made even more profound by this video. From McMorrow's third album, "We Move."
3. "Fountain Of Youth" -- Local Natives
"We can do whatever we want!" our local natives, Local Natives, sing. Great performance here, recorded at KCRW's basement studios.
4. "Blood On Me" -- Sampha
Off his new album "Process," U.K. artist Sampha weaves a story of paranoia and action in this complex tune.
5. "Here in Spirit" -- Jim James
A song for our times. Jim James' "Here in Spirit" evokes the Black Lives Matter movement in this video (shot in downtown Los Angeles), but the song also speaks to the power of resistance, and needing to speak up in a time where injustice is all around us:
If you don't speak out
We can't hear it
6. "Conrad" -- SOHN
"I can feel it coming, we can never go back... we're dinosaurs living in denial." Powerful, catchy and thoughtful. A song that alludes to climate change, and one that should haunt you.
7. "Best to You" (feat. Empress Of) -- Blood Orange
Dev Hynes -- the artist known as Blood Orange -- has become a favorite, and he's landed past tracks on my end of year "Choice Cuts" compilation. This year, he hands most of the vocals to Empress Of, and comes back with the marvelous "Best to You."
8. "Mountain At My Gates" -- Foals
This song and video actually came out in 2015, but I only discovered it until 2016 -- and it was enough of a memorable experience to end the year here.
9. "Your Best American Girl" -- Mitski One of my favorite moments in any of this year's Choice Cuts tracks is when Mitski lets it rip on the guitar, midway through this track. She doesn't need to conform to any of your closed-minded expectations!
10. "The Outsiders" -- Kweku Collins
Hailing from Evanston, Kweku Collins is a young talent to keep an eye on. A deeply personal track of discovery as he works his way up in the world -- and killer references to "The Outsiders," the novel. Stay golden.
11. "Adventure of a Lifetime" -- Coldplay
Another elaborate Coldplay video (this one using motion capture) that the Blogger Boys fell in love with. Evan became a huge Coldplay fan in recent years, and I even took him to his first major concert (Coldplay at the Rose Bowl) this summer -- so I had to include this one!
12. "I Have Been to the Mountain" -- Kevin Morby
The video doesn't really do it justice, but Morby's "I Have Been to the Mountain" was inspired by the death of Eric Garner at the hands of the NYPD. "And have you heard the sound/ Of a man stop breathing, pleading?"
13. "Go! (Original Mix)" -- M83 feat. Mai Lan
French singer Mai Lan and guitar legend Steve Vai add the necessary touches to yet another 80s-inspired track from M83.
14. "On Hold" -- The xx
Mix together The xx's signature melancholy with a looped sample from Hall & Oates... add in a moody music video shot in Marfa, Texas... and "On Hold" is pop perfection.
15. "Peace Of What" -- RJD2
From those opening strings to the power of singer Jordan Brown, "Piece of What" has something to say.
16. "Pink + White" (Ft. Beyonce) -- Frank Ocean
Off Frank Ocean's album "Blonde," this song about lost love features a very subtle contribution by Queen Bey.
17. "Every Songbird Says" -- Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop
Songwriters Sam Beam (the man behind Iron & Wine) and Jesca Hoop collaborated on their album "Love Letter for Fire," which features this gem.
18. "Powerful" (feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley) -- Major Lazer
Put together two strong voices like Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley, and how could you not call this track "Powerful." Another song that was actually released in 2015, but it became a frequent listen for me in 2016.
19. "What If I Go" -- Mura Masa
British electronic music producer Alex Crossan, who performs as Mura Masa, pulls off a jam featuring Bonzai on vocals.
20. "Worry" (feat. Anderson .Paak) -- Jack Garratt
I'm regretting not putting a separate track by Anderson .Paak on this mix, but I just ran out of room. A compromise: This collaboration between Garratt and .Paak is fire. Above, they perform it live for MTV.
21. "I Need A Forest Fire" (feat. Bon Iver) -- James Blake
The appropriate way to end a 2016 mix: The quiet storm of James Blake and Bon Iver. Burn it all down.
