From an artistic standpoint, Cuphead may be one of Indie gaming’s finest pieces. Stylistically inspired by the 1930s cartoons by Walt Disney and Fleisher, Cuphead’s main attraction lies in its beautifully hand-drawn characters and environments. The game centers around very challenging boss fights, and great attention to detail in the drawings ensures that each of these encounters are memorable. While it’s easy to praise the visual aspects in games like Cuphead, I’d like to turn our attention to soundtracks. I often find that soundtracks leave the longest lasting impressions on me in gaming. Nintendo indisputably has put out the most classics over the years, and I think a large amount of their success comes from their endless array of quality soundtracks - the Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, and Super Mario Bros 2 just to name a few. I’d extend my appreciation for soundtracks into modern gaming as well. When I think of Naughty Dog’s ambitious fourth installment of the Nathan Drake series, my mind turns towards the game’s main theme “A Thief's End,” as it musically reflects the themes of the lust of adventure that the game’s narrative explores. Cuphead’s soundtrack is pretty incredible. The music calls back to the 1930s through its jazz recordings. Most of the songs collectively involve saxophones, trumpets, flutes, piano, and xylophone, all of which trade between solos and leads. The style of music aesthetically ties the entire game together, and its influence on the tone of the story and characters is very evident. Take for example, the song “Botanic Panic.” The game has just launched the player into the narrative - Cuphead made a deal with the Devil, and to save his soul he must gather the souls of others. After a short tutorial on the gameplay controls, the game wastes no time before matching Cuphead up against the first boss. WALLOP! The woodwinds kick off with these villainous, twisting saxophone leads, quickly paced by a bumbling tuba. Simultaneously, a giant vegetable is spewing dirtballs at Cuphead. The song transitions into an intricate, speedy xylophone solo, of which brings way to the second stage of the boss fight - a crying onion. The woodwinds continue to build off of the twisting passages from the beginning of the fight as Cuphead dodges falling teardrops from the onion. When the boss fight converts to its third and final stage, a hypnotic carrot, the instrumentation steadily crescendos into an explosive blare of horns. The music is in its most frantic state while Cuphead dodges flying obstacles all over the screen. In its presentation, “Botanic Panic” considers the rhetorical situation of the player to quite literally send them into a frantic panic to survive the first fight. Cuphead also features run-and-gun sections of gameplay. These levels feature some of the most challenging moments in the game because enemies are constantly respawning. Keeping a steady running pace is vital in completing these levels. The swing piano is the perfect style for these levels, best executed on “Treetop Trouble” and “Forest Follies.” Listening to the soundtrack by itself is actually pretty fun because I can instantly pair the songs with the boss fights. The songs themselves don’t include the sounds from bosses when they attack you. However, I envision a lot of the bosses movements and attacks because the music perfectly reflects the soundplay of the instruments. Listening to “Threatenin’ Zeppelin,” I can’t help but hear Hilda Berg’s screechy “HaHa” right after the descending xylophone intro transitions into the haunting alto-saxophone lead. The bouncy piano leads on “Carnival Kerfuffle” musically reflect the shifting movements of Beppi the Clown’s bumper car. Cuphead, in my opinion, is a game that everyone should experience. The soundtrack is available on streaming services, and I’d recommend giving some of the songs a listen just for a taste of the game.
Favorite Tracks: “Clip Joint Calamity,” “Aviary Action,” “Pyramid Peril,” "Murine Corps"
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20. Avey Tare - EucalyptusWhile Panda Bear has put a lot of great material outside of Animal Collective, I was never really impressed with Avey Tare’s work until this release. For me, Eucalyptus is a really eye-opening experience in that it reveals the influences Avey has on other Animal Collective releases. The sounds on the record are a throwback to the band’s beloved Sung Tongs, sacrificing finesse in place of more wacky, experimental songwriting. The record is more about the instrumentals than anything, outside of a few standalone tracks (“Melody Unfair,” “Ms. Secret,” “In Pieces”) but I’d recommend to any AniCo fans. 19. King Krule - The OozThis release did a 180 on me. Archy Marshall’s departure from his traditional songwriting on 6 Feet Beneath the Moon combined with the 66 minutes of material was an initial turn off. I was only really feeling “Dum Surfer” and the title track. However, Marshall really establishes a moody atmosphere within the deeper cuts - his woozy vocals on “Slush Puppy,” the mellow saxophone on “Logos,” or the somber guitar on “Lonely Blue,” and I fell in love with the record. 