"Disappear"

It's been a ridiculously long time. For anybody reading, all two of you, I am sorry about that. There's ten posts to do, so let's get into it.

Number Fifty Two

On my favorite albums of 2014 so far list, number twenty one was Actress' "Ghettoville". Only after posting about it did I notice that I hadn't mentioned it earlier.

Actress is the stage name of Darren Cunningham, an electronic music artist who's been steadily gaining fame, especially after "R.I.P." in 2012, an album that brought him a lot of attention. Truthfully, "R.I.P." felt too disjointed to me. It was uneven in how it was produced and executed. 

His newest album, released in January, is a much more concise effort. The overall effect is much more grim, and the feel of the album is more claustrophobic than "R.I.P.", which, in contrast, is tinny and a bit weak. Some of the longer songs on this new album, "Ghettoville", have a grainy quality to them that "R.I.P." had, but it feels more cleanly produced.

I'll put links to a few songs below. The entire album is a great listen, as well.

Actress - Rap

Actress - Gaze

Actress - Lost

Favorite song: Rap

Related artists: Flying Lotus, Oneohtrix Point Never, Shlohmo

Number Fifty Three

One of the best sludge metal and noise rock outfits out there at the moment is Indian. 

Indian, from Chicago, has been around for a while. Their newest album is their fifth studio LP, which is impressive for a metal band as intense as Indian. Their blend of sludge, doom and black metal as well as noise rock and hardcore punk has been described, very accurately, as "pure malevolence".

The most noticeable thing about Indian's sound is just how loud it is. Even turned down, the music itself is pummeling. The drums and guitar are mixed very well, and mixed at an insane volume. The next thing to notice about this group is their brutal, unrelenting song structures. 

Their newest album, "From All Purity", is one of their best albums yet. From start to finish, they hold back nothing. I'll link some songs from it below.

Indian - Rhetoric of No

Indian - Directional

Favorite song: Rhetoric of No

Related artists: Stone Titan, Wolf Down

Number Fifty Four

This post won't be a lot of background on the group, just because of the video I'll be linking below.

This is the video for Spiritualized's song "Hey Jane". It was one of my favorite tracks of 2012, and the entire album, "Sweet Heart Sweet Light" is great as well. The video is long, and seems directionless for a few minutes but quickly moves into one of the best long shots in a music video in a while. 

Without ruining too much, the story revolves a parental figure trying to give their children the best life possible, by doing whatever it takes. It isn't afraid to take on difficult, unnerving topics.

It's a bit NSFW, definitely R-rated. Hopefully you like it.

Spiritualized - Hey Jane (Official Video)

Favorite song: Hey Jane

Related artists: Yuck, Tame Impala

Number Fifty Five

I will not shut up about Young Fathers. Sorry.

There's one Young Fathers song that truly encapsulates their style and sound pretty perfectly. It helps that the song is incredibly catchy and surprising. It is "Way Down in the Hole", from "TAPE TWO", their second EP after their self-released "TAPE ONE".

The lyrical content on this track is Young Fathers at their best as well. The repetitive sung sections give the track a hypnotizing feel to it, and the sudden style switch is abrupt and fantastic. 

I'll post the song itself, and then a live version of it below.

Young Fathers - Way Down in the Hole
Young Fathers - Way Down in the Hole (Live)

Favorite song: Really?
Related artists: Shabazz Palaces, Chill Bump

Number Fifty Six

trap n oise

who cares man

hindu-san
rip ms

fav song: what
related music mans: vortex of crap

Number Fifty Seven

It makes sense that every once in a while one post will just make no sense whatsoever. Number Fifty Six was one of those posts. I'm warning you, it's a weird one. Anyway.

I'm not usually a huge fan of Odd Future and the artists related to it. Domo Genesis, Taco, and others really don't do anything for me. But Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, The Creator actually bring some stuff to the table.

This post is on Tyler, and the three concept albums he released without a lot of people understanding. His three albums ("Bastard", "Goblin" and "Wolf", in order of release) actually tell a story about multiple personalities and some other pretty unusual stuff. The music itself seems ridiculous when you listen to it, but seeing it in context is impressive as hell.

I'll post the link to the article describing his "Wolf-Bastard-Goblin" trilogy below. If it interests you, give his music a shot.

Noisey's Guide to Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator - Wolf (Full Album)

Favorite song(s): Rusty, Cowboy
Related artists: Earl Sweatshirt, Mac Miller

Number Fifty Eight

If there's one rule in music, it's this: DEMONIC SHIT IS ALWAYS COOL.

