As AMR is occupied, I am covering for him this week. So, to kick off the music discussion this week, I'm going to share my 10 favorite albums that have come out so far this year. I always try to keep lists during the year to make my year end list easier, but I usually fail. So hopefully helps me keep that up this year. And maybe something I've listed will appeal to you. Both of those things would be pretty cool. Continue reading FMD – 5/9/14: Cream of the First Third of the Crop
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Pissed Jeans – “Health Plan”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbC0XlqJ-1w
Some advice on healthcare decisions for the modern working man from my favorite album of the year. Continue reading Pissed Jeans – “Health Plan”
Game 13: Twins 8, Angels 6
"For you, the day Mauer graced your presence going 4-5 against your team for the second day in a row was the best day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday."
Joe Mauer is very good at baseball. The Angels are not very good at baseball. Bert doesn't like cybernetics. Last night was fun.
Helmet – Milquetoast
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzF_KzSlAAM
For my last day, I decided to pick a song of pretty great importance to me. I first heard this song on 120 Minutes when I was up way too late in elementary school. I was instantly in love. It was listed as being on the soundtrack for The Crow, and I went out and got it immediately. Eventually I found out it was also on their album Betty, which I got as soon as I could.
That album changed my perception of what rock could be. It was heavy, dense, and unrelenting. I was only 12 or 13, but I'd never heard anything like it before. After that album, my tastes started forming to what they are today. I owe a lot of who I am to a song I just happened upon on TV. Helmet is a band who had a huge influence on the rock scene. I doubt it would be a big deal to them, but they had one on me too. And it all started with this song.
And thus ends my week at the controls. I hope you enjoyed it.
Cadence Weapon – Loft Party
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4cyE2CMmhE
While most of my favorite rap (and all that I've posted thus far this week) is from the dirty south, Cadence Weapon is from Montreal via Edmonton. I first heard about him because he posted on a music message board I used to read. I think he's pretty great. His beats are pretty wild, and he writes interesting lyrics.And in 2009 he was named Edmonton's poet laureate. Pretty cool.
He also puts on a hell of a live show. I saw him in October, and I'm considering driving to Winnipeg again next weekend to see him again. This was the last song he played when we saw him, and it was hype as hell.
The Intelligence – (They Found Me in the Back Of) The Galaxy
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUrBwDXTp8
I couldn't really put a week of music up and leave out The Intelligence. They're probably the band whose work I look forward to the most these days. Their album last year, Everybody's Got It Easy But Me, was worth the (excruciating) two year wait. This was the first single from the album, and was my favorite song of 2012. I figured it was a fitting choice for FMD.
If anyone likes this song, and is interested, I've got download codes for their last three or four albums. I'd gladly send them to you when I get back to Fargo so you can enjoy them. They're also all on Spotify. You know, if you're so inclined.
SpaceGhostPurrp – 4AD Session
Again, strong lyrics in this. But the video is so good I couldn't pass it up.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYjHdfGhbxo
SGP is a part of the current wave of mixtape rappers (see also: Lil Ugly Mane, Gorgeous Children) bringing back the mid-90s Memphis sound. His mixtapes are full of pops, hiss, and really poor mastering. He was signed to 4AD last year and brought out Mysterious Phonnk, which was a collection of his best mixtape tracks re-done with far, far better production values. This session has Purrp in a mic'd up room performing three tracks: "Mystikal Maze," "Get Yah Head Bust," and "Don't Give a Damn." The songs and visuals are both on point.
A Frames – Chemical
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLr13N212Y
A Frames were on the bill at the first show I went to at Ralph's Corner Bar after I turned 21. They played with the band FM Knives. I'd read about the show in the paper, and had nothing else going on that night, so I went to take in a night of punk rock. A Frames completely blew me away. Their music is tight, angular, driving punk. They work with a very tight set of themes for their music; most deals with dystopian societies and/or technology. Erin has a really great, monotone voice that works well with the subject matter. Continue reading A Frames – Chemical
Curren$y – Showroom
Dirty words abound, so consider yourselves warned.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVZRqkts4Ug
Curren$y is probably my favorite dude working in rap today. He's from NOLA and went through quite a bit of major label drama before finally breaking out with the Pilot Talk albums. He's around my age, which is nice in an age where a lot of the dudes coming out can't even drink legally. And most of all, he has a tireless work ethic. Last year he released four mixtapes for free in addition to his really great full length The Stoned Immaculate.
This is one of my favorite songs from The Stoned Immaculate. It's pretty much right in his zone: raps about cars, women, and weed. Yeah, he works with a pretty narrow selection of subject matter, but he's dope. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, check out those tapes. They're all good (especially Cigarette Boats).
Chromatics – Lady
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxi0C726i_c
It's my week at the controls, for better or worse. I figure that we will start the week on a bit more of a subdued note. This is my favorite song from the most recent Chromatics album, Kill for Love. Their music always reminds me of the haze that rolls around in your brain when you're up late at night (which I love) or when you're up early in the morning (which I loathe).
Seeing as most Monday mornings are lost in this haze, I figured this would be a fitting way to kick off the week. I hope you enjoy.