4/23 new arrivals

A ’90s hip-hop classic, a French disco record and a country chanteuse.

O.C., Word… Life: A classic ’90s NYC hip-hop album that I somehow missed in Friday’s mega-haul. Smart and breezy with a loose, feel-good vibe, this is an extremely accessible hip-hop record. Originally released in 1994, here’s AMG’s apt description: “The album is drenched in classic, hard-core East Coast B-boyism, but O.C. puts the boasts on the shelf to take up more existential subject matter… Word…Life saw little commercial success due, in part, to the drained coffers of the failed endeavor that was Wild Pitch Records, but one would be hard-pressed to find a hard-core hip-hop fan without this recording somewhere in their collection.”

Black Devil Disco Club, Black Devil Disco Club in Dub: A nice and smooth remix collection of the somewhat mysterious 28 After record from Black Devil, an album that sounds like vintage Italo-disco even though it’s French and its origins are difficult to pin down. Our own Philip Sherburne wrote a great feature on Black Devil here.

Maria McKee, Late December: So I only know Maria McKee from her haunting “If Love Was a Red Dress” from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, and while her new album is not so heavy on the country-reverb, it’s a smart, rootsy album that leans way more on Kate Bush than I expected. Definitely worth checking out.

Studio, Life’s a Beach: This recommendation came from Todd, and I can totally understand why. The key to these two songs is in that very loose bass sound, which has just a touch of freestyle in it. The two tracks are surprisingly contemplative considering the size of their beats. We have another remix by Prins Thomas (who re-cut track two here) on this Bebel Gilberto EP.

Denny Blaze, Original Average Homeboy Keyboard Track: Yep, it’s that song, the one that would be even more offensive if it weren’t so pathetic. Check the YouTube vid for more: