The Plug’n Play: August (‘23)
August 31, 2023
You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, or Tidal
The Monthly Recap:
Throughout the month, Kevin and I select some of our favorite releases. In a lot of ways, this playlist — The Plug’n Play — is an extension of our text thread where we send new music to each other throughout the month. We hope you dig it!
Songs 1-15 were selected by Kevin. Songs 16-26 were selected by me, Stanley. As always, we hope you find a song you like and check out the larger body of work (and don’t put the playlist on shuffle!). Here are a few highlights from the month:
Stop (Askin’ Me 4 Shyt) — Victoria Monét
Over the past decade, Victoria Monét has made herself into one of the most trusted songwriters in music, penning songs for the likes of Chloe and Halle, Brandy, and her most consistent collaboration, Ariana Grande. Though releasing her own music while writing for others during this time, her 2020 album, Jaguar, signaled somewhat of an arrival; a refined sound that melded her pop-songwriting sensibilities with her ear for 70s “Soul” music. Jaguar II, her follow-up to her 2020 album, sees Monét at an even higher peak, crafting soaring melodies at times, and party anthems and laid back grooves at others. It’s some of her finest and more exciting work to date!
And of course, D’Mile — who produced nearly all of the tracks on the album — shines here as well. Though D’Mile has received notoriety for his work with Silk Sonic and Lucky Daye, his work with Victoria Monét offers something different; something I’d submit is more evocative. I had high expectations for Jaguar II, and Victoria Monét exceeded them!
Witchcraft — Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy (Featuring Robert Glasper)
Last Friday, music veterans Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy released their joint album, Nova, a 6-song Latin-infused exploration of Black music. Over the course of their respective careers, Martin and Fauntleroy have contributed to some of the biggest projects in music. But their joint album offers something different from the projects they typically work on for other artists; rejecting formulas and notions of commercial appeal, it feels like some friends jamming, making they music they want to make.
Hold — De La Bux (Featuring Shvne and Youngteam)
On Sunday, August 27th, Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, De La Bux, released his debut album, With Love. I’ve known De La Bux since we in the same 8th grade class during the mid-aughts. Though, at the time, I didn’t know that he sang (and I was still 3 years away from taking my first guitar lesson, so I definitely was not checking for music folks yet). Now, nearly 20 years later, it’s exciting to see the artist he’s become, his expansive taste and capabilities as a writer and composer. I’d highly recommend checking out his new album! If you need reference points for De La Bux’s sound, I’ll highlight a few songs from the album: Hold merges the sound of Latin-inspired guitar with 808s; Subscription is reminiscent of Heavier Things-era John Mayer; Dela is reminiscent of Blonde-era Frank Ocean. It’s an excellent body of work!