Dan Barrett, the mastermind behind Have A Nice Life and Giles Corey, two of my favorite projects ever, dabbled a bit in black metal once. His usual domain of electronically tinged dark rock and folk was the only thing he had released until Nahvalr. Then it changed.

Nahvalr is  black metal with folk influence, something that's been done recently by groups like Agalloch, but Agalloch always forgets the disturbing side of black metal, making the entire thing way too happy for the genre. Nahvalr does it right. The cacophonous production is absolutely perfect on this self-titled LP, and the noise blended in is interpreted really well.

Nahvalr never released anything beyond that, but that makes the album itself even more interesting. Songs like "Let Them Eat Blood" have a fantastic dirge-like quality to them, making listening to the album feel like being buried alive. Oh, it's satanic, too.

It's a good thing, I swear. I'll post a few songs below.

Nahvalr - Black Elk Speaks, Chokes and Dies
Nahvalr - Chorus of the Blasphemes
Nahvalr - Blood Flood

Favorite song: Blood Flood
Related artists: Griefer, Have A Nice Life, Agalloch

Number Fifty Nine

After some kind of freaky posts, it's probably a good idea to post some nice stuff.

Sun Araw is a psychedelic, ambient, rock and experimental electronics band. The project has been putting out work for some time (early 2000's, I think) and got a lot of fame for appearing on the soundtrack for Hotline Miami. Great game, by the way. Their unique blend brought a lot more people into it, and their audience has steadily increased since then.

Their older work revolves around reverb-soaked warm waves of guitar tones, with bass and light electronics providing, essentially, a canvas for the guitar to experiment with. Their newer work, including the new album "Belomancie", released this year, focuses more on darker electronics. Both sides of Sun Araw are interesting, calming, and fun.

I'll post some songs from their older and newer work.

Sun Araw - Horse Steppin'
Sun Araw - Deep Cover
Sun Araw - Remedial Ventilation

Favorite song: Horse Steppin'
Related artists: M|O|O|N, Temples

Number Sixty

In an effort to become more mainstream, this is a dubstep post. Alternative music fans, avert your eyes.

Bassnectar is a big name in the EDM world right now. They've released some of the most exciting and original work in the huge mass of sound-alikes out there right now. Their style is actually fairly unique, combining interesting samples with unorthodox rhythms and beats. Which makes their bass drops actually interesting to listen to.

They released a new album recently, and the songs off it are pretty good. The songs on here have been played at live shows but are now cleaned up and fun to listen to.

I'll post a few songs from it below. Enjoy, hopefully.

Bassnectar - So Butterfly
Bassnectar - Loco Ono

Favorite song: Loco Ono
Related artists: Deadmau5, XKore

Number Sixty One

This post is about the band with the best band name ever.

I Hate Myself is a punk/screamo band from the 90's that never really blew up. Maybe it's because they refused to title any of their songs or releases until the eventual release of their debut LP. But they had many, many EP's and singles, all untitled before this. Maybe it's because their album "10 Songs" actually had eleven songs on it. And so the spread of their sound was essentially impossible. Which is a shame.

They might be the best screamo band from this time period. I Hate Myself's incredible lyrical and dynamic range set themselves head and shoulders above many, many artists. The vocal delivery is also fantastic. The recording is also pretty great.

I Hate Myself is fantastic. That's all I have to say, then.

I Hate Myself - This Isn't The Tenka-ichi-Budokai
I Hate Myself - Caught In A Flood With the Captain of the Cheerleading Squad
I Hate Myself - Conversation with Dr. Seussicide

Favorite song: This Isn't The Tenka-ichi-Budokai
Related artists: Fugazi, The Saddest Landscape

Number Sixty Two

Do I even need to explain Hopsin?

Hopsin is a rapper. He's gotten pretty famous off of his series, the "Ill Mind of Hopsin" series, which just had its seventh entry. They essentially explore his ideas and how he thinks, no sugarcoating, and many people regard them as a slap in the face to his fans as well as other rappers and the industry in general.

His latest album, "Knock Madness", was less enthralling. But his "Ill Mind" series is pretty good, especially the ones in the center (five, four). The newest one seems a bit redundant but it's still Hopsin. It's pretty attention-grabbing.

I'll post "Ill Mind" seven and five below.

