"Lists"

Number Thirty Nine

It's halfway through the year. When did that happen? The actual halfway point was a few days ago, I believe, but I finally decided on some halfway point lists today. I sat down and wrote these things in maybe twenty minutes, so they might not be completely accurate, but I tried my best. There's a lot of albums/singles/videos I couldn't put on the lists, hopefully I'll get a change to talk about them on here at some point. Anyway, this is a pretty boring post, so I'm sorry for that.

Anyway, here they are. See you tomorrow for actual music.

TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2014 - HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

25) EYEHATEGOD - EYEHATEGOD

24) The Hotelier - Home, Like No Place Is There

23) BADBADNOTGOOD - III

22) Carla Bozulich - Boy

21) Actress - Ghettoville

20) Thou - Heathen

19) Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts: Red Classroom

18) Young Fathers - Dead

17) Indian - From All Purity

16) Liars - Mess

15) Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy

14) Behemoth - The Satanist

13) White Suns - Totem

12) The Roots - …and then you shoot your cousin

11) Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata

10) Sun Kil Moon - Benji

9) Timbre Timber - Hot Dreams

8) Big Ups - Eighteen Hours of Static

7) Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise

6) Clipping. - CLPPNG

5) Andrew Jackson Jihad - Christmas Island

4) Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

3) Death Grips - Niggas On the Moon

2) Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World

1) Swans - To Be Kind

TOP 10 SINGLES OF 2014

------------------------------------

10) The Frights - Tongues/Puppy Knuckles

9) Liars - Mess On a Mission

8) TOPS - Sleeptalk

7) Grouplove - Let Me In

6) The Roots - When The People Cheer

5) La Dispute - Stay Happy There

4) Blood Orange - Palo Alto

3) Clipping. - Body and Blood

2) Nicolas Jaar - Consolation

1) Swans - Oxygen

TOP 5 MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2014

--------------------------------------------

5) Kitten - G#

4) Big Ups - Goes Black

3) Liars - Mess On a Mission

2) Pink Guy - Friendzone

1) Clipping. - Body and Blood

Favorite song: who cares man
Related artists: what am i even doing

"A Sign of the Coming Times"

It's strange. Now that I have the time to make these posts, I keep not doing them. There's probably some reason behind it. Here's four.

Number Thirty Five

More thrash metal. This one isn't from Singapore, though, that's a shame.

Toxic Holocaust used to be one guy. Joel Grind wrote and recorded all the music for Toxic Holocaust from its 1999 beginnings to around 2008. He then brought some more people in, and continued to release music under the Toxic Holocaust name. They are a big figure in metal, sort of setting standards for thrash and hardcore releases for a long time. Many people view "An Overdose of Death" as a classic metal album.

Their more current albums, "Conjure and Command" and "Chemistry of Consciousness" were both made with a full band, Joel handling only guitar and vocals for them. This angle works better, in my opinion, than Joel's solo work. The playing is tight, the mixing and production is fantastic, and the songs are even more pummeling and impressive.

If you're interested in metal in general, or thrash specifically, Toxic Holocaust is a must. I'll post a music video from their newest album, as well as three other albums in full.

Hope you like it.

Toxic Holocaust - Acid Fuzz (Official Video)
Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command (Full Album)
Toxic Holocaust - An Overdose of Death (Full Album)
Toxic Holocaust - Evil Never Dies (Full Album)

Favorite song: Judgement Awaits You
Related artists: Converge, Wormrot, The Dillinger Escape Plan

Number Thirty Six

It makes me ridiculously happy that there's a band out there called Kitten.

Kitten is a rock band formed in 2009 in Los Angeles. They play post-punk inspired pop music, with extremely catchy choruses and fairly uplifting melodies. Their style is pretty unique as well as maintaining grounded in what made post-punk and pop so great in the first place. They've released 3 EPs, and just released their self-titled debut album four days ago (June 24).

Kitten is fronted by Chloe Chaidez. She's 19, and already gaining a whole lot of recognition for the music the group plays. It's pretty inspiring and awesome to see young people getting so much hype and praise for music. I guess I do have to mention Lorde here. She's cool.

I'll post a few videos from the debut album down below. They're kind of weird, too, which is a welcome change in the pop music world.

Hope you like 'em.

Kitten - G# (Official Video)
Kitten - Chinatown (Official Video)

Favorite song: G#
Related artists: Best Coast, Bare/Bear, Cuddles

Number Thirty Seven

I always subconsciously like Irish bands even before I hear them. I should work on that.

