Monday Mixtape, Vol. 151

Good Morning this Monday all! Hopefully, you all have a day off and can blast this music while enjoying yourself in the outdoors and reminding yourself this day who real agents of positive change in our history were.

So we have to start with Georgia. Seeking Thrills was the first album of 2020 that I hear, and I can guarantee this album is already cemented in the Top 10 albums of the year, if not Top 5.

Georgia has made an album that’s an amalgamation of my favorite female pop albums of the past decade. The comparisons to Robyn will be endless as “24 Hours” makes abundantly clear. There’s also Carly Rae Jepsen sounds (“About Work the Dancefloor” and “Till I Own It), Tegan and Sara (“Never Let You Go”), Purity Ring (“I Can’t Wait”), Grimes (“Feel It” and “Mellow” and “The Thrill”), MIA (“Ray Guns”).

You even get an homage to one of the greatest movies of the 1980s, the classic “The Goonies,” with the eerie and reverbed “Ultimate Sailor.” Just listen to the first 5 seconds, you’ll know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. Then she sounds exactly like Robyn the rest of the song.

Now, a critic of Georgia would say she’s just cribbing the best pop artists of the decade and making songs that sound a little too much like them, which I think is a fair critique. I don’t think this album is some NEW thing, but I’m impressed that it takes some of the best stuff from these artists and packages it all into one very cohesive album. I’ve been listening to it non-stop, and it will definitely be the life of the party. So, like the reference to “The Goonies,” the album seems like a homage the artists that came before her who were all cribbing sounds from the 80s.

It’s a great album regardless. So let’s just love it.

I also just started listening to Compton CA’s, Roddy Ricch, a guy you would swear was from Atlanta or the South by hearing his Future inspired sound. But he’s taking a lot of stuff and making his own little sound with it. “The Box” is his best track and then “Peta” with Meek Mill is another one that bumps.

So I haven’t even listened to the new Kanye album. That’s where this guy is an artist to me now. The SAME guy I defended back in 2015 but could care less for at this point. SAD! Anyways, I heard “Follow God'“ on Spotify’s Rap Caviar, and I loved it. I thought his new album was all gospel-like, and I’m pretty tired of all that thanks to Chance and Kanye’s last album, but this is just Kanye rapping (well) on a great beat. Good stuff.

Bombay Bicycle Club just released their fourth album (I don’t count Flaws), the oddly titled, Everything Else Has Gone Wrong. They’re a band I put up there with Young the Giant and Two Door Cinema Club, a band that I’ve listened to an INSANE amount over the past ten years. All of their albums have been really enjoyable, each with some phenomenal tracks. They’re upbeat and fun and totally have their own sound.

Anyways, I’ve been enjoying their new album, though I need to listen to it a lot more to give it a full thought. BUT I keep listening to “Good Day,” and I’m not sure exactly why. It seems so slow and simple, but maybe it’s Jack’s deep vocals, what I think is the lowest register I think he’s done on record. Whatever it is, I love it.

Finally, I never listened to Juice WRLD while he was living. He died a couple months ago, but I just started listening to him a bit. He reminds me a lot of Post Malone. “Bandit” is one track that stuck out to me. RIP.

Happy MLK Day.

The 2016 version of "1Train" - Really Doe by Danny Brown feat. Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul. and Earl Sweatshirt

2013's "1Train" was a Royal Rumble of the hottest rappers at that time: A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf. Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big KRIT. The production by Hit-Boy explodes and never lets go. It was my favorite rap track of the year (looking back at my Top 100 Songs of 2013, I listed Kayne's "On Sight" higher as a rap song which I still stand by because it's one of those Kanye as Radiohead comparisons I tend to make - no one could make that song but Kanye, no one could envision something like that): 

So now it's 2016 and we need another 1Train! This beat is filthy, first off. In comes Danny Brown, the shrill rapper, with a track off his new album, Atrocity Exhibition, with a who's who of the hottest rappers: Kendrick Lamar, TDE label-mate Ab-Soul, and the reclusive Earl Sweatshirt.

No surprise that the best rapper alive, Kendrick Lamar, KILLS the hook and then kicks his verse down the stairwell. Ab-Soul's verse is a bit too Watch the Throne-ish with his Balmain and BAPE talk, but I find it hard to hate on the man, I love his flows. Danny Brown is an acquired taste. 

Then there's Earl Sweatshirt, who finishes in a tie with Kendrick, mainly with the closing line, "Well it's the left-handed shooter / Kyle Lowry the pump / I'm at your house like / "Why you got your couch on my Chucks?"

