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Album of The Week

Welcome to Album of the Week, it’s like a book club but with music! AOTW is one of many new projects Portland State Professional Sound is exploring where every week our staff examines a different album. We’ll be posting a weekly blog down below recapping our conversation so you all can follow along. We encourage you to interact and provide your own insight each week in the comment section on our Instagram!

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SUNSHINE RADIO -TOMMY GUERRERO

Be the cowboy-mitski

Be The Cowboy

–

Mitski

By: Zoe Vandal

Mitski’s Be the Cowboy released in 2018 is one of my favorite albums of all time. I will preface by saying that it is NOT an

uplifting listen though it may seem to be one if you are only giving it half of your attention. This album is starkly honest and vulnerable. Mitski doesn’t hesitate to tell you exactly what she wants and what she wants may be somewhat embarrassing to say out loud.

I find Mitski’s lyrics captivating and smart. And when paired with the unique and catchy melodies of this record, she creates an excellent-sounding album that has very clear and well-executed themes. Many songs on the album, including the opener “Geyser”, plays with a unique song structure that is more concerned with building energy than conventionality. Beginning with a low drone of a synth or her voice, Mitski doesn’t fail to bring the song upwards in energy, volume, and emotion, almost like a volcano slowing erupting.

Following the opener, the record takes the momentum from the eruption of the first song and continues the energy into an upbeat song. “Why didn’t you stop me?” has minimal lyrics for a Mitski song, but that is enough space for her to display some of the main themes of this album:remembrance and longing, self-aware contradictions, and frustration with love, but mainly herself.

Remembrance is displayed strongly in “Two Slow Dancers” where Mitski is remembering her youth. She sings “the ground has been slowly pulling us back down, you see it on both our skin” in a somber tone while she thinks about the ease of younger life and love. As the album’s closer, it does not leave the listener on a high note, rather encourages contemplation. Through her remembrance, Mitski longs for the past or at least for a better future. In “Remember my name” she sings “I just need somebody to remember my name” and then asks herself what she can do to make that happen. It’s desperate and honest while also conveying a frustration with love and sex.

“Me and My Husband” is maybe the ‘happiest’ song on the record. It is almost a dream sequence in a movie, where Mitski is imagining an idyllic life for herself and her non-existent husband. Even the keyboard riff in the background of production reminds me of “The Brady Bunch”, a family and life that is too good to be real. This song is just a different form of longing, which is still considerably sad, but it succeeds in seeming like a more optimistic song.

This album doesn’t waste your time. It is concise and meaningful. All the songs, except for “Nobody” and the final track, sit right around 2 minutes long. The record moves fast and never loses your attention, even on some of the slower and somber songs like “A Horse Named Cold Air” or “Come into the water”.

I can listen to this album a hundred times and enjoy it every time. I think something is enriching about Mitski’s openness, and I applaud her for it. She digs deep into her mind to pull out some excellent music.

Sunshine Radio by the professional skateboarder turned solo-instrumentalist, Tommy

Guerrero was released in early 2021, but it didn’t come into my life until almost two years later.

An old friend recently gifted me a vinyl of the album, and I was a little skeptical at first, having

never heard of his work before, but I was drawn in from the moment the needle dropped onto

the first track, and my expectations were repeatedly exceeded as the album went on.

The album prominently features latin influenced grooves, with bass melodies and drum

patterns that are irresistibly funky, and provide perfect support for Tommy’s semi-psychedelic

guitars, that come together to create a blend of songs that simultaneously uplift you and bring

you down to earth.

This perfect concoction is evident from the very beginning with the opening track “By the

Sea at the End of the World”, which kicks off the album with a tasty bass line accompanied by

sparse percussion that gives the music its South American feel. Tommy’s rhythm guitar then

comes into the scene, shortly followed by his first guitar solo that sets the tone for the album's

psychedelic vibe.

“Evolution Revolution” is the second track on the album, and highlights Tommy’s abilities

as a drummer. The song starts off with an old-school jazz sound, which features a ride-cymbal

groove that throws the song back to late 1960’s psychedelia. Syncopated bass and keys come

in to support the drums and provide an excellent rhythm for the numerous lead parts that unfold

throughout the piece. Tommy provides an excellent keyboard and guitar solo that captures your

attention and gives the song its own unique identity.

Tommy only has one other artist featured on the album. On the track “Rise of the Earth

People” the drummer Chuck Treece provides the album's grooviest drumline, and sets up the

rhythm for my favorite track on the album. The call and response between the guitar and bass

throughout this piece provide a perfect back-and-forth that washes over you, and sucks you into

the groove. Tommy yet again provides tasteful and well executed keyboard solos that perfectly

match the tone of the song, and creates a couple highlights during the piece.

The heaviest song on the album “The Road Under My Shoes” starts off with a strummed

bassline that reminds me of the desert rock band Kyuss. The bass sets a dark tone for the

album's closer, and is only brought up by the more upbeat and syncopated drum groove.

Tommy then comes in with the most psychedelic sounding guitar featured on the album, which

helps to create a huge atmosphere for the song that engulfs your listening experience. The

album ends with an ascending keyboard line that makes you feel like you're building up to

something new, right before it cuts off, leaving behind only this haunting, tremolo-heavy,

keyboard drone that leaves you feeling a little unsettled about having to return back to reality.