Friday, December 30, 2016
2016 Mixes
December 2016
Get Up — Nick Grant Ft. Watch The Duck
Somebody Else — The 1975
I Have Been to the Mountain — Kevin Morby
Younger (Kygo Remix) — Seinabo Sey
Am I Wrong — Anderson .Paak Feat. ScHoolboy Q
Unsteady — X Ambassadors
Blood On Me — Sampha
Nobody Dies — Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Anyway — Huntar
Ketamine For Breakfast — Kate Tempest
A 1000 Times — Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam
Tremors — Sohn
Earth Is The Loneliest Planet — Morrissey
In Common — Alicia Keys
The Killing Season — A Tribe Called Quest Ft. Talib Kweli
Been To The Moon — Corinne Bailey Rae
Timmy's Prayer — Sampha
The Dreamer — Anderson .Paak Feat. Talib Kweli & Timan Family Choir
Hadron Collider — Blood Orange & Nelly Furtado
Don't Need To Be Them — The Sun Days
Fool — Frankie Cosmos
Butter — Leyya
November 2016
Come Down — Anderson Paak Ft. T.I.
Keep It Moving — Alex Newell
We the People.... — A Tribe Called Quest
Perfect Illusion — Lady Gaga
Your Best American Girl — Mitski
Sorry — Beyoncé
Break — ADLT VDEO
Voices in My Head — Bob Mould
Drone Bomb Me — Anhoni
Ivy — Frank Ocean
Night Swimming — Tacocat
Cranes In The Sky — Solange
One Dance (Ft. Wizkid & Kyla) — Drake
Un Par De Lugares (A Couple of Places) — Café Tacvba
Low Life — X Ambassadors Feat. Jamie N Commons
Studio 54 — Eloïse
I Don't Want to Be Funny Anymore — Lucy Dacus
Mystery — Boxed In
Still — Seinabo Sey
Slash/Burn — Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Green Aphrodisiac — Corinne Bailey Rae
October 2016
Stitches — My Little Jeans
24K Magic — Bruno Mars
On Hold — The xx
Pink + White Ft. Beyonce — Frank Ocean
Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) — The Weeknd
Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) [feat. Q-Tip] — Solange
Everything Is Happening Today — Flock of Dimes
Cruel World — Phantogram
Shadowboxing — Boxed In
Florida — The Range
Bourbon — Gallant
Can't Stop the Feeling (Dunisco Ft. JeyJeySax Remix) — Justin Timberlake
Not Above Love — AlunaGeorge
4 Degrees — ANOHNI
You Remain — Kungs
Nurse Ratched — CherryGlazerr
Conrad — SOHN
U'Huh — Sinkane
Youth — Glass Animals
Scars to Your Beautiful (Joe Morgan Remix) — Alessia Cara
My Way (feat. Ariana Grande) — Calvin Harris
September 2016
Closer (feat. Jennie A.) — Lemaitre
Dean's Room — Allison Crutchfield
High And Low — Empire of the Sun
Cool Girl (Vana Remix) — Tove Lo
Not Easy (feat. X Ambassadors, Elle King & Wiz Khalifa) — Alex Da Kid
I Stay Ready — Cody ChesnuTT
Colors — Halsey
Bleeding Heart — regina spektor
Here in Spirit — Jim James
This Girl — Kung VS Cookin on 3 Burners
New Song — Warpaint
Sweep Me Off My Feet — Pond
Lovesick F (feat. Bonzai) — Mura Masa
33 GOD — Bon Iver
I Can Only Stare — Sleigh Bells
Edge of Town — Middle Kids
The Outsiders — Kweku Collins
Coastal California, 1985 — Math and Physics Club
Tape Machine — STRFKR
Cheap Thrills — Sia
New Person, Same Old Mistakes — Tame Impala
August 2016
Got the Love (feat. Jennifer Hartswick) — Big Gigantic
Wish I Knew You — The Revivalists
Spirits — The Strumbellas
Devotion — Savoir Adore
Pray (Empty Gun) — Bishop Briggs
Light It Up (feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG) (Remix) — Major Lazer
Sad Song (feat. Elena Coats) — We The Kings
Kid Who Stays In The Picture — Hot Hot Heat
Lost Youth / Lost You — How To Dress Well
Closer (Original Mix) — The Chainsmokers
Beat Silent Need — Júníus Meyvant
Shelter (Original Mix) — Porter Robinson & Madeon
Plastic Plant — Three Oh Sees
You Don't Get Me High Anymore — Phantogram
Fountain Of Youth — Local Natives
Give Me Something to Love — Kid Runner
Telepathic Lover — Crocodiles
California Bride — Rogue Wave
Drawn — De La Soul Ft. Little Dragon
July 2016
Life Or Just Living — Caveman
Found — Seramic
Giant — Banks & Steelz
First World Problems — Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Alaska — Maggie Rogers
This Is What You Came For — Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
Crazy for You — Michael Franti & Spearhead
Rising Water — James Vincent McMorrow
OBLIVIUS [Radio Edit] — The Strokes
Best to You (feat. Empress Of) — Blood Orange
Villainy — Local Natives
Guru — Coast Modern
Walk Right Back — Jamie Lidell
