#LA Rap Radar Spotify

[trapangeles]

G5yve and Chef Boy Deliver a Certified Banger with ‘Don’t Stop’ – Stream Now on TrapLAxRadio and LA Rap Radar!

The L.A. rap scene continues to heat up, and G5yve is making sure the fire keeps burning with his new single “Don’t Stop,” featuring the infectious energy of Chef Boy. This track is an undeniable banger, capturing the essence of L.A.’s unique vibe and turning up the energy with every beat. Already on heavy rotation on TrapLAxRadio and featured on our exclusive L.A. Rap Radar Spotify Playlist, “Don’t Stop” is making waves across the city.

A Visual Vibe: Crossing Guards with a Twist

Shot by the talented director OffAir, the “Don’t Stop” music video adds even more flavor to the track. The video kicks off with G5yve and Chef Boy playing late-night crossing guards in Downtown L.A. While they’re supposed to be on the job, the two are seen sipping drinks and vibing out. But when a group of three beautiful women strolls by, things take a turn. G5yve and Chef Boy start their smooth-talking, asking the ladies where they're headed. The playful banter quickly leads to the duo inviting the women to follow them, setting the stage for the night’s adventure. It’s a creative and urban spin, fitting the energy of the song perfectly.

Lyrical Highlights: Smooth Flows and Catchy Hooks

G5yve doesn’t hold back on the mic, delivering bars that flow effortlessly over the beat, while Chef Boy’s hook takes the vibe to the next level. The standout line, “I told her, don’t stop, don’t stop, green light keep it going…” sticks with you long after the song ends. It’s a perfect balance of slick talk and anthemic energy, making “Don’t Stop” a track that’ll stay on repeat.

Why “Don’t Stop” is a Must-Listen

This track is the epitome of West Coast rap, blending smooth flows, hard-hitting beats, and undeniable swagger. G5yve and Chef Boy have crafted a sound that’s as catchy as it is authentic. Whether you’re cruising through the streets of L.A. or looking for something to turn up your playlist, “Don’t Stop” delivers.

Stream It Now: TrapLAxRadio and LA Rap Radar

Don’t miss out on “Don’t Stop” – it’s already in rotation on TrapLAxRadio, where we highlight the hottest indie artists making noise in the city. And if you’re vibing with G5yve and Chef Boy, make sure to catch the track on our L.A. Rap Radar Spotify Playlist too.

The Bottom Line: G5yve is Up Next

G5yve continues to make his mark on the L.A. rap scene with this latest release, and there’s no slowing him down. “Don’t Stop” is just the beginning, so keep your eyes on G5yve and Chef Boy as they continue to push boundaries and deliver heat.

Stream “Don’t Stop” now and keep the energy flowing!

Have you been spending all your money and time on making music and shooting videos, but still not getting any exposure? Tired of just spinning your wheels? You know to get exposure you need to get featured on blogs, radio stations, playlist, and get your music e-mail blasted out to the masses. Need help getting all that done? Then check out the Package we’ve made available for you below!

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[lamilanomagazine]

“Dragostea Din tei” 20 anni fa ha fatto ballare tutto il mondo: dal 23 giugno si ballerà di nuovo sulle note di “TROPPO CHIC” di Caffellatte e Haiducii

“Dragostea Din Tei” 20 anni fa ha fatto ballare tutto il mondo: dal 23 giugno si ballerà di nuovo sulle note di “TROPPO CHIC” di Caffellatte e Haiducii. Protagoniste della nuova versione sono Caffellatte, cantautrice e artista eclettica e fuori dagli schemi, capace di parlare alla generazione Z, e la stessa Haiducii, la regina degli anni 2000 e dell’estate, che nel 2003 ha portato nelle case e nei locali di tutto il mondo una canzone dance che ha dominato tutte le classifiche e che ancora oggi occupa un posto d’onore nell’immaginario di un’intera generazione. Caffellatte decide di unire un suo pezzo dance che parla di quanto sia bello sentirsi liberi accanto a qualcuno, condividere gesti semplici come smezzarsi una birra su una sedia di plastica sotto le stelle, alla celebre “Dragostea Din Tei”, che rimanda inevitabilmente agli anni Duemila del Festivalbar e degli sms sui Nokia 3310. In “Troppo chic” c’è un po’ di nostalgia, molta ironia e la voglia di condividere con la generazione Z un pezzo che ha fatto la storia della dance: molto più di una cover, è frutto della collaborazione con Haiducii, che presta per la prima volta la voce a una nuova versione di “Dragostea”. Caffellatte racconta così la scintilla da cui nasce il brano: “Siamo nel 2003 e una bambina di nove anni esce da scuola di sabato, arriva a casa e accende a tv per guardare la Chart presentata da Top of the pops su Italia uno. Metti che sta per iniziare l’estate, metti che in tele passano Dragostea Din tei. Metti che quella bambina cresce e continua a guardare le chart su Spotify, e mettici pure che quella bambina odia andare a ballare se non per rivivere grandi momenti nostalgici di fine 2000, ecco che questa combo, 20 anni dopo il plateale successo di Haiducii, porta a Troppo chic”. La canzone verrà presentata per la prima volta sul carro di Durex previsto per il Milano Pride il 24 giugno. Il brand vuole supportare gli artisti nella libera espressione di sé, grazie al potere della musica e quest’anno lo farà con due artiste di eccezione. Caffellatte, nome d’arte di Giorgia Groccia, è scrittrice, attrice e musicista. Ha presentato al festival di Cannes (sezione Short film Corner) un cortometraggio indipendente in cui interpreta la protagonista e per il quale ha scritto la colonna sonora. Come cantautrice dal 2020 ha pubblicato diversi singoli ed è stata inserita da Spotify Italia nel programma RADAR insieme ad altri nove giovani e promettenti artisti del panorama nazionale. I suoi singoli più recenti sono “TSO”, “Nonchalance”, “Bambina” e la collaborazione con Deddy in “Non mi fa dormire”. A dicembre Caffellatte ha aperto il concerto di Alessandra Amoroso a Padova grazie al supporto di Spotify EQUAL. Caffellatte nasce ad Acquaviva Delle Fonti (Ba), e già a 3 anni era il jukebox di casa. La sua passione per la musica nasce durante i viaggi in macchina con il papà verso la Calabria, con la radio che trasmetteva le canzoni del suo primo grande amore, Battiato, e di Concato. Poi è arrivato il rap e lo studio per la musica e nel 2016 la laurea a Lecce in Scienze e Tecniche Psicologiche. Due sono le cose fondamentali nella sua vita: la musica e la scrittura, a cui, nel suo lavoro, cerca di unire sempre intelligenza emotiva ed empatia, per dar luogo a qualcosa di autentico e, forse, unico. Nel 2003 con la super-hit “Dragostea din tei” è esploso il suo successo internazionale e Paula Monica Mitrache (questo il suo vero nome) è diventata per tutti Haiducii. Il brano ha avuto il clamoroso effetto di tsunami sul mercato discografico nell’intero pianeta. Edito in Italia, si espande in Germania, Austria, Benelux, Svizzera, Francia, Svezia, Spagna, Messico, Repubblica Ceca, e ha proseguito la sua corsa venendo pubblicato in ogni angolo del mondo con oltre 12 milioni di copie vendute. A sole due settimane dalla sua uscita è già disco d’oro ed è poi diventato disco di platino al primo posto della top 10 dei singoli in gran parte del mondo, scalando anche le classifiche radio. In Italia il singolo è rimasto al 1°posto per oltre 10 settimane. Il totale dei dischi venduti e tradotti in premi saranno 20 Dischi d'Oro + 30 Dischi di Platino + 20 Dischi di Diamante, e molti altri mai ritirati da moltissime nazioni della comunità Europea e paesi extraeuropei. Tradotto nelle lingue più inconsuete per un brano pop-dance, è riuscito a sfondare persino il muro delle blindatissime chart inglesi, sorpassando hit di star come Madonna. “Dragostea din tei” ha anche il primato di essere stato il primo brano di musica leggera in lingua originale a varcare i confini della Romania nella storia.... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[ris8lifestyle]

Louis VI è l'anima di Londra

Puoi chiamarlo jazz? Sì, ma è anche qualcos'altro. #LouisVI in arrivo con un nuovo disco solista. #RIS8 #ris8lifestyle #magazine #milano #music #musica #playlist #spotify #album #jazz #londonjazz #urbanmmusic #nujazz #rap #hiphop

Louis VI forse è un artista che è sfuggito al tuo radar di Spotify o Apple Music o YouTube Music e chi più ne conosca pi…ù ne metta. Londra l’abbiamo citata molto qui su RIS8 perché la scena Jazz londinese, come disse il mio collega Tommaso, ha smesso di inchinarsi al mercato americano. Dall’altra parte dell’oceano c’è New York dove la musica underground contaminata dal jazz ha sempre cambiato,…

[kevluvs]

Favorite albums of 2021

Last year, Marshall Allen, the 97 year old leader of Sun Ra Arkestra blessed us with an updated take on some of Sun Ra’s classic compositions. This year, it was Pharoah Sanders’s turn to bestow us. The legendary saxophonist, who has been active since the 1960s, collaborated with Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra. The result is the album Promises; a hypnotic and meditative gem best experienced in one full sitting. 

Just several weeks ago, I discovered Mdou Moctar, a Tuareg quartet from Niger and I instantly fell in love. The band has a frenetic energy and a raw guitar tone reminiscent of Etran de L’Air, another West African band. Afrique Victime is Mdou Moctar’s seventh LP and it addresses heavy topics in a mostly uptempo and infectious manner. The liveliness makes you want dance like the kids in the music video for the single “Chismiten.” Moreover, the track “Afrique Victime” rips to a startling conclusion that sounds like the return of Jimi Hendrix, in the Sahara!

On Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler the Creator raps his ass off with the kind of vigor that was once common in the early 2000s New York mixtape scene. That was clearly the point of the project, and it's made that much more obvious by DJ Drama’s enthusiastic cheerleading. The poignant and lengthy “Wilshire” showcases Tyler’s story telling abilities. Also, “Sweet/I thought you wanted to Dance” dabbles with dub reggae and pulls it off well. 

Far In by Helado Negro surprisingly flew under the radar. The record has a warm ambience. And this is the case on the funky “Outside the Outside” which has an endearing music video of Helado Negro’s family dancing in the living room. The drumming throughout the whole album is fantastic and that is illustrated on “La Naranja” and “Gemini and Leo”. I definitely will be returning to this record for years to come. 

Seek Shelter is the fifth album by Iceage, the Danish quintet. Sonic Boom produced the whole LP and it is not clear if he was the catalyst for the 70s, Americana rock n’ roll aesthetic that defines the record or if it was just the band’s natural progression. Either way, parts of Seek Shelter fit right alongside a classic Rolling Stones album. Case in point, the opener, titled “Seek Shelter,” ends with a glorious gospel choir, reminiscent of “Shine a Light” from Exile On Main Street. Further down, the track “Vandetta” has a menacing vibe that swaggers to a satisfying crescendo. It was the first song that I played when I walked out of Javits Center, after receiving my vaccine shot. That’s a moment I will always remember.

Producer The Alchemist continues with his streak of making dope rap albums with a single rapper. Last year, it was Alfredo with Freddie Gibbs, and this year it was Bo Jackson with Boldy James. As usual with The Alchemist, the beats and atmosphere are immersive and fortunately Boldy James holds his own. The Detroit emcee shines on cuts like “Illegal Search and Seizure” and “48 Bars Freestyle.”

Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner) had a busy 2021. She released a best selling memoir and a stellar album titled Jubilee. “Be Sweet,” is a jaunty lite disco highlight from Jubilee; “Posing for Cars” and “Slide Tackle” are also quite good, with the latter sounding like something from a Blood Orange album. Lately, Madlib has been less reclusive. I was pleasantly surprised to see him on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and hearing him pop up on the Headspace App. On his latest, Sound Ancestors, Madlib teams up with Four Tet, the U.K. producer who “edits” the LP, resulting in a collection highlighted by “Road of the Lonely Ones” and “Duumbiyay,” 

DONDA by the artist formerly known as Kanye West is obnoxiously long. Like most, I assumed the yawning length was Ye’s attempt to game the Spotify algorithm and therefore beat Drake, his then nemesis, in the streaming wars. However, from this sprawling mess, I made my own version of DONDA by creating a playlist of my favorite 14 tracks. Highlights include “Off the Grid”, “Hurricane”, “Moon”, and “The Life of the Party”. Funny enough, I tried to do the same thing with Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and the results were not as impressive. Most of CLB is boring and that was such a let down. I guess this means Champagne Papi caught an L against ‘Ye. But who knows, maybe one day we will look back and be somewhat grateful of how this petty “beef” momentarily distracted us from unnerving headlines of: variants, the pandemic becoming endemic, Joe Manchin, Joe Biden, climate change, rumors of war, and stubbornly entrenched partisanship. 

Lastly, so not to end things on a depressing note, other great releases from 2021 that I enjoyed are: Whole Lotta Red by Playboi Carti, Life of a Don by Don Toliver, I Know I’m Funny Haha by Faye Webster, and Winter Flower by Clams Casino. Happy New Year. 

[playitbyear-laz]

                         PLAY IT BY EAR 044

                              curated by laz

                      Link to all platforms HERE.  

Original Classic - Keys N Krates, Chip, Marbl, Juicy J

WHERE: IG story - @ashlayyy_alba WHY: Refreshing to a hear a new joint from Keys N Krates. This track is also the first time I’ve ever heard Juicy J on a house/dance track that wasn’t a flip. Got heavy Kaytra vibes on this one. 

Paloma - Alpha P

WHERE: Soulection Radio #520 by Andres Uribe WHY:  Considering how much afrobeat has blown up in the past couple of years, it’s insane that this track came out in 2019 and I barely found out about it now. This track has the potential to instantly get the dance floor moving at any club in LA or NY easily. 

Paw Patrol - Michael Sneed

WHERE: IG Story - @p_lo WHY: As usual, there’s a ton of talent coming out of Oakland and the whole Bay Area that’s being pretty slept on in the hip hop/R&B space and expands beyond what most people consider as the typical ‘bay area’ sound. This track does a lot without doing too much and Michael Sneed’s flow fully carries throughout. 

On Me - Tony Shhnow, 10dunkin

WHERE: Came up on random Spotify queue  WHY: This sound is still hugely underground right now within the greater context of rap/hip hop, but I can totally see its potential to takeover (first got put on by FLEE and StoopidXOOL’s album ‘XOOL SUMMER’ in 2019). Hearing rappers flow this smoothly over a 90s R&B instrumental is the sound I never knew I needed this badly.

This Bed - Alicia Keys

WHERE: IG Story - @_futurejames WHY: I’m not sure how accurate this actually is, but for some reason, I get big 80s vibes from this track (think of some of Whitney Houston’s bigger dance records). I’ve never heard Alicia Keys on such a fun Instrumental like this, but I wish we had more of it. 

GPS - Lege Kale

WHERE: Had time to go through all my old SoundCloud reposts during my road trip and re-discovered this banger WHY: The beat drop on this one goes so hard - I would love to put this in a set one day. 

So Cold - Tkay Maidza

WHERE: IG Post - @whoisumi WHY: Tkay has been on my radar for a while, and it’s been great to see her evolution as an artist. She’s got a ton of charisma and natural charm to her, which is easy to hear on ‘So Cold.’

Say That - Toro y Moi

WHERE: Heard this track live at Second Sky fest a few weeks ago and was absolutely VIBING with Soohoo and Chubbs  WHY: All I’ve got to say is that Toro made a real banger here. When that vocal chop comes in, I go absolutely nuts. 

[unptybouhdeweb]

Revue de web du 19 juillet 2018

Spotify vaut désormais plus de 33 milliards de dollars en Bourse

Les actions s’échangent désormais à 188$, soit une hausse de 42% par rapport au prix lors de l’introduction en Bourse en avril dernier.

Spotify engage un édito en musique arabe pour préparer une extension au Moyen Orient !

Les 3 Majors demandent plus de titres dans les playlists Spotify...

Dans le plus grand des calmes, ils demandent plus de places garanties dans les playlists éditoriales (notamment Rap Caviar et ses 99 millions de followers) mais aussi dans les sélections algorithmées comme le Daily Mix, Release Radar ou Discover Weekly. Toujours plus.

Qobuz recrute aux USA

En vue d’un lancement du service dans l’année, Qobuz recrute notamment Dan Mackta, ancien Vice President Marketing de RCA Records et Jive.

Les ventes de places de concert atteignent des records !

