This week’s new music didn’t bring much in terms of headlines, Jack White and Dave Grohl’s strange non-feud aside, but it did bring some great tracks. DJ Quik made his long-awaited return, while acts like The Rural Alberta Advantage, Beat Connection, and Deptford Goth continued their promising promotional campaigns for their respective upcoming LPs. When nothing grabs huge headlines, it’s best to check out the offerings from bands that mostly skirt outside the attention-grabbing stunts and controversy. Here are selections that may not be showy, but are more than worth your while.
10. Deniro Farrar and Denzel Curry – “Feel Like That”
Whereas Run the Jewels finessed a heist this week by trading lines in dizzying succession, Deniro Farrar and Denzel Curry‘s “Feel Like That” is neatly bisected: Deniro fills the first half of the song, Denzel the second, and neither appears in the other’s space. The very first thing to notice is producer Ryan “Ryu” Alexy’s evocative vocal sample, and Deniro and Denzel are tasked with matching its melancholy tone. They’re both successful. Deniro, his voice wafting like blunt smoke, sounds sorrowful even as he makes heartless threats. Denzel, on the other hand, quickens and slows his flow with confidence, but he still sounds determined to justify a line that signifies both his coldness and a desire to break bad habits: “My heart equals the 31st of December.” Catch these two now on their Bow Down joint tour. –Michael Madden