18. Bicep - BicepThis really is in the same vein as a Boards of Canada or Autechre release. For an up and coming producer, I was extremely surprised how captivating the soundscapes are on this record. “Orca,” “Ayaya,” and “Ayr” were definitely highlights this year when it comes to electronic music. On the surface, the beats are really repetitive and hypnotizing, but I find myself getting lost in the subtle intricacies that progress each song. 17. Corbin - MournSonically and lyrically, no record this year embodies the idea of isolation as well as Corbin’s debut project. He’s not even close to being as technically proficient of an R&B singer as a Frank Ocean, but it plays into the aesthetic of the record. “ICE BOY,” “Giving Up,” and the title track epitomize Corbin’s patheticness, highlighted by these despairing vocal performances. Despite all the metal I’ve listened to this year, “Revenge Song” takes the cake for the most disturbing track I’ve heard - a graphic and vivid story of Corbin tracking down and murdering the man who raped his significant other. Although the record can feel a little one-dimensional at times, I find that the atmosphere and presentation of the themes make this record worthy of this list. 16. Deerhoof - Mountain MovesStraight up, Deerhoof managed to wholeheartedly put out their catchiest, most playful set of songs of their career. Deerhoof teeter on this line of being intriguingly experimental and dance-able. This album is definitely out there, and it kinda jumps all over the place. The expansive list of guest musicians is also a testament to the diversity of sounds on this record. What kept me returning to Mountain Moves is its overall entertaining experience, particularly from Satomi Matsuzaki’s lively vocals. 15. Neil Cicierega - Mouth MoodsWhat's so beautiful about this record is Neil's ability to consistently deliver quality mash-ups without exhausting his songwriting formula. While I thought Mouth Sounds and Mouth Silence delivered more through their individual highlights, this record really succeeds as a cinematic experience. You’ve can’t ignore the level of genius it takes to pair up Brian Johnson’s vocals on “Back in Black” to the iconic lead piano on “A Thousand Miles.” 14. Kirin J Callinan - BravadoYou may know Kirin J Callinan from a beat drop on his breakthrough hit, “Big Enough,” which became a pretty viral meme towards the middle of 2017. On “My Moment” and “This Whole Town,” Callinan tastefully incorporates similarly unexpected EDM beat drops. This dude is just nuts. “S.A.D.,” a song about drugs, is certainly interesting in its song structure, as Callinan mumbles more than he does sing during the verses, only to explode into the most insane chorus I’ve heard all year. Yet, after all of this absurdity, Callinan closes the record with the powerful, no BS pop song “Bravado.” 13. Fleet Foxes - Crack-UpSimply put, Crack-Up is the comeback album I needed from Fleet Foxes. They delivered a quality record while ever so slightly pushing the band in a new direction - brass/orchestra instrumentation, seamless transitions, longer songs. Their set at Merriweather Post Pavilion in promotion of this record was damn impressive. 12. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Sketches Of Brunswick EastYup, Sketches ended up being my favorite Gizzard release of the four (maybe five) records they released this year. I played this on end throughout the semester, and the sticky melodies, slick bass lines, and overall bright, cheery vibe this record gives off won me over. 11. Iglooghost - Neo Wax BloomThis record is fucking insane. I can’t even begin to describe the amount of detail Seamus Malliagh incorporates into each track here. “Pale Eyes” may seem somewhat restrained as an opener, but as soon as “Super Ink Burst” kicks in with its ascending saxophone passages, the record’s sonic mayhem is unleashed from there on out, and I love it. A very deserving addition to Brainfeeder records. 10. Protomartyr - Relatives in DescentProtomartyr have been a personal favorite of mine over the past few years. Under Color of Official Right and The Agent Intellect serve as perfect night driving music with their checklist of post-punk soundscapes, but Relatives in Descent presents a band that really honed in on songwriting, and that I commend Protomartyr. The thematic reprise of the line “She’s just trying to reach you” on the closing track in reference to the opening track was just one of those mind=blown moments for me this year. 9. Remo Drive - Greatest HitsThere’s so much to love about this release - the 90s power pop guitar tone throwback, the memorable songwriting, the angsty (though not cringeworthy) lyrics, the tight drum performances. I have to give it to the music videos as well. Through and through, a solid Midwestern emo debut record. 8. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.While K-Dot’s previous two projects have been the most forward thinking records of our generation imo, it made me so happy to see him put out a project where he’s just straight up rapping. Let’s be real, I ain’t got all the time and energy in the world to give TPAB and GKMC the attention it deserves with thorough listens, and DAMN. is a record I put on several times throughout the year to just have fun listening to on the go or whatever. Hats off to a huge year for K-Dot. 7. Vince Staples - Big Fish TheoryWasn’t big on this one at first either, because I thought the bangers (“Big Fish,” “745,” “Yeah Right,” “BagBak”) overshadowed the deep cuts in every way. They were all I listened to when I kept returning to this record. I especially loved the contributions from SOPHIE of PC music fame on “Yeah Right” and “SAMO.” Eventually I came to appreciate Vince’s rhymes on tracks like “Crabs in a Bucket” and “Homage” where he dives into themes of nihilism, fame, and success. 6. Thundercat - DrunkThis record not only perfectly encompasses Thundercat’s hilarious sense of humour (“Captain Stupido,” “Bus in These Streets,” “Friend Zone”), but I think it’s his best sounding record. If you love bass guitar, you need to hear this record, because this man does wonders. His performances on “Uh Uh” and “Them Changes” are both unique and impressive. It sounded like he had a damn fun time recording this album, and it’s a great addition to Fly Lo’s Brainfeeder label. 