Les 50 tournées les plus vendues ont généré au 1er semestre 2018 plus de 2,21 milliards de dollars, une hausse de 12% par rapport à l’année passée. Les billets de concerts des plus gros artistes se vendent donc comme des petits pains, malgré une hausse du prix moyen de plus de 10$, atteignant un record à 96$. Mais, celui qui a généré le plus de revenus c’est Ed Sheeran, dont les prix étaient particulièrement raisonnables comparés aux autres Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift ou Rolling Stones ! Son succès ne se dément donc pas, et un documentaire va d’ailleurs sortir en exclusivité sur Apple Music fin août sur la création de son dernier album Divide.

November Rain de Guns N’ Roses devient la plus vieille vidéo à dépasser le milliard de vues sur Youtube

Publiée en 2009, elle a connu une hausse subite des vues après la tournée 2017 du groupe en Amérique du Sud avec beaucoup de vues venant du Brésil et du Mexique  !

Instagram, nouveau meilleur ami de l’industrie musicale ?

Alors que l’engagement et la portée sont en chute libre sur Facebook, même pour les artistes, de nouvelles opportunités se développent sur Instagram. IGTV d’abord permet désormais d’uploader des vidéos plus longues, comme pour Jaden Smith qui y a hébergé son EP surprise en exclusivité. Cependant, les chiffres d’IGTV sont encore variables et pas toujours satisfaisants pour l’instant. Autre fonctionnalité, l’ajout de stickers « Musique » permet de diffuser de la musique à son réseau et donc peut permettre à certains artistes de se faire connaître, les stories étant utilisées par plus de 400 millions de personnes. Seul bémol à tout ceci, la monétisation fait encore défaut, même si la pub devrait arriver prochainement sur IGTV.

Pour son retour, PNL investit Snapchat

Ils proposent aux fans une lens où vous pouvez entendre A l’Ammoniaque en portant des lunettes de soleil, et des stickers à ajouter sur vos snaps pour montrer que vous êtes QLF.

2,2 milliards d’euros de chiffre d’affaires pour la publicité digitale en France au 1ersemestre 2018

Une progression de 15% par rapport à 2017 avec notamment une part cruciale prise par le display social. Les publicités sur les réseaux sociaux représentent désormais 20% du marché pub digital, et sont en hausse de 61% vs 2017.

2 mauvaises nouvelles pour les personnes mal intentionnées sur Instagram

La nouvelle fonctionnalité des Questions (déso Yasmine) a beau les faire apparaître sans le nom d’utilisateur quand une réponse est réutilisée dans la story, la personne qui reçoit les réponses voit bien qui envoie le message, à l’inverse des CuriousCat et autres Ask.fm, connu pour être le lieu de messages potentiellement insultants (parce que anonymes). D’ailleurs, si l’un de vos abonnés vous embête, vous pourrez désormais le désabonner de votre compte sans qu’il ne reçoive de notification (en test sur Android). Donc en fait ce sont des bonnes nouvelles contre le harcèlement

L’UE inflige 4,3 milliards d’euros d’amende à Google pour abus de position dominante

Google est accusé de forcer les fabricants de smartphones fonctionnant sous Android d’installer ses applications, et notamment Google Chrome, nécessaire pour accéder au Play Store. C’est cette installation par défaut qui ne laisse pas le choix aux consommateurs qui est mise en cause ! Si Google ne se met pas en conformité dans les 90 jours, l’entreprise s’expose à des pénalités à hauteur de 5% du chiffre d’affaires quotidien d’Alphabet (la société mère). Une initiative évidemment saluée par les concurrents, notamment Qwant !

Plongée dans les coulisses de la modération sur Facebook

Pour Channel 4, des journalistes ont infiltré les équipes de modération de Facebook, et on y apprend que le délai de 24h n’est quasiment jamais tenu, mais surtout que certains contenus s’affranchissent des règles. Ainsi les contenus pourtant répréhensibles d’une page à 900,000 abonnés sont protégés, parce que cette page « génère beaucoup de revenu [publicitaire] pour Facebook ». Mais aussi, que les contenus racistes sont bien supprimés… sauf s’ils parlent de migrants. Ainsi un contenu raciste contre les musulmans serait supprimé, mais pas un contenu raciste contre les migrants musulmans, qui relève de l’opinion politique d’après Facebook. Si la modération est une tâche très difficile à vivre (beaucoup de contenus violents et horribles à visionner) qui peut parfois conduire à des erreurs de jugement, ce reportage révèle que les directives viennent de Facebook et sont communiquées dès la formation de ces modérateurs…

Les Bitmojis de Snapchat s’exportent dans Tinder avec un partenariat

Les avatars personnalisés pourront désormais être utilisés pour agrémenter les conversations sur Tinder. C’est la première fois que les Bitmojis se retrouvent hors de Snapchat, à voir si le test s’avère concluant !

Il se serait pas passé un truc dimanche dernier ? Ah si : ON EST LES CHAMPIONS, ON EST LES CHAMPIONS !

Mais ils n’ont pas maîtrisé que le jeu sur le terrain : les joueurs ont particulièrement bien géré leur communication sur les réseaux sociaux. Leurs comptes Twitter ou Instagram comptent des millions d’abonnés (et figurent parmi les français les plus suivis sur les réseaux), et ils ont réussi à donner l’image d’un groupe soudé, et ont partagé avec leurs supporters leur joie après les victoires. Mbappé avec ses 14 millions d’abonnés Instagram sait aussi se montrer très généreux, puisqu’il compte reverser ses primes de match gagnés (440.000€) à l’association Premiers de Cordée, qui propose des ateliers sportifs dans les hôpitaux pour les enfants malades ou handicapés, et ça on dit BRAVO ! Et on en profite pour dire aussi bravo à l’équipe de France féminine universitaire de rugby à 7 qui est également championne du monde !

On dit beaucoup moins bravo pour les nombreuses agressives sexuelles subies le soir de la victoire...

Beaucoup de femmes ont témoigné sur les réseaux sociaux d’attouchements et autres violences sexuelles dans les bars ou rassemblements ayant suivi la victoire. (L’explication de cette déclaration de Barack Obama est par ici)

Au Royaume-Uni, le camp pro-Brexit est sanctionné pour infraction au code électoral

Afin de contourner les plafonds des dépenses de campagne, la plateforme officielle de campagne a verser 600.000£ à une officine parallèle. Une amende de 61000£ leur a été infligée !

Toujours au Royaume-Uni, des experts décryptent les broches et tenues portées par la Reine Elizabeth pendant la visite de Trump

Une broche offerte personnellement par les Obama, une autre offerte par le Canada, et la tenue qu’elle portait pour parler au Parlement après l’annonce du Brexit (qui devient donc sa tenue du « j’ai pas envie »). On rappelle que la Reine ne doit techniquement pas prendre de parti politique, mais qu’elle avait visiblement envie de donner un peu son avis quand même !

Des utilisateurs de Twitter inventent le crossover ultime : quand Queer Eye rencontre Harry Potter !

Vous ne connaissez pas Queer Eye ? Dans cette série très sympa qu’on vous invite à regarder sur Netflix, 5 gays viennent relooker des hommes hétéros souvent pas loin d’être homophobes ! Imaginez donc ce qu’il pourrait se passer s’ils venaient à rencontrer le géant Hagrid…

Citroën dévoile des lunettes contre le mal des transports !

La paire coûte 99€, et se compose de 4 anneaux avec un liquid coloré, qui permet de simuler un horizon artificiel permettant de synchroniser sa vue et son oreille interne. Il suffit de les porter 10-12 minutes pour se débarasser du mal des transports pour le trajet !

A Times Square, Coca dévoile un écran d’affichage en 3D

Faits de 1760 cubes LED mobiles, cet écran peut donc jouer sur les volumes et la perspective et offrir de nouvelles possibilités !

[crimedawgbylaw]

Q1 Rap Roundup 2018

Gunna - “Oh Okay (feat. Young Thug & Lil Baby)”

Young Thug raps his ass off with two of his most talented children over an acoustic guitar riff that sounds like it could’ve been a Lil Peep record (RIP).

Jay Rock - “King’s Dead (feat. Kendrick Lamar, James Blake & Future)”

la di da di da / slob on me knob / pass me some syrup / fuck me in the car...

Creek Boyz - “Trap Digits”

Creek Boyz and their trap choir vocals feel so good on my ears. 

Blocboi JB - “Look Alive (feat. Drake)”

Drake sure knows how to pick em.

KAMI - “Payload”

My other favorite song from SaveMoney’s Kami is an 80s-tinged hipster jam, but "Payload” might just be the hardest rap banger of the year so far.

Vic Mensa & Valee - “Dim Sum”

Thought Vic Mensa was more interested in Rivers Cuomo than rapping these days, but him and Valee make a great team on this one.

Maine Muzik & Dez Da Ghost - “Black Cloud”

Baton Rouge’s Maine Muzik poised to have a big year. 

03 Greedo - “For My Dawgs”

Couldn’t find anything on Wolf Of Grape Street that stood up against the final three tracks (”Rude,” “Zoning” and “Never Bend”), which were already released last year on the excellent First Night Out mixtape (now pulled from Spotify 😞). Nonetheless I do enjoy the silky, saxophone-laced “For My Dawgs.”  

Trouble & Mike Will Made-It - “Come Thru (feat. The Weeknd)”

I don’t usually get too excited about The Weeknd anymore, but his vocals mostly take a backseat on this one and actually complement the beat really well.

Pi’Erre Bourne - “Hacked My Instagram”

Playboi Carti producer Pi’Erre Bourne is working on his solo career. “Hacked My Instagram” certainly builds off the emo vibes of Uzi (and Trippie). But while his lyrics aren’t as good as those guys, the beat and vocals are outstanding. Almost reminds me of some old N.E.R.D. in that it’s really on some heavy rock shit.

Headie One - “Know Better”

sshhhhh!! shhhhhhhhhh!!

Rich The Kid - “Dead Friends”

DJ Mustard fell off my radar for a while, but this beat is glorious! 

Ski Mask The Slump God - “DoIHaveTheSauce?”

Ski Mask is the rare “soundcloud rapper” who still kinda cares about bars that aren’t benzodiazepines. Accordingly, his biggest track has him tearing apart a Timbaland beat from 1999. On “DoIHaveTheSauce,” Ski drops some verbal acrobatics over what sounds like a hyperactive touch-up of “How U Do Dat.”

DJ Esco - “Code of Honor (feat. Future & Schoolboy Q)”

Kolorblind is no Project ET, but this “Code of Honor” beat is one of the craziest things I’ve heard all year, wobbling around like a broken ceiling fan. It’s also the first memorable Schoolboy Q verse I’ve heard in quite some time.

YPN Merc - “2 Phones”

Trappy “Redbone” remake out of Milwaukee. Remaking beats doesn’t sound very exciting on paper, but it seems to be one of producer Gorjis’ specialties and he really knows how to style em. Looks like you can get your own for $100/pop!

[newnoisethriller]

Favourite Music of 2017 (+extra)

This is very late but I don’t care.

All the bands are in alphabetical order because I’m much too lazy to choose favourites. However, the Noga Erez and Allie X albums were probably my favourite albums of 2017 so definitely go check those out first!

Aiming For Enrike - "Las Napalmas" (Rock/Jazz/Instrumental/Experimental; Norway) Listen Here: Bandcamp

*Allie X - "CollXtion II" (Indie Pop/Synthpop; Canada) Listen Here: Spotify

Anna of the North - "LOVERS" (Alt Pop/Dream Pop; Norway) Listen Here: Bandcamp

At The Drive In - "in•ter a•li•a" (Post Hardcore; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

B.a. Johnston - "Gremlins 3" (Acoustic/Canadiana; Canada) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Com Truise - "Iteration" (Synthwave; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Death From Above - "Outrage! Is Now" (Dance Punk/ Rock; Canada) Listen Here: Spotify

Dizzee Rascal - "Raskit" (Grime; England) Listen Here: Spotify

Flint Eastwood - "Broke Royalty" (Indie Rock/Indie Pop; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

Jamiroquai - "Automaton" (Jazz Funk/Disco-Rock; England) Official Website

Kommode - "Analog Dance Music" (Indie Rock; Norway) Listen Here: Spotify

Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - "Stranger Things 2 (OST)" (Electronic/Synthwave/Score/Soundtrack; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

Little Dragon - "Season High" (Synth Pop; Sweden) Listen Here: Spotify

Little Simz - "Stillness In Wonderland (Deluxe Edition)" (Hip-Hop/Rap; England) Listen Here: Bandcamp (Yeah, okay, the non-deluxe version of this album was released in 2016, but the deluxe version was released in 2017. Also, I didn’t find out about this album until Caitlin gave me the heads up.)

Lorde - "Melodrama" (Dream Pop/Indie Pop; New Zealand) Listen Here: Spotify

Messer Chups - "Coctail Draculina vol. 2" (Surf/Horror; Russia) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Minus the Bear - "VOIDS" (Indie/Rock; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Bandcamp

mouse on the keys - "Out of Body [EP]" (Math-Rock/Instrumental; Japan) Listen Here: Bandcamp

MUTEMATH - "Play Dead" (Alt Rock/Indie Rock; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

N*E*R*D - "No One Ever Really Dies" (Hip-Hop/Rap; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

*Noga Erez - "Off the Radar" (Electronic/Indie Rock; Israel) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Paramore - "After Laughter" (Alt Rock/New Wave/Synth Pop; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

Queens of the Stone Age - "Villains" (Alt Rock; Dance Rock; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Spotify

Said The Whale - "As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide" (Indie/Electronic; Canada) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Sam Tudor - "Quotidian Dream" (Alternative/Folk/Psychadelic; Canada) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Simon Stålenhag - "The Electric State" (Synthwave; Sweden) Listen Here: Bandcamp

Skepta - "Vicious [EP]" (Grime; England) Listen Here: Spotify

Sondre Lerche - "Pleasure" (Indie-Pop/Alternative/Crooner; Norway) Listen Here: Bandcamp

tricot - "3" (Math-Rock/Indie Rock; Japan) Listen Here: Bandcamp

水曜日のカンパネラ (Wednesday Campanella) - "Superman" (Electronic/J-Pop; Japan) Listen Here: Spotify

Wild Ones - "Mirror Touch" (Indie Pop; U.S.A.) Listen Here: Bandcamp

And that is it. If you made it through that entire list, HERE IS A BONUS 40ish albums! These were all good records but didn’t quite catch my attention as much or I didn’t really give a good enough listen to:

·         At the Drive In - "Diamanté [EP]"

·         Blue Hawaii - "Tenderness"

·         Charlotte Dos Santos - "Cleo"

·         Childhood - "Universal High"

·         Chip Tanaka - "Django"

·         Chon - "Homey"

·         Echosmith - "Inside A Dream [EP]"

·         The Elwins - "Beauty Community"

·         Gentle Brent - "Just Dandy"

·         Gorillaz - "Humanz"

·         Icarus The Owl - "Rearm Circuits"

·         Iglooghost - "Neo Wax Bloom"

·         James Vincent McMorrow - "True Care"

·         JYOCHO - "Days in the Bluish House"

·         Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - "The Kid"

·         Kelele - "Take Me Apart"

·         Lights - "Skin&Earth"

·         Liima - "1982"

·         Los Daytonas - "Directo en Delia Records"

·         Los Reverb - "Los Reverb"

·         Los Tocadiscos - "Los Tocadiscos"

·         Mark Mothash - "Thor: Ragnarok (OST)"

·         Polkadot String - "Dai Seigi [EP]"

·         Poppy - "Poppy.Computer"

·         Portugal, The Man - "Woodstock"

·         Propagandhi - "Victory Lap"

·         Royal Blood - "How Did We Get So Dark?"

·         Saint - "Smile, and Wave"

·         Scandroid - "Monochrome"

·         she - "Chroma"

·         Sohn - "Rennen"

·         St. Vincent - "MASSEDUCTION"

·         Strawberry Girls - "Italian Ghosts"

·         Sylvan Esso - "What Now"

·         SZA - "Ctrl"

·         Tennis - "We Can Die Happy"

·         Terrance Martin Presents the Pollyseeds - "Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1"

·         Thundercat - "Drunk"

·         Toro y Moi - "Boo Boo"

·         Vulfpeck - "Mr Finish Line"

·         Whitehorse - "Panther in the Dollhouse"

·         Wot Gorilla? - "Angel Numbers"

[trastornadosrevista]

Lollapalooza 2019: el off radar nacional

Ya realizadas las cinco recomendaciones internacionales “off radar” del Lollapalooza Argentina 2019, es hora de hablar del quinteto de artistas nacionales emergentes que también debe formar parte de su itinerario los próximos 29, 30 y 31 de marzo en el Hipódromo de Palermo. Cinco propuestas tan diversas como seductoras, cinco formas diferentes de entender el panorama actual de la nueva música nacional.

Luego de traerles la lista con los cinco exponentes internacionales “off radar” que no podían quedar fuera de sus itinerarios para esta nueva edición del Lollapalooza Argentina, ahora daremos repaso a los cinco (más un bonus track) artistas nacionales que están más allá de lo que la marquesina indica. Pasen, disfruten y, nuevamente, a cruzar los dedos para que los que estén el mismo día no se superpongan entre sí.