The latin-inspired, psychedelic influenced, music of Tommy Guerrero provides the

perfect soundtrack for daily-life. The music lifts you up, but the grooviness of each track keeps

you planted on the ground, allowing the album to be both the perfect companion on your walk to

school, and the ultimate background music for your next study session. If you’re looking for a

new musicial experience, Tommy Guerrero’s Sunshine Radio is the next album for you.

ari lennox-shea butter baby

An album truly after the hearts of sexy stoners everywhere:Shea Butter Baby is the debut studio album by Ari Lennox, an RnB singer from D.C. The debut single from the album which became the title of the album; “Shea Butter Baby'' released in February 2019, spectacularly announcing her arrival on the record label Dreamville. “Shea Butter Baby” featured the labels founder, hip-hop artist, and Grammy winner, J. Cole. Since its creation, Dreamville has recruited some of the best kept secrets in experimental hip-hop, rap, and RnB such as Earthgang, J.I.D, Bas and Ari herself.

From the smooth funk-like intros, to the silky ballads, the album feels like exactly what it’s named after, like shea butter for your ears. Ari chronicles her everyday explorations of life and love. While singing about both her lows and her highs, this album is mostly a celebration of her independence.

Ari begins the album with the song “Chicago Boy”. Even though “[she] was lookin’ a mess” she approaches an attractive stranger in the CVS. Clearly this confidence she exhibits in the first song on the album foreshadows the confidence and independence we see from her throughout the album.

While Ari amazes her audience with her confidence, seeming almost larger than life. She also amazes us with the vulnerability she shows through the more relatable aspects of her life. She talks about her “target lingerie”, her bad luck on tinder, and her “dollar tree wine glass in the air.”

Leaning into the more vulnerable lyrics Ari describes herself as a “flower thirsty for shady men” in the song “Speak to Me” one of the most emotionally revealing songs on the album. In the chorus she pleads with her lover “Why don’t you speak to me?” We see her in a more vulnerable state in contrast to the cocky confidence she has in Chicago Boy. We see a similar theme throughout the album with talk of this lover as “a hell of a drug” but some lyrics show us that they might not be the most dependable lover, She asks him to “back up all that shit your talking” in “Facetime” and when she’s trying to move on she asks “why’d you have to be such a big pretender?”

We see a more goofy side of Ari in the song “New Apartment” where she talks about this new found independence. “I just got a new apartment/ gonna leave the floor wet/ gonna walk around this bitch naked (woo)”.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the album is during several of the songs outros we hear Ari’s voice but more high pitched, maybe to make it sound like the voice of her younger self. The voice seems to be speaking to a friend or a group of people about what she’s been learning, reflecting on the experiences she sings about in the songs. The high pitched voice tells this group of people things like “you know life is too short to be blocking blessings like that” and “then I realized oh my god I need people”. These short reflections on her experiences give us insights into not just what she’s experiencing but what she’s learning through her experiences too. Ari Lennox’s reflections on love, heartbreak, and independence ring true for so many of her listeners. She teaches us a little bit of the human experience through the musical journal that is Shea Butter Baby.

Steely Dan-countdown to ecstasy

Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy (1973)

“California tumbles into the sea - That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale!”

In July of 1973, Steely Dan released their second full-length album, Countdown to Ecstasy. A subtle blend of Jazz, Rock, and Pop, songwriters Donald Fagen and Walter Becker weave in and out of their influences and the genre conventions of the time, and produce one of the deepest, catchiest albums of the decade. Like much of their music, Countdown is deceptive: making oblique lyrical references to buddhism, drug use, and a nuclear wasteland, while Fagen’s piano infuses the more conventional pop tracks with a bittersweet, Jazz-laden harmony. Every entry on the album has an air of irony and a sense of not belonging, a trace from Becker and Fagen’s origins as East Coast beatniks who moved to the West Coast to write music for ABC Records. Their time in LA left a distinctly bad taste in their mouth that shows up anytime they stop to mention the city or its grasp on the entertainment industry.

The album opens with the uptempo, blues-driven Bodhisattva, which features an extended guitar solo and virtuosic keys that set the pace for the rest of the record. We then slide into the languid, lounge vibraphones of Razor Boy, contrasting against lyrics of death and disillusionment in the material world. The Boston Rag, track 3 on Countdown, wistfully looks back to Becker and Fagen’s college days with a feeling of longing, but also a knowledge of their bitter end. The sweeping guitar harmonies provide an excellent sense of space in the mix, and continually drive the track ever forward. Their time attending Bard College in New York also appears on the lead single from the album, My Old School, which tells the tale of a relationship turning sour over distance and infidelity, and recounts the songwriting duo’s experience of being caught in a drug bust. This song is easily the catchiest on the album, and really shows off the strengths of Steely Dan’s writing and arranging skills, complete with lively horns, warm background vocals and a sing-along chorus. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s lead guitar, with a gated distortion, cuts cleanly through the mix like butter, and gives the song just enough edge to keep things fresh.

The longest cut on Countdown, Your Gold Teeth, is also the bleakest. It opens with a Zappa-esque guitar passage, and quickly spirals into a serpentine, organ-driven jam about a desperate gambler and the twists and turns of luck. The track that follows is Show Biz Kids, one of my personal favorites by the group. A condemnation of the music industry and its bourgeois fans, it sees Dan at their most incendiary on the album. The song begins with slide guitar and a chanted refrain that is continued throughout the piece (playing on the gambling capital of the US):

“You go to Lost Wages

Lost Wages

You go to Lost Wages”

When we reach the brief bridge, we get a glimpse of Steely Dan with no trace of irony:

“Show Business Kids making movies of themselves,

you know they don’t give a f**k about anybody else”

The song continues to build with instrumentation, vocal lines, and pre-recorded sounds overlapping each other, until the listener is trapped in an inescapable, claustrophobic combination of blues and Fagen’s anger. If you’re only going to try one song from this album, maybe make it this one (it even has a clapping solo!).

