Come and Share This Jam with Me

The Disco-Punk kid's wet dream in the early 00's...definitely an acquired taste. The song that put both The Rapture and DFA Records (pre- LCD Soundsystem ) on the map, "House of Jealous Lovers" is some crazy nonsense that if you get, if you can comprehend what The Rapture is going for, then you'll love it. Otherwise, you're going to absolutely hate this song. We start out with an elongated and bouncy bass, snare and hi-hat combination straight out of a NYC club but with an accompanying cowbell, because fuck polished Disco...right? Then in come the off-pitched guitars to create more chaos to the song along with the off-key repetition of the phrase "house of jealous lovers." It is really a wild song when you look at it through an objective lens. Let's not forget, this is not a straight up Disco track, it's an ironic as all hell combination of Disco and Punk (Disco-Punk), which is evidently the point. No one makes a crazy song just beca...

Two years after the release of their 2016 titular  EP , The Shacks are back with their first studio album,  Haze .  Rife with spacious harmonies and inventive melodies Haze  expands and improves on the EP with a more intricate effort creating seductive undertones that whispers translucent truths. "Texas" is one such breakthrough from the album about the Wild West genre that uses a semi-folk interplay of the beat, synthesizers, riffs and accompanying vocals. An indication that The Shacks are more than just an ambient group; they're a nuanced collective that pushes the boundaries of what is expected in music. Although, the tracks on both efforts sound similar, with Haze, The Shacks have found a congruent sound and it's addictive. "Texas" sticks out from the track listings due to its distinct sound and motif, but doesn't stray too far to seem out-of-place on Haze as the entirety of the album incorporates multiple elements and perceptions. However, the...

With  Parquet Courts ' sixth studio album, Wide Awake! , scheduled to release   on May 18th, the foursome has decided to drop their first single, "Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience," and it's a fiery punch to the gut. When I saw Parquet Courts at the Grog Shop  back in November not only was it a banger but we were blessed to get a first-listen to "Almost Had to Start a Fight / In and Out of Patience," and shortly after the show I was scouring the internet to see if it leaked anywhere because holy shit.  Andrew Savage's fiesty and throat-bleeding vocals, the sharp and aggressive riffs and pounding beat clenches the muscles in your body like you're about to get into a fight. Like any good punk rock song it's raw without any real notion of polished production. That's not to say it sounds sloppy and is just a mindless head-banger. The transitioning deep echo of the drums in particular are fantastic, but what is really c...

If you see Bootsy Collins featured on a track, I don't care who's song it is, it is a must-listen. "After the Storm" is a recent release from Kali Uchis that features another collaboration with the flower boy himself Tyler, the creator, and friggin' Bootsy Collins , and what a tune we have here. Clearly the dream pop deal, or just vibe culture seems to be an influence for Kali because "After the Storm" is such a soothing and spacious song, and like many of the songs attributed to dream pop, its lotus effect wraps you into the spell-binding-nature to deliver a cool message. Moving on from a relationship is hard, but it's harder not to have resentment for the other person and really come right out of it optimistically. This notion is pretty much the idea that surrounds the dimensions of the song and is a call to be strong; the hurt will pass, and if this relationship didn't work out, there's always more to be had, and eventually, the r...

One of my favorite groups entrenched in the dream pop genre, and steadily growing in quiet popularity (even with their year-long hiatus), No Vacation, has just released their latest five-song album, Intermission , on November 17th, 2017,   and is another impressive effort by the chill group. The second single from Intermission, " You're Not With Me," is a calmer No Vacation song with less influence of guitar riffs for what I believe is to emphasize the theme of loneliness and isolation, as the guitar has been softened and replaced by a wavering synthesizer. My first experience with No Vacation was with their single in 2015, " Draem Girl ," which had ultimately put them on the map as it has grossed to almost 1.5 million views on YouTube, through my most endeared channel, The Lazylazyme . "Draem Girl," is a guitar-driven track that takes the listener on a journey through romance and longing, with its genius transition from quick riffs to meticulous ...

"Television Romance" is a single from Pale Waves upcoming, and not often mentioned, debut album, who's title has yet to be disclosed. By merely looking at the band you may be inclined to assume that they must be a mess and completely unsynchronized: Heather Baron-Gracie (rhythm guitar, vocals) has a very goth-like look, Ciara Doran (drums) looks like she's in the transition to a post-hardcore stage, and Hugo Silvani (lead guitar) and Charlie Wood (bass) look like two impressionable, conventional British lads. I don't mean to comment on their look in a superficial or chastising manner, because music is not contingent on the appearance of the artists, but I want to emphasize the disparity in the each of the member's looks to reiterate the commonly used idiom, y ou can't judge a book by its cover.  Because these guys are prettaaay prettaaay pretty good .  So what does this apparent mixed bag sound like? Considering it was produced by frontman Matty H...

