A gem of an album before East Coast hip-hop scene exploded in the 90s, Breaking Atoms is the energetic debut from rap group Main Source. For how old the record is, it has a nastier bite than a lot of rap albums today and its own decade. Also, this record has Nas's studio debut, a verse he samples for the intro of his classic debut. If you dig this record, purchase the vinyl record because it's the perfect format for this type of music.
Track list:
1. Snake Eyes
2. Just Hangin' Out
3. Looking at the Front Door
4. Large Professor
5. Just a Friendly Game of Baseball
6. Scratch & Kut
7. Peace Is Not the Word to Play
8. Vamos Is a Rapiar
9. He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)
10. Live At the Barbeque (feat. Nas)
11. Watch Roger Do His Thing
12. Just a Friendly Game of Baseball (Bonus Version)
Street's disciples
I hope everyone had a good weekend. I am surviving the workday by playing this extremely beautiful folk/country album by Mojave 3. The band was started by three ex-members of the legendary shoegaze band Slowdive after their lineup disbanded. Instead of sticking with shoegaze, they decided to go down the folk/country/dream pop road and release some excellent albums. Their debut is my favorite, but I suggest checking out the other ones as well. I'm slightly upset I missed the beautiful vinyl reissue last year...
Track list:
1. Love Songs on the Radio
2. Sarah
3. Tomorrow's Taken
4. Cradle Song 3
5. You're Beautiful
6. Where Is the Love
7. After All
8. Pictures
9. Mercy
Velvet eyes are a part of me
Finally, the follow-up to the excellent King Push - Darkest Before the Dawn: Prelude from 2016. Originally, this was supposed to be titled King Push, but I guess Pusha and Ye scrapped that title (and also payed $85,000 for that photo of Whitney Houston's bathroom!!). Length-wise, this is more of an EP than studio album, but oddly that's what it's being sold as. Everything about this EP is great: Kanye did an excellent job on production, Pusha T is still an excellent rapper and a talented lyricist, the features do their part well. This album sounds like luxury rap, yet it also sounds like whatever was going on in Whitney Houston's bathroom when that photo was taken. My biggest issue with it is the length, undoubtedly. There isn't a bad song on here so I'm definitely left craving more. I don't know why Kanye is going in this direction for album lengths since he did mention that his new studio album (coming next week) will also be 7 songs long. Maybe it's to keep fans hungry. Who knows?
Track list:
1. If You Know You Know
2. The Games We Play
3. Hard Piano (feat. Rick Ross)
4. Come Back Baby
5. Santeria
6. What Would Meek Do? (feat. Kanye West)
7. Infrared
Now the tears dry and the pain takes over
Here is another album I revisited recently while I complete my top 200 albums project. A classic in every sense of the word. I shouldn't have to write a description because of how famous Marvin is, but I know some people out there still do not know him, and that's okay. You'll learn now. Here is my super short summary bio of Marvin (I highly suggest reading about his career because it really is an interesting read):
Marvin Gaye is arguably the most famous Motown singer of all time. His rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with Tammi Terrell is probably the most famous version of the classic song. His early albums were mostly classic R&B, but as his career progressed, he developed a more modern R&B sound and his lyrics were more sexually driven. However, during his later career, his first marriage ended and he escaped to Europe because he feared imprisonment for tax evasion. He died in 1984, one day before his birthday, where his father shot him after an altercation.
What's Going On is probably his most critically acclaimed album and is my favorite album by him. The album covers social issues of the time, particularly effects from the Vietnam War, as Marvin assumes the role of a soldier coming home from Vietnam. Marvin's singing on this record is so beautiful and so grand that it's captivating. The orchestral elements to the album build these amazing climaxes or tensions in the songs, it's hard not to get a little emotional with each listen. The title track alone has this beautiful climax in the middle of the song, I get misty-eyed with each listen. It's even better on vinyl if you're into record collecting.
Track list:
1. What's Going On
2. What's Happening Brother
3. Flyin' High (In The Sky)
4. Save the Children
5. God Is Love
6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
7. Right On
8. Wholy Holy
9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong,
but who are they to judge us simply because our hair is long?
I had some downtime at work so I was able to crank through some 2018 albums. This album was another pleasant surprise. I've heard Janelle's previous two releases and thought they were okay, but this one is freshy, pristine, and funky. The grooves on here can easily compliment a summer get-together with friends before a night out. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish, definitely one of my top favorite female-sung vocal albums of the year.
Track list:
1. Dirty Computer (feat. Brian Wilson)
2. Crazy, Classic, Life
3. Take a Byte
4. Jane's Dream
5. Screwed (feat. Zoë Kravitz)
6. Django Jane
7. Pynk (feat. Grimes)
8. Make Me Feel
9. I Got the Juice (feat. Pharrell Williams)
10. I Like That
11. Don't Judge Me
12. Stevie's Dream
13. So Afraid
14. Americans
My random access memory wants you to come again
I couldn't post during the last few days because I was busy with graduation activities, but I'm back! It was a quiet morning on my commute to work and something inside me made me put this album on the aux for the drive. This is one of my favorite albums of all time.
Sun Kil Moon is a project from the prolific Mark Kozelek, an Ohio native. He started making albums with his band the Red House Painters, where their music is mostly slow core. Personally, I find Red House Painters to be a tad boring, but the band has my respects, no doubt. His solo projects interest me much more. Mark currently releases music under his real name (and I thought his latest release was really good) and under the Sun Kil Moon name.