The second to last cut on the album is Pearl of The Quarter, a pillowy love ballad set in New Orleans. It’s one of the few Steely Dan songs that features a romance with no complications, and it's a welcome change of pace from the cynicism featured elsewhere on Countdown to Ecstasy. To close out the record, we have the otherworldly finale, King of The World. With lyrics depicting an Earth ravaged by nuclear winter, it’s sung from the point of view of a man left believing he may be the sole survivor of the apocalypse. In the verses, sprawling guitar arpeggiations float on top of the bass and organ to provide an atmospheric tie to the lyrics, which feel even more lonely as a result. As the song reaches its end, the instrumentation becomes more frantic, like it’s searching for some companion it will never find.

I discovered my love for Steely Dan last summer. While albums like Pretzel Logic (1974) and Aja (1977) are often remembered as their crowning achievements, the depth of songwriting and surprising complexity of Countdown to Ecstasy, which in many ways is a conventional rock and pop album from the 1970’s, keeps me coming back. If you’ve a penchant for obscure lyrics, instrumental-forward pop music, and Jazz harmony, it might be just what you need.

- Gethin Myers

lianne la havas-lianne la havas

Lianne La Havas, Lianne La Havas, July 17, 2020, Warner/ Nonesuch Records

Lianne La Havas first popped into my radar when I heard her cover of “Weird Fishes” by the band Radiohead, in the summer of 2020. Still one of my favorite tracks from her self-titled album, Lianne La Havas , this cover exemplifies the singer-songwriter’s diverse taste in music, and was part of my soundtrack to a strange season.

As the sun began to shine following a long winter of quarantine, feelings of relief were mixed with anxiety, as protests for Racial Justice came swelling to a head in downtown Portland, and the reality of the pandemic set in. The lyrics of “Bittersweet”, the first track of Lianne La Havas' third studio album, released by Warner and Nonesuch Records, were quite apropos:

“No more hanging around,

No more hanging around,

Now my sun’s going down,

Telling me something isn’t right

Bittersweet summer rain

I’m born again”

My first impression of this song was that of a contemporary Jazz vocalist singing over lofi-chill beats. Through the groovy bass lines and approachable chromaticism of “Read My Mind”, the chorus-driven fingerpicking guitar style of “Green Papaya”, and the Julian Casablanca-esque guitar riffs on “Can’t Fight”, La Havas never loses her authenticity.

In an interview with Songkick in 2012, La Havas stated “I was influenced by strong female vocalists, like Lauren Hill of The Fujis and Jill Scott. Who is Jill Scott was the first album I became obsessed with... It opened my mind to the fact that you could just write about genuine emotions you were feeling. When I started playing the guitar my songwriting changed, and I started exploring different ways you could write songs.”

My favorite aspect of this album is that although there is a consistent theme of relationships ending, it never loses its hopeful energy. Lianne La Havas is so much more than a break up album; it’s an album you can move to, which was crucial to me at the time of its release in July of 2020. If anything, this LP is approachable; in part due to La Havas’s outstanding vocal sustain, the depth, expressiveness and relatability of her lyrics, and exquisite musical accompaniment.

Although the instrumentation ranges from processed synthesizers, tight vocal harmonies, and layered guitar riffs, the album remains driven by rhythm and never feels overproduced. As to be expected with names like Matt Hales of Aqualung, and Alexander Crossan (Mura Masa) on the producer credits. Similar to Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black, this album’s genre is hard to define. Lianne La Havas is surely a singer-songwriter and guitarist at heart, but her style ranges from Folk to Neo-Soul, Funk to Jazz, and even from Rock to Experimental. If you are new to Jazz or looking to explore the genre, this album is for you. It’s so hard for me to choose a favorite track, because each song is packed with emotional resonance and relevance. In a time of social distance and deep self-examination, Lianne La Havas has been a much needed breath of fresh air.

James Hickey

leather teeth-carpenter brut

Leather Teeth - Carpenter Brut

Three... Two... One... Action!

Flashing neon lights, rampant drug use, over the top violence, analogue synths and hard rock: media from the 80s was so wild, bold, and energetic. It’s with good reason that pop culture seems to be in a state of permanent nostalgia for this era. Technology was advancing at an impressive pace, and the consumer culture at the time made people chase after the newest, flashiest, and most advanced products that the market had to offer. Add to that a rebellious touch and you’ve got the coolest time period in America. And while the 80s may have ended decades ago, it still manages to influence many artists of today. I present to you an album that embodies all the violence, vice, and extravagance of this era. Released in 2019, Carpenter Brut’s Leather Teeth is a synthwave, rock, metal, jazz album that, through its music videos, tells a very disjointed, graphic, and satirical story. The music videos use clips from dozens of films, from high school dramas, to slasher films, to pornography. Some videos follow the story of Bret Halford, a high school geek who, after suffering severe burns during a science experiment, becomes a serial killer, hunting down the jocks and popular kids from his high school. As this is going on, a televangelist named Woodrow L. Godshyne uses these incidents as an opportunity to preach (and sell) fascistic, christian propaganda, aiming his sites directly at things such as black clothing, rock, video games, anime, and marijuana. He later goes on to get sucked into a jet engine.