"I Love LA" is a single off Starcrawler's upcoming titular debut album, Starcrawler, and if "I Love LA" is any indication of how Starcrawler shapes up, then I'm going to be the first to download it when it drops on January 19th of next year. From an aesthetic and visual perspective, based on this music video, I can see that these guys are wild, in your face, ebullient and must be a fun-ass time to see live, so I will also be hoping to see them live. "I Love LA" is an ode-of some sort-to LA but not like Randy Newman's fantasy of Los Angeles in his, I Love L.A.  Starcrawler takes a more grounded and satirical approach to the city, as if to say 'this place is shitty, but I love that it's shitty,' sort of deal. Although the lyrics to this song aren't anywhere to be found, I can still make out the verses, and the obvious "I Love LA" reprise. "Talking to a friend/who never want to come back again," or ...

November has come . "Garage Palace" is a track coming from Gorillaz's  Super Deluxe Vinyl Boxset of their most recent album, and one of my favorites of this year,  Humanz . Humanz, is another new approach that Damon Albarn and the rest of the Gorillaz have taken, this time, in the vein of R&B and Soul. It was an impressive feat with obvious enthusiasm and care in producing due to the album's 26 tracks and seven bangin' singles " Andromeda ," " The Apprentice ," " Ascension ," " Let Me Out ," " Saturn Barz ," " Strobelite ," and " We Got The Power ." Unfortunately, Humanz was  a little of a mess with so much content, and not enough consistency in theme with each track, which may be due to the volume of songs. It's not to say the songs aren't dope, because I think they're all pretty much stand-alone, but together I think a thematic or evocative approach becomes misconstrued. ...

Now this is some crazy nonsense, I think for the sake of crazy nonsense. "Bad" is a track off of The Bug's upcoming album Bad / Get Out The Way   to be released on November 17, 2017, and is a reggae-house endeavor that is just...well...it's strange. I came across "Bad" on bandcamp's  "new and notable" section, which was next to Angel Olsen 's Phases , a must-listen-to album, and I was just more or less intrigued with the cover art for Bad / Get Out The Way with no clue what the hell I was going to get into.  As I mentioned in my entry for Jawn Rice's " Messages of the Tribe ," I am not a huge fan of EDM or any house variation so I did not know who The Bug was prior to listening to this song, but I dig this. The song is literally called "Bad" and the track does a good job to communicate that theme, like "Messages of the Tribe," which is something that really is not too common in this genre. Usually ...

It's time to change it up, as the temperature starts to drop, so does the beat (I'm fucking good). I normally am not into edm/house music, I enjoy electronica-esque groups like Purity Ring , The Naked and Famous  and  CHVRCHES , but I never really went into strict electronic music, just variations. I admire and respect the efforts of the artists who can produce sick ass beats and awesome undertones but I just never got behind it, which is why "Messages from the Tribe" is so surprising to me. "Messages from the Tribe" is off Rice's debut LP Highlights, to be released on December 8th, 2017,    and is an effort that can be easily identified as an edm track, but there's something unique about it, which is probably why I am so drawn to it.  The drum machine is kicking that's for sure, and the synthesizers are firing away but there's something funky about this that feels almost jazzy. On the bandcamp page for Highlights   the description...

I am in a serious soulful kick, and "Believe" is probably the bluesiest and most passionate head nodding I've come across in a while. Off of Booker's recent release, Witness, " Believe" continues Booker's plight of social justice and adherence with the Black Lives Matter movement that is found on Witness, which is evident not only in the songs themselves but in the accompanying essay, " WITNESS ," that is a recollection of Booker's experiences with racism and injustices. The lyrics  convey the theme, the position and difficulties that oppressed and marginalized individuals have to attempt to overcome, and are forced to endure with their only fault being that they were born. "Born to nothing/all the people bring you down, boy" specifically adheres to this notion of the beaten-down, and emphasizes the idea that life is going to be an up-hill battle. Booker later sings, "I just want to believe in something...I cannot make...

Yo yo yo, 'bout to get real chill. Angel Olsen is pretty awesome, and I wish she was more recognized for her efforts, not in the sense that she as a person should be more popular but that her music should be shone in a brighter light, because this is some good shit that pop music cannot handle. It is not to say that pop music is automatically bad, but it is normally trivial and unimpressionable, more in the vein of hedonism (instant pleasure) rather than long-term gratification that can be explored, analyzed and poignant. I am not saying that Angel Olsen's music is the poster child for good, alternative/indie music but it's an example of what is most dope, especially with the newly released single "Special."  "Special" is the new single off of Angel Olsen's Phases  that will be out on November 10th of this year, and is just a cool ass jam. I wish I lived in a warm climate like SoCal (a dream) because this song would is perfect for so many th...