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 52

As I preluded to on last week’s rant of a writeup, this week’s Monday Mixtape will just consist of rap. If you’re heading to the exits, I would just say to always keep an open mind to all music and try to find something beautiful in what (NO DON’T CLOSE THE DOOR!)…

The mixtape starts with Lushlife, a rapper/producer from Philly. I first heard of him with a track with Killer Mike, “This Ecstatic Cult.” But “Totally Mutual Feeling,” the track that leads this mix is one of my favorite rap songs this year. His other track in the mixtape, “Strawberry Mansion,” has a somewhat (since he’s from Philly) of a surprise cameo from Freeway, the man the myth the legend (sorry, I know he released a lot of albums since) who did such classics (with Jay and Beanie) as this gem in 2003:

The mixtape ends with “Toynbee Suite,” a seven minute track that feels like a play playing out through the acts as the song goes through three parts. Dig it! 

If you haven't watched Mr. Robot, I would highly recommend Season 1 as it was my favorite season of television since True Detective Season 2 (JOKING! Stop swearing. It was a joke. I know you're still mad. It was Season 1). I'm still trying to figure out where Season 2 is going (and these hour and a half episodes are sort of weird considering we haven't really gone anywhere - Game of Thrones anyone? JOKING. Stop swearing.).  

WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY was that the bright spot of Season 2 for me has been Joey Bada$$' amazing character, who over the first few episodes has started watching Seinfeld and can't get enough. It's great comedy for such a dark show as he analyzes Kramer and Constanza, and he's been surprisingly good, one of the better rap/actors I've seen in a while. "Devastated" is one of his best tracks since his earlier days (back when I was screaming about this dude's talent in 2010 on his first and still my favorite Mixtape by him).

Ladies and Gentlemen, Schoolboy Q! I have loved Schoolboy Q since he released “There He Go,” easily one of my most played rap songs in the past few years:

So anyways, Q can be an acquired taste because he’s raw as hell and misogynistic (See: “Big Body,” mostly every lyric, particularly the yelling by Tha Dogg Pound), but if you can see through that stuff (and admit that without the lyrics, Big Body is an AWESOME song and catchy, how good is that chorus??), his new album is one of the best, thoughtful, and insightful (see: “Neva Change”) albums of the year. 

See: the two verses from "Neva CHange":

The sidewalk chalk
The block stay hot
Paranoid, the cop that keep my gear in park
Pull me out the car to give me black thought
But fuck it, this shit's all kinda player
This shit my mama flavor
This that raised by your granny, pistols and Now & Laters
Your pops was way too busy, missin' your mom's labor
Grew up just like your daddy
To baggin' baggies in alleys
To where the streets is your family
Gettin' blurred by the same cop
Go to jail for a year and come home
Two of your n***** dropped
You know how that feelin' feel
What to feel when it's gettin' real
More bullets to go around
Come jump in this water, n****
You still with your mama livin'
30 with no ambition
Your kid got no pot to piss in
You sayin' some n**** fake
You're selfish and sad, n**** you're lame
You hatin' on another man's success
Because the n***** blessed and wouldn't let you finesse
You got the game all twisted
You're leechin' worse than these ladies
Your inner n**** ain't aging
Reason the hood stay shady

And then the last verse:

Still our motive be commas
And still my life isn't promised
Still nervous as drivers
You see them lights get behind us
They pull me out for my priors
Won't let me freeze 'fore they fire
You say that footage a liar
They want my flow in the dryer
I'm at the top aimin' higher
My lawyers stay on retainer
When white folks point the finger
Place my neck on that hanger
Shit, no wonder we riot
N***** still killin' n*****
Child support killin' n*****
Cops enslavin' us n*****
Little girls killin' mothers
They treat their kid like a brotha
Fathers stuck with them lifers
Kept it real with his n*****
But left his kid for the suckas, shit no wonder we bang
Damn shame, mane, some things will never change

Yeah, so his words > my words.

The final track from him was THat Part with Kanye (which I yelled about last week because I think Kanye’s verse here is taking some 2 Chainz flow, but maybe it’s just me). The beat is totally Schoolboy - a hazey whistle walking through an abandoned house of mirrors over a deafening bass. Nobody sounds like this dude. Check the whole album because it’s all really good. 

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 43

A few quick tidbits here:

Sea Pinks is a band where the singer reminds me of nasally and higher pitched Kurt Cobain while the music harkens back to some 90s alternative. If you like the tracks here, the album is a pretty great. 

The Last Shadow Puppets is the side project for Alex Turner (the brilliant lead singer/songwriter/guitarist from Arctic Monkeys) and singer/songwriter Miles Kane. What a combo of talent.

