Spring/summer might just be here. It looks like we have finally turned the corner to consistently long warm sunny days; so what’s better than a new playlist to celebrate? Well, a lot – but check out this week’s rotation after the jump.
Anyone who has followed my posts is no stranger to Abel Tesfaye, better known as the Weeknd. I have posted anything new from Mr. Tesfaye any time the opportunity has knocked. Trilogy (the re-mastered collection of his 3 mixtapes) was released in early November and I figured there wouldn’t be many more opportunities… until now. Yesterday, the Canadian artist appeared on Zane Lowe’s show on BBC1 for his first ever in-studio radio performance and the session is simply gorgeous. Take a listen to the stripped down performance below and then the rest of the rotation after the jump.
March was surprisingly packed with new music and releases, which is reflected in this month’s robust playlist featuring 20+ songs. Insert a predictable March Madness reference here (speaking of which, my Ohio State Buckeyes are in the Final Four) and check out the best of what March had to offer after the jump.
Last night a close friend was back home from across the country and naturally the night was a rough collection of spilled drinks, great stories, failed karaoke attempts, and dance-offs on empty dance floors; all resulting in the unenviable “please don’t throw up on public transit” commute, followed by the “please don’t throw up in the office” work day. However, there is always a silver-lining and this time of peril has made me revisit some great tunes to pull through, so enjoy…
It has been quite a year for Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd. Rising from unknown artist to one of the internet’s biggest phenoms has resulted in a spot on an Entourage season-finale promo, being shortlisted for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, and producing two songs on Drake’s critically acclaimed album, Take Care. Like Drake, Tesfaye is a Toronto native who sings R&B songs about the dark side of sex, drugs, and fame; and who has also found a niche as one of the indie world’s most buzzworthy artists. As music critic Joe Colly has noted, “the Weeknd’s quick rise to Internet fame, both in indie circles and in parts of the mainstream, raised fascinating questions about the blurrier-than-ever lines between those two audiences and the underground’s newfound embrace of R&B. These are very interesting topics that have already spawned some good thinkpieces around the web.”
This rise began in March, when Tesfaye self-released, House of Balloons as the beginning of a trilogy, soon followed by Thursday in August, and now Echoes of Silence. All are available for free download at http://the-weeknd.com/ or stream at http://soundcloud.com/theweekndxo.
Author’s Note: “The Fall” on Echoes was further produced by wonderkid producer Clams Casino, who has worked with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Lil’ B, and frat-boy hit maker Mac Miller (we won’t hold it against him) in the past year.