1915 (Viernes 29/03)

Hace no mucho tiempo, los medios especializados sostuvieron que 1915 era una banda capaz de emular la carga erótica de las canciones de Luis Alberto Spinetta. Una afirmación sin dudas cierta, pero que es apenas la punta del ovillo: este conjunto nacido y formado en Zona Norte, ha tardado muy poco tiempo en convertirse en una de las bandas emergentes más poderosas de la escena local ¿Cómo lograron un ascenso tan meteórico en épocas de algoritmos y sobreabundancia de oferta sonora?

Si creyeron que la respuesta iba a ser un conjunto de palabras y frases complejas y sobreactuadas, es porque todavía no tuvieron tiempo para escuchar la discografía de 1915. Cruz Hunkeler y Jeremías Alegre comenzaron a imaginarse su banda al mismo tiempo que asistían –aprendiendo sobre la marcha– a los shows de (hoy día) colegas que también se encuentran en un momento de explosión creativa y comercial como lo son, por nombrar a solo dos, Huevo y Bandalos Chinos.  

Su debut, Dual (2016), los encontró defendiendo esa positiva comparación con Spinetta, alternando entre el pop espacial, el funk futurista y el jazz, pero siempre con el rock nacional de la década de los sesenta como estandarte. Para su segunda placa, paradójicamente titulada Bandera (2018), el conjunto de San Isidro sostiene esa esencia retro (muy elegante, por cierto) presente en el trabajo anterior, pero en el mismo movimiento permite que aquel sonido más clásico y analógico evolucione de forma natural hacia un muy intenso híbrido entre el synth pop y el funk futurista que es capaz de hacer bailar hasta a las piedras.

Conociendo Rusia (Viernes 29/03)

El proyecto solista de Mateo Sujatovich, mejor conocido entre sus amigos como “El Ruso”, es un refrescante viaje hacia el interior de su propio proceso creativo. Su LP debut, Conociendo Rusia (2018), hizo las veces de presentación en sociedad, generando un cimbronazo dentro de la escena indie local que lo posicionó muy velozmente entre los nombres más candentes del momento.

Si uno se toma el tiempo para acceder al canal oficial de YouTube del artista, se encontrará con una lista de reproducción poco usual: en lugar de ser una imagen la que se puede observar mientras pasan las canciones, visualizamos a Sujatovich realizando una diversidad de acciones que poseen conexión directa con cada pieza. Musculosa roja, pantalón celeste retro, zapatillas también vintage y una larga serie de accesorios de oro son el vestuario elegido por el protagonista para darse a conocer al mundo.

Su sonido se hamaca entre el indie rock y el rock nacional de antaño, permitiéndose en el medio coquetear con una gran variedad de elementos electrónicos que le dan un sentido bailable muy diferente a cada tema. La nostalgia y el romance recorre al disco de punta a punta, pero en lugar de hundirse en el cliché, Mateo elige el camino correcto: la elegancia por sobre todo, con un halo de clasicismo estético muy seductor, todo acompañado de una lírica llena de picardía y de una tensión sexual administrada con mucha paciencia y precisión.

WOS (Viernes 29/03)

Si todavía no escuchaste hablar de WOS, es porque no prestaste mucha atención a lo que viene sucediendo en la escena del freestyle, el rap y el trap nacional. Nacido como Valentín Oliva, este pibe de apenas 21 años es el actual campeón internacional de la Red Bull Batalla de Gallos y de la Freestyle Master Series Argentina. Su coronación a nivel global sucedió a finales del año pasado en suelo argentino, luego de vencer a otro talento exponencial como el mexicano Aczino –quien lo había derrotado en la definición de la edición previa– en una apasionante y caliente final vista por millones de personas a través del streaming oficial.

Luego de un meteórico ascenso en El Quinto Escalón, se alzó con el título de esa extinta competencia en el año 2016, consolidándose como uno de los nombres del presente y del futuro para el freestyle nacional. En su cuenta de Spotify se pueden encontrar sus temas de mayor éxito: “Púrpura”, “Andrómeda” y “Protocolo”, además de las dos adrenalínicas finales contra su colega mexicano. Si bien posee mucho más material bajo el brazo, lo cierto es que sus primeros pasos en el mainstream los dio de la mano de esos cinco tracks que se agrupan al comienzo de su perfil bajo el título de “Popular”.

Su velocidad e inventiva a la hora de encarar cada batalla son marca de distinción; ni hablar del hecho de que sus letras se salen por completo de lo habitual en la escena latinoamericana. En lugar de volcarse hacia el clásico émulo del gangsta rap norteamericano, pone el foco en las cuestiones sociales, políticas y económicas que preocupan a la sociedad de la que él forma parte. La lógica altanería –signo de confianza, no de fanfarronería barata– está muy bien dosificada, siempre en el punto justo, mostrando que siempre se puede construir el éxito en base a la humildad absoluta.

Cazzu (Domingo 31/03) y Dak1llah (Viernes 29/03)

Sería erróneo hablar solamente de intérpretes masculinos al analizar la escena urbana, esa que cruza sin prejuicios al rap, al trap, al freestyle y al hip hop en la Argentina. Tanto Cazzu como Dak1llah son dos de los grandes nombres de un momento muy positivo para la música nacional y se han ganado su lugar a puro talento, personalidad e inteligencia para configurar y utilizar la industria a su favor. Sin pelos en la lengua, dueñas de un flow radical y capaces de ir contra lo que sea, ambas artistas han conseguido exportar su sonido a toda América Latina sin mayores problemas, convirtiéndose en un número obligatorio en cada festival/show donde se presentan.

Es cierto que la carrera de Julieta Cazzucheli comenzó cuando apenas tenía diez años, recorriendo un camino que comenzó en el folklore, pasó por la cumbia y se consolidó en el trap. El muy exitoso video de “Loca”, canción que comparte con Duki y Khea, superó las 30 millones de reproducciones en YouTube, convirtiendo a Cazzu en un fenómeno de peso a nivel nacional y –por encima de todo– entregándole las llaves de un reino que de allí en más se expandió a todo el continente. A sus 24 años, ya tiene mucha más experiencia que el promedio de los músicos arriba de los escenarios: sus recitales son una verdadera bomba atómica en la que resaltan la potencia de los beats, una lírica más que afilada (bien directa, sin devaneos ni coqueteos) y una actitud gangsta muy bien jugada que hace delirar a todos sin importar género ni edad.

Por su parte, Morena Jabulij ha tardado muy poco en conseguir un contrato muy importante con la disquera Sony Music, logro que sin dudas es muy merecido. Aprovechando el lugar que se ganó a pura tracción a sangre en la escena del freestyle local, decidió dar un paso al frente y dejar que sus singles flotasen en el mar de algoritmos. Con tan solo 18 años, Dak1llah es considerada una pretendiente legítima al trono del trap latino, algo que se acrecienta cuando se hace la conexión entre sus picantes, crudas y empoderantes presentaciones en vivo y su capacidad para ir más allá de los límites impuestos por el género musical y el idioma.

Gativideo (Sábado 30/03)

Como ellos mismos bien explican, el nombre Gativideo genera una sensación tanto de nostalgia como de infancia eterna al mismo tiempo. Su estética, como no podía ser de otra manera, remite a esa frontera entre los ochenta y los noventa, a tono con lo que se puede ver en la escena indie local, pero con un sentido de pertenencia que se traslada también a lo sonoro.

Su disco debut titulado Colorama (2018) es una divertida  –lúdica por encima de todo– muestra de su llamativa paleta género-estilística. Sus canciones acerca de Bruce Willis, Luis Majul y Luis Miguel son apenas una carta de presentación con la que consiguieron la atención de todos, pero su colectivo de canciones es muy audaz y, al mismo tiempo, posee una simpática conciencia grotesca y paródica. En sus diez temas se respira la esencia de los filmes de acción de aquellos años dorados para el cine bizarro, además de palparse una notoria combinación entre el dance, el synth pop, el indie pop y la música disco originaria, sin por ello no animársele a géneros lindantes como el jazz, el soul y el funk.

Por Rodrigo López Vázquez

[bobbystompy]

My Top 127 Songs Of 2018

Previously: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Not the most ever... just the second most ever. The record of 132 stands. I hope it is never broken.

As always, criteria and info:

This is a list of what I personally like, not ones I’m saying are the “best” from the year; more subjective than objective

No artist is featured more than once

If it comes down to choosing between two songs, I try to give more weight to a single or featured track

Each song on the list is linked in the title if you wanna check any or every out for yourself; there is also a Spotify playlist at the bottom that includes 122 of the 127 songs

Well?

/grins

127) B.o.B - “Food Fight”

Some triplet rap, pretty boring, and I have no idea what this song is supposed to be. But the “Food of the WiFi” part makes me laugh, and I always picture my buddy Matto singing it to his eye rolling wife (even though I’m pretty sure he’s never heard the song before).

126) French Montana f/ Drake - “No Stylist”

This song sucks -- even Drake can’t save it. French Montana is cancer except you don’t get to die.

125) 21 Savage - “Monster”

Not a huge Savage guy, but the Gambino verse helps.

124) The Kooks - “All The Time”

Kind of a lazy chorus, but it’s aight.

123) Sean Paul f/ Jhené Aiko - “Naked Truth”

Love Aiko, have never cared for Paul... but the collab weirdly works.

122) REASON - “Summer Up”

My buddy Josh sent this one, and it’s got the warm vibes. Money stretch:

P asked me is REASON still workin', shit N***a, is Amber Rose still twerkin', gold diggers still flirtin' horny teens still jerkin', all my exes still lurkin' black lives still hurtin', black lives still hurtin'?

121) Nipsey Hussle f/ YG - “Last Time That I Checc’d”

B’s vs. C’s. And a beat that sounds like DJ Mustard combined with ‘90s G-funk. Also, YG’s bandanna scarf is just very cute.

120) Thrice - “Only Us”

Weirdly, another reds and blues music video. But this time, it’s kids at a summer camp. This could absolutely be used by networks as a pump up song for sporting events.

119) Anderson .Paak f/ Kendrick Lamar - “TINTS”

Anderson .Paak -- ohhhh, that dot will always annoy me -- really does not make bad songs. Kung Fu Kenny fits right in, and it’s a very easy hit-the-spot driving song.

118) Mr Hudson f/ Vic Mensa - “Coldplay”

A serious song that uses an emotional reliance on Coldplay to take objective shots at Coldplay, which is pretty hilarious. Vic’s verse is good (”I lost my Queen poppin’ Ace of Spades at King of Diamonds ... I hate Coldplay”).

117) Logic f/ Wu-Tang Clan - “Wu Tang Forever”

Long cypher song. If you care about hip-hop, you probably know Drake also released a song called “Wu-Tang Forever” five years ago (which featured no members of Wu-Tang). There was talk of a remix -- RZA even recently said he wished they did -- but Inspectah Deck articulated why it didn’t happen back then:

“When I finally got to hear the song, I was more or less like, ‘Wow, I thought it was a tribute song like, it would be in respect of all eight members,'” Deck said. “And when I heard it, it was about a girl.”

You can just sense the colossal and spiritual disappointment.

Well, this one is more about fire than females; you’ll shout “Wu-Tang” proudly at least once. My MVP verse is Ghostface.

116) Jhené Aiko f/ Rae Sremmurd - “Sativa”

Rae Sremmurd* still sound like little kids to me. Conversely, Jhené Aiko is all that is woman.

(* - never knew they were brothers until just now)

115) Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - “First Time”

Sam Coffey first got on my radar with The Clash-sounding song “Talk 2 Her”. This is less of that and more, like, ‘80s hair metal. It’s almost hard to tell if this is sincere or parody. The video absolutely does not take itself seriously.

114) Saves The Day - “Kerouac & Cassady”

Always been impressed with the very unthreatening Chris Conley’s ability to create such sinister, dark, and menacing imagery. This maybe has the most bleak closing line of any of these songs.

113) 5 Seconds Of Summer - “Youngblood”

This is what Fall Out Boy tries to sound like with their new stuff... but they just suck so bad now.

112) She Killed In Ecstasy - “Dissension (Gold)”

I remembered this being a dope instrumental before totally forgetting about the just-as-awesome vocals; great band name, too. Recommended by my friends Jim and Bill over brunch after taking in their show at Subterranean in Chicago the previous night. This could be the closing theme for a critically acclaimed TV show.

111) Night Birds - “My Dad Is The BTK”

Straightforward, bratty punk rock that promotes snitching (if you’re sure it’s for the right reasons).

110) The Decemberists - “Once In My Life”

Why does such an outwardly melancholy song still feel so damn uplifting? Probably the video. They have a long statement attached on YouTube, so for sure peep if this catches your interest.

109) Mad Caddies - “She’s Gone”

Here we have a straight up reggae cover of NOFX. Sometimes I don’t think I like this song at all, but it might just be hard to separate it from the original; almost wish it was possible to go in with a clean slate. Maybe you can on my behalf?

108) Rivers Cuomo - “Two Broken Hearts”

Would you rather not know the video uses Bitmojis or the pre-chorus promotes two different ice cream brands before the song ends?

107) XXXTENTACION - “Train food”

This song is intense; gave me memories of listening to Kendrick’s “The Art of Peer Pressure”. X not surviving 2018 makes it that much more haunting.

106) Kanye West & Lil Pump f/ Adele Givens - “I Love It”

Not sure why, in his most embattled year yet, Kanye decided to be a part of such a derogatory song towards women. Listening to it makes me feel bad. And sure, the MAGA imagery will be what we think of when we think of 2018 Yeezy, but this picture shouldn’t be too far off either.

Shark: jumped.

105) New Lenox - “Do You Think We Made The Most Of Those New Years Eves”

That is a very long song title. But not as long as the time since passed on this reflection of the final night of the year, over a decade now gone. But even though he’s looking back, you know Chris Trott gets to hit reset at the end of the night, whether it’s December 31st or January 1st. And when NYE hits again, whether you return to the same party in the same place or a different experience in a totally different hemisphere, celebrating something is what makes this all matter.

(Full disclosure: yours truly has a minor backup vocal part in the outro)

104) Jeff Tweedy - “Having Been Is No Way To Be”

This for sure made it on the list because of the “And if I was dead, what difference would it ever make to them?” line, but upon closer scrutiny, the “And I’m sorry when you wake up to me” line is even more crushing.

103) Panic! At The Disco - “Dying In LA”

Brendon Urie’s voice is so polished and full. This song is him in complete control, and he knows it too (the “Dyin’ in LA” falsetto part at the end of the chorus is... probably not necessary).

102) Sugarland f/ Taylor Swift - “Babe”

Though Taylor’s impact in the music video is significantly stronger than her impact in the actual song, it’s still rock solid country. Or... country solid country?

/curtsies

101) ZHU & Tame Impala - “My Life”

This song has such a dancy cool on the power of its instrumentation; really doesn’t need vocals at all.

100) Kidd Russell & Southside Jake - “Slow Motion”

The poppiest SSJ has ever sounded. This is his best song to date. I’m not so sure if “Shots kill the butterflies” is an actual expression, but it should be.

99) Hop Along - “What The Writer Meant”

Hot damn, what a voice. This song is beauty in our not-often-beautiful world.

98) Retirement Party - “That’s How People Die”

This reminds me of a female fronted version of the departed Modern Baseball. Eager to see how they develop and definitely plan on checking their Audiotree session soon.

97) Lil Peep - “Sex With My Ex”

It’s... really good, you guys. The grimy nihilism of the “Fuck me like we’re lying on our deathbed” is palpable. It’s impossible not to think of the heights Peep would have almost definitely hit had he not passed. Also, super interesting tidbit on how the album got posthumously made:

Lil Peep died of an accidental drug overdose last November [2017] at 21. Afterward, attention turned to his computer. First, it went to London, where the files were backed up by First Access Entertainment, the company that helped guide his career.

Then it went to his mother, Liza Womack. In an interview in her cozy Long Island home, sitting on a nondescript couch that belonged to Peep and was shipped cross-country after his death, she calmly recalled walking into an Apple store, handing the laptop to a clerk, and saying: “My son died. This is him. Take this and put it on a new one.”

96) Kurt Vile - “Bassackwards”

I was on the beach, but I was thinkin’ about the bay

This has Kurt Vile’s signature laid back-ness (good) but also has a 9:46 track length (VERY VERY BAD). I’m not saying it has to be even four minutes long... but, like, could you have given us seven, KV? All of that aside, it really doesn’t slog at all despite mostly staying the same the whole time. Though I still can’t stop thinking about how much shorter it should be.

95) Christine And The Queens - “Doesn’t matter”

Kinda ‘80s pop sounding. Also, there’s a foreign accent there. British maybe?

