Some random shit I've listened to over the course of the past couple of evenings:
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Cavanaugh - Time & Materials (2015)
Cavanaugh is Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti, two of the most genuinely funny and intelligent rappers currently working. This album definitely feels more in line with Serengeti's stuff than Mike's - it's supposedly character-based (though I didn't necessarily get the feeling they were in character throughout, unlike 'Geti's Kenny Dennis series), and it feels kinda lightweight, whereas Mike Eagle's recent output has generally felt very well thought-out, and as though a lot of effort has gone into its conception. Not gonna lie, this was a fairly casual listen, not really enough to pick apart everything going on, but it was really nice. Very cohesive feel, even if I felt their voices got a little too buried in the mix at times. Sharp social observations, as ever, and a nice line in chilled-out, kinda frayed, subtly soulful, electronic-leaning beats that ties the whole thing together. Compared to recent releases from kindred spirits Busdriver and milo, this one is pretty laidback, but it works. A cool listen - will definitely be returning to it.
This is essential listening for anybody with a passing interest in hip-hop. It's a really fucking lazy and overused description, but Z-Ro is essentially a cross between Nate Dogg and Tupac, albeit with that bouncy Southern flow that guys like Ludacris and Bun B are famous for. Beat-wise, this album is full of very accessible, clean, wannabe-majestic soul (wannabe in the sense that some of these synths sound far too cheap to actually achieve the majesty they're aiming for, but endearingly so), and Z-Ro seems to bless every single song here with an earworm of a hook. There's a gravitas to his gravelly baritone, and he plays the socially conscious gangster on this record as well as anybody has ever managed (another nod to Tupac). The features are all perfect here (particularly love the turns from Devin the Dude and Juvenile on 'The Mule'), but Z-Ro is the obvious star of the show. This is, without question, my favourite album of his, which (given his vast, jewel-encrusted discography) is no mean feat. Just amazing stuff. Personal highlight 'Platinum' is below, which should give a taste as to the sound on this record.
Probably my fourth or fifth listen to this album since it came out, which proves that I do enjoy it. This is really, really cool, and a thoroughly lovely album. But it's not 1969, and I don't need records trying to make me believe that it is.
This should probably be higher on my 2015 chart, but there are occasional segments that just don't really do anything for me. His mix of dark ambient drone and mild black metal elements and Jason Molina-esque minimal songwriting is really cool overall, but at 80-odd minutes this record drags at times. There's a really cool bit with a flute that might be one of my favourite moments of the year, and whenever I listen to this it's easy to remember why I was so enamoured with it the first six or seven times I heard it, but it's just not consistently gripping enough to trouble my top twenty.
Probably my favourite Weather Report album (although Mysterious Traveller definitely runs it close). This is freer, and less proggy overall - the keyboards here are more violent, and the relationship between the instruments here is bumpier than on their studio outings, not necessarily fighting for space, but certainly not aiming towards harmony. 'Orange Lady' is a perfect example of this, where everything emerges from this quasi-ambient stasis to a point where keys hit off-notes and horns dance around as though nobody is watching, and then the whole thing settles back into calm. My favourite jazz record of 2015 is probably Rob Mazurek's Galactic Parables, and it's likely because it reminds me so much of this album. So yeah, check this and that out. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Not dissimilar to the Food record I listened to (and noted in this thread) recently, although I feel this one is more dynamic, and relies less on its atmosphere for its power. Definitely a record of two halves, the opening side of this album is relatively frenetic stuff, culminating in a song that recalls the jazz-inflected drum'n'bass of 4hero or LTJ Bukem, although with a bit more grit than those guys. The second half is calmer, but still carries a slightly disquieting vibe. Never been a massive fan of Daedelus, despite him being the sort of artist I'd usually like, and I was previously unfamiliar with Kneebody, but this is damn good stuff. It's on Brainfeeder, but I don't think this is quite as impressive as FlyLo's last couple of albums, Thundercat's stuff in the past few years, or Kamasi Washington's The Epic - that said, it's definitely more my sort of thing than the most recent releases from Taylor McFerrin, Mono/Poly, DJ Paypal, The Underachievers. Probably not gonna trouble the upper echelons of my year chart, but could just about find a spot in the top fifty. Recommended.
