#robert rowat

From this week’s Songs You Need to Hear:

Nomadic Massive, ‘Duty’

“Duty” is the lead single from The Big Band Theory, the new album from Montreal’s multilingual, multicultural hip-hop supergroup Nomadic Massive that drops June 2. Its smart, high-energy fusion of hip-hop, big band jazz, and mariachi horns establishes a tremendous party groove for three of the group’s rappers: Waahli, Lou Piensa and Tali Taliwah. “Duty” is a sure jam for fans of the Robert Glasper Experiment, the Black Eyed Peas and even ‘80s hip-hop, which gets a nostalgic nod with the line “You know what time it is” in the chorus. This is the top-down, tunes-up song your summer has been waiting for.

Listen to ICI Musique's stream of the album here.

From this week’s Songs You Need to Hear:

Jon Bellion feat. Travis Mendes, ‘Guillotine,’ 

“Guillotine” is sure to be one of the crowd-pleasers on Jon Bellion’s upcoming concert tour in support of his new album, The Human Condition, which drops June 10. (His sole Canadian date is July 26 at the Hoxton in Toronto.) It’s a subtle pop song, mixing elements of R&B and dance, and the soulful guest vocals by Travis Mendes, a frequent collaborator, contrast nicely with Bellion’s sweeter singing style. At first the recurring sample of a child’s voice seems incongruous, but then it becomes indispensable to the song’s groove. The chorus, which drives home the meaning of the title, is super catchy. “I know that you love me even when I lose my head. Guillotine!”

From our list of The 25 Best Radiohead Songs:

‘High and Dry’ (1995)

“It's not bad…. It's very bad.” That’s what Thom Yorke told Pitchforkback in 2006, explaining how he was convinced, reluctantly, to include “High and Dry” on The Bends. But never mind, he’s not the first musician to be ashamed of his own hit and history has shown “High and Dry” to be one of Radiohead’s best and most frequently covered songs. Nearly minimalist in scope, the indelible chorus (“Don’t leave me high/ don’t leave me dry”) employs only those two lines of text and five pitches to suspend you in that terrible vacuum created when you stupidly turn your back on the important things.

From this week’s Songs You Need To Hear:

‘Holding On,’ Gregory Porter

Jazz vocalist Gregory Porter released his latest album, Take me to the Alley, on May 6. The album opens with a reworked, acoustic version of “Holding On,” the track he co-wrote and sang with EDM duo Disclosure for its 2015 album, Caracal. It’s a testament to Porter’s songwriting that the same song works so well as both an electronic dance number and a neo-jazz tune. Soulful and supremely communicative, Porter is backed by great playing from his band — led by pianist Chip Crawford — that on this track includes a marvelous muted trumpet solo by Keyon Harrold.

From this week’s Songs You Need To Hear:

Trevor Guthrie, 'Let it Go' (acoustic)

Over the past few years, Trevor Guthrie has become the featured vocalist with the Midas touch for EDM artists like Armin van Buuren ("This is What it Feels Like"), R3hab ("Soundwave") and, most recently, Laidback Luke, whose "Let it Go" was released last fall and still sits comfortably in the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. What makes golden boy Guthrie's vocals so compelling? His wide range (aided by an easy falsetto), precise diction and distinctive timbre count for a lot, but so does good old life experience. (Guthrie is 43 and has been making music for three decades.) He recently released an acoustic version of "Let it Go" along with this fun and nostalgic video that includes a car racing set!

From this week’s Songs You Need to Hear 

Jason Derulo, 'If it Ain't Love'

Jason Derulo, a.k.a. God's gift to those of us with two left feet, released his latest single on April 1, just two days before hosting the iHeartRadio Music Awards, where he also performed the song. It may not have the indelible hook of 2015's "Want to Want Me," but "If it Ain't Love" is basically a Dancing for Dummies manual. And if the song's lyrics are to be believed, the dance floor is not the only place your stamina will be improved: "Before round three, I've got a question for you baby/ if it ain't love, why does it feel so good?"

From this week’s Songs You Need to Hear:

Rome Fortune, 'Love'

Atlanta rapper Jerome Raheem Fortune (a.k.a. Rome Fortune) toils away on the fringes of hip-hop culture, but if he continues to make tracks like "Love," from his latest, self-titled album, he's liable to break into the mainstream. Its cool electronic production combines with his TMI style of conversational rap to create something unique and strangely addictive.

— Robert Rowat (@rkhr)

From this week’s Songs You Need To Hear:

Alex Newell, 'Devilish'

Glee alum Alex Newell starts a nine-concert U.S. tour with American Idol alum Adam Lambert this week, a pop-culture convergence that Newell describes as "just two queens screaming at the top of their lungs and just having fun." If that's not your thing, move along. But if you're drawn to Newell's brand of weave-shaking, finger-wagging, gender-bending disco, then bring on "Devilish" from Power, the recent EP that represents his first solo venture.