Music for 7/20/18!!! Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons, Juice WRLD, Denzel Curry

@@@ Chance the Rapper: I Might Need Security (Chance the Rapper, 2018)  It’s hard not to love the Chance the Rapper story, he seems like a very high quality human being.  Far from nurturing his good guy image he has female singer looping fuck you over and over as he denounce various folks he can’t stand.  This is one of the best Chance the Rapper tunes I’ve heard and I would nominate this for song of the summer.  It’s tightly arranged and focused and his lyrics and delivery are on fleek.  I know white folks aren’t supposed to use the term on fleek but it’s Chance the Rapper, the man is on fleek.  There are any number of people and places that deserve a well crafted fuck you.

@@@ Imagine Dragons: Natural (Interscope, 2018)  I can’t stand Imagine Dragons and they’re larger than life New Age musical bullshit.  I fancy that these guys feel they are playing an important role in making aspirational reach-for-the-sky music for the oppressed.  Myself, I would rather get a boiled vinegar enema than attempt to enjoy this cheesy dish of word salad.  I do find it culturally interesting that there’s a line in there where he says he would rather be the hunter than the hunted — that seems more honest than the rest of the schtick.  Avoid at all costs, this is primarily for arenas during warmups before the game.

@@@ Juice WRLD: Lucid Dreams (Interscope, 2018)  I’m not sure if I peeped Juice WRLD when he first was excreted onto the public stage but, oh yeah, I don’t need another trip around this emo hip hop cheese bomb.  Beats and bass all right, I don’t like his singing style nor his lyrics.

@@@ Denzel Curry: Cloud Cobain/Clout Co13ain (Concord!, 2018) Today’s pop a hip hop track where you bust a top on the sample can and throw a trap beat and a fat distorto bass and then get an aspiring MC to throw some word salad upon aforementioned mac and cheese sounds.  He’s getting into self-destructive/suicidal thoughts but I can’t see how he’s having suicidal thoughts while needing hella bass.  Is he sad because he’s not getting enough hella bass?  I like hella bass, but it’s not that hard to get hella bass and I certainly wouldn’t kill myself if I was not able to obtain enough hella bass.  I don’t think I have the time or the inclination to work through this suicide/hella bass juxtaposition.  But that’s just me.

YTD recordings listened to: 423
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 222
Not good music: 187

Best: 7
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, 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, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Orlando Lopez

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Music for 3/29/17!!! Enragement, Joe Marson, Tim McGraw/Faith Hill

@@@ Enragement: Blood for the Sun God (Enragement, 2017) An epic metal single I got to from the indie music blog Indiepulse.  A monster walking tempo with a punishing drummer and massive guitar bludgeoning and shredding sauce.  The singer is rough but not totally incomprehensible.  There are a few operatic flourishes, a little prog, and a little Lord of the Rings evil chanting action so it’s a blend of a lot of sounds.

@@@ Joe Marson: Explore/Explode (Per Diem, 2017)  Slotted as an alt-soul artist on an Indiepulse blog post, it’s a bit of white boy falsetto, a little John Mayer soft rock, and a little electro in the production.  It’s got a tinge of melancholy and a little arena rock in there as well.  I like some of the sounds, especially the guitar but the beats are not quite up my alley.

@@@ Tim McGraw & Faith Hill: Speak to a Girl (sony, 2016)  A new country cheese ballad  off the Apple Music hot tracks section.  It has a lot of advice on how to speak to a girl but then there are some lines about being nice to your mama which is a little Freudian. I would say that this tune is metaphorically a smooth cream cheese — big reverb, heartfelt lyrics and a straight Kentucky Fried Disney soundtrack production sound.  Somebody should send this tune to ol’ President Grab-A-Pussy, that’s about all it’s good for.

YTD recordings listened to: 206
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 109
Not good music: 78

Buys: 1
Honorable Mentions: 1

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, 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, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Tinariwen, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Power Trip, Reverend Payton, J.I.D., Oddisee

Music for 3/28/17!!! Betty Who, Colton Dixon, Creeper

@@@ Betty Who: The Valley (RCA, 2017) A sophomore arena pop record off the new music section of Apple Music.  After a decent a cappella opening tune it gets into the full electro cheese with the lyric ‘some kind of wonderful’ repeating over and over.  I’m not feeling that way, to be honest.  Oh boy, I’m not gonna make it too far into this big ass sausage of pop cheese.  Too upbeat, too gooey — awkward funk, stupid lyrics, full shopping mall production.  Oy!

