CURRENTLY LISTENING

THE BUGGLES “THE AGE OF PLASTIC” - Anyone who’s played GTA: Vice City knows that “Video Killed the Radio Star” is one of the greatest songs ever written, but the rest of the band’s debut album “The Age of Plastic” is a very solid piece of work bridging the gap between the proggy studio wizardry of the 70s and the future normal of 80s synthpop. Recorded in 1979 and released in January of 1980, it’s a concept album about the future, robots, plastic, technology, all that stuff. It’s equally derivative of both Kraftwerk and ELO but succeeds on the strength of it’s hooks and arrangements.  Besides “Video Killed..”, other highlights include “I Love You (Miss Robot)” and “Astroboy (The Proles on Parade)”.  It belongs to a quintessential moment along with Gary Numan’s “The Pleasure Principle”; Forward thinking synthpop living in the shadow of Kraftwerk’s “The Man-Machine” but before the platinum hit machines of The Human League or Duran Duran. Too kitschy to be taken seriously, too interesting to ignore.

THE BODY/FULL OF HELL - “ASCENDING A MOUNTAIN OF HEAVY LIGHT”

These 2 bands seem to really bring out the best in each other. Every other collab record The Body have made with bands like Thou or Uniform feel like the 2 acts meeting in the middle but the music they make with Full of Hell really goes into some wild, loose territory.

CAN - “MOTHER SKY”

I’ve fallen all the way down the Can rabbit hole and have enough babbling opinions saved in the drafts for a big Can post but i’ll say right now that this is probably my favorite song of theirs. Top 3 for sure.

RIP GENESIS P-ORRIDGE

“

\ Industrial music is less of a genre than a virus that infects musical genres and Genesis P-Orridge was patient 0. A human antenna broadcasting to us new areas of unkown consciousness and an inspiration to anyone trying to maintain a sense of spirituality and fascination in a post industrial society. One of the few people who knew how to weaponize music and who treated albums like homeade pressure cooker bombs. It feels weird and significant to lose them while the jenga blocks of late western capitalism have begun to shake and tip harder and harder, especially within the last few weeks.  The death blow that Genesis dealt to rock and roll is a reminder that there is no real end to anything. From it’s ashes rose a nauseating industrial sludge, which is applicable to our reality today; this is not the “end of the world” but a massive generational shift in global economy, lifestyle, & thought that will be frightening and alluring at once, a future whose shape is completely alien.

“When you cut into the present the future leaks out”- William Burroughs

RIP

TIME MACHINES (COIL) - “TIME MACHINES” Ate a big handful of  mushrooms and threw this album on once I realized I was about to be stuck to the couch for a little while. What a combo!!! Real heavy face melting drone. Coil is so hit or miss for me. This album tho, which is comprised of a few long pieces corresponding to a different substance (including psylocibin), makes for quite a practical trip accessory. The alias/album title certainly click now; the layers of feedback expanded and divided for what felt like forever and any notion of time seemed nonexistent. Being alive or dead were no longer real and the concept of eternity made sense. Fear and ego melted away and everything revealed itself as an infinite ocean of love and warmth. I’m feeling a strong 6 to a light 7 on this one.

CAROLINE POLACHECK - “SO HOT YOU’RE HURTING MY FEELINGS” I keep trying to do that hand dance she does and I suck at it. This song whips ass tho, Caroline Polechek is insanely talented. Motherfucker says “show me your banana”. 

EGYPTIAN LOVER - “I CRY (NIGHT AFTER NIGHT)”   *solemnly popping & locking under a flickering streetlamp*

LIZ PHAIR - “WHY CAN’T I”  My coworker and I have been making our way through the Now That’s What I Call Music series, the Criterion Collection of songs. For the most part I immediately recognize everything, but i COMPLETELY forgot about this song. I guess people who like Liz Phair hate this song because she was lo-fi and decided to sound like Avril Lavigne in her 30s. I personally thats a sick move.

CAB CALLOWAY - "JITTERBUG PARTY” I’ve been fascinated with Cab Calloway lately, i don’t know why. I’ve heard his music before but I didn’t know what a rockstar he was. 

ALBUM REVIEW: IGGY AZALEA - “IN MY DEFENSE”

Someone actually requested a review so here it is lol. Bow down because the Queen is back. It’s The musicreviewweeklynorthkorea Review of Iggy Azalea’s “In My Defense”. That title is already a great sign of things to come. The last I remember of Iggy Azalea, she got dumped via text by Playboi Carti after buying him a lambo. Lets gooooo!!!

