Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)"

At just over eight and a half minutes, "Rifle Eyesight" is the longest song released as of yet by the Staten Island indie-rock outfit. It begins with a 90 second intro that carelessly bounds from fast to slow with no real explanation for any of it's spasms. This isn't the first time Cymbals Eat Guitars has sounded so aggressive, but the staggering randomness along with Joe D'Agostino's otherwise pitchy vocals is almost grating to listen to. I understand what they're doing here: Like in their phenomenal 2009 debut, Cymbals takes what would otherwise be discarded Pavement guitar riffs and juices it up with some steroids. Here, however, it comes across as a contrived mess that has no attention span.

The song does get a second wind though: powered by it's descending feedback jam (which calls back to the likes of the monumental opener found in "...And the Hazy Sea"), "Rifle Eyesight" returns with a deranged guitar riff that soon blossoms into another Modest Mouse-esque, feedback riddled frenzy that improves upon the intro riff. There's no callback offered to what had just happened (I'm not complaining) but the succint affair quickly fizzles down into the song's distressed outro.

The "coming out of a breakdown with a triumphant crescendo" gag is starting to get old here folks, but the good news is that the outro finally breathes life into an otherwise lengthy disappointment. By being held down by a lethargically pulsing bass drum and piano line, the song finally gets a sense of direction as D'Agostino softly sings over an array of beckoning strings and arbitrary guitar licks. Yes, yet another climax occurs after the brief (and appreciated) rest period, but the key difference here is that this short-lived emotional release is about the only climax that means something.

What's to be noted here is that, after only three short paragraphs, I was already starting to run out of synonyms for the world "brief". The whole jumping from movement to movement concept is starting to certify itself as an overused cliche, and the band's once unrepressed nostalgia now sounds like the tormented baby of Pavement and Tera Melos. Ultimately, "Rifle Eyesight" is far too lengthy and a bit disappointing, which is a shame really, because with a bit of rarranging here and there this band can do wonders.

2.5/5

You can listen to "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)" here

Doomstarks - Victory Laps (Madvillainz Remix)

DoomStarks is a collaboration between MF Doom and Wu-Tang master Ghostface Killah. The two guys have a lot in common apparently; they both love comic books and represent the great city of New York -- Oh, and they're accomplished and versatile rappers if you didn't know. Joking aside, "Victory Laps" marks as an unofficial announcement of a future relationship between the two veteran emcees. Backed by a sample teeming with soul, the two guys do what they do best and lay down a track packed with lyrical wordplay and notable quotables. It's an exciting teaser that's glowing with the vintage feel that makes artists like MF Doom or Ghostface memorable; but at a short two and a half minutes, it'll leave the fanboys begging for more.

3.5/5

You can listen to "Victory Laps (Madvillainz Remix)" here

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

PJ Harvey- The Words That Maketh Murder

Through a calming intro of hand claps and retro guitar chords emerges PJ Harvey's voice. Although tranquil at first, passing time reveals she's pretty pissed off. The song's message of war's horrific imagery is delivered well, but past Harvey's voice is almost bland instrumentation that melts away the song's powerful demeanor. Don't get me wrong, there are some catchy parts to "The Words That Maketh Murder". The abbreviated saxophone comes to mind, and the song's strong refrain is a fantastic turn of events. She sings, "What if I take my problem to the United Nations?". It's a great line, a statement to the failure of an organization that disappoints today with the tragic deaths in the Middle East, but this segment alone can't save an otherwise dull protest.

3/5

tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

There's a lot of stand-out moments in "Bizness", the first single from upcoming tUnE-yArDs album w h o k i l l. There's rimshots, flurries of passionate vocals, loops, african-inspired rhythms, and a whole lot of production value. The difference between "Bizness" and her first album, BiRd-BrAinS, is undeniable. By sacrificing her original lo-fi sound, tUnE-yArDs sounds much more powerful and overwhelming. Instead of directly observing her self-recorded mp3s, we're given the effect of listening to a live performance. Everything's loud and prominent in the mix, and the relentless singing brings emotion that breathes new life in this artist's career.