Another track from Kanye’s new album. I actually thought the other guy on the track was Future, but turns out it’s Desiigner, a total unknown until his track “Panda” exploded (which was sampled here).

Without much further ado, Volume 43:

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 42

Because I missed last week (which makes it two missed mixtapes in about the past four weeks - sorry), there is a large amount of music that I would love to just jam in here. Fortunately for me, I can add some tracks to the backlog that didn’t make the cut. 

So what’s happened in the past two weeks? Kanye’s album got released on Spotify, I discovered a new rapper from DC who is amazing (thank you Paddy), Pete Yorn released a Pete Yorn-y album, my Spotify Discover Playlist was ON POINT and I found two really cool new bands, Young Thug dropped a mixtape/album/who knows and was featured in a captivating GQ profile, Bibio released an album, AND Tame Impala decided to remix a song from Miguel’s new album.

The crazy thing about Tame Impala’s remix (last track on the mixtape) of Miguel’s “Waves - It wasn’t even the best remix. That honor goes to Kacey Musgraves, who gave a bit of twang and a whole lot of beach vibes while still keeping the super charged sexual innuendos alive. “Body surf on me / don’t stop / I wanna ride that wave / all night / I wanna ride that wave.”

Miguel makes some baby making music, but hearing Musgraves sing these lyrics takes it to another level. 

KANYE. A divisive figure who I officially can no longer defend. The transgressions are too many at this point. I can still love his music, but I’m totally tired of him. This is one of my favorite tracks from his new album with rap god Kendrick Lamar. I think the album is pretty great and certainly worth a listen for any rap fan. I’ll have some more tracks from the album in other mixtapes.

I spoke about Thugger earlier. His music is just strange, but that profile I read provides a bit more insight into the guy. He’s an alien. And it sounds like a man with a lifestyle that will leave him dead at a very early age. 

LOVE this song from Moses Gunn Collective, particularly that drugged out guitar bending to infinity. 

Remember Pete Yorn? That guy that had a classic album musicforthemorningafter? Well this track reminds me a lot of it. Sorry that I’m just asking the guy to play the hits, but when you’ve made like five other albums (most of which i’ve listened to!) and just aren’t doing it for me, it’s all I ask. 

Bibio releases tracks like “Wren Tails” that make me think I’m coasting through a Wes Anderson movie in a convertible watching the leaves change. Beautiful songs. 

Oddisee is a rapper from DC who my buddy put me on to. I have been listening to him a lot the past week and am amazed with his technical abilities (his second verse in “Want Something Done” is sick!) and production. This guy has some serious talent and is due to breakout. Just a taste of his rhymes: 

“We started off locally / and now this chains globally / that’s the way it’s supposed to be / single seeds only grow to trees / if left alone to breathe / so lets take some time to expose the weeds / feeding off the roots of the culture vultures next to you / convincing you to stay in the forest when they the record crew.”

AN INTERVENTION for...The Weeknd

I find it hard to believe that The Weeknd is doing as many drugs as he claims. Nobody who does this many drugs needs to constantly reinforce it. He talks as much, if not more, than Kanye talks about Kanye. The first three tracks on his first album, Trilogy (a compilation of his three mixtapes), are “High for This,” “What You Need,” and “Glass Table Girls.”

In all fairness, “What You Need” is about sex being a drug, so partial credit there. But he more than makes up for that on the infectious “Glass Table Girls,” a song taking place sometime around 6:30am amongst clouds of cocaine, pills, and weed, all of which are mainly rolled or consumed on four foot long glass tables. Clearly, glass tables are the most inconspicuous means to get high.

“Mr. Weeknd,” Reporter A asks, “why is there a glass table in the middle of your hot tub?”

It only took until the ninth track for The Weeknd not to allude to or outright state that he is in fact using drugs in some shape or form. He’s like that stoner in high school who was always high just because he wanted people to know he was always high. He’s probably miserable on all these things, but to hell with how he’s feeling, he’s got a rep to maintain!

“Good morning fans of all ages,” I envision The Weeknd tweeting, “I’m doing drugs…again! :)” He pretty much says that in the aptly titled, “The Morning.”

His drug use was a bit more understated on his second album, Kiss Land. Though saying The Weeknd’s drug use references are understated means that he is stating that he is doing drugs, it just isn’t stated as often.

But very recently, there has been a new, more concerning, development in his life. If you haven’t heard, The Weeknd CAN’T FEEL HIS FACE. I know this because he just released a song called, “Can’t Feel My Face.”

