The Agony & The Ecstasy, featuring the best music of the week from Julia Holter to Jeremih
Track of the week: Jeremih – "Love Hangover"
Jeremih's one-man mission to bring the filth back to R&B continues with "Love Hangover". Coming off the back of last year's word-of-mouth smash mixtape Late Nights With Jeremih, this Diana Ross-following track can be found on his forthcoming album Thumpy Johnson.
Video of the week: Julia Holter - Maxim's I
Julia Holter – a composition-graduate singer-songwriter from LA – has made one of the year's total best-ofs with her album Loud City Song. Her series of albums have proved themselves quietly, subtly and carefully revolutionary, and this slow video of black and white photos is a perfect accompaniment to this unique voice.
Compton track of the week: Big Fase 100 & Jay Worthy – It's Not Right
Sticking a fresh spin on the titular sample, this hood-shot video is the latest to bring attention back to one of rap's most fertlie turfs: the city of see oh emm pee tee. Following Tyga and Kendrick Lamarr to reresent South Central's hub, Big Fase 100 – who has enough California Love to ape Tupac on his debut mixtape cover – has dropped this blinding monochrome video, and it's as sad and scary as anything made since Doughboy spat "They don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the Hood."
Collab of the week: Jon Hopkins and Purity Ring
A breath of fresh air for Monday morning with the nicest news of a get-together since last week: that Jon Hopkins's precise blend of techno has worked wonders with Purity Ring's vocals on "Breathe This Air". After more than 12 years releasing wonderful, cinematic electronica, Jon Hopkins's breakthrough new album has been rapturously recieved. Now, its album centrepiece has been blessed by some really, really nice singing from Purity Ring, and you can hear it above.
Slow jam called "Slow Jam" of the week: Tirzah – Slow Jam
Produced by Mica Levi of Micachu and the Shapes, new London singer Tirzah treads the ground between dance and homemade folk. This second song from her debut EP sounds fun, sad and a bit hungover, much like life in the city that made it.
Baroque emo-rap of the week: Earl Sweatshirt – Burgundy
Finishing a slow-jam-leaning set of tracks this week is Earl Sweatshirt's "Burgundy". Produced by Pharrell (one of Earl's crew's most prominent influences) it's a slow epic joint. Long considered one of the best rappers from Odd Future's generation (and beyond), these doubletime, slurred and deeply personal verses show us not just how far those weird kids have come since trading .ZIP mixtapes but how far the whole rap game has changed.