July 2010
3 posts
REVIEWS: Five New(ish) Albums You Must Listen To...
1) Brothers - The Black Keys (released May 18, 2010)
2) Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty - Big Boi (released July 6, 2010)
3) /\/\/\Y/\ (Maya) - M.I.A. (released July 13, 2010)
4) The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) - Janelle Monae (released May 18, 2010)
and last but not least!
5) Electric Toys - The Dig (April 27, 2010)
So to make up for my lack of posting in the past few...
April 2010
7 posts
Album: The New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the...
A quickie:
By no means can I claim to be an expert on Erykah Badu. I’d always known about her and her music, but I never really gave her a listen til this album came out.
That said, she’s incredibly soulful and mellow, perfect for chilling, thinking deep thoughts, reflecting, that kind of thing. Her voice is earthy and rich, like purple velvet for the ears.
“Window Seat”...
WatchBeautiful song, poignant video.
Album: 69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields
1999. I was eight years old and just beginning to open my ears to the Beatles, my first, and forevermore my favorite band. How fitting that eleven years later, thousands of bands and albums and songs later, I return to what I started with: the love song.
I have a theory. Most artists write based on what they know best, whether it be drugs or politics or stories from their own lives. But what most...
March 2010
6 posts
Album: Plastic Beach - Gorillaz
The Gorillaz are back, baby, and still know how to kick some major booty. Plastic Beach, LP number three, is proof that yes, they could, match the genius of sophomore release, Demon Days.
The overall feel of Plastic Beach is a lot different from that of Demon Days. There is still that catchy mix of hip-hop, electronic and rock that is the Gorillaz trademark. However, Plastic Beach is a longer...
Listen to Plastic Beach in its entirety here. →
Review to come shortly.
February 2010
27 posts
Three New Thom Yorke Songs →
Album: The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
An old album that never gets old, The Low End Theory is a must-have for anybody who considers themself a hip-hop fan.
Phife Dawg and Q-Tip are an unbeatable team, addressing jazz, date rape and positive vibrations, among other topics. The album starts out strong with the dark bass riff of “Excursions” and ends with the more upbeat bass riff of “Scenario.” This album...
Album: The Stimulus Package - Freeway & Jake One
Short on time, so here’s a quickie.
Freshest hip-hop release of 2010, The Stimulus Package has already gained notoriety for it’s creative packaging.
It’s a return to the street-centered lyricism of the mid to late ‘90’s over rollicking, melodic tracks, often with backing vocals.
The definition of listenable, this is a hip-hop album that can be appreciated by people...
Album: Madvillainy - Madvillain
A 2004 release, Madvillainy is the product of MF Doom’s work with the producer Madlib. Finding a free download of this is hard: I can’t remember where I finally found it. Which is why I did this. Let’s see how long it stays up.
Madvillainy is stoner hip-hop; what else can you expect from MF Doom? But I mean that in the very best sense: far-out, bordering on avant-garde, rhymes,...
Review: Bose Companion 3 Multimedia Speaker System
I am currently lusting after this set of Bose portable speakers + subwoofer. I WANT. Unfortunately it costs $225 on Amazon. Seeing as the vast majority of my dinero goes into groceries and Metrocard fare, this is not going to be possible anytime soon. A girl can dream though.
I went to a house party in Williamsburg (I know, I know) last night and the host, E, had this system connected to his...
Review: Panasonic RP-HTX7 Headphones
My most recent music-related purchase was a pair of white Panasonic RP-HTX7 “retro-style” over-ear headphones. I was desperate for a new pair: my beloved year-old Bose Triports had crapped out on me, as did my threadbare seven-year-old backup iPod earbuds (RIP my loves). So I strolled into AC Gears, knowing full well that I would be paying a premium for instant gratification. I dropped...
Watchjglaskjfhalskjhfakjhdkjafhskldash I love them. So much.
Album: Teen Dream - Beach House
Gorgeous is the best word to describe Beach House’s newest release. What a way to start off 2010. Teen Dream is distinctly ‘70’s-tinged (Victoria Legrand’s vocals are reminiscent of a younger Stevie Nicks’), and the overall impression is light and breathy like a summertime breeze. There is an inherent sunshine and feeling of open space present in these songs, so...
Album: The xx - The xx
This post is mostly for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past seven-odd months. If you do not have this album, GET IT NOW. Seriously, it’s by far my favorite album of 2009. The New Yorker says it best: The xx are “as intimate as pop gets” and the songs on this album are meant “to be sung inches from someone’s ear, preferably with the lights off.”...
Album: Antidotes - Foals
I have not be able to stop listening to this 2008 release over the past two weeks. This album is the definition of catchy, mixing elements of many genres: the rhythmic precision of math rock, the sunny melodies of afropop and the standard British-accented vocals that have become the norm post-Arctic Monkeys. It’s perfect New-York-in-February walking music. Pitchfork rates it a measly 5.9,...
