Music for 8/16/17!!! American Lips, Soft Dov, Bleachers, Marshmello

@@@ American Lips: Kiss the Void (Ancient Fashion, 2017)  Elvis Costello type New Wave punk I got to via this week’s CFUV playlist email.  These guys have a nerdy angular thread but they have solid brisk energy with catchy vocal melodies.  I hate the term power pop or pop punk but this applies to the 10 songs here clocking in at 22 minutes.  A solid balance of sweetness to muscle and I will check the whole record when I have the time.

@@@ Soft Dov: Massacre Through Seduction (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, 2017)  Some punk metal off this week’s CFUV email.  The singer is somewhere in the psych/hardcore area though he sings which is quite an occurrence these days in metal.  They have a spastic punky drummer but they’re classified as a metal band.  It’s loud, it’s aggressive, I won’t be a bitch about it.  I would use nihilistic Iggy Pop photo-punk as a touchstone for this record.  Check it out.

@@@  Bleachers: Gone Now (RCA,  2017)  Jack Antonoff’s side project.  He writes tunes for a lot of headline empty head singers.  This is supposed to be an ode to American suburban rock and this first tune is inspired by Bruce Springsteen.  It sports earnest vocals and a long rock build.  However, the rocking is extremely flaccid.  I mean flaccid enough that some Cialis should be sprinkled over this track to firm it up.  All cheese, no angst.  The second tune is blue eyed soul track and I’m not sure who inspired it.  Oh shit, he’s trying to rock a Prince 1999 vibe.  I’m sorry but this is a war crime!!  Fucking shameful pimp job.  I had to hit the stop button I can’t abide by this music as it is a shameful bite job and poorly done at that.  Check out the Prince clone below.

@@@ Marshmallo: Science (RCA, 2017)  A mellow, quasi-loverboy mainstream r&b single off the Apple Music best of the week.  Oh wait take that back as he gets medium EDM funk on after the intro.  I can’t tell if he’s singing ‘I found peace in your body’ or ‘I found peace in the violence’  Maybe because dude is wearing that giant marshmallow helmet/mask/hat.  Yo take that shit off in the studio so I can hear what you’re on about.  The sounds are fairly bittersweet for a mainstream tune.  Usually it’s bubble gum and Xanax for all those involved but he’s trying for something else here.  I thought the word salad quotient was pretty high, I’m really not sure what this is about.

YTD recordings listened to: 533
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 287
Not good music: 222

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, American Lips

Music for 8/11/17!!! Whitney K., Whitehorse, Pink, The National

@@@ Whitney K: When the Party’s Over (Egg Paper Factory, 2017)  Some super laid-back roots music off this week’s CFUV playlist email.  Imma thinking there was some purple drank up in that studio or the coffee was running low.  This first tune has multiple guitars, a pulsing bass, and no beats.  The singer has made his appearance and he’s mad slack.  The first two tunes I dig the electric guitar playing but when the acoustic dirge starts up on the third track Imma movin’ on.  Oh that was just the intro as the full band comes in and they get a little Crazy Horse-y on this jam.  I like it all right.

@@@ White Horse: Panther in the Dollhouse (Six Shooter, 2017)  Super smooth electro-rock off this week’s CFUV playlist email.  A male and female singer going together, a rock guitarist, super smooth background vocals and arena rock drums.  The second tune gets a bit funkier with a nice, sparse baseline but then it explodes into a big mainstream rock chorus.  It’s Radiohead without the angst and the slick production doesn’t super work for me.

@@@ Pink: What About Us? (RCA, 2017)  I have fondness for Pink but I’m not sure this tune is going to work for me.  Cheesy ass lyrics and epic reverb patches that explode into a four on the floor EDM What About Us vocal hook?    What about us?  What about all the plans that ended in disaster?  What about love?  What about trust?  I’m guessing this is about somebody who leaves their family.  I checked around the web and this is referred to as an empowering tune so it functions at many levels.  Not for me but others I guess.

@@@ The National: Carin at the Liquor Store (4AD, 2017)  I think I dislike The National almost as much as Wilco.  This pre-release single is a Nick Cave wannabe but with less misery and more epic-ness.  My main problem is that of faux sophistication as these guys sound as if they feel themselves to be exquisitely unique artistes but I hear a pretty standard arena indie band that is too predictable to be focused on not much except moving units.  Now streaming units not actual plastic/metal discs.

YTD recordings listened to: 521
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 282
Not good music: 217

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity

Music for 8/15/17!!! Jackie Venson, Queens of the Stone Age, White Poppy, Limp Wrist

@@@ Jackie Venson: Flying (Self-released, 2017) I got to this single by a female Austin musician via a music publicist.  It’s an interesting mash of blues rock and New Age lyrics/melody.  It’s more updated hippie lyrics about being conscious rather than straight New Age business but the more important question is whether she’s going to take a shred on the guitar.  She takes a short one but I wish she had aired it out more but that’s just me.  Interesting mash.

