Where Tyler stagnated on Goblin and displayed little personal innovation to his style that is already becoming cliche, Domo improves markedly on his second release in every single facet: flow, lyrics, beats, production... even the album cover is better. This is miles ahead of Rolling Papers. Domo has matured and it shows - smooth classy beats, clever quick-witted verses... as far as style goes, Domo Genesis kills it. He finds a way to maintain Odd Future's humorous trademark while having a tone that is less gimmicky and more mature. Until Earl comes back, Domo, to me, is the most exciting Wolf Gang member. Seriously, if you haven't given the "lesser known" members of OFWGKTA a look, check this out. Standout Track(s) - Guess Who's Back
The original mixtape that I downloaded didn't list the features on each track -- when I realized that it was Cassie Veggies on this track, I was shocked. I'd listened to a few of his songs, stopping them way before they were over, and didn't like him at all... but I love this guest spot - he starts off fresh from his first verse, and he keeps his charisma at a peak in spite of (or maybe supported by) his ridiculous voice. Going to check more of his stuff out now...
I'm a little thrown off by his fabricated descriptions of how good his weed is... Really Domo? Seeing colors in tie-dye? I guess that really is some goku shit. Whatever - lovely song. I still dig it.
Interesting Info -
Odd Future is headlining Sunday of Fun Fun Fun Fest here in Austin. I recommend you be there.
So this girl won an award for best folk singer in 2010 - and though I'm not easily attracted to folk music, I can definitely see why. Maybe it is because I think she's cute as hell. More likely, it's because she has such a... I can't think clever and engaging style. Her lyrics tell real stories while often being adorably surreal. She just has clever word play that makes her fun to listen to. But the real thing making me stay is that she has some of the most raw and affected vocals that I have ever heard. Seriously... If you pay full attention to Taxidermist, Taxidermist below... It is heart-breaking even if you never catch the actual lyrics. The album title of mammoth swoons really captures what she does sometimes.
This is the kind of folk I can dig. Catchy melodies at times, occasionally intentionally broken up just to make you aware you are listening. She never lets you just get lost in the melody. She always makes you listen, and that is okay because she has vocals and lyrics that are unique and enticing... She can play guitar quite well too... I don't know - give it a listen. I reccommend it.
Taxidermist, Taxidermist... what can I say -- if you can give the full 8 minutes of the song your full attention (which I realize, may be difficult - it is one long song) and you do *not* feel chills when she sings "we shall be enraptured" at the end, then you probably do not have a soul. It starts off a bit slower before transitioning into the good bits. Trust me that it's not like this the entire song. At one point she says, "... oh I am intense" - and you bet it Lady Lamb. You god damn bet it.
Interesting Info -
One of the artists I talked about earlier on in my blog (Alias)actually sampled her for one of his songs, and the only reason I know is because when I searched "lady lamb" in my iTunes to check out the album, his song "Lady Lambin'" came up. Definitely samples her... cool stuff. But that's not the real interesting info, the real interesting info is that she is only 20 (maybe 21 now) years old, and that that is great because someday I am going to marry her. Just an FYI.
I didn't like The Drums at first - mostly because I saw this video of them performing live and looking obnoxiously apathetic. The lead singer seemed like a overdone caricature of Kurt Cobain, and it made it difficult for me to give the band a chance. Now, I just kind of hope that isn't the way they always are - because this new album is solid. Jonathan Pierce's voice sounds straight out of the 80s, and it compliments the indie surf-sounding guitars oh so well. Really makes me want to be back in California, driving to the beach, and enjoying the sun and sin that comes along. Sidenote, why does this album cover look so Witch Housey? It does not fit the album...
Ahh, I've listened to this a lot. Not really anything that sounds terribly like Sin Fang, besides his other band Seabear. Beautiful stuff. An incredibly solid 8 songs, and one of my favorite albums.
Such a solid mixtape - Das Racist really has some dope beats, and awesome rapping skills, even if they often don't take themselves seriously. Their album dropped recently, I think it sucks. Does anyone actually like the song Michael Jackson? It seems like it is their single from it, and I am not feeling it.
A lot of people think that this album is just more of their first album - but it really is not. It is miles above. It shares the same style - you can tell it is the Generationals for sure, but they've nearly perfected their formula with this album. Even the songs that seem poppy and cheesy on this one grow on you on further listens, and have subtle emotional and sonic nuances that make this one of my favorite albums this year.
