#album: tako tsubo

[laromp3]

Peur des filles - L'Impératrice

[knightofleo]

L'Impératrice | Voodoo?

[charlott2n]

Charlotte Genre Guide

My top 5 favorite/recommended albums from each of my favorite genres!

Stoner/Doom Metal

Master of Brutality by Church of Misery (2001)

Variations on a Theme by OM (2005)

Blood Lust by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats (2011)

Soma by Windhand (2013)

Book of Rituals by Saturniidae (2023)

Dream Pop/Shoegaze

Love Songs for the Chemical Generation by Daniel Land and the Modern Painters (2009)

The Glow by Gold Celeste (2015)

Lucid Express s/t (2021)

Daydream Twins s/t (2022)

A Fusion of Two Hemispheres by Sphere (2022)

Vaporwave

无限渴望 by Virtual Dream Plaza (2016)

一人で by desert sand feels warm at night (2019)

Soul Visioning by MindSpring Memories (2021)

Dream Desert by desert sand feels warm at night (2022)

Desert Memories by desert sand feels warm at night & MindSpring Memories (2023)

Psychedelic Pop

The Satanic Satanist by Portugal. the Man (2009)

Multi-Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra (2015)

Skiptracing by Mild High Club (2016)

Jinx by Crumb (2019)

Raw Honey by Drugdealer (2019)

Psychedelic Rock

Parachute by The Pretty Things (1970)

In the Mountain in the Cloud by Portugal. the Man (2011)

Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard (2016)

High Visceral Pt 1 by Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (2016)

Face Stabber by Thee Oh Sees (2019)

Progressive Rock

Shine on Brightly by Procol Harum (1968)

Lizard by King Crimson (1970)

Crime of the Century by Supertramp (1974)

Hope by Klaatu (1977)

blomljud by Moon Safari (2008)

Hard Rock

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1970)

The Man Who Sold the World by David Bowie (1970)

Restrictions by Cactus (1971)

Satori by Flower Travellin' Band (1971)

Pieces of Eight by Styx (1979)

Rap

Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys (1986)

3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989)

The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest (1991)

6 Feet Deep by Gravediggaz (1994)

Shade of Blue by Madlib (2003)

Funk

Hot Pants by James Brown (1971)

Fantastic Planet Soundtrack (1973)

Standing on the Verge of Getting it On by Funkadelic (1974)

Hustle With Speed by The J.B.'s (1975)

Directstep by Herbie Hancock (1979)

Jazz Rock

Chicago Transit Authority by Chicago (1969)

Aja by Steely Dan (1977)

Junta by Phish (1989)

A Thoughtful Collapse by Vathaken (2020)

Middle Hand by Tytus & The Left-Handers (2024)

Jam Band

Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky by Earthless (2007)

Summer Sessions Vol. 2 by Causa Sui (2009)

Solar Corona by The Machine (2009)

The Doomsday Machine by Electric Moon (2011)

299 by Bull of Heaven (2013)

Disco

I Remember Yesterday by Donna Summer (1977)

Dazzle by Dazzle (1979)

Hills of Katmandu by Tantra (1979)

Tako Tsubo by L' Impératrice (2021)

Chorus by Mildlife (2024)

[vexx-ation]

365 Albums in 365 Days: 155/365

Date: Tuesday June 4th Album: Tako Tsubo Artist: L'Impératrice Released: 2021 Genre: Electronic Review: Don’t let the name fool you these bastards are French. Much like with paradigmes, though… damn can they drop a groove. If other smooth albums are butter, this is silk— it’s slick, shiny, and shimmering in its quality, just dreamlike enough to tickle your senses with a firm, grounding beat. Orchestrated like an electronic symphony, this album goes a weeeee bit crazy. I understand why all my european friends love the clubs there though because I could vibe HARD to this Favorite Track: Fou

[breezybeej]

Just practicing my lyrical analysis to prepare myself for a project. Do not mind me

There are a lot of parallels between poetry and song lyrics but there are some crucial differences as well.

One is obviously the presence of music. Some poems work wonderfully when you throw a beat behind them but many do not. The deeper you go into poetry the more you start to realize that it is a visual medium as well as a verbal one. song lyrics cannot very well play with their typography to convey ideas because it is an auditory format.

Another is delivery. Some poetry is structured so that it can only be delivered with a certain meter which influences the interpretation but you are left without vocal tone to indicate anything. Some examples in songs might be Chappell Roan's vocal 'cracks' in Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl as she constantly shifts between her head voice and her chest voice to create these desperate sounding yells to convey her intense yearning. Or the way Thom Yorke opens the song 15 Step with a severe mumble and almost a whimper and at the end of the song he delivers the final line crisply and firmly. We have a sense of change in the narrator of the song, our subject becoming resolute.

Now as this relates to lyricism, let's talk about what we mean. Songs do not have a lot of time to get their meaning across so we use things like vocal tone, instrumentation, and reference to speed up the process for the listener and also provide color to your canvas. I'm going to break down two examples.

Chevelle is a hard rock band known for their cynical lyrics. One of my absolute favorite songs by them is Hats Off to the Bull. Before we even listen to the song, what does that bring to mind?

"Hats off" is a phrase typically used to signify that you are showing respect to someone, often when they had no chance but tried their best. In what situations would this apply to a bull? We have two major sports that fit: Bullfighting and Rodeos. Either one works here so I'll go with fighting.

We already have the thesis of the song. The bull can never truly win. It is trapped by the spectacle of the sport. Even if he defeats the matador, he faces more fights and ultimately slaughter (for the record, I am speaking to the common layman conception of bullfighting, there are many traditions and nuance). A "hats off" to the bull is acknowledgement that he fought as hard as he could despite having no hope for success. Winning the battles, losing the war etc etc.

And if we listen to the song, yeah that's the feeling they explore. And the delivery of the line is harsh, strained, it's *angry*. It makes you feel like the singer is watching this Injustice and cannot do anything about it aside from salute the bull for trying its best despite its hopelessness.

That is a single line as the title of the song and the first line of the chorus. it carries so much meaning and emotion while being five single syllable words. it carries that meaning by referencing an activity many are at least generally aware of and the common gesture of removing your hat in respect. it is not a difficult set of dots to connect but it is very well crafted so that you can connect those dots and also save some words for the lyricist.

Next up is the song Submarine by L'imperatrice.

If we try the same analysis, we look at the word submarine and think pressurized vessel deep underwater. Doesn't really tell us much because it's just one word. But wait, what is the album? Tako Tsubo, which is a stylizing of the term Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy or broken heart disease. Combined, maybe we are dealing with what happens when a pressurized vessel ruptures?

Pretty close. They don't talk about the actual rupture, just the idea of having this pressurized shell that the world sees without knowing what's going on inside.

So we have a song about the social pressure to not express yourself whenever you are sad (or any other non-happy emotion) and also the pressure that builds up inside you as a result of that. We are looking at a situation where people are turning themselves into pressure vessels that could erupt catastrophically. That last part is never said directly in the song but keep that submarine terminology in mind because nowhere in the song is the word submarine said.

Rather, every line of the chorus *rhymes* with submarine which primes you to think about the title in relation to the lyrics, it primes you to make that imagery yourself. The song also does not talk about the consequences of too much pressure building up, you have to know that is a risk with submarines.

Building on that, most of the verses are sung in a reserved kind of low-key tone. these are the lyrics that discuss vulnerabilities and feelings. When we get to the chorus, there is a shift to what almost sounds like the singer is straightening her back and projecting confidence as she sings about having this strong outer shell that's not revealing any emotions. The doubling of her vocals is also more prominent here which makes it sound like multiple people are expressing the same idea. After all, she says at the beginning of the song that everyone shares that same view, they only show what they want to. This projected confidence in the chorus with the vocals layered on top of themselves conveys that same idea. Everyone is saying this to themselves.

Another aspect of the submarine is that it is a lonely vessel. Once you are underwater and inside this capsule, you can't very well invite someone else in. The inherent loneliness of how society handles sadness is present here. Am I the only one who was born to be blue? it feels like that because everyone else is hiding their sadness so you feel like you are the only sad person.

My favorite part of the song plays directly into all of these feelings together when the chorus ends. That projected confidence comes through with the line "I don't need to say goodbye" and it instantly collapses when she asks the genuine heartfelt question with a waver in her voice "do I?"

Once again, we have very straightforward concepts and they are very easy to interpret because the lyricist and the musicians structured their song very well to deliver them and make them digestible to the listener. You don't have to try hard to pull these concepts out because they did a good job writing them. They are also able to impart nuance to this theme by leaning on reference and tone. not only can you grasp the song but you can also do deep readings and still pull information out. it is simple and complex.

Both of these examples could work as poetry but it is the instrumentation and delivery that gives them deeper color in the same way that many poems could not just be translated to songs specifically because you would have to come up with your own tone and instrumentation which would recolor what is on the page.

With this in mind, I'm curious to see if any of these things are explored in the tor/tur/ed po/ets depar/tme/nt. since people hail TAS as a great lyricist, I anticipate being able to tease out some of these differences in her upcoming work. I suppose we'll see. yeah, it's probably unfair to go into an album with predetermined expectations, I'm not demanding that this album work in this space but I do expect to be able to perform a similar level of analysis on it.

[popsixsquishcicerolipschitz]

Matango (1963) - Trailer

Media Graveyard

Also known as "Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People"

fatmagic:

The Extras - Circular Impression - 1981

WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA - Momotaro

水曜日のカンパネラ

@wedcamp

L'Impératrice — Tako Tsubo (Full Audio Album)

L'Impératrice (* The Empress)

@limperatrice4277

Peak Min Pit

ruin821

ineskhalsa:

Cher - Hell On Wheels

Cher

فوازير ”حول العالم“ ׀ شريهان 87 ׀ اليابان

ماسبيرو دراما

[rubyfire777]

personal update 9.2.2023 🌦💕☔

good things that happened this week:

night walk with lilith sunday night :) it was really nice out

mall hangout with my love 💓💘💕 i got us smoothies and she got us pretzels. we got our arcade rhythm game fix (she liked the new music diver cab!), made a plushie mothman friend, found a gift for a close friend of hers shes meeting soon after knowing for years, and just generally goofed around together. i also got her an early birthday present, the earth pony posey :)

got a surprise extra day off right when i needed it

movie date watching the new tmnt with lili!! 🐢

really good interview at a job im excited about... still havent heard back but i feel really good about it. fingers crossed!

watched who framed roger rabbit with quint for movie night! always so fun to watch stuff with him where hes fascinated by the actual creation of the work. it makes me smile

i had a roller coaster tycoon (specifically openrct2) hangout with cel! id never played before and it was really fun, playing it and hearing her talk about it

pizza and bowling night with lilith and darren :)

brunch with my wife! we both tried something new and it actually was not that good lol but it was a good conversation and a nice pick-me-up

got through a tough week

new art experiences this week:

albums:

the dream (raito, 2017)

moon dance (raito, 2016)

tako tsubo (l'impératice, 2021)

damn whøre (damn whøre, 2014)

movies:

teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem (2023, dir. jeff rowe)

games:

roller coaster tycoon 1 / 2 / openrct2

[caelstyx]

Thank you @yellghoul <3 ily

1. picrew game

my hair is so large it cannot be contained by this picrew

2. shuffle my on repeat playlist and post the first 10 tracks

I only listen to OST or entire albums while I draw or work and the ones that currently fit the vibe of the stuff I'm writing is L'Impératrice — Tako Tsubo and Stardew Valley's winter music.

3. this questionnaire:

Tea, coffee, or soda?

Tea. And sometimes coffee, as an aesthetic.

Dogs or cats?

CatDog

Can you play any instrument?

The days of playing piano are over.

What's your sun sign?

Virgo

First song lyrics that pops into your head?

My mind in quarantine body made of plasticine I don't need to say, goodbye, Do I?

Do you have any tattoos?

naurrr

Favorite place you've travelled?

costa rica :'(

What's the last movie you've watched?

puss n boots

What languages do you speak?

ingles and spanish

Do you have any hobbies?

naur

You can hang out with one fictional character for an hour, who do you choose?

vilanelle <3 she can fix me

tagging my bestie @phantomqueen

[chrisryanspeaks]

L’Impératrice Unveils ‘Pulsar’: A Bold Fusion of Global Sounds and Electrifying Dance Anthems

The emerging band L’Impératrice recently unveiled their upcoming album Pulsar, set to release on June 7th through Microqlima. This album marks a vibrant journey through genres they adore, seamlessly blending hip-hop, kosmische, and contemporary pop. This release is particularly notable for its bold incorporation of French Touch and international house music. Pulsar is also the first of their albums to feature guest artists, including folk/pop singer Maggie Rogers and rapper/producer Erick the Architect, among others. Concurrently, they released the new single “Danza Marilú (feat. Fabiana Martone),” a spirited tribute to Italo-disco, celebrating the freedom of women of all ages on the dance floor. In anticipation of their sold-out shows in New York City and their forthcoming appearances at Coachella, the band released an animated video for the single, created by Arthur Sevestre. Known for their electrifying live performances at major U.S. festivals such as Coachella, Outside Lands, and Austin City Limits, L’Impératrice has rapidly grown a dedicated fanbase, with over 45,000 tickets sold for their upcoming international tour this fall. The single “Danza Marilú” follows “Me Da Igual,” encapsulating a sensual vibe with its catchy Spanish title. These early releases from Pulsar offer glimpses into the album’s diverse and global influences, a continuation of their international tours promoting their 2021 album “Tako Tsubo.” Pulsar is a fully self-produced record that embodies the essence of L’Impératrice both on and off stage. The album exudes the energy and wisdom of a band experienced in igniting dance floors worldwide, finding its unique voice along the way. Vocalist Flore Benguigui passionately delivers messages of self-empowerment and challenges societal norms like beauty standards and ageism, aligning perfectly with the album’s vibrant anthems. While crafting the album, L’Impératrice experimented with a novel approach by dividing into two dynamic teams to foster creativity, a strategy spearheaded by the band’s founder, Charles de Boisseguin. This method allowed for a richer collaboration, drawing on the diverse backgrounds and passions of its members. Benguigui, a seasoned jazz vocalist, often explored numerous vocal melodies per track to find the perfect fit, illustrating the band’s commitment to their craft. This collaborative and explorative process took about nine months from inception to recording, reflecting the band’s autonomy and artistic vision. By embracing diverse languages, perspectives, and territories, with enjoyment as their guiding principle, Pulsar stands as a joyful declaration from a band eager to express themselves authentically. Check out “Danza Marilù” below: Read the full article

[audiofuzz]

L’Impératrice Unveils ‘Pulsar’: A Bold Fusion of Global Sounds and Electrifying Dance Anthems

The emerging band L’Impératrice recently unveiled their upcoming album Pulsar, set to release on June 7th through Microqlima. This album marks a vibrant journey through genres they adore, seamlessly blending hip-hop, kosmische, and contemporary pop. This release is particularly notable for its bold incorporation of French Touch and international house music. Pulsar is also the first of their albums to feature guest artists, including folk/pop singer Maggie Rogers and rapper/producer Erick the Architect, among others. Concurrently, they released the new single “Danza Marilú (feat. Fabiana Martone),” a spirited tribute to Italo-disco, celebrating the freedom of women of all ages on the dance floor. In anticipation of their sold-out shows in New York City and their forthcoming appearances at Coachella, the band released an animated video for the single, created by Arthur Sevestre. Known for their electrifying live performances at major U.S. festivals such as Coachella, Outside Lands, and Austin City Limits, L’Impératrice has rapidly grown a dedicated fanbase, with over 45,000 tickets sold for their upcoming international tour this fall. The single “Danza Marilú” follows “Me Da Igual,” encapsulating a sensual vibe with its catchy Spanish title. These early releases from Pulsar offer glimpses into the album’s diverse and global influences, a continuation of their international tours promoting their 2021 album “Tako Tsubo.” Pulsar is a fully self-produced record that embodies the essence of L’Impératrice both on and off stage. The album exudes the energy and wisdom of a band experienced in igniting dance floors worldwide, finding its unique voice along the way. Vocalist Flore Benguigui passionately delivers messages of self-empowerment and challenges societal norms like beauty standards and ageism, aligning perfectly with the album’s vibrant anthems. While crafting the album, L’Impératrice experimented with a novel approach by dividing into two dynamic teams to foster creativity, a strategy spearheaded by the band’s founder, Charles de Boisseguin. This method allowed for a richer collaboration, drawing on the diverse backgrounds and passions of its members. Benguigui, a seasoned jazz vocalist, often explored numerous vocal melodies per track to find the perfect fit, illustrating the band’s commitment to their craft. This collaborative and explorative process took about nine months from inception to recording, reflecting the band’s autonomy and artistic vision. By embracing diverse languages, perspectives, and territories, with enjoyment as their guiding principle, Pulsar stands as a joyful declaration from a band eager to express themselves authentically. Check out “Danza Marilù” below: Read the full article

[thebowerypresents]

Ahead of Album Release L’Impératrice Bring New Music to Sold-Out Racket

L’Impératrice – Racket – April 9, 2024

L’Impératrice are one of those bands that feel like a secret. I imagine there were some people looking around the very sold-out Racket on a Tuesday night wondering how everyone else was also in on it, but once the music started, there was clearly no way to contain the word on the French indie-disco band. In fact, this was the first of two sold-out shows in NYC this week, with two more dates at the much bigger Terminal 5 in September, one of which is already sold out.  

The band took the stage promptly at 9: six members on guitar, bass, drums, a pair of keyboards, all fronted by lead singer Flore Benguigui, all wearing light-up medallions flashing to the music as they dropped into “Cosmogonie.” It would be one of several songs featured on their upcoming LP, Pulsar, due out in June, the first of many crowd-quaking beat drops almost immediate, Benguigui’s French vocals echoing as she did an old-school robot dance to the pulsing rhythms and throwback synthesizers from bandleader Charles de Boisseguin. 

Other tracks off the new album included singles “Me Da Igual,” with its dreamlike groove, and the just-released “Danza Marilù,” featuring some melodic twists and a grandiose bridge. “Peur des filles” (translation: afraid of girls), off their 2021 album, Tako Tsubo, was a cross between Funkadelic and Madonna with threatening pink strobes and a dark funk. 

“Heartquake,” a standalone single from 2023, showed the range of their sound with nifty tempo changes leading to a driving rhythmic close. In the crowd it was just a continuous dance party, most songs flowing one into another, in particular, a slick exchange from “Voodoo?” — with Benguigui repeating the English lyric “Can I resist this?” — into “Submarine” without missing a beat. Before they knew it, it was the last dance, the set closing with another new song, “Sweet & Sublime,” complete with some low-end synth bombs that rattled the walls of the club and maybe beyond, the felt-by-all call of the worst kept secret in town.  —A. Stein | @Neddyo

(L’Impérartrice play Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.)

(L’Impérartrice play Union Transfer in Philadelphia on 9/6.)

(L’Impérartrice play Terminal 5 on 9/7.)

(L’Impérartrice play Terminal 5 on 9/8.)

Photos courtesy of Toby Tenenbaum | @TobyTenenbaum     

[albumoftheday-versary-town]

today's album of the day is Tako Tsubo by L'Impératrice

[naschhase]

L'Impératrice — Tako Tsubo (full audio album)

[frank-pool]

My 50 Favorite Albums Of 2021:

50. slowthai - TYRON

49. WILLOW - lately I feel EVERYTHING

48. Turnstile - GLOW ON

47. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

46. serpentwithfeet - DEACON

45. RRA - We Might Not Make It Out Alive ( @wearerra )

44. L’Impératrice - Tako Tsubo

43. Clairo - Sling

42. Zack Fox - shut the fuck up talking to me

41. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

40. Pink Siifu - GUMBO!’

39. Kanye West - Donda

38. JPEGMAFIA - LP!

37. Snoh Aalgera - TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES

36. Rejjie Snow - Baw Baw Black Sheep

35. Jonathan Ferr - Cura

34. Maxo Kream - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

33. Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

32. J. Cole - The Off-Season

31. Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8 (Sincerely, Adolf/Side B)

30. Gaspard Augé - Escapades

29. Madlib & Four Tet - Sound Ancestors

28. Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime

27. Lord Apex - Smoke Sessions 3

26. Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future

25. Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud - The Plugs I Met 2

24.  Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning

23. Erika de Casier - Sensational

22. Alfa Mist - Bring Backs 

21. Black Country, New Road - For the first time

20. black midi - Cavalcade

19. Amaro Freitas - Sankofa

18. Navy Blue - Navy’s Reprise

17. Joyce Wrice - Overgrown

16. Liniker - Indigo Borboleta Anil

15. Mndsgn - Rare Pleasure

14. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams

13. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - Haram

12. Wiki - Half God

11. Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti/Balens Cho

10. Boldy James & The Alchemist - Bo Jackson

9. BADBADNOTGOOD - Talk Memory

8. St. Vincent - Daddy’s Home

7. Spellling - The Turning Wheel

6. Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant

5. Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth

4. Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST

3. Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic

2. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

1. Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders - Promises

My 10 Favorite Songs Of The Year

1.  BADBADNOTGOOD - Signal From The Noise

2. Kanye West - Life of The Party (Feat. Andre 3000)

3.  Tyler, The Creator - WILSHIRE

4.  Spellling - Boys at School

5.  Genesis Owusu - Gold Chains

6.  St. Vincent - Live In The Dream

7.  Little Simz - Woman (feat. Cleo Sol)

8.  KAYTRANADA - $payforhaiti (feat. Mach-Hommy)

9. Boldy James & The Alchemist - Fake Flowers (feat. Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs)

10. Hiatus Kaiyote - Get Sun (feat. Arthur Verocai) (Album Version)

BONUS (EPs, Deluxe Editions, Live Albums, Soundtracks & Remix Albums):

Radiohead - KID A MNESIA

Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure? (The Pleasure Edition)

King Krule - You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down

Paris, Texas - BOY ANONYMOUS

Yves Tumor – The Asymptotical World EP

The Alchemist - This Thing of Ours (Vol. 1 & 2)

Jorja Smith - Be Right Back

Flying Lotus - Yasuke

Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3

Vince Staples - Vince Staples

pinkpantheress - To Hell With It

Beach House – Once Twice Melody (Chapters 1 & 2)

Nicholas Britell - Succession (Season 3 OST)

[uglyseason]

i was tagged by my dear @wouldthati to post my top 9 albums of 2021!! and because i'm an aries i'm adding commentary too lol

dawn of chromatica - lady gaga // ok chromatica for me was like a 4 star album but DAWN OF is literally the greatest album of all time. I was such a born-again gaga stan in 2021 and this album was in large part the cause. soooooo many iconic collabs on this remix album.

al mundo azul - mr twin sister // mr twin sister is my favorite band right now, i love their funky music!! their music sounds like how my gender feels

something for thee hotties - megan thee stallion // ok y'all know i am a die-hard megan fan, and i have been preaching and SAYING for like two years that we need an album of freestyles so bad, and she finally delivered. #blessed

a beginner’s mind - sufjan stevens & angelo de augustine // y'all should also know i am a die-hard sufjan fan, and i love this album dearly. there is nothing i love more than soft sufjan cooing falsetto in my ear

immediately remixes - perfume genius // am i cheating to put two remix albums on this list? i don't care though because this is another iconic, amazing remix album. huge shoutout to Planningtorock who has an iconic remix on this AND on dawn of chromatica

jubilee - japanese breakfast // what can i say, it's j-brekkie, queen of indie rock. i love her music.

tako tsubo - l'imperatrice // paradigmes - la femme // both of these are funky little french disco-inspired albums that also align quite well with my personal perception of gender

montero - lil nas x // i mean hello, he is an icon, he is a legend, and he is the moment. gay icon collabing with fellow gay icons elton john and megan thee stallion. love having this in the world.

I'm gonna tag @transbucky @zesbian @interstellarhitchhiker @cowboydotzip @grapefruitlesbian @homobeast @keneinahora to post your fave albums of the year if that sounds fun to you!! mwah

[david-gonzo]

2021 : My favorite albums released within this arbitrary construct of time.

While my list of albums barely reflects it on paper, this year was mostly about funk and pop music for me. A lot of digging into new wave-ish pop classics from the 80s, to dissect what make them tick, as well as deep mining missions into the worlds of funk. I looked to music more than ever to lift my waning spirits in many stressful troubled times this year, and while there were many cathartic death metal blasts along the way, feel good music was good for my soul.

Valerie June - The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers

Released in March this year, this album was with me nearly the whole year. The first 2 or 3 months after it came out, I listened to little else, just playing it on repeat. It truly does act as a sort of balm to my soul and puts me in a better place mentally. She puts a smoother sheen on her usual unique soul country blues blend with great results. This has jumped up somewhere high on my all-time albums list for sure.