@@@ Queens of the Stone Age: The Evil Has Landed (Matador, 2017)  A riff rock pre-release off an upcoming full length banger.  I haven’t felt anything by this outfit for a bit but this has some nice pop.  It’s a fairly lengthy circular riff but there’s a pretty nice but brief shred about a third of the way through this hefty 6 minute single.  I don’t hear the phrase ‘the evil has landed’ so that’s a bit odd as in this age of Trumpy the title appeared possibly political.  I don’t think it’s unfair or bitchy to think they might have made this shorter or split it into 2 to 3 songs.

@@@ White Poppy: The Pink Haze of Love (Self-released, 2017)  A dreamy indie record that is #1 at high quality Vancouver radio station CFUV.  Layered vocals, arpeggiated clean electric guitar sounds sort of a vaginal Beach Boys.  Faded and bittersweet.  I’m on the fourth tune and boy are they sticking with the formula.  No drums, a lot of guitar tracks, a lot of vocal tracks and no drummer.  Dream all day except if you’re driving.

@@@ Limp Wrist: Limp Wrist (La Vida Es Un Mas Discos, 2016)  I’m going to have to Google these guys but Imma guessing this is some queer punk.  It don’t take a super high IQ with song titles like Fake Fags and a band called Limp Wrist.  Whew I got that right, I’m not too bright but that wasn’t too challenging.  These are buzzy nuggets of old school hardcore with super high energy, a ton of power chords and some relentless mic screaming.  It looks like this is a re-issue of a 2008 EP — no difference to me just trying get the facts out there as we don’t need more fake news.  I think they have a new record so if you’re feeling the urge get on with it.  Excellent energy and they really bring the hardcore.  Also off the CFUV weekly playlist email.

YTD recordings listened to: 529
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 286
Not good music: 220

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity

Music for 8/14/17!!! Kelsea Ballerina, Antiabalas, Offa Rex

@@@ Kelsea Ballerina: Unapologetically (Black River, 2017)  A pre-release new country single off the Apple Music hot tracks.  Unapologetically cliche lyrics over a barely country track.  It’s an interesting track because Ballerina (real name?) is a gal so there’s no macho going on so by the time they tech the tune out with EDM production flourishes it’s fake apple pie filling.  It’s a very sweet but somewhat homeless/genre less kinda feeling.  As I’ve said many times before the worst music is the stuff that doesn’t make you feel anything making you feel kinda dead.  She’s a pretty singer but I don’t feel anything about the song.  It’s Oxycodone country music.

@@@ Antibalas: Gold Rush (Daptone, 2017)  A single from long running Afrobeat band Antibalas.  It opens up with a nice bashing drum beat and trips out with a quasi-psych guitar shred.  The singer has always had a somewhat righteous tone which isn’t my favorite but that’s just me and the tune has plenty of space for solos.  I dig the main horn line and the solo that comes after.  It’s a big boy weighing in at almost 11 minutes so there’s plenty of time to stretch.  You and the musicians.

@@@ Offa Rex: The Queen of Hearts (Nonesuch, 2017)  Also off this week’s WRIR playlist email.  I consider Nonesuch the label of especially white people and this record sure confirms that notion.  It opens up with harpsichord and an uber female singer.  Not a female singer taking an Uber but a very female kinda gal.  The second tune brings a male singer and they work a folk rock vibe similar to but not as virtuosic as Richard Thompson.  Man, I could go for some shepherd’s pie or a kidney pudding or some such!  This is well played but a little bit low energy baroque folk but if you go for that sort of thing then check it out.

YTD recordings listened to: 525
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 284
Not good music: 218

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity

Music for 8/13/17!!! Han Earl Park!

@@@ Han Earl Park: Sirene 1009 (Buster and Friends, 2017)  On the day after a race riot in Virginia in a society where I can’t even get the straight information as to what happened, how many people were there, etc. and at the end of a summer where so much disturbing awful shit has occurred and nobody appears to acknowledge it except to monetize it into shallow clickbait it’s a pleasure to hear music the echoes the awfulness of our present situation.  This is what drew me to punk rock back in the day — the idea that I’m not alone and other people feel as badly as I feel and are letting it out.

While I enjoy Mr. Parks playing (he is jumpy as fuck, does not respect certain time honored and boring jazz conventions) it is the singer that really takes this music to another place.

As my daddy used to say most people wouldn’t say shit if they had a mouthful of it.  This woman does not have that problem as she lets it all hang out.  She pushes the definition of what a singer is and her priority is to make you feel similarly to her.  That’s a guess but when you hear the range of difficult sounds emanating from her it’s hard to feel great.  I don’t really want to get into the specifics of how she performs as we have this fantastic interwebz and you can click on it yourself and peep.  It is disjointed and chaotic, not all miserable, but raw and wandering.  Sort of like that President Orange Piece of Shit himself.  I don’t want to super overtly tie this music to politics and the vibes here are pretty universal and transcend but there is a connection as I described above.  She brings forward that half human/half animal inner state of mind that millions of people experience yet no one dare speak of.  Grunts, gasps, random word salad, growls, you get the idea.  Everybody in the band is killing but the singer really takes it home.