The story frequently interrupts itself, wether it be by scenes of gore and mutilation; absurd commercials; Satanic imagery; or masochistic, hyper-sexual scenes focusing on women. The videos also constantly mock different aspects of modern American culture, from the rise of nationalism, to a lack of gun regulation, to the overarching reach of corporate censorship of the internet. Using the face of the 80s, Carpenter Brut rebels against modern day America, just as many of the bands of this time were doing. While this album is cinematic in nature, it’s definitely possible to enjoy it just by listening. The album has an extensive variety of styles to offer, from heavy and adrenaline-pumping, to smooth and funky, to energetic and catchy: this album contains a little bit of almost every aspect of music from the 80s. If you’re in search of an album to reminisce on the days you never lived or simply looking for something to add to your workout playlist, Leather Teeth might be just what you’re looking for.

From the one and only,

Alexie Cumplido.

divinorum-au5

Released in back in May of 2019, Au5's Divinorum (translating to'[things]of the divine')LP is the

artist's third full-length album.To directly quote the album's bandcamp page,"The album is about a

journey traversing through a series of different realms beyond reality. After 3 years in the making, Au5 tells a story as each song brings the listener into a world representing a defining

aspect of his internal experiences."Clocking in at nearly an hour, and full of meticulously intricate sound design, ethereal textures, and incredible vocal performances from a variety of artists, this album stuns at every turn.

My first introduction to Divinorum was through the album's fourth track,Dragonfly. I saw a friend

recommend it as one of the best melodic dubstep songs she had ever heard, and after listening, I

can easily see why she thought so. The 7-minute track features stellar sound design in both its

melodic and bass content, excellent lyrics and powerful vocals by Evoke, and three separate drops,

constructing a beautiful soundscape for the listener to lose themselves in. It quickly became a regular in my rotation, and from there,I peeked at a couple other tracks from the album, before finally listening to it all the way through.

Another highlight of the album is the opener, Stargate. Morphing from electro house to dubstep partway through, featuring Au5's trademark blend of bass and melodic sound design and Tasha Baxter's lovely vocal stylings, it sets the tone for the album perfectly. Each track also contains

a brief descriptor of where the album's 'story' is at, and Stargate's reads as follows:

"We stand here and realize

our shortcomings, flaws,

and mortality. With that

acceptance, we foresee the

boundless potential that

awaits us on the other

side. We behold the key to

transform, to step through

the stargate, and the key

is to "let go"."

Most unique in my opinion, is Drink Me, a neuro-influenced tune towards the midpoint of the album.

Filled to the brim with synth flourishes dripping with seductive energy, foley, echoes and bitcrushing, it has an energy unlike anything else on Divinorum, and is easily my favourite tune besides Dragonfly. As an album, each track on Divinorum sets out to capture a particular mood, to

tell a particular story, and in my eyes, it easily succeeds and exceeds expectations. Au5 showcases

his excellence in sound design, the several features lend their wonderful vocal talents, and together, they paint a beautiful picture, create a beautiful piece of art, perhaps one even worthy

of being a thing of the divine itself.

...Like clockwork-queens of the stone age

The rock band, Queens of the Stone Age, falls under many genre types: alternative rock, hard rock, desert rock, stoner rock, and art rock.

Upon my first time listening to their album, ...Like Clockwork, I appreciated the lovely and intense guitar tones.

As someone who enjoys indie pop music (maybe a little too much) and on a journey to open myself up to different genres, the album still felt familiar in a pleasing, comfortable, and admirable way to me; there are easily recognizable rock guitar instrumental parts, driving in sync with the skillful and varied drum beats. The lead singer, John Homme, sings smoothly and with a familiar type of voice that goes well with rock bands, and then there’s the occasional line thrown in by well-known guests, like Alex Turner (from the Arctic Monkeys).

There was more to admire from reviewing the lyrics from Genius.com; existentialism and Greek influences overarch the theme of the album.

Minor harmonies ring throughout, and it seems fitting for a villain, monster, or dark creature’s theme song, which matches well with the album cover: a masculine vampire-like figure wearing a skeleton mask, a dress shirt, and bow tie, with a long black cape draping themselves along with a crying feminine figure, standing among a sea of bright red.

Sonically, many interesting noises immediately reeled me in, like glass breaking and the hard guitar intro. Certain harmonic voices were mixed differently to emphasize the change in the song structure, and the unexpected monstrous yelling was fitting too. The electric guitars bring a cohesive characteristic and depth that shapes the music, and the high-pitched sounds that preface the solo guitar sections really bring a punch. These solos provided a different type of listening atmosphere that maintained intensity while still allowing for some breathing room between the vocal melody parts.

Lyrically, my favorite song was “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” because of this verse:

[Verse 2]

Ain't no confusion here

It is as I've feared

The illusion that you feel is real

To be vulnerable

Is needed most of all

If you intend to truly fall apart

I enjoy music that makes me reflect, and this was my interpretation of its meaning: humans want to share this fragile and vulnerable part of

themselves with somebody-able to truly be themselves and feel accepted wholly. The intention to be vulnerable, however, isn’t the same as genuinely falling apart (revealing our pains, fears, and weaknesses). There are many layers we put up to protect ourselves, and sometimes, it isn’t until we truly fall or allow ourselves to fall, that we are left with just our bare selves.

This was a pleasurable journey to listen through-the instruments are mixed well, and the guitars especially get a gold star. The lyrics definitely

have thought-invoking possibilities, so the stoner rock description seems to fit well for someone who wants to get high and think about life. Otherwise, it’s solid rock music that’s good for the ears, anyway.

Written by- Selena Li

ABSOLUTELY-DIJON

Absolutely - Dijon

Zoe Vandal

I had never heard of Dijon before finding this album but I somehow ended up listening to this whole album one morning and have listened to nothing else since. Absolutely is an excellent project that transcends the typical R&B record while still staying true to its roots. The album centers around heartbreak and emotion, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Big Mike’s is an excellent beginning of an album. It has the most positive tone, lyrically speaking, and the production is a good introduction to what the rest of the album. Dijon’s vocals and harmonies draw the listener in and the unique piano additions keep the listener interested for the duration of the song. The strong use of piano continues into Scratching and Many Times. The harmonies are present throughout the entire album, mostly being used to emphasize lines and convey the emotion of certain lyrics.

The most upbeat songs on the album include Many Times ,Talk Down, and The Dress. These songs are some of my favorites off the album and grabbed my attention immediately. The Dress relies on an R&B groove and rhythm while Many Times and Talk Down have a little more urgency to them.

A strong point of this album is the experimental approach Dijon and his collaborators took to the production of this album. In the production of a lot of the songs, there are extraneous noises and people are adlibbing in the background. This choice demonstrates the collaborative efforts of this project and promotes comforting, fun atmosphere. End of Record is a more celebratory song. It sounds like they’re playing the song in the living room of a party while people are hanging out in the kitchen.

This experimentation also extends to songs like Did you see it? and God in Wilson. The approach in these songs is more tailored, intentionally made to sound beautiful, almost ethereal. Rodeo Clown has a less tailored sound, making it simultaneously beautiful and tragic. The grittiness of the production contributes to the raw emotion of the song. Being one of the more devastating songs on the record, Dijon sounds like he’s in pain when singing this song; a very intentional decision on his part. This song is also lyrically one of the strongest on the record making it a standout.

The final songs of the record are appropriately named End of the Record and Credits!. They bring the listeners’ spirits up. The record is depressing and emotional, but these last songs bring a more positive tone to the project leaving the listener in better spirits than they were minutes before. Credits! specifically sounds like the song they play while actors take their bows following a depressing play. It intends to lighten the emotional load so the audience doesn’t walk out of the theater completely distressed. The choice to end the album on a high note is one that I can appreciate as someone who is helplessly addicted to sad music. It’s unexpected and refreshing. The album in general has very clear themes of heartbreak and feelings of abandonment or not feeling like enough, which is reminiscent of traditional R&B records. The difference is that this project is uniquely Dijon’s. It departs from the traditional R&B sound for the better, resembling Frank Ocean at some points with vocal layering and simple instrumentation. The length of the songs tends to be shorter demonstrating that Dijon and his collaborators weren’t pressured to add more to songs for radio’s sake. The choices incorporated into the album are intentional, nothing is done without reason or thought. This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year.

Home Video- Lucy dacus

Home Video - Lucy Dacus

An important thing to know about Lucy Dacus is that she is a storyteller. Her music paints specific moments of her life that somehow elicit universal feelings. Her 2021 album “Home Video” is exactly what the title suggests, in the form of an 11 song album. Taking her listeners through a journey from adolescence to adulthood, depicting first times, the oddities of vacation bible school, and the darkness of loving a person struggling.

The album opener titled “Hot & Heavy” opens with Dacus’s warm register singing the lines “being back here makes me hot in the face… heavy memories weighing on my brain”. Immediately she tells us where she is going with this album. A body of work dedicated to remembering and retelling. “Brando” is an upbeat track where she gracefully articulates her relationship with someone from high school who, frankly, was a dick.

Some of the most impactful tracks on this record tell dark stories. “Thumbs” is a heartbreaking retelling of Dacus meeting the father of a close friend. The song is simple, putting Dacus’s voice and lyrics front and center. She repeats the chorus “I would kill him/ If you let me”, with an ambient backing track, bringing forth an intensity that is almost surprising given the quiet nature of the track. This contradictory nature continues throughout the song, making it one of the most powerful songs in Dacus’s repertoire. “Please Stay” maintains the same level of devastation as Dacus begs someone to stay in their apartment because she fears that they will commit suicide. The song has a sense of helplessness threaded throughout it. Dacus, alone, sings “I say I love you too, because it's true”, but when she sings “What else am I supposed to do?”, she is joined by Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers in pleasant harmony. Dacus has a talent for writing a beautiful song with layered harmonies and mellow acoustic guitar that breaks your heart.

A noticeable theme in this album comes from Dacus’s experience with religion as a young person. “VBS” explains the irregularity of religious summer camp. This track is an embodiment of looking back on memories from when you were a kid and thinking “wait, that was super weird”. It also has an entertaining combination of criticizing and reminiscing on these moments. She sings about the light-hearted moments but doesn’t shy away from describing the more concerning parts of vacation bible school. “Christine” adds another layer of complication to Dacus’s relationship to religion. The song brings to light an internal struggle between faith and queerness which is a familiar tug-of-war for a lot of people. “Triple Dog Dare” closes out this album perfectly. The songwriting is familiar: Dacus telling a story. But it begins quiet and builds into something loud and grand, a formula that is reminiscent of her song “Night Shift” from her 2018 album Historian. It’s an epic closing to an album, that I am a huge fan of.

Overall, Dacus hit a home run with this album. It’s a personal album that has variety, it experiments while continuing to be a recognizably Lucy Dacus project.

By Zoe Vandal

PlatEAUS- Cape FrANCIS

I thought about reviewing a more up-tempo groovy dance album, but since summer is ending and we are moving into fall, I figured I would pick an album that seems to encapsulate the movement of the seasons and wraps you up in a blanket of nostalgia.

Cape Francis’s third album, Plateaus is a beautiful combination of subtlety and warm reflection. The smooth, warm tone and clever fingerpicking of the guitar seems to carry all the way through the album. It is often accompanied by perfectly balanced instrumentation and crisp vocals that all blend into something you can truly sink into.