Hopsin - Ill Mind of Hopsin 7
Hopsin - Ill Mind of Hopsin 5

Favorite song: Ill Mind of Hopsin 5
Related artists: Apathy, Killer Mike

PS: This post took way too long.

"In Tombs"

Don't think I'm getting too touchy-feely with that title. It's a KA lyric. These posts are all just kind of downers. Sorry. Here's five.

Number Forty Seven

One of the best rap albums last year was Run The Jewels' self-titled debut album. But it wasn't the first time the two members of the group had worked together. EL-P and Killer Mike are a killer combination.

This post is just on EL-P, though. There'll be a Killer Mike post if/when he releases some new stuff. He's great too. EL-P is a rapper based in Brooklyn and has been around for a long time, first dropping his debut album "Fantastic Damage" in 2002. He's released some pretty great albums since then, and in 2012 made his best album to date, titled "Cancer 4 Cure".

This album is hard-hitting (as all New York hip hop usually is) but brainy and thought-provoking as well. EL-P's in-your-face flow is effective, and his lyrics are at their best on top of the beats heard here. He also has a fantastic, sick sense of humor that is shown on songs and videos like "The Full Retard".

I'll link a few songs and videos below, hope you like it.

EL-P - Stay Down (Official Video)
EL-P - The Full Retard (Official Video)
EL-P - EMG

Favorite song: The Full Retard
Related artists: Killer Mike, Eminem, Pro Era

Number Forty Eight

How to describe Kayo Dot.

Kayo Dot is an anomaly. Formed by Toby Driver after the break-up of Maudlin of the Well in 2003, a group somewhat similar to Kayo Dot in sound, they've been releasing albums fairly steadily since then. The reception to their sound has been polarizing. They are nothing if not unique.

Kayo Dot is easiest to describe as an avant-garde black metal band, but really they incorporate an incredible amount of genre-bending sounds into their output. Incorporating sounds from rock, folk, drone, noise, jazz, thrash and doom metal as well as spoken word, Kayo Dot is a hard sell.

Their newest album, "Hubardo", is a return to form after the very strange and confusing "Gamma Knife". It came out of nowhere, and the scope of the project is enough to turn many people away. A double album containing 100 minutes of music, delving into mysticism and religion as well as dark, violent topics, frequently all at once, is a challenging listen. I highly recommend it.

PS: Kayo Dot has just announced a new album to be released on October 16. Get ready.

I'll put some songs from "Hubardo" and "Choirs of the Eye" in full. Enjoy...?

Kayo Dot - Crown-In-The-Muck
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (Full Album)
Kayo Dot - Passing the River

Favorite song: Passing the River
Related artists: Maudlin of the Well, Swans

Number Forty Nine

More on Zach Hill. Hopefully you're not sick of him.

Technical playing is often overlooked in music. And Hella is a very technical band. Made up of Zach Hill on drums and Spencer Seim on guitar, they've been around for a while and have been releasing loud, fast, and disorienting rock albums.

Hella's most distinctive trait is the seemingly non-existent attention span of the group- they start an idea, use it for a few seconds and then totally try something else. And some of these songs last up to seven, eight minutes. This disorienting approach pays off on almost all of their songs.

Their newest album, Tripper, is exactly that: trippy. It's some seriously weird stuff. I don't have a lot to say on it, other than listen to it and see what you think.

I'll put one album in full as well as some songs below. Hope you like it.

Hella - Hold Your Horse Is (Full Album)

Hella - Friends Don't Let Friends Win

Hella - Bitches Ain't Shit But Good People

Favorite song(s): Been A Long Time, Cousin/Biblical Violence

Related artists: Lightning Bolt, Black Pus

Number Fifty

This post is on Cloud Nothings. They're an indie-rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, fronted by singer/songwriter Dylan Baldi. Their first releases, especially their self-titled album, had a very light quality to them and was just sort of fun to listen to. Then, in 2012, they released "Attack on Memory", a fantastic change of pace for the band and a more substantial rock album.

This year they released "Here and Nowhere Else", an album that blends the light quality with the new, darker ones. Overall, it's a very good mix. On tracks like "Now Hear In", the chorus is catchy but the cymbal-accentuated verses have the same energy that "Wasted Days" or "Cut You" had in 2012. The last song and the first single to drop from the album, "I'm Not Part of Me", is also a great example of the new blend.

Their music videos are pretty good as well. Their newest one, for "I'm Not Part of Me", is funny and menacing at the same time. I'll link that, as well as some other songs, down below. They sound great live as well, probably better than on recordings.