THANKS I GET - She’s saying she’s the only person to do stuff like “grind” and “keep it real” and hasn’t gotten her credit from all the new rappers who owe their careers to her. I agree.

CLAP BACK _ So here she says just because she talks black doesn’t mean she’s acting black. Thats how all Australians sound when they talk so i agree again.

SALLY WALKER - I think she could only afford 1 producer. This songs about a girl jumping in front of Iggy and twerking for her? Tight. Look up her Sway freestyle if you need a good cringe/laugh.

HOEMITA (feat. LIL YACHTY) - Completely dissociated until Yachty’s verse. I’m staring at the clock at this point.

STARTED - This beat is trash. They all are, but especially this one. Who is this even for? Who wanted this album?

SPEND IT - If you like this album you should check out “Metal Machine Music” by Lou Reed or maybe some Sun O))). 

FUCK IT UP (feat. KASH DOLL) - im tired.

TRACKS 8 - 12: so good

You’re smart, I dont need to tell you what a 2019 Iggy Azalea comeback album sounds like. 5/5 stars

“ARTO LINDSAY - MUNDO CIVILIZADO” 

this whole album kicks ass

“JAMES FERRARO - THRASH & ESCALATE”

Lyrics about the underbelly of Los Angeles contrasted with some excellent, chopped up 80s goth/coldwave

“JOE ZAWINUL - THE GREAT EMPIRE”

I keep going back to this Joe Zawinul album “Dialects”.  I feel like this is the logical endpoint after listening to OPN non stop for 4 years. I’m just going to get really into jazz fusion, “world music”, and film scores from the 80s and 90s. 

“PAT METHENY GROUP - LAST TRAIN HOME”

Basically the same shit i just said. Who the fuck is Pat Metheny? What is the movie everyone is referencing in the comments? How did i end up here?

Did you review that new Iggy Azalea album? I'd really like to hear your take on it

No I'll check it out tho

ALBUM REVIEW: KANYE WEST - “JESUS IS KING”

Alright its Kanye West time again and now he’s gone from Christian to Very Christian, at least for this cycle. I listened to this album earlier today but i’m going to give it another spinnaducchio.  The responses i’ve seen to this album on Twitter today were predictably negative, and brought out the inner “r/atheism” in a lot of people. When this album was announced it made a lot of sense to me. For whatever reason, he made that choice to step into the right wing media sphere, clearly ended up way in over his head, and said fuck it my president is Jesus Christ. Pulling the “Only God can judge me” card is a classic last resort for a dumb pissed off guy losing an argument. So we have this album, which possesses a kitschiness to it that I believe a lot of people will backtrack and acknowledge once the dust from it’s non existent controversy has settled.  The lack of interest and momentum leading up to it’s release is staggering when compared to the releases of basically everything else he’s done this decade. I recall Kanye referring to himself as  “black new wave” artist, and how he once compared the Yeezus-to-TLOP album cycle to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska-to-Born in the USA album cycle.  He passively mentioned liking Nine Inch Nails on Sway back in the wake of Yeezus.  Point being Kanye has both consciously and subconsciously used the rock canon as a parallel to his own sound throughout his career, more frequently and meticulously than any other rapper (maybe Danny Brown?). So with that said, “Jesus Is King” can be placed on the classic rock gradient nearest to “80′s Bob Dylan”.  The same way plenty of 30 year old boomers wear themselves out with noise, industrial, avant whatever and accept their old age with vaporwave, lo fi beats to study and relax to, and Steely Dan, Kanye has also done with his own palette of easy listening, electronica, and gospel.

EVERY HOUR _  I mean, this is just chopped up gospel chords, i could probably listen to this on loop all day. I have nothing negative to say about it. Most of these songs have that rushed, half finished quality of his recent music, more so than “ye”, and that will be a bigger factor in people disliking this thing than the religious stuff or bad lyrics or whatever.

Selah - Lots of references to the Bible, don’t really know any of them. Let’s listen on. hmmmmm.  whatever

FOLLOW GOD - RZA type beat, there was 1 real stinker lyric on here but i already forgot it. this songs basically about talking to your dad on the phone.