5. Grizzly Bear - Painted RuinsYanno, this was another record that I wasn’t really sure about on my first couple of listens. It may be that I just prefer the more subdued qualities of records like Yellow House and Veckatimest, because Painted Ruins is by far Grizzly Bear’s grandest endeavor, sonically speaking. What gravitates me towards this record are the plethora of instrumental highlights scattered within each track - the layered keyboard and synth bassline on “Three Rings,” the galloping guitar arpeggios on “Neighbors,” the driving bassline on “Losing All Sense.” The textured soundscapes really shine through on deep cuts like “Glass Hillside” and “Cut-Out.” “Sky Took Hold” is Grizzly Bear’s most ambitious song in awhile, and serves as one of the most memorable closing tracks I’ve heard in 2017. 4. Pile - A Hairshirt of PurposePile caught my attention in the past for their intricately written guitarwork. You’re Better Than This features the band’s best post-hardcore instrumental moments, and Dripping thrives with its catchy melodies. A Hairshirt of Purpose is exactly where I wanted Rick Maguire to take the band, down this path of experimental, progressive songwriting. There are aggressive moments that call back to their previous LP (“Hissing For Peace,” “Texas,” “Hairshirt”), but I’m really impressed with songs like “Rope’s Length,” “Dogs,” and “Leaning On A Wheel,” where the band goes through these twisted instrumental paths that are complemented by well-performed dynamic shifts. I also love the risks Pile takes on this record with “Worms” and “I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore,” two songs so captivating despite their simple concepts. The record also feels thematic in a sense, as “Slippery” revisits a riff from “Rope’s Length” before exploding into one of the loudest portions of the entire record. Get on board with this band plz. 3. Mac Demarco - This Old DogI’ve always loved Mac Demarco’s style, especially on record’s like Salad Days and Rock and Roll Night Club. On his latest, Mac truly develops as a songwriter, while delivering his trademark sound. Who’d think that Mac would deliver some of his best love songs (“This Old Dog,” “For the First Time,” “Still Beating”) after releasing Another One, a mini LP solely dedicated to love songs? “Moonlight on the River” is Mac at his most experimental musings since his debut, dipping ever so subtly into the stylings of noise. “My Old Man” and “On the Level” showcase a personal side of Mac that we rarely see, as he details his relationship with his Dad and how he’s impacted his own persona. “One More Love Song” and “One Another” appear really sweet and sugary on the surface, but deal with some painful relationship issues Mac has struggled with in the music industry. Mac really delivered his most consistent, professional release with this record. 2. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATIONThe Saturation trilogy will no doubt go down as this decade’s most impressive set of releases when it comes to rap collectives. Each release is solid, but I’d say that the first installment in the Saturation series is the most complete Brockhampton experience because of its impeccable flow. Each member brings a different feel throughout the tracklist. Brockhampton draws from a lot of influences - there’s hardcore hip-hop beats on tracks like “Heat” and “Gold,” contemporary Odd Future tinged production on “Fake” and “Trip,” and even 90s alternative boy band vocals on “Swim,” “Bump,” “Face,” and “Waste.” Despite these clear influences, their overall sound and energy is so refreshing in 2017. Like Kendrick’s record, Saturation was another release I’d put on to jam out to throughout the entire year. 1. Tyler, The Creator - Flower BoyThis pick was too easy. I’m glad Tyler has enjoyed the latter half of 2017, because the lyrics throughout this record reveal a very conflicted, depressed, unhappy artist. Subconsciously, I sometimes doubt the authenticity of rapper’s personal stories they’re telling through their lyrics, but Tyler comes off as so genuine to me - specifically on the cuts “Foreword,” “Garden Shed,” “Mr. Lonely,” and “November.” What’s incredible about this record is the fact that Tyler produced this whole project on his own, and goddamn the neo-soul and alternative R&B instrumentals sound like the workings of a veteran producer. With “Boredom” and “See You Again,” Tyler delivers two instantaneously catchy pop tunes, as if he’s been writing pop songs instead of raps his entire career. “Who Dat Boy” and "Pothole" have that west coast hip-hop flare, boasting career highlight performances from A$AP Rocky and Jaden Smith. I also love Tyler's final statements with "Glitter" and "Enjoy Right Now, Today" before he closes the entire LP. So yeah, Tyler improved on all fronts with Flower Boy. I’ve never really enjoyed a project as much as I have this one in my entire life. Congrats Tyler, can’t wait to see you in February w/ Vince Staples. That's all folks! Thank you for tuning in to my life................0. Suburban Ingenuity - Color SoundsWith strong influences and sounds pulled across the decades such as '60s art rock and proto-punk to '00s indie rock, the debut album from the band plays on themes of loneliness, seclusion, nostalgia, the trials and tribulations of a middle American upbringing. With ambitious set pieces and lush instrumentation (especially on the cathartic second half), principal songwriters Oseas Gonzalez and Brody McElwain seem to be trying to convey a yearning for meaning in the midst of the rapidly diminishing safehaven of suburban life, and they chronicle the impending maturation of themselves and their music. 10en/10
Grizzly Bear is a very unique indie folk band - Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear, and Chris Taylor are very talented multi-instrumentalists, and when they harmonize, man does it sound beautiful. Many are familiar with their 2009 album Veckatimest from the success of the lead single “Two Weeks,” however they first broke onto the scene with their incredible 2007 album Yellow House.
