WWL2 - March 2025

Some new stuff and sending love to some dearly departed legends.

Paris Texas - They Left Me With The Sword; They Left Me With A Gun

These two EPs were my first two times listening to Paris Texas. I was pleasantly surprised. Their style reminds me of what I had been missing about new music – style, creativity, and originality. Even though one can tell they get influence from other original rap groups like N.E.R.D., they do a good job of mixing other genres like experimental and punk. For instance, “Stripper Song” on the They Left Me With A Gun EP reminds me of something N.E.R.D. would have produced in the early aughts. But then there’s '“Dogma 25” that’s a bit more rough and fast paced. It reminds me a little bit of how Flatbush Zombies experimented on their past albums as well – never sticking to the status quo of what was being produced at the time but really divulging different styles that also interested them. It can be technically classified as “scaring the hoes music” but still good regardless. -MA

Chanel Beads - Your Day Will Come and “Ef”

I’ve been finding myself replaying the album, Your Day Will Come, and the single, “Ef”, by Chanel Beads. To me, their mix of synth, post-punk, and electronic music make for this dreamy soundtrack. It’s instantly soothing and really fun in any setting really. “Ef” in particular has been on a constant repeat for me for the last few months. I recently heard a podcast where they interviewed Shane Lavers (main dude from Chanel Beads) and found out that their album music is nothing like how they perform live, so now naturally I’m dying to see them in person lol. -MA

Also, here’s my 2025 playlist to keep up to date with what I’m listening to throughout the year 8)

Little Simz - “Flood”

A new Little Simz album is headed our way in May and I’ve been listening to the first single that she shared from it. Her last collaboration with Obonjayar, “Point and Kill,” was one of my favorite songs of 2021 so I’m super happy to see them back at it. This one feels like the much darker sibling of that song and has an insane video to match - feels more like a 3-minute short film. Her last 3 albums have all been entirely produced by Inflo so seeing a different producer listed here (Miles Clinton James) has me interested in what kind of direction she’ll be taking on this next album. If this first single is any indication, that shit is gonna THUMP. -TA

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Lifeline

Another day, another legend lost. As a musician, Roy Ayers was joy personified – that’s why his music is so accessible. In the years following his commercial peak in the 1970’s, he willingly embraced hip-hop & R&B’s fascination with his music (he’s been sampled hundreds of times) rather than distance himself from it. His music represents much of the foundation that these genres stood on in the 80’s, 90’s and beyond. He made a hit with Whitney Houston on her debut album and worked with Mary J. Blige & Badu. He was sampled on the first A Tribe Called Quest album in 1990 and played live on Tyler, the Creator’s Cherry Bomb 25 years later. He seemed to appear wherever his energy was needed. Ubiquity indeed. -TA

Roberta Flack - Feel Like Makin’ Love

I’ve always loved this album. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” isn’t just my favorite Roberta Flack song - it’s one of my favorite songs of all time. This whole album sounds like velvet feels. The guitars are so warm Roberta just glides over it all. This record marked a pivotal change in her career in that it was the first album of hers that she received the production credit for. Even though she had been doing her own production long before this, the credit always ended up going to whatever man Atlantic Records had in the control booth. She asserted herself on this album and was correctly listed as producer on every album she released for the rest of her life. Can’t argue with the result - “Feel Like Makin’ Love” became the number one song in America when it was released in the Spring of 1975. Hearing that she passed the other day was devastating. I hope that she and Donny Hathaway are together somewhere on the other side. -TA