Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- Ty Segall Band “Slaughterhouse” Review ()
A consensus pick as one of last year’s top albums, the momentum behind Ty Segall’s Goodbye Bread has already carried over into 2012 with the San Fransisco garage punk’s collaboration with White Fence (Tim Presley). Listenability an increasingly moot concern, Segall continued his breakneck string of acclaimed albums about a month back with Slaughterhouse, released […]
- Aesop Rock “Skelethon” Review ()
It’s a tough position to be in, critiquing a piece of art that appears way above your head. It’s challenging to take in such a piece of work, from multiple angles, perspectives even, and still come away from it with little understanding of why it is that you appreciate it. You just do. Such is […]
- Atmosphere at Marathon Music Works (Nashville, TN) ()
“If you’re gonna rap all of my words back at me, what the fuck do you need me for?” Denying that Slug is an elite MC seems a silly proposition. His ability to make an audience feel appreciated appears effortless. (During last night’s show he inserted various calculated local references throughout without appearing to pander.) […]
- OFF! “Borrow and Bomb” & “I Got News for You” Video ()
Whitey McConnaughy, the brains behind a killer string of Red Fang videos, strikes again in the form of this double-shot of OFF!. In the clip Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall/NewsRadio) hosts the awkward and occasionally handsy forum Teen Talk: where the teens get to do the talking and [the] adults get to listen. After […]
- Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra “Want it Back” Video ()
I’ve never been in love with Amanda Palmer’s music (maybe I’ve never given her a fair shake), but I can’t help but respect the trailblazing chanteuse’s ability to balance her forward thinking business sensibilities with her artistic endeavors. Most recently her Kickstarter campaign made headlines as it shattered expectation, skyrocketing past the goal of $100,000 […]
- ULTRAS S/C “Black Face Time” ()
The closing moments of “Black Face Time” come as an orgy of distortion with ULTRA S/C’s Jemina Pearl (Be Your Own PET), Ben Swank (Soledad Brothers, Third Man capo) and Chet Weise (The Immortal Lee County Killers) collectively peaking on a note of psyched-out fuzz. Perhaps making a little more sense is the Scene Cream‘s […]
- Zac Brown Band “The Wind” Video ()
As far as the Zac Brown Band goes, aside from recalling the name from whiskey commercials I really can’t tell you much about them. A quick search suggests that they rep Georgia roots, boast a Southern-rock influenced country aesthetic (see: whiskey commercials), and have a massive following as illustrated by last year’s 26 combined Grammy Awards, Academy […]
- Treekeeper “Tròpiçále” Video ()
New from the Bohemian Hype Cult‘s Treekeeper comes this semi-psychedelic short in support of the Nashville producer’s latest track, “TRÒP!ÇÁL€.” Directed by his BHC brother Trillbee the Hooligan, a chill tropicália feel is invoked through not only the song’s smooth repetition, but also the video’s wavy visuals (though I’m cautious to throw out the chill-wave […]
- fun. “Some Nights” Video ()
Fresh off his take on Jackie O & JFK in Lana Del Rey’s “National Anthem” comes another historical recreation from the mind of director Anthony Mandler in the form of fun.’s “Some Nights.” Further connecting the two videos are the themes of tragedy and loss, this time set around wartime flashbacks visualizing a romance torn […]
- Aesop Rock “ZZZ Top” Video ()
New from director Pete Lee comes Aesop Rock’s video for “ZZZ Top,” full to the brim with kung fu theatrics and a killer (literally) storyline to boot. Though featuring the likes of Aes and Zumbi from Zion I, the storyline revolves around wushu master Hao Zhihua who, as the mighty Wu might say, ain’t nuthing […]
- Lana Del Rey “National Anthem” Video ()
Playing Jackie O* to A$AP Rocky’s JFK, Lana Del Rey slides into this luxurious cinematic role nicely, displaying an aptitude for assuming a leading lady position not entirely unlike that of her current role as resident label darling at Interscope. In an interview with VICE, A$AP spoke to his amazement of just how much the […]
- Michal Cymbalista “Communication” Video ()
Complemented by the flowing ambient sounds of Michal Cymbalista “Communication,” this production by Dresden, Germany’s T-RECS team captures the vastness of the shifting night skies as seen from a variety of locales (majestic locations such as Dante’s View in Death Valley National Park, Yosemite National Park, and… Plymouth, Indiana). I’ve always been a sucker for […]
- “O (Omicron)” Video ()
This might not be a music video, per se, but what it is is a visual document capturing a stunning permanent art installation, directed and scored by the artists themselves. Romain Tardy, who along with Thomas Vaquié developed the piece, has already made his influence known within the modern visual art community through such projects […]
- Sigur Rós “Fjögur Píanó” Video ()
“Just when I think you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!” Wise words from a wise man, which are undoubtedly suitable in the case of the video for Sigur Rós‘ “Fjögur Píanó.” For Shia LaBoeuf (who, not surprisingly, was actually in Dumb and Dumber‘s regrettable sequel) the video […]
- Time for Livin’ ()
Practically everyone with 140 characters to spare has already said their piece on the death of the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch. Though only 48 hours have passed since the news broke, it already seems like an eternity since many far more eloquent and thoughtful than I made their longer-form goodbyes public, signing off to one […]
