Earl: "Hive" TRACK REVIEW

Earl is getting ready to release his newest album Doris, on August 20th; and has dropped a new track/ video for the song "Hive". Like "Chum" and "Whoa" before it, this track shows off more of Earls obsession with dark sounds and moody production. Though this track has more in common with "Whoa" in terms of lyrical content.

I said it back when "Chum" first dropped and I'll say it again, I'm extremely excited for Doris. Hopefully it will at least live up to the hype and be in league with Tyler's last LP Wolf.

Classic Review: Weezer: Pinkerton

In 1994 Weezer released their debut album, Blue; and became one of the most popular bands in the post-grunge era of music. But instead of following it up with an LP that used the same blueprint of quirky and kind songs about sweaters and surfing; Weezer ended up releasing a frustrated, awkward, and highly personal album, called Pinkerton.

A move that was torn to shreds by critics and fans who wanted another "Buddy Holly". Pinkerton doesn't have many lighthearted moments like "Surf Wax America", but instead, it opts to give the listener cathartic bursts of raw emotion, and sexual frustration. 

The opener "Tired of Sex" starts with noisy guitar sounds, and soon kicks into a loud and rhythm section fueled jam that has a killer guitar solo. "No Other One" features one of front man Rivers Cuomo's most impassioned vocal performances, and like almost every song on Pinkerton, a metric ton of distortion. 

In fact, one of the reasons Pinkerton was canned upon release was because of the production, which was handled entirely by the band. However, in recent years, critics praise the album for how forward thinking it was in terms of sound. And with good reason; all of the songs here ( save for the closer "Butterfly") are rollicking affairs that paint a sonic picture for the intense lyrics underneath them. 

On a more personal note, Pinkerton was among the albums that inspired me to really get into music; and actually helped me through some hard times with it's raw sound and profoundly heartfelt lyrics. 

I mean, come one, "El Scorcho" and "Pink Triangle" may be two of the greatest songs about unrequited love ever written, and "Butterfly" still has the power to bring a tear to my eye. 

If you haven't given Pinkerton a listen yet, I implore you to do so. It's a bit awkward, and can be downright outrageous at times. But once it sinks in, this album has the ability to stick in your mind for weeks on end. 

10/10

Run the Jewels:Self-Titled ALBUM REVIEW

2012 proved to be a fantastic year for music, especially underground Hip-hop; with guys like Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and Death Grips, all releasing solid, to amazing records. But in the maelstrom of quality music, two artists did manage to stand out especially well; the team of Killer Mike and EL-P. 

Both of these guys have been releasing great music for the last 10 years, and EL-P has enjoyed the honor of being considered one of the genres greatest innovators. And when these two came together on Killer Mike’s Rap Music, it proved to be a match made in heaven. Then EL-P came out with Cancer for Cure, another heavy hitter, and is considered one of EL-P’s best. 

So, what are these two highly skilled, critically acclaimed artists to do after having such a successful year? Celebrate. 

Run the Jewels is essentially a victory lap for Mike and P; showcasing their more braggadocios side. If you’re looking for some deep, socially conscious raps; you’re going to be a little let down. Instead, Run the Jewels is a fast-paced, adrenaline filled 30 minutes of pure technical prowess. Tracks like the title track and “36″ Chain” are jittery and feature nothing but pure fire spitting from these two MC’s. 

In fact, the track “No Come Down” is a very apt way to describe this album; because EL-P’s production manages to stay at top speed for the entire runtime of Run the Jewels, and the rapping is never far behind. 

If there is one downside to note, it would simply be how short the album is. Granted, this is a free LP and the content you get is far above a lot of current rap albums being released for $14.99 *Cough* Jay Z *Cough*.

9.5/10

Kanye West: Yeezus ALBUM REVIEW

Kanye West is easily one of the most controversial figures in popular culture today. And it's no real surprise; he likes to run his mouth, and name his album Yeezus. But aside from all of that irrelevant nonsense, which I gladly ignore; Kanye West is still a very talented and forward-thinking producer. His first three albums showed him evolving from a soul-obsessed backpacker, to a glitzy, yet grounded MC with a decent flow and some of the best beats in rap music. 

After the release of his 2008 album 808's and Heartbreak, a lot of fans thought that Kanye had finally lost his edge; with the overindulgent use of auto-tune and sappy subject matter, 808's may be his least favored album. Luckily for Ye, he followed that album with his most critically acclaimed album yet; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 

As for my views on those two albums; I think 808's is, from a production standpoint, a very textured and layered LP with a lot of details that only come out after repeat listens; and I actively enjoy listening to it.

MBDTF on the other hand, I found to be a very spotty affair. While I think the first half of the album is strong ,("Power" "Dark Fantasy" "Monster") the album hits a line of really long-winded tracks that delve deep into Kanye's drama and obsession with himself. 

And that trend is back in full force on Yeezus; Kanye's latest attempt at confusing his fans. This time around, jumping on the "Noise Rap" bandwagon and doing in a way that simultaneously downplays the true transcendence of groups like Death Grips, and makes it seem like Kanye put the album together in around a month or so. Tracks like the opener and "Black Skinhead" come on strong, and actually manage to make me think that Yeezus might actually be a worthwhile listen. But then a song like "Hold My Liquor" comes on, and I hear the truly laughable Chief Keef hook, and lose almost all interest in what Yeezy's trying to do. 

