BEST NEW MUSIC: Iceage - New Brigade

My knowledge of the country of Denmark prior to this view consisted of; A: the country of Denmark is located in Europe and; B: It's small and near Germany. I was close enough with my initial predictions, however, as I sit here writing this review, I honestly haven't discovered much more about the Danes. If anything, the only musically relevant things about the tiny peninsula is the Roskilde festival - the second biggest festival in all of Europe surprisingly enough - and a small but thriving underground punk scene that's slowly gaining exposure. Among these artists include various noise-rock/post-punk outfits such as The City Kill, ADS, and Melting Walkmen, but whereas these bands step back to create some atmosphere, Iceage decides to shove a handful down your throat.

That's the beauty of Iceage. The group consists of four 18-20 year olds with a thirst for blood and a knowledge of the essential post-punk scene. It's a weird mix really, one that both calls for the UK invasion of the late 70s as well as the likes of Joy Division and Wire. But any sort of heaviness received from this album is mostly the bands in-your-face intimacy that they embrace so well. I mentioned something like this in my Cloud Nothings review, but production on a lo-fi record is just as important than on any general studio album. Iceage's New Brigade genuinely sounds like it's being played in-front of you. The yelled refrains seemingly fill the room while the guitars and percussion take what's left and boost the volume louder.

At times, this forceful approach may contradict the post-punk roots too much, but on a whole it works well enough to not even be close to a problem. Hell, this originality is key for New Brigade - without it's hefty set of balls you probably couldn't tell it apart from it's respective counterparts in the somewhat dead punk scene. "Count Me In" runs straight at you with a thundering guitar riff and a hesitating chorus-thing. It's fast, and surely eye-opening, but its then immediately answered by a chaotic yet relatively controlled Wire-esque track submerged under a wall of rolling floor-toms and bizarre-sounding chords. The difference between these two songs is obvious even to the most inexperienced listener, but the uncanny transitionss flow so mysteriously well that I guess you just have to take it for granted.

New Brigade is short and sweet, never displaying any weaknesses despite going all out. Tempo changes are omnipresent and almost expected, but even with all the flurries and subsequesent eye-of-the-storm moments, New Brigade works as well as it needs to. On "Broken Bone" the harsh chords and bombarding percussion somehow segues into an unexpectedly catchy dance beat. It's puzzling to say the least, one of the more random parts of an already unpredictable affair, but Iceage seem to consistently answer with an equally predictable response - Why not?

4/5

Recommended Tracks: "Broken Bone", "White Rune", "Never Return", "New Brigade"

Free Music I

My first segment of the unscheduled feature where I briefly highlight a bunch of free material that has been buying up my listening time (pun definitely intended).

Monster Rally - Coral LP

Chillwave, Chillout

3.5/5

Monster Rally's Coral LP may just be loops of tropical samples, but I'd be lying if I said it was anything sort of remarkable. This 16-song, 41-minute album is an example of experimentation that's both successful in merging genres and sounding great in the process. His newest EP, Deep Sea, will be released on vinyl by Gold Robot Records later this month.

Atlanta At Pacific - Seasons

Chillwave

3/5

There's so many chillwave artists appearing on bandcamp it's becoming hard to keep up, but after receiving a tip from Blackbird Blackbird, I discovered this hidden gem to be a remarkably pleasant venture with its fair share of moody chimes and looped synthesizers. Although a short release, it's replay value is high enough to hold my interest for a future LP.

Youth Lagoon - july + cannons

Ambient

4/5

There are only three songs currently released by Boise native Trevor Powers, but he's already creating buzz as one of the biggest up-and-coming bedroom ambient artists out there. july+cannons will leave you gasping for air with its enormously proud crescendos and compelling atmosphere. This isn't quickly thrown together though, "July" shows an artist who skillfully builds a song layer by layer, slowly revealing an emotional climax built by reverbed guitars and passionate (but restrained) vocals. On "Cannons", Powers meets you with open arms, presenting an adorable guitar lick that eventually transcends into a cacophony similar to the song preceding it. Youth Lagoon isn't only mature, but it's entirely promising. Powers plans to release his debut album, The Year of Hibernation, later in the summer. We'll all be waiting.

Elzhi - Elmatic

Rap

3.5/5

DOWNLOAD HERE

It's generally a bad idea to try and top one of the greatest rap albums of all time. That's not what's happening here though, Elzhi's Elmatic is a mixtape that's more of a homage than anything. Elzhi shows off some ridiculous flow and wordplay along to some of the most iconic 90s instrumentals ever created. He's not trying to prove himself, rather, he provides some really great verses which can only hype up his image in the rap community. It's a great listen that'll surely turn some heads and hopefully hype up a future album from this guy.

David Lynch - "Good Day Today" (2010)

Good Day Today by threeminutesthirtyseconds

David Lynch's illustrious career as a filmmaker is well deserved. His genre-hopping films prove he's a creative force to be reckoned with, but when I heard about his supposed venture into music I was skeptical. Surprisingly enough, I was greeted by a pleasantly optimistic track that's both charming and mesmerizing. "Good Day Today" comes across as professional and it does so in all the right ways. The synths quietly pulse throughout the song and Lynch's heavily processed vocals play into the song's innocence. It doesn't take any risks, but it ultimately doesn't have to. "Good Day Today" says everything it has to with the refrain and there's nothing wrong with that.