You can listen to it as you see fit, I’m no fascist.  It exists unto itself while also being part of a larger context.

Let me just sign off by saying there are a lot of guys and gals who sidle up to play some free jazz and drop some skronky ass, light on soul noise for sure.  This is not one of those efforts.

Check it out!

YTD recordings listened to: 521
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 282
Not good music: 217

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity

Music for 8/10/17!!! Warm Digits, Caroline Says, Naomi Punk

@@@ Warm Digits: Wireless World (Memphis Industries, 2017)  Some pumpin’ ’80s synth rock with dashes of New Age.  Oh they are cranking the tempo and it’s getting more like an austere krautrock with some edge to it.  There’s a big prog rock synth solo on this first track so this has a lot of influences to it.  Oy, they’re into a nerdy funk vibe on this second track, its a poo poo platter of sub genres yo.  I’ve sample about half this record and it is a mix of nerd music, funky white boy business, and upbeat New Age threads.  Unique for sure.

@@@  Caroline Says: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong (New West, 2017)  This and the record above from this week’s All Music notable release email.  The first tune opens up intimately with some arpeggiated guitar and melancholic close mic singing.  The second tune gets into some ’80s rock — oh that guitar sound, I hate that guitar sound and that smooth vocal thing.  Ah well.  They’re back to the mopey, faded Beach Boys indie thing on the third tune so it looks set to bounce around between these two sonic formulas.

@@@ Naomi Punk: Yellow (Captured Tracks, 2017)  74 minutes of indie also off the All Music weekly.  The first tune is an ambient looped thing but I don’t know if that’s to whet your palette or that’s how it’s gonna go.  The guitars and drums have showed up by the third tune but ambient elements remained and it’s sort of a meandering and messy cloud of sound they have going on (which is fine).  These are millennial hipsters getting their freak on.  It’s a kind of punk for sure.  It’s not super aggressive or guitar driven but the attitude is there.

YTD recordings listened to: 517
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 279
Not good music: 216

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity

Music for 8/9/17!!! Cardi B, QUIN, Kesha, Bebe Rexha

@@@ Cardi B: Bodak Yellow (Atlantic, 2017) A mainstream single off the hot tracks section of Apple Music.  Cardi B comes out swinging with a potty mouth, putting down the other bitches and shit.  She don’t have to dance she makes money move.  I like the skittery beats and that fat bottom bass but the star is Miss B.  After a slow start she gets her spit on and she is filthy.  You little bitch you can’t fuck with me! Her pussy glitters like gold, you go Cardi B!

@@@ QUIN: Sticky Situation (Fantasy Soul Music, 2017)  More ladies on the mic off the Apple Music hot tracks.  She only pursued you for the booty babe.  She is drawing on some early ’80s disco/funk type of sounds though she’s got some updated beats for sure.  The lyrics are not as full on raw as Ms. Cardi B but she’s stuck up in a sticky situation so there’s that double entendre going on.

@@@ Kesha: Hymn (Kemosabe, 2017)  The last time we checked in with Kesha was all pro female and telling the menz to keep out of her weed bag dammit.  This is a hymn for the hymn less.  I might be hymn-less, I’m not sure.  I think this is in the wake of Kesha’s public battle with her label and her producer.  She’s gonna stick up for those folks who don’t have anybody to stick up for them.  I give Kesha props for her voice as she can sing and I give props for her I don’t give a fuck attitude but the fact remains that these lyrics are borderline mental hospital.  A hymn for the hymn less, kids with no religion, yeah we keep from sinning, yeah we keep on singing, flying down the highway, yeah we do it our way.  It’s pretty much word salad from where I’m sitting.  It may make sense if you’re baked.  Lyric video for fuck’s sake!  Enjoy!!!

@@@ Bebe Rexha: The Way I Are (Warner Bros, 2017)  We are finishing off our mostly filthy ladies’ day listening show with this single.  And what does this title mean?  It means stay in school yo and learn ya grammar and shit!  I kid.  It’s hard to tell if I’ve heard this tune as it’s biting a lot of other songs that came before.  This is a simple tune as she just wants to somebody who accepts her the way she are.  I like Lil Wayne and they freak-a-fy his voice.  This has a few body references but this is not like Cardi B.’s golden pussy this is a tune about longing.  She don’t care who you are love me the way I are.  The sounds are a mash of electro pop with some EDM pubes sprinkled over that.  I would like the tune more if she didn’t ride that vocal hook mad cowgirl style.

YTD recordings listened to: 514
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 278
Not good music: 214

Buys: 8
Honorable Mentions: 6

Possibles: Chris McGregor, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, J.I.D., Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity