Best Music of February 2014

Albums-

Benji- Sun Kil Moon

Jesus guys what else can I say? My first 9/10 of the year.

DEAD- Young Fathers

Like hip-hop’s version of TV on the Radio Young Fathers have made a fantastically experimental album that combines the best aspects from dozens of genres. Spoken word, industrial, soul, and waaaaay too many others to count are mixed together as the "psychedelic hip hop boy band" calmly makes a spectacular album. 

Dialects- Snowmine

Hopping from one genre to the next Dialects is a wonderfully undeceive album. Indie-pop? Folk? Chamber Music? It doesn’t really matter, as it’s constantly beautiful, no matter what genre it wants to be. Snowmine’s Grizzly Bear covering Hall & Oat’s groove has made one of the most delightful albums made this year.

Voices- Phantogram

Phantogram’s hip-hop beats meets indie-rock has paid off in full. Voices is their strongest release yet and has one of the year’s best bangers in “Howlin’ at the Moon.”

West of Calgary- Shakey Graves

February 9^th is the date when music oriented Texans celebrate their best living blues-man. And on this Shakey Graves’ Day our man delivered some grand gifts; free-downloads of some of his best live work. Who knows what he’ll release next year…

Cosmos- Yellow Ostrich

The New York outfit’s mixing of romantic instrumentation and poisonous lyrics has never been better. Inspired by Carl Sagan as much as failed relationships, Cosmos is an unnerving but excellent listen.

Island Intervals- Death Vessel

Figures that Jonsi would show up here; Death Vessel’s newest album sounds like an American version of Sigur Ros’ excellent Valtari. Joel Thibodeau’s fantastic soprano range gives a child-like wonder to these songs and each piece is finely crafted.

E Rey- We Were Promised Jetpacks

No stage banter, no BS. WWPJ deliver a straight up rocking live album that proves they’re one of the loudest bands in the biz and a hell of a live act.

Lord Steppington- Step Brothers

Hip-hop has been taking a bit of a backseat so far in 2014, but leave it up to Evidence and The Alchemist to make an over the top and fantastic piece of boom bap. It’s as good as it is irreverent.

You’re gonna miss it all- Modern Baseball

Caffeine filed hearts rejoice, you have your album. Modern Baseball’s take on pop-punk has enough American Football emo mixed with droll observations of sexual frustration filled weekends to make even the mopiest of listeners perk up.   

Songs-

Dogs- Sun Kil Moon

Sex isn’t a theme avoided by music. It’s everywhere in fact, from teen-pop to death metal. Most of it is covered in metaphors or abstractions and even when the subject does become clearer it’s usually framed as a singular act. “Dogs” isn’t like most songs. It’s the single most emotional raw and truthful song about sex ever made. Mark Kozelek’s lyrics cut painfully deep as he recalls cheating, being cheated on, and medicating a broken heart with drugs and music. “When you lose control and how good it feels to cum/…nobody’s right and nobody’s wrong,” he sums up.

Bright- Maïa Vidal

Entrancing and seductive Vidal’s newest song is a strange combination of chamber and folk. A banjo walks behind a rising organ as Vidal sweetly sings “My parasitic heart has found a host that meets its needs.” It’s a dark and beautiful epic. 

Delorean Dynamite- Todd Terje

Look at that title. LOOK AT IT. IT’S FUCKING PERFECT. Norwegian disco-overlord Todd Terje has dropped one of the most infectious tracks of the year; driving bass lines, funky guitar, and a stream lined sound, it’s got it all. It’s unlikely that Terje has a time machine and went to the future to find this perfect piece of dance music, unlikely, but not impossible.

Daughters of Erebus- PATRICIA

One of the spookiest dance tunes made in recent memory, “Daughters of Erbus” rides a smooth keyboard line as PATRCIA fills in the rest of the song with disorienting noise. Think of it as club music for Hades.

