The 6 Best Albums of 2014...so far...

Benji- Sun Kil Moon

The opening track of Benji starts with a guitar line that crawls back and forth between grief stricken and meditative. It sums up the ebb and flow of the entire album in that way. Mark Kozelek throws us a few laughs here and there, but they’re only momentary reprieves on Benji’s long somber road. Mortality and morality loom over Kozelek’s rambling tales as he touches down on minuscule details. He describes the crimes of infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez with terrifying precision. “A little girl in the Tenderloin was his first/In the laundry room took a dollar from her fist,” he sings over dusky guitars. No one cuts quite as deep as Kozelek from the shockingly raw “Dogs” to the nearly 11 minute self-reflection of “I Watch the Film ‘The Song Remains the Same.’” More so than any gindcore or industrial album you’ll find this year, Benji ain’t for the faint of heart, but once you dive in, there’s no coming back.  

Christmas Island- Andrew Jackson Jihad

“In the days before the damage no one knew that they were happy.” Knowing Andrew Jackson Jihad, they're probably ones that did the damage. Christmas Island is another incredibly fucked up release filled with snipers, Nazis, and a fuck-ton of bullshit. “Stevie Wonder to the bullshit baby!” shouts out Sean Bonnette on the opening track. The newly expanded AJJ conduct one hell of a therapy session that goes “You’re fucked up, I’m fucked up, we’re all fucked up.” It’s the feel bad hit of the summer, as you laugh at jokes you totally shouldn’t laugh at and listen to an album that might just warm your blackened little heart.

CLPPNG- Clipping.

It’s a desolate fucking waste land that Clipping. paints. “Once upon a time there was a moral to a story/But fuck it, they need some ends,” spits Clipping.’s menacing ringleader/MC Daveed Diggs after asking “Who need a fix? You? You?” and if you’re for visceral blood curdling thrills this is your fix. From the cannibalistic killing spree backed by percussion that brings new meaning to “industrial” on “Body and Blood” to the epic gangsta mantra of “Dominoes” Clipping. have the best of both worlds. The manic evil production and the gritty street level bars combine into something horrifying and new.    

In Conflict- Owen Pallett

Owen Pallett needs to write a musical. I’m completely serious. He’ll win a Tony if he can get the funds up and properly put it on Broadway. I say this because In Conflict has all the marks of a grand stage play, abet one made in the 22^nd century. Pallett (with a little help from Brian Eno and the Prague Filmharmonic) creates the year’s most stately songs. These pieces are all based in the world of chamber music, but Pallett becomes bored quickly. He hops from dance, to indie, to synth pop, using each as a filter on his brilliant base. It’s one of the most progressive and forward looking releases of 2014 with Pallett seemingly holding a crystal ball that shows future musical trends. And of course Pallett’s scoring mastery is as stunning as ever. It’s clear he’s saved his best work for himself (sorry Taylor Swift).

Piñata- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

Piñata is the best hip-hop album of 2014. Don’t even try to argue. The touchstones of recent hip-hop (Kanye, Kendrick, El-P) have broadened rap both musically and thematically. Piñata doesn’t try to, nor does it need to. Listening to Madgibbs is like being served your favorite dish freshly made by a five star chief. You’ve had it before, but it’s never been this good. Gibbs flows like a reincarnated Tupac and Madlib delivers his soulful and bonkers beats. “Thuggin’” “Shitsville” “Uno” and nearly every other song on the album are paragons of hip-hop excellence.  Damn straight Gibbs claims he’s “Number One.”

Tomorrow’s Hits- The Men

There’s a neon glow on the album cover and a neon glow on every note of Tomorrow’s Hits. Not the Vegas neon that burns the eyes, but the dimly humming sort that lights up the dingy bar just enough for you to see the grand mess of it all. That blurred eyed drunkenness is what The Men thrive off of. They play late night classic rock grooves that the DJ can only get away with because it’s two in the morning and the station manager isn’t demanding he play “Hotel California” for the billionth time that day. They also love them some raucous madness that seems ready to completely fall apart at a second’s notice. Lead howler Mark Perro plays the most pissed off version of Bob Dylan possibly imagined over speed addicted brass on “Pearly Gates” and the band rolls into one of the best rock n’ roll songs made in decades on “Different Days,” where Perro screams “Man I hate being young!” and that’s the balance they strike. They still have the energy and enthusiasm of teenagers mixed with the hilariously jaded edge of the touring life. They’re the band playing that neon lit bar that night, reviling in every second of its drunken glory.   

