A certain subset of my friends doesn't realize it yet, but Young Fathers' Dead is going to be our shared go-to album of 2014. It's often difficult to find common musical ground in friendships that aren't based on music. The Scottish trio has us covered. Dead's synthesis of hip-hop and indie-rock appeals to listeners partial to Joy Division, Chvrches, Yeezus and/or Death Grips. "Get Up" and "Low" are the album's would-be hits. As the gloomy title suggests, Dead isn't a typical party album, but the stuff my friends and have been going through lately isn't exactly a picnic.
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Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, El DeBarge, SWV and Slick Rick made me happy on Sunday. Here's my review.
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Here's a list of the hundreds of artists performing at this week's Folk Alliance Conference in Kansas City.
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I finally listened to the Shy Boys' self-titled album. It's solid. RIYL: The Four Freshmen, dreaming, Weezer.
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Look at those fuc… Wait a minute- Hunter Long's "Preliminary Studies #3" is really good.
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Bob Casale, Devo's guitarist, has died.
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"The Worst Songs of All Time?" episode of All Songs Considered has become a meme of sorts. Because mocking incontestably "bad" music is pointless, I made a list of ten songs I loathe by artists I love: Chuck Berry- "My Ding-A-Ling"; Beyoncé- "Drunk In Love"; The Clash- "Train In Vain"; Aretha Franklin- "Freeway of Love"; Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; Jay-Z- "Girls, Girls, Girls"; Bob Marley- "Jamming"; Dolly Parton- "9 to 5"; Bruce Springsteen- "Glory Days"; Tech N9ne- "Slacker."
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Zara McFarlane's If You Knew Her has all the attributes of an important album. I expect If You Knew Her to be the toast of the Starbucks and Pitchfork cliques in the next few months. RIYL: Nina Simone, the next big arty thing, Cécile McLorin Salvant.
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The dudes in Behemeth might hunt me down if they happen to stumble upon my perspective, but the Polish metal band's new release The Satanist is actually an excellent Christian rock album. After all, people who expend so much energy quoting scripture and denouncing God obviously has a thing for J.C.
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9th Wonder was a "Hip-hop Fellow" at Harvard.
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I'm not really interested in Chino Moreno's Depeche Mode fetish. Here's Crosses' audaciously titled "Bitches Brew".
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Morning… Dreaming… by Thomas Clausen and Steve Swallow is RIYL: Chick Corea, zen, Carla Bley.
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I don't even recognize Grieves in the rapper's new video for "Shreds". RIYL: Atmosphere, weird changes in physical attributes, Ces Cru.
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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
1 comment:
Really? You hate Train in Vain? Srsly? Ain't No Mountain High Enough? My Ding A Ling, sure, but it seems like most of the others are just victims of being overplayed.
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