Cloud Nothings - I'm Not Part of Me (Official Video)

Cloud Nothings - Now Hear In

Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless (Official Video)

Favorite song: Stay Useless

Related artists: The Strokes, Destroyer

Number Fifty One

This blog now has fifty one little entries. It grows up so fast.

This post is on another New York rapper, but a much calmer, more collected, colder, and almost more menacing one. Kaseem Ryan, going under the name KA, has essentially come back from the dead. After forming some underground groups in the late 90's, he returned in 2008 with a new album and a great collaboration with GZA.

In 2013, KA released "The Night's Gambit", a fantastic album that is cold and calculated, like hearing someone who's escaped from a lifestyle tell you secrets about it in a hushed voice. His voice is soft throughout the entire album giving off tension as well as easing you into the world. It's an immersive listen in the same vein as Black Milk's "No Poison No Paradise".

He released an EP this year that was pretty good as well, produced entirely by Preservation. I'll link some songs and "The Night's Gambit" in full below. Hope you like it.

KA - Cold Facts (Official Video)
KA - The Night's Gambit (Full Album)
KA - Still Heir

Favorite song: Our Father
Related artists: Roc Marciano, Shabazz Palaces, Billy Woods

"Horizontal Rain"

Number Forty Six

For some reason, "lyrical black metal" has become a thing recently, especially with groups like Agalloch getting a lot of attention for combining elements of folk with metal. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of this. So this post is on some good, pummeling, definitely not folk-inspired black metal.

The first group that comes to mind is Black Monolith, an Oakland-based black metal and thrash metal project that I'm a big fan of. Their sound is fairly unique, using the chord progressions and sounds usually found in black metal and speeding it up an insane amount. The lyrics and vocals are also very good, and the mixing of their projects is nice as well. I'll post a link to their newest album (which is pay-what-you-want, so that's nice) from their bandcamp.

Don't be turned off by the band name of this group. Nux Vomica is a great doom and death metal influenced black metal band with some extremely adventurous and experimental song structures and lengths. Their newest album, self-titled Nux Vomica is around forty-five minutes but lasts only three songs. The second song on here, "Reeling" is one of the best metal songs this year.

The last group is Windhand, more of a stoner rock or doom and sludge metal band than black metal but still a good listen. The bass on their newest album, Soma, is insane. I know that's strange to say about a hardcore outfit, but their bass player really knows how to play loud and intense, while still retaining the grimy quality the bass has.

Hope you like these three groups.

Black Monolith - Passenger (Download)
Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica
Windhand - Soma

Favorite song: Nux Vomica - "Reeling"
Related artists: Thantifaxath, Stone Titan

"Patiently Living"

First Death Grips break up and now I lose all the music on my iTunes. It's been a fun few days.

Number Forty

This post is going to have two post scripts. Sorry, there's just a lot of stuff to mention. This post might not be all that entertaining either. Y'know. Happens.

Okay, seriously, if you haven't heard of Fleet Foxes by now there is something wrong. This post is not about Fleet Foxes, but come on. Look them up. Then come back. This post is about Josh Tillman, who used to be the drummer for Fleet Foxes, and his solo project, called Father John Misty. His music is an eclectic blend of rock, folk, and some weird, weird production.

Father John Misty is also surprisingly catchy. Almost every single song will get stuck in your head after listening to his great debut album, "Fear Fun". Also, strangely, his music videos are unique in their darkness. Whether Tillman is dancing on a destroyed plane or shoving a bloody Aubrey Plaza into a van, his videos will stick in your head.

The lyrics Tillman uses are an even mix of comforting, disturbing, cynical and ridiculous. Listen to "Only Son of the Ladiesman" for a great example of his writing abilities. He is also incredibly funny. His live performances are ridiculous and his site is hilariously bitter.

I'll post "Fear Fun" in full as well as some music videos and his site. Enjoy?

PS: I wrote down The Hotelier's album title down wrong in the last post. It's "Home, Like NoPlace Is There". NoPlace as one word. It was bothering me.

PSS: There's been some rumors about a new Gnaw Their Tongues album and I'm SO EXCITED I CANNOT HANDLE IT

Father John Misty's site
Father John Misty - Fear Fun (Full Album)
Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings (Official Video)
Father John Misty - Nancy From Now On

Favorite song: Funtimes in Babylon
Related artists: Fleet Foxes, The Tallest Man on Earth

Number Forty One

The blog has around 500 views at the time of posting. So. That's nice.

