Deltron 3030 Shit I Should Have Listened to

                       

I’m assuming that my introduction to Del through Gorillaz is fairly common, right? I am disappointed in not delving into Del’s solo work earlier as “Rock the House” and “Clint Eastwood” are some of my favorite tracks from Gorillaz’s self-titled debut. And now, after listening to Deltron 3030, everything makes perfect sense. This completely batshit insane album stands tall as a landmark in weirdo rap.

You don’t even have to buy into the story of Deltron Zero and his rag-tag crew of space anarchists who are attempting to take down the dictators at the Bank of Time, but it helps. Del paints a world where great flows can have magical properties, killing lesser rappers and taking down the corrupt system that rules the universe in the year 3030. Over ten years since its release it still sounds futuristic. Dan the Automator and Kid Koala mix classical, soul, and industrial backgrounds to make Deltron Zero somehow believable. They could have stopped there, just making it a deeply experimental album; instead we get an album that can be as anthemic as it is strange.  Just look at the first proper song on the album “3030” which is held down by a rusty bass and sliding guitars before a freakin choir comes in and Deltron’s robotitized voice calls the chorus over a spaghetti western background. And it’s damn catchy.

3030 thrives off of making the unorthodox instantaneous. Del turns “Update your gray matter/Cause one day it may matter” into one of the album’s biggest hooks and the cartoony horns of “Memory Loss” will be ingrained in your head for days. But it’s also a flexible album, “Positive Contact” and “Virus,” the two biggest songs from the album, are more straightforward and pure hip-hop gold. Yeah Del’s still talking about alien invasions, but shit bangs.

It’s still Del’s show. He’s a national treasure and one of the most underrated MCs ever. His flow is as fast as it is engrossing and it seems absolutely effortless. Even when the world seems to be crashing down in the production Del stays cool and smooth. This is undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums I’ve heard in a long time.

Grade: A-

Relationship of Command- At the Drive-In Shit I should have listened to

                           

When going through this large list of critically acclaimed albums I knew I would stumble across a few thorns. There would be albums here and there that I wouldn’t understand the hype. I just didn’t think it would be the second album in, or that it would be from At the Drive-In. After all I think Frances the Mute is one of the best prog albums of the 21^st century (and I’ll be reviewing De-Loused later on) and I’ve been in love with “One Armed Scissor” for a while now. So why can’t I get into Relationship of Command?

Relationship of Command seems to be an album that would absolutely kill live. Cedric Bixler-Zavala delivers pure insanity through his vocals and all the instruments are charged with a strange energy. But it all seems to veer randomly from one thought to the next. Second track “Pattern Against User” has at least four distinct sections but none of them really feel connected like these pieces were messily stitched together. It sounds cool in theory, a punk band shifting from reggae grooves to math-rock interludes but it feels deeply uneven when placed side by side.

The more straightforward punk anthems can also fall flat. “Sleepwalk Capsules” never quite reaches its full potential and “Mannequin Republic” ends up being more grating than menacing. There’s also the spoken word “Invalid Litter Dept” that owns fascinating lyrics but Zavala’s delivery is so strange it becomes unengaging. Thankfully Relationship of Command does have a few excellent tracks tucked in here and there. “Enfilade” has the album’s best chorus with a massive “FREIGHT TRAIN COMMIN’!” And the thrashing “Cosmonaut” hinted at what the El Paso boys would do in future releases. Of course “One Armed Scissor” looms large above the rest of the album. It’s still one of the finest and most striking punk songs released in recent memory, filled to the brim with mad energy, a near perfect riff, and Zavala’s best non-Volta performance.

Still when it all comes down to it I’m really disappointed with Relationship of Command. I realize I’m in a tiny minority here but the whole album (many consider it one of the best rock albums of the 2000s) has issues with cohesion with only a few songs really standing tall. Definitely taking White Pony over this.   

Rating: C-

White Pony- Deftones (Shit I should have listened to)

                        

The alternative rock radio station in my hometown played Deftones occasionally, but they preferred to pool their music from Incubus, Chevelle, and Silversun Pickups. After listening to White Pony I’m surprised Deftones weren’t played more, because every damn band on that radio station owed something to the Deftones. Like a more concise version of Tool White Pony is a complex but sleek set of alternative metal tunes that’s as smart as it is heavy.