No Spill Blood is a punk band from Dublin. They fuse electronics into their punk instrumentation seamlessly, making the entire thing a bit more psychedelic than regular punk. This three person group makes an incredible amount of noise for their lineup.

They've only released one EP is the downside. It runs around a half hour, with the songs ranging from thirty seconds to over seven minutes. They have a great sound, and I just hope they release more songs soon.

I'll post a song from "Street Meat" (the EP) below, as well as their bandcamp.

PS: I finally sat down and listened to Lana Del Rey's "Ultraviolence" all the way through. My advice? Don't do that.

No Spill Blood - Junior
No Spill Blood's bandcamp

Favorite song: New Tricks
Related arists: Zorch, And So I Watch You From Afar

Number Thirty Eight

Hopefully you're not sick of electronic music posts. Because this one if freakin' awesome.

Nicolas Jaar is a Chilean-American electronic music producer. He runs a record label called "Other People" and has been releasing albums under his own name for a few years (2009, I believe). In 2011 he released one of my favorite electronic music albums ever, titled "Space Is Only Noise". It blends samples with drones, beats, and interesting, colorful and mind-bending sounds.

I was planning on posting about Nicolas Jaar later, after the blog had been up some more time, but I honestly couldn't wait. Mostly because he released a new song in honor of the world cup. He's just such a cool guy, it's ridiculous. I'll link it below.

But Nicolas Jaar's side project with Dave Harrington is almost even more impressive than his solo work. Called "DARKSIDE", this collaborative project blends electronic beats and influences with guitar tones and grooves, making a really interesting and atmospheric sound. Their album, "Psychic", was one of my favorite albums last year.

I'll link some DARKSIDE songs, Jaar's new song and "Space Is Only Noise" in full below. Hope you like it. I think a comment made on his soundcloud was pretty appropriate: "NICOLAS JAAR YOU ARE THE GOD OF DANCE MUSIC".

Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise (Full Album)
DARKSIDE - Heart
DARKSIDE - Golden Arrow
Nicolas Jaar - Consolation (Edit)

Favorite song: Space Is Only Noise
Related artists: Tim Hecker, Oneohtrix Point Never

"I Won't Remember"

I'm getting lazy. Here's three.

Number Thirty Two

There's not a whole lot of music out there that focuses just on drums. Drums are such a vital part of a lot of bands, yet many solo projects have nothing to do with them. Only a few I know of use drums as the main part of the project. This post is about two projects that use drums.

The first is Zach Hill. Yes, of Death Grips fame. But his solo projects are actually pretty awesome too. He's released a few albums and mix tapes, my favorite of which is titled "Face Tat". It has influences of "Hella!", his old band, as well as electronic beats and drones in the background, letting his incredibly technical drumming take the spotlight. Listen to the high-hat pattern on "The Primitives Talk". It's seriously impressive.

The second is NAH. NAH is much more primal, using bare bones beats to convey his messages. He prefers less involved backgrounds, using the drum beats he creates to speak for him. NAH is blunt as hell as well, especially with the titles of his albums and songs. The songs reflect this feeling pretty well. NAH is strange, definitely, but also pretty good.

Links to NAH's album "FOREVER FACE" and some Zach Hill songs below.

NAH - FOREVER FACE (Album Download)

Zach Hill - The Primitives Talk

Zach Hill - Necromancer (Full Album)

Favorite song: The Primitives Talk

Related artists: Actress, Givv, Hella!

Number Thirty Three

More anonymous people.

Mamaleek is an anonymous black metal duo that I posted about a little bit ago. This band sort of one-ups them. They are an anonymous black metal trio called Thantifaxath, and they play straight, hard-hitting hardcore music that delivers a punch while staying cerebral.

Thantifaxath's main draw is the technical ability and music they perform. It is unique in its genuinely freaky appearance. The songs they play freak people out, and with good reason. The lyrics are dark and the mixing of the instruments is also pretty intimidating. Thantifaxath is a strange and awesome metal band.

They put out an album recently, titled "Sacred White Noise". I'll put two songs from it as well as an old EP in full below.

Thantifaxath - Thantifaxath (Full EP)

Thantifaxath - The Bright White Nothing at the End of the Tunnel

Thantifaxath - Gasping in Darkness

Favorite song: The Bright White Nothing at the End of the Tunnel

Related artists: Plebian Grandstand, Mamaleek

Number Thirty Four

#420pageviews. I couldn't resist. I apologize.

Another Hellfyre Club post? What? Yeah, I know it's kinda soon but there's another Hellfyre Club release that I'm really loving. This time it's Open Mike Eagle's new album, "Dark Comedy".

