Good Hair Music

Tanya Morgan - For Real

2013-03-10T21:32:00.000Z

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I do not know why I find it so hard to update consistently like I used to. Well I guess I do - I don't work the same way I used to and I have more responsibilities now. Here's to me giving this blog more responsibility with an absolutely beautiful track by Tanya Morgan. Sounds like Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings and a lot like Dreamy by Dilla. It makes for a great track either way. Look out for their new album 'Rubber Souls' in the summer. Enjoy!

Chvrches - Recover (Cid Rim Remix)

2013-02-11T20:26:00.001Z

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Apologies, this is a radio rip but it's just so good I had to post it up. Best way to summarize this track? Something like this formula:

Joy Orbison + Footwork + Drum n Bass + Dubstep snare + Really clever arpeggios = This track.

Cid Rim nailed it!

Typesun - The PL

2013-02-07T22:32:00.001Z

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I gotta admit. I am currently in no state to write a proper review on anything. But as I catch up on the week's great music this is one track which I cannot deny. What could other be labelled as another neo-soul attempt, Typesun somehow makes anti-climax a beautiful genre platform. Although the tune never really drops, that's what makes it such a great experience. It's almost like a broken beat vocal track but without the broken beat. Okay, so that should make it a boring vocal track but it's not. I have no other way to convince you otherwise other than to say just click on the vid and enjoy for yourself.

Shigeto - Huron River Drive (Elaquent Remix)

2013-02-03T00:39:00.000Z

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I'm posting this pretty much on the fly - I've never even heard the original but I will as soon as I've typed this post! I just had to put this up first because the atmosphere and melodies on this beat are just too lush. The deep bass and that killer slap turns this into a real neck-breaker. Perfect, beautiful, beats.

Lee Fields - Still Hanging On (feat. Lady)

2013-02-01T23:19:00.002Z

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Lee Fields has held a constant presence over the past few years, despite his initial great heights being reached many years previously. The guy is a true legend, one of those rare voices that definitely don't get worse with age and in some respects actually gets more enjoyable. A painful sounding track like this, which allows for Fields occasionally broken voice, gets fleshed out even more over a wail that is simultaneously scratchy and soothing. It's a rare and beautiful thing particularly when backed by Nicole Wray and Terri Walker (aka Lady). Enjoy.

His record label sum up the premise to this video brilliantly:
Veteran singer Lee Fields brings his classic American soul sound to an unlikely location in the new video for "Still Hanging On," from Faithful Man, last year's LP with his band the Expressions: a 16th-century church outside the city of Groningen, in the Netherlands. The clip opens on Fields rolling up in a classic ride to the church, where he's backed Truth & Soul labelmates Lady as he sings about struggling to get over an old flame to a crowd of churchgoers sitting in silent captivation.

The Dutch production company behind the video, Sensu, selected the majestic venue for Fields. "Filming the video in an old medieval church was the most humbling and spiritual experience I have ever encountered," Fields says.

The setting fits with Fields' old-school approach to soul music, which he first developed while singing in church as a teen in North Carolina. "I will never forget the scenic ride in that 1956 Oldsmobile while traveling to our destination, which looked like the same model car my dad had when I was a kid," says Fields.

Ty - Like You Never

2013-01-31T22:17:00.000Z

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Ty is a UK hiphop legend. FACT. You may not have heard of him, or maybe you have. Either way, after putting in a comeback video/track like this you should definitely know who he is.

The lyrics are a thoughtful, if not groundbreaking, comment on the rap scene as Ty sees it. He's not far wrong. The production, on the other hand, is brilliant. A perfectly cut soul sample (anyone recognize it?) looped and scratched with some added vocals on the chorus. Again, it's not groundbreaking but all of this together just sounds so damn nice!

Lion Babe - Treat Me Like Fire

2013-01-31T22:06:00.002Z

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So I'm slowly listening to great music again. Have just moved house again to South East London so it's all pretty new. One of the tracks I've really been feeling recently is this one, which I'm sure has already done the blog rounds. That won't stop me posting it though because I still think it's awesome!

Undeniably sexy vibe with a real tribal feel to it. It's the perfect combination of electronic sounds blended to sound natural. She sounds a lot, too much really, like Erykah Badu but that's not a bad thing. The only other unfortunate thing I have to mention is the artist name. Lion Babe. Sounds... chavvy? Non-UK people will have to look that word up.

Anyway, enjoy this audio/visual experience.