EDIT: Oh yeah, for anybody who might be interested in what this record sounds like, it's some sort of jazz fusion record with electronic elements - more murky and less poppy than Flying Lotus' You're Dead!, but in the same ballpark. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Might be the best indie rock record I've heard all year. Has this jittery, stop/start thing going on that really matches the singer's insecurities, and at times they sound like a poppier Polvo or a more muscular Ought. I also really like the guy's voice, though I could see how others may find it annoying - it's like a cross between Daniel Johnston and the dude from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Also, songs here are prone to suddenly veer off onto unexpected detours, which keeps me on my toes throughout. I dunno, if you're into angular punk stuff or shit that might have been tagged as 'blog rock' ten years ago then this shit will be right up your alley. I like it a lot. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Might be the best indie rock record I've heard all year....
Shame they broke up. I know a lot of people who are friends with them. I definitely dig the record although it did wear thin for me a bit over repeated listens _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
Not dissimilar to the Food record I listened to (and noted in this thread) recently, although I feel this one is more dynamic, and relies less on its atmosphere for its power. Definitely a record of two halves, the opening side of this album is relatively frenetic stuff, culminating in a song that recalls the jazz-inflected drum'n'bass of 4hero or LTJ Bukem, although with a bit more grit than those guys. The second half is calmer, but still carries a slightly disquieting vibe. Never been a massive fan of Daedelus, despite him being the sort of artist I'd usually like, and I was previously unfamiliar with Kneebody, but this is damn good stuff. It's on Brainfeeder, but I don't think this is quite as impressive as FlyLo's last couple of albums, Thundercat's stuff in the past few years, or Kamasi Washington's The Epic - that said, it's definitely more my sort of thing than the most recent releases from Taylor McFerrin, Mono/Poly, DJ Paypal, The Underachievers. Probably not gonna trouble the upper echelons of my year chart, but could just about find a spot in the top fifty. Recommended.
EDIT: Oh yeah, for anybody who might be interested in what this record sounds like, it's some sort of jazz fusion record with electronic elements - more murky and less poppy than Flying Lotus' You're Dead!, but in the same ballpark.
Glad to hear you liked it! I loved it and I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more notoriety on here. _________________ 2023 Chart
Interesting and largely endearing mix of melodic, Fetty Wap-esque autotune rapping-turnt-sanging, early-2000s pop/dancehall hybrids, and grime. He's inevitably gonna have significant success over here in the UK - could definitely follow Stormzy into the upper reaches of our charts - though I'm not entirely sure how he'd translate abroad. That said, America's recent love affair with grime and Hus' easy, accessible style could make him a strong candidate to break through. Expect to see Drake on Instagram pretending to sip lean whilst 'Dem Boy Pagan' blares in the background at some point in early 2016.
Both are members of Ratking, and both these albums are really cool. Will probably expand on these thoughts later, though if I don't get around to doing that you should still listen to them anyway. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Also been reading the Pimp C biography and listening to loads of UGK. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
I like it a lot. Some really cool stuff going on here. Where The Next Day was a solid (if somewhat unmemorable) comeback that felt positively conservative by Bowie standards, ★ is pretty interesting, and even its more conventional moments feature some pretty interesting textures and rhythms. Need more listens to really digest it, but it's definitely a very strong release.