@@@ Colton Dixon: Identity (Sparrow, 2017)  Some modern Christian music off the Apple new music section.  I like to peep the Jesus folks out once in a blue just to see how they’re mixing the J Man with the sounds.  This first tune is like a movie soundtrack mashed up with some Eye of the Tiger syrup.  If you don’t know that Eye of the Tiger reference you have to GooglePimp that track and get with it.  A little rock, a little electro.  I’m on the third tune as I can only take this in small shots.  Wow, it just morphed into a exploding Jesus Cheese Grenade, that’s really quite something.  I like old school gospel (mostly the African American stuff) so I’m not opposed.  However, I am a rabid anti-cheese-ite.  I gotta tip on this record, it’s just a bit much for me.  Big whoa ho background vocals and whooshes and all manner of positivity.

@@@ Creeper: Eternity, In Your Arms (Roadrunner, 2017) Punk revival (?) off this week’s All Music notable release email.   This first tune is punky in the guitar sound, not so much in the lyrics and the production.  It’s more than glam punk, it’s gummy kinda xanthin gummy or chewy.  Those are all metaphorical words but the idea is to take big arena vocal arrangements and plop them on a shiny, medium rough punk rhythmic undercarriage.  Like chocolate syrup on a chainsaw, hmmm, bloody and unsatisfactory.  It doesn’t super work for me as I think of punk as being somewhat or very dirty but I’m no punk nazi.  Check it for yourself.

YTD recordings listened to: 203
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 108
Not good music: 76

Buys: 1
Honorable Mentions: 1

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, 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, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Tinariwen, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Power Trip, Reverend Payton, J.I.D., Oddisee

Music for 3/20/17!!! Milky Chance, Jacaszek, Niyaz

@@@ Jacaszek: Kwiaty (Ghostly Int’l, 2017)  I keep checking out Ghostly releases but I haven’t come upon anything that has really caught my ear.  This first tune opens up dark with low indistinct voices, bass waves and some swirl.  Also a higher bell chime/drone.  After an abstract intro it brings in a dreamy, heavily reverbed female voice over the darkness.  It’s pretty good.  The second tune brings in a harp/nylon string guitar, keeps the female voice and nudges the record towards a more New Age neighborhood which is not my favorite neighborhood.  I like some of the sounds here, especially on the fifth track Love (clipped below) but I’m not super feeling the singer.  It’s not her, it’s me I’m quite finicky.

@@@ Milky Chance: Blossom (Lichdicht, 2017) Dance pop off this week’s All Music weekly notable release email.  It’s mainstream pop rock with ragged/slack vocals styles and danceable sections and electro garnish.  This music is a couple of notches above what you would expect to hear at the gas station snack store.

@@@ Niyaz: The Best of Niyaz (Six Degrees, 2017)  Imma have to search on Niyaz because I can’t place her music geographically more than North African/Middle Eastern.  Iran by way of Canada.  I love Iran!  It’s Navroz, aw shit I have to spell that correctly.  It’s Persian New Year, get hip.  Niyaz is rocking a dramatic style, big polished production, a very serious package.  I’m on the fifth tune and the truth is I don’t love the super refined sound, it detracts from the power of the performance.  In my opinion, that is, check it for yourself.

YTD recordings listened to: 185
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 100
Not good music: 69

Buys: 1
Honorable Mentions: 1

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, 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, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, James Brandon Lewis, Yotoco, Tinariwen, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Power Trip, Reverend Payton, J.I.D., Oddisee

 

Music for 1/28/17!!! Tycho, Jenny and the Mexicans

@@@ Tycho: Epoch (Ghostly, 2016).  Mesmerizing melodies and ambient textures — that’s the blurb for this record on Apple Music.  It sounds like a Joshua Tree era U2 jam with synth squiggles.  Synth-y happy rock for the Trump era.  Let’s peep a little more.  I get the mash of 1980 rock sounds with update lush synth action, I just don’t really want to spend a lot of time listening to it.  Good music for retail shopping outlets.

@@@ Jenny and the Mexicats: La Diabla (Not sure, 2017).  A merengue tune I got to via a publicist that usually traffics in the indie business so I thought this would be a hipster Latin jam.  It is a little bit but this is definitely what you might hear in the bodega right around the corner from me.  Big big energy, female singer, relentless rhythm, big call and response vocals.  Check this out.