Earl Sweatshirt - Chum

2012-12-13T19:36:00.001Z

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A whole month later. Lot's changed. One thing that doesn't change is my interest in great music. And as always there's some great stuff out there. This is one absolutely fine example with Odd Future's background favourite Earl Sweatshirt putting in work over a marvellously simple beat with varying piano riffs. The video is something sinister too, to paraphrase the man's lyrics, with its slow motion grayscale leftfield movement. See what you think. More music to come!

The Internet - Give It Time

2012-11-12T20:10:00.001Z

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Really nice track by the other rnb act in Odd Future (and relatively unknown given Frank Ocean pretty much owned his title!). One could be forgiven for overlooking The Internet's first album because of Ocean's popularity but that doesn't make it any less great. It's a different type of rnb, a little more experimental and soulful. This new track showcases their more soulful side. Have a listen.

Toro Y Moi - So Many Details (Hodgy Beats Remix)

2012-11-07T09:29:00.003Z

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Details are a little sketchy on this one - might be Hodgy Beats on production but it doesn't really matter. It's super chill, layers sounds beautifully, and really lends to Toro y Moi's earlier production style, which had a hip hop edge to it. Definitely looking forward to his next album, Anything In Return, out on January 22nd 2013. Meanwhile you can grab this on a limited 7" on Record Day, Black Friday (November 23rd).

Oh, and love the album cover!

Cody ChestnuTT - Everybody's Brother (In session)

2012-11-03T15:21:00.002Z

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Well isn't this funny?
No, not at all.

A brilliant, heartfelt, song?
Definitely.

It's funny because while Everybody's Brother is definitely my brother, alas, the post is full of strife and pessimism!

The lyrics are about a man and his struggle as a drug addict and his turnaround - everyone knows someone like this, right? I guess I'm still waiting for my brother's "turnaround". Cody Chestnutt did this gospel version for Okayplayer back in July, in preparation for his current album, Landing On A Hundred, which is out now. The album cut is much more uptempo and definitely worth a listen too. Check it.

Boom Clap Bachelors - Tiden Flyver

2012-10-26T21:16:00.002+01:00

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Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe.

That's how I found this gorgeous Danish track. Fantastic sampling on Kendrick Lamar's track named above from his debut album Good Kid M.A.A.D. City. If you haven't checked that out - do it. It's the best rap album of 2012. Hands down. Nothing can or probably will come close. Unless Jay Electronica drops an album this year. But the less said about that the better.

Anyway, enjoy this lovely track.

Diggs Duke - Mass Exodus Volume 2

2012-10-23T08:58:00.003+01:00

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I might post a lot less than I used to (still getting back into the swing of motivation for life) but when I do post you know that it will be pure quality. Diggs Duke is, by far, my favourite unsigned artist. Not just because he's a multi-instrumentalist, a vocalist, and a lyricist but because he is good at all of the things that he does. Simultaneously, he refuses to obey the traditional modes and models of his music and its promotion. Using Soundcloud and Bandcamp he has built himself a steady but growing following. The music crosses the boundaries of jazz and soul effortlessly, like an artist who has established himself to confidently move and transform his sound as he gets older. I guarantee that Diggs Duke will be a star of the future, in more genres than one.

This EP shows why. 'Duty of Grace' combines jazz piano with smooth neo-soul beats and vocals while 'Cotton Candy' develops a piano stem gracefully on a beat that sounds like Phonte could rap brilliantly over. I can't think of anyone making music right now who combines a gorgeous sax with these elements so well. 'Well Repel' is the most 'accessible' track out of the four, with a beautiful acoustic piano intro into a driven but offstep beat with subtle reverses. As with most Diggs Duke EPs, there is always one which fully shows his talent and this time it is in the final track. Each instrument gets its own clarity and Duke really finds his voice.

Do what you can to support this artist - I know it will be worth it!

Mass Exodus: Volume 2 by Diggs Duke

Mo Kolours - Brave

2012-10-20T10:16:00.003+01:00

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Awesome track - Mo Kolours never fails to impress. With a simple bass, simple kick and a regular finger snap, Mo Kolours melodizes the track beautifully with some exquisite percussion to give it some real rhythm. Music to let your inner soul out. There is also some nice vocal samples to go along with it. Haven't heard the flip to this, Dredd, and One Handed Music, the record label, haven't put it online yet. Can't wait to hear this though! The first 300 copies of this vinyl have already sold out so keep your eyes out for a repressing!