Open Mike Eagle is another rapper in Hellfyre Club, working closely with Nocando and Busdriver. His albums are forward-thinking and very conscious, taking long looks at society and rap culture in general. His album "Rappers Will Die Of Natural Causes" is a perfect example of his style.

His new album is a mash-up of different producers, unlike his last release which was entirely produced by Awkward. I actually love this approach on the album, it feels much more free-flowing and diverse. Especially with Mike's eclectic, scatterbrained approach to lyricism. Give this one a shot if you're into smart hip hop, or just hip hop in general.

I'm posting a music video and two songs below, all from "Dark Comedy". Hope you like 'em.

Open Mike Eagle - A History of Modern Dance (Official Video)

Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy Morning Show

Open Mike Eagle - Very Much Money (Ice King Dream)

Favorite song: Dark Comedy Morning Show

Related artists: Nocando, Busdriver, Milo, Flash Bang Grenada

"To Dream"

Number Thirty One

Last year there was a heated discussion over what is "metal", and how the genre is bending and changing all the time. This happen mostly due to one album, put out by a San Francisco black metal band. Their little album blew up and caused a whole lot of ruckus and gained an insane amount of press, eventually even ending up in an Apple ad for the newest iPhone (5S, for those curious).

This band is Deafheaven. Their 2013 album "Sunbather" was one of the most hyped and also the most debated albums in the underground music scene. Deafheaven combined elements of rock, post-rock, post-metal, black metal, thrash, even shoegaze to make a cohesive, pummeling and weirdly uplifting experience. The instrumentation is heavy but also very light, not unlike something you'd hear The Airborne Toxic Event or maybe La Dispute putting out.

The vocals threw people a bit. Even people who weren't usually fans of metal could appreciate the instrumental aspect of Deafheaven but the wretched vocals split the fanbase in half. The lyrics are, in true black metal fashion, unrelentingly depressing. Deafheaven tweaks this a bit though, adding some more uplifting lyrics in too.

I personally love most of Deafheaven's output. Some of the lighter tracks I'm not huge on, especially the purely instrumental ones, but the crushing and fantastic "Dream House" was one of my favorite tracks last year. The last four lines of this nine-minute song are... Well, you'll see.

Links to "Sunbather" in full and some older songs as well as their bandcamp below.

Deafheaven - Violet
Deafheaven - Sunbather (Full Album)
Deafheaven - Unrequited
Deafheaven's bandcamp

Favorite song: Dream House
Related artists: And So I Watch You From Afar, Miroist

"Melancholy"

Number Thirty

There are a few albums this year that critics are beating to death. I figured I'd join the party. One is Swans, with "To Be Kind", another is Have A Nice Life's "The Unnatural World" (another group I've been meaning to do a post on), Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's collaborative LP, "Pinata", is also up there, and the last is Sun Kil Moon's "Benji".

Todays post is on Sun Kil Moon. Sun Kil Moon is the moniker of Mark Kozelek, who used to be in Red House Painters but now has Sun Kil Moon as his main focus. Sun Kil Moon is folk project, with Mark writing and performing all the songs. They are extremely personal and very dark but also simple and great to listen to. Sun Kil Moon has been releasing albums since 2002, but many are just finding out about Sun Kil Moon and "Benji" now, due to the fantastic reviews it has been getting.

Personally, I enjoy Sun Kil Moon for the stories. Mark's painstaking, detailed writing is the main focus of many of these songs, especially ones revolving around his family and his childhood. The imagery is shockingly clear on many of these songs, and some are left unclear for the benefit of the listener. Mark Kozelek is a fantastic singer/songwriter, and this newest album is perfect proof of that.

I'll post "Benji" in its entirety as well as older Sun Kil Moon songs. Hope you like it.

PS: I'd add Clipping's "CLPPNG" and Andrew Jackson Jihad's "Christmas Island" to the beating to the death album list this year. Y'know, for the record.

Sun Kil Moon - Benji
Sun Kil Moon - Heron Blue
Sun Kil Moon - Sam Wong Hotel
Sun Kil Moon - Third and Seneca

Favorite song: I Watched The Film The Song Remains The Same
Related artists: Red House Painters, American Music Club

"Outdated Sentiments"

Number Twenty Nine

I apologize for the post on Sanic and the Hegehogs. It seemed appropriate. I think.