Objectively Perfect 3: Fireworks

                        

If there’s one thing more powerful than beer goggles it’s nostalgia glasses. Kickstarter is based on the hope that the vision given by those glasses is powerful enough to overlook how little is in your bank account, and those sights of the future often win out. Hell, my first song on this series was from a damn Pokémon game and, despite how grand it is on its own merits, I’ll admit that my rose tinted view of “Lillycove City” probably helped propel it onto this “illustrious” list.

But it’s a rare song that feels nostalgic when it has no root in your past. I’ve never been a huge Animal Collective fan and I only started to wonder my way into Strawberry Jam this year, so why does it feel like I’ve known “Fireworks” for my entire life? It was released in 2007 and seems like a brother track to another ’07 masterpiece “All My Friends.” “Fireworks” is happy, bitter, sweet, and melancholy all at once. The top level of the song is made of the “ee-ah-ee” vocals paired with chiming piano that starts as whimsical, but drops into more somber waters as the line progresses. Underneath, the distorted chord progression drives the song along just as much as chugging backwards drumming from Panda Bear. Of course Avey Tare’s vocal performance is stunning. It’s surprising his voice can still be intact after the chorus as he flips between chest and head singing along with beautiful vocal lines turning into yelling within seconds.

But the core of “Fireworks” are Tare’s lyrics. There’s a cry in his voice when he sings “I was dreamin’ of just you,” and “I can't lift you up cause my mind is tired, it's family beaches that I desire.” There’s a longing implanted in every note. The verses have the more jaded side of things and the chorus turns into a fantasy world. AC are desperately looking for a celebration in the midst of humdrum days and the chorus serves as an escape, but early on Tare’s delivers his most crushing lines:

“Then I start to feel tragic, people greet me, I'm polite/"What's the day? "/"What are you doing? "/"How's your mood? "/"How's that song?"/Man it passes right by me, it's behind me, now it's gone.”

Perhaps the false nostalgia comes from my empathy towards Tare. People around you trying to be nice and you can only return the kindness with either apathy or lies. It’s a tough spot to be in, realizing that efforts from everyone else can become completely ineffective. The honesty of “Fireworks” makes it weirdly triumphant. It’s acceptance; acceptance that the daydreams take over and numb you to the outside world. And if your daydreams are this spectacular, why wouldn’t you want to stay? 

Objectively Perfect 2: The Rat

                          

In 1977 the Voyager spacecrafts launched off into the outer reaches of space with two golden records. These shimmering audiophile wet dreams held recordings of greetings in various languages and music from around the world. Some of the songs were placed there to show off the genres of earthly music, from Bach to Chuck Berry, but another portion of the music contained in those golden grooves were supposed to represent human emotions. Most famously, Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" was included to represent the human feeling of loneliness. I have my own ideas on what a modern Voyager record should contain and if we’re talking emotions, “The Rat” would be my absolute pick for anger.

The seething rage of “The Rat” is surprising and terrifying for a few reasons. First of all, The Walkmen are known for tugging on the heart strings, not for stomping heads in. Compare the warmth of a song like “Heaven” to “The Rat” and you’d think the band is stricken by a case of schizophrenia. Secondly is the genre The Walkmen play in, they’re no blackened death metal band or a grindcore act, far from it. Their early days were spent in the New York post-punk revival long peers like The Strokes and this is more vicious a song than any of their fellow NYC rockers ever pulled off.  

“The Rat” has focus, a certain intensity. It’s not a RPG going off; it’s a carefully shot sniper rifle; a precision strike of a violent outburst. The opening guitar is something so dark that it creates anxious fear as Hamilton Leithauser’s so-hoarse-he’s-about-to-lose-his-voice vocals are all aimed at one perpetrator. “You've got a nerve to be asking a favor/You've got a nerve to be calling my number.” He doesn’t scream those words, instead you feel like he’s holding back just the slightest bit, which makes it scarier, like he’s two seconds from completely going off the rails. Matching Leithauser in rage is Matt Barrick’s drum work. Barrick is a criminally underrated drummer and this is his finest performance. The never ending run of 16^th notes could be enough, but he madly dashes across his toms and abuses his snares in the seconds between. Combine that with Leithauser’s mad yells of “Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall!” and the horror of it all goes up another notch. Then it all turns down. In volume at least.