Brave / Dredd Music by Mo Kolours

Indjun - Be

2012-10-18T19:09:00.001+01:00

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Hey all - sorry for the slow updates. Gonna be a really simple one for this post. I need some feedback on this track I produced. Any listens/comments/thoughts would be massively appreciated!

Robert Glasper - Twice (?uestlove's Twice Baked Remix feat. Solange Knowles & The Roots)

2012-10-11T00:22:00.001+01:00

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This is truly a discovery for me of Solange Knowles as a brooding Lalah Hathaway-esque vocal talent, slinking and shuddering over the lyrics. She has been recruited by ?uestlove to update Little Dragon's "Twice" from a stern warning knell (two piano notes switch back and forth alluringly like a siren's toll) to become a rendition filled with unconsciously simmering scorn in the verses and thoughtless black self-indulgence, like liquorice, and oh how bitterly indulgent "Twice" is as Solange leads into the chorus singing, "Tell me what led you on I’d love to know". Surely, it must have been the depths and altos of her voice.

I have listened to Glasper's full EP, Black Radio Recovered The Remix EP, and it is not a trivial one to be saved for any rainy day. Listen quickly! "Twice" remains my favourite but The Consequences of Jealousy featuring Meshell Ndegeocello (Georgia Anne Muldrow's Sassy Geemix) is close second.

Flying Lotus - Flotus

2012-10-09T01:11:00.003+01:00

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Considering the viscous bass that I've become accustomed to from Flying Lotus, I don't know about calling this one "massive". It actually sounds diminutive compared against almost any other, if not every other, FlyLo track that's come before despite a familiar dreaminess. I did just play it in the bedroom post midnight without stirring sleeping beauty next to me more than him changing sides, which I think definitely says something about how pleasant the track is, if not slightly unimportant for that reason. Fellow LA producer, Teebs does a better job of piling up thin sound-bites for a treble effect. I don't want FlyLo in a closed room with only frequent collaborator Thundercat on bass for company but "Flotus" is very easy listening and I have come to expect more more more.

"Flotus" aired on Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra as part of a mix for Diplo & Friends on Sunday.

Meshell Ndegeocello - 'Pour Une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication To Nina Simone' (Full Album Stream)

2012-10-08T22:38:00.000+01:00

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Meshell Ndegeocello channels Nina Simone's bold, stoic and often uncomfortable integrity (uncomfortable to the listener that is and never Simone) and brings to mind a question that I asked only last week: "What are the differences between country, folk and blues music?" This album uses all three but after listening to Ndegeocello's tribute, I think acknowledging the bluesy stories of mistreated "sovereign soul[s]", that each genre commonly tells, is more affecting and ultimately more useful than taking the genres apart, for affirming a desire in the worldly-wise or weary to make humanity and empathy traits which cannot be compromised.

Moses Hightower

2012-10-04T12:53:00.004+01:00

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Neo-soul-pop-jazz from Iceland? Sure, why not!

Sorry for the lack of updates guys - I have been out in Iceland, husky sledding, glacier hiking, ice wall climbing snowmobiling, touring... you know how it goes! While I was out there, I was determined to find some musical golden nuggets that weren't Sigur Ros or Bjork - and I found this absolute gem. In truth, I've only heard their most recent album önnur mósebók but couldn't afford to buy it as I've been broke after all those excursions! If anyone can hit me a copy, please do - I'd be more than happy to review it!

I did, however, find their debut album Búum til börn on Bandcamp. It's all in Icelandic but good music doesn't need a language - and these guys are good! The title track, for example, has a beat that you could easily find on a great Dwele album. Check it out and show these guys some love!

Búum til börn by Moses Hightower

The Gaslamp Killer - Nissim

2012-09-18T21:31:00.001+01:00

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Click on the Spin link below to hear this gem!

Via Spin:
Outside of his home base of Los Angeles, the Gaslamp Killer has a rep for bringing brutal bass and heavy samples to whatever dingy dance hall or sweaty fest tent he visits. But the locals know him as a man of exquisite taste, with a record collection that follows the contrails of psychedelia through eras and across continents with uncommon ease. Though he's dropped a handful of EPs and singles along the way, the aptly titled Breakthrough is Gaslamp's debut long-player, and it comes courtesy of Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label. New single "Nissim" is about as far away from the club as you can get: a richly arranged Turkish soul groove with a break-beat bounce to it and a special catch: every instrument on it was played live. Here's Gaslamp with a few words: "I was listening to this old Turkish song over and over, and I said to myself, 'Lord, this is too good. I don't wanna just loop it like I used to. I should get with some musicians and recreate this. ' So I got [producer] Daedelus on bass, and Amir Yaghmai from Jogger on guitar and yiali tambur, and we just jammed. It sounded so good that Amir offered to bring in some Middle Eastern professionals he knew, and then they redid it while I sat in and directed the band." And on the other said of this mirror within a mirror within a mirror is the gorgeous "Nissim," a song named after Gaslamp's late grandfather, who grew up in Istanbul. The result sounds both historically authentic, and authentically original. And yeah, it's trippy, mane.