Um Chagga Lagga — Pixies
I Took a Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) — Mike Posner
Friends ft. Bon Iver and Kanye West — Francis and the Lights
Shaky Ground — Freedom Fry
Hang Me Out To Dry (with Robyn) — Metronomy
1973 — Beth Orton
The Noisy Eater (feat. Biz Markie & Jean-Michel Bernard) — The Avalanches
A Life Worth Living (feat. U-Roy and Alice Russell) — Quantic
Cada Dia Es Domingo — Mexrrissey
May 2016
Human — Caveman
What If I Go — Mura Masa
Go! (Original Mix) — M83 feat. Mai Lan
Past Lives — Local Natives
Someone That Loves You — HONNE & Izzy Bizu
Balloon — Muncie Girls
i hate u, i love u (feat. olivia o'brien) — gnash
Say It feat. Tove Lo (Built On Water Remix) — Flume
Out of Control — Lush
HandClap — Fitz and The Tantrums
Rings — Aesop Rock
Together (Ft. AlunaGeorge & GoldLink) — Kaytranada
Execution — ANOHNI
Up&Up — Coldplay
Lose It — Oh Wonder
Gonna Die Alone (Beats1 World First) — Hanni El Khatib
Every Songbird Says — Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop
Bloodline — White Sea
Sunset — Tangerine
Waiting — Vök
Changes — Charles Bradley
I Need A Forest Fire (feat. Justin Vernon) — James Blake
April 2016
Life of Pause — Wild Nothing
Guilty of Love — Unloved
Hold Me Closer — Yuck
Surprise Yourself — Jack Garratt
Sweetest Girl — Eleanor Friedberger
Say a Prayer For Me (Mazde remix) — RUFUS DU SOL
Wild Horses — Bishop Briggs
Powerful (feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley) — Major Lazer
Your Life in the End — Prince Rama
Doing It To Death (Official Video) — The Kills
Places To Go — Yuna
Waves (RAC Remix) — Miguel
The Little Things (ft. Angela McCluskey) — Big Gigantic
Way Down We Go — Kaleo
Past Lives — BØRNS
Mountain At My Gates — Foals
Can I (Tez Cadey Remix) — Alina Baraz & Galimatias
The Trouble With Us — Marcus Marr x Chet Faker
Bang My Head (CDQ) — David Guetta Ft. Sia & Fetty Wap
Outside — Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding
March 2016
Fire and the Flood — Vance Joy
River — Bishop Briggs
When a Woman Is Around — Unloved
Worry (feat. Anderson .Paak) — Jack Garratt
Hymn For The Weekend — Coldplay (ft. Beyonce)
As I Walk Away — Yuck
Melting Block — Poliça
Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) — Flume
TV Queen — Wild Nothing
Ablaze — School Of Seven Bells
Holda You (I'm Psycho) — White Denim
Part One - Hey, No Pressure — Ray LaMontagne
Do It, Try It (Audio) — M83
What You Talking About — Peter Bjorn and John
Magnets — Disclosure ft. Lorde
untitled 03 l 05.28.2013. — Kendrick Lamar
QACHINA — Damien Jurado
He Didn't Mention His Mother — Eleanor Friedberger
Better Strange — James Supercave
Lean On (Original Mix) — Major Lazer x DJ Snake feat. MØ
Hypnotised — RÜFÜS
Netflix And Poptarts — Netflix and Poptarts
February 2016
Adventure of a Lifetime — Coldplay
Peace Of What — RJD2
Genghis Khan — Miike Snow
Love Is Blind — Låpsley
Bamboo — Hinds
Absolutely — Ra Ra Riot
Celebrate — Anderson Paak
Corvette — Shannon and the Clams
Man Without Shadow — Breakbot
Keep Me Around — Turin Brakes
Dopamine — DIIV
Lost Weekend — Pete Yorn
Never Going Back — Caveman
Tearing Me Up — Bob Moses
Be Apart — Porches
I'm in Control (feat. Popcaan) — AlunaGeorge
Every Night You've Got to Save Me — Mass Gothic
Deadstream — Jim-E Stack
Keep On Keepin On — Bleached
Wedding — POLIÇA
Moments (feat. Leo Stannard) — Kidnap Kid
Get Up — Nick Grant Ft. Watch The Duck
Somebody Else — The 1975
I Have Been to the Mountain — Kevin Morby
Younger (Kygo Remix) — Seinabo Sey
Am I Wrong — Anderson .Paak Feat. ScHoolboy Q
Unsteady — X Ambassadors
Blood On Me — Sampha
Nobody Dies — Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Anyway — Huntar
Ketamine For Breakfast — Kate Tempest
A 1000 Times — Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam
Tremors — Sohn
Earth Is The Loneliest Planet — Morrissey
In Common — Alicia Keys
The Killing Season — A Tribe Called Quest Ft. Talib Kweli
Been To The Moon — Corinne Bailey Rae
Timmy's Prayer — Sampha
The Dreamer — Anderson .Paak Feat. Talib Kweli & Timan Family Choir
Hadron Collider — Blood Orange & Nelly Furtado
Don't Need To Be Them — The Sun Days
Fool — Frankie Cosmos
Butter — Leyya
November 2016
Come Down — Anderson Paak Ft. T.I.