CLOSED ON SUNDAY - “You my Chic-fil-A/you my number 1 with lemonade” man, that sucks. Also this song has some very beleaguered lyrics warning people to stay away from his family which offers an incline into whatever insane shit Kim and Kanye have going on in their lives. It’s a recurring thing, celebrities going religious or pivoting to the right politically after coming in close contact with the boundless depravities of the upper classes. Maybe hes just a rich mentally ill guy losing sleep over his massive debts. Little bit of both probably. The beat is moody, mostly drumless and sound like it was made with a Trans Siberian Orchestra beat pack. I’d skip this one.

ON GOD - The P’ierre Bourne beat is great, but Kanye’s mad at the IRS because he’s a fox news grandpa. Lil Uzi Vert belongs here instead

EVERYTHING WE NEED feat TY DOLLA $IGN & ANT CLEMMONS - Basically a snippet of a song on repeat. Sounds like it was picked off the cutting room floor of any sessions between TLOP and now, without any further work done to it. But its pleasant and hypnotic. The more intricate, thought out moments of the album have been the worst so far.  Low stakes moments like this give the project the charm of a beat tape. 

WATER feat. Ant Clemmons - I love that damn bass.  All the production here actually. Everything actually clicks on this song, sonically, thematically. I predict there will be a 10 hour version of this on Youtube soon enough. Highlight of the album. 

GOD IS - This is the closest thing to an actual contemporary gospel song. Kanye’s singing is strained and the lyrics are abou a certain little ol’ desert carpenter who had his own share of critics for saying weird stuff. Makes you think.

HANDS ON - Methinks someone doth listenedth too “Age Of” by Oneohtrix Point Never. Compositionally it reminds me of The Station. The minimal electric blue of JIK’s coverless vinyl and tracklisting both look like something out of the Daniel Lopatin School of Repurposing Old Uncool Shit into New Cool Shit. What little album art exists evokes a hazy nostalgia of daytime cable televangelist programming. 

USE THIS GOSPEL feat Clipse & Kenny G - uh everything i just wrote for the last song just read it again. Same idea. 

JESUS IS LORD - Very abrupt ending ok. And a prettier moment of the album, with bright horns that recall The Social Experiment. The melody barely resolves before the 49 seconds are up. It feels like a “fuck you”, a pouty “if you all hate me so much then this is all i’ll let you see of my musical genius!”, which is honestly the best way this album could end. Kanye’s pettiness, his ego, his bitterness being the very last note he leaves you with on an album about being a follower of Jesus lol. 

There’s a pretty clean split between the front and back half of this album. The front is bad and the back is good. People hit middle age, realize that they’re not cool anymore and get really into God or model trains or whatever so this album is for them. 

Daddy Likey

Here’s my newest biggest round up of music thats Bin Makin me say “Damn its good”.

Dylan Brady - Of Course I Still Love You

Tumblr allows room for 5 URL links in a post, and I could fill several posts with everything 100 gecs related. With that said i’ll just post this song from 1/2 of the gecs, Dylan Brady.  The song bears a resemblance to Oneohtrix PeNi’s “The Station” but much more emo. This song also reminds me of “Forever” by AudioOpera, a criminally overlooked electronic artist who’s influence on both 100 gecs and the upcoming wave of 00′s-internet nostalgic music like this probably won’t be acknowledged by anyone besides me, the ONLY non-bot account on Tumblr.

Misfits - Skulls

The other day I was thinking about how weird it is that not only do the Misfits still exist as a touring act but also continue to write and record music about ghouls and werewolves. Just 3 dudes in their 50s who look like draculas and are all jacked for some reason, whats better than that? Pretty much anything “horror punk” or “psychobilly” belongs in the same category as steampunk, renaissance fairs, cybergoth, Pete Buttigeig supporters, & furries, but something about classic Misfits is endearing. I remember being so enticed by their logo and style as a young teen, drawing my own conclusions about what they’d sound like, buying their first “Collection” compilation and thinking “what the fuck is this?”. I think they were the first really lo-fi band with crummy production I had ever heard. 

Daniel Johnston (RIP) - Loner

Not much to say about this song, it’s beautiful, relatable, sad yet upbeat. I think that anyone who spends enough time with his music will eventually have their heartstrings tugged, heart ripped out, etc. 

Car Bomb - Mordial “Album Review”

“Start” - its an intro with synths baby bay bay

“Fade Out” - Pretty great so far. I am completely out of touch with music like this but i keep up with this band for some reason. I really wanna sag my skinnies and put some Osiris shoes on

“Vague Skies” -

“Scattered Sprites” - when your practicing moshing and the cafeteria monitor gives you this look

“Dissect Yourself” - This one is legitimately pretty crazy 

“Xoxoy” - I feel like every time i can make out a lyric its something dumb, which i like about this band. You don’t get that with other bands. 