Yellow House is one of those albums in which the cover perfectly resembles its sound. The acoustics of the instrumentation sound as if they were recorded in a dusty autumn home. The songs themselves aren’t bright or sharp by any means. They’re rather quite measured and subdued, their tone reflecting that of the dim lighting. The record’s sound is really warm, but features a very subtle, cold undertone. The attic similarly appears warm and inviting, but the set of creaky stairs leading up to the attic add the forbidding sentiment to the room. Grizzly Bear doesn’t sound like your average indie band on Yellow House. The band sprinkles in a lot of baroque instrumentation, accompanied by traditional guitars. The subtle passages from the flute, violin, xylophone, and piano add a lot to the atmosphere. The amount of detail each song features in its full instrumentation is actually remarkable, considering the band is only a quartet. On a first listen, a traditional ear may only warm up to songs like “The Knife” and “On a Neck, on a Spit,” each which have pretty recognizable refrains and prominent guitar leads. “Little Brother” is another attention grabber, with its intricate guitar intro, and chilling vocal walk down at the 2:20 mark. There are intricately woven crescendos within these three tracks, and the shifts from the mellow lowpoints to the powerful highpoints of the tracks display Grizzly Bear’s unique take on songwriting structure. “Easier” is a perfect opener to the record. I absolutely love the woodwinds and distant piano at the beginning of the track. Once the vocals enter the mix, they seemingly bounce back and forth between the softly plucked guitar chords. A banjo nicely compliments the guitar as the song progresses, and the arpeggios from the xylophone towards the end wrap up the song fittingly. “Lullabye” opens as if it were indeed one itself, as Droste and Roseen harmonize backed by a dreamy keyboard and fluttering woodwinds. The song surprisingly builds to one of the records most climactic moments, featuring one of the most memorable one-liners (“my love’s another kind”). The intensified instrumental of the build-up is as extravagant and layered as the quieter moments on this song. “Reprise” returns to the aforementioned one-liner, but brings together a completely different instrumental. Somehow, Grizzly Bear manage to make the banjo sound like the most capable instrument of communicating sorrow. The end of the track further displays Grizzly Bear’s perfection of vocal harmonization. “Marla” is perhaps the eeriest track, as Droste barely whispers over the instrumental, primarily composed of a lumbering piano. “Plans” plays to the same vein as “Lullabye” with its crescendo, but the drums are recorded entirely differently. It’s almost as if the percussion entails that the entire house is creaking and shaking as the song reaches its apex. Eleven years after its release, Yellow House still stands as one of the most essential records in the indie sphere, and serves as a great introduction to Grizzly Bear. Listening to this record really is an experience like no other, and I’d recommend it to any fan of indie, rock, or folk music. When my classmate mentioned her paradigm shift essay’s focus on the increased vulgarity in popular music, I immediately connected this phenomenon as a result of the transition of hip-hop into the mainstream. This transition first occurred when Kanye West dropped My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. The album’s production brought forth lavish, colorful, and grandiose beats. The soundscape really changed the way artists sampled music to create beats. All in all, this new approach to production created an accessible sound to casual music listeners. Artists like Drake, Macklemore, and Asap Rocky followed Kanye’s album with projects using similar production techniques, and they all remained at the top of the charts in the early 2010s. Today, the Top 40 is dominated by hip-hop artists.
