Monday Mixtape, Vol. 192

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Kacey Musgraves shocked me with a newly released album on Thursday! Her last album, Golden Hour, was my #1 Album of 2018, and received all types of awards. It’s a classic, an album any artist would kill to have just one of.

After any classic album like this - I think of Tame Impala’s Currents or Arctic Monkey’s debut album - There’s a lot of expectation for the next album but also a bit of leeway because it’s very, very hard to recreate perfect again, and a band has to go in a totally different direction - think Radiohead’s Kid A - to make another classic. Usually, the album after a classic sounds like a B-Side to the classic: similar sounds, still great tracks, but not the same magic. Musgraves’ star-crossed is the latter.

It’s a very good and listenable album, nowhere near Golden Hour, and is more of a mellow, stoner’s ride through Musgraves’ divorce peppered with some sass and pop.

It’s a wistful goodbye to her marriage and ex-husband. Given the stage she has, she was reasonably kind to her ex (and who knows what all really happened, of course, you never get both sides). Though she makes her point that he couldn’t handle her fame and attention.

It wasn’t a revenge “Dear John” Taylor Swift-style attack, it was more of a retrospective and thoughtful, “So I think this is how we got here…” with a few punches thrown in here and there.

Her vocals carry everything. She has such a delicate and gorgeous voice, and it sounds like no one else. That’s her biggest magic trick to me, and as she keeps experimenting with sounds (and drugs!), it will be interesting to hear where she goes.

On another note, Isaiah Rashad dropped a new version of “H2BU” which trims the fat from the track on his new album. “H2BU” on his album is seven minutes and two songs in one, and the first song is amazing and not so much food the second song. So he created a version where it was just the first song, one of my favorite tracks on one of my favorite albums of the year.

Drake’s new album is pretty disappointing, but I have to listen to it more. There are still great tracks. I love how he comes right in and attacks “No Friends in the Industry.” Great rap track.

Now this song by Jack Harlow and The Homies, “White Lies,” was more of what I was hoping for with his recent album. This is just a feature he’s on, but it’s pure Harlow.

Disclosure released some tracks, and no surprise, the songs are awesome. These guys have quality control down.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 191

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Happy Labor Day all and apologies for my weeks of absence. Fortunately, there’s been no lull in music! All sorts of new albums to dig into like Chvrches, Drake, Jungle, Kanye (27 tracks??? 1 hr 48 min?? Sigh.), and a bunch of others. I’ll get to Drake and Kanye next week.

Chvrches new album, Screen Violence, their fourth, is right up there with their phenomenal debut, The Bones of What You Believe. Lauren Mayberry knows how to sing a hook and her melodies are on point, exemplified by two tracks on this week’s mixtape.

Then we have Jungle. I don’t even know how to categorize this band, but they’re a great band to throw on for background music at a party. Upbeat, rhythmic, and all sorts of soul and beats to keep your head bopping.

Nas has a new track with Lauryn Hill on it?? A reminder amidst all her craziness (I remember seeing her years ago, she was an hour and a half late to her show - the opener went off at 8:30pm, she didn’t get on until 11:00pm! I can’t believe I waited, but yes, it was worth it, because she’s that much of a talent.) that she’s one of kind.

How serene and beautiful is “Sidney’s Lullaby” by Washed Out? It reminds me a bit of “Kid A” by Radiohead but more subdued and restrained. I’m always a sucker for songs like this (“Postcards from Far Away” by Coldplay also comes to mind).

Finally, Gorillaz released an EP with a few songs on it, and I was blown away by the first track featuring an unknown Jelani Blackman rapping and an awesome beat and production behind him. Another beautiful track.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 24

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A bunch of albums just dropped on Friday, including Chvrches, Future and Drake's mixtape  (although released earlier, it's now available on Spotify), The Underachievers, Kurt Vile, and Disclosure. A lot of bands I love. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get through them too much, so I imagine they will be the focus on the next mixtape.

In the meantime, I've included some of my favorite tracks that Ryan Adam's covered from Taylor Swift's 1989. 