Lonely Press Play- Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn continuous his meditations on modern technology with the lovely and romantic “Loney Press Play.” He describes the boredom of touring and missing a loved one while wasting the hours away on Skype or youtube. Much like his previous single “Everyday Robots” Albarn has no need to stick to one genre, staccato violins, gliding piano, and clacking percussion all combine for another winner. 

love lo(ve)-fi- Simon SMTHNG

The clever title rings true. The tropical and lo fidelity beat is lovely and when the laid back beat kicks in the song is absolutely blissful. Only two complaints: This needs a rapper, and it’s over far too soon.

Lawman- Girl Band

Gritty ain’t the right word. This post-punk song seems like it was infused with concrete. The grating beat might just drive you insane and, if you’re in the right mood, you’ll enjoy it quite a bit.

Thunderstruck- 2Cellos

Gimmicky? Yes. Fucking awesome? Also yes. 2Cellos don’t flip the “String cover of X” concept on its head; they simply do it better than anyone else. The blindingly fast pace of it all is enough to turn heads but the work they put into every beat shows that they’re rock-nerds at heart.

Down From the Rafters- Hundred Waters

There’s not actually much there in Hundred Waters’ new single. Nicole Miglis’ strangely pretty voice hangs like a ghost as clacking percussion and phantom synths move in nervous ways. The song doesn’t explode, but instead transforms towards the end with a shimmering keyboard line. Despite its apparent simplicity “Down from the Rafters” deserves repeat listens.

Fire-scene - S. Carey

You need a bit of calming folk right now. Don’t lie to me.

Life round here- Ellie Goulding & Angel Haze

Despite James Blake’s cold exterior his collaboration with Chance the Rapper was all laughs. Now that those two are rooming together (in what should be filmed as a sitcom) Goulding and Haze decided to make a drearier version of the Overgrown track. Goulding’s voice is great but the real draw is Haze’s verse, in contrast to Chance, Haze drops hard bars with blinding speed.  

Ronald's Dream- Filthy Frank & Friends

Well this is weird. The absurd youtube comedian (best known for sparking the “Harlem Shake” insanity) is actually a good rapper…and producer.

http://pinkguy.bandcamp.com/track/ronalds-dream

Cold day- Black Milk

Less than a year after his excellent No Poison, No Paradise Black Milk is hinting at future releases and if they sound like this…well damn. Over a Madlib like beat with grimy and swaying bass Black Milk rolls along with is ever-fantastic flow. 

Classixx - A Stranger Love (DE LUX COVER)

Classixx released a criminally overlooked dance album last year but maybe this chunk of dance floor-gold will get them more recognition. Over the best bass line made so far this year Classixx make a head bopping groove. It’s as confident as it is sexy.

Rat- Black Bell Records

Last year’s most obnoxious, and best, punk album was The So-So Glos’ Blowout and “Rat” seems to be a close cousin to those songs. Shifted vocals that slide over each other mix with the song’s pseudo-hook to become more catchy then annoying.

Rattlesnake- St. Vincent

I personally found St. Vincent’s newest album disappointing but just before its release she gave us its best song. “Rattlesnake” slithers its way through a glitchy synth line and Annie Clark talking about “taking off my clothes.” I’m down.

FKA x Inc.

Inc. released one of the most seductive albums of last year and FKA Twigs possesses both entrancing and creepy vocals, so why not put them together. It’s a gorgeously spacey song that melds some of the best aspects of both artists.

Psychic Trauma- Cloud nothings

Cloud Nothings are probably on their way towards making another critically acclaimed grimy punk album but I personally didn’t dig their last effort as much as everyone else, but “Psychic Trauma” gives me hope. The sudden beat change is whiplash inducing and the mad drumming caps off the song’s insane feel.

Be Free- King Dude & Chelsea Wolf

Yeah, this is just what Wolf’s music needed, another deep sultry voice. King Dude haunts the song like Tom Waits with voice lessons and of course Wolf weaves dark and beautiful patterns.