Anyway, I've been waiting to do this post for a while. I haven't been saving it for any particular reason, but I felt like it would be nicer once the blog had been up for a bit. Speaking of which, almost 400 pageviews, so, y'know, thanks and all that. I digress. This is a rap post, I haven't done those in a bit and this one seemed good. With all the trap rap and mindless stuff being thrown around these days, it's rare to find a rapper, much less a rap group, more interested in brains than brawn. Hellfyre Club is that group.

Hellfyre Club, founded by (from what I can tell) Nocando, has been around since late 2000's and has spread in the past few years, bringing in some truly fantastic artists such as Busdriver and Open Mike Eagle. Their unique and intellectual lyrics and lofty instrumental ambitions place them in the forefront of underground hip hop. They released a mixtape with all the members of Hellfyre Club last year, which I will post a link to below. But one artist stands out above the rest: Milo.

Milo is one of the most unapologetic rappers I have ever heard. His lyrics are painfully intellectual, referencing everything from "The rent is too damn high" to the philosopher Spinoza... THERE ARE EVEN SPONGEBOB REFERENCES. Seriously. There is nothing out of bounds for Milo. Not only are his lyrics absolutely scathing and fantastic, he's not afraid to get deep. The instrumentals are also top-notch, especially when he collaborates with Riley Lake on the mixtapes "Cavalcade" and "Things That Happen at Day".

He's also been branching out; doing side projects under different names and collaborating with other artists, but all the while maintaining his genuine and crazy smart personality. He's what I hope more rap sounds like as time goes on. He is completely himself and that is an awesome thing.

Also, he's hilarious. So. Yeah.

I'll post some Hellfyre Club material as well as Milo's projects. Hope you like 'em.

PS: Some really great prog rock releases too from Miroist, with "CURVE" and Maeth, with "Oceans Into Ashes". Both really awesome albums.

Milo - The Confrontation at Khazad-dum (Official Video)
Milo - Sweet Chin Music (The Fisher King's Anthem)
Hellfyre Club - Dorner vs. Tookie (Mixtape Download)
Milo - Folk-Metaphysics
Scallops Hotel (Milo) - Poplar Grove
Milo - Ecclesiastes (Official Video)

Favorite song(s): 50 Centaurs, Ecclesiastes, Sweet Chin Music
Related artists: Nocando, Rheteric Ramirez, Busdriver, Open Mike Eagle, Flash Bang Grenada

"Process"

Sorry for getting behind. Again. Also I sincerely apologize if the last post's title made you think I was never going to post again. You know who you are.

Number Twenty Three

Spaghetti westerns are one of the best things on the planet.

Spaghetti western soundtracks are almost even better. They've become so commonplace in society; you can whistle "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" theme and almost everybody will recognize it. So, of course, some musical artist is going to mess with it. The Dirty Diary is that artist.

The Dirty Diary is a rock band from Denmark. They take many common western tropes, older country elements as well as blues and combines them with rock instrumentation and scratchy, awesome production. The slow, plodding beats and truly badass guitar riffs make them just plain fun to listen to. Sitting down to listen to their album is like becoming an old-timey bounty hunter for thirty five minutes. It's an experience.

It's free, too. Also nice.

The Dirty Diary - Dead Ringer (Download)

The Dirty Diary - Whiskey And a Gun

The Dirty Diary - Broken Guitar String Blues

Favorite song: Broken Guitar String Blues

Related artists: Fat White Family, The Pinheads

Number Twenty Four

More noise. It's not as bad as the last one, I swear.

This is noise rock. It's a genre that combines harsh noise and feedback with rock grooves and instruments, like guitars and bass and drums and such. It's a pretty brutal genre, almost more so than regular noise, because of the truly demonic vocals it presents.

There are two noise rock artists I've been listening to a lot lately. The first is Yvette. They're the less abrasive. They have steady beats and some actual melodies in their songs. They haven't gotten a lot of recognition, but I've been enjoying their even blend of accessible and brutal.

The second is White Suns. They're insane. I don't want to say more about them. You'll see.

Anyway, this post is probably not going to go over well. Oops.

White Suns - Totem (Full Album)

White Suns - Cenote

Yvette - Carbon Copy

Yvette - Radiation (Official Video)

Favorite song(s): White Suns - Clairvoyant, Yvette - Carbon Copy

Related artists: Indian, Whores., Get Your Gun

Number Twenty Five

Remember dubstep? Thank God that's mostly over.

I only mention it because without it Tom Jenkinson wouldn't have released the awesome album "Ufabulum". Tom Jenkinson, going under the name "Squarepusher" is one of my favorite electronic music artists. He's been releasing albums for a while, and they've all been pretty great.