I have a ton of respect for Chvrches' lead singer, Lauren Mayberry. She's taken on the dark world of social media by calling out misogynistic cowards trolling her with disgusting rape tweets and comments. In her words: "Bring it on motherfuckers. Let's see who blinks first."

She formed a female collective called TYCI (please read the great profile on Chvrches written by Caitlin White on Stereogum for a breakdown of that acronym and more) in order to “break down misguided notions of feminism and gender boundaries.”

She's carried a shit ton of weight for things that should not have to be carried. Chvrches' first track on their new album is the only track I've heard so far. But you can really feel Mayberry's exasperation when she belts, "Here's to never ending circles / and building them on top of me." 

I don't know how we can cure the disgusting diseases spreading under the guises of social media,  but at some point there has to be a bit of accountability. Artists living in the limelight (and yes, boohoo, you may say, she's probably got a good deal of money and gets to see the world, but there are people whose talents inevitably lead them to popularity due to the field they are in. That doesn't mean it's ok to have to deal with a "connected" world that is becoming less accountable for our actions) should have a comfortable work environment just like I have at my job.

It may be somewhat hypocritical to follow this all up when I have a track by Mac Miller, a rapper who says "bitch" too many times to count on his new album and talks about sex with said women more often than not. Degrading lyrics referencing "bitches" and all that stuff is an entirely other (interconnected) problem, but one that I am nowhere near intelligent enough to address in a blog post. 

There is music that many of us can point to that we enjoy despite the lyrical content. Sometimes I take the good with the bad and chalk some of the poor judgments by artists as bad taste but not hate. It's a fine line between artistic expression and lyrical subjugation. Other times that line is clearly stepped over (like early Tyler, the Creator lyrics). It's important to acknowledge that. 

I wanted to write an album review on Mac Miller's GO:OD AM, but I unfortunately did not have time this past week. The main thesis would have been that the production and flow of the album is far superior and more professional than anything else he's done. Unfortunately, his lyrics are still adolescent. The lyrics are dumb but not an outlet of hate, just ignorance. His interviews provide him as a young 23 year old who was given fame and money too young. I do hope he grows up and his next album lyrically shows it.

I've also been enjoying Baio's debut album and this track on the mixtape tickles me just right. 

Have a great week. I'm going to France (!) for two weeks so I will not be uploading a Monday Mixtape next Monday (I had a 24 week streak!), but I will be taking a ton of pictures that I will post on the blog!

Till then!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 13

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I apologize for being MIA since Tuesday, but my Macbook died. I was traveling to DC as well, so I wasn't able to work on the blog! I'm sure you survived.

I heard a version of "Bros" by Wolf Alice - (**TANGENT ALERT ** which is a more raw-sounding version of the song than the one on their debut album. The track on their album sounds much more produced and less emotive. I can't stand when producers or record labels (or maybe the band thought they could record a better version) put their influence on a song and mess it up.

This is the original song:

This is the song on their album:

You be the judge. ** TANGENT OVER **) - a couple years ago which reminded me of The Zombies (remember "Linger," ahhhhhh such a beauty!) and Chvrches, but their subsequent releases have sounded edgier and even more distorted, a welcome evolution for me. The first track of this mixtape showcases this sound, and the buildup on "Giant Peach" would be a great opening track for their live shows while Ellie Roswell purrs and screams like Joan Jett (who, by the way, gave a kick ass speech at her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction).

The comparisons to Twin Peaks span decades and sounds. There's dirt in their amps, feedback in their mics, Mick Jagger in their vocals, and sixties and seventies in their sound. They also remind me of bands these days like Parquet Courts and Broncho, but these guys have a better roadmap for melody and songwriting. The whole album is worth a listen.

I compared Alpine to Trails and Ways a couple weeks ago in my mixtape because both have beautiful female vocals. Alpine is ahead of Trails and Ways in my book because of their upbeat and unique album from 2014 (my #15 Album of 2013!), A is for Alpine. If you like the two tracks on here from their new album, Yuck, definitely check out their last album before the new one!

That's it, have a good week!