If comparing them to the Incubus-ish bands the main advantage Deftones hold is that they never let their sound be completely overtaken by one influence. There are plenty of hardcore break downs on White Pony, but there are just as many slow grooves, glitchy samples, and quiet melodic moments. A lot of this is thanks to Chino Moreno’s ever flexible vocal range, going from the straight arena shots of “Knife Prty” to the seductive verses of “RX Queen.” Stephen Carpenter never played guitar with the normal nu metal ideals, instead using its pure power, combing massive and silvery chords with Chi Cheng’s rumbling bass. Abe Cunningham is the star on the instrumental side though; he manages to be slippery yet crushing without ever making a noticeable shift. He’s never flashy but he holds everything together. Cunningham is the main reason that so many of these songs seem massive yet spacy. One second they’re beautifully drifting, the next crashing down with brutal power.

If there are any complaints here it comes from the songs that just go for the straight metal feel. “Elite” and “Korea” are fine but next to the rest of the album they come off as lumbering. “Passenger” has Tool’s Maynard James Keenan taking over on vocals, but it breaks the album’s flow, as Moreno has a different control on his vocals. It’s by no means a bad track, in fact the chorus has great vocals from Keenan, but I would have loved to hear Moreno’s version. But, geez this album is spectacular when it wants to be. The opening one-two punch is what every Alternative Metal band should try to be, guest singer Rodleen Getsic has a jaw dropping feature on “Knife Prty,”and "Change (In the House of Flies)" is one of Deftones’ most popular for a reason. The two best tracks are “RX Queen” and “Teenager” for completely different reasons. “RX Queen” holds the album’s best riff, a murky and unsettling beast of a line that holds the song’s alternatively sexy and threatening vibe together. “Teenager” is the album’s most beautiful and stands as one of Deftones’ most gorgeous songs, along with "Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event,” its hazy guitar sampling allows Moreno to deliver a tender vocal line that’s spine-tingling. For all the shit that nü-metal gave us in the early 2000s we did get some absolute stunners. White Pony might have been a single gem in a massive pile of rubble, but damn was it worth it.

Rating: B+

Shit I should have listened to

My musical acculturation didn't truly start until around 2005, and even then it was a long road before I became the obnoxious audiophile I am today. Over this year I'll be going through albums released in the 2000s that I never deeply listened to, but are held in high regard by friends or fellow music critics. Alright, get your head phones on. Time to adventure.

St. Vincent: Self-Titled discussion

                        


Nathan: Obviously this is one of the first BIG releases this year and St. Vincent has a well praised discography behind her. So what was everyone expecting going in?

Ryo: I wasn’t impressed at the singles at first, especially “Digital Witness” (I still don’t dig that song), so I was kind of worried how it might turn out. I imagined St. Vincent going all electronic, which sounded like a big gamble.

Juana: I have to admit that I wasn’t too excited about the promotional singles. Unlike Ryo, it was only “Digital Witness” the one I truly liked, since “Birth in Reverse” reminded me a lot to the “Krokodil/Grot” single that I found too messy for my taste and “Prince Johnny” is still a song I can’t fully understand. I think that in Strange Mercy she took a leap towards electronics, but with these three songs I realized that she was going to focus on her guitar and provide a suitable base for it which explains why the sound is so rough.

Marcel: For me, everything leading up to this new self-titled album of Annie Clark’s was super-great. Strange Mercy is by far one of my favorite albums of the 2010s, and everything before that was totally solid. St. Vincent sounds like a departure in Annie’s sound, she’s not doing it for the sake of being an artist anymore, she’s doing it for the popularity now. At least, that’s what I think. The songs on this LP aren’t as exciting or captivating as the ones on Strange Mercy (while i can make an exception for “Prince Johnny”, which is a track I totally love). Her sound doesn’t sound all that impressive anymore, instead it just comes off as really average art rock.

Nathan: I guess I fall between y’alls’ opinions. I enjoyed all of the singles that came out before hand but I still felt apprehensive. Unlike when “Surgeon” was released before Strange Mercy and I completely lost my shit I simply said “oh this is cool.” Despite enjoying all of the songs just fine I didn’t find any of the songs captivating and unfortunately, with one exception, the singles were by far my favorite songs from the album.

Ryo: So am I the only who's riding this album then? Before I give my thoughts on what I liked from St. Vincent, what are some things you liked about Strange Mercy that you found lacking in St. Vincent?

Juana: I wouldn’t say that I dislike St. Vincent, but I’d rather say that I expected something different coming from her. I think that’s my main problem with her new album, since it’s inevitable for me to compare it to her previous ones. I guess I’m still having a hard time trying to see how it can fit in her discography, since one of the things I most liked about her music, and especially about Strange Mercy, was how delicate and polished it was, while I think she is now rather grotesque sometimes. Strange Mercy is all about subtlety; this can be especially noticed in the guitar and how it camouflages in between the rest of the instruments.There are some moments that you may even doubt if it's a guitar what you're listening to!