As we know, there are many subgenres of hip-hop, mostly as a result of the regions of the U.S. being hotspots for different sounds of hip-hop (southern trap, west coast g-funk, east coast conscious/jazz) Over the past two years, trap has arguably been the trendiest style of hip-hop. Trap typically features a lot of vulgar lyrical content because the music presents a very obscene tone. Trap’s trendiness makes it easier for less skilled musicians to find success in the mainstream. These artists typically focus their lyrics around more straightforward topics, such as relationships and drugs, which are open to imagery that many people find offensive. I think that the vulgarity we see in popular music today still extends beyond the styles of trap, because hip-hop serves as a rebellious form of expression for young people. To clarify this point through a connection, I’ll consider how rock-n-roll was seen as extremely rebellious and unchristian-like during the 50’s. The music was discouraged by parents, radio speakers, and political leaders for its “demonic” influences on children. Yet rock-n-roll gained one of the largest movements as an art-form in the history of our country. It's popularity persisted into the mainstream well into the 60s. The same goes for the punk music of the 70s - it was very rebellious for its time and that's why it gained a movement. We can take the rebellious attitude of hip-hop today and connect it to the history of rock-n-roll. Parents and political leaders don't understand hip-hop in the same way the parents of the 50's didn’t understand rock-n-roll. Parents today think that hip-hop is horribly offensive through its vulgar lyrics, but this quality of hip-hop is an important factor of its rebelliousness, which contributes to the overall movement of hip-hop into the mainstream. While the crudeness of the styles of trap contribute to the increased vulgarity in popular music, the rebellious nature of hip-hop provides a pocket for heated political commentary. Political messages within rap music can understandably come off as heated and offensive, as rappers tend to address issues pertinent to the culture of hip-hop, such as police brutality and minority oppression. With hip-hop’s ability to bring attention to politics through lyrics, many rappers are politically conscious, as their albums contain a lot of political and sociocultural themes. YG's songs "Police Get Away with Murder," "FDT," and "Blacks and Browns" are great examples of politically conscious tracks filtered through a rebellious attitude (F*** Donald Trump is pretty crude if you’d ask me). Of course, Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly is a landmark album discussing many themes surrounding the oppression and culture of the black community. And we can see how these artists are filtered into the mainstream because both Kendrick and YG have seen top 40 success, and influenced other hip-hop artists in the top 40. Adult figures will continually bash hip-hop’s unabashed, vulgar lyrical content. Ironically, the very reason this vulgarity persists is because these figures protest against the art form. As far as I can see, hip-hop will continue to dominate in the mainstream, as it successfully channels rebellious attitudes through its musical styles. So far in 2017, Youtube stars Bhad Bhabie (aka Danielle “Cash Me Outside” Peskowitz) and Jake Paul have gained huge followings in a very short span of time. There has been controversy surrounding both of their rises to fame.
Peskowitz became an internet meme earlier this year through her rude, street dialect comment (“cash me ousside how bout dat”) directed toward the audience on the Dr. Phil show. She seized the opportunity of her overnight fame to start a Youtube channel, releasing music as a rapper under the name Bhad Bhabie. Atlantic records recently signed her as a professional musician. Jake Paul, previously a viner, started a Youtube channel earlier this year. Over the course of the year, Jake Paul has been criticized for trashing his rental space, arriving uninvited at Post Malone’s house, disrespecting his neighbors, and altogether being an obnoxious, privileged, rich kid. This controversy culminated in his departure from his ties with Disney. In his most viewed Youtube video, “It’s Everyday Bro,” Jake Paul adopts the role of a rapper in a similar fashion as Bhad Bhabie. The popularity of these two Youtubers cannot be understated. “It’s Everyday Bro” reached #2 on the iTunes singles chart, beating artists such as Kendrick Lamar. The drama surrounding Jake Paul also gains a lot of attention. His ex girlfriend released a diss track that charted higher than any solo joint from Tyler, The Creator, Joey Bada$$, or Jay Rock have ever released. Bhad Bhabie’s latest music videos have 40 million and 28 million views, respectively. Let’s be clear, Bhab Bhabie and Jake Paul have no flow whatsoever. Neither do either of them have any lyrical abilities. Most of their lyrics reside in the form of a “diss,” which centers around drama. They’re understandably inexperienced, but their videos are presented as if they’re actually serious rappers. It’s unfortunate because it’s clear that neither of them have any base understanding of the culture of hip-hop, and they come off as quite ignorant. What this whole situation boils down to is attention. It’s pretty undebatable that hip-hop is the dominating genre in popular culture today. In many ways, hip-hop is the trend of the 2010s as rock-n-roll was the trend of the 50s. What Bhad Bhabie and Jake Paul have done is taken advantage of the attention that hip-hop garners. In order to heighten their status as Youtubers, the two adopt the roles of rappers and pump out these diss tracks. This not only paints them as the face of mainstream hip-hop, but also gives many the impression that being a rapper requires no skill. This is NOT GOOD for hip-hop, as it gives the mainstream media evidence to write off hip-hop as “unserious,” all the while we have artists pushing serious political messages through their music (YG, Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples). Private capitalist investors will put their money behind Bhad Bhabie and Jake Paul because they see it as a quick cash grab. This is why Bhad Bhabie has a record deal, and may be in part why Jake Paul has not been kicked out of his rental space. As more people see the money trail, there will be even more Bhad Bhabie’s and Jake Paul’s. If it comes to this, the face of hip-hop will be changed completely. These Youtubers most certainly do not deserve the attention they’re receiving, so let’s address the problems in this situation to hopefully prevent hip-hop from destabilizing. People like to compare the music of today to that of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. A common claim I see scattered around various internet forums is that music as an art form reached its creative peak during this time period, and music has flat-lined ever since. People who want to enjoy music today say that they were “born in the wrong generation” so to say. Well, I’ve made up my own list of artists that prove that musicians today push the boundaries of various styles of music in the same way that artists have in the past. Leggo.