/googles

French! Even better.

94) Brendan Kelly And The Wandering Birds - “Shitty Margarita”

Wish the drums were louder, BK.

93) Courtney Barnett - “Nameless, Faceless”

Barnett does not fuck around with her chorus/old adage:

I wanna walk through the park in the dark Men are scared that women will laugh at them I wanna walk through the park in the dark Women are scared that men will kill them

This type of perspective, down to the description of how she has to hold her keys in a way your average dude might not think about, remains so crucial as we all hope to continue to better understand each other.

92) Jeff Rosenstock - “Powerlessness”

Meet me at the Polish bar I'll be the one looking at my phone Shaking like a nervous kid Absolutely terrified of being alone

...it doesn’t sound how it reads. All of his skittish energy fuels this fist pumping jam. And don’t miss the guitar solo.

91) Charli XCX - “5 In The Morning”

Pretty standard fare pop song, but Charli makes it cooler and better than if the average person jumped on.

90) Pinegrove - “Darkness”

Gonna be honest: it was nearly impossible to listen to Pinegrove in 2018 without thinking of the sexual coercion accusations from the previous year. Jenn Pelly’s long ass piece really did nothing to help matters. So because of all this, I listened to their new album “Skylight” wayyyyy less than originally anticipated. The few times -- really maybe ‘time’ in all actuality -- I was able to separate the story from the songs, it definitely became enjoyable. This has head clearing guitar leads and a lyric straight outta Sublime’s “Garden Grove”.

89) Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - “Bad Dreams”

Brooding, nighttime, driving; good ingredients for a successful duet.

88) Meek Mill f/ Rick Ross & JAY Z - “What’s Free”

Now, if I’m Rick Ross, I spend my entire career avoiding any situation where people can compare me to Biggie. But since Rick Ross is Rick Ross, he went with the opposite plan. This is his (to my knowledge) second reimagined Biggie song*, and... it’s... it’s rough. I mean, how far can you take it with the line “Mona Lisa, to me, ain't nothin' but a b***h” and end with a gay slur. Pass.

But we also have the GOAT. In classic Jay fashion, he spits a lot of good words, you know it’s complex, and there’s no way to process it without more listens. And yes, the immediate brand checks are super annoying, but he pushes through and delivers some bars:

They gave us pork and pig intestines Shit you discarded that we ingested, we made the project a wave You came back, reinvested and gentrified it Took n****s' sense of pride, now how that's free?

When he finishes, the song itself ends, and we have one of the more long and uneven Jay cameos ever put on wax. It’s, like, a 5-star B-.

(* -  the first being 2014′s “Nobody”, a take off “You’re Nobody [Til Somebody Kills You]”, featuring French Montana, which spawned an all-time Rap Radar comment, “If someone killed French, he’d still be a nobody”; I will bring it up with the most minor of segues for the rest of my life)

87) Red City Radio - “In The Shadows”

I tend to prefer Red City Radio playing more uptempo, but they drag us down to a slower speed for this one. This centers around the cryptic “I show no fear when I know that the devil’s here” line, and the guitar solo is definitely overqualified for the genre.

86) Kanye West - “Yikes”

/cracks knuckles

The song: banging chorus, solid beat, lyrics meh. Of course it was the song he got Drake for, because it’s the only one on his solo release that vaguely resembled a hit.

The album: Calling “ye” bad is a little unfair, but the best and realest description is sadder: it’s Kanye’s most inessential record. It was forgettable at best and cringeworthy/offensive at worst. The one about his daughter was particularly appalling:

Don't do no yoga, don't do pilates Just play piano and stick to karate I pray your body's draped more like mine And not like your mommy's

This doesn’t even get into the entirely warped mental health takes that I’m not nearly qualified enough to address.

Kanye himself: Every Kanye fan has defended Kanye, some Kanye fans have abandoned Kanye, but 2018 was legitimately the tipping point where it felt like we all finally had enough, in unification. Shock, betrayal, and disappointment are probably the best adjectives. When you are willing to forgive someone for 90% of their behavior, and they up their bullshit to 110%, an understandable separation must occur. At this point, the man we once called Yeezus is now the hip-hop Louis C.K.: no type of constructive or negative feedback can penetrate his brain, and any new attempts at creative output only make everything worse.

85) Royce da 5′9′’ f/ Eminem & King Green - “Caterpillar”

As lyrical as it gets on this list, but what else do you expect from Em and Royce? Not a huge fan of the chorus (at least that loud part in the first half). Eminem legit goes off for, like, ten lines with a pooping metaphor to close the song.

84) Nicki Minaj - “Barbie Dreams”

Staying in the redone Biggie songs lane, we have Nicki with a passive evisceration of your favorite male rapper. You can call it crass, but I’d argue her playfulness makes the whole thing work, combined with the fact that it’s flipping the male gaze on its head. And though she’s having fun, some of these movie punches catch real faces. My favorites:

3) “Drake worth a hundred mill, he always buyin' me shit / But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he cryin' and shit”

2) “I remember when I used to have a crush on Special Ed / Shoutout Desiigner 'cause he made it out of special ed”

1) “Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain't speakin' / Ain't no fat n**** tellin' me what he ain't eatin'”

Goodbye forever, DJ Khaled.

83) Bad Bunny f/ Drake - “MIA”

I do social media for my high school alma mater’s football team, and this song first got on my radar when of the players tweeted something like “I can’t understand a word, but this is really good”. I was piqued, and it delivered. Nobody cultural appropriates quite like Drizzy Drake. Also, am I the only one who would have maybe been happier if the song was called “Bad Bunny” and the featured artist was M.I.A.?

82) Phoebe Bridgers - “Christmas Song”

Christmas songs are hard to write because they’re either taken or terrible, but Bridgers definitely carved out her own lane. This could work as a single person under a spotlight or sung by a group of lonely strangers finding camaraderie at a bar; within the song, you actually get both scenarios.

81) Remo Drive - “Blue Ribbon”

Got into this band for the first time in 2018, and though some of their older songs got more spins, this was my favorite from the new album.

80) The Sidekicks - “Twin’s Twist”

Mostly just impressed they were able to seamlessly integrate the “Chronic 2001″ into lyrics of a lighter rock song.

79) Real Friends - “From The Outside”

My favorite chorus they’ve ever written. While remaining thoroughly pop punk, the catchiness puts it more on the pop side of that spectrum.

78) Mike Posner - “Song About You”

Posner sounds like he’s barely trying, and it’s still so, so good. Favorite moment is this non-rhyme: “Since you’ve been gone, I got nothing to do / I sleep until noon, I wake up and feel bad”. It’s like a pop freestyle or something.

Also, extra shout out for how well he took his social media roasting after the Thanksgiving performance in Detroit. Love this dude.

77) Bad Religion - “The Kids Are Alt-Right”

What if I told you Bad Religion made a song with an intro that sounded like Andrew W.K.’s “Party Till You Puke” but were somehow still able to stay afloat? Hell, I’m confused too. The satirical lyrics mark 2018 for what it was. The pre-chorus, I remain torn on.

76) Blood Orange - “Saint”

You said it before

Looped keyboard beat over some smooth lyrics and melodies.

75) Juice WRLD - “Lucid Dreams”

I cannot change you so I must replace you

Still unclear how this *isn’t* a Post Malone song.

74) Tancred - “Queen Of New York”

Own the city.

73) We Were Sharks - “Drop The Act”

Ohhhhh, I love this production.

72) Cloud Nothings - “Leave Him Now”

This band continues to possess all of the melodic fury (and the Russell Westbrook of drummers).

71) Childish Gambino - “Summertime Magic”

Wasn’t big on “This Is America”*, so Glover releasing an ode to the best season as an alternative selection helped.

(* - at least not the song; vid was interesting)

70) The 1975 - “Love It If We Made It”

The 1975 are one of those bands where liking them makes you feel like an alien because everyone else either loves or dogs them. I’m keepin’ this casual, aight?

Also, since all writers are contractually obligated, we must mention the “Fucking in a car, shooting heroin” line which opens the song.

69) Kississippi - “Cut Yr Teeth”

Saw this band play in a classroom at a high school (google “BLED FEST”) in Michigan in May of 2018. They were fun, diverse, and covered Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle”. This tune is a little more serious and locked in.

68) Muncie Girls - “Picture Of Health”

Every part of this song is well-written, but it all builds to a massive chorus.

67) Justin Timberlake f/ Chris Stapleton - “Say Something”

There was a time, in January 2018, when not a ton of music had dropped yet, and this song was everywhere. It was like the dead-of-winter equivalent to the Song of the Summer. This one definitely gets docked some points for what I’d call weak lyricism. You can tell both dudes were way into it though, which does help make up for it some.

66) Interpol - “The Rover”

As speedy as I’ve ever heard Interpol; pretty unskippable.

65) Dashboard Confessional - “Catch You”

Imagine if this were the only Dashboard song you’d ever heard. You’d think they were, like, happy. Our protagonist has a trustworthy assurance that should put you at ease.

64) Gulfer - “Secret Stuff”

No singing on this list will alienate you faster than the first eight seconds of this one.

63) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - “Talking Straight”

Though this feels like two band names in one, RBCF know exactly what they’re doing as it pertains to the actual songwriting. This would fit right in during the mid-2000s garage/indie rock boom; could listen to the chorus on a loop.

62) Rita Ora f/ Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX - “Girls”

This song has the unique distinction of being think pieced and outraged cycled before I even got a chance to hear a second of it. The case:

Now, it goes without saying that the best people to explain why this song feels damaging and hurtful to queer women are queer women themselves – girls who kiss girls whether they’ve been gulping back Malbec or not. “A song like this just fuels the male gaze while marginalizing the idea of women loving women,” wrote Hayley Kiyoko on Twitter. Kehlani said it has “many awkward slurs, quotes, and moments”. MUNA’s Katie Gavin noted that in ‘Girls’ she hears “the familiar chorus that women’s sexuality is something to be looked at instead of authentically felt”.

To her credit, Ora apologized the very same day that piece came out (PUN INTENDED). What’s weird is the idea of this song being problematic made me like it more. It gives the sexual flippancy of the chorus authenticity. I don’t know, man -- this stuff is complicated.

Not complicated? Cardi B’s awful green screen cameo featuring cheap looking special effects.

/shakes head in disappointment 

61) Eminem f/ Ed Sheeran - “River”

Though not apples to apples -- since he’s not spitting -- we shall remember this as the time Ed Sheeran > Eminem in a song.

Marshall remains our unquestioned king of the ‘relationship dysfunction’ genre.

60) Culture Abuse - “Calm E”

Everyone’s getting back together

The writers of the perfect and generational “Dream On” continue to stay in the mellow lane with their subsequent releases. When you can pull off both, why not?

59) Brian Fallon - “Silence”

Fallon covers -- /checks notes --  Marshmello f/ Khalid, but it really could be an original. Dude really knows how to pick ‘em. I remember hearing this randomly at Shinto (a sushi/hibachi place) in Naperville; don’t remember if it was this or the original. Such a moving chorus.

58) Okkervil River - “Don’t Move Back To LA”

Gotta appreciate the persistent sentiment -- even though it’d be the opposite of my advice. Also took about 99.9% of the year for me to stop calling this band “Overkill” River in my head.

57) Natalie Prass - “Short Court Style”

Uber catchy and with a real groove.

56) The Interrupters - “She’s Kerosene”

2018 Rancid, down to the raspy-ish singing from Aimee Allen.

55) boygenius - “Me & My Dog”

When I heard Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and someone named Lucy Dacus were forming a super group, I was stoked. This tune was the one that jived the most with my vision of the project. Amazingly sick harmonies, dropping elbows on your heart like a professional wrestler, and introspection on introspection.

I wanna be emaciated I wanna hear one song without thinking of you I wish I was on a spaceship Just me and my dog and an impossible view

So, so, so, so good.

54) Shack Wes - “Mo Bamba”

How do you explain “Mo Bamba” to someone who doesn’t like rap? How do you explain “Mo Bamba” to someone who does like rap? I don’t know, but I am Teddy Bridgewater now.

53) Lil Dicky f/ Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, DJ Khaled & Kendall Jenner - “Freaky Friday”

If you thought Rita Ora’s “Girls” was messy, allow me to introduce you to our last bad rap song on the list. Actually, maybe the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team would be a better candid--OHHHHH LADIES NO!!!!!!!!11111111

So yeah, whether it’s the most lightning rod word in American history, cultural appropriation, reverse cultural appropriation, or even just a good ol’ “I Blame Chris Brown” take, this attempt at comedy hip-hop got put under a microscope for all the right and wrong reasons. No one came out unscathed. But, like Ora’s song, if you can ignore some components (read: nearly everything), it’s so god damn fun, man. I mean, Dicky and Chris Brown swapped bodies -- pretty nuts. And it’s rare for an MVP line to be “How his dick staying perched up on his balls like that?”

52) Jay Rock f/ Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake - “King’s Dead”

I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it- I gotta go get it

The back half of the Future verse is the worst part about this song... yet the most fun to talk about. He raps auto-tuned, in falsetto... and these are the lyrics:

La di da di da, slob on me knob Pass me some syrup, fuck me in the car La di da di da, mothafuck the law Chitty chitty bang, murder everything

What a disgrace. Yet, almost like a whimsy 2 Chainz verse, it��s really fucking memorable.

51) Soccer Mommy - “Your Dog”

Noticeably good bassline? Check. Skin crawlingly bad band name? Check. Cool swearing? Yup.

50) Vince Staples - “FUN!”

Vince could rap his way out a bottomless pit; floating elevation flow.

49) Dan + Shay - “Tequila”

Tried so hard to get this one next to “Shitty Margarita”. Genuinely love this song. Maybe it’s the mountains in the music video, but that chorus just soars.

48) Meg Myers - “Numb”

Look up in the air and see this tidal wave chorus crashing through the world in slow motion.

47) The Penske File - “Fairgrounds”

My new working theory -- which really feels more like fact -- is how cool lyrics with the phrase “Meet me...” are. It creates this aura of unknown, mystery, and maybe even danger; like anything could happen if you just agree. Here are some from songs just off the top of my head:

Meet me by the lake

Meet me at the reservoir

Meet me in Montauk

Meet me in the middle (more on that one later)

Meet me in the back

Meet me at midnight

The list goes on. So please say “yes” to The Penske File at the fairgrounds, won’t you?

46) Lil Wayne f/ Swizz Beatz - “Uproar”

Weezy goes this entire song only using “oh” rhymes; not sure how he does it. Sometimes, I listen to this and pretend I’m a buffalo.

45) Cardi B - “Be Careful”

Cardi sampled Lauryn (wayyyyyyyy more on this later) and made it work. The chorus always sticks with me, and though the verses have a few bumps along the way, they might even be better.

44) Elway - “Crowded Conscience”

Elway pulls up their roots in this All Colorado Everything lyric video, and you’ll be ready to tap the Rockies when the singalong chorus finishes.

43) Pkew Pkew Pkew - “Passed Out”

A punk rock drinking song with a real bummer of a chorus for how happy the theme itself comes across.

42) Joyce Manor - “I Think I’m Still In Love With You”

I have no scientific proof, but Barry’s lyrics seem to be getting worse and worse. The drug references are still there, sure, but there’s an almost elementary simplicity to the proceedings. Still, like “Heart Tattoo”, this song doesn’t get in its own way and takes advantage of the basic words to create a big, big hook. You sing along even though it feels too easy at times.

41) Alkaline Trio - “Throw Me To The Lions”

So much desperation in the chorus; this could work as their last ever song.

40) The Bombpops - “Dear Beer”

My favorite opening line on this whole list -- the sweet and simple “I’m about to hit send / I’m waiting for the weekend”. Before you know it, a full blown self-loathing chorus. It’s got it all.

39) Foxing - “Lambert”

In quiet awe listening to this masterpiece of a song. Saw this band way up close in 2018 -- here is a picture:

Hello, Foxing

38) Lucero - “To My Dearest Wife”

Civil War soldier or rigorous rock and roll touring schedule? Either way, the Lucero singer misses his wife and family, and he’s gonna let you know they’re on his mind. I saw them open for Frank Turner in 2018, and he played their new album front to back -- before it had been released -- as their entire set because “I promised to do this when drunk on Instagram”. Gotta respect a man with principles.

37) BlocBoy JB f/ Drake - “Look Alive”

Favorite Drake hook of the year. BlocBoy JB... less necessary. Also kinda crazy to think we didn’t know who producer Tay Keith was at the beginning of 2018; definitely made his impression felt by the end.

36) The Front Bottoms - “Tie Die Dragon”

As psychedelic as I’ll ever get. Unless it’s, like, The Beatles. But that’s different.

35) The Lawrence Arms - “Laugh Out Loud”

Released on their Best Of record (legitimately titled “We Are The Champions Of The World) and an “Oh! Calcutta!” b-side from 2006, TLA prove even their leftovers can be a main course.