Marcel: Strange Mercy was a very textured album for me, while St. Vincent on the other hand wears thin after four or five tracks. I wouldn’t say at all that I hated it, but I was just expecting something more flavorful and lively. Strange Mercy also has that flare that you look for in a St. Vincent record, and this new one from her is just very confusing a lot of the time. Another thing I loved about Strange Mercy was that it was full of blaring guitars and philosophical-like lyricism. And everything that I loved about Strange Mercy is just very toned down on St. Vincent, so you don’t really get the best experience of listening to a St. Vincent record when you’re listening to this album. Hell, I would even say that all of her three albums before this are way better than this new one.

Nathan: I agree with Marcel on this one. It’s really funny but my view/background on St. Vincent is scary similar to the way I felt towards Arcade Fire’s Reflektor. Both are groups with their starting three albums dominating my Ipod, their second album was my favorite out of the bunch, the 4th was highly praised and I didn’t like it nearly as much. Not saying it’s bad, just that Annie Clark made freakin’ Actor (sorry Marcel, I also love Strange Mercy, just not as much) and this is a significant step down. The only song here that is on the same level as some of Actor’s work is “Rattlesnake” which I really enjoyed. If she had experimented with electronics like she did on “Rattlesnake” throughout the album I think I would have liked this project a lot more. Unlike Juana I loved the hell out of “Krokodil” and I thought that she just didn’t bring much intensity to many of these songs, instead they just kind of flounder, especially songs like “I Prefer Your Love.” Seems like you’re outnumbered Ryo, but what did you like about it?

Ryo: The fact I like the self titled more might have a bit to do with the fact I’m a new fan to St. Vincent compared to you guys? St. Vincent is basically the first St. Vincent album -- not counting Love This Giant -- that I actually kept up with and got stoked for. Even then, I didn’t have much preconceptions going in. What I liked most from St. Vincent was that it was her most direct music. She speaks more face-to-face, not scared to push it too far. She speaks for herself, most importantly. And I felt the drums helped push that directness forward. I always thought her drums were an underrated part of her music -- I don’t think “Surgeon” would have hit as hard if those drums were pummeling those guitars on. So I loved that it got the shine in a song like “Birth in Reverse” and have it snake as manic and prominent as Annie Clark’s guitar solos. And I got to step in here: “I Prefer Your Love” is my favorite track from St. Vincent. Maybe it’s because it sounds a lot like a song that could be in Strange Mercy. But I love how open Clark sounds. She confesses her love to you straight up with such a certain voice. My favorite part is when she goes, “all the good in me is because of you / it’s true.” It’s the best thank-you ever. I’ve been listening to “I Prefer Your Love” every day since this album came out and I love it so much.

Juana: That’s my favorite part too, because it’s rather simple but so sincere too. Listening to “I Prefer Your Love” I could also understand why St. Vincent insists that she makes pop music, since it has a Madonna’s Ray of Light vibe. However, my favorite song of the album is “Regret”, though I’m still trying to figure out why. It has one of my favorite lines by St. Vincent: “I’m afraid of heaven because I can’t stand the heights/ I’m afraid of you because I can’t be left behind”, which, unless you try to figure out a metaphorical meaning, it’s quite absurd. But when she sings it, her voice is suddenly lonely and you can even feel its slightly tremor. As keep on listening to the album, I realized that rather than enjoying the songs, what I most enjoy are specific moments that could touch me in different ways. And so when I listen to “I Prefer Your Love” or “Regret” I wait expectantly for those lines that always have a strong impact on me as if it was the first time I hear them. Unfortunately, the album as a whole didn’t reach me emotionally. I think that as an old fan, one of the things that most surprised me about St. Vincent, is that it was joined by a change in her image. Her dark and psychotic side that used to be hidden behind an elegant and innocent appearance, is now definitely at the front. In that sense, I think Ryo is right that this could be her most direct music. But for some reason I still think that this new image and sound is too exaggerated and that to highlight it, she sacrificed her human side.

Nathan: The reason I was in love with the first three records was how St. Vincent held terrifying darkness under pretty melodies. It’s a more subtle approach and I think it’s creepier. Something like “Now, Now” or “Cruel” unnerved me much more than anything on this album because there wasn’t as complex. I was never lulled into security then violently shaken out, instead it was just a constant bombardment. It seemed like this album wasn’t as finely crafted and when compared to the rest of her work it ends up falling flat.

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.