The bridge is only made up of Leithauser and a scratchy guitar, but it cuts even deeper as the band lays down their complaints. “When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw/Now I go out alone if I go out at all,” are the only words sung, but it’s clear from Leithauser’s tone that the happy times are a far distant memory and all he can see is darkness in his future. It all fires back up into the blood-lust filled chorus and the guitars swallow the sound with a brooding energy. It’s a song that can turn the brightest days into anger soaked hours. It becomes a visceral thrill, you might be having one of the most relaxing weeks possible, but for “The Rat”’s four minutes you'll be bitter, angry, jaded and ready to go out and kick some teeth in.     

Objectively Perfect 1: Lillycove City

          

I can’t quite explain why I enjoy waltzes so much. I grew up classical music, but I listened and sang to it so often that I soon became tired of chamber ornamentation and for years wouldn’t touch the genre. But in the same way Fleetwood Mac came back into my collection so did classical music. Those early, formative years were so steeped in “The Chain” and “Ave Maria” that somewhere in the reptile part of my brain they’ve become fused to my enjoyment of music. It’s the waltz, in particular though, that I hold an affinity for. It’s so simple at its base, but the bouncy form and light stride are soothing.

As I was getting back into classical music I discovered that many of my favorite video game soundtracks held songs indebted to European composers. I first noticed it with the stunning Mario Galaxy score and I worked my way backwards until I was at the games that enthralled me as a child; the Pokémon series. I played all of them from Crystal onward a truly mindboggling amount, but the one game cartridge that still holds my heart is Pokémon Emerald. Even as I’ve grown and moved away from video games it stands as a touchstone in my nostalgic galleries. This was, in part, due to the music. I didn’t truly notice it at the time, and I certainly didn’t examine the score under close scrutiny, but those bit-compositions were wonderful. One song was better than the rest. One song had such a strong stake in my childhood that I jumped with joy when I found a fully orchestrated version. “Lillycove City” is, and continues to be, one of the best songs ever placed into a video game. The waltz has all the trademarks of a grand ¾ track. It bounces along with a spirited, yet calm, energy and the main melody line has a great habit of sneaking into my mind, making me hum along. But it’s the small immaculately crafted touches on the sides of that main melody that cement this track as flawless. The airy accordion in the back ground floats effortlessly along with the swaying string section, and the composer was obviously had a flexible mind. The track elegantly flows from staccato lines that give plucked violins the spotlight only seconds before languid legato sections sweep in carrying the song away to its climax. At its base the song seems infused with a smile inducing energy that reminds me of Miyazaki films as much as it does European ball rooms. 

Strange Journeys in Criticism

                          



Journalism is filled with grey space. It’s hard to turn out a story that is truly black or white. Wade into the world of entertainment journalism and things get even murkier. For my work I am, on a near weekly basis, sent free music, receive free tickets to concerts, and am allowed to watch/listen to content that hasn’t be released to the general public. This makes skirting the line between Public Relations and Criticism hard. It would be so easy to shower praise on the artists who give me free things so I can keep getting free things and start positive (if unethical) connections. I’m sure it’s the same way for movie and game critics, but the Music Journalism world (and my own world) recently had an event that blurred the line between PR and criticism. A trio of prominent musicians attacked Complex Magazine over perceived “spineless” writing and in my own, infinitely less important, experience a rapper tried to set lines between fan and critic.

To Complex first. Last year the New York based zine featured Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on their cover. A few weeks ago they reviewed her debut album, giving it a mediocre score. Azalea didn’t directly go after them; instead Lorde went to her tumblr and said this:

“bugs me how publications like complex will profile interesting artists in order to sell copies/get clicks and then shit on their records? it happens to me all the time- pitchfork and that ilk being like “can we interview you?” after totally taking the piss out of me in a review. have a stance on an artist and stick to it. don’t act like you respect them then throw them under the bus.”

Azalea bolstered Lorde’s post with these tweets:

To round out the trio, Grimes also agreed with Lorde’s and Azalea’s sentiments.

And now to my own life. Last month I reviewed Cunninlyguists’ Strange Journey Volume 3. I thought it was a decent release and gave it a 3/5. I called it uneven, but I also said that some of the songs were among the best released in 2014. Hours later Cunninlyguists producer Kno went on a twitter rant against me and my publication. He first informed me that Strange Journey wasn’t an album, but a mixtape, so I had reviewed it incorrectly (I won’t get into the semantics of what is a mixtape and what isn’t, but he was selling it for money and it’s listed as an album under rateyourmusic.com so I stand by my review). It soon became clear that he was angrier about the review itself rather than the mixtape argument.