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Boosie Badazz - In My Feelings (Goin' Thru It)
In his lifetime, Boosie has seen more hardship than any one person should have to. Born into poverty, his father died at an early age. He's seen childhood best friends murdered, had his house burn down, seen a child die from being run down outside his own home, suffered from diabetes, faced the death penalty, spent four years (much of it in solitary confinement) in Angola, and lost numerous family members. But, throughout it all, he's stood strong and even remained triumphant, describing his life with tangible and often uncomfortable honesty over a series of albums and mixtapes dating back over fifteen years, always letting it be known that nothing will ever break him down. He is a ghetto ambassador beloved across the world, his story and his pain relatable on a level rarely seen since Tupac Shakur passed away. Last year's criminally underrated Touch Down 2 Cause Hell - his first LP proper since his release - was perhaps his best album yet, a mission statement / victory lap that contained everything that makes Boosie such a compelling and necessary figure in hip-hop, and Southern music in general. And then, as has so often been the case throughoutt his life, disaster struck. In November, it was revealed that Boosie was suffering from cancer. He took to social media to ask fans to pray for him, and it seemed a very real possibility that the aforementioned Touch Down 2 Cause Hell would be his last ever album (Thrilla vol. 1 - a solid mixtape put out in October - notwithstanding).
But this is Boosie I'm talking about, and his reaction to the news was (of course) to put out a new ten-track album, In My Feelings (Goin' Thru It), on January 1st 2016. That said, it is only the album's existence itself, and not its content, that hints at the indomitable spirit of old. For this is the bleakest Boosie release I've ever heard, an album that's angry at the world but uncharacteristically lacking the fight to do anything about it. This is an embittered, battle-weary, broken Boosie, and it shows on an album entirely devoid of enjoyable moments. That isn't to say that this is a bad album (it most certainly isn't), or that it doesn't have merit - it's just that it's not exactly a pleasant experience to gain this sort of insight into the mind of a man struggling with the weight of the world (and more than a few chips) on his shoulders, and it's really quite depressing to hear someone who's usually so full of life suddenly sound so demoralised. Every track here is slow-paced and solemn, and pure resentment seems to be the default emotion for the vast majority of this album's 34-minute runtime (though the sullen nature of much of this material means that it feels almost twice that length).
For a start, the track names themselves are extremely revealing - 'The Rain', 'Smile to Keep from Crying', 'Stressing Me', 'Bad Guy', 'Forgive Me Being Lost', 'I Know They Gon Miss Me', and the stoic, self-explanatory 'Cancer' are all fairly downtrodden titles, and suggest that Boosie himself believes this record could well be his last. Inside, the music and the lyrics offer nothing to disprove this theory. Boosie repeatedly refers to the disease that hangs over this record, whether it's his own or the cancer(s) that killed various family members in the last year. He talks candidly and spitefully about people who have turned their back on him in the past, clearly with no intention of turning the other cheek. He asks God for answers time and time again, in a manner that indicates both indignation and a suffocating sense of hopelessness, the frustration in his voice almost belying his faith itself. On the hook to 'Bad Guy', he literally pleads with people to "leave him alone" - the effect is really quite distressing. The beats here lack their usual synthetic soul bounce (penultimate track 'Roller Coaster Ride' excepted), drawing almost exclusively from a palette of foggy greys and blackish blues. Not only that, but the album feels rushed. Some of these beats sound extremely cheap, but given that they're simply soapboxes from which Boosie can vent, to say so seems somewhat unfair. More glaringly, the volume here differs significantly from song to song, which makes for a jarring experience. Overall, though, this is thematically the most cohesive album Boosie's ever released, for better or worse. There isn't a bad song here, and any one of these tracks would stand out as a memorable emotional anchor on another Boosie record, but back-to-back the effect they have is close to unbearable. As a glimpse into a tortured mind, In My Feelings is an extremely powerful piece of work, even if it fails to offer any real glimmer of hope. Which, for Boosie fans like myself, is the hardest thing to take. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
I like it a lot. Some really cool stuff going on here. Where The Next Day was a solid (if somewhat unmemorable) comeback that felt positively conservative by Bowie standards, ★ is pretty interesting, and even its more conventional moments feature some pretty interesting textures and rhythms. Need more listens to really digest it, but it's definitely a very strong release.
more or less my thoughts in short. I really liked Next Day but I have a feeling I'll be revisiting this a lot more. More interesting sonically and honestly just better. Hey Skinny I've been wondering, so ik you liked Odd Nosdam's solo stuff, and you've been erm less than interested in cLOUDDEAD as far as I know... Is your problem with cLOUDDEAD completely with the emceeing? Are you a fan of Nosdam's production within that project?
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