The track "New Slaves" is another good track, but the message comes of as almost a joke given the lyrical content of the rest of the LP. Granted; this could all be Kanye doing his grimy millionaire schtick. But honestly, that shouldn't get in the way of putting together good songs. The only other positive moment on the album for me is the closer "Bound 2", which seems like a callback to "old Kanye" and aside from how cheesy that kind of is; I still enjoy the track quite a bit. 

It's a shame that Yeezus couldn't rise above all of Kanye's real life context, and simply be a thoroughly enjoyable release. I'm not asking for the aforementioned "old Kanye", but I'd like to see a release from him, collaborative or solo, that eschews tabloid BS for something with a bit more substance. 

5/10

Savages: Silence Yourself ALBUM REVIEW

These days a lot of musicians pull from the past for sounds and ideas. In truth, pretty much EVERY artist does; however, in a time when copy/pasting ideas has become commonplace, it's nice to have a band like Savages, to remind you that, yes, it is possible to take ideas from the past and make them sound fresh and exciting. 

Savages is a British band, and that comes through in the kind of music they play, one of my favorite genres of music; Post-punk. One has to consider just how many great bands (all women bands) populate and make the genre so great, to see just how amazing it is that Savages have managed to put together an album worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things. The reason being; they bring to the table not only modern production, but also a modern message. With tracks like "Shut Up", which simultaneously tells the listener to be quite, but also says that Savages won't be silenced; while the track, "I Am Here" cements the sentiment.

The album also tackles issues of femininity, with the track "She Will" which seems to be coming from the angle of current society with it's lyrics painting a picture of a submissive, almost powerless women. 

But you don't need to analyze every single lyric or message to enjoy Silence Yourself; because it's the actual music that stands out above everything else. With production that highlights the amazing rhythm section, and bright guitars that cut through the sometimes gloomy atmosphere of tracks like "Waiting for a Sign."

Lets not forget the absolutely fantastic vocals either, which bring to mind Joy Division or The Slits, and deliver some truly dark and poetic lyrics. 

I'm extremely excited to see what Savages do in the future, because at this point, they already have a truly stellar album under their belt. 

8.8/10

Classic Review: Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island

I know it's been a little while since my last NMH review, but I just found so much music that I found truly worthy of talking about! But without further adieu, here is the 2nd in a series of three reviews that will make up my NMH discography review series. 

On Avery Island is NMH first full-length LP, and when compared with their first EP, Everything Is, it's easy to see just how rapidly the band was improving their sound and really finding what made them them.

Avery opens up with the bombastic and distorted "Song Against Sex", a song that is chock full of the kind of surrealism that causes some fans ( myself included ) to obsess over what on earth it could possibly mean. 

The next two tracks have the share the same melody, and are actually more like one song with two distinct lyrical sections. The track "A Baby for Pree" is a classic example of just how enthralling Jeff Mangum can be with no more than the sound of his acoustic guitar, and one of a kind voice; throwing out imagery of bees stinging through chests, and babies poured across a bathroom floor. 

"Marching Theme" is a  pretty eclectic instrumental, an idea that they pulled of much more deftly on there sophomore album, but it's still a pretty good track here. "Where You'll Find Me Now" is a more developed version of "Pree" and "Avery Island/ April 1st" is another instrumental track; one that I've found absolutely beautiful and in fact has become one of my all-time favorite tracks, for reasons that I cannot begin to explain.

Next, you have one of the better known tracks from Avery, the fiery "Gardenhead/ Leave Me Alone" which contains even more beautifully surreal imagery with the line "Follow me through a city of frost covered angels/ I swear I have nothing to prove/ I just want to dance in your tangles/ to give me some reason to move."

The song "Naomi" may be Avery's greatest, and most well known moment. Again, giving us a glimpse of the deftness at which NMH could create simple, yet awe-inspiring songs. 

While On Avery Island may not get the same praise as their next LP,  but it still stands as a very experimental and ofttimes beautiful album that is well worth listening to.

9.0/10

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City ALBUM REVIEW

It wasn't until 2010's "Contra", that I really started to enjoy Vampire Weekend. Their Debut had a couple of decent singles, but I found the overall album to be kind of underwhelming. "Contra" however, changed my entire perception of the band, and actually ended up being one of my favorite albums from that year. 

And now we have "Modern Vampires of the City"; an album that is, in my opinion, the culmination of all of the bands best attributes, focused into one, undeniably great package.

The album kicks things off with the track "Obvious Bicycle", with it's gospel melody and beautiful arrangements, this track shows a huge Paul Simon influence; an influence that the band has shown ever since "Contra", and one they embrace even more on this new LP. Take the track "Unbelievers", another track with a gospel-tinged melody, not to mention the obvious references to religion; a theme that seems to be the focal point of "Modern Vampires of the City". 

But even if you don't care about what the lyrics are actually saying, you can still enjoy these songs and even the lyrics, for just how wonderfully arranged and written they are. The song "Step", though eerily similar to Bread's "Aubrey", is still a hauntingly beautiful track. Following it is the energetic "Diane Young", with one of the most infectious chorus's on the entire album, and for that matter, the summer. 

Things do slow down a bit after the track "Hannah Hunt", but even in the albums least impressive moments, ("Finger Back" and "Worship You" come to mind) the music is still very good. So yes, they haven't crafted a perfect album; but with each release being better than the last, it's hard to think that in another three years or so, they might actually do just that.

9.0/10