So what do we take away from this? Complex did its own excellent response to Lorde and Azalea by saying this:

“Lorde declaring “have a stance on an artist and stick to it” is a bizarre notion for an organization like Complex, which is to say bizarre for any media organization that claims to have any journalistic integrity. No one should stick to their opinion when new facts (possibly in the form of new music) are made available that can alter your views. Art and artistry are fluid things.”

In Lorde’s defense I have seen publications, most notably Rolling Stone, run a cover of an artist and then trash their work in the same issue. To me that seems cheap, but Complex sums up a different issue often seen in politics. No one likes a flip-flopper, even if there are valid reasons behind personal views changing. The time between Azalea’s cover photo and review was around eight months. In the cosmic sense that’s a short time, but for journalists it might as well be an eon. Tweets, videos, and entire albums come out in the meantime and our constant searching for new information leads to new opinions. To quote The Guess Who “Seasons changed and so have I.” If my musical tastes hadn’t changed I’d still be listening to Aaron Carter and the Ba-ha men because I liked them when I was five (but my deep appreciation of Weird Al from that time period still stands). Kno, rather ironically, went after Lorde, Azalea, and Grimes with these tweets:

Despite this, Kno has a similar fallacy; you can’t be a critic if you’re a fan. I find this laughable as every music journalist/critic I’ve met has gotten into the business because they are fans. Some artist galvanized them to pick up a pen and write (or turn on the computer and type). I am a fan of Cunninlynguists and I continue to be a fan. A week before my review of the new album I saw them live and gave a glowing concert recap over at Deadendhiphop, but because I wasn’t keen on one thing they did (in a massive catalog) I’m no longer a fan. I’m the enemy. Artists like Kno, Lorde, and other seem to want a neutered version of the music press that acts like a PR team. For Lorde, if you ask her for an interview you’d better give her a good review afterwards. For Kno, fans’ can’t have changing opinions. There wouldn’t be a point then. Every album would be a 10/10 and artists would stay in the same lane, never changing, because there’s no one there to point out flaws.

Queens of the Stone Age Concert Review Portland, Oregon April 15th 2014

          

A few weeks ago I saw Neutral Milk Hotel. It was a transcendent experience that was emotionally potent. I’m not the most emotional person, but I nearly cried towards the end of the set. The show is currently tied for my favorite live set I’ve seen this year. The co-champion is Queens of the Stone Age at the Keller Auditorium. While I was profoundly moved at NMH, Queens simply kicked unprecedented amounts of ass.

My love for QOTSA is well documented, but even I was surprised by how great the show was. Two plus hours of the best rock n’ roll on earth. They opened with the legendary “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” which owns the iconic “C-C-C-Cocaine!” chorus and things only got crazier from there. Homme downed some suspicious clear liquid and announced “I’m fucked up already!” Queens took a strange route by playing their two biggest hits first with “No One Knows” following “Feel Good.” After a brief detour into their self-titled debut with “Avon,” Queens decided to blow the roof off the house by preforming a super charged version of “My God is the Sun.” Anyone that was in the audience quickly realized what fools the Grammy producers were for cutting off one of the best guitar songs of the 2010s prematurely.

            

One of the most impressive things about the set is how natural Jon Theodore sounds working with songs in Queen’s back catalog. The trio of songs from Lullabies to Paralyze were given a heavy boost by Theodore’s colossal drum chops. “Burn the Witch” in particular stomped along with an apocalypse bringing weight thanks to Theodore’s work on the skins. Even on the minimal songs Theodore provided a brutal foundation. …like clockwork cut “Smooth Sailing” (which recently received an uproarious video) lurched along a dangerous pace. Theodore wasn’t the only one bringing his all into “Smooth Sailing” the faux-disco track’s grinding guitar dissonance that serves as a solo was as thrilling as it was uncomfortable, likely to make the entire body shudder.

What put Queens’ set above every other rock concert I’ve seen is their ability to morph songs into more massive pieces on stage. Queens were never afraid of experimenting with their studio work. Three songs in the set nearly doubled their original length. “Make it Wit Chu” was turned into the night’s biggest sing along with the entire crowd chanting “I wanna make it! I wanna make it wit chu!” (Homme commented there was “nothing better than fucking” as the song ended only to come back with “But sometimes it’s just really good to fuck stuff up” as the band lunged into a fantastic “Sick Sick Sick.”) …like clockwork center piece “I Appear Missing” stretched on for over 10 minutes of powerful insanity, but the night’s most spectacular was Rated R’s “Better Living Through Chemistry.” The darkly swirling track is one of Queen’s best, but they made in into something completely different. The atmospheric intro was blown apart by Homme’s vicious guitar work and the band grew in intensity until it seemed like the entire building was quivering. They stopped for a moment, letting it all sink in, before doubling down on their attack and pushed the song to its overwhelming ending. Those nine minutes were some of the finest moments in rock I’ve ever had the honor of hearing.

