Music for 1/31/19!!! Top Notch, Ninth Wave, Billie Ellish

@@@ Billie Eilish: bury a friend (Interscope, 2019)  Another pre-release tune from this record which may not ever be released.  It’s gonna be all released pre released!  This is a minimalist funk tune with dark themes.  Bury the hatchet, bury a friend.  But it’s all funky and accessible.  It has a manicured and minimalist arrangement.  I didn’t know the Billie Eilish story until now — she’s an 18 year old actress that’s getting a huge push, at least on the Apple Music.  I’ve listening to a couple of other pre-release tracks as I cruise around the interwebz and the interesting part of the record lies in the sounds.  Very slick and dynamic within the tunes.  However I find the lyrics to be less than convincing.  I think it’s supposed to be a serious record but the cutting edge sounds detract from the darkness of the record which is supposed to be about a nightmare or a dream or both.  To my ear, it’s pretty standard corporate music business.  Hinting at something dark without being able to render it honestly.

@@@ Top Notch: Ghetto Life (N/A, 2019)  A solo record from a Brooklyn hip hop collective.  I got to it via a promo email.   The sounds are retro ’90s NYC hip hop a la Busta Rhymes and the main sonic theme is the Jamaican dancehall rhymes over hip hop arrangements. There are also prominent Wu Tang clan elements here with some tracks featuring multiple MCs.

@@@ Ninth Wave: Half Pure (Distiller, 2019)  I got to this Scottish band’s track via a music publicist email.   It’s a dramatical, post-goth ditty rooted in ’80s synth rock a la the Cure.  Male singer singing ‘you’re only half pure, cuz the pain and the glamour that you were bred for’ is a pretty clever line but they wear it out.

YTD recordings listened to: 63
Good music, not list worthy: 35
Not good music: 25

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/29/19!!! Eerie Wanda, White Fence

@@@ Eerie Wanda: Pet Town (Joyful Noise, 2019) I got to both of the records today via this week’s All Music notable release email.   Anytime you get finger snaps in the first tune, well you’re getting finger snaps in the first tune.  I was going to say it’s most likely going to be a poppy record and thus far this has proven correct.  The singer is super friendly– horribly friendly in fact.  I bet she had some sort of stable and happy childhood — one of those people!  I don’t know if the female singer is named Wanda but if she’s named Wanda she’s not super eerie.  She’s a singer that you might have heard on an early ’60s pop rock type of record.  Handclaps on the third tune.  You know what that means?  Handclaps on the third tune, that’s what it means.  Indie pop with a fair amount of reverb on the singer’s voice people, come and get it!

@@@ White Fence: I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk (Drag City, 2019) Pleasantly off kilter bedroom indie with guitars and other ambient goodies packed in.  Boy, he’s king of a tiny strange world.  Lots of organ type patches (or an organ itself) so it gives the proceedings an the worldly, churchy vibe.  You’re not going to tune into this for the rocking or the swinging, it’s about witnessing this vibe.  I get it and appreciate it in its way but it’s not really go to music for me.  This is for hardcore indie listeners.

YTD recordings listened to: 60
Good music, not list worthy: 34
Not good music: 23

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/28/19 Gong Gong III, Julia Kent, Florence and the Machine

@@@ Gong Gong III: Siren (N/A, 2018) Some punk blues (and bass) with a Chinese language singer that sounds all right.  I got to this 2 song EP via a gig email from Flavorpill.  It’s not full on filthy ass white trash business but it does get rougher around the 3 minute mark of the first tune.  The second tune is similar but brisker in tempo.  I really like the vocals in Chinese but I think they could use a syringe of Red Bull in the eye.  Who doesn’t need one of those?

@@@ Julia Kent: Temporal (The Leaf Label, 2019)  I got to this neo classical recording via this week’s All Music notable release email.  The first tune is very reminiscent of a lot of electronic music coming out.  Sparse, some echoes and acoustic instruments with an emphasis on space.  The second tune could be out of any number of documentaries again with sparseness and drones and a mellow pulse.  I like this music but it doesn’t really stand out against a lot of what’s out there.  It’s positive to see folks on both sides of the equation mixing classical sounds and electronic sounds as it’s a sensible aesthetic idea.

@@@ Florence and the Machine: Moderation (EMI, 2019)  I haven’t quite gotten the gist of Florence and the Machine.  I guess it’s a major label recycled blues rock kinda thing.  Florence can sing but the production is unnecessarily clean for a rock track.  IMHO.  I’m not a huge Adele fan but she sings poor Florence into the crapper.