He takes influences from drone, ambient as well as house and even some EDM-type stuff, but turns it all on its head, making it dark and overwhelming and weird. His style is pretty unique; he toys around with so many ideas while keeping it still uniquely Squarepusher.

If you like this, check out the back catalog. It's equally awesome.

Squarepusher - Dark Steering (Official Video)

Squarepusher - Hello Everything (Full Album)

Squarepusher - Drax 2

Favorite song: Dark Steering

Related artists: Autechre, La Femme

Number Twenty Six

Anonymous musicians are sort of hit-or-miss. Sometimes their total disconnect from the public just makes their music more interesting, sometimes they just seem introverted and annoying. In the case of Mamaleek, it is definitely the former.

Mamaleek is a black metal/electronic outfit signed to Dan Barrett's recording company, Enemies List Home Recordings, and are completely anonymous. They are brothers recording from somewhere, that is all the public knows. But their music is pretty incredible. 

Their even blend of black metal and electronics is unique and startling. The wretched vocals matched with heavy beats and screaming feedback makes the music itself even more attention-grabbing. Their album is a free download from Enemies List's site, which is also awesome.

Hope you like 'em.

Mamaleek - Fever Dream (Full Album)

Mamaleek - My Body Rock Long Fever

Favorite song: The Hypocrite and the Concubine

Related artists: Agalloch, Have A Nice Life

Number Twenty Seven

More rock.

This one is pretty straightforward. I'm posting about them because of that, the straightforwardness. It's sort of nice to have a rock band just to listen to for the riffs, and the steady and catchy drum fills, some good vocal deliveries too. 

This is Wild Books. They're from Poland. That's all I got.

It's free too. I dunno. Have fun?

Wild Books - Wild Books (Album Download)

Wild Books - Walk Of Shame

Wild Books - Loud Reed (Official Video)

Favorite song: Walk Of Shame

Related artists: Pile, The Rare Occasions

Number Twenty Eight

GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST

slavenewsanic

gottagofast

2slow

stepitup

2fast4u

"Say Goodbye"

Number Twenty Two

Surf rock has fallen out of style recently, and I'm not really sure why. There hasn't been a movement to bring it back, like with old-school punk (OFF! and The Love Triangle, for example) but it's just as fun and interesting a genre.

There is a current surf rock band that I think could bring it back, though: Wavves. Fronted by Nathan Williams and formed in 2008, they've been releasing heavy, old-school surf rock pretty steadily. Their earlier sounds are much less cohesive, with Williams throwing many ideas together and seeing what works. Their 2010 album "King of the Beach" is, in my opinion, their best work. It is light enough to be enjoyable but substantial enough to not be too much easy listening.

The lyrics are what surprise me. They are cynical and biting, with some really depressing lines occasionally. Williams' voice is not for everyone, but his lyrical ideas are pretty great. The mixing, especially on "King of the Beach", is great too. I really enjoy Wavves' output and look forward to whatever they do next.

Fun fact: the band is called Wavves not because of the sound they're going for, but because Nathan Williams is terrified of the ocean. Okay, so it's not really "fun".

Wavves - King of the Beach (Full Album)
Wavves - Post Acid (Video)
Wavves - Afraid of Heights (Full Album)
Wavves - Baby Say Goodbye

Favorite song(s): King of the Beach, Baby Say Goodbye
Related Artists: Cuddles, Monte

"Hawk Is Howling"

Number Twenty One

Okay, I'll actually post nice music today.

Mogwai is a Scottish post-rock band from Glasgow. They play mostly wordless and sometimes calm, sometimes exciting groove-based music. They've been around since 1995 and have released some very well-recieved albums, and are still putting out albums, including this year's "Rave Tapes", which features more electronic instrumentation. I prefer their older sound, but the new songs and releases are pretty good as well.

They focus on swells in music, as many post-rock bands do, and take many cues from groups like Godspeed You! Black Emperor (the first band I ever posted about!) and Explosions in the Sky. Their songs are generally fairly mid-paced, with the guitars and catchy piano and synth accompaniments speaking for them, rather than words. They sing, rarely, and I prefer the instrumental tracks much more. They released a remix album recently too that I recommend, I'll put a link to it below as well as some older songs and full albums. My personal favorite Mogwai release is either 2011's "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will" or 2006's "Mr. Beast".

Hope you like 'em.

Mogwai - Friend Of The Night
Mogwai - Come On Die Young (Full Album)
Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Full Album)
Mogwai - A Wrenched Virile Lore (Playlist)

Favorite song: Mogwai Fear Satan
Related artists: This Will Destroy You, Explosions in the Sky

"Facts Are Facts"

Number Twenty

I've been posting a lot of pretty aggressive stuff, so I was thinking of maybe some jazz or nicer stuff today. Then I thought about it. Then I chose Liars.