- Culture Bully Presents: 2011 Mashed ()
Real quick… I just want to say thank you all of the friends I’ve made in the mashup community over the years: the producers who have created some terrific music (including the mashups on Culture Bully’s annual Mashed compilation), and the fans who have taken the time to visit the blog. About six years ago I posted my […]
- Mac L’s “Raw Material” ()
It was just about 10 months ago that I first met Mac L. In a number of ways the cocksure MC served as my introduction to a side of Nashville that I didn’t know much about when first moving here, and certainly a sector that isn’t entirely visible unless you’re actively looking for it: the […]
- The Trouble with Local Scenes ()
I moved to Nashville last summer on a whim, really only because one of my best friends lives here and it seemed like a not-so-terrible idea. And here I am 17 months later, still waking up each morning in some strange city that has somehow become a part of me. I can’t explain what exactly […]
- Ween’s Homo Rainbow ()
Originally titled “The Rainbow” when released on South Park‘s Chef Aid compilation in 1998, the song was later rechristened “The Homo Rainbow” as it became a staple in Ween‘s live set. As is true of many of their other songs, the Live Music Archive is ripe with bootleg versions of the track, but none that […]
- Insane Clown Posse on “The Adam Carolla Show” ()
In preparation for this year’s edition of the Gathering of the Juggalos, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope appeared on The Adam Carolla Show where the longtime radio personality went a little off-base in taking listeners through an in depth recap of the Insane Clown Posse‘s history. From the group’s birth in the suburbs of Detroit to their fallout […]
- Jay-Z and Kanye West “Watch the Throne” Review ()
The success of Watch the Throne is going to have to be defined by how each unique passenger of the vessel approaches the collaboration. Kanye West and Jay-Z are undoubtedly two of the most elite and in demand voices in rap (or pop music, or simply music in general), and if the focus is the […]
- DM Bob & the Deficits “They Call Me Country” (Influenza) ()
The history behind DM Bob & the Deficits is one that might not translate through a screen as it seems to be a story weathered by well over a decade of unique twists and turns. Earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from LSU in Baton Rouge, “Deutsche Mark” Bob (Robert Tooke) formed the trio with Django […]
- Space Lord… Mother… Mother… ()
Whatever happened to Monster Magnet? Truth is, despite retaining just a single original member, vocalist and guitarist Dave Wyndorf, the band is still kicking around after over two decades “together.” That said, Monster Magnet‘s continued existence hasn’t been without its setbacks. Rotating through 11 band members since 1989, the group hit it big after switching […]
- T.Q.D. “Desert Sky (Remix)” (Influenza) ()
Following the release of Status Reign’s Brutally Honest LP (which includes such standouts as “Dedicated” and “The Chorus“) comes a new release from another member of Minneapolis’ Background Noise Crew, T.Q.D.Serving as an aptly titled lead-up to more new material which should drop later this year, The Appetizer 3 is an “odds-and-ends collection” which does […]
- The Ettes “Excuse” (Influenza) ()
As time draws near for the release of the Ettes‘ fourth studio album, Wicked Will, the trio has dropped a pair of new tracks: the fuzzy and wonderfully distorted “The Pendulum” and the straight-forward kick in the teeth “Excuse.” Produced by Liam Watson (the Kills, the White Stripes) Wicked Will was written on the road […]
- 311 “Universal Pulse” Review ()
In the ’90s, with the odd exception, there was no other band for me: 311 was it. As I ascended through junior high, then high school, the 311 insignia was not only a staple of my wardrobe, both emblazoned on t-shirts and patches that I had hand-stitched onto my backpack, but it was also found […]
- Wugazi Interview ()
It has been less than three weeks since Wugazi first reared its head on the Internet, the Fugazi/Wu-Tang Clan mashup project debuting in the form of the “I’m So Tired”/”C.R.E.A.M.” bootleg “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me” (which has since seen 135k Soundcloud plays). Though its creators were initially silent, the project was eventually pinned to Twin Cities artists Cecil Otter (Doomtree) and Swiss Andy (the Millionth Word, […]
- Five Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now ()
Doomtree, Affiliyated A remix EP that is anything but routine, Affiliyated finds various members of Minneapolis’ Doomtree crew reworking bits from Gayngs’ 2010 debut album Relayted. The resulting mixes are entirely fresh, each sounding nothing like the source tracks they came from. No Surrender, Medicine Babies An album bursting with New York City afro-punk, Medicine […]
- Moby “Destroyed” Review ()
Destroyed stands as quite the milestone for Moby as it is his tenth full-length studio album, coming nearly two decades after he issued his self-titled debut. It also serves as somewhat of an artistic retrospective for the multi-faceted artist: A soundtrack to his own personal insomnia, Destroyed takes on a variety of sounds that have […]
- Lil Wayne & Rick Ross “John” Video ()
Originally released under “If I Die Today,” “John” finds Lil Wayne stepping into the Maybach framework, he and Rick Ross doing their best to repeat “I’m Not a Star” while putting just enough of a spin on the track to sound unique. While “6 Foot, 7 Foot” remains the tightest new song to appear on […]