album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Ben LaMar Gay - 'Benjamin e Edinho'
Ben LaMar Gay has been a continuous presence on the Chicago music scene for years now, he is a member of the prominent AACM (The Association of the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and he has been collaborating with the likes of George Lewis, Theo Parrish, and Makaya McCraven. Still, until 2018 his solo recordings were barely to be heard.
By Ljubinko Zivkovic7 years ago in Beat
Late Review: 'Swimming'
"My regrets look just like texts I shouldn't send." From the very first line that comes out to the last beat you hear, Mac Miller commands your attention on 2018's album Swimming. With a mix of jazz-inspired beats and modern-day production, Mac Miller raps about his struggles with self-love (along with self-respect), his battle with drugs, relationships (both old and new), and his place in the world around him.
By George Gomez7 years ago in Beat
Day6 - ‘Remember Us: Youth Part 2’ Review
As we approach the end of another year, the final few releases flood in, with numerous artists wanting to go out with a bang, or just sit alongside Michael Buble’s Christmas album on the shelf for a little while. Artists like The 1975, Little Mix, and Clean Bandit have all found themselves marketing solid efforts in the last 30 days, but one that may go under your radar is the latest offering from Day6.
By Nathan Sartain7 years ago in Beat
My Favorite Music Releases of 2018
Hiya! As we come up to the end of the year I thought I’d share a list of my favourite music releases of 2018. It’s been a weird year musically for me, I’ve fallen out of love with guitar music countless times, only to fall back in love with it just as often. I’ve explored the realms of post-rock, delved into ambient music further than I ever have before and discovered that drum n bass isn’t awful. So to sum it up, here’s a mixed bag of apples to sink your teeth into if you so desire! In no particular order, here we go! (P.S. At this point of writing I am back in love with guitar music, I might do an exclusively not guitar music list another day).
By Alex McCudden7 years ago in Beat
Realm of Wolves—'Oblivion'
Formed early in 2018, Realm of Wolves was formed in almost a supergroup fashion by the members of vvilderness, Silent Island and other projects in similar style. The band members in true (Or is it Trv? I can’t keep up) black metal fashion, the members all go by pseudonyms with vvildr contributing lyrics, vocals and drums, Stvannyr on guitars and Ghöul on bass. The music they craft is dark yet serene, like a dream constantly on the edge of a nightmare yet somehow in the right mindset a listener can all but see the fog this music envokes appear before their eyes! Their first EP, Shores of Nothingness, I did on my band camp finds, which I said I cannot wait to see where they go from them then like I had said that guy with the honey and bees name one too many times this album formed before me. If this album is anything like their EP, I would compare it to a good horror movie, such as 2015’s The Witch in that there is tension the whole runtime, like modern horror fans waiting for the ninety-fourth jump scare of the movie but no one ever came. Or does it? Let's wander deep within this Oblivion that is the Realm of Wolves and see if there is a final screamer after all.
By Rip Mitchell7 years ago in Beat
A Gushing Review of Anderson .Paak's 'Oxnard'
Anderson .Paak is the rebirth of Death Row era g-funk on his newest album Oxnard. And it isn’t the pre-packaged, edited for commercial pop standards funk that we’ve gotten in recent years from other artists. Rather it is a soul-infused modern fusion of R&B, funk, and rap. The album acts as a tribute to Oxnard, California and, seemingly, California in general and acts as the third installation in .Paak’s set of albums that are dedicated to iconic cities. Though Oxnard is not necessarily an iconic city for most of the world, it is obviously one that played a large part in .Paak’s life.
By Azaria Brown7 years ago in Beat
Diggy's Second Unexpected Arrival
Diggy’s debut album Unexpected Arrival came out about six years ago and had three singles that did fairly well on the charts and on 106 & Park (RIP). After the album was released, Diggy turned 18, which meant that his music took a drastic turn and included more cursing and more mature topics, shocking much of his young tween audience. The transition was expected, but it was a bit abrupt. Especially since Diggy all but disappeared soon after. He released a handful of songs and “freestyles” over the six years that clearly demonstrated that his artistry was improving, but there was nothing mainstream nor a full body of work.
By Azaria Brown7 years ago in Beat
'New Yuck City' and 'IIWII' Review
'New Yuck City' Dirty Sanchez stole the show on “Audiopium,” the final track on the Nyck @ Knight mixtape by Kirk Knight and Nyck Caution. The track was named after the term “audiopium,” coined by Capital $teez on Joey Bada$$’s “Killuminati” and features all of Pro Era within two tracks and a hook. While each member delivers a powerful verse, in an incredibly quick and concise manner, Dirty Sanchez stands out. Not only is his verse longer than the others, but his voice has a raspy quality that works incredibly well with the beat and his high level of energy. His “Audiopium” verse in addition to his verses on tracks like “Pro Era Cakes 2” made me really anticipate his New Yuck City project.
By Azaria Brown7 years ago in Beat
Review: 'Some Rap Songs' by Earl Sweatshirt
The new album from Odd Future alumnus Earl Sweatshirt is called, simply, Some Rap Songs. On the surface, the name fits an album that sounds almost like a mixtape; a chaotic, near-schizophrenic barrage of minimalistic rap sketches, cramming 15 tracks into a tight 24 minutes. A relentless barrage of conceptual thumbnails, each track focuses on a different singular point or thought, with no respite between them. Not much in the way of real hooks but plenty of refrain, just to drive his points home. Earl Sweatshirt’s lyrics often deserve to be repeated.
By Toby Hickman7 years ago in Beat
David Byrne: Still Making Sense. Top Story - December 2018.
"All I want is to breathe." I hear you, David, I really do. It's sweltering in the Hammersmith Apollo in west London, and the sweat is pouring off me. And the beat goes on, as Byrne's band power through the opening track from Talking Heads' Remain in Light album, "Born Under Punches."
By Andrew Beasley7 years ago in Beat
It Came from BandCamp Volume 2
When doing the 365 albums in 365 days challenge I have heard a lot of odd things on the old BandCamp. So I started to think... hey some of these are pretty good! And some of these are so bad they are entertaining! But not a lot of these get much exposure, so I am continuing these monthly lists and giving a few of my favorite finds, from the dredges of BandCamp, a bit of a micro-review!
By Rip Mitchell7 years ago in Beat
Raoul Vignal - 'Oak Leaf'
Often, when an artist is coming up with music that is subtle, often gentle, and is not a widely established name, somehow he keeps slipping under the radar of the wider audience. Some do make it, others fall into the shadows, and those that do have an enduring quality eventually reach the ears of more than just a cult fan base, even after they stop playing or are sadly gone. Such was the case with the late, great British singer/songwriter Nick Drake, who has only in the last few decades gotten the wider recognition he should have garnered way back in the 70s when he was still among us.
By Ljubinko Zivkovic7 years ago in Beat
