It’s been a long time. Months. It’s felt like years. I’ve been through some crazy shit. It’s been a journey I will never forget, and I have the scars to prove it. But I made it, and I’m so happy to be back, writing, listening, and loving life.
There’s so much new music, new artists, new playlists, and more to share. I can’t wait to get back into it, refreshed and ready to rock.
Thanks for staying with me!
Some laid-back good vibes.
Happy Monday! I hope you’re diggin’ an array of tunes this week. We got rap from Cousin Stizz, Pusha T with a Kanye-produced track, and totally new who the hell are these guys?? rap group called aroomfullofmirrors.
All of this rap is bookended by Palace, a rock band I’m still not exactly sure how to describe. All of their albums have a certain flow, a relaxed vibe filled with reverb, and beautiful compositions. Shoals, their third album released a couple weeks ago, might be their best or at least on par with their awesome debut, So Long Forever.
If you like Palace’s tracks on this mixtape, you really gotta dig into their previous albums. I just looked to see if they were coming by the Bay Area on their new tour, and their show at The Fillmore (my favorite venue in San Francisco) on May 21 is already sold out! They have more of a following than I thought. Hopefully I can get something on resale :)
Enjoy the tunes.
Spoon. The band. The ageless wonders. These guys are in their 50s yet they’re still rocking. Example A: “Held,” the first track on their 13th album, 2022’s Lucifer on the Sofa. Certain bands and songwriters create sounds on records that are so clear and perfect that it sounds like they’re playing in your living room.
That hard bass drum beat in “Held” sinks into my skull, and I can’t help but nod. And the sounds of those guitar’s warming up into their opening riff, a riff that’s so clear in tone and so damn unique, I just get the feels when I hear stuff like this. Britt Daniel’s voice brings it all together and more instruments start to come in as the first verse winds up. God what a song.
(Don’t forget their first track, “Inside Out,” on their 2014 album They Want My Soul, was my #3 Song on my Top 100 Songs of 2014, and also an awesome listen to Britt Daniel’s break it down on Song Exploder
Tame Impala released a bunch of b-sides and mixes from their last album, The Slow Rush. Kevin Parker has said he spends 90% of his time creating music on the drum beats. It doesn’t matter if a drum beat sounds simple or not, it’s how it makes you feel, and “The Boat I Row” gives me the feels!
“Scared Money” is just an awesome rap track. It bangs hard, and I love J. Cole’s verse, so sick. YG kills it too.
As usual, Vince Staples is on a great track. His quality control is insane. He is rarely on a bad track.
This new Big Thief album is very long. 20 tracks and 1 hr 20 min. So it’s hard to get through it all. But they’re really weird and all over the place. “Time Escaping” gives you a good idea of their extensive palette.
My boy Pink Sweat$ with a feature from 6LACK ends off the mixtape with a beautiful love track. Enjoy the short week :)
It’s taking a bit of time for 2022 to ramped up with new music. This past week might have been the biggest release date so far with Spoon, Animal Collective, Big Thief, alt-J, and Cousin Stizz releasing new albums. I can’t wait to dig into Spoon’s new album. They might be the most underrated band in the indie/rock genre. They’ve been rocking out with quality albums since 1996! I’ll get to them on next' week’s mixtape.
So this week’s starts with a couple my favorite newbies, BENEE (who had my #2 Album of 2020) and Mallrat. BENEE’s new track is typical for her: catchy and bouncy as hell, makes you happy. Mallrat’s track develops and vibes for most of the song, but the best part is the last minute sample of Memphis’ Gangsta Pat. LOVE That ending.
I read Pitchfork’s 5.0 review of Cordae’s new album From a Birds Eye View. Needless to say, the critic was not too pleased. But I’m not a critic, I’m a lover, and I enjoyed the album. One of my favorite’s, “Jean-Michel,” shows his lyrical chops:
I been having vivid dreams, them shits is more than scary
Graveyards or mortuaries
Haunted by these goals that I'm tryna accomplish
Underrated, over-hated, I'm tired of the nonsense
Things I've could've done better, it lies in my conscience
And I'll never forget it, I'm my worst critic
Such a overthinker, I'm so self-reflective
God willing, these parables go and sell some records
Politicians out here lying, tryna sell a message
Ten thousand hours, penmanship is well-perfected
Not bad for a young guy. We’ll see where he goes from here.
Another couple rappers grace the mixtape, the unknown Young Truth and the very well known Lupe Fiasco. A couple bands I recently discovered. Spaceface bring some interesting vibes of sunny psychedelia, I can’t quite explain what Bad Suns is, but I enjoy the song!
And I hope you enjoy the week.
Welcome to the world’s shitshow, 2022! On the most recent All-In pod, my favorite podcast, David Sacks made a comment I hadn’t heard yet: This global COVID crisis may be the biggest event of our lifetimes and may be the biggest event since World War II.