Usually when I write about music, I tend to write things and thoughts down while I'm listening to the album. Though I had many thoughts formulate in my head while listening to the Planet Asia EP, I had to stop myself. I didn't want to miss a single verse. Plus, I had a minor fear that I would lose the beat that PA got me bouncing my head too. These beats are so simple and smooth, and Planet Asia has a great flow with incredible lyricism to go on top of it. Seriously, some of these beats just seem way ahead of their time in terms of style. Don't get me wrong, this stuff has a classic sound to it - just not in the way that you feel like your listening to a throwback rap mix - no, this sounds like something that was made today but with old-school emceeing and simple beats only to make you feel like this stuff is old. But oh no, it actually is old. Released 1998.
Some beats are stronger than others, but they all share a similar dark-toned style. Luckily, the EP is only 8 songs long, just short enough to prevent you from getting sick of it. And when the beats aren't as strong, Asia makes up for it with even stronger raps. So... yeah. Check this out; or just ride with me, because I feel it will be in my rotation for awhile.
StandoutTrack(s) - On The Corner Part 2
Quite a smoker's anthem. Love it - gimme Asia over Wiz any day. (Note - I normally embed the youtube players, but they were defaulting to lower quality, and I think these benefit a bit from you playing it in the higher qualities, even though they are only like 480.)
Kalidascope
Probably my favorite beat on the whole thing. It's just so smooth, and the whole thing has a classic feel.
Interesting Note(s) -
Found Planet Asia after he guested on MED's new Classic album. I'm not emphasizing the word, that is the name of the album. It's an alright album - but it mostly just has some very solid guest spots.
I have a love-hate relationship with the notion of genres. Sometimes they are useful for grouping together music when I try to describe my taste. It often feels plain and obvious that this band is chillwave, or that band is surf-rock. But then you have bands or songs that refuse to fall neatly under one genre. How am I supposed to describe Radiohead to someone? Allmusic.com, as lovely as they are at classifying music, describe them as pop/rock. lol.
Wise Blood - These Wings (2011)
Then you have acts like Wise Blood. What the hell am I supposed to classify this as? It strikes me as a more decipherable How to Dress Well, an already elusive act, but even with HtDW this only shares some elements. Manipulated and destroyed samples, combined only with Wise Blood’s interesting R&Besque vocals... But it sounds like there is more there. It’s weird. But catchy.
Standout Track(s) -
Loud Mouths
Check out I'm Losing My Mind (the "feeling" sample, or whatever is said, at 0:47 comes in for the first time... is so cash) and Loud Mouths from the album above.
Interesting Note(s) - I put this in a playlist with Grimes, How To Dress Well, and Sea Oleena. The playlist is titled “Elliot, nobody else likes to listen to this music”, but my iTunes shortens it to “Elliot, nobody...”, and it makes me feel like It’s a sort of existential introduction. Nobody, this is Elliot. Elliot, nobody.
I think this may be St. Vincent's strongest album yet. You can't actually get it yet, it's not released until 9/13, but if you are clever with the ways you acquire music you should be able to find it. Her voice is rivaled in strength only by her impeccable guitar playing. Fuzzy guitar compliments her vocals so well - or maybe it is the other way around.
Favorite Tracks: Dilettante
Strange Mercy(You've got to pretty much listen to this song all the way through... it gets so good at about 2:45 - I turn it all the way up every time.)
I recently joked on my facebook when linking Live off Lamb, "hey we sound like the shins." Because on that track, they fucking do. It's clear that that is what they are emulating - but I forgive them, because it sounds good, and I could always go for more of The Shins. They don't always sound like The Shins, sometimes they emulate other bands. And occasionally they even do their own thing. Either way, decent album. And very happy.
The lead singer of Cloud Cult losing his child in 2002 was a tragic event, but it spawned over half a decade of creative and enthralling music in the kids memory. This is probably my favorite Cloud Cult album, with lush and mesmorizing instruments backing Craig Minowa's insightful and at times mournful musings.
Garage Rock, fuck yeah. After all the hype over Best Coast last year, I was surprised to not see this album get more attention this year. Maybe people are already sick of the style... whatever - this album is a sleeper. The Babies are a supergroup taking from Vivian Girls, Woods, Bent Outta Shape, and Ringers It's great. So much energy. Check it out.