Liars is a rock band that's been around for a while, 2000 I think. They have some albums out that people like to call modern classics, like "Drum's Not Dead" and "They Were Wrong, So We Drowned". I like these albums quite a bit. They have a pretty unique rock sound to them, and the vocals are pretty good. Some lyrics are even thought-provoking. So it kind of surprised a lot of Liars' fan base when they made a hard shift into electronics on 2012's "WIXIW." It received some critical acclaim but fans were confused, wondering if they were going to hear more rock sounds from Liars or a different direction entirely.

This year they released "Mess" and went even further into the electronic world. It's almost party music (almost) but only if the party is really messed up. They have catchy choruses and explosive bass lines with some really interesting synth and drum timbres flying in over all of it. The lead singer's voice adds even more color to the mix. The single from the album, "Mess On A Mission", I think is a really great electronic song.

I'll post some songs from "Mess" as well as a link to an older full album of theirs.

Hope you like it.

PS: New release in metal today from Trap Them, titled Blissfucker. It sounds a bit like their 2011 album Darker Handcraft, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm liking it so far.

Liars - Mess On A Mission (Video)
Liars - Can't Hear Well
Liars - They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top (Full Album)

Favorite song: Mess On A Mission
Related artists: Blood Orange, Modest Mouse

"Noided"

Number Nineteen

UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES UP MY SLEEVES

Death Grips - Niggas on the Moon (The Powers That B Part One)

Okay, let's go.

Death Grips is an extremely experimental hip hop group from Sacramento, CA. They consist of MC Ride (Stefan Burnett) on vocals/lyrics, Zach Hill (from Hella!) on drums and Flatlander (Andy Morin) on beats and production. They have been around since 2010, when they released a self-titled mixtape. They have been releasing projects steadily since then, and blowing up in 2012 when they released not one but two full length albums and dropped out of a record deal with Epic. Then in 2013 they launched their own label and a new album. It's incredible how much they've accomplished in a short time.

What makes Death Grips so amazing is the aggression and intensity matched with dark, disturbing lyrics and beats, making overwhelming and dizzying music. It's been classified as "punk-hop" before, which is accurate, I guess. MC Ride's muffled, unrelenting lyrical assault is not easy to get used to. I definitely recommend checking out "The Money Store" for those just getting into Death Grips (then "Exmilitary" and their first mixtape, then "No Love Deep Web", then "Government Plates", for those curious).

Death Grips love pulling insane shit. They released their 2013 album with no warning whatsoever, and that is the case with this new release as well. They released this one yesterday, the 8th, I believe. It's a free download on their site as well as on YouTube. I posted the playlist of all 8 songs above. It's about 30 minutes, and is actually half of a double LP, the second half is called "Jenny Death" and will be out on Third Worlds later this year. It is titled, in appropriately Death Grips fashion, "Niggas on the Moon". Apparently Bjork has something to do on this album too, which makes the entire thing even more obtuse and weird. There's a lot of samples from Bjork, but we'll have to wait to see what exactly that involvement means...

The lyrical content has also taken some shifts on the new release. It is considerably more personal, less about the villainous portrait MC Ride has been using for many albums, and a lot darker in many ways. The opening track and the closing track both deal intensely with his feelings, and "Say Hey Kid" actually has some lyrics about racial profiling, I think. "Fuck Me Out" is this intensely sexual and strangely violent song that sort of makes my skin crawl. Every song is unique and catchy in a very odd way. I'm loving this release, it's a high-energy and disorienting listen that some will love and some will hate.

It's head-stomping music. Stay noided.

Favorite song: Up My Sleeves
Related artists: B L A C K I E, Clipping, TOKYO DEATH WATCH

"Lucky Ones"

Sorry about the holdup. I would say it's because of finals, but it's actually because I'm lazy. This post is going to be ridiculously long. So. Have fun with that.

Number Fourteen

Spoken word is a genre that a lot of people love without knowing it.

Just hearing phrases and lines being spoken over instrumentals is at times calming, at times intense, and pretty much always interesting. The lack of melody from the lead vocalist in these songs just put all the focus on the words, which is the point, I guess. Spoken word has never really taken off and has never had a devoted fanbase like other microgenres (lowercase and grindcore being some examples) but it's been around for a really long time.

Some recent spoken word artists are pretty great too. I'm putting two of their bandcamps below, Hotel Books and Flatsound, they're both sort of downers but I've been enjoying them. They're free too, which is always nice.