In essence, it’s been a war of many sorts, only one being the deadly virus that’s killed millions. But at some point, we’re going to get around the bend of this crap. I think 2022 is the year we turn.
So let’s get back to one of the biggest cures of all of our ills: MUSIC.
Lots of random stuff on this week’s mixtape, but the VIP is Bando, a new rapper from Texas that I discovered on one of this week’s tracks, “Payday”, with my favorite, Isaiah Rashad. This guy’s got bars, great beats, and he’s got a presence. He’s missing a unique voice like all the greats have, but he’s still got crazy talent. Keep an eye on this guy.
I heard Windser on a SiriusXM channel and loved the track. Gave me some Real Estate-y vibes.
Lucius and The Weeknd bring their catchiness, and lastly, Father John Misty released his first single to his new album. I like the track, and we’ll see what he’s got in store for the album. I’ve gone through waves with Misty, and right now, I’m not all that excited about him, but he’s got the talent to prove me wrong.
Have a great week all.
After listening to 62,510 minutes of music, 1,377 Artists, and 149 genres, I’ve digested a lot of tunes in 2021! There are so many different sounds and styles to this year’s playlist, it may be the most eclectic mix yet! We have a West African artist (Falle Nioke), a Turkish band with all sorts of influences (Altin Gun), a rock band in Niger (Mdou Moctar), a rapper from Chattanooga, Tennessee (Isaiah Rashad), an indie band from Minneapolis (Hippo Campus), masters in electronic music from across the pond in England (Disclosure), one of the more consistent electro-pop bands out there from Scotland (Chvrches), the best rock band I’ve heard in years, hailing from Baltimore (Turnstile), and so many more!
There’s rap, rock, soul, ballads, electro-pop, electronic, spoken word, funk, and who knows what other “genres” Spotify might class these songs as.
Nonetheless, there’s something for everybody, and hopefully a ton of new music* to discover.
*If you really like a song, check to see if that artist’s album is on my Top 25 Albums of 2021, and that’s a good indicator it’s a great album :)
In mid-December, I stumbled upon an album that blew me away. One of those mesmerizing albums to listen over and over. I won’t forget where I was listening to this, when, and it’s impact on me. The band is Turnstile. The album is their third, GLOW ON.
Turnstile isn’t a rock band, they’re not hardcore, they’re not 90s grunge, they’re not punk, they’re not screamo. They’re an amalgamation of the best of all of these genres being played at the perfect times during songs. It’s raw and unique, influenced by previous generations, yet no one has made music like this.
Each band member’s instrument stands out on so many tracks. And the sounds, lyrics, and emotion explain the rest.
This is an album for you to experience. It’s for the opener, “MYSTERY” to blast off your speaker doors. It’s for the cowbell to break down on “BLACKOUT” and the piano to explain on “DON’T PLAY.” It’s a relaxing state of calm on “ALIEN LOVE CALL” amidst the surrounding chaos, culminated in the massive mosh pit that is “T.L.C.”
And only after the album ends to you fully exhale…
As for the other 24 albums, Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning, his third album, continues to astound me. His music is on his terms. There are songs that people unfamiliar with Rashad would scoff at because it doesn’t sound like it’s supposed to, but those are the true artists you have to pay attention to. The more time you spend with all of Isaiah Rashad’s three albums, the more you’ll fall in love.
Speaking of falling in love, Faye Webster is a gem. Her low-key, maximum chill albums are meant for sunsets with your feet up. Her music is epitome of “state of mind” music where it just relaxes me. She’s not catchy, no songs get stuck in my head, but I’m always coming back.
Vince Staples self-titled album comes in at #4. It’s my favorite album he’s released in a discography with great quality control. Like Rashad, Staples is underrated (though not nearly as ignored by critics as Rashad) because of his lack of “hits” and “star power,” yet that’s his exact strength. He is who he is. He makes the music to express himself, nothing more, nothing less.
Staples’ 2021 album is melancholy and trauma. On first rep, the album sounds chill, but digging deeper it’s haunting. Staples is lonely and in a dark place. He can’t escape (mentally or physically) his hometown of Longbeach, CA, where his traumatic past of murder, gangs, guns, and survival still ring inside his head today.
As always, the artist says it the best:
Fuck a friend, I don't want no friends with no open hands (Fuck 'em)
Count my bands, all alone at home, don't you call my phone (Fuck 'em)
Everyone that I've ever known asked me for a loan
- “Law of Averages”
When I see my fans, I'm too paranoid to shake they hands
Clutching on the blam, don't know if you foe or if you fam
I don't got a plan, I'm just out here thugging 'til the end…
I am tired, tired, over again.