Leron Thomas & Gretchen Parlato - Leaves Rebirth

2012-09-17T12:10:00.003+01:00

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The catastrophic tsunami that hit Japan not all that long ago is still affecting areas of Japan and will continue, with changes to the ecosystem and the threat of a serious nuclear disaster still imminent. The music world, in particular, has done a phenomenal job in creating awareness and has itself created a wave of fantastic music. This latest offering is a jazzy excursion by "Mr New York" Leron Thomas and the extremely talented Gretchen Parlato. This one comes from an album called Home: Gift of Music - Japan Earthquake / Tsunami Relief, which you can't actually hear online except for this track and one other. This one, however, is a real standout using perfect, accessible, jazzy instrumentation with thoughtful lyrics. Be sure to check it out and if you're feeling generous, buy this album and support the cause. <a href="http://sunnysidezone.com/track/leaves-rebirth">Leaves Rebirth by Various Artists</a>

M. Josephine - Donut Soul

2012-09-15T22:47:00.001+01:00

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You guys know how obsessed I am with Dilla's music right? I mean, you've seen how many tags on the blog are tagged with Dilla? Click a tag at the bottom and you'll see. Anyway...

I've never been one to post something on the blog "just because it's brand new music". That's just not how I roll. If it's good music, it'll get posted, whether it came out today or 30 years ago. That's my only goal. So when I was trawling through my Good Hair inbox (e-mail address at the top of the home page, people) I realised that I completely overlooked this gem. A young lady by the name of Mary Jospehine aka M. Josephine has sung a few of her own very unique covers over Dilla-inspired beats. Yeah, it's been done before but it's very rarely been done this well. Just have a listen below. Definitely worth the free download and keeping tabs on. Let us know what you think! Peace.

Donut Soul by M. Josephine

Range Da Messenga - Miracle

2012-09-15T22:28:00.001+01:00

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Yup, I'm still here and still getting back into posting...slowly. Bare with me people, something big is brewing in the background. And you will be glad when it comes to light. In the meantime...

Check this Hezekiah-produced track by Range Da Messenga. Dusty beats and a grooving bassline drive steadily behind Range's super smooth voice. This one really does have a church-y feel to it and I gotta admit, I'm feeling it. It's a great way to help me get back into thee blog while I rumble on with the project in the background.

Sometimes the light is hard to see
Because you're closing your eyes.

Feel that. If you're not sure who Hezekiah is, check the tag at the bottom of the post - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised to hear his work with Bilal, for example. Anyway, check it out and post us your feedback!

<iframe width="300" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 300px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=850252422/size=grande/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://3crates.bandcamp.com/track/miracle-produced-by-hezekiah">MIRACLE produced by Hezekiah by Range Da Messenga</a></iframe>

Harmonic 313 - Lion

2012-08-24T23:38:00.002+01:00

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We're coming back! Slowly but surely the phoenix is rising... or something of the sort. The fire is lit and this lion is roaring. Filthy bassline and a simple but infectious beat which seriously picks up after the 2:20 mark. Love the broken Amen beats. Rinse and Repeat! Perfect for the Notting Hill Carnival if anyone's going! Harmonic 313 = the legendary Mark Pritchard.

For a quick life update - it still sucks! Music keeps us roaring.

The Ambassadors - Ain't Got The Love Of One Girl (On My Mind)

2012-06-01T21:46:00.000+01:00

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Haven't posted any sampled gems recently so I'm putting this beauty up which anyone who knows anything about real hip hop will recognize from the first few seconds. New school heads will recognize it from Jay Electronica and Jay Z's 'Shiny Suit Theory' and the classic cats will recognize this from the legendary Pete Rock and CL Smooth track 'I Got A Love'. So refreshing to hear both, particularly the latter on a phat system with the bass turned up. Enjoy.