“Car Seat Headrest” will release their re-working of Will Toledo’s 2011 album Twin Fantasy on February 16th, and the tracks the band have shared so far are cleaner and punchier than their raw and lo-fi versions that appear on that 2011 album. The album’s opening track “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)” is no exception. It’s beginning to look like a re-worked version of this album is completely necessary. Check out the new version of “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)” below:
The wait is finally over. After 14 years “A Perfect Circle” will release their new album Eat The Elephant on April 20th. The band have unveiled the tracklist and the cover art, and they have also released another new track from the album titled “TalkTalk.” You can listen to the track and check out the tracklist and cover art below:
Eat The Elephant Cover Art:
Eat The Elephant Tracklist:
1. Eat the Elephant
02. Disillusioned
03. Contrarian
04. The Doomed
05. So Long, And Thanks For All the Fish
06. TalkTalk
07. By and Down the River
08. Delicious
09. DLB
10. Hourglass
11. Feathers
12. Get the Lead Out
Artist: JPEGMAFIA
Album: Veteran
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop/Industrial Hip Hop
Rating: 8/10
The fate of Hip Hop is kind of up in the air right now. It’s hard not to get the sense that “Trap” is on it’s way out, and Migos’ agonizing new album is just another nail in that coffin. Sure we have the handful of revered rappers who bring lyrical skill combined with modern production to the masses, but this compared to the countless amount of garbage rappers who are in it for a quick cash grab makes it hard to defend the modern state of this beloved genre. There is another world of Hip Hop though that gets it’s recognition from hardcore music fans, but doesn’t and probably never will get it’s recognition from the masses, and that’s the world of “Experimental Hip Hop.” Sure we have the scene of “SoundCloud” rappers offering us a harsher and more abrasive sound, but even that is becoming a gimmick that has desensitized most of us, and one might even say “Experimental Hip Hop” or “Industrial Hip Hop” is becoming a gimmick too. After the breakthrough of “Death Grips” any other artist that dared to take Hip Hop in an abrasive and noisy direction couldn’t escape the “Death Grips” comparisons, and that’s truly unfair because some of these artists really bring a lot of interesting ideas to the table. One artist in particular is Baltimore’s “JPEGMAFIA.” This rapper/producer utilizes the “DIY” aesthetic to create unsettling and unforgiving music that truly has no rules. He’s aware that he’s often thrown into the waning category of abrasive “Experimental Hip Hop,” but he truly does not give a flying fuck. His past material has proven that he’s not afraid to swing at any rapper out there, throwing lyrical jabs at Drake, Kid Cudi, and even “Death Grips.” The rough bass heavy filthy as all Hell production topped with his uncompromising and often disturbing lyrics is enough to scare soccer moms again, and just when they thought music was finally safe. (Open your eyes Reznor, here’s the dangerous music you’re looking for.) On his new album Veteran, “JPEGMAFIA” has created something that transcends just shock value. Don’t get me wrong, the abrasive Peggy we love definitely shows up on this record, I mean there’s a song on this record titled “I Cannot Fucking Wait Until Morrissey Dies” for crying out loud, but the “Experimental” elements of his past material has much more emphasis this time around. The off-kilter drum patterns, the eerie and flat-out bizarre samples, (The guy even samples Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s odd throat noises from his track “Goin’ Down”) and that dirty bass all make for a challenging but intriguing listen. JPEGMAFIA is no one-trick pony though, this album features his most melodic moments, and he even does a bit of singing that actually goes over quite well, well enough to even be in a Top 40 hit if he were inclined to make Pop music, but Peggy doesn’t care about making hits, and thank God for that. In fact, the guy doesn’t really take himself too seriously. He’s aware of the dominance of the internet culture, the meme culture, the music blogger culture, and he’s aware that independent artists like himself more often than not get ahead by internet word-of-mouth. He trolls the trollers, and he has fun doing it. This album is an example of how the internet can be utilized to create worthy art, despite all of the negative aspects of the web, and artists like “JPEGMAFIA” uses the dominance of the web to his advantage, and the outcome is relentless and unfiltered music that follows no rules, and music should never have rules anyway. What a time we’re living in.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Date: 01/29/18
Artist: Ty Segall
Album: Freedom’s Goblin
Genre: Garage Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Rating: 8/10
We all know Ty Segall is a prolific musician. The guy doesn’t skip a year when it comes to releasing new material, and this inevitably raises the question “Does he favor quantity over quality,” but that question is always answered when hearing an album of his. When hearing how much thought and work is put into his shapeshifing material, it’s easy to stand back in awe with how an album of his sounds like it took years to make, but most of the time he’ll release an album less than a year after it’s predecessor. While most artists usually have a two or three year gap in between albums nowadays, Segall doesn’t believe in skipping a beat. I don’t even think he could stop even if he wanted to. He’s a dedicated student of music, and his vast appreciation for the many genres music has to offer is evident. He has gone from raw lo-fi “Garage Rock” to cleaned up “Glam Rock” to oddball Psychedelia reminiscent of Frank Zappa or Syd Barrett, and now his new album Freedom’s Goblin flexes his knowledge in Rock music, jumping from one sound to another. This may lead to incohesion at times, but this album is like a walk in the mind of Rock’s eclectic leader, and despite that incohesion, and even the hour plus length this