Keep It Moving — Alex Newell
We the People.... — A Tribe Called Quest
Perfect Illusion — Lady Gaga
Your Best American Girl — Mitski
Sorry — Beyoncé
Break — ADLT VDEO
Voices in My Head — Bob Mould
Drone Bomb Me — Anhoni
Ivy — Frank Ocean
Night Swimming — Tacocat
Cranes In The Sky — Solange
One Dance (Ft. Wizkid & Kyla) — Drake
Un Par De Lugares (A Couple of Places) — Café Tacvba
Low Life — X Ambassadors Feat. Jamie N Commons
Studio 54 — Eloïse
I Don't Want to Be Funny Anymore — Lucy Dacus
Mystery — Boxed In
Still — Seinabo Sey
Slash/Burn — Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Green Aphrodisiac — Corinne Bailey Rae
October 2016
Stitches — My Little Jeans
24K Magic — Bruno Mars
On Hold — The xx
Pink + White Ft. Beyonce — Frank Ocean
Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) — The Weeknd
Borderline (An Ode to Self Care) [feat. Q-Tip] — Solange
Everything Is Happening Today — Flock of Dimes
Cruel World — Phantogram
Shadowboxing — Boxed In
Florida — The Range
Bourbon — Gallant
Can't Stop the Feeling (Dunisco Ft. JeyJeySax Remix) — Justin Timberlake
Not Above Love — AlunaGeorge
4 Degrees — ANOHNI
You Remain — Kungs
Nurse Ratched — CherryGlazerr
Conrad — SOHN
U'Huh — Sinkane
Youth — Glass Animals
Scars to Your Beautiful (Joe Morgan Remix) — Alessia Cara
My Way (feat. Ariana Grande) — Calvin Harris
September 2016
Closer (feat. Jennie A.) — Lemaitre
Dean's Room — Allison Crutchfield
High And Low — Empire of the Sun
Cool Girl (Vana Remix) — Tove Lo
Not Easy (feat. X Ambassadors, Elle King & Wiz Khalifa) — Alex Da Kid
I Stay Ready — Cody ChesnuTT
Colors — Halsey
Bleeding Heart — regina spektor
Here in Spirit — Jim James
This Girl — Kung VS Cookin on 3 Burners
New Song — Warpaint
Sweep Me Off My Feet — Pond
Lovesick F (feat. Bonzai) — Mura Masa
33 GOD — Bon Iver
I Can Only Stare — Sleigh Bells
Edge of Town — Middle Kids
The Outsiders — Kweku Collins
Coastal California, 1985 — Math and Physics Club
Tape Machine — STRFKR
Cheap Thrills — Sia
New Person, Same Old Mistakes — Tame Impala
August 2016
Got the Love (feat. Jennifer Hartswick) — Big Gigantic
Wish I Knew You — The Revivalists
Spirits — The Strumbellas
Devotion — Savoir Adore
Pray (Empty Gun) — Bishop Briggs
Light It Up (feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG) (Remix) — Major Lazer
Sad Song (feat. Elena Coats) — We The Kings
Kid Who Stays In The Picture — Hot Hot Heat
Lost Youth / Lost You — How To Dress Well
Closer (Original Mix) — The Chainsmokers
Beat Silent Need — Júníus Meyvant
Shelter (Original Mix) — Porter Robinson & Madeon
Plastic Plant — Three Oh Sees
You Don't Get Me High Anymore — Phantogram
Fountain Of Youth — Local Natives
Give Me Something to Love — Kid Runner
Telepathic Lover — Crocodiles
California Bride — Rogue Wave
Drawn — De La Soul Ft. Little Dragon
July 2016
Life Or Just Living — Caveman
Found — Seramic
Giant — Banks & Steelz
First World Problems — Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Alaska — Maggie Rogers
This Is What You Came For — Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
Crazy for You — Michael Franti & Spearhead
Rising Water — James Vincent McMorrow
OBLIVIUS [Radio Edit] — The Strokes
Best to You (feat. Empress Of) — Blood Orange
Villainy — Local Natives
Guru — Coast Modern
Walk Right Back — Jamie Lidell
Um Chagga Lagga — Pixies
