Weekly roundup of what I’ve been listening to on the web and new adds to my record collection.

As always, I’ll include the Spotify and Apple Music playlists at the bottom.

Streams

Slow Dance Records Sampler

This label has been around for a while and deserves a higher profile. This collection was released a few tracks at a time starting in January, with the final batch last Friday. A lot of it is lo-fi, homemade sounding stuff — midtempo tracks with a hushed vocal and sparse piano or accompaniment, often with ambient sounds and funky drum loops coming in and out. I imagine that no matter your taste, if you’re an indie music head, something in there will grab you. The tracks that grabbed me were the first four by Plutoz Beach, HORNET, LIPWORMS and Milkweed, but I’ll be checking out anything new from the label.

Dani Miller – Hard Way

I can’t remember when I heard this first, months ago, but it’s followed me around since. I hope she does more solo stuff, this is so raw-sounding and simple, and incredibly memorable.

DJ Python – Mas Amable

This album is 49 minutes long, which is exactly the length of drive I was doing a couple times a day, for a few weeks last year, while my life was completely upside down. Everything was stressful and terrifying and this album was like a meditation session. I listened to it twice a day, each time I did the drive. It’s my go-to listen for when I’m feeling frantic and panicky.

It’s best uninterrupted, as loud as you can get it. Several times.

Spins

Weakerthans – Left and Leaving

The first time I heard Pamphleteer, the line about the hands stopped me cold. This was the first album of theirs I heard, and has been a favourite since the first listen. The LP I found is 3 sides — the fourth side has a buffalo etched on the vinyl, which is pretty fantastic.

A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

The performance of “We The People…” on SNL was a rare moment for the show. Right after Trump was elected, less than a year after Phife died, and almost 20 years after their last album. Angry, moving and electric.

The album is as good as anything else in their catalog. Nothing more needs to be said.

Eric B and Rakim – Paid in Full

Found this one cheap in a small town vintage shop. When this came out in 1987, the big hip hop singles were Fight for your Right and I Need Love, which tells you how far ahead of the pack Rakim was. He’s the proto-Nas. I saw Rakim live in Toronto in 2010, and he hadn’t lost a step, but not a single person I told about that show knew who he was.