Flying Lotus Ever since his debut album Los Angeles dropped in 2008, Flylo has paved the way for a new wave of experimental hip-hop. Blending elements of jazz, electronic music, and hip-hop, Flylo’s sound seems to exist in a futuristic world. His production techniques bring a larger than life quality to electronic music in which no other producer has quite reached. Each of his projects bring forth a variety of different beats and samples, whilst still remaining sonically consistent. Flylo also founded Brainfeeder records, which include similar jazz-fusion artists such as Thundercat and Kamasi Washington. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard ^^10/10 band name. Australian psych/garage rock vets King Gizzard remind me of The Beatles in the way that the quality of their music is not ruined by their incredible quantity of music. Indeed, King Gizzard have plans to release five albums this year, and they’ve already released three. A great band comes into an album with a concept in mind, and executes that concept well. That’s exactly what King Gizzard have done from album to album, as each project features a focal idea - whether it be micro-tuning, spoken word, elevator music, or endless loops. Their ambition and creativity as a group is something to behold as a music fan. Vektor Everyone loves a little metal in their life, right? If you ever want to give experimental metal a shot, I’d recommend Vektor in a heartbeat. Bringing the shrill vocal styles of black metal and the distorted guitars of thrash metal, their songs center around progressive song structures that tie into the themes of space and science fiction. Their last album sought to tell the tale that’s on the level of Star Wars - an evil protagonist seeks all the power of the universe through a stone that gives him control over time. Vektor’s music compliments their storytelling in such a way that supports the tone of the narrative, and it always leaves me with chills. I hope these bands give you an insight into the current era of music. There will always be artists that find groundbreaking ways to influence styles of music. We may not see it as much in rock music, but we certainly see this in hip-hop, electronic, and metal. So get outta here with that “I was born in the wrong generation” crap. Explore and try new styles of music, you’re bound to find musical inspiration from many artists today. Lomelda, a soft indie band lead by Hannah Read has just released an LP. Last year, 4E was one of my favorite albums. It was a soft spoken album with a very calming vibe. I shared her on cymbal multiple times and recommended it to quite a few people. Well, once again Lomelda may be one of my favorites this year with the new album Thx.
I expected this album to be like 4E, acoustic guitar accompanied by a soft voice. Instead, I got a whole accompaniment. The album opens up with “Interstate Vision,” probably one of my favorites. The song feels very polished, but still has that soft indie vibe they had on 4E. “Interstate Visions” is a song about being on the road (maybe on tour). She is also asking “can you feel me now? Do you know me yet?” So maybe she is falling in love while on the road. One of my favorite lyrics from this song are,”so i’ll sit with you in parking lots acting like I'm not falling for it.” The next track, “Bam Sha Klam,” builds up to this big release of her voice just belting out this textured voice. This song lyrically and technically is so amazing. Read echoes, “it’s going to be slow going” meaning her journey into all of this is going to take time. It makes you reflect inward, this journey is going to take time. I think it’s another beautiful song. As “Bam Sha Klam” closes out, “From Here” opens up. This track is more of the acoustic style Lomelda produced in 4E. There are guitars and drums, but it still has that acoustic vibe. This track is good, but compared to the previous track, it is not as powerful. The title track follows “From Here,” and also has that more acoustic vibe. “Thx” is Read urging us to go on; our lives have so much potential. “Thx” is a shorter track, but Read still showcases her shaggy, texture voice with her layered harmonization. “Out There” follows the title track, and it is based off of a fake story her brother told her. This was one of the singles, so I did some research on it. Read’s brother said he had met Elliott Smith after a show and Smith had taught him how to smoke cigarettes. Hannah Read knew this was a tall tale, and told NPR she spent six years trying to write this song. “Out There" is not about the space between physical locations, but the space between insight and ignorance. Just like the tall tale she believed in, but then lost faith and began to know the truth. "'Out There” is about never knowing. It is a haunting song, and it is definitely polished. The album progresses, and tracks like “Far Out” showcase Read’s vocal range and her ability to show infection. “Nvr” has a really good beat, and i like the simplicity of the song. “Nervous Driver” is another one of my favorites; I feel like it resonates with me. “Sorry if lately I don't want to fight/I keep waiting all night to go out of my mind/If you've got a reason, I'm sure that you're right/It's not bad to be right.” It just speaks to me; I’ve had my fair share of fights. I’ve battled my demons. It’s hard to listen to a song like this and not think of someone, and the battles you’ve had with them. The last verse also hits me, “Or just hold me close before you go/At least hold me close before I go/Don't you know I need a goodbye?/Cause I'm too nervous to drive.” There’s been times I didn’t want to leave someone’s house, not because I didn’t want to go home, but because didn’t know how they would feel when I left, or I didn’t know how I would feel after I left them. This song is really moving, and really speaks to me. It’s a shorter song, but still very impactful. The next track, “Mostly M.E.” is another emotionally jam-packed song. Finally, the last track, “Only World,” is a little longer, and spins a story about two people who thought they were on the same page, but in reality were worlds apart. The song builds up, until Read belts out her vocal range, and the song softly ends, concluding an amazing album. All in all, it is a beautiful album, all 33 minutes are haunting and breathtaking. Thx comes across as a sad sounding album. Not the way Mothers or Julien Baker portray themselves; their lyrics are inherently sad. You can listen along, and automatically feel the sadness sweep over you, but Hannah Read’s vocals will distract you and maybe make you think the song is uplifting. This album is really easy to put on repeat and listen to all day, it is so amazing. I will probably buy it on vinyl even though I am a broke college student. Maybe I’ll sell a kidney. If you don’t believe me, Stereogum said Lomelda is a band to watch. If you don’t believe me or Stereogum, listen to it yourself. Rating- 8/10 Fav tracks- every track that has a long paragraph least - “Nvr” *Side note, sorry if this review is repetitive and maybe doesn’t make sense; I am a forensic science major that has 10+ hours of homework everyday and I wrote this to distract myself. One of the most polarizing topics when it comes to underground music is genre wars. Because of the ever-expansive sonic landscape of metal, hip-hop, and rock music today, listeners tend to group a lot of their music into sub-genres, and the list of musical styles can become quite lengthy. The problem with this process of organizing music is that listeners tend to needlessly waste time on social media arguing about an artist’s “true” genre instead of having discourse about the music itself.