Queens “closed” with “Go with the Flow” and returned shortly for the encore. And with the encore came Nick Oliveri. The former Queens vocalist and bassist who left the band in 2004 was in the opening band Moistboyz and Homme dedicated “Better Living Through Chemistry” to him, but no one thought Oliveri would be brought out to perform his best Queens song “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, but I Feel like a Millionaire.” It was as if the entire night had been leading up to this moment. Queens grew in strength with every song and with “Millionaire” they burst into rock n’ roll ecstasy. Queens closed the set with the ever excellent “A Song for the Dead,” but Oliveri’s first performance with Queens in a decade was a legendary moment that left me awe-struck and thrilled to be a part of the experience.

Make no mistake guys, Queens of the Stone Age are the best rock band in the world. 

               

Piñata- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Album Review

          

In an interview with Radio.com Freddie Gibbs was asked about his jab at Young Jeezy on Piñata cut “Real.” “I ain’t worried about nobody coming at me lyrically. I make these sh*t diss records look like kumbaya…you come at Gibbs man that sword better be sharp.” Those are some fiery words and usually MCs would be running to send slicing tracks Gibbs’ way. But it’ll have to be one seriously ignorant rapper to challenge Gibbs after Piñata. Produced by the man, the myth, the legend, Madlib, Gibbs has made the finest record of his career and one of the best damn rap records in recent memory.

Anyone paying attention to the EPs that Madlib and Gibbs dropped before Piñata knew that something great was coming. Thuggin, Shame, and Deeper all held fantastic tracks. The title track from Deeper was one of the finest hip-hop pieces from 2013, but it’s even better when placed among its brethren. “Deeper,” along with the rest of the tracks here, are fairly straightforward hip-hop, but each song is refined to pure excellence. This is probably Madlib’s best full album production work since Madvilliany and he thrills with his soulful and eclectic beats. There’s the breezy keyboard that pushes “High” along, “Uno” sounds like it sampled some of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack, and “Knicks” is smooth New York jazz. Madlib never stays in one place, but he makes it all sound so smooth. After the video gamey “Uno” is “Robes” which is a smooth Mo-town throwback with a silky vocal sample. For nearly anyone else those two tracks couldn’t be placed next to each other, but in Madlib’s world it makes perfect sense and with these fantastic beats the guests flourish. Danny Brown gives a high-octane performance on “High” and Raekwon brings extra menace to the already atmospheric “Bomb.” Ab-Soul’s laid back ode to his home town gives levity to “Lakers” and it’s sure to be a summer anthem for California residents. Even Odd Future shows up, with the ever hungry Domo Genius and the always dark Earl Sweatshirt on “Robes.” The only major complaint with the features is that Scarface doesn’t show up on the song titled “Scarface,” he instead drops a great verse on “Broken.”

The guests have a great chemistry with Madlib, but nothing comes close to the mad gansta genius of MadGibbs. Gibbs’ flow combined with the gorgeous soul background of “Deeper” is nearly breath taking and the story. Gibbs spins a tale of jail time and questioned paternity that will, to quote Gibbs, “cut a nigga deep.” Gibbs never sacrifices speed for lyrics and holds the best of both worlds. Madlib pushes Gibbs to top speeds on “Scarface,” “High,” and “Real.” Even on wonky beats like “Real” Gibbs owns it. The truly impressive thing about Piñata is when the album is at its top level, it’s nearly untouchable. “Shitsville” has an absolutely mad beat and is the gangsta anthem of the year and the aforementioned “Bomb” is equal parts swagger and threat. But even when MadGibbs is just having fun it’s amazing. “Harold’s” is Gibbs’ ode to his favorite Chicago restaurant. It’s fun, but Gibbs still sounds like a complete badass. “Scarface” has Madlib cooking up a beat in the same vein of Black Star’s “Definition,” but with Gibbs’ flow acting like a steam roller. “Thuggin’” is Gibbs in a nutshell, smooth, unapologetic, and simply great. “Cause motherfucka I'm thuggin'/Selling you the science of the street rap/…I’m tryin to feed my family, give a fuck about your feedback.” Gibbs might not care, but Jesus has he made a stunning album.