Benji is probably his most famous album to date thanks to a positive review from Pitchfork. Most songs are composed only by Mark and his guitar, but a couple of his feature a band. What makes me love this album are the lyrics. Mark writes his lyrics in this stream of consciousness fashion that makes the listen extremely entertaining. Sometimes, abstract or vague poetry just gets annoying and pretentious, but this no b.s. approach to lyrics makes it easier to learn the message or themes Mark presents throughout the album. Additionally, this is a sad album, but not a whiny, or drone-y kind of sad you get from a lot of artists today. These are reflections from Mark's past memories and it is almost as if he wants you to learn from these experiences as well. Honestly, you just need to listen to the album to understand where I'm coming from. Sorry for the lazy and long write up, but I don't think I could ever write this album the positive review it deserves. Also, Ohio natives, I recommend listening close for the references to our home state. It might make you appreciate this album even more.
Last thoughts: "Carissa" is an extremely compelling opener; "I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love" will make you cry; "I Love My Dad" is a jam; "I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same" hits me deep; "Ben's My Friend" is the most perfect way to end this album.
Track list:
1. Carissa
2. I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love
3. Truck Driver
4. Dogs
5. Pray for Newtown
6. Jim Wise
7. I Love My Dad
8. I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same
9. Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes
10. Micheline
11. Ben's My Friend
I'll sing your name across every sea
MF DOOM's second best and second most iconic album (behind Madvillany, of course). As the title suggests, the songs on this album are filled with food-related wordplay and sampling. You would think that it would get somewhat pretentious after a few tracks, but MF DOOM amazingly keeps this record consistently entertaining from start to finish. And, as always, his buttery flow is pristine. If you are looking to get into underground hip-hop, first start with Madvillainy, but this would be an excellent second step.
Track list:
1. Beef Rap
2. Hoe Cakes
3. Potholderz (feat. Count Bass D)
4. One Beer
5. Deep Fried Frenz
6. Poo-Putt Platter
7. Fillet-O-Rapper
8. Gumbo
9. Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate
10. Kon Karne
11. Guinnesses (feat. Angelika & 4ize)
12. Kon Queso
13. Rapp Snitch Knishes (feat. Mr. Fantastik)
14. Vomitspit
15. Kookies
He wears a mask just to cover the raw flesh,
A rather ugly brother with flows that's gorgeous
Who saw this coming? Carti's debut studio album is filled with some of the best trap production I've heard this latter half of the decade. That isn't saying much since trap music is usually very skeletal and hit-or-miss. But I digress, the beats on here are so glossy and textured, it makes the album an addicting listen. I do credit my enjoyment of the album mostly to the producers. While Carti's ad-lib filled flow has a lot of personality and functions well for the album, I can't say it's what makes me return to this album. Bonus points for the album cover, though.
Track list:
1. Long Time - Intro
2. R.I.P.
3. Lean 4 Real (feat. Skepta)
4. Old Money
5. Love Hurts (feat. Travis Scott)
6. Shoota (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)
7. Right Now (feat. Pi'erre Bourne)
8. Poke It Out (feat. Nicki Minaj)
9. Home (KOD)
10. Fell In Luv (feat. Bryson Tiller)
11. Foreign
12. Pull Up
13. Mileage (feat. Chief Keef)
14. FlatBed Freestyle
15. No Time (feat. Gunna)
16. Middle of the Summer (feat. Red Coldhearted)
17. Choppa Won't Miss (feat. Young Thug)
18. R.I.P. Fredo (feat. Young Nudy) - Notice Me
19. Top (feat. Pi'erre Bourne)
I'd rather die than come in last
WOW! For those who aren't familiar with Beach House, they are a staple in the Dream Pop genre. Pitchfork lauds almost anything they put out and their music have been the soundtracks for a lot of people's sweet memories. I've been a casual Beach House fan since I started this hobby with my favorite albums being Devotion and Depression Cherry. I like Teen Dream and Bloom, too, but some overexposure prevents them from being my favorites. I was disappointed with their last LP, Thank Your Lucky Stars, because it followed the more skeletal direction Depression Cherry took, but it was a lot more boring. So, when Beach House announced a new album, I was not entirely eager for the release. But, I liked all of the singles leading up to it, which helped replenish my excitement for the band. To my surprise, 7 was a completely stellar listen. It is a lot more rich and luxurious than all of their previous albums, much more depth than they usually put out. "Dive" will probably end up as one of my favorite tracks of the year. This should've been the album that came out after Bloom, but hey, I still drop the needle on my Depression Cherry record from time to time. Over time, I can see this crystallizing into my top 3 favorite Beach House albums and eventually, if it hits me right, my favorite record by them. Best listened to on vinyl with a significant other at nighttime.
Track list:
1. Dark Spring
2. Pay No Mind
3. Lemon Glow
4. L'Inconnue
5. Drunk in LA
6. Dive
7. Black Car
8. Lose Your Smile
9. Woo
10. Girl of the Year
11. Last Ride
Tell her something,
Tell her nothing,
Tell her that you're waiting.
House techno music is a genre I don't explore very often not because I dislike it, but because I have not found an album to drive me into searching. I remember being a mild deadmau5 fan in high school, but that was when my music tastes were immature and I was nowhere near as broad with my album searches. Jon Hopkins' latest release, however, gives me that breath of fresh air and now I am just craving for more compelling house albums like this one. Very pure, vibrant compositions driven by a pounding bass beat. It sounds like the soundtrack to a nocturnal adventure in the city. Highly recommended listen. I can see this in my top 10 for 2018. Best listened to with over-ear headphones on at nighttime.
Track list:
1. Singularity
2. Emerald Rush
3. Neon Pattern Drum
4. Everything Connected
5. Feel First Life
6. C O S M
7. Echo Dissolve
8. Luminous Beings
9. Recovery
The Club for the Introverts
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