Shabazz Palaces is putting out a new album at the end of this month. In the underground hip-hop world, that's a big freakin' deal. His albums have remained pretty small in scope but have been incredible to listen to and analyze. They are huge in ideas.

Shabazz Palaces is the stage name of Ishmael Butler. He's been releasing EPs under the name Shabazz Palaces since 2009, and released an album in 2011 which really put him on the map. That album, "Black Up", was released through Sub Pop Records and was one of the best hip hop albums that year.

Just the lyrics Shabazz Palaces puts out warrant a listen. They're dark, introspective and full of ideas, as well as being funny or cynical at the same time. He makes trap rap and pop rap look like a joke, essentially high-stepping over them with lofty ideals. The production is eerie and fantastic too, especially on songs like "Are You... Can You... Were You... Felt" and "Youlogy".

His new album, "Lese Majesty" is coming out July 29th, I believe, in the US. I'll put a link to his 2011 album and some songs below. It's really great.

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (Full Album)
Shabazz Palaces - #CAKE
Shabazz Palaces - They Come In Gold

Favorite song: Swerve... The Reeping Of All That Is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)
Related artists: Digable Planets, Young Fathers

Number Forty Two

I'm not usually going to post just about a song. This is a damn good song though.

Looking through BADBADNOTGOOD's discography, you're really only seeing half the story. Their live sets include songs they only perform in front of crowds, and the best of which is their incredible cover of TNGHT's "Bugg'n". The trap-influenced instrumental track from TNGHT, the collaboration between Hudson Mohawke and Lunice is great on its own, but BADBADNOTGOOD's take on it is fantastic.

I'll post the original song, and then two live versions. Hope you like it.

BADBADNOTGOOD - Bugg'n (at the Mad Decent Block Party)
TNGHT - Bugg'n
BADBADNOTGOOD - Bugg'n (at Wellington)

Favorite song: seriously
Related artists: Hudson Mohawke, Lunice

Number Forty Three

OFF! is a damn good punk band.

OFF! is fronted by Keith Morris, who, for a time, fronted Black Flag and Circlejerks. His unique and awesome voice is unmistakably punk. And OFF! is a fantastic, throwback punk band taking influence from Morris' many years of punk stardom.

The brutal humor is what makes OFF! so fantastic. The lyrics range from dark and strange to laugh-out-loud funny. The music videos they put out are hilarious as well. I'll put links to some music videos below.

This is just a great punk band. Anyone looking for some great throwback punk should check out OFF!, or, y'know, even if you're not, check out OFF!

Cool? Cool.

OFF! - Red White and Black (Official Video)
OFF! - Cracked (Official Video)
OFF! - Borrow and Bomb (Official Video)

Favorite song: Red White and Black
Related artists: Dead Kennedys, Circlejerks

Number Forty Four

This post is on The Haxan Cloak.

The Haxan Cloak is an electronic music producer from the UK, signed to Tri Angle Records. He creates extremely eerie, disturbing music that one should not listen to at night, alone.

It's fantastic, though. The effects are unique and incredible, and the mix is clean and well done. Listening to his 2013 album, "Excavation" is like being dropped down a cave while being eaten alive by something awful. You should experience it for yourself, though. It's a trip.

I'll post "Excavation" in full as well some other songs. Have fun?

The Haxan Cloak - Excavation (Full Album)
The Haxan Cloak - Observatory
The Haxan Cloak - Raven's Lament

Favorite song: Excavation (Pt. 2)
Related artists: Squarepusher, Tim Hecker

Number Forty Five

Young Fathers. What to say about Young Fathers.

Young Fathers is an experimental hip hop trio from Edinburgh, but the three members come from different parts of the world, from Africa to Scotland. They make, in their record label Anticon's words, "POP music - all caps". That's a fairly accurate description. The power behind their songs scream rap or  even spoken word but the catchy and incredible instrumentals have pop influences in them.

They released two EPs, titled, simply, "Tape One" and "Tape Two" in 2011 and 2013, respectively. I heard of them in 2012, and have been following them since then. They released an album early in 2014 that I just picked up now, titled "DEAD". It's fantastic, to put it simply.

I won't say any more and let you discover how amazing they are.

Young Fathers - LOW
Young Fathers - Queen Is Dead
Young Fathers - Rumbling

Favorite song: LOW
Related artists: Chill Bump (?), Death Grips (?)