4/5

TV on the Radio - Will Do

TV on the Radio - Will Do by 1077 The End

The vibe you get from "Will Do", the first released track from TV on the Radio's forthcoming LP, is that these guys know what they're doing. They've been in the game for almost ten years now, and coming off the release of two groundbreaking indie rock releases, TV on the Radio are potentially at their peak. But there's nothing to worry about in "Will Do". It's great to hear the band finally playing new material, especially with a song good enough to stand next to their impressive discography. "Will Do" appeases to the old and new TV on the Radio fans; It's got a lot of soul, hard-hitting electronic drums, and a chilled-out atmosphere. The usual distorted guitar is minimal, and the glittering samples are a great match with the almost irresistible bass line. On a whole, "Will Do" introduces a new style from the experimental Brooklyn outfit, and I don't think I can complain.

4/5

Panda Bear – Last Night at the Jetty

“Last Night at the Jetty” is the third single released by Noah Lennox (known by the stage name Panda Bear) and yet another reason to look forward to his massively anticipated fourth LP Tomboy. Something to take note of is how the coveted, sample heavy Animal Collective/Panda Bear sound continues to be less relevant. Here, Lennox makes further use of synths and guitar, in turn creating an album that sounds live and organic.

This song's greatest success, however, is the improved production. Tomboy's first two singles “Tomboy” and “You Can Count On Me” were criticized for sounding quiet and uncharacteristically sparse. “Last Night at the Jetty” comes across as a dramatic shift in the right direction; with a new producer mixing the album, everything just sounds fuller and more refined.

You can say this about the synths and the samples, but the vocals are easily the most notable. Lennox has never sounded better, and at the two minute vocal crescendo, the repetition of “I know” along the building percussion and swirling samples transcend this song into an unpredicted level of aural bliss.

4.5/5

Tyler the Creator - Yonkers

This first thing you notice is the beat. Simplicity is a great thing, but Tyler the Creator takes it a step further with a hesitating low bass and a frightening, repeating sample. If you're not familiar with OFWGKTA, you're in for a ride here. Tyler raps of "threesomes with a fucking triceratops", wanting to murder B.O.B and Bruno Mars, and his dream of having Stevie Wonder as a wide receiver on his football team. The beauty here is Tyler's seamless transitions and the dark lyrics.

Actually, dark is a bit of an understatement here, but you don't need to look much further than the shocking music video that accompanies "Yonkers". A single camera remains focused on Tyler as he raps, eats a cockroach, coughs up blood, gets a nose bleed, and then decides to kill himself. It's surprisingly straightforward, but man if it isn't horrifying.

At one point, Tyler raps "Jesus called he said he is sick of the disses. I told him to quit bitchin’. This isn’t a fucking hotline." It's just a dope line in every meaning of the word, but upon further thought, I don't think he'd react to a call like this in any other way. This kid is crazy (oh, did I forget to mention he's only 19?), psychotic even; but when it comes down to it, the only word I can really choose to summarize Tyler the Creator is genius.

4.5/5

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

The Lady Gaga "image" is hard to explain. On one hand, she's strangled the media with her bizarre costumes and outlandish performances. On the other, she's largely succeeded in creating catchy, well written pop tunes. "Born This Way", the self titled single from her upcoming album, is a mess of irritating breakdowns, uninspired lyrics, and (mostly) poor production.

This comes as a big surprise, not only because poor Gaga singles are uncommon, but mostly because of the huge amount of hype "Born This Way" has generated. You'd think that Gaga would have put more effort into the album's self-titled song, but instead, it comes across as a 20 minute brainstorm session with no real meaning. The hook is void of the "Gaga-synth" that is found on her first two studio releases, instead replaced by an abstract, guitar-like electronic sample that twinkles but never actually hits you head on.

On a whole, "Born This Way" is unusually empty. In fact, the song is almost entirely lead by Gaga's vocals; which, despite sounding completely fine, are spent by delivering a painfully PG-message of inner beauty and self admiration. Gaga sings "I'm beautiful in my way / 'Cause god makes no mistakes / I'm on the right track baby / I was born this way". Yeah, nothing special here, and when you add in the boring instrumentation and lacking hook, you got yourself a real stinker.

1.5/5