3.5/5

Cloud Nothings - s/t

Melodies, melodies, melodies. Here's a tip for the young musicians looking for a sense of direction: stop painfully carving away at your shitty riffs and just go for the feeling. The reason music is so successful for the human race is our recognition of catchy hooks. It's those 3 or 4 seconds that you replay over and over again to yourself, the dreaded earworm that both inspires and annoys us. So naturally, an album that basically builds itself upon catchy melodies is bound to be good, right? Pretty much.

Enter Cloud Nothings: the lo-fi brainchild of Dylan Baldi that essentially reeks of simplistic pop melodies. On his debut album Turning On, Baldi sets aside any sort of complexities and comes straight from the heart. It's a nostalgic effort, one that was most likely recorded on a late 90's over-the-shoulder video camera in your basement 10 summers ago. The mix is so buried and modest that it actually brightens with several listens, revealing cute guitar licks and fiery drums. However, with Cloud Nothings, the band is no longer in your shoddy basement, but rather playing on a crowded stage in a relatively popular downtown bar.

Now, I don't want to make too big of a deal about this - because, in the long run, the songwriting is easily the most important part of any music project - but the shift in production style sort of ruins the overall image I loved from Cloud Nothings. The hard-hitting percussion and the now overly prevalent guitar nearly flash punk rock at times. Take "Should Have" for example: the in-your-face guitar plays a pop guitar riff that completely drives the song. It almost comes across as a montage song segueing two scenes from Malcolm In the Middle together. Yet again, I want to stress that this isn't necessarily a terrible thing, but it does detract from the overall quality of the album.

But honestly the biggest problem with Cloud Nothings is that it doesn't hold as many notable melodies as Turning On. That's really it - which, if anything, only confirms that the lo-fi genre is a bit of a crapshoot. Baldi is a seriously talented writer, but the riffs on Cloud Nothings don't stick as well and somehow lose their intimacy through the recordings. The legitimately great tracks ("Understand at All", "Not Important", "On The Radio") are catchy, fun, and fit nicely with Cloud Nothings' young catalog; but the otherwise mediocre songs ("Should Have", "Rock", "You're Not That Good at Anything") are nothing more than failed riffs that never really get off the ground.

There is a silver lining though: Cloud Nothings is still in the early stages and the low points on this album are merely setbacks regarding filler riffs and questionable production. It's adolescence and it's forgettable; but the melodies, the defining factor for a band like Cloud Nothings, come up somewhat short.

3/5

Recommended Tracks: "Understand at All", "Not Important", "On The Radio"

James Blake - "Give a Man a Rod (Second Version)"

James Blake - Give A Man A Rod (Second Version) by BOILER ROOM

It's hard to classify James Blake's sound (I tried earlier this year) but the gist here is that Blake's love of UK Garage and Dubstep is just as prevalent as his passion for R&B. It's a chugging, futuristic hybrid of the aforementioned genres, heavy on samples and expertly produced.

With Blake's first release, The Bells Sketch EP, we find the London electronic producer at his most, well, electronic. There's a greater focus on loops and the vocals are virtually artificial. Flash-forward a year (and three separate releases) and Blake has made a name for himself as pioneering force in the experimental electronic sub-genres. So what better way to address his ever-changing musical direction than to revisit an old song from an early EP?

“Give a Man a Rod (Second Version)” answers this with whirlwind of clanking samples and hesitating drum beats. It's a noticeably aggressive song, taking the original and adding a shot of adrenaline that fills the production and expands the song like you would never expect it to. It's to the point where I'm almost under the assumption that this was the original – which, in it's own right, is a very good song – but filled in with numerous samples, bass drones, and sliced-and-diced vocals. Blake accomplishes everything he needs here, and in doing so, provides a little more for his fans as we await his next release.

4/5

Blue Hawaii - Blooming Summer EP (2010)

It's that time of year again. As summer approaches, I find myself increasingly mesmerized by how unbelievably gorgeous the weather has been. The temperature peaks out an earnest 74°, the wind provides a nearly sensual breeze, and the irritating bugs remain hibernating. It's almost too perfect, but look away long enough, and the scorching hot, lazy summer days are just around the corner. Blue Hawaii's Blooming Summer perfectly captures my "weather-pessimism" while still assuring everything will be alright. It's both comforting and ambitious, wielding enough swagger but hesitating by shoving it under walls of reverb.

It's lead by Raph's vocals, better known for her work with the 2011 buzz band Braids. On a whole, Raph shines, delivering a consistently refreshing performance to the various beats thrown at you. On "Lilac", her charming falsetto channels Sigur Rós, while on "Dream Electrixa" the influence from Best Coast literally shouts at you. As I had just previously mentioned, Raph's vocals harmonize greatly with her percussive counterpart. The booming bass drum on "Katie" is met halfway by a twisted, casio keyboard head-fucked by nostalgia. The end result is notably dreamy, possibly an unintentional venture into the chillwave genre. Make no mistake though, this isn't fruity loops-core material; rather, Blue Hawaii is about as well-produced as you would want it to be, leaving enough room for expansion in the future.