"Dancing Devil" is the lead single off the self proclaimed (via Facebook ), "5-piece experimental toaster oven with a built-in crumb tray's," seventh studio album, Golden Calf . Although released roughly five months ago, and the music video being published in August, I had not caught wind of the song until I came across the album, Golden Calf -which has just become available this past October 12th, 2017-on the "New And Notable" section of bandcamp's official website .  To be honest, I had no idea who Small Leaks Sink Ships were and I was just patrolling bandcamp looking for new music and thought "'Small Leaks Sink Ships' now that sounds like a band I can get in to," and "Dancing Devil" was just the first song to be played (kind of a lucky find).  The first impression I had gained from listening to not only "Dancing Devil," but " Airplane Junkyard ," " Dear John Connor ," and ...

The legendary Tegan and Sara released, through their YouTube channel " Tegan and Sara " the audio for the tracks off the The Con X  the commemorates the duo's breakout album The Con (or so they say so, I think So Jealous  put them on the map but whatever, they probably know better than I), which was released 10 years ago. The album is comprised of the same songs featured off "The Con" but are each covered by various artists such as Hayley Williams of Paramore, Ryan Adams, Sara Bareilles, City and Colour, Bleachers, and Cyndi Lauper. " Dark Come Soon ," not only one of my favorite songs off the album and in general, is coincidentally, my favorite cover from The Con X . It is preformed by Grimes and HANA, also known collectively as Trashique, who have both come together to collaborate on this cover, and spin the alternative, pop-punk track into a synth-pop rendition. I was not a huge fan at first, just because I love the original emotional/punk asp...

Now this is some groovy and trippy shit. I have thrown up some love for Feng Suave's song, " Sink into the Floor ," and I commented how soulful, vibey and psychedelic that song was but "Harry Brompton's Ice Tea," takes those elements to a high experimental level. What gave "Sink into the Floor" the psychedelic vibe, was its pulsating and consistent bass line. In "Harry Brompton's Ice Tea," the bass line is not just pulsating but takes the focus of the song and makes you feel like your ears are at the end of a kaleidoscope and it's some cool vibes. Especially when the chorus hits, "down to the river that made us," you can just imagine the bass player having the biggest bass-face any bass player has ever had. If you are unfamiliar with JaduHeart just take a look at their website,  http://jaduheart.com , and just from that opening page you will get a fixed perception and pretty clear idea for what they're going ...

One of my favorite bands at the moment, Charly Bliss , released the music video for their song " Scare U " off their acclaimed, and dope album, Guppy . Like the videos for " DQ ," " Blackhole ," " Percolator ," " Westermarck ," and " Ruby ," "Scare U's" video is a silly and fun video that epitomizes the energized, upbeat, and authentic nature that Charly Bliss is equated to. However, because it's almost Halloween, the members of Charly Bliss incorporated a spooky element to the video with the plot going along the lines of a new member of the fast-food restaurant "Pappy's" discovering a dark secret about where the meat comes from and her fellow employees involvement OOOOOOOOOOOO (apparently it's a Buffy the Vampire homage?). Although "Guppy" did come out this past April, the video for "Scare U" debuted on October 13th, (so I have reason to post this) and hopefully at...

I think I'm going to ride this crazy train for a little while longer. "Pills" is a single that was released by St. Vincent earlier this week on October 10th, 2017, and is off of her latest (and highly anticipated) new album MASSEDUCTION , which is out today! " New York ," and " Los Ageless "  which have been the lead singles off of MASSEDUCTION have been unexpectedly concise and tame for St. Vincent who is known for experimental implementations-or oddities-in her songs, be it with her "ya" in " Digital Witness ," or the soft wood-winds in the chorus of " Cruel ." Annie Clark (St. Vincent) is always leaving question marks around (especially in her music videos), fortunately, unlike "New York," and "Los Ageless," "Pills" brings back the weird that is common with the wonderful Annie Clark.  Much of St. Vincent's endeavors either appeal or deter people, because you either get her vi...

"Sink into the Floor" is a groovy-ass tune off the Daniel duo's latest self-titled ep, Feng Suave , available now. To me, this song is so reminiscent of a bluesy, and psychedelic rock song that came out of the early 70's, with its soulful vocals and dreamy guitar licks. However, Feng Suave is not the only group producing such a blues-oriented sound today; another good example is Michael Kiwanuka and his recently released album, Love and Hate  who mixes influences of blues, soul and rock, much like Feng Suave. Nonetheless, this song is probably one of my favorite releases of this year thus far, rivaling the likes of " Garden Shed " by Tyler, the Creator, and that song was tiiight. The melodic, and melancholy guitar, sounds like the guitar is melting just as he's playing it, and the accompanying bass is a reverberating and psychedelic pulse that seems to blur the foundations of the song, making it seem like we are in a dream-like state. The drums c...