I Took a Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) — Mike Posner
Friends ft. Bon Iver and Kanye West — Francis and the Lights
Shaky Ground — Freedom Fry
Hang Me Out To Dry (with Robyn) — Metronomy
1973 — Beth Orton
The Noisy Eater (feat. Biz Markie & Jean-Michel Bernard) — The Avalanches
A Life Worth Living (feat. U-Roy and Alice Russell) — Quantic
Cada Dia Es Domingo — Mexrrissey
May 2016
Human — Caveman
What If I Go — Mura Masa
Go! (Original Mix) — M83 feat. Mai Lan
Past Lives — Local Natives
Someone That Loves You — HONNE & Izzy Bizu
Balloon — Muncie Girls
i hate u, i love u (feat. olivia o'brien) — gnash
Say It feat. Tove Lo (Built On Water Remix) — Flume
Out of Control — Lush
HandClap — Fitz and The Tantrums
Rings — Aesop Rock
Together (Ft. AlunaGeorge & GoldLink) — Kaytranada
Execution — ANOHNI
Up&Up — Coldplay
Lose It — Oh Wonder
Gonna Die Alone (Beats1 World First) — Hanni El Khatib
Every Songbird Says — Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop
Bloodline — White Sea
Sunset — Tangerine
Waiting — Vök
Changes — Charles Bradley
I Need A Forest Fire (feat. Justin Vernon) — James Blake
April 2016
Life of Pause — Wild Nothing
Guilty of Love — Unloved
Hold Me Closer — Yuck
Surprise Yourself — Jack Garratt
Sweetest Girl — Eleanor Friedberger
Say a Prayer For Me (Mazde remix) — RUFUS DU SOL
Wild Horses — Bishop Briggs
Powerful (feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley) — Major Lazer
Your Life in the End — Prince Rama
Doing It To Death (Official Video) — The Kills
Places To Go — Yuna
Waves (RAC Remix) — Miguel
The Little Things (ft. Angela McCluskey) — Big Gigantic
Way Down We Go — Kaleo
Past Lives — BØRNS
Mountain At My Gates — Foals
Can I (Tez Cadey Remix) — Alina Baraz & Galimatias
The Trouble With Us — Marcus Marr x Chet Faker
Bang My Head (CDQ) — David Guetta Ft. Sia & Fetty Wap
Outside — Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding
March 2016
Fire and the Flood — Vance Joy
River — Bishop Briggs
When a Woman Is Around — Unloved
Worry (feat. Anderson .Paak) — Jack Garratt
Hymn For The Weekend — Coldplay (ft. Beyonce)
As I Walk Away — Yuck
Melting Block — Poliça
Never Be Like You (feat. Kai) — Flume
TV Queen — Wild Nothing
Ablaze — School Of Seven Bells
Holda You (I'm Psycho) — White Denim
Part One - Hey, No Pressure — Ray LaMontagne
Do It, Try It (Audio) — M83
What You Talking About — Peter Bjorn and John
Magnets — Disclosure ft. Lorde
untitled 03 l 05.28.2013. — Kendrick Lamar
QACHINA — Damien Jurado
He Didn't Mention His Mother — Eleanor Friedberger
Better Strange — James Supercave
Lean On (Original Mix) — Major Lazer x DJ Snake feat. MØ
Hypnotised — RÜFÜS
Netflix And Poptarts — Netflix and Poptarts
February 2016
Adventure of a Lifetime — Coldplay
Peace Of What — RJD2
Genghis Khan — Miike Snow
Love Is Blind — Låpsley
Bamboo — Hinds
Absolutely — Ra Ra Riot
Celebrate — Anderson Paak
Corvette — Shannon and the Clams
Man Without Shadow — Breakbot
Keep Me Around — Turin Brakes
Dopamine — DIIV
Lost Weekend — Pete Yorn
Never Going Back — Caveman
Tearing Me Up — Bob Moses
Be Apart — Porches
I'm in Control (feat. Popcaan) — AlunaGeorge
Every Night You've Got to Save Me — Mass Gothic
Deadstream — Jim-E Stack
Keep On Keepin On — Bleached
Wedding — POLIÇA
Moments (feat. Leo Stannard) — Kidnap Kid
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