album has, the music is consistent and never falters. The opening track “Fanny Dog” is a “Classic Rock” ditty about Segall’s dog named Fanny. It’s a sweet tribute to man’s best friend with epic horns and light-hearted guitar riffs that still manage to kick your teeth in, and if you think this track sets the tone for the rest of the album then you’re dead wrong. The track that follows, “Rain” is a dark ballad featuring ominous piano and more horns, but this time around they sound mutilated and on their deathbed while Segall expresses his distaste for sunshine. “I’m sick of the sunshine, I wish I could make it blue for you.” Sings Segall, and the vagueness of the lyrics leaves you asking questions. Is he singing about a certain someone? Why does he want the rain? Is he one of the dark souls who loves gloom, or is he addicted to this person who brings heartache and pain but he just can’t get enough? Whatever the answer is, it’s definitely the most somber but beautiful moment on the album, and the idea to put it as the second track was a bold move, because what follows is a complete departure with the track “Every 1’s a Winner,” a sexy cover of Hot Chocolate’s under appreciated 70’s gem. Oh yeah, Segall isn’t afraid to have fun. “Despoiler Of Cadaver” is another fun upbeat track that draws a lot from “Funk” and “Disco” with it’s syrupy bass grooves and Segall’s confident cadences. This album can be just as heavy as it is sexy, or dark, and Segall is no stranger to heavy. Tracks like “When Mommy Kills You” or “She” are heavyhitters where Segall truly shows his love for all things Rock and a track like “She” can go into full-on jam sessions but never strays away from the track’s central structure, but without a doubt the heaviest track on this album is the ferocious “Meaning” with it’s buzzsaw guitars and and it’s aggressive delivery. Segall’s wife Denée Segall provides lead vocals that evoke the spirit of “Riot Grrrl.” It’s a track that cuts you like a knife. The diversity on this album doesn’t stop at Heavy “Garage Rock,” or sexy Funk grooves, or songs about dogs. There are acoustic ballads like “You Say All The Nice Things,” there is a drunken “Waltz” track appropriately titled “The Last Waltz,” and even a track like “The Main Pretender” which sounds like Segall’s albums Manipulator and Emotional Mugger had a baby. There’s something for everyone on this album, and it ends with a tribute to Segall’s old Lo-fi “Garage Rock” days with a reworking of an older track of his titled “Sleeper.” This version is titled “And, Goodnight” and it is a major improvement. It’s epic, it’s emotional, and it is a perfect end to Segall’s most diverse album yet. This will not be Segall’s last album by any means, and thank God for that, but if it were this would be the perfect album to end with. It’s an expression of the endless possibilities when you’re a shape shifting musician. It’s a work of art created by someone who refuses to be pigeonholed, and we need to thank our lucky stars for someone like Ty Segall.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Date: 01/23/18
Migos have announced that they will release their highly anticipated new album Culture II on January 26th. Check out the promotional art below:
New Sub Pop signees Moaning have shared a new music video for their song Artificial off their upcoming self-titled debut album which will be released on March 2nd. You can watch the music video below:
German IDM duo Mouse On Mars will release a new album on April 13th titled Dimension People. They have also released a new track titled Dimension People Part III, and it features Justin Vernon. You can listen to it below:
Post-Punk outfit Preoccupations have announced a new album hilariously titled New Material. Hey, nothing wrong with getting to the point. The album will be released on March 23rd. You can also check out the album cover and listen to their new track Espionage below:
After much anticipation MGMT have finally announced the release date and tracklist for their upcoming album Little Dark Age. It will be released on February 9th. The band have also released the cover art. Check it out below:
Little Dark Age Tracklist:
01. She Works Out Too Much
02. Little Dark Age
03. When You Die
04. Me and Michael
05. TSLAMP
06. James
07. Days That Got Away
08. One Thing Left to Try
09. When You’re Small
10. Hand It Over
Artist: Shame
Album: Songs of Praise
Genre: Post-Punk/Indie Rock
Rating: 8/10
Post-Punk has been spawning numerous incredible new acts as of late, and now we can add South Londoners Shame to this impressive list. After a string of singles, music videos, and high energy live performances, the band have finally released their debut album Songs of Praise, and this thing carries every single element of what makes Post-Punk such a compelling genre. Fueled by young politics, aggression, and of course, rebellion, this album is a relentless work of art that can be both classy and chaotic. This is mature rebellion more concerned with making you look at your reflection and at the flat-out ridiculous social and inward crimes us humans commit than creating a “Fuck off” anthem. Lead singer Charlie Steen’s gruff voice was made for Punk Rock and he utilizes it to deliver lyrical content heavy on satirizing simple-minded people, narcissists, and the current state of politics. A track like The Lick finds Steen delivering mostly spoken word verses about how many people want things to be safe and easy. About how we all want things to be relatable not debatable, too afraid of embracing the things that challenge us, and he cleverly uses people’s safe choice in music to symbolize the bigger picture. One Rizla is a bit of a Punk Rock motivational track about being at peace with your self despite how much of a piece of shit you may be. In this selfie taking social media driven society we now live in, this is how you rebel. It’s easy to curse the government, but it’s still a bit taboo to look inward and dissect everything that is wrong with our selfish species, and Shame aren’t afraid to hold up that mirror.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
Date: 01/13/18
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