34) Tinashe f/ Future - “Faded Love”

I know he’s a rapper and she’s a singer, but nothing is more illustrative of how much harder women have to work compared to men than the 1:36 mark when Tinashe sensually sings “Let’s just feel this feeling”, doubled with Feature’s auto-tuned ass doing the exact same thing, only 10x worse. Not enough to taint the song, even a little. His verse, however...

33) Chance The Rapper - “65th & Ingleside”

Chance -- who almost always makes the correct choices -- did this super annoying thing where he released a bunch of songs in single batches in 2018.

“But Bobby, he gave you tons of free music! Why are you complaining?!”

Because we couldn’t easily sequence it, bruh. Look at this shit!:

Not even Drake would pull this stunt. EP next time, Chano.

Anyway.

Fun lines, really contagious beat, and a few types of flows; he spazzes at the end.

32) Complainer - “Drunk (Again)”

Gotta love when a song can’t start until multiple beer cans crack. These guys are a tiny band inspired-by-but-better-than Jeff Rosenstock, and I hope they get so much more traction.

31) ScHoolboy Q f/ Kendrick Lamar, Saudi & 2 Chainz - “X”

I LIVE ON TEN

Always read this title as the letter X even though the word “ten” is used 40 times in the song.

30) KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Kanye West & Kid Cudi) - “Reborn”

From Kanye’s only useful project in 2018 comes “Reborn”. Luckily, it’s mainly Cudi on this track (chorus/bridge/a verse). It feels like Ohio’s son is breaking through... or breaking out; verging on real triumph over his demons. Kanye, meanwhile, is surprisingly understated (read: good) and fits into all of his parts like a non-OJ glove. The sparing use of Yeezy reminds me of how the master himself used to feature people like Chief Keef just enough to harness the talent but not enough to ruin the song or do too much. Those alpha days appear to be way in the rearview now.

29) Travis Scott f/ Drake, Swae Lee & Big Hawk - “SICKO MODE”

Stacey Dash, most of these girls ain’t got a clue

This joins “Mo Bamba” in the Top 2 of Rap Songs That Need To Be Played At All Parties In The Year 2018. While “Bamba” is more consistent -- seriously, “SICKO MODE” is four songs in one -- almost nothing tops hearing the start of this and immediately anticipating the rest (like the opening of “Tuesday” when that was hot). The third part is probably my favorite. #likealight

28) SOB X RBE f/ Zacari & Kendrick Lamar - “Paramedic!”

Our third selection from the “Black Panther” soundtrack. Second favorite beat of 2018; I can’t not move the second it drops.

27) Drug Church - “Unlicensed Hall Monitor”

Favorite guitar leads of 2018. It’s as sleek as the vocals are gruff.

26) Matt And Kim - “FOREVER”

Was a dead tie between this and the equally emotional “Youngest I Will Be”. But this one has a vid -- and they make the best vids. This song also references the 1992 Dream Team. Our world will never be shit if they stay a part of it; first time I’ve came close to tearing up so far. These two inspire.

25) The Ramblin’ Boys Of Pleasure - “Joyce Jawbreaker”

Speaking of turrs, my band of 14 years released our maybe last song ever in 2018. Written in Maine, titled for Joyce Manor and Jawbreaker, and about lost love, Chicago, futures, playing music with your brothers, tiny hands, and found love. We also did a video:

24) Ariana Grande f/ Nicki Minaj - “the light is coming”

I really, truly am not excluding “thank u, next” to be contrarian. While I agree that is her defining song of 2018 -- and biggest hit to date? -- “the light is coming” is so much more unique. It goes in so many directions while the hook ties the rope around you a hundred times. Yep, I’m right.

23) Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers - “Apocalypse Now (& Later)”

Wish I could forever keep this song’s opening line as my mantra: You make me walk away from the hate I carry.

22) Restorations - “Nonbeliever”

Another band that should be bigger, so they can always be free to do anything they want. This song will always boil down to this part, which captures the push and pull of 2018 America:

I love your protest lines Oh, but who has the time? We all saw the same thing at the same time, okay? Got a partner for starters And a kid on the way Can’t be doing all this dumb shit no more

For how crass, clumsy, and non-rhyming that concludes, the song itself ends dire.

21) The Get Up Kids - “I’m Sorry”

One of my favorite videos of 2018. Similar to “Apocalypse Now (& Later)”, I’m not sure if it’s about a love interest or a kid. Does it matter? No. But it does to me.

20) Antarctigo Vespucci - “Freakin’ U Out”

A band name for the ages. With Chris Farren (of Fake Problems) on vox and Jeff Rosenstock on instruments, this song could power a car -- or at least one person who didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.

19) Bayside - “It Don’t Exist”

Anthony Raneri has a new grill, but this song feels 50 years old. A classic in real time.

18) The Carters - “APESHIT”

Is this artsy, all-time vid somewhat undermined by the Migos ad libs?

Yes.

/makes note to maybe dress up like this for Halloween next year

17) Post Malone f/ 21 Savage - “rockstar”

This song is so good -- albeit misogynist and also bad -- it makes me genuinely eager for a 21 Savage verse. And though I love any bars relating to his 12-car garage...

my favorite 21 savage quirk is his yearly 12 car garage updates:

2016: “why you got a 12 car garage?”

2017: “they like ‘savage why you got a 12 car garage / and you only got 6 cars?’”

2018: “why you got a 12 car garage? / cause i bought 6 new cars”

(via @ottergawd)

...his intro line is just so, so terrible: “I've been in the Hills fuckin' superstars / Feelin' like a popstar”. You know that’s... not really a rhyme, right?

16) Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - “Ohio”

/will always, always death stare that dumb name to start any Andy section

Ah, but if we did start with a lyric?

Katie’s counting crows

This song is about leaving the worst state for one of the best. But if we’re doing that, why do we feel so melancholy?

15) Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “All The Stars”

You've gotta be mesmerizing to make Kung Fu Kenny look pedestrian, but SZA's galactic hook does just that.

14) Frank Turner - “1933″

Frank isn’t from here, but he’s setting out to remind us of where this all began.

13) The Wonder Years - “Sister Cities”

As far as pop punk legacies are concerned, The Wonder Years’ is secure. There is no longer necessity to churn out bangers; they’re already on the Mount Rushmore. Still, they go. Every part of this song is essential: the build up verses, blown out chorus, Panic! At The Disco 2005-era hi-hat off-time drum transitions, end-of-the-rope bridge. The true standout is the closing of V2:

I'm guarded like I'm wounded, my first instinct's always “run” I wanna turn to steam I wanna call it off I wanna lighten the dark I wanna swallow the sun

Good guitar leads add even extra.

12) YG f/ 2 Chainz, Big Sean & Nicki Minaj - “BIG BANK”

“Alexa, what does big bank do to little bank?”

The highlight line from each:

YG: “Ayy, I set the bar, I'm the fuckin' bar / Look in the sky, I'm a fuckin' star / I don't fall in love 'cause I be lovin' hard / Do everything like my shirt, extra large”

2 Chainz: “Big shit like a dinosaur did it”

Big Sean: “I'm rare as affordable health care”

Nicki: “Told em' I met Slim Shady, bagged a Em / Once he go black, he'll be back again”

Let this also be remembered as the song that created a Madden controversy.

11) Dean Summerwind - “Parked By The Lake”

What is there to say about the legend that is Dean Summerwind? With only one song on Spotify, he’s batting a clean 1.000. Calling this genius feels like an understatement. It’s real, it’s parody, it’s persistent, it’s ours.

10) The Dirty Nil - “Bathed In Light”

The Canadian Local H. Reaaaaaaaally wanna see them live in 2019.

9) oso oso - “gb/ol h/nf”

I stylized oso oso as “Oso Oso” last year to stick it to their frontman Jade, but a year later, I’ve lost the energy. Blame Ariana Grande. This song -- which stands for “goodbye old love, hello new friend”* -- has my favorite chorus of the year. It’s so simple, it’s obvious: “But I still come through, when you want / And if I serve no use, where do I get my purpose from?”

Also, this is indie/pop/punk/rock’s version of “SICKO MODE”: got more parts than “The Wire”.

(* - had to look that up multiple times in 2018 and never retained, despite it being the bridge of the song... I didn’t notice)

8) Kacey Musgraves - “Space Cowboy”

If any song *survives* the existence of this list, I hope it’s this one. Kacey has this predictable-yet-surprising way of taking existing tropes and co-opting them with her own twist. Homegirl is like the Jim Nantz of pop/country in that way.

7) Direct Hit! - “Welcome To Heaven”

This song makes me want to die to, you know, check. Blustering chorus, fascinating premise, and charged up while simultaneously patient/in control.

6) FIDLAR f/ The 90s - “Are You High?”

This not being on Spotify was one of the worst non-Michigan football things to happen to me in 2018. Man, I hate Michigan football.

5) Drake - “Nice For What”

- My favorite beat of 2018 (New Orleans bounce, ftw)

- My favorite release of 2018 - Drizzy said it would drop on a Friday - We were thinking morning or midday (not late evening, in the last remaining hours of the day, when were were faded and had waited so long it was almost forgotten -- it hit perfect) - On top of that, he also sampled Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” -- the same week Cardi B did the same -- with even more pulsating results - I will always interpret that as a real or sneak diss, yet no one I know has ever said anything

- My buddy Josh sent a selfie vid of him and his girl and some friends bopping to it; I’ll remember that forever; the moment felt like such an event, as if the world simultaneously celebrated at such an atypical time

- Drake deserves 30% less credit for this female empowerment anthem because of the “these hoes” sample

- Maybe a Top 5 Drake song, all-time

- There is no planet, solar system, or multiverse where 2018 Drake finishes ahead of 2018 Pusha T

4) Pusha T - “The Story Of Adidon”

You are hiding a child.

Let’s not mince words: this is the No. 2 greatest diss track of all time. Pac is No. 1 -- this will not be debated. From there, Nas is DQ’d for “Ether” homophobia, annnnnnd no one else is in the realm. King Push...

- Unearthed a photo of Drake in blackface and uses it as the art for the song - Goes at Drake’s mom (”Marriage is something that Sandi never had...”) - Goes at Drake’s dad (”Dennis Graham stay off the 'gram, bitch, I'm on one”) - Outs Drake for having a child (and hiding said child!*) - Goes at Drake’s baby momma - And -- /gulp -- goes at Drake’s longtime producer 40 for having multiple sclerosis, suggesting he will not be alive soon**

He does this over “The Story Of O.J.” beat... a rather chill backdrop, all things considered.

(* - Drake responded later with the line “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world, I was hiding the world from my kid” which just isn’t cool at all but is competent enough to win some people back over; /barf)

(** - HOLY FUCK***)

(*** - much debate occurred in the aftermath regarding if Push “went too far”; I was 50-50 at the time but now am 100-0 that it was the right choice; this song is cyanide venom, so why pull back even an ounce?)

Though Drake survived -- turns out the mainstream pop boost is bigger than hip-hop beef -- he took the fattest of L’s on this one.

Really can’t decide on a lyrical ending, so I’m gonna go with two:

Surgical summer.

If we all go to hell, it’ll be worth it.

3) Spanish Love Songs - “Buffalo Buffalo”

In my head, this was gonna end up ahead of The Menzingers, but that would be like putting Greta Van Fleet ahead of Zeppelin. Spanish Love Songs were my breakout band of 2018. They released my favorite album, I saw them as an opener at Sub-T in Chicago, and I promised their bassist I’d see them in Florida at the Fest (this did not materialize). While their vocals and guitar leads sound identical to Scranton’s finest, if you listen to them as much as I did, you’ll realize they offer a sound and perspective* of their own as well.

(* - no one hates themselves more than this singer)

2) The Menzingers - “Toy Soldier”

There’s so much to be sad about these days

/that guitar intro

Followed by the best musical moment of this year: from 0:06 to 0:07 -- the ever-so-slight delay before the band blows it out. Spent a lot of time in 2018 debating if I should change my Twitter bio to “I lost my accent in the plague”. Listened to this song on the floor of the living room on my 32nd birthday; then I read “The Great Gatsby”. From there (at this point, it was past midnight), I realized this sounded like The Lawrence Arms’ “Requiem Revisited”, which was inspired by Naked Raygun’s “Soldiers Requiem”. It’s all a triangle of that perfectly fitting punk chord progression. That’s right: I am Pepe Silvia.

1) Horror Squad - “I Smoke The Blood”

Best song title of 2018. Best song of 2018.

This has 729 views on YouTube -- be the 730th.

Spotify playlist.

Thank you for reading.

[onestowatch]

Celebrate Canada Day With 15 Canadian Artists That Are Making Waves

Maple syrup, hockey, and an unending kindness towards Americans making sweeping over-generalizations are just a few of the things Canada is known for. But one of its largest and most consistent exports to this day continues to be revolutionary music. From indie rock legends and staples à la Broken Social Scene, Metric, and Arcade Fire to top-charting pop and hip-hop via Drake and The Weeknd, Canada has established itself as a veritable breeding ground for some of today’s most interesting artists.

So, in celebration of the Constitution Act of 1867 that united the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single dominion, we hand-picked 15 of our favorite rising Canadian acts who are poised for massive things.

Jonah Yano

Jonah Yano came out of seemingly nowhere to deliver a spellbinding series of jazz-inspired releases, all of which culminated in a six-track EP that is utterly breathtaking. The Japanese-Canadian artist is reminiscent of artists such as James Blake and Elliot Smith, with the way he has the power to imbue his softly-spoken sonic meditations with a profound emotional weight and depth. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the aforementioned nervous, which sees Yano enlisting BADBADNOTGOOD, Nono, and MONEYPHONE, to deliver a vibe quite like no other. This is indisputably an artist to watch. 

Verzache

Toronto is certainly not lacking when it comes to talent that excels in taking typical musical conventions and twisting them to create a mirage of sound that feels wholly unique. And you need to look no further than the dance-inducing sounds of Verzache for living proof. The project of Zach Farache, the Toronto-based artist is leading and pioneering a modern experimental acoustic sound. Taking influence from the likes of Bon Iver, James Blake, and Toro Y Moi, Verzache blends experimental and acoustic elements to create a sonic space brimming with an ineffable warmth and sense of life.  

grandson

If you had any lingering questions as to whether or not punk was dead, then grandson has your answer. Emerging from Toronto, Ontario with frenetic energy and a heart-racing amalgamation of electronic and punk rock influences, grandson is so much than just an all-around exhilarating time. There is a sense of dire urgency to grandson’s anthemic music, as he touches upon some of the pertinent socio-political issues of our day. From an abhorrent lack of gun control in the US, the ongoing opioid epidemic, to political corruption, grandson’s music arrives a striking wakeup call. 

Lennon Stella

Lennon Stella may have found her start covering pop icons alongside her sister Maisy on YouTube, but it is her stunning solo work that is poised to launch her to the same icon-like status as the very artists she was once covering. Releasing her debut EP, Love, me, in fall of 2018, the succinct five-track offering cemented the Oshawa-native’s future in music. Currently racking in over eight million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Stella’s sublime pop meditations that simultaneously manage to feel larger than life yet deeply personal need to be on your radar. 

anders 

Emerging from the lush and competitive soundscape of Toronto, anders stands as one of the city’s most anticipated and acclaimed newcomers. Building on the hype surrounding Toronto’s dark R&B craze, the Toronto artist is bringing his own distinctive flair to the scene to present a sound that is as infectious as it is exceptional. It is a sound and vision realized over the course of two striking EPs, 2017’s 669 and 2018’s Twos. Beyond creating otherworldly bouts of R&B, anders has emerged as a multi-talent, creating his own imprint that has seen him broaden his horizons both in the world of music and fashion. 

Charlotte Cardin

Model-turned-singer Charlotte Cardin is easily becoming one of the most alluring voices in the world of music. The Montreal singer-songwriters blends together the worlds of jazz, electronica folk, and sultry R&B for a listening experience that never fails to draw listeners in. First coming to public attention as a contestant on the vocal competition show La Voix in 2013, Cardin has since paved out a path for herself as a serious artist demanding of the world’s attention. The singer’s critically-acclaimed debut Main Girl EP is a sonic testament to this fact, and she certainly has the live performance chops to back all of it up. 

alcordo

It’s rare for us to champion an artist with only one single to date, but that only goes to show what a rare talent alcordo is. We originally applauded the Toronto artist’s gift for R&B following the release of her debut single “No Good.” alcordo’s vocal talents are not only Ones To Watch approved but JMSN approved as well, having signed to his esteemed White Room Records. Beyond collaborating and touring with JMSN, alcordo has collaborated with Soulection and delivered a stunning rendition of Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat.” For a talent with such a strong and early start, only time will tell just what grand heights alcordo will aspire to.