Hope you like 'em.

Flatsound's bandcamp
Hotel Books' bandcamp

Favorite: Flatsound - You Said Okay
Related: I dunno.

Number Fifteen

This is the first post about a music video.

Hot Sugar is an electronic music producer, making some nice and somewhat relaxing beats as well as bringing in guest artists to rap or sing over his music. He has a few mixtapes out (THEY'RE FREE), I'll put links to them down below as well the music video referenced earlier.

This one is kind of weird. It's for the song "Erica", featuring The GTW, a singer who I hadn't heard of before this. The video is about a relationship, one that is kind of going downhill, with Hot Sugar himself playing the guy and a very special guest playing the gal. It's interesting, funny, sort of disturbing.

I hope you like this one. It's a bit of an odd choice, I know, but I've been enjoying it.

PS: "Lars and the Real Girl" has nothing on this shit.

Hot Sugar - Made Man EP
Hot Sugar - Erica (feat. The GTW) (Video)
Hot Sugar - Midi Murder EP

Favorite song: Erica
Related: Dogtanion, Riley Lake

Number Sixteen

Here's some good ol' rock music. Well, drop the "ol'"

Desaparecidos is a rock band formed in 2001, with Conor Oberst leading the group. You may recognize the name (maybe), he's been releasing solo stuff as well as music with other groups. Desaparecidos is my favorite project of his to date, with some really biting political messages and catchy as hell choruses and riffs.

Their angle is to make music that is for the people, and attacks the government and industries in general at every turn. "Backsell" is a slap in the face for the music industry while "The Underground Man" takes a more personal approach. Conor's voice, which is strained pretty heavily on some the songs, only makes their message more intense. I may not agree with everything Desaparecidos puts out but I'm loving listening to it.

That opening riff to "Backsell" though.

PS: Conor's solo project is pretty damn good too.

Desaparecidos' website
Desaparecidos - Backsell
Conor Oberst's website

Favorite song: Backsell
Related: Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes

Number Seventeen

Hardcore releases that use saxophone are hardcore releases worth mentioning.

Idylls is a band from Brisbane. They've released a demo, I believe, and some other small things and then burst onto the scene with "Prayer for Terrene". It's demonic. Honestly, it's a confusing and overwhelming hardcore and metal album. It took a while for me to actually enjoy this one. But now it's easily one of my favorite releases this year.

Just the vocals put this thing into a very strange category. They come flying in from every direction, with ghostly yells and giant screams making up most of them. The guitar tone is incredible too; it's heavy and dark one minute and impossibly bright and piercing the next. The drums are also great on this release. The mix is startlingly good. And, as mentioned earlier, they experiment with weird, weird instrumentation.

The first track, "Lied To", is kind of the best thing ever. Also for future reference, I think it's pronounced "Idols"... not sure. Makes sense though.

Idylls' bandcamp
Idylls - Lied To
Idylls - PCP Crazy

Favorite song: Lied To
Related: THE HELL, The Dillinger Escape Plan

Number Eighteen

Jim Guthrie is a cool guy.

Jim Guthrie is a multi-instrumentalist from Toronto. He's been making music for some time now, 1999, I think, but he's been getting a lot of recognition from his work on soundtracks recently. He's scored the movie "Indie Game: The Movie" as well the games "Sword and Sorcery LP" for the iPhone and "Sound Shapes" for PS3. He makes very chill and pretty moving music.

His soundtrack work is usually voiceless, letting the mix of acoustic and electronic speak for itself. But his solo work features his pretty soothing voice. His vocals are nice, really just nice to listen to. The instrumentation is great, and his back catalog is fantastic as well. The re-release of "Now, More Than Ever" is fantastic (it's also free).

I'll put links to a stream of his soundtracks as well as a few releases from his bandcamp. Hopefully you like it, it's a big shift from Idylls but still awesome to listen to.

Jim Guthrie - Sword and Sorcery LP (Full Album)
Jim Guthrie - Corporeal (Download)
Jim Guthrie - The Evangelist
Jim Guthrie - Now, More Than Ever (Download)

Favorite song: The Evangelist
Related: Fleet Foxes, Radical Face

I promised last time I wouldn't fall behind. Oh well. This time I'll only sort of promise it.

"It's All Gone Wrong"

Number Thirteen

There's something so unpleasant yet wonderful about Sleaford Mods. From Nottingham, UK, two guys, Jason and Andrew, have created a loud, angry voice for the working class. And they've brought enough ridiculous ideas to last a long, long time.