YTD recordings listened to: 58
Good music, not list worthy: 34
Not good music: 23

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/27/19!!! Luis Fonsi, Vampire Weekend

@@@ Luis Fonsi: Sola (UMG, 2019)  Some Latin loverboy music that sits #1 on the Apple Music hot tracks.  This is straight up Spanish Bieber corn with a simple guitar figure, a minimalist and slightly slinky beat and lots of urgently sung vocals.  Thankfully for me this is cheese delivered in Spanish so I don’t have to endure the meaning; I just get the panty quaking vibe.  The ladies are lapping this up with 7 million streams on the GooglePimpTube in 4 days.

@@@ Vampire Weekend: Harmony (Sony, 2019)  Oh Lord, Vampire Weekend has some car payments coming cuz they went straight for the lowest common denominator.  I feel a bit dirty just listening to it.  What starts as a personal, ballad-y kind of thing explodes into a pop rock ooh ooh anthemic cheese that is not firm but salty and gooey like Cheese Whiz.  Very Paul Simon in the verse (but with less restraint) and then it sounds like something the Band might pop in a chorus but they would restrain themselves.  You even get a delicious tambourine at the end and I’m pointing at the singer here for the greatest crimes.  Clocking in at 5:08 I would be much happier if this was about 2:20 in length.  Eeessh.

YTD recordings listened to: 55
Good music, not list worthy: 32
Not good music: 22

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/25/19!!! Dawn Richard, Bring Me the Horizon

@@@ Dawn Richard: New Breed (Local Action/Our Dawn, 2019) The new music for 2019 is starting to come on out after a post holiday recess. I’ve checked Dawn Richard’s music before and for the r&b style she does get out there. I originally got to her music after reading an article in the Guardian about how she does not use a publicist which I greatly admire. It also makes me want to spread her music far and wide. The production here is tight — compressed for power and bumping at the low end. Richard can sing — quietly and powerfully and whichever we way she wants to roll. I enjoyed the second track (title track) the most. A sinuous arpeggiated synth chord, a thick beat, some pro female empowerment lyrics and a dancefloor banger for the lesbian bars out there.

@@@ Bring Me the Horizon: amo (Sony Music, 2019) Also off this week’s All Music notable release email. This UK outfit does some proud genre mashing — some electronica, some rock, and even some metal. This first tune, I apologize if you feel something, is arty and weird lower in pretension and then that segues into a more brash rock thing. Not full metal, riffy but not messy but not pretty. Hard to peg. For major label business it’s you know a bit adventurous but when someone pushes I want to hear them freak the fuck out. Not art school bullshit here.

YTD recordings listened to: 53
Good music, not list worthy: 31
Not good music: 21

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/24/19!!! Dolphin Gardens, Always a Bad Thing

@@@ Dolphin Midwives – Liminal Garden (Beacon Sound) Electronic music off this week’s CFUV playlist email.  Opens up angel choir style.  After a multi voice loop sesh in comes some processed (maybe reversed) sound.  I like it, I wish it would move faster but I can hang.  I dig the glitch and the chopping but I could use some beats.  The second tune opesn up with a harp patch which is cool and continues the very female energy on the record.  Traditional female energy and shit.  I dug the fourth tune Flux the most as it brought in the aggro and a lit bit of insect energy to contrast with what came before.  There’s some attention up in this record so check it out if you want some chopped female-tronica.

@@@ Always A Bad Thing – Your Songs Of Light, My Songs Of Death (Baffled Octopi) Self-described electronic folk also off this week’s CFUV playlist email.   I’m feeling this first tune ACID: pronoun: BURN.  It’s drone-y and a little rhythmic and weird.  I hear nothing folk-y here, maybe it was a folk track before it went through the processing machine.  The second tune opens up like a Radiohead track and it’s more rock than folk.  I like this music, it’s a bit all over the place so it’s hard to pass on to others what it is, but it’s mostly electronic, a little indie, a little dissonant and that’s about it.

YTD recordings listened to: 51
Good music, not list worthy: 29
Not good music: 21

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808

Music for 1/23/19!!! Logic, Tyga

@@@ Logic: Keanu Reeves (Def Jam, 2019)  #2 on the Apple Music hot tracks.  I don’t get the Logic hype.  It’s a huge boast track, but who decided Keanu Reeves is #1?  Compared to a newer sounding trap track this sounds kinda retro which is fine but these boast raps can be tiring and this one especially so.  The Keanu thing is baffling.

@@@ Tyga: Floss in the Bank (EMPIRE, 2019)  Also on the Apple Music hot tracks section which has turned into a shiny ass toilet of materialism and shallow crap.  Flossin’ is to show off for all ya know (I had to look it up as well).  It’s got an annoying background vocal sung section used as a center of the track.  It softens the track but I think it’s a pretty boy, rich dude kinda boast thing.  It’s exactly the kind of repetitive mindlessness that will give you a high end headache.

YTD recordings listened to: 49
Good music, not list worthy: 28
Not good music: 20

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808