@@@ Lady Gaga: Perfect Illusion (Interscope, 2016). Brand Lady Gaga is born again as a rocking electro songstress! A little pumping rock synth, a standard rock beat and then — way too many vocals, an EDM money shot snare roll, it’s a disco rock explosion! Like Pat Benatar got trapped in Studio 54 and she’s fighting her way out Mad Max style. A for energy levels, C+ for coherence. I don’t want to be a picker of nits, but she prounounces illusion very strangely in this track, like she’s having some sort of gastro-intestinal event. Let that be a lesson to all you kids out there, stay in school, learn how to pronounce your words and shit.
@@@ Luke Bryan: Here’s to the Farmer (Capitol, 2016). If you haven’t heard Luke Bryan you gotta check out this frat boy/arena rock cheese monger. He’s going for the heart with a glorious ode to the American farmer. He’s even giving a shout out to Monsanto for their gender bending pesticides and their GMO seeds! Oh wait,he’s not. I’m sorry I have to take a moment with a tissue as this is some really powerful shit. Okay, I’m back and I love you Luke Bryan. Here’s to you Luke Bryan, you magnificent bastard, and your shitty, shallow country pop biscuits.
@@@ Zedd & Gray: Adrenaline (Interscope, 2016). Retro-electro off the Apple Music hot tracks page where we are weaving a dangerous path today. Oh man, they dusted off those chainsaw synth patches and they pumped up the arpeggiators to be sure on this track. Long synth noodles raining down over you – delicious! I’m hearing handclaps, bop guns, and a little Mission Impossible melody. I was going to say this is a perfect frat boy date rape soundtrack (go Brock Turner you fuck!) but that’s just a tad too antisocial even for me. There’s plenty for beer soaked frat boys in this track and it’s not my fault if my mind connects frat boys to their ill behavior.
@@@ Kings of Leon: Walls (RCA, 2016). Kings of Leon back with their slacker arena sound and a single off their upcoming full length banger coming out mid-October. Looks like they’re back to what them near to the top of the shitpile — big rock rhythm section and I think the singer either had half a Red Bull or a strong coffee. He’s got a little crackle pushing through. I was going to say this is the kind of soundtrack anthem that makes you want to drive your pickup into a cornfield at top speed (after you have the rest of that Red Bull) but you might kill the farmer Luke Bryan is poppin’ wood for and we don’t make Luke Bryan sad. Cuz then he might make a sad song and I just can’t handle that. #lukerules!
YTD recordings listened to: 719
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 404
Not good music: 265
Honorable Mentions: 12
Buys: 12
Possibles: Chris McGregor, Dave Arner Trio, Zomby, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Fofoulah, Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Destruction Unit, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Mystic Braves, Divanhana, Unrestrained, Moken, Systema Solar, Brian Eno, Juan Atkins, Drone, Lantern, The Lickshots, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, Miramar, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Changui Majadero, Joe Sticky, Keefe Jackson, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes
Deep In the Music 