Monday Mix Tapes: Love is an Exquisite Kind of Pain

It's no secret that I think Jessie Ware can do no wrong. Because she can do no wrong. Here she is, performing "Confess to Me" with Disclosure on Jools Holland and perfecting the art of a bare midriff:



Speaking of women who can do no wrong, I think it's been a little too long since Lykke Li has made an appearance here. Never fear! She's featured on David Lynch's upcoming album, and it's slow and dreamy and just right.



And oh wait, I have another fantastic female vocalist to talk about: Eleanor Friedberger. I saw her at Empty Bottle here in Chicago last Friday—perfect timing, as I'm currently obsessing over her new album, Personal Record.



One of my favorites from the album is "I'll Never Be Happy Again," although nothing can top "Stare at the Sun," in my humble opinion.  But "I'll Never Be Happy Again" is the perfect track to lead into that one. It feels wonderfully dramatic and yet calmly realistic to me at the same time, and I love it. "After perfection, it's all downhill"; "Love is an exquisite kind of pain"—girl, I feel you.



Finally, here's a track from Quadron's new album, Avalanche. (Quadron = electronic soul duo, singer Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj and producer Robin Hannibal of Rhye, another love of mine.) I listened to this album this morning while I got ready for work. Then I listened to it again while I wrote some Groupons. And then again while I made dinner. In other words, I like it a lot.

This one, "LFT" (Looking for Trouble), is in heavy competition with the track "Better Off" (featuring Kendrick Lamar) as my favorite.



Happy almost Tuesday! Maybe next time I'll feature some dudes. I think there are some men making music somewhere, right?

Monday Mix Tapes: Suddenly I'm Hit

While I'm well aware that the Grammy's happened last night, I'm not going to get into all that right now, except to say: Miguel! Frank! YES!

Other than that, I don't think I have anything new to add.

So, moving on: I think now is the time that I start SCREAMING about the new James Blake.

It's so, so much. Talk about the voice as the perfect instrument. When he first sings, "So show me why you're strong/ignore everybody else/we're alone nowwww" — JESUS.

"Suddenly I'm hit":



Meanwhile, in the brief, fleeting moments that I haven't been listening to "Retrograde" in the last week (or the new Toro y Moi! or new Tegan & Sara!), I managed to fall in love with yet another Brit, Azekel.

This guy is like my kryptonite ("we can go for a walk, we don't have to do much"):



Every time he gets to the "Can I have another portion of you with medium fries?" bit, I snap out of my crazy British R&B-induced trance and laugh. But right before you think it's all getting a little too silly, he says, "Excuse me if that sounds a bit stupid" and all is forgiven. (Also, I tweeted about him and he retweeted me and then tweeted me with "thanks" so basically I'm famous now. Or we're in love. I haven't quite made my mind up. Maybe both.)

Aside from that love affair, I'm increasingly excited for Rhye's album, Woman, to come out in March. For whatever reason, one video wasn't quite enough for the song "Open," so I stumbled back across the song last week, right at the perfect moment.  And not only because the breathy opening, "I'm a fool for that shake in your thighs" makes me really, really happy. It's just: 

"I wanna make this plain/Oh, I know you're faded/Mmm, but stay, don't close your eyes"



Stay open. Happy Monday!