Harrison Brome

James Blake-meets-The Weeknd in Vancouver native, Harrison Brome’s seductively melancholy take on pop-infused R&B. Inspired by the gloom of his hometown and the works of Motown and jazz greats such as Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and Nina Simone, Brome’s music combines exquisite melody lines with deeply somber undertones. A maverick both in his creative and business endeavors, Brome dropped out of high school right before graduating to pursue music full time, a decision he does not regret. More of a lone-wolf kind of an artist, he wrote, produced, and released the majority of his music independently. His most recent release debut EP, Body High is a four-track masterpiece that showcases Brome’s profound writing abilities, gorgeous voice, and intriguingly diverse sonic palette.  

88GLAM

Let’s get one thing straight. There’s more to the 6 than Drake. Toronto’s 88GLAM is bound to be the next big hip-hop act to majorly crossover. The rap duo comprised of Derek Wise and 88 Camino have one full-length release to their name, 88GLAM RELOADED, but it’s a living testament to the duo’s skill for delivering dark, viral-ready rap-n-b jams. Then there’s the fact that the 88GLAM has earned the attention and respect of one of Canada’s most successful acts to date, The Weeknd. Singing to The Weekend’s XO Records and already playing shows across North America, it’s only a matter of the time until The 6 adds another name to its hallowed halls of rap acts that have made it big.

Calpurnia

Calpurnia is an indie-rock band based in Vancouver. After mastering cover songs by classics like The Beatles and a having a few basement jams, the foursome decided to really dive into their own unique sound by recording originals. Fronted by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, they are perhaps best known for their success as adolescents, seeing as all members range from age 15 to 17. They may be young, but Calpurnia is composed of some of the most promising young artists in the industry. Prodigious guitarist Ayla Tesler-Mabe, bassist Jack Anderson and drummer Malcolm Craig all complete the backline. Their debut EP, Scout, got a lot of buzz and not just because of their well-known frontman. It's an easy listen and contains authentically playful energy that stems from the genuine excitement of fresh-faced musicians. Their most popular song, "City Boy" has over two-million streams on Spotify alone. Not bad at all for a first crack at releasing music.

ODIE

Nigerian-Canadian artist ODIE draws inspiration from a series of global influences across genres to create music that defies boxes and boundaries.  From Kid Cudi to Fela Kuti, ODIE’s diverse personal taste is apparent in his expert synthesis of elements from alternative rock, hip-hop, and Afro-Gospel beats, resulting in a sound that is wonderfully unique to him. The development of this distinct sound was accomplished through four years of refining his craft and catalogue before releasing any music into the world. In 2018 the young, yet incredibly well-versed 21-year old, released his debut album Analogue, garnering him worldwide acclaim and notoriety. 

Jean-Michel Blais

Jean-Michel Blais arrives at the intersection of the organic and synthetic. The classicists and the futurists. Part classical musician, part electronic artist, Blais creates enveloping works of sonic art. The Montreal artist’s instrumental works are intricately complex yet widely accessible. There is an ethereal beauty to the entirety of it, such as on the stunning debut album II. However, where Blais is arguably at his most fascinating is his when he’s at his most unconventional. His sophomore effort, Dans ma main, sees the classically-trained musician delving into the world of electronic music to compose works that feel out of place in time, belonging to no one particular era. Then there are his live performances, which are nothing short of mesmerizing. 

So Loki

Vancouver’s So Loki is easily becoming one of Canada’s most interesting rap outfits. Comprised of rapper Sam Lucia and producer Geoff Millar, the duo takes a unique avant-garde approach to the genre. Having made a name for themselves in the Vancouver scene over the last few years, so loki is poised to bring their experimental and infectious hip-hop to the world’s stage. Their full-length debut, 2017’s Shine, earned them widespread critical acclaim from some of the world’s leading tastemakers in the world of underground hip-hop–Complex, Noisey, Red Bull just to name a few. And So Loki just keeps getting better, as we bore witness to in their stunning sophomore effort, 2018’s Planet Bando.

Homeshake

Hailing from the Canadian metropolis of Montreal, Homeshake is the current project of singer-songwriter Peter Sagar. Sensual, honest and brilliant with wordplay, Homeshake is the ultimate chill R&B vibe. The tracks are simple and oh-so-pleasing to the ear, melting vocals together with clean guitar licks and sampled sounds. The artist’s latest, Fresh Air, features 14 sultry songs that compliment each other while standing completely on their own as well. Homeshake's DIY sound makes the listening experience distinct and memorable. Homeshake brings sex appeal and an alternative take to R&B to the table, perfectly executing the living room aesthetic that just can't be faked.

Allie X

Toronto’s Allie X is crafting pop music with an artistic flair that just cannot be ignored. Influenced by her theatrical experimentation, all of Allie X’s efforts to date have been indelible works of pop magic that hint at a greater form of art. Take CollXtion 1 and CollXtion 2, the artist’s first two EPs in a series of works, which are actively defining what an album release looks like. Or the persona of Allie X herself, which blends a gothic and pastel aesthetic to deliver something that goes beyond just the music. Undeniably haunting and stylistically crafted, Allie X is the future of pop.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-19 13 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

Arcade Fire played 'SNL' (watch); Cardi B is next musical guest

Man arrested for bomb threat that canceled The Roots' SXSW show

What's going on Sunday?

Rae Sremmurd played a surprise set at FADER Fort SXSW (pics)

Lost Weekend SXSW day 2 pics: Leikeli47, Hop Along, Tyler Childers, Hinds, more

Consquence of Sound

Jack White in 10 Songs

Pussy Riot protest Putin’s presidential victory with new song, “ELECTIONS”: Stream

Migos and Drake pay homage to Soul Train with “Walk It Talk It” video: Watch

Jack White makes live return with intimate concerts at Third Man Records: Setlist

Flight of the Conchords postpone tour dates after Bret McKenzie breaks hand

Fact Magazine

10 under-the-radar club tracks you need to hear in March 2018

MJ Cole wants you to remix his new single before it’s released

Yo La Tengo stage a peaceful protest with soothing new album There’s A Riot Going On

Inga Copeland releases new Lolina album The Smoke

Visit MJ Cole’s gin factory-turned-studio in east London

Fluxblog

To Be Lucky Once

The Sun In Your Cold World

Took Me For A Ride

At My Leisure

What Is This Force

Idolator

She’s Coming! Tinashe Announces ‘Joyride’ Release Date, Unveils Cover

PRETTYMUCH Have A Massive Pop Moment With “Healthy”

Demi Lovato Helps Q-Tip Put A Unique Spin On Elton John’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

The Driver Era Talk “Preacher Man,” New Direction & Innovation: Interview

Troye Sivan Delivers A Chic “My My My!” Performance For ‘Jimmy Fallon’

Listen to This

Mammothor -- Curse Of Time [Hard Rock] (2014)

Anna Burch - Tea Soaked Letter [Indie-Pop] (2017)

cactus? -- i don't think it's good for you to stop smoking [alternative rock / garage] (2016)

milo. -- take advantage of the naysayer [Abstract Rap] (2017)

Blu-Swing - Sunset [Japanese Jazz]

Popjustice

Saluting the artwork for PRETTYMUCH’s Healthy

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

New Music Friday: When it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist hard

Reddit Music

Cheap Trick - Surrender [rock]

I recently discovered alt-J’s “An Awesome Wave” and to say the least, I’m blown away.

The theory of the 13-year rock vs. pop cycle

Do you ever have only a particular singers part / vocal part stuck in your head, but not the rest of the song?

Kermit the Frog - Once in a Lifetime [New wave]

Rolling Stone

On the Charts: Logic Opens at Number One, David Byrne Hits New Peak

Hear Drake Drop New Verse on N.E.R.D.'s 'Lemon' Remix

See Arcade Fire Deliver 'Everything Now' Songs in 'SNL' Return

The Roots' SXSW Show Canceled After Bomb Threat

Hear Eminem's Studio Version of NRA-Slamming 'Nowhere Fast'

Slipped Disc

Maestro move: Daniel Hope adds new job

Alitalia dodges responsibility for smashed viol

Munich plans major Krenek comeback

Principal dancer is suspended after making #Metoo claims

Just in: Jonas Kaufmann takes his Otello back home

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

Spotify Kicks off Women’s History Month with the Launch of ‘Amplify,’ a New Hub Spotlighting Causes & Community Voices

Spotify’s Electrifying Concert Series “RapCaviar Live” Returns with a New Tour Lineup featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard, Lil Pump, and more

We Are the Music Makers

REQUEST: Looking to buy instrumental. music producer wanted.

pop music theory lessons, free online

With only a $100-150 budget, are studio monitors even worth it?

How to go about submitting music to blogs?

Any tips for recording/mixing hand drums?

[airadam]

Episode 124 : Trophies

"I will not lose."

- Jay-Z

Back on the road after an unscheduled absence, and now with a fully operational battle station (see my IG stories for more). This month's selection starts with a few tracks to test your audio installation, remembers 2Pac twenty-three years after he passed, and is pretty much guaranteed to hit you with at least one track you didn't already know! Let's begin...

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Federation ft. Daz Dillinger : We Ride

I've been banging this one hard for months, and it seemed like an appropriate one to start the episode with! That little pre-chorus amuses and entertains in equal measure, and gives a breather each time before Rick Rock's stomping beat comes crashing back in. This is a great tune from Federation's 2004 eponymous first album, and they rep Fairfield hard on the mic while also bringing in Daz from Tha Dogg Pound for a cosign from a veteran. One to crank your car system to, for sure!

DJ Quik : Ladies & Thugs (Instrumental)

This is far from my favourite track on the excellent "Trauma" album, but the beat fit really well here - and DJ Quik was generous enough to release an instrumental version of this album for us to hear his wicked beats taking centre stage.

Jay-Z ft. Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Static Major : Change The Game

Keeping it west coast on the production, Rick Rock is on the boards once again with what was arguably his national break-out tune. Jay-Z scooped up some of that Bay Area mob music vibe on this one, and featured two of the foremost MCs of the Roc-A-Fella roster of the time. The hook was provided by the sadly departed Static Major, and it fits perfectly. This was a big single from "The Dynasty : Roc La Familia", but didn't make anywhere near as much noise on the charts as the track that followed it on the LP - "I Just Wanna Love U". 

80s Babies ft. Chaka B : Technology

This crew is made up of Tall Black Guy on the beats and Dee Jackson AKA Shogun on the mic, and their "Sonic Music" album is somehow almost ten years old already. "Technology" and the track that follow just happen to fit together nicely, with no deliberate plan to have a tech critique theme in this section! The lyrics lament the state of the modern world when it comes to our reliance on technological solutions, with some maybe being more useful than others. TBG is dope on the beat as always, and if you pay attention you may hear a little callback to a track from his hometown of Detroit...

OutKast ft. George Clinton : Synthesizer

George Clinton was a big feature to get when this came out on "Aquemini", and I'm sure he was drawn to OutKast's outer space vibes. This was released in 1998, pre-social media and in what was almost another technological age - despite this, the themes discussed have held up surprisingly well for a track over twenty years old. As much as anything, maybe OutKast were just rapping ahead of their time!

2Pac ft. Dogg Pound, Method Man, and Redman : Got My Mind Made Up

This is one of my favourites from the over-long "All Eyez On Me" album, but the background to this one is weird. There's about half a bar of background vocal from Inspektah Deck right at the end - he actually recorded a whole verse (as did Lady of Rage) which was omitted from the final version after a mix-up when tapes were being transferred. Daz Dillinger did the production as well as rhyming on the track with his Dogg Pound compatriot Kurupt, but Dr Dre allegedly claimed it at one point. Meth and Red somehow didn't get any publishing or plaques from this track, despite being major artists at the time who contributed typically dope verses. Industry rule #4080...

[K-Murdock] & Mega Ran : Player Two (Instrumental)

The vocal version of this from "Forever Famicom" is well worth hearing, but for now you get to hear just K-Murdock's quality beat. It works in groups of three bars, so catches you a little off-balance at first! 

Blu & Oh No ft. Definite, Ca$hus King, and M.E.D : Boogie To Flex

From "A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night", we have tales of when the party goes all the way wrong and the gangsta business sets off! Oh No's beat is somehow bright and dark at once, bringing the tension, and every single guest MC brings it to the point that Blu only needs to come in with the perfectly-done hook.  

Royce Da 5'9" ft. Tre Little, Cha Cha, Cut Throat, Jah 5'9", and Billie Nix : D-Elite, Pt. II

Both parts of this mini-series to the B-side of the pretty so-so "You Can't Touch Me" once again proves Chuck D right! I actually prefer the first one overall, but it's very short and tonally wouldn't fit here. Part II is no slouch, with Alchemist on production and a host of guest MCs - the D-Elite of the title, who Royce cedes the floor to.

Reks : Forrest Gump

I'm wondering if the 2013 "Revolution Cocktail" album has been deleted - I can't find it on Amazon, Spotify, or even Bandcamp! Listen to it if you get chance because there is some serious heat on there from the Lawrence, MA veteran.

Curren$y : Billy Ocean

When the going gets tough, the tough get blunted. New Orleans' own Curren$y is on some paid rapper lifestyle business on this selection from "The Spring Collection" mixtape. Cardo and Sledgren provide the midtempo but chilled beat.

Luxury Elite : Upscale

A little vaporwave instrumental break courtesy of West Virginia's Luxury Elite, from her "World Class" album. So eighties, so good.

Tobe Nwigwe : Mo City Don Freestyle

I'm going to keep telling you how ill this Houston MC is until you believe me for real! Pure bars on this track that pays homage to the legendary Z-Ro's "Mo City Don" freestyle from his "Let The Truth Be Told" LP - which itself pays respect to the great Eric B & Rakim's "Paid In Full". Don't ever believe that real Hip-Hop isn't still alive and well in our era.

Zion I ft. Pep Love : Warrior's Dance

Back to the "Deep Water Slang v2.0" LP for a track that's motivational and bouncing at the same time - nothing less than you'd expect of this crew from Oakland, home of the Black Panthers! Fellow Oakland MC Pep Love of the Hieroglyphics family guests on here, taking half of each verse as well as the very last rhymes of the final verse. This is a salute to freedom fighters over a solid Amp Live beat.

Large Professor : Live In Stereo

This is very distinctly new-era (well, 2002) Large Pro, with the more electronic sound he started developing after the SP-1200 days that first made his name. The "1st Class" LP is Large Pro's second album, but the first to actually be released after "The LP" was shelved by Geffen and subsequently heavily bootlegged - finally surfacing in 2009.

Wretch 32 and Avelino ft. Bobii Lewis and Super N£ro : Nothing Will

This is such heat, and may well have slipped past the radar of many. Wretch 32 and Avelino are MCs who represent Tottenham heavy - at the time of this recording, Wretch being a relative veteran and Avelino the up-and-comer. A standout on the 2015 "Young Fire, Old Flame" mixtape, this tune has all MCs dropping deep quotables all over the DJ Smasherelly track, and Bobii Lewis with a great performance on the hook too. 

Pete Rock : Heaven & Earth

A gentle head-nodder from a man who has been bringing us classic production for almost thirty years now! If you like this, be sure to get the "Petestrumentals 2" album.

Nas : We Will Survive

After watching the episodes of the latest "Hip-Hop Evolution" series on the tragic beef between Death Row and Bad Boy, this track stood out for me while listening to Nas' third album "I Am". It's definitely one of the best on the LP in my opinion, with Nas speaking on his relationships with the late 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. The beat is a reflective number by Trackmasters and Jamal Edgerton, working a (cleared!) Kenny Loggins sample. This was a fitting song to end the episode with. 

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

  Check out this episode!