On a surface level, the character in the meme corrects another’s interpretation of a metal band’s sound to be under the genre of death metal. However, under further examination, the meme implies that the correction itself is absurd and unnecessary. This is accomplished through the character’s response, which is hyperbolic in nature (“progressive blackened thrash metal,” cmon son.) The smug, elite composure from the character also plays into the social viewpoint of the creator, that being that genre wars are silly and pointless. The commonplace within this meme is the shared statement that sub-genres hold great importance when discussing music. This commonplace may be held under the ideology of pretentious music discussion (to be blunt). Clearly the meme is making fun of this commonplace, as it rightfully should. Logically, the meme reasons with the audience that the idea of genre wars is ridiculous in itself. Music is an art form, and art is completely subjective. If you enjoy a certain song, album, or artist, I encourage you to express why you enjoy it. Don’t worry about pretentious music fanatics that “know more music than you do” and disregard your opinion because you can’t describe music properly. Discourse among music fans is vital in that is leads to discovery, and I only hope you take the genre wars dispute with a grain of salt. I'm starting a new segment where I'll give my thoughts on a handful of releases from each new music Friday. I'll provide a short description of the album/artist, and include my own thoughts as I mention them. There's a lot of music I'd like to recommend from this past week, so let's get to it! Photay - OnismGenre: Electronic I was a little hesitant to give this project a chance, considering Photay is not a huge name in the electronic music scene, but I'm soooo glad I did. Fusing elements of glitch electronics, chill-wave, and jazz, Photay's Onism manages to consistently deliver a very upbeat, cheerful vibe. On "Off-Piste," Photay layers grand synths with flute passages which remind me of the artist Baths. "Inharmonious Slob" happily trots along, repeatedly returning to a bouncy instrumental refrain. "The Everyday Push," builds layers upon layers of various clicking and beeping electronics, creating tension that leads to a very crushing finish. Although the album is primarily instrumental, vocal appearances on cuts like "Aura" provide quite the treat. I'm loving the hell out of this, it's probably gonna be my electronic aoty. Everything Everything - A Fever DreamGenre: Synth-pop If you're familiar with Alt-J, all you have to do is blend Joe Newman's falsetto vocal style with colorful, bombastic synth-pop, and you have U.K.'s very own Everything Everything. I personally enjoyed their last album, although it was clearly front-heavy and a little long-winded. I'm enamored with the first half of A Fever Dream, but I'm not really feeling the longer, moodier tracks in the second half of the track-listing (although I do love the band's statement on the very brief "New Deep"). The first three tracks really display the band's songwriting talent. You've got these strong hooks over these very loud (but not overbearing) electronic beats. The vocal performance on "Night Of The Long Knives" is actually quite awe-inspiring, and once the beat drops, that shit BANGS. "Can't Do" and "Desire" are both feature these very sticky refrains that I love. I actually think Everything Everything open this album up better than their last album. As I mentioned, the latter half of the record didn't leave the greatest impression on me. There are a few highlights ("Ivory Tower," "New Deep") but it's just really disappointing to me. I'm just waiting for this band to put out a 10 because they have the potential to do so in my eyes. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard & Mild High Club - Sketches of Brunswick EastGenre: Jazz-Psych King Gizzard is one of the greats out there right now. They're always reinventing their direction as a band through each album, whether it be through a new concept or musical style. Their third album this year alone, Sketches of Brunswick East is a soothing jazz-psych collaboration with Mild High Club. It reminds me of their acoustic album Paper Mache because of its relaxed tone, but it's rather an album that drifts easily into the background. The gratifying bass lines and woodwind passages left the greatest impressions on me. Seriously, the bass on "The Spider And Me," "Rolling Stoned," and "Dusk To Dawn On Lygon Street" give me the goosers, they're so attention grabbing while being nice on the ears. Each of the three interludes are soothing in the same sense, but don't really have the memorability to keep me returning. What this album lacks is good songwriting, which only really comes through on the song "The Book." Sonically, however, this album is certainly something to behold. Elevator music, yay! Grizzly Bear - Painted RuinsGenre - Indie Rock