Turnstile - Glow On

A late addition to my list, but it shot up to the top of my favorites pretty much upon first listen. Well written hardcore punk/pop songs, the whole thing is an upbeat uplifting good time. Every song is a bouncing up and down banger that makes me feel like almost like a teenager just getting into an all-ages club for the first time to dance to the music I want. It reminds me of Bad Brains in a way, but instead of the reggae jazz sounds, it borrows beats and vibes from hip hop, bossa nova and funk to a joyous effect. I’m sure many have released albums in this territory before, but I’m not sure if they were as good of songwriters as these guys are. Every song is a compact hook bomb, insidiously burrowing into your ear and begging you to give it another spin. Can’t recommend enough, just a hell of a great time album.

L'Imperatrice - Tako Tsubo

The real odd man out of my list, this excellent pop album from the French pop/funk group L’Imperatrice got a ton of summer spins from me this year thanks to luckily catching the perfect Submarine on KJHK one day. The music is finely crafted pop funk jams with clever vocals (at least what’s English, half the songs are sung in French) creating a Jamiroquai meets Cardigans, 70’s funk disco yet entirely modern sound. Just a good time album, anytime.

Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

A double album made in dedication to their recently deceased manager/best friend & their grieving process certainly made for great inspiration. Hushed and Grim has everything great about Mastodon, bonehead catchy heavy riffs, epic prog sections, top notch musicianship, great vocals and above all else great songs.

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Raise the Roof

Just like their 2007 classic Raising Sand, Raise the Roof is a magical blend of their two musical worlds to create a lovely calm place to chill out. The sound of this record is much smoother adult contemporary rather than the swamp bluegrass vibes of the last one, but it still works. The production is clean but full of depth and soul, just like their voices.

Aesop Rock + Blockhead – Garbology

Another year, another Aesop album in my top ten, no surprise there. As an album this probably wouldn’t be high on a ranking of all Aesop’s fabled albums, but it has several great top tier tracks that raises it based on the sum of all parts. Blockhead’s beats were a perfect spacious soil for which Aesop to spread his lyrical seeds.

Emma Ruth Rundle - Engine of Hell

While I had certainly enjoyed some earlier songs from her (and her album with Thou last year was really great) it wasn’t until I heard Blooms of Oblivion that I was hooked. The melodies, the details in the story of the lyrics, her performance, the simple haunting arrangement…just amazing. The rest of the album holds up in comparison to its highlight as great songs on their own, even if she does sound a lot like Tori Amos. This dark folk record grabbed me and became a real contemplative vibe for a lot of 2021’s fall for me.

Wormwitch - Wolf Hex

More great black n’ roll riffs from the Canadian Wormwitch. With this werewolf themed effort, they dip into some folk territory which adds some nice colors to what is a fairly grim, yet still fun affair. Honestly this album isn’t as good as their previous one Heaven that Dwells Within, but I still completely enjoyed it. Just a good “no thought required”, good banger of a time.

JPEGMafia - LP!

This album has a very punk rock attitude and JPEG’s lyrics are angry, intelligent, and funny all at once. The evolution of his beats is truly amazing, having achieved a sound that’s more commercial and polished while also feeling esoteric and somewhat abrasive at times. At times it almost feels like LP! Is its own genre, outside of hip hop and yet firmly planted upon its roots. Imagine if Childish Gambino did 10 more albums, each one more expansive and experimental than the last, and then that evolutionary knowledge was downloaded into another young man from Flatbush, New York and then grew into something else entirely.

Malignant Altar - Realms of Exquisite Morbidity

A last-minute addition to the list (as it was just released December 20th) this vile gore soaked debut from Texas is straight up filthy modern death metal just grabs you by the balls and knocks you in the teeth at the same time. An instant classic in my book.

Honorable Mentions: Not really that many this year, but it was another weird year where I did even more comfort listening and had a harder time getting into new music.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – I Told You So

Gatecreeper – An Unexpected Reality

Yves Tumor - The Asymptotic World

Gojira - Fortitude

Pino Palladino +Blake Mills - Notes with attachments