Plateau is filled with thoughtful lyrics that immediately puts you in a state of reflection and nostalgia, and although you can sink in and feel present while listening, you also can’t help but look back at what was and how life keeps moving. The first song on the album, “Friends” sets the tone with this very concept, contemplating on the importance and the roots of friendship and how we grow.

As the name of the album suggests, there are many times in life that we cab feel as if we reached a ledge, not sure where else to go. In the song Plateau, he sings, “But I’ve been stranded, back in time, in my head, with storylines that don’t add up to anything tangible, dreaming like desert lights over city skies, no destination, but I want to drive” encapsulating much of the feeling of this album.

Cape Francis the project of Kevin Olken Henthorn, although he worked in other areas of music for some time, his first release as Cape Francis was in 2017, Plateau being his third full LP release. I couldn’t recommend this subtle beauty of an album enough.

BY FRANK YATES

Teatro d'ira - Måneskin

Maneskin is an Italian rock band who recently gained popularity on tiktok and is topping the charts in Italy due to their win in the Eurovision competition in 2021. Their newest album titled Teatro d’ira is a great album with songs in both Italian and English. The title of the album as described by the band in an interview means "cathartic anger aimed at oppressions and oppressors, which leads to venting and rebelling against everything that makes you feel wrong and which, as a result, leads to a rebirth and change. We wanted to place this very powerful force in a context, that of the theater, which in the common imagination is perceived as elegant and calm. We like this antithesis: a contrast that lives when the curtain opens and, instead of a show or a ballet, we find ourselves catapulted into this explosion of energy. Theatre is a metaphor to represent art, the place where this powerful impulse generates something artistic and positive.” This album certainly seems to embody that meaning with it’s explosive sound.

Three songs on this album in particular really stood out to me: I Wanna Be Your Slave, Coraline, and Zitti E Buoni. Zitti E Buoni was the song that secured their 2021 Eurovision win and it is clear why, it’s loud,fun, and catchy. I Wanna Be Your Slave is another “catchy” song that you will find yourself listening to over and over again. Coraline starts off slow but really builds into a strong rock ballad.

If you want a taste of a different type of rock this album is a great way to explore Maneskin’s music. Their stage presence is also amazing so make sure you watch them perform these songs live.

Lonely Streets-w u s o 命

Lonely Streets by w u s o 命 By Lincoln Ky Meeker Lonely Streets by w u s o 命 is self-described as a "dystopian soundtrack." In a sense, that's really all you need to know about this album- the simplistic title of the album itself concisely and confidently expresses the exact feeling the music wants to evoke. Lonely Streets is a wordless array of mechanical textures and distant melodies, each track seamlessly bleeding into the next while walking a thin line between meditative and meticulous.

The intro song, Lonely Street Light immediately starts painting the scene with a mechanical hum, quickly punctuated by overlapping, electronic bells and the sound of rain. Everything is soaked in spacious reverb, as different percussion and melodic elements emerge over the course of the lengthy opener.

Something I appreciate about this track, and most of the album as a whole, is its willingness to shift. Two minutes in, most of the elements are dropped and a new one starts up centered around the hum, which has mutated into a pulsating bass for a darker tone. Percussive elements become more frequent only to draw back, then kick in again.

The track is able to mutate so organically that the second track, L'enfer Sur Terre, feels in part like a refrain of what we just heard. Yet, this new track has harder to grasp clicks and melodies and is content to move faster than what came before it. It accelerates until it hits City Streets, signalled in by indistinct choirs and some true night ride energy.

This 3-track stretch of songs is what hooked me on this album originally, serving as great background music for drawing, work, or insomnia. Admittedly, though, I listen to the latter half of the album less. Dreaming in Public is quite good, but Hollow Feelings falls a bit on the unproductively repetitive side.

The ending track is confusing for another reasion, however- either it's concept is to be a blend of music score samples ripped from other Sci-Fi movies, or it is just blatantly jacking a track from the score of Tron: Legacy and using it as its center melody. (The track is Armory, if you're curious.) The distracting similarity aside, this is also perhaps the one song that overstays its welcome- aside from the well-paced intro track, the rest of the songs all find a nice melody or build-up that finds engaging ways to explore their soundscapes within a 3-5 minute sweet spot. This alleviates a weakness of a lot of ambient and vaporwave for me, personally- listening to the same loops or drone textures to upwards and past ten minutes makes me feel unengaged without some solid sense of progression. Closure has a lot of build-up but holds back on the climax- the ending of the song doesn't have any more bite or more layers than the point where things first get loud around 3 minutes in, leaving its long 8-minute runtime without a satisfying payoff.

However, despite my nitpick with the ending, Lonely Streets is one of the more engaging instrumental/wordless albums I've heard for some time- it fulfills a kind of niche in the vaporwave spectrum I've been partial to for a while- using the instruments associated with the said genre to create a distinct feeling of a futuristic time and place, with a heavy emphasis of creating mood and atmosphere through effected but distinct sounds and melodies.

In that sense, "dystopian soundtrack" is a pretty fitting name for this genre- I've always mentally compartmentalized this kind of sound as "Blade Runner music" whenever I've heard it. However, the album doesn't seem intent on capturing the "coldness" of a traditional dystopia. The melodies here are nocturnal, yes, but more entrancing and beautiful than they are menacing. It's a hypnotic dystopia, harnessing one of the brands of good sci-fi, I suppose: there's no point if part of you doesn't want to be there.

the battle at garden's gate-greta van fleet

The Battle at Garden’s Gate

Greta Van Fleet

2021

It has been many years since I’ve crossed paths with an album quite like Greta Van Fleet’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate. I grew up in a household very much in the shadow of the great bands of the 1960s and 70s. Bands like the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Led Zepplin dominated my youth, leaving a profound impact on my music taste. Unfortunately, it appears that the era of the rockstar is dead and gone, save for a few holdouts. One of these holdouts, I believe, is the Michigan band responsible for our album today. The Battle at Garden’s Gate comes in just over an hour in length with just 12 tracks, most of which are well over 4 minutes. This style of longform songwriting calls back to the era of The Wall and Quadrophenia. Most tracks on this album prolong themselves with extended instrumental solos and repeating choruses.