[noloveforned]

recommended digital releases, april 27th

a large majority of the music i listen to these days is done at work through a premium spotify subscription. the hardest part seems to be trying to remember when an album i’ve been anticipating finally comes out on whatever random friday.

i figure i’m not the only one so every friday i’m aiming to post five new releases from the past week (or so) as well as five recent releases from the past couple months that are available through spotify (and presumably the other streaming platforms).

new releases from the past week (or so):

blues lawyer "guess work" on emotional response [spotify, bandcamp] blues lawyer are made up of folks from a ton of other great west coast bands- the world, preening, and mall walk. their debut album of jangly punk has a sentimental vibe that makes me think of the cannanes.

locate s,1 "healing contest" on nicey music [spotify, bandcamp] athens, georgia songwriter christina schneider's debut album as locate s,1 is the first thing involving kevin barnes that i've really dug in awhile. the 'promo hook' for the album certainly revolves around barnes' work as engineer but it's christina's voice and songs that make the album irresistible.

janelle monáe "dirty computer" on bad boy [spotify] monáe's latest is a technicolor combination of pop, soul and rap with lots of nods towards prince, miley and #metoo.

nocturnal projections "complete studio recordings" on dais [spotify, bandcamp] nocturnal projections "inmates in images" on dais [spotify, bandcamp] nocturnal projections were a short-lived post-punk band from new zealand that recorded three singles between 1981 and 1983. the band included the jefferies brothers, graeme and peter, who would go on to form this kind of punishment in 1983 and sign to flying nun (who would also release works by them individually as part of the cakekitchen, plagal grind and two foot flame). the two new anthologies on dais records collect studio the three singles on one disc and live recordings on the second.

ruby karinto "ruby karinto" on hozac [spotify, bandcamp] the debut album from ruby karinto is a modern take on the disco post-punk of esg and the delta five featuring japanese vocals, lots of moog and absolutely zero guitars.

slightly older stuff:

nat birchall "cosmic language" on jazzman [spotify, bandcamp] nat birchall explores a blend of spiritual jazz and indian raga on a quartet recording featuring sax (birchall), droning harmonium (adam fairhall), bass (michael bardon) and drums/percussion (andy hay).

cosmic fields "shangri-la" on le pop club [spotify, bandcamp] six degrés of french labelmates here- cosmic fields share a label with satellite jockey, who share a different label with en attendant ana. once again it's psychedelic pop but it isn't as heavily retro and i hear some of the modern surf pop of bands like sea pinks.

flying fish cove "flying fish cove ep" on jigsaw [spotify, bandcamp] flying fish cover makes throwback nineties indie pop (back when the term meant something)- think tiger trap and the crabs.

david grubbs "creep mission" on drag city [spotify, bandcamp] gastr del sol made some fantastic albums for drag city in the early nineties. after the band split, both david grubbs and jim o'rourke continued on as solo artists with grubbs flying a little further under the radar. the latest instrumental album typically centers on grubbs' guitar which shifts through post rock, psych and acoustic modes. his last couple records have included the fantastic eli keszler on percussion and for his latest he's also nabbed nate wooley and his trumpet.

solid space "space museum" on dark entries [spotify, bandcamp] reissue of a 1982 cassette by two london teens that reminds me of cleaners from venus.

more 'recommended releases' posts from no love for ned

[teleindiscreta]

Democratizar la música digital

Fuente original: Democratizar la música digital Puedes ver más visitando Teleindiscreta - Las mejores noticias de actualidad, famosos, salud, belleza, cocina, motor, música y mucho más.

Después de lo más difícil, que es formar una banda, definir un proyecto, crear las canciones e imaginar la estética, llega el paso crítico. ¿Y ahora qué? ¿Cómo puedo difundir mi música sin necesitar de una compañía a la antigua usanza? En el siglo XXI los intermediarios se han redefinido y perdido buena parte de su razón de ser. Sin embargo, las tiendas digitales y las plataformas streaming (Spotify, iTunes o Amazon, por ejemplo) tampoco son accesibles para un grupo de rap de, digamos, Móstoles. Ahí es donde entra en juego EmuBands, una distribuidora de música digital que apuesta por la transparencia y la sencillez que da cabida a artistas y sellos de trap o grupos de folclore latinoamericano que quedan fuera del radar de los sellos convencionales. «Porque a McDonalds no le interesa el pincho de tortilla», dice gráficamente Enrique Santana, productor, músico y responsable de la compañía en España. En Inglaterra, este servicio ya ha sido utilizado por grupos consagrados como Glasvegas y artistas como Paul Weller, Simple Minds y Leona Lewis.

Los «royalties»

La clave del servicio es la sencillez para los artistas, que, con un único pago (de 32 a 65 euros) ya ven sus canciones subidas a las plataformas y obtienen el importe total de los «royalties» generados por ellas, sin que la compañía se quede una comisión, algo muy frecuente en otros sistemas y en los acuerdos que la mayor parte de los artistas tienen con las discográficas. «Por supuesto, cualquiera de los usuarios puede comprobar sus ventas y solicitar el pago de sus derechos correspondientes en cualquier momento, nosotros no exigimos un umbral mínimo para abonarles lo que les pertenece», explica Santana. Además, el artista tiene completa libertad para abandonar el servicio o para darse de alta con otros distribuidores, ya que el contrato con EmuBands es de no-exclusividad. Entre los tecnicismos más complicados de gestionar para los grupos de música, está la generación de códigos de barras y los ISRCs, que son necesarios para cada canción, pero que la compañía genera sin coste.

«No queremos que los grupos pongan su música en la red sin que tengan completamente claro qué están haciendo –dice Santana–. Nacimos con la idea de distribuir música de forma eficiente, asequible y sencillo tanto para artistas como para sellos», dice este productor, que aclara que su vínculo con los músicos va más allá de ser un intermediario comercial. «Tenemos abierto un canal de comunicación con los grupos para que nos consulten o nos pidan consejo en cualquier momento que les resulte necesario», explica. La compañía se presta para dar directrices en temas más concretos sobre las grabaciones o más genéricos en el caso de la intrincada industria de la música. También realizan charlas sobre el momento de la industria actual, distribución digital y asisten a ferias profesionales para presentar su modelo de negocio, como hace pocos meses de la mano de Canarias Crea en Bime, Monkey Week o Circulart en la ciudad de Medellín. «Lo que realmente queremos es favorecer la autogestión, proporcionar las herramientas para que cada artista o banda lleve su carrera en la dirección que desee y pueda tomar sus propias decisiones sabiendo lo que hace y con la seguridad de que nadie se aprovechará de ellos. A partir de ahí, estamos abiertos a colaborar en lo que podamos», dice Santana, que desaconseja otros modelos para comenzar una carrera musical. De la misma manera, tumba otro mito: «El 90 por ciento de los grupos creen que internet no genera dinero y es mentira. Lo da. Lo que ocurre es que en otros casos se lo quedaban las compañías o los artistas reciben unos porcentajes ridículos. Nosotros lo damos al cien por cien al artista. Aquí hay que hacerse algunas preguntas: ¿cómo va a ser la música en este siglo? ¿Cambia el formato pero no las etiquetas? ¿Van a seguir los artistas confiando en el mismo modelo o es hora de cambiarlo?».

Fuente: La Razón

La entrada Democratizar la música digital aparece primero en Teleindiscreta.

from Democratizar la música digital

[drippeddaily]

Album of the Year #11: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Album of the Year #11: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Artist: Kendrick Lamar

Album: DAMN.

Listen:

Spotify

Apple Music

Tidal

Google Play Music

Background by /u/King_CornShucker

As the dust settled following one of the most important hip-hop releases in recent years (2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly), all eyes were on Kendrick Lamar. This jazz and funk infused masterwork was both socio politically fierce and introspectively vulnerable, typifying Kendrick’s (familiarly) conflicting nature. The album’s strength spilled into the subsequent year’s untitled, unmastered., an EP of compiled demos originating during the recording sessions of TPAB. Together, these works established what Lamar had been working on perfecting since 2011’s Section.80. and 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city: his ability to craft a lyrically impressive body of work dense with storytelling and concepts begging for repeat-listens.

But as Kendrick said in his late-2016 interview with Rick Rubin, “It will always have some type of DNA in my music. But me as a person and just knowing who I am, I grow, I’m like a chameleon.” And nobody knew what to expect, especially after producer Syk Sense called the beats in consideration “some of the hardest shit I’ve heard.” He also described the sounds saying, “It’s not like the jazzy tape you would think, it’s like...fucking Memphis. It’s LA, it’s Memphis.” In an interview with The New York Times, Kendrick prefaced the topics he was exploring by saying, “We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.”

But all the guessing was suddenly interrupted by the March release of “The Heart Part 4”, an exciting single concluding with the line, “Y’all got ‘til April the 7th to get y’all shit together”. The day came and Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album was available for preorder. It was soon announced to be DAMN., a fourteen-track album featuring Rihanna, Zacari, and U2, as well as a talented line-up of producers such as Mike WiLL Made-It, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder.

Review by /u/King_CornShucker

The album begins(?) with “BLOOD.”, an eerie introduction where Kendrick tells a story over a mellow instrumental produced by Bēkon and Top Dawg. Bēkon’s bone-chilling vocals kick off the song, offering what seemingly comes to be the album’s thesis,

Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?

These lines carry a listener-hooking sense of mystery that leads into the story. To summarize, Kendrick is taking a walk when he encounters a frustrated blind woman who appears to be looking for something. Soon, he decides to help but is then killed by the woman as a result. This macabre climax is abruptly concluded by a gunshot. While “BLOOD.” is basically a bare-bones introductory skit, I believe it shows Kendrick’s ability to craft artistic brilliance beyond just rapping. A clip of FOX News reporters criticizing the lyrical content of Kendrick’s “Alright” epically transitions into “DNA.”, which is literally the hardest song I’ve ever heard. Kendrick begins by proudly listing both the good and bad in his history and heritage that makes him who he is. The entire first verse is an aggressive yet honest analysis of his personality and beliefs (“And I’m gon’ shine like I’m supposed to, antisocial extrovert”), as well as his current accomplishments (“At 29, I’ve done so well, hit cartwheel in my estate”). An intense, bass-heavy beat crafted by Mike WiLL Made-It carries on for the first verse until it halts into the bridge, featuring a clip of Geraldo Rivera condemning hip-hop’s effects on African-Americans. In response to the FOX News comments sampled here and previously on “BLOOD.” regarding “Alright”, Kendrick said this:

How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’

This sample paired with Kendrick’s repeating of the words, “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”, bring on an incredibly aggressive and in-your-face beat switch. Kendrick’s second verse is urgent and even angrier than his first. The passionate delivery of these apocalyptic lyrics (“Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate”, “Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way, sentence on the way, killings on the way”) gives the song the feeling of a grand finale, even though it’s basically the first song. The last line of the song is “Sex, money, murder-our DNA”, saying that these sins are in our blood. It is a very intentional moment, as it helps introduce the album's biblical theme of sin, and the punishments we face because of it. Mike WiLL Made-It reportedly created the second part of the instrumental after Kendrick rapped the second verse a capella. He stated:

Just imagine him a cappella rapping the second half of “DNA.” and I had to build a beat around that. I didn’t want the beat to just sound like a regular boom-clap, boom-clap. I wanted that shit to sound just as crazy. I wanted it to sound like he’s battling the beat.

Which he clearly accomplished. Not only one of the album’s highlights, “DNA.” is in my opinion one of the best songs of Kendrick’s discography.

The next song is “YAH.”, and the first thing we hear is the album’s debut appearance of legendary DJ and rapper Kid Capri. His inclusion gives off a classic mixtape vibe, calling to mind older eras of hip-hop.

New shit, new Kung Fu Kenny

Introduced earlier on Mike WiLL’s track, “Perfect Pint”, Kung Fu Kenny is a new nickname mentioned numerous times on DAMN. whose motif is seen in videos for the album as well as other promotion and concerts. It is inspired by Don Cheadle’s character from the 2001 film, Rush Hour 2. The most noticeable thing on “YAH.” is the sudden and drastic tone change. In contrast to the previous track’s intensity and unwavering confidence, Kendrick sounds forlorn and paranoid. Kendrick is rapping slowly and melodically over strange and smooth production by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg.

Buzzin’, radars is buzzin’, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah

This hypnotizing chorus is a bit unclear in meaning, but it seems to be about his awareness. His “radars” are detecting who is untrustworthy, which connects to the paranoid lyrics (“I got so many theories and suspicions”, “My girl told me don’t let these hoes get in my head”). “Yah” may be in reference to Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God used in the bible. In verse two he raps about struggling with temptation even though he believes God is real and curses those who are unfaithful. The repetition in the chorus could be a calling out to God for help or forgiveness. <My cousin called, my cousin Carl Duckworth said know my worth, and Deuteronomy say that we all been cursed

This is the first we hear about Deuteronomy, a book of the Bible commonly referred to by Hebrew Israelites, people of colour who believe the Israelites are their historic ancestors. Kendrick’s cousin subscribes to this belief, and we later hear him on “FEAR.” educating Kendrick on the Book of Deuteronomy, detailing the curses that await the disobedient. This is a recurring and apparent theme of DAMN, from the album and song titles to the lyrical content.

Next up is “ELEMENT.”, which reverts back to a style more reminiscent of “DNA.”.

New Kung Fu Kenny! Ain’t nobody prayin’ for me! Y’all know what happens on Earth stays on Earth!

Kid Capri kicks off another track, with some strange lines that are very recognizable at this point. He had this to say when asked about them:

To tell the truth, I never asked Kendrick the meaning of it. I said what I said and I never asked him the meaning. He told me to say that part.

I think it’s meaning is simple, saying you can’t bring anything with you when you leave Earth, whether it’s materials or relationships. When the first line of Kendrick’s verse is, “I’m willin’ to die for this shit”, following multiple repetitions of “I don’t give a fuck”, the sentiment exudes a sense of risk-it-all confidence. While the lyrical content alone on this song isn’t as conceptual as most of the tracklist, it’s still a highlight. Kendrick takes shots at his rivals and boasts his skill, sounding smooth and precise while doing it. At the end of his final verse are these lines:

Last LP I tried to lift the black artists, but it’s a difference between black artists and wack artists

His last LP To Pimp A Butterfly focused on self-love and empowering the black community. There is a much different tone on this song, where he puts his competition in their place. When asked about this line, Kendrick had this to say:

A wack artist uses other people’s music for their approval. We’re talking about someone that is scared to make their own voice, chases somebody else’s success and their thing, but runs away from their own thing. That’s what keeps the game watered-down.

James Blake, Sounwave, and Ricci Riera produced this sharp and menacing instrumental that features numerous beat changes. It perfectly pairs with Kendrick’s style throughout the song, similar to how “DNA.” sounded like a back-and-forth between Kendrick and the beat.

Kid Capri and a slowed down version of the chorus take us into the next song, “FEEL.” Another stark contrast from the song before it, this track is Kendrick’s most stripped down and painfully honest since “u”. It’s a dive into the pessimistic emotions Kendrick’s feeling, performed like the mic is his therapist.

Ain’t nobody prayin’ for me

The song starts with a sad line that is heard throughout the album. Even with all of the critical and commercial accolades, Kendrick obviously has feelings of loneliness. He gives the world all his time and energy with his music, but in his position, people are still constantly asking for something. They aren’t even close enough to be real with him, let alone pray for him.

I feel like it ain’t no tomorrow, fuck the world, the world is ending, I’m done pretending, and fuck you if you get offended

If these lyrics are any indication, Kendrick is not lying when he says he has a chip on his shoulder. During both verses on “FEEL.”, Kendrick denounces the world, going so far as to condemn his family and friends. Like “ELEMENT.”’s lyrical content, what you hear is what you get, with not much interpreting needed. But that is only to it’s benefit.

I feel like this gotta be the feeling where Pac was, the feeling of an apocalypse happening but nothing is awkward

Tupac, one of Kendrick’s biggest influences and role models, has shared the same feelings of depression, frustration, and paranoia that are expressed in “FEEL.”. He even had predictions of disaster and bloodshed at the end of Kendrick’s last album, from an interview which Kendrick said had “answers for today’s time and age”. The beat on “FEEL.” was produced by Sounwave, and features bassist Thundercat who appears on “LUST.” as well. Sampling Loopmasters' royalty-free Organic Future Hip Hop sample pack, it is a relatively simple instrumental. However, it captures the mood Kendrick was in lyrically, and is a perfect platform for him to vent over.

“LOYALTY.” is next, a radio-friendly song featuring Rihanna. It is sequenced well in the tracklist, as it is a very light track between two of the most heavy. They rap about loyalty, a quality shown to be very important to Kendrick through his career. Not only does he make sure those he surrounds himself with are trustworthy, he has made himself a good example of the trait. He is still with his fiancee, Whitney Alford, a woman Kendrick’s been dating since high school.

Tell me who you loyal to, is it anybody you would lie for, anybody you would slide for, anybody you would die for? (That’s what God for)

Kendrick said this release would be about God, but also exhibits a sense of being done with religion earlier in the album. We hear him sneak a line nearing the end of “LOYALTY.” that reminds us of Kendrick’s loyalty to God. To quote 2016’s *untitled 01”:

I made *To Pimp A Butterfly for You, told me to use my vocals to save mankind for You, say I didn’t try for You, say I didn’t ride for You

The beat was made by Terrace Martin, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg. Bruno Mars’s song “24K Magic” is the sample, which DJ Dahi decided to reverse, change key, and add a third harmony to. It feels uplifting while still sounding slightly eerie and fitting in with the recurring “reverse” theme. While “LOYALTY.” is, in my opinion, the least interesting song on DAMN., it still has a lot going for it and definitely does not warrant a skip.

Bēkon kicks off another song, “PRIDE.”, a hypnotically depressing highlight of the album.

Love’s gonna get you killed, but pride’s gonna be the death of you and you and me and you and you and you and me…

Kendrick raps in this song and throughout the album about his difficulties with putting trust and love in people. But as he’s said in the past:

When are we gon’ understand we are put on earth to love?