“Hela” -

“Blackened Battery” - Spaced out for a minute, trying to write and listen is hard. I can’t chew and blink at the same time either. 

“Mordial” - This had me fucked up. The opening really sounded like the music to like a commercial for squarespace.com, which play on Spotify, which i’m using. That’s fucking deep if you really think about it. I’m having strange deja vu all of the sudden which is weird because i’ve never typed a complete sentence before in my life.

“Eyecide” - Just looked out the window and had a rush of anxiety thinking about earthquakes and how this city isn’t prepared for something like that, but it’s coming regardless. Spotify’s playing a Charmin commercial for improving my ass wiping experience. Just killing time until this song starts. Songs on, it’s very similar to most of the album. Car Bomb seems like a band focused on making a better version of the same album, there are so many small details flying by so quickly its pretty impressive.

“Antipatterns” - This album has more clean vocals than their older stuff that I half remember. The clean vocals have a corey taylor from stone sour jen ih say quah.

“Naked Fuse” - The little synth moments on this album, and the overall production, hint at the potential for at least 1 person in this band to make some interesting electronic music. Putting that out into the universe. 

This album had it all; breakdowns, break-ups, make-ups, make-a-wish, 1 wish by ray j, ray romano, pecorino romano, mustard greens, plums, celery, mint, chardonnay vinegar, some good olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. 4/5 stars. 

MUSTARD - PERFECT TEN “ALBUM REVIEW”

“Intro (feat. 1takejay) - Great song. 

“Pure Water (feat. Migos) - ive heard this before, damn. lets keep it moving.

“On GOD (feat. Tyga, YG, ASAP FERG, ASAP ROCKY) - This is too long. Should’ve been all Tyga without a beat change.

“Baguettes in the Face (feat NAV, Playboi Carti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie) - i dont get how NAV is famous at all, i think his dad is David Geffen or someone like that. I like A Boogie’s verse

“Interstate 10 (feat Future) - lots of romantic flamenco guitars and strings on here. I was gonna say this is boring but theres a beat change towards the end that not only redeems the song but is the best moment on the album so far. 

“100 Bands (feat Quavo, YG, Meek Mill) - Hitting squats to this. 

 “Woah Woah (feat Young Thug, Gunna) - Nice slow beat, maybe the best so far, sounds like it was made for a Young Thug or Gunna project from the past 2 years.

“Surface (feat. Ty Dolla $ign, Ella Mai) - Pretty good. The beat changes up towards the end with diminishing returns. The drums kick in and thats it.

“Ballin (feat. Roddy Ricch) - 

“Perfect Ten (feat. Nipsey Hussle) - Pretty sad, moving song.

Over all that was a good album. 10 songs is a good amount. oh ok Perfect 10 I get it now damn. 

My coworker who i’ve cooked with for 2 years is quitting and im bummed.  He had a deep love for Houston rap so here’s some of my favs that he put me on to

Wahts up Yall,

Here’s some music that’s been keeping me healthy and clean

Joe Zawinul - “The Harvest”

Joe Zawinul is a white guy who wears a kufi and played piano with cannonball adderley. This song is from his subsequent 80s- world music/fusion phase. It has an insistent drum machine rhythm closer to krautrock than anything resembling jazz, and Bobby McFerrin contributes vocals. its a really bird brained song, i love it.

Raymond Scott - “At an Arabian House Party”

Another recent discovery to me, Raymond Scott made some of the most ubiquitous Tom & Jerry ass big band jazz music ever. “Powerhouse” is most immediately recognizable song, which everyone knows as the looney tunes factory music.  I’m sure i’ve heard this song too somewhere. He went on to make lounge music and eventually groundbreaking early synthesizer music in the 50s

Raymond Scott - “Portofino 2″

It’s insane to me that that this was made in the 50s

(Sandy) Alex G - “Near”

I didn’t pay attention to this guy until his last album Rocket and this new album House of Sugar is growing on me a lot.  Really gorgeous, i’m gonna dig through his older stuff soon. I hear so many goddamn bands and specific styles crammed into this 2 minute song its crazy. I’m gathering that this guy has a very restless and decentralized approach to songwriting/composing/producing

Whitehouse - “LA 100: full” Concert footage from the worst band ever lol.  Its like the opposite of ASMR but sort of induces the same effect. Real scrambled hamburger brain insomniac viewing 

G’NIGHT!

FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON - CASCADE

good music reveiw

Here’s an unorganized list of albums, artists, and songs that have been leaving an impression on me lately, check it out cool guy:

BURIAL - CLAUSTRO

Burial is as much of a subgenre as he is an artist at this point. A sound so immediately recognizable that any imitators are immediately dismissed as leeches instead of disciples or admirers. The a-side to his new release is a reliable showcase of what makes his music HIS music: top tier vocal samples and gloomy, hissing ambience anchored by a sturdy garage rhythm, and manages to throw in an uncharacteristically chipper twist towards the end.  "Very nice (boarat)

GODFLESH - “SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE”

Punishing, depressing industrial metal. and not the shitty kind. Fat sludgy riffs, mechanical rhythms, vocals. thats it! f;uck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Yeah You! Go fuck yourself!

KITTY - LOOK DEMURE

Total bop. It rules seeing Kitty thrive and put out the best music of her career in 2019. This song especially.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - “FATHER OF THE BRIDE”

I’ve finally succumbed to flat out liking Vampire Weekend. I do the same cycle every time they release an album: tell myself i’ll ignore it. Listen to the first single. Hyperfocus on what i don’t like about it. ?????. Start to like it. Jack off. Go to sleep. etc. But i’ve finally come to respect their trollish nature (like 10 years after it was mildly edgy lol) and snapped out of the usual mindset i apply to their music. Maybe i’m just getting older and cornier and I need a contemporary Dad Rock figure in my life. That’s 1000% it actually. I’ve accepted it though. Is Ezra Koenig still unbearable at times? Oh boy yes. I really hate looking at that guy. Rashida Jones could do so much better (with me). If I see him on the street i’m gonna go apeshit and fucking crap tons of shit into my pants like a bitch. Good album though.

BEN FROST - DIPHENYL OXALATE  

LIL UZI VERT - THATS A RACK/SANGUINE PARADISE

2 abzolute zlapperz. Thats a Rack is a slinky new wave trap cut with a refrain so goddamn catchy and dumb it makes me want to, oh i don’t know, chop my dick off on camera and kill myself? Haha. The other song, Sanguine Paradise is more of a triumphant, declarative rap song but Uzi is such a hammy performer he turns it into a pop song anyway. Hope he drops Eternal Atake soon. Apparently i cant add more than 5 videos so this is the end of the post i guess. B-b-b-b-b-b-boooyah!

REVIEW: “NO TOURISTS” - THE PRODIGY

NEED SOME1:  Just watched Mandy with Nic Cage, that shit rules, check that out if you can. It’s still fresh in my head and this song is not keeping my attention

LIGHT UP THE SKY: Spark up a fatty to this 1. This sounds like it should be playing over the basketball scene from the Halle Barry Catwoman movie. Or in a snowboarding game for PS2, like and reblog if you think any of that sounds good or bad

WE LIVE FOREVER: This sounds like Mortal Kombat lmao this is like the music Jez and Super Hans make on Peep Show. This is what an Adidas tracksuit sounds like. 

NO TOURISTS: Legitimately enjoyed the 2 previous songs, this one not so much.  It’s like Main menu music for like a speedboat racing game at Dave & Busters

FIGHT FIRE W FIRE (FEAT. Ho99o9):  it’s weird anybody is still making this music now. 

TIMEBOMB ZONE: This is the first song that lets any fresh air in, with a pitched up soulful vocal. Regardless, I feel like i’m in 1999 wearing one of those Eminem silver ball bearing necklaces with freshly geld barcode bangs. This is really some JNCO jean ass music good lord lol

CHAMPIONS OF LONDON: Again, PS2 snowboarding game music. Really aggro drum n bass while a man, presumably in his 40s with silly hair, yells “Bassline drama/cut thru your armor” 

BOOM BOOM TAP: Having someone do percussive onomatopoeia “boom boom tap tick tick bang bangbang bang” over the actual percussion is the bold, dangerous new idea music needs right now. I can imagine Jason Statham fighting henchman in a stairwell to this

RESONATE: 

GIVE ME A SIGNAL (FEAT. BARNS COURTNEY): A guy doing a Jello Biafra impression over more of that funky shit we know and love from The Prodigy. bloody mental

This album was a much needed reminder that generation X was wiiiickeeed (pauley shore voice lmoa), 4/5 stars