This week’s DeJamz is brought to you by those who are gone but not forgotten. At least, they won’t be forgotten if they would hurry up with their album already. Check out these six tracks from artists whose next album is long overdue.
1. Grimes – “Vowels = Space and Time” – Canadian Tumblr wunderkind, fashion maven and all-around amazing person Claire Boucher rose from the underground thanks to her latest album, 2012’s “Visions.” What she gave the world with this album was some of the most unusual electropop seen in some time, and since then, she has been everywhere: in a promo for Vampire Weekend’s last album with Steve Buscemi, interviewing 2 Chainz at the Grammys red carpet and now at Pitchfork Music Festival in July. If she doesn’t release her longanticipated album soon, she should at least write a book about how cool her life is.
2. Kanye West – “Bound 2” – How many write-in votes do you think Kanye and Jay-Z got after releasing “Watch the Throne” in the thick of election season two years ago? The thought definitely crossed my mind at the time, but come ballot time, I stayed my hand. After Mr. West announced a couple weeks ago that he was canceling tour dates to finish his album, the Internet collectively hyperventilated. Let’s hope he is a.) not lying, and b.) not planning on releasing “Yeezus 2,” because as much as I loved the original, at this point Kanye only needs to top himself, and that might be near impossible at this point.
3. Chance the Rapper – “Everything’s Good (Good Ass Outro)” – Speaking of artists needing to outdo themselves, Chance is another who got a big break last year and who is expected to really blow some lids on his next release. If the star power on last year’s “Acid Rap” is any indication, we’re in for a treat. He’s since worked with Justin Bieber, because everyone needs money sometimes, and most notably James Blake, whom he now lives with in Los Angeles.
4. Radiohead – “Lotus Flower” – As the reigning greatest band ever, Thom Yorke and friends shouldn’t feel any need to rush a new album, especially after the surprise drop of “King of Limbs” in 2011. Word is they may begin to maybe think about getting together later this year and lay down some tracks, but being the mystical music wizards they are, you can never be too sure, and there’s no need to rush perfection.
5. Kendrick Lamar- “Money Trees” – I’m sorry that this list is full of rappers, but they tend to have better turnaround times on albums than bands, and there was just too much good rap last year to make 2014 any different. Kendrick has been busy, most recently appearing on the soundtrack for the new movie “Divergent” and at the Grammys with Imagine Dragons. Following up his masterpiece “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” will be an “Illmatic“-sized endeavor.
6. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” – A band that joined Kendrick on the “Divergent” soundtrack, although unfortunately it was basically a version of this song with him rapping over it, Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala now have two classic albums under their belt in as many years. Whatever they have in store for us next promises to be just as good as their consistently impressive catalogue demonstrates.