Big K.R.I.T. comes off older than he is on this tape - often seeing himself as a mentor for younger rapstars - but I guess 25 is pretty old these days. The mixtape has high production - heavy bass on some tracks begging you to bump krit while you ride, and some tracks that just sound plain beautiful. It is never ring-tone rap, but he interchanges dirty south music fit for the radio with slower ballads that often end up being the highlights of the album. Sometimes he raps about the usual -- how he’s made it, fuck the haters, how bumpin’ his sub is when he rides... sometimes he talks about heavier stuff such as unneccessary black on black violence, or friends that he’s recently lost. He may be cliché at times, in fact, he is cliché most of the time -- but he is honest about who he is, never seems fake, and at times he can be quite compelling. And when he is - damn does he sound smooth.
I haven’t listened to any other Krit mixtapes - which I regret, because I wish I could better contextualize this tape. But at the very least, it lets you know that I’m not just fanboying when I say this is my favorite mixtape released this year.
Song is all in the title. K.R.I.T.'s deepest and probably best song on the album, and it's enticing all the way through -- starting with a sample from a Spike Lee movie blending smoothly into the delicious instrumentals behind K.R.I.T's voice. Reminds me of Wale's The Kramer, not as poignant, better beat.
The best guest spots on the mixtape are on a remix of a previous K.R.I.T. track - Country Shit. Ludacris and Bun B come on for the remix. I love me some Luda.
I was at a wedding party this weekend with a bunch of Londoners, and had mixed feelings as they showed the Americans some “old-school garage” (which, in their accent, was pronounced “gairidge”). I like UK Garage - I remember listening similar it in early high school. It was bittersweet to hear my sister (who back in those days was telling me to turn down my stoner music) say, "ooh, this stuff is cool - how do you dance to it?"
Alias - Fever Dream (2011)
A lot of electronic can begin to sound stale rather quickly, however, because many genres have such a uniform and distinctive sound. I can't stand trance for this reason - house is better, but still a victim... and house's little brother garage once again improves. It's this staleness, however, that makes more experimental or hip-hop based electronic musicians seem so interesting in comparison.
Enter Alias, a hip-hop/electronic artist on the anticon. label (who house talented acts such as Why? and Odd Nosdam), who released a purely instrumental album at the end of this August. Fever Dreams hits hard, has remarkable beats, and makes you want to visit a grimy club to be moved by the music with other influenced college kids. Or maybe it just makes you want to put on head-phones so you can blast this music as you strut though campus. Either way, this music sounds fresh, and unlike the more predictable "genres" of electronic, you won't be bored of it before you even put it on.
Standout Track(s) - Tagine (unfortunately, only the first part of it. Check it, though)
The only commentary I want to give on both of these tracks is to play them loud - and on as high of a quality as your internet will allow.
Interesting Note(s) -
Though Alias debut'd back in 2001 by rapping, he has been making purely instrumental music for awhile. He hasn't made an album on anticon. in three years - but his hiatus has obviously done him well.
Andrew Jackson Jihad - People Who Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World (2007)
Whenever I'm having a bad day, I put this album on, listen all the way through, and then I am no longer having a bad day. Happy, delirious, and depressed folk/punk that I think everyone should hear at least once.
Favorite Tracks:
Personal Space Invader (Side note - this live version, though not the highest quality... makes me oh so happy. Everyone in the building singing along, and you can hear it.)
Yukimi Nagano has one of the smoothest voices there is, and Little Dragon provides the instrumental backing to create an even smoother album. Always chill and at times danceable, Machine Dreams is one of those albums that is great both as background and foreground music.
A lot of people can say, and have said, a lot more about Fly-lo than I can. He has many electronic "classics" before this, and he has a few on this as well. If you haven't already, check it out.
To answer your question, it's pronounced Subtract... I think. Like the Little Dragon album, SBTRKT's debut is smooth. Fittingly, Yukimi Nagano guests on what is probably the best track of the record, not to detract from the rest of the fantastic vocals on the album. Easily one of my favorite releases this year.
Favorite Tracks:
Wildfire Never Never(interestingly, Machine Dreams *also* has a song titled Never Never)
Is anyone not listening to this? Are you still mad about the whole Taylor Swift thing? Maybe you are in Club Breezy and are bitter about Jay-Z refusing to applaud Chris Brown's performance at the VMA's... This album is good. Which shouldn't be a surprise, but it is easy for giants to collaborate and come out with something mediocre. And again, this album is good. There are some definite lows - Who Gon Stop Me is excruciatingly weak, and it's near direct use of Flux Pavillion's I Can't Stop is not justified with the duo's performance. Kanye West still can't stop talking about that South Park episode. We get it Yeezy, you're a gay fish. The Beyonce track (that I've heard is apparently the most popular single) is the most cliche song of the album. Those are my main critiques... Most of the album... it is good.