Said track - which is a Michael Jackson-sounding pop tune (so yeah, it’s awesome) - is an ode to what appears to be his drug of choice: cocaine. (Other candidates included codeine and soda, oxycontin and ecstasy, “pills” of many variations, joints, blunts, ecstasy on its own, and soda on its own.)

The lyrics deviate from the upbeat sound, and he howls numerous cries for help, such as “I can’t feel my face,” (I think this is just to clarify to the listener that it is in fact he who is suffering from the title’s ailment), “the worst is yet to come,” “we both know we can’t go without it,” and obviously the most concerning, “and I know she’ll be the death of me, at least we’ll both be numb.”

The song is like a bizarro “Semi-Charmed Life,” so there may be a large percentage of people who just think it’s a really catchy, fun song!

We’ve all had friends who have gotten into one drug or another, and you let it slide for awhile as you hope they're just experimenting and growing up. But there’s always a breaking point when you need to intervene.

We’ve heard cries for help or an artist’s visions of his/her own death before, but it’s not as often that a mainstream artist states that I will die of [insert drug here] on a pop song. Maybe it’s an embellishment, maybe it sells, but it could also be a plea for someone somewhere to try to help this guy out.

I can’t imagine drug addiction is a good thing, and as Louis C.K. said, “Part of the reason people do drugs is because they can’t access their feelings, or there are certain feelings that are too much for them to access, so they do drugs to shut them down. When I was younger, before I did drugs, I wanted to do creative things, write and stuff like that. I had a lot I enjoyed about life, then it all became about getting high. It was so empty."

I at first thought it was comical that the first sentence of The Weeknd’s Wikipedia page spelled out the way to pronounce his name, but now after years of all this drug talk by him, it might soon be pronounced “the weakened.”

Here’s hoping his friends, family, and ultimately, his own choices can turn it around and start living for the other pronunciation decades in the future.

Music Video - Sanctified - Rick Ross (feat. Kanye West & Big Sean)

Not only is this a fantastic track released back in 2014, but after seeing this fan generated video, you can no longer say you hate emojis (and for the record - how did you hate emojis in the first place? Embrace it! If we're never going to talk to human beings on the phone again, at least I'm able to emote that your last text message was grammatically 💩). The video takes a bit to get warmed up, but then it gets ludicrous.

I can't imagine how much time this took!

Playlist - That's a Rap, Vol. 1

There's been an ever expanding list of rappers over the past few years that have brought rap back to the forefront of music for me. Sometimes I wax poetic and think of the good ol' days when A Tribe Called Quest and Biggie (amongst so many others) were making the best rap music imaginable. But now there are rappers influenced by them, their sounds, the culture, and everything in between, spitting out their own rhymes. This is the best rap has been since those golden days in the 90s - just listen to Kendrick, Drake, A$AP Rocky, and Kanye. 

I finished Volume 3 of this playlist series today, but I thought it might make more sense to start from the beginning!

I made this playlist back in 2012 as I was discovering a number of my favorite rappers today, such as Childish Gambino, Kendrick, A$AP, Schoolboy Q, and Joey Bada$$. These were primarily my favorite songs by these guys at the time, and I'm hoping for those not as well versed in rap (or those who might have given up on rap for a bit) that this playlist will be a primer for the next two volumes I'll put up in the next few weeks or so!

Albums to look forward to in 2015!

I've scoured the interwebs for a bunch of info on 2015 album releases (thank you Consequence of Sound, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Metacritic, Ranker) and here's an incredibly quick listing of albums that I promise to listen to MANY MANY times which are ranked from somewhat excited to RIDICULOUSLY excited):

Brandon Flowers - TBA
Savages - TBA
The Dodos - Individ (1/27)
Wild Nothing - TBA
Panda Bear (Noah Lennox from Animal Collective) - Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
Heems (from the now extinct Das Racist) - Eat Pray Thug (3/10)
Jose Gonzalez - Vestiges & Claws (2/17)
Fleetwood Mac - TBA
Chromatics - Dear Tommy
Pusha T - King Push
Freddie Gibbs - Lifestyles of the Insane
James Blake - TBA
DIIV - TBA
Purity Ring
Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (1/20)
The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (1/20)
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear (2/10)
Death Cab for Cutie - TBA
Chance the Rapper - Surf
Blood Orange - TBA
Joey Bada$$ (finally!) - B4.DA.$$ (1/20)
Band of Horses - TBA
Drake - Views From the 6
Adele - TBA
Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves (3/3)
Beach House - TBA
A$AP Rocky
Grimes - TBA
Run the Jewels - RTJ3
My Morning Jacket - TBA
Kanye West - TBA
Kendrick Lamar - TBA
Radiohead - TBA
Frank Ocean - TBA