He believes in the importance of love, but recognizes people will take advantage of this and hurt you. This 20-second intro is saying it will harm you in the flesh to extend love, but the original sin of pride could lead to damnation and the death of the spirit. Another chillingly honest track, Kendrick goes through his and the world’s imperfections, as well as the pride that’s making Kendrick bitter and numb towards people. His vocals change pitch throughout the first verse, perhaps to capture the out-of-body numbness he’s describing. The chorus of “PRIDE.” appears to be an admittance of his lack of love and empathy for others. He is cold the to the world because of his ego. As he raps about in the second verse, pride isn’t allowing him to own up to his own mistakes, so he blames others. The idea of “a perfect world” is hypothesized, and at the end of the song, Kendrick raps:

See, in a perfect world I’ll choose faith over riches, I’ll choose work over bitches, I’ll make schools out of prison, I’ll take all the religions and put ‘em all in one service, just to tell ‘em we ain’t shit, but He’s been perfect, world”

A perfect world would be completely fabricated because people will always sin. Kendrick puts God as the focal point once again, saying He is only thing people should strive for, as God is free of sin. Steve Lacy of The Internet produced the beat for “PRIDE.” on his iPhone using GarageBand. Another example of questionable production choices that lead to a sound working perfectly for Kendrick’s performance and subject matter.

“HUMBLE.”, the lead single of DAMN., is the complete antithesis of the last song. The slow, cold sound of PRIDE is opposed by the loud, quick flow of HUMBLE, with the music video even including imagery of fire. The title of the track is an interesting choice, because the lyrical content of the verses is very braggadocious and prideful. When asked by Rolling Stone if the chorus of the song (which repeats the command, “be humble”) was directed at himself, Kendrick responded:

Definitely. That’s why I did a song like that, where I just don’t give a fuck, or I’m telling the listener, “You can’t fuck with me.” But ultimately, I’m looking in the mirror.

Even with a party-friendly banger like this one, Kendrick pays attention to detail. Thematically “HUMBLE.”’s lyrics fit in with the other tracks, but in terms of tone, are a wild and boastful deviation from the majority of DAMN.’s eeriness and pessimism. The instrumental, originally meant for Gucci Mane, was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It. It features a driving, menacing piano and trap drums. After recording the song, it was agreed that it would be released on Mike WiLL’s album, Ransom 2, but Kendrick was convinced by others to keep it. It’s a good thing they did, because ���HUMBLE.” is still a memorable and recognizable moment on the album.

“LUST.”, the second song named after a deadly sin, comes next. It is an examination of of lust, and critique of those living for themselves and falling into a cycle of sin.

I need some water, something came over me, way too hot to simmer down, might as well overheat

The first line in the song shows the lustful feelings (or thirst) Kendrick has. But it also introduces the spiritual side of the song. Reminiscent of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” from good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick is using the need for water to symbolize man’s need for God. Verse 1 documents the daily routines of a man and woman and their vices. Kendrick’s delivery intentionally makes the events sound uninteresting and repetitive, in a “Groundhog Day”-esque cycle of trivial living. The second verse delves into an unexpected point of view. He criticizes those who were initially outraged about Trump’s inauguration for eventually accepting it and being silent. The bridge immediately after connects this to the theme of lust.

Lately, in James 4:4 says “Friend of the world is enemy of the Lord”

Kendrick quotes a bible verse to illustrate that accepting worldly ways and seeking worldly things is to reject God. The incredible instrumental was made by Toronto jazz and hip-hop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, Sounwave, and DJ Dahi. It’s smooth yet intense, and features a reverse drum sound similar to “Vibrate” by Andre 3000, a song with very similar subject matter.

“LOVE.” comes next, and is another contrast to the track before it. It is a relaxing and easygoing jam that is welcomed after the steamy and urgent nature of “LUST.” It features Zacari, a newcomer who was on both Ab-Soul’s and Isaiah Rashad’s latest albums. His vocals compliment the beat, making for one of the most enjoyable choruses or hooks on the album. The lyrical content is relatively simple, much like the other singer-assisted song on the album. It is Kendrick rapping melodically, most likely about his fiancee. The main producer was Teddy Walton with additional production credits to Greg Kurstin, Sounwave, and Top Dawg. Easy to digest and vibe to, “LOVE.” is a much-needed rest from the heavy substance in the tracks surrounding it.

After this comes “XXX.”, which features Irish rock legends U2 and production from DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Top Dawg. One of the most captivating moments on DAMN., it is a three-parted rollercoaster of a song. Kendrick had this to say in an interview with Zane Lowe regarding the song.

It’s an idea of complete chaos and madness. Organized madness and controlled madness; us trying to control this madness.

It begins with Bēkon introducing one of the song’s topics: America. Then, Kendrick offers two analogies.

Throw a steak off the ark to a pool full of sharks, he’ll take it. Leave him in the wilderness with a sworn nemesis, he’ll make it.

Both are images of hunger and temptation, with the second line referencing the story in the Book of Matthew where Jesus, who had been fasting for forty days, is tempted by the devil. It is interesting to think what this imagery metaphorizes in the context of the song’s message of America’s controlled chaos and corruption. Kendrick then uses “Johnny” to personify youth in America that fall into temptation and end up in violence. This point of the song might be the most experimental on the whole album, with the beat cutting out in moments and old school hip-hop sound effects. The beat then explodes into the second part, which features sirens and heavy breathing to help visualize the rage and chaos present in Kendrick’s verse. It’s about a man whose only son was killed and calls Kendrick in drunken desperation for advice and closure. Kendrick, even though his “spirit do know better”, tells him that he would seek revenge. After the phone call, Kendrick attends a convention to talk about gun control. It is an admittance of hypocrisy, reminiscent of 2015’s “The Blacker the Berry”. In my opinion, the storytelling on this verse is more vivid and powerful than any Kendrick’s ever done. The last part of the song is relaxing and takes a broader view of the topic with an analysis of America. The beat has live sounding instruments and sounds of birds in the distance. Bono sings a bit of an esoteric chorus that concludes the track. This song is absolutely a highlight and one of Kendrick’s bests.

Speaking of highlights, “FEAR.” comes next. It begins and ends with the phone call Kendrick referred to in “YAH.”. His cousin Carl Duckworth speaks to him of his and other Hebrew Israelites beliefs, stemming from Deuteronomy 28. People of this belief commonly use this passage to explain why minorities like Africans, Latinos, and Native Americans have dealt with such hardships like slavery, poverty and disease. The inclusion of this is interesting as Kendrick doesn’t explicitly say he subscribes to this belief. I think the general message of God cursing us for our lack of faith is one Kendrick believes in, which is why it is such a central theme on the album. The concept of the song is simple, but the execution is incredible. Each of three verses has Kendrick taking the perspective of himself dealing with fear at ages of 7, 17, and then 27. At the age of 7, Kendrick felt fear from his mother’s severe threatenings. At 17, his fear was death, as the verse follows Kendrick going over hypothetical scenarios where he dies. Finally, at 27 (which happens to be the year he released To Pimp A Butterfly) his biggest fears were losing his wealth, being judged, and being forgotten. Verse 4 very neatly wraps everything up, and could have easily been the last verse on the album. He alludes to many of the song titles on the album, and summarizes his emotions as of late. The instrumental crafted by The Alchemist is, ironically; considering the song’s name, the most chill on the album. A faster version of it was momentarily present on “The Heart Part 4”. The bassline and background vocals brilliantly compliment the emotions in Kendrick’s storytelling, making for one of the best tracks on the album.

“GOD.”, which is in my opinion the strangest and most unexpected song on the album, comes next. It features a pretty simple beat by Ricc Riera, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Cardo, Bēkon, and Top Dawg. On surface level, the song is basically a reminiscent, confident Kendrick going through his accomplishments. It has a spiritual tone of self-love and being above worldly things. But it’s eerie undertone mixed with the repeated line, “This what God feel like!” gives off a story of Lucifer vibe, which would connect to the theme of sin and pride found throughout the album. Regardless, “GOD.” is a very interesting song and one that has grown on me especially.

Concluding the album at track 14 is “DUCKWORTH.”, which is the last name of Kendrick Lamar. Originally titled, “Life is Like a Box of Chicken”, it plays as a sort of climax to the album. It’s top notch storytelling over soulful, ever-switching production of 9th Wonder. It begins with Bēkon just like “BLOOD.” did, which could play into the famous (or infamous) “reverse theory”. This theory suggesting the album has a different story (or “feel” as Kendrick said) when the tracklist is reversed lead to the recent release of *DAMN. COLLECTOR’S EDITION.”, which features, well, a reversed tracklist. The sample, Ted Taylor’s “Be Ever Wonderful”, takes us into the first verse. To summarize the story, Anthony, AKA Top Dawg, planned to rob a KFC. “Ducky”, who is Kendrick’s father, worked at this KFC and decided to give Anthony free chicken and extra biscuits. This decision caused Anthony to let him slide, which leads Kendrick hypothesize what could have been. This generosity caused a butterfly effect where Kendrick, Anthony, and Ducky “meet inside recording studios where they reaping their benefits”. It is a powerful, true story which beautifully encapsulates the message of the album. Kendrick’s hypothetical storyline where Ducky is too weak to be generous and Anthony kills Ducky out of wickedness leads to all of their demises. A gunshot is played which is followed by the sound of the album being reversed to the first track. It gives the album a cyclical nature, similar to that of “good kid, m.A.A.d city”.

To conclude, DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar is an extremely dense work of art, which justifies it being possibly my most listened to album ever (wow that sounds weird). Many people seem to consider it to be a poppy downgrade from To Pimp A Butterfly but I couldn't disagree more. While I might prefer TPAB musically, I would argue that there is just as much, if not more artistic depth to DAMN.. It is a ghostly, brooding, intense, honest, and artful installation to what is, in my opinion, one of the best discography runs in hip-hop. This is definitely one of the best albums of the year, and possibly the decade.

Favorite Lyrics by /u/King_CornShucker

I was born like this, since One like this immaculate conception

I transform like this, perform like this, was Yeshua’s new weapon

I don’t contemplate, I meditate, then off your fucking head

This that put-the-kids-to-bed, this that I got, I got, I got, I got-

“DNA.”

Now, in a perfect world, I probably won’t be insensitive

Cold as December but never remember what winter did

I wouldn’t blame you for mistakes I made or the bed I laid

Seems like I point a finger just to make a point nowadays

“PRIDE.”

Fear, whatever happens on Earth stays on Earth

And I can’t take these feeling with me so hopefully they disperse

Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax

Searching for resolutions until somebody get back

“FEAR.”

Life is one funny mothafucka, a true comedian

You gotta love him, you gotta trust him

I might be buggin’, infomercials and no sleep

Introverted by my thoughts, children, listen, it gets deep

“DUCKWORTH.”

Talking Points

What hidden themes/meanings did you catch in DAMN. that could’ve been intentional?

What do you think the encounter with the blind woman in “BLOOD.” represents?

What do you think about the “reverse theory” that Kendrick co-signed?

Do you think Kendrick sacrificed quality to make the album approachable to the mainstream?

Did DAMN. live up to the standards set by To Pimp A Butterfly?

Favourite and least favourite songs, lyrics, and beats on the album?

What direction do you think/hope Kendrick will take with his next album?

Artist: Kendrick LamarAlbum: DAMN.Listen:SpotifyApple MusicTidalGoogle Play MusicBackground by /u/King_CornShuckerAs the dust settled following one of the most important hip-hop releases in recent years (2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly), all eyes were on Kendrick Lamar. This jazz and funk infused masterwork was both socio politically fierce and introspectively vulnerable, typifying Kendrick’s (familiarly) conflicting nature. The album’s strength spilled into the subsequent year’s untitled, unmastered., an EP of compiled demos originating during the recording sessions of TPAB. Together, these works established what Lamar had been working on perfecting since 2011’s Section.80. and 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city: his ability to craft a lyrically impressive body of work dense with storytelling and concepts begging for repeat-listens.But as Kendrick said in his late-2016 interview with Rick Rubin, “It will always have some type of DNA in my music. But me as a person and just knowing who I am, I grow, I’m like a chameleon.” And nobody knew what to expect, especially after producer Syk Sense called the beats in consideration “some of the hardest shit I’ve heard.” He also described the sounds saying, “It’s not like the jazzy tape you would think, it’s like...fucking Memphis. It’s LA, it’s Memphis.” In an interview with The New York Times, Kendrick prefaced the topics he was exploring by saying, “We’re in a time where we exclude one major component out of this whole thing called life: God.”But all the guessing was suddenly interrupted by the March release of “The Heart Part 4”, an exciting single concluding with the line, “Y’all got ‘til April the 7th to get y’all shit together”. The day came and Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album was available for preorder. It was soon announced to be DAMN., a fourteen-track album featuring Rihanna, Zacari, and U2, as well as a talented line-up of producers such as Mike WiLL Made-It, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder.Review by /u/King_CornShuckerThe album begins(?) with “BLOOD.”, an eerie introduction where Kendrick tells a story over a mellow instrumental produced by Bēkon and Top Dawg. Bēkon’s bone-chilling vocals kick off the song, offering what seemingly comes to be the album’s thesis,Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide. Are we gonna live or die?These lines carry a listener-hooking sense of mystery that leads into the story. To summarize, Kendrick is taking a walk when he encounters a frustrated blind woman who appears to be looking for something. Soon, he decides to help but is then killed by the woman as a result. This macabre climax is abruptly concluded by a gunshot. While “BLOOD.” is basically a bare-bones introductory skit, I believe it shows Kendrick’s ability to craft artistic brilliance beyond just rapping. A clip of FOX News reporters criticizing the lyrical content of Kendrick’s “Alright” epically transitions into “DNA.”, which is literally the hardest song I’ve ever heard. Kendrick begins by proudly listing both the good and bad in his history and heritage that makes him who he is. The entire first verse is an aggressive yet honest analysis of his personality and beliefs (“And I’m gon’ shine like I’m supposed to, antisocial extrovert”), as well as his current accomplishments (“At 29, I’ve done so well, hit cartwheel in my estate”). An intense, bass-heavy beat crafted by Mike WiLL Made-It carries on for the first verse until it halts into the bridge, featuring a clip of Geraldo Rivera condemning hip-hop’s effects on African-Americans. In response to the FOX News comments sampled here and previously on “BLOOD.” regarding “Alright”, Kendrick said this:How can you take a song that’s about hope and turn it into hatred? The overall message is ‘we’re gonna be alright.’ It’s not the message of ‘I wanna kill people.’This sample paired with Kendrick’s repeating of the words, “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”, bring on an incredibly aggressive and in-your-face beat switch. Kendrick’s second verse is urgent and even angrier than his first. The passionate delivery of these apocalyptic lyrics (“Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate”, “Look up in the sky, 10 is on the way, sentence on the way, killings on the way”) gives the song the feeling of a grand finale, even though it’s basically the first song. The last line of the song is “Sex, money, murder-our DNA”, saying that these sins are in our blood. It is a very intentional moment, as it helps introduce the album's biblical theme of sin, and the punishments we face because of it. Mike WiLL Made-It reportedly created the second part of the instrumental after Kendrick rapped the second verse a capella. He stated:Just imagine him a cappella rapping the second half of “DNA.” and I had to build a beat around that. I didn’t want the beat to just sound like a regular boom-clap, boom-clap. I wanted that shit to sound just as crazy. I wanted it to sound like he’s battling the beat.Which he clearly accomplished. Not only one of the album’s highlights, “DNA.” is in my opinion one of the best songs of Kendrick’s discography.The next song is “YAH.”, and the first thing we hear is the album’s debut appearance of legendary DJ and rapper Kid Capri. His inclusion gives off a classic mixtape vibe, calling to mind older eras of hip-hop.New shit, new Kung Fu KennyIntroduced earlier on Mike WiLL’s track, “Perfect Pint”, Kung Fu Kenny is a new nickname mentioned numerous times on DAMN. whose motif is seen in videos for the album as well as other promotion and concerts. It is inspired by Don Cheadle’s character from the 2001 film, Rush Hour 2. The most noticeable thing on “YAH.” is the sudden and drastic tone change. In contrast to the previous track’s intensity and unwavering confidence, Kendrick sounds forlorn and paranoid. Kendrick is rapping slowly and melodically over strange and smooth production by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Top Dawg.Buzzin’, radars is buzzin’, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yah, yah yahThis hypnotizing chorus is a bit unclear in meaning, but it seems to be about his awareness. His “radars” are detecting who is untrustworthy, which connects to the paranoid lyrics (“I got so many theories and suspicions”, “My girl told me don’t let these hoes get in my head”). “Yah” may be in reference to Yahweh, the Hebrew name of God used in the bible. In verse two he raps about struggling with temptation even though he believes God is real and curses those who are unfaithful. The repetition in the chorus could be a calling out to God for help or forgiveness.