The sonic quality of the album again fits snugly into the canon of work which has so clearly inspired the group. Prominently featured are the hyper distorted guitars that make up the forefront of each song. But perhaps the most striking aspect of the band’s sound is their lead vocalist Joshua Kiszka. The range of Kiszka’s voice is what is immediately the most striking, making himself immediately comfortable in the alto range on the first track Heat Above. I, however, find the timbre and technique of his voice to be the more interesting factor. Kiszka plays with the shape of his vowels frequently throughout the album, which pairs well with the natural rasp that comes with such range and power.

The mix of the album also nods at these monolithic bands that Greta Van Fleet draws on. The record is built on a strong foundation, with a wide and solid percussion section and powerful bass guitar. Most tracks center around the interplay of the voice and guitar as the melodic lead. Often, a chorus will fade away into a genre appropriate guitar solo before setting the vocalist back into the foreground. It is more than obvious that everyone involved in this project had a strong sense of direction, style, and influence.

Fight! fight! fight! - two fingers

Any artist with the audacity to feature themself(ves?) on their alter-ego’s album is worthy of at least some attention.. right? Fight! Fight! Fight! is a 2020 album released by Amon Tobin (under the name Two Fingers). Most known for his incredible

creativity and almost otherworldly sound design, the electronic pioneer has been influencing music since his emergence onto the scene more than 20 years ago.

Two Fingers releases tend to have a more aggressive sound than those put out under Amon’s own name, and Fight! Fight! Fight! follows suit (if you couldn’t guess from the name).The album feels equal parts sound art as it does music. While some listener’s may find it hard to digest the practically lobotomizing direction in the

low end that comes and goes throughout, I find it really fun. Fight! Fight! Fight! has a lot to offer for those that can appreciate its style. Most notably, it’s written with sound-staging so good that sounds are almost like a mini-model of our

solar system--worlds apart, yet revolving around the same sun. At the album’s core is its use of an eclectic mix of samples from all over the sound spectrum--at one point I’m pretty sure the sound of a digital camera’s shutter is used, but that's

just one example--and Amon’s masterful use of rhythm. I wish I understood rhythm well enough to tell you exactly what the hell is going on, but I know enough to assure you there's some real interesting stuff here. One thing I can totally grasp that's on display is Amon’s uncanny ability to seamlessly weave so many sounds together. My favorite song on the album has got to be Unknown Trauma.. which is less of a song, and more like the musical equivalent of an alien visitation. Or what you might get if a song could evolve on its own as though it were living.

If any of this tickles your fancy, don’t hesitate to give Fight! Fight! Fight! a listen (bonus points if you’re able to listen to this in a way that you can really pay attention to the details). If you do give it a listen and find the sound to be a bit too aggressive but are still interested in exploring his creativity, I’d suggest giving some of Amon’s older releases (like ISAM) a listen.

If someone asked me what sets Amon Tobin (or Two Fingers in this case) apart from most, I’d say it's his undeniable creativity and unabashed drive to push the boundaries of music. Fight! Fight! Fight! is no exception, it’s just another link in Amon’s chain of genius.

-Storm

Thrill of the arts - vulfpeck

Thrill Of The Arts, Vulfpeck

By Johnny Barker

Vulfpeck is a group of musicians from the University of Michigan whose love for funk inspired their writing style. Specifically, band founder Jack Stratton’s love for funk bands like The Wrecking Crew and the Funk Brothers fueled this drive. Thrill Of The Arts is a beautiful and good spirited album that embodies their neofunk form - neofunk meaning older funk ideals through newer electronic derivatives. The band’s sound and texture is often minimal and transparent where each instrument is heard but none of which are dominating the field of sound. Overall the band's instrumentation is emulating a funk band rhythm section with added features like extra percussion elements and voice. With that background knowledge, let's dig into this album.

Personal Album Highlights

❏ Back Pocket is a song that I have loved since the beginnings of High School. It has always felt like a lighter melancholic love song to me. Having verse’s from people that seem to be expressing their feelings to each other back and forth further embeds the relationship element in the song. It’s mainly staccato esc articulation in the instrumentation during verses creates a nice bed for legato voice to rest on. I really enjoyed the clarinet outro - that instrument embodies this cute love story really nicely.
❏ Funky Duck = funky. Simple as that. It’s in the name and when you listen to it you feel da funk to its fully funkified potential. Raw lead vocals provide power and with lyrics often saying “Funky Duck”, the repetition drives the idea that funk is of the essence here. Deep smooth accompaniment vocals provide some release and grounding. The instrumentation is tight and coarse with some drive on the guitar and bass cutting an edge through the texture. This song has also been with me for some time now and never fails to get me in that funky groove that can power me through any day.