- “Sundown Town”
Don’t get murdered, lil’ niggas out here with no purpose…
It's not what you think
I could be gone in a blink
I don't wanna leave
Yeah, it's not what you thought
We dying broke or live with broken hearts
- “The Shining”
Verse 1
I don't wanna die, but I will for the cause…
I don't wanna rebound, I just wanna sleep sound
Don't wanna dream 'bout the shit I done did
You know these trips come with baggage, been all 'cross this atlas
But keep coming back to this place 'cause they trapped us
I preach what I practice, these streets all I know
And there's no place like home
Verse 2 (The BEST verse on the whole album!)
Yeah, I'm on PCH, going south, blower on the seat
With the windows down, music loud, let 'em hear the beat
When it's quiet out, I hear the sound of those who rest in peace
Tryna drown the violence out, but let 'em say that they want beef
And we riding out, finding out where them niggas be
If they hanging out, lay 'em out, airing out the street
Then it's out the way, out-of-state, please don't tell on me
Don't need no more felonies, all these broken memories
I be solo dolo, never know who working with police
When I hit the set, it's loaded; I don't know who envy me
I'm the only one who made it out—you remember me?
Is you a frenemy? You plan on killing me? No?
Finally, my #5 Album of 2021 is a veteran, one that was my #16 (criminally underrate by me!) Album in 2017 and #2 Album in 2014, The War on Drugs. It’s a great album yet only their third best album. Check it out.
And some quick hits on the other 20:
The Deafheaven album is a must-listen if you enjoyed “Great Mass of Color”
The Floating Points album is the only instrumental album this year. Great study music.
CHVRCHES continues to put good music out.
Black Country, New Road is for a very specific crowd, but it was one of the most unique albums I heard this year.
Arlo Parks has been hailed by every critic for this album, rightly so. It’s worth checking out.
Lute is a rapper who tells it like it is and sounds like he means it. I loved this album, and there are so many great features (like JID, Little Brother, Saba, and Cozz) on it.
Big Red Machine is a super duo (Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessener) who got a ridiculous amount of performers (Taylor Swift, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, and Sharon Van Etten), and the album is very mellow. A great weekend play.
Benny the Butcher is one of my favorite new rappers out there. He’s “drug rap” which isn’t everyone’s thing, but the man played the game to get to this point and tells the tales.
Parquet Courts keeps making their unique blend of rock sound compelling.
Little Simz should probably be higher, she’s a phenomenal MC, lyricist, and storyteller. This album was on all the big publications’ year end lists.
Speaking of artists on big publications lists, Tyler, the Creator’s album this year was rated as the best album or in the top five by a number of the most noteworthy publications. I did not feel their love of the album nearly as much, but the album is great from front to back, and no one sounds like Tyler.
Last one I’ll mention is Doja Cat. I seem to have one album on the pop spectrum every year (last year, it was Dua Lipa), and this album is ridiculous entertaining, upbeat, and enjoyable. She’s a great performer and rapper. I listened to this album all the way through and was wowed.
That’s it for the year of 2021! Thank goodness. But at least we had music. Here’s to 2022!
I always love when Spotify provides some details on my listening patterns, habits and overall time spent just jamming out to music. While I will never top my 101,000 minutes of music in one year, I still enjoy these and wanted to share what I had, including:
62,510 minutes listening to music!
1,377 Artists listened to
149 musical genres listened to
I’m in the 0.5% of listeners to Mac Miller this year
A totally random mixtape of strange songs, none more so than Men I Trust’s opener on this week’s mixtape, “Lifelong Song.” Whatever that vocal effect is, it’s captivating and hallucinogenic.
What made you leave? / What made you go?
Long road, long time ago
Whistling you life of song
Solace is your lifelong song
Amine is one of my favorite rappers right now. I loved 2020’s Limbo and his recent mixtape shows him moving in and out with autotune and some different beats, such as the lullaby-like “Van Gogh.”
Now you want some ridiculousness? DOJA CAT IT IS! True story: I had no idea who Dojas Cat was other than Isaiah Rashad saying something about her on his new album, but I decided to check her album out. She’s got BILLIONS of plays on one album, her song with SZA alone has 890 million plays! I’m totally out of the current stuff, but let me tell you, this album is awesome. Pure pop/rap pleasure.
Doja Cat’s like Nicki Manaj and Cardi B but dare I say more universal? Anyways, one song I love for it’s wildness is “Get Into It "(Yuh)”. I mean, come on, take off the music snob hat and just enjoy it. Love it.
Big K.R.I.T. has been one of those rappers I’ve talked about since the first days of this blog. He’s under appreciated and underrated, maybe because a lot of his stuff sounds pretty similar, but he’s got soul and a real love for his craft. Mad respect for this guy. Two of my fave tracks on here from his 2021 album, Return of 4eva.
Finally, and don’t sleep on this last track because it’s my favorite track of the mixtape, and one of my favorite tracks this year. Ashley Monroe’s latest album is pretty good, but “Til It Breaks” is the clear standout. A beautiful song of heartbreak that really sings in as she slowly pleads,
Let it melt away
Let it melt away
Yeah, it might get bad before it’s better
Sometimes it doesn’t come together
’Til it breaks.