ok here is a ton of music from the last few months, lets go!
Stuff I liked from the past 6 months:
Polysics: In The Sync - My favorite band in the world played it safe, and made a tight, simple Polysics album. This is very old school, P-Model style erratically sequenced album, with all the typical highs (insane speed and song structure) and lows (high pitched vocals, a few corny lyrics).
Chai: PUNK - I keep forgetting to mention this album, but it's slowly grown on me. At first glance, a run of the mill J-POP album; but the songs are strong and have a certain... grit to them. From the fuzzy "Choose Go" to the Fantastic Plastic Machine styled "This is CHAI", this album does it differently, and I've really come to dig it.
Battles: Juice B Crypts - While I do like this album more then their previous mis-step, there is still something missing about Battles since Gloss Drop (one of the best albums of the decade BTW). I think it's their abandonment of the post-rock structure of songs. While a lot of the songs here do really cool and colorful things, it's all fleeting moments. None of them take you anywhere or build to anything satisfying. That being said, Battles still comes off as a one-of-a-kind kind of band, even when disappointing.
The Vocoders: First V - This is Polysics' newly announced side-band. A coffeehouse style Polysics, with chill songs (mostly covers of old Polysics songs). Very fun and refreshing.
Chris Farren: Born Hot - Catchy little humble album. I like the dichotomy of Chris' "flawless celebrity" presentation and his frank lyrical content (mostly about depression and anxiety). His style may take a bit of getting used to (this is pretty much a album made on a laptop, and his lyrics are detailed to a level some may find ridiculous or endearing.)
Beck: Hyperspace - OK this miles better than the boring-as-cardboard Morning phase, and embarrassing Colors, but Beck continues to struggle to live up to his past reputation as this creative genius that can just make gold out of any genre. That being said, this album is relatively painless to listen to. It goes for this chill electronic cloudy tone, that is interesting, but he doesn't seem to go anywhere with the songs past "good enough".
clipping.: There Existed An Addiction To Blood - Fucking cool as hell concept - a horror rap album. The songs are smartly composed in this almost minimalist way (sometime rapping over nothing but odd atmospheric sounds.) I think Run For Your Life is cool as hell when the beat only shows up in the song for a moment twice (in the form of a passing by car). Totally sticks the landing as a concept. As far as something you'll want to play again.... ehhhhh....
Kenichi Asai: Blood Shift - Classic rock and roll songwriter. He's made dozens of albums, and led like half a dozen bands. The dude is a legend. Where does Blood Shift rank in his discography? Somwhere in the middle I guess. Solid, but nothing wildly noteworthy.
L'Orange: Complicate Your Life with Violence - When it comes to criticizing rap, L'Orange probably is discredited. All his stuff is the same (Madvillian style beats over 40s radio dramas), and he only tends to work with safe rappers that don't push any boundaries of style or taste; but it scratches that itch for me. This is fun and chill, like all his stuff.
Danny Brown: uknowhatimsayin¿ - Atrocity Exhibition is prob my fav rap album of the decade. It would be stupid to just do that album again and expect to do it better. So I dig the tone shift Danny went with here. This is a neat little old-school style rap album. It's prob exactly where Danny needs to be right now as an artist, but it's just fine.
Jason Lytle: NYLONANDJUNO - Instrumental album by the Grandaddy front-man. There is an impressive about of emotion on this, for no lyrics. I dig it.
that dog: Old LP - Everybody's reuniting, why not INCREDIBLY 90'S indie pop band, that dog? This is good, sounds like that dog. Moving on...
Off With Their Heads - Be Good: Saw these guys open for Dillinger Four last year. They rock. They're funny and cool. The heaviness of their sound translates well on this album. Lots of big Dave Grohl style arena rock sized screams and crescendos.
this band called Soul Glo is cool (NSFW link): Saw them open for Deerhoof. Wild hardcore sound, good politics, and i dig the tone shift surprises in a few of the songs.
Elbow: Giants of All Sizes - So Elbow debuted ages ago with this album called Asleep In The Back. It's composed and produced in this way that's so hard to explain, but it feels like they're doing a session in the room with you. It's chill, but powerful at the same time. So cool. They've never gone back to it, and have been going for BIG SOUND ever since, with varying degrees of success. This album is no different. Some cool BIG SONGS, and some boring duds.
Stuff I'm not so into
Omni: Networker - This band has all the post-punk ingredients to be one of my favorites.... but it just doesn't really come together that much for me. I've lost interest halfway through every time I come back to it :(
Corridor: Junior - Same thing, and these guys even sing in French (even cooler!)... but it just doesn't click :(
Anamaniguchi: USA - Not only has it been 6 years since the last guchi album, but just continuing as if the Endless Fantasy wasn't disappointing, too long, and boring... and just pretending that the last 6 years of "geek culture" hasn't changed.... weird. Not into this.
Black Marble: Bigger Than Life - This production continues to evolve, Black Marble songs tend to lose their magic.
Sleater-Kinney: The Center Won't Hold - They forced Janet out!
Lagwagon: Railer - Lagwagon went from dumb skate punk band to suddenly relevant, smart, deep. Well it seems like that run is over. Listen to Blaze and Hang to get what I'm saying. Ignore this
!!!: Wallop - Another band that has seemingly fallen off a cliff. Up until about 2017, !!!'s output was flawless. The jams were real, and the lyrics were sharp; but these last two albums have been a total bore, and I can't tell why.
The Menzingers: Hello Exile - This is when I finally gave up on The Menzingers. They've been on diminishing returns, trying to remake On The Impossible Past (another one of the best albums of the decade!). This is their 3rd shot at trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle, and fellas... it's just not working. The past two efforts have grown on me, but embarrassing songs like "America You're Freaking Me Out" (news flash, America has always been bad. You're a punk band, you should know this) and "Farewell Youth" (pining for your high-school days is pathetic on a level I just cannot comprehend) just make me want to toss the whole album.
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