YTD recordings listened to: 64
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 38
Not good music: 18

Buys: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, Acid Arab, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof

Music for 1/24/17!!! Cherry Glazerr, As Lions, Shy Girls

@@@ Cherry Glazerr: Apocalipstick (Secretly Canadain, 2017)  A featured artist in the new music section of Apple Music.  It’s indie with some punk edge and my first impression is the drummer is solid but the guitar player needs some lessons.  The singer is brash but not too punky.  As if too punky is a thing.  The second tune Trash People mixes in some electro and smells kinda Blondie-ish.  She wears her underpants three days in a row.  I say grab a ticket and get in line.  The band is all right, the tunes are standard, the lyrics are pretty immature so it should be huge.

@@@ As Lions: Selfish Image (Better Noise, 2017)  These guys are blurbed as rock legends in the making even though this is their debut.  Seems to be a bit of a premature marketing ejaculation.  I see from the GooglePimpTube that this band the Iron Maiden singer’s son.  Well it must be good, right?  This is art school/shopping mall metal with plenty of sheen and polish.  The lyrics are overwrought, I’m hearing ‘we walk into the fire’ on this first track.  Oy.  The second tune, The Suffering, is a watered down Metallica tune with no teeth.  Oy the drama continues with a piano opening on the third tune Bury My Dead.  Very sophisticated production but incredibly cliche lyrics and standard song arrangements.  I will put money that these guys will not be legends.

@@@ Shy Girls: Salt (Hit City, 2016)  Blurbed as ‘bedroom r&b’ on Apple Music the opening intro consists of some abstract wimpering with some solo piano and a waterfall sound.  Let’s not finish that.  The second tune You Like the Pain Too is a song about loneliness.  It’s a slow one with lots of piano chords ringing out and some lush sounds.  I’m not super feeling it but I do like some of the sounds.  The third tune Watercolor Dreams shows some spunk with some spacious guitar sounds panned out wide and some booty bass.  He’s going for a Prince vibe and he succeeds to a degree but he doesn’t have the rawness of classic Prince tracks.  Oh man, on this tune Trivial Motion (clipped below) he’s moving away from Prince towards Michael Jackson/Lionel Richie territory.  That’s my ticket out.

YTD recordings listened to: 53
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 31
Not good music: 15

Buys: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, Acid Arab, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form

Music for 1/20/17!!! John Mayer, The Lowest Form, Withdrawal

@@@ John Mayer: The Search for Everything (Columbia, 2016)  An EP from John Mayer’s upcoming full length.  It seems like a weird choice on Trump’s inauguration day but the more pressing question is who has the toast because Mayer has brought the cheese to make a luscious grilled cheese sandwich.  Soft vocals, plinky and caressing guitar tones and tempos designed to make you sink into a pillow and take a nap.  I certainly hope this gets the suburban mamas moist because if this sensitive loverboy butter doesn’t work with them then Mayer is going to have to sell of some of his valuable watches and get a gig at 7-11.  Stay away if you’re lactose intolerant!

@@@ The Lowest Form: Personal Space (Iron Lung, 2016).  Some noise off the CFUV weekly playlist email.  A perfect listen for the first day of the Trump era.  After an ambient intro they get right into the punky yet post-punk slam dance.  Sweet.  As the tune progresses the wheels start to come off and get messier and messier, just like the future.  The third tune, Gak Attack, continues the uptempo blasting, oh my this is the shit.  It’s the fourth tune and wigs are getting flipped consistently.  You go young punks!  Imma swing back on this when I have more time.

@@@ Withdrawal: Never (Escapist Records, 2016).  Some full on metal also appropriate for the ascent of the Orange Haired Fucknut to sit on America’s toilet throne.  This first tune features some tasty thrash drumming, some metal boot stomping, and some hardcore shout out sing a longs.  Let’s see what else these gents have for us.  These gents have a pretty simple menu of sonic punishment for all you bad children out there.

YTD recordings listened to: 47
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 31
Not good music: 12

Buys: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

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, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Divanhana, Moken, Juan Atkins, Drone, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Magrudergrind, Acid Arab, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Anna Hogberg, Klara Lewis, Aethenor, Krullur, The Lowest Form