Grizzly Bear are a unique indie band in my opinion. Their talent shines through their beautiful vocal harmonies, and intricately performed, lavish instrumentals. They've been on a studio album silence for five years now, so of course I was hyped for this project. The biggest change on Painted Ruins is clearly the production style. Is definitely on a larger-than-life scale compared to their previous efforts. Considering the slightly lo-fi acoustic side of Grizzly Bear, this album is certainly quite an endeavor. "Wasted Acres" sets a great tone for the album, as it opens with woodwinds, strings, and Daniel Rossen's hauntingly beautiful voice. This track is noticeably juxtaposed to the most upbeat, almost bombastic song, "Mourning Sound," the lead single. I'm not sure what to make of this song. Part of me likes the tune itself, but it feels kind of lifeless as it's sung without much passion. "Four Cypresses" features heavily reverb-soaked guitars, building in instrumental intensity until it slowly fades out. Ed Droste's vocal performance on "Three Rings" is paired nicely with the soft synth keyboards and electric guitar passages. The album, however, really hit me at "Losing All Sense" and "Aquarian." These two tracks are more traditional in song structure that make more enjoyable, memorable moments in the context of the whole album. I'm impressed by the sonic landscapes on "Cut-out" and "Glass Hillside" as well. "Neighbors" is a much needed break in the track-listing. It's the most intimate song whilst being instantaneous and memorable - the haunting vocal melody, lyrics, and finger-picked guitars are really to behold. "Systole" is really one of the few lulls in the track-listing, and "Sky Took Hold" makes up lost ground to close an altogether enjoyable album. Check this album out if you're looking for an indie album with really grand, pristine production qualities. It's an impressive addition to the Grizzly Bear catalog. This review is a little late, but better late than never, right? So a little while ago, I went to see Elvis Depressedly at the Chameleon Club, and he was on tour with several other artists which I did not realize. The night opened up with an up and coming female rock group, which set the stage for the personal show. The club has various floors, and we were downstairs where there is less space, making the shows more personal. Next came Spencer Radcliff, who I have always enjoyed listening to, but was never a huge fan. Next was Horse Jumper of Love, a band I had started listening to maybe a day or two prior to the show.
They started off the set, and it was so good. They are such a talented band. In between songs, the lead singer would talk to the crowd, but he literally sounded like a mouse, which is sort of reflected in their debut album. After the show I went to the merch table to buy their album on vinyl, and the drummer, Jamie, asked me what color, I chose white, but he ended up giving me red. Not mad; the record is great no matter the aesthetic color of the vinyl. Anyways, enough backstory, here’s my review: HJoL’s self titled album is a hit or miss for a lot of people. Some people mistake it’s syrupy rock sound for emo whining, but do not confuse the slow pace of the record for sluggishness; the songs are paced and have greater meaning when they are not criticized upon the first listen. This album is cautious and haunting. The opening track, “Ugly Brunette,” is maybe one of my favorites on the album. The lyrics are simple, but have a deeper meaning; the lead said it was about losing a shirt on a family vacation, hence the lyrics about the shirt and getting bleach on it. The song is simple lyrically, but packs a nice punch rhythmically. The guitars pushes the song along, and embraces the grungy side of the band. The following track, "July 5th," is hardly a minute. It does not really do much for me; the guitar is softer than “Ugly Brunette,”and it is a little too short to really get me interested. It moves the album along, but it really does not do anything else. The third track, “Bagel Breath,” is very slow. After three minutes, it feels like the whole album has passed by, however, I still enjoy this track. The story it captures is timeless; someone crawling into another’s bed, spilling sour patch kids everywhere, but the other person does not care. It is a love story in three minutes. A simplistic one, yet I still enjoy it. The next track is “Spaceman,” and it is another good one. This track is actually semi-fast moving. The guitar and the drums work together to up the pace on the track. This is probably the track with the most lyrics too. Even though the track after “Spaceman,” “I Want To Paint horses...And to Have a Horse” is another short one, I love it. It isn’t sludgy like the other tracks. They played it live, and it was just cool to see it and hear it live, and be able to compare it to a studio recording. The track following it is not as sludgy as the other songs either, it still has that quiet, offbeat sound, but it isn’t as heavy. The drums are more in the forefront with the cymbals accompanying it. “DIRT” is a solid track all around, and it think it makes sense that it is placed after “IWTPH...ATHAH.” The rest of the tracks are just as good, some sludgier than others. As a whole, the album is a cohesive work of slow moving soft rock with a twinge of that indie emo we all love. “Orange Peeler” is a great closer; it really encompasses the whole album; it has a perfect mix of sludge and quietness. The only huge downside of the album is that the track “Poison” is not on it. They have an Audiotree Live album, and it is on it, but I would have loved to hear a studio recording of it after hearing it live in Lancaster. It is my favorite track by them by far. So, check them out, give it a listen. Let me know what you think: good or bad? Rating: 7/10 |
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