My favorite song on the EP is the deceiving "Castle of Clouds". It begins a harmless drone, but a pumping synth bass at the song's midpoint reveals an understated dance track that never entirely breaks out. The production is key here; Raph's vocals are perfectly embedded in the mix, wavering in and out of the respective channels on a whim. There's no claps, snare hits, or even a bass drum for that matter; it's simply a transcendental walk on the beach that's inviting and full of surprises. Maybe that's what Blue Hawaii really wants to be known as: a one day trip to the beach that you will always try to recreate. We all have those memories, long lost but remembered for those few seconds of absolute peace. Moments like these make life frustrating, not because these memories are so unheard of, but because they're so hard to achieve.

4/5

Recommended Tracks: "Castle of Clouds", "Belize", "Lilac", "Dream Electrixa"

Tyler the Creator - Goblin

Bastard was great because it was honest. In the album's title track, Tyler carelessly admits he's vulnerable and pissed off about it. Sincerity like that is hard to find in a rap scene built by egos, but in any case, Tyler managed to accomplish this on his self produced debut. His lack of subtlety is hardly a reason to get excited though; instead, it's the shear amount of quality material being released by the Odd Future collective. Tyler remains the de facto leader, but his accomplices are just as noteworthy, proving that seniority hardly means anything to this up-and-coming group.

Let's be honest though, if Tyler hadn't taken the role of leader early on, these mixtapes wouldn't even exist. I mentioned Bastard earlier, but Earl Sweatshirt's Earl, Domo Genesis' Rolling Papers, and Mellowhype's BlackenedWhite are just as commendable and easy to get excited about. But whether or not they stack up against Bastard, Tyler's lyrical and straightforward approach is an influence that's all too noticeable. Simply put: Odd Future doesn't give a fuck, and Tyler will love to be the first person to point that out.

When "Yonkers" hit the internet back in February, Odd Future blew up and they blew up fast. I wasn't surprised; "Yonkers" is arguably the best song released by the collective as of yet. The immense beat matched by Tyler's superb word play was frightening and unbelievable. Tyler wasn't so much a kid but rather a demonic teenager hell-bent on conquering the widespread minds of the civilized world.

As the lead single, one would expect "Yonkers" to lead a variety of equally hard-hitting tracks, but if anything, Goblin shows a noticeable shift in Tyler's persona altogether. Take "Radicals", the way-longer-than-it-should-be teenage anthem. It begins with a 20 second advisory warning the listener to not attempt any of the crimes mentioned in the song. I can understand this being a tongue-in-cheek jab at his generally white fanbase, but why is this really needed in a song that's already exceedingly lengthy? Moments contradicting Tyler's well known "I don't give a fuck" attitude are all over Goblin, almost to the point where it becomes a joke. "Goblin", essentially the sequel intro-track to last year's "Bastard", is a 6+ minute rant on frustrations of being well known and having to answer to hype. Compare this to "Bastard", which had enough emotional weight to crush even the biggest Odd Future skeptic, and you'll be mostly confused and bothered. We get it, Odd Future actually has to answer to a mainstream audience now, but is going on multiple rants defending your own work really worth the time? If anything, it shows a blaring insecurity that pales in comparison to Tyler's anger in "Bastard".

Contradictions aside, Goblin's most unfortunate issue is it's production value. Maybe it's because of my admittingly high expectations, but Goblin marks the first time in Odd Future's discography where I've actually noticed the poorly mixed beats and laughably ridiculous synthesizers. A professional engineer can go a long way, and Goblin is an ill-fated example of this. Among other things, overuse of reverb and uninspired loops pollute songs that just don't know when to end. Here's an idea, cut out most of the intros, get rid of all the effect-riddled phase-out endings, and delete all the verses from Tyler's clearly less-talented friends. Done right, and you got yourself a 40 minute album with a fair share of highlights.

Mind you, Goblin isn't a terrible album. When Tyler goes hard, he goes hard; "Yonkers", "Nightmare", and the Eminem-esque "Golden" are career highlights from the 19 year old Los Angeles native. These are the moments where Tyler goes back to his roots (ie: fucking sluts, slaughtering enemies, his separated family) and are hands-down the best and most satisfying. Lines like "Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome" are expected (but certainly welcome) but other lines like "Niggas saying 'Free Earl' without even known' him / See, they're missing the new album, I'm missing my only friend" show Tyler's raw emotion that seperates him from every other rapper trying to make it at his age.

Remarkably, however, Goblin is about the least confident Tyler has sounded as a whole. Instead of giving an unforgiving middle finger, cautionary warnings and excuses make a mess out of this lengthy sophomore release. It's a shame really, Tyler could have potentially floored his critics. Rather, he chose to reason with them. The limelight is brighter than ever Tyler - please stop caring.

2.5/5

Reccommended Tracks: "Yonkers", "Golden", "Nightmare"