Sleaford Mods are a punk-hop band, using drum and electric bass grooves for the lead rapper to rant over. Their songs include lyrics like "giant toilet kraken" and "tit-rifle". They are so ridiculous that the lyrics aren't too much to handle. They have two full length albums out, I'll post links to some songs from them as well as their bandcamp.

PS: The new Clipping album, "CLPPNG",  is fantastic.

Sleaford Mods' Bandcamp
Sleaford Mods - Tied Up In Nottz (Video)
Sleaford Mods - Donkey

Favorite song: Tied Up In Nottz
Related artists: EL-P, Chill Bump

"I Feel Like A Fool"

Number Twelve

The Frights are a rock band from San Diego, CA. I've been following them since they put out their Fur Sure EP last year, and then their self-titled debut album. They recently put out a single titled "Tongues/Puppy Knuckles".

There's something about their blend of old and new that really works. Their music is soaked in freaky reverb, with the vocals reverberating everywhere and guitar chords piercing through, drum beats getting lost in the frenzy. It feels like an old teen movie, where the main characters are slow dancing, and suddenly the lead singer of the band is taken over by some demon. It's awesome.

I'll put a few of their songs below, as well as their bandcamp.

Hope you like it.

The Frights - Submarines
The Frights - Makeout Point (Video)
The Frights - Puppy Knuckles
The Frights' Bandcamp

Favorite song: Makeout Point
Related artists: Grave Babies, Pile

"No Or Yes"

Whoops. Here's three.

Number Nine

BADBADNOTGOOD has gotten pretty big recently. Which is good. Their style is catchy, and the music they put out is just sort of fun to listen to. They have a youthful energy in how they play their blend of jazz and hip-hop (which makes sense, they're all around 19 or 20) and artists like Tyler, The Creator have endorsed them, even playing live sets with them.

They've put out three albums now, and each have a unique style. BBNG2 is probably my favorite of the three, the covers are cleanly produced and the original songs rely heavily on live instrumentation. I'll put their bandcamp below and a few songs off BBNG3 (which is actually just called III, which is frustrating).

If you're into modern jazz or just awesome covers, check these guys out.

BADBADNOTGOOD's Bandcamp
BADBADNOTGOOD - Confessions
BADBADNOTGOOD - Kaleidoscope

Favorite song: Flashing Lights
Related artists: The Bad Plus, Thundercat

Number Ten

Double digits, guys, damn!

I might regret putting this one up.

Whenever someone mentions Liturgy, metal fans everywhere sort of go insane and will hate you for even mentioning their name. I have to admit, their interviews hurt to watch. The ideas in their music is... odd, to say the least. Transcendental black metal is a concept that I am yet to appreciate.

But seriously. Their music is pretty incredible. The playing is tight, the vocals are chilling, and the drummer in this band is one of the best in modern black metal. I love the music they play if not the ideas they put out. I'll put three songs of theirs below.

Enjoy...?

Liturgy - Returner
Liturgy - Generation
Liturgy - True Will

Favorite song: Generation
Related artists: Krallice, Behemoth

Number Eleven

There are three punk albums (at least) that I think should be essential listening for everybody, not just punk fans. They are kinda mandatory.

The first is Dead Kennedys' fantastic "Plastic Surgery Disasters". Jello Biafra's brutal lyrics and the incredibly speedy instrumentation make for a truly great rock release. The EP at the end of the album, "In God We Trust, INC" is just as good as the album. From the fast-as-hell "Buzzbomb" to the simple pleasure of "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" Dead Kennedys are one of the best punk bands ever.

The second is Wire's "Pink Flag". This one is unorthodox, flipping up its style with almost every song, and giving listeners whiplash from it's sheer cheekiness (I can't believe I used that word in a serious sentence) and complex ideas. This is a weirdly smart album as well, raising many ideas and telling many stories that are odd and weirdly entertaining.

The third and last is Fugazi's "Repeater". This one is so perfectly balanced, with some songs just going off immediately with catchy choruses, like the title track, or slow burns that are almost too badass for words, like "Blueprint". This album may not be pure punk, but its angry nature definitely gives it a spot here. This is just an awesome album. Not in the surfer sense, but literally inspiring awe.

There are so many more amazing punk artists, but these are three I really love.

Hope you like 'em.

Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters/In God We Trust, Inc.
Wire - Pink Flag
Fugazi - Repeater

Favorite song: Fugazi - Blueprint
Related artists: Minor Threat, OFF!, Black Flag, Circlejerks

I'll try not to get behind and all that. Sorry.