❏ Rango II contrasts Funky Duck nicely with it’s mellow plunk. It plunks away endlessly which carries me into a feeling of eternity. Until, the climax of the song happens which surprised me with it’s incredibly high pitch vocals not leading the texture but providing an integral part. The sound of the instrumentation is smooth and with some twang which adds a laid back country element. The tight funk texture hides underneath the smooth twangy guitars and bass with the percussive snaps that hang out throughout most of the song. It’s a simple song that takes the energy down a notch while nearing the middle of the album.
❏ Game Winner is the mellowest song yet and it appears right in the middle of the album. The vocalist on this track, Charles Jones, has a beautiful voice - to me it is the highlight of this song. It really brings home the songs over all feeling of lovesick melancholy.
❏ Smile Meditation is arguably the smoothest of them all and now one of my favorite songs (I’m gonna be listening to it every time I get the chance now). It’s simplicity in harmony allows for some wonderful expression through guitar solos and through its catchy chorus. This chorus is probably one of the most memorable ones I’ve heard in a while too. The name Smile Meditation is hinting at a song meant to put you in a meditative state in order to smile more. Consequently I will put the track Guided Smile Meditation with this song because it feels like the process needed to truly reach the feeling the song Smile Meditation creates. This last track is really creative and I love the New Yorker accent talking throughout.

The other songs on this album are ones I enjoy a lot as well, they just don’t stick out to me as much as the others. These songs are ones such as...

Welcome to Vulf Records - a good intro song, it is super upbeat, embodies their signature harmonies and style, and has some marimba (which I personally like). Walkies, an interlude acts as a wonderful auditory pallet cleanser. Christmas in L.A. is a great Christmas song, no doubt about that. But at the time I'm writing this, It’s mid May and I’m itchin for Summer. Conscious Club feels discotech influenced. With no vocals, heavy conga texture,a light “boots and cats” groove, and a tempo no one can resist to dance to, well it has me bobbing my head while I’m writing it!

Thrill of the Arts is a quintessential Vulfpeck Album that features all sorts of funky attitudes from longing for a lover to upbeat songs that make you wanna get up and dance! It features perfect songs to put on to dance to like Walkies and ones that really catch you in your feels like Game Winner. If you enjoy funk in a new crisp production with electro pop influences, you’ll love this Album.

Fear of Death - Tim Heidecker

Tim Heidecker’s Fear of Death

A strong 11/10

By Ash Autumn

So death. Do I have a fear of it? NO...ok...yes. duh. And I’m weird so driving down a country lane staring out the window while pondering my existence sounds like a normal weekend.

Thanks to Tim Heidecker & friends, I did just this while listening to the title track off of his new album Fear of Death. As a long-time FJM fan, this project which combines the talents of two people who met through him was right in my little vein of musical bliss. Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood) lends her voice on all but one track, tangling so pleasantly with Tim’s. Her unique timbre just gives everything this warm 60s/70s ~Joni~ vibe that I fucks with. If you’re a sucker for hella good harmonies and shit, this is the one for you. Well not the kind of shit that Tim’s Imperial Bathroom talks about... that’s a story for another time.

This album leaves behind the outright comedy of some of Tim’s other work, with a greater emphasis on a range of simply honest songs inspired by his observations during travels and the dark but unavoidable thoughts surrounding life and death. Very rich and layered production with lots of awesome collabs, such as guitar and drum work from The Lemon Twigs as well as some guitar and fun accessory instruments done by Jonathan Rado, among others.

Prelude to Feeling is track 1 and doesn’t try to hide that. It’s so cute and gentle and it’s reassuring to hear these people genuinely excited to share their work with you. They exclaim “We hope you love it too!” about the ensuing album. Like come on, 20 seconds in and already feeling so positive and hopeful and ready to talk about my existential dread.

Song ranking for the rest:

Fear of Death - SO GOOD. I heard it that first time and was about to ask my gen-x parents if they knew who the ~groovy~ band was and then I was like OH WAIT, IT’S TIM & FRIENDS, THOSE BEAUTIFUL BABES.

It’s just something that I think everyone can relate to if they’ve ever laid awake at night and let it hit them that one day this all ends and wondered what the hell that entails...

Buuut, without that fear, we’d all be jumping off bridges tomorrow to see just how great the great beyond really is. Pros and cons.

Also listen for the word ‘moribund’ in there, gonna add that one to my dictionary.

Backwards - Mainly just because I love the line : “Oh Canada, our bald eagles are moving up there for good”. But also because if you listen to the early demos on the Fear of Death podcast, it’s so inspiring to see the whole song to come together and grow into what it is now. I also really respect him for putting out some rough takes on the podcast.

Property: Maybe I’m biased because of my FJM love but this one is a misty-esque, fun as hell, organ-filled commentary and you’ve gotta watch the music video! Oh and like some truths about destroying indigenous peoples’ graves.

Nothing: I love this one and it looks like consensus is this is a favorite. Again, highly recommend the podcast too which is where I heard the demo take for this one.

“Ain’t it overwhelming breathing in?”

Come Away With Me: Cool repeating part where high harmonies go “come away!” which gave me flashbacks to the breakdown at the end of All You Need Is Love (“Love is all you need!”).

Say yes: Doors-y vibes.

Oh how we drift away: Super strong closer

Someone Who Can Handle You - Western-adjacent ballad with lovely string arrangement. A little slow for me.

Let It Be ---ok he would for an album about death literally RESURRECT John and (oh but not Paul...or…)... Anyhoo, fun rendition, a crowd pleaser, the coolest whining pedal steel.

Long As I’ve Got You: Fun and upbeat but not as melodically compelling. Really nice lyrics and little keys/organ touches in there.

Little Lamb: Garfunkel-y/ Solsbury Hill twinkly-ness. Just not a stand-out.

So that’s that and thank you Tim for giving it to us straight. You gave us a pinch of what music has been missing since the fancy-free glory days of 70s-ish yore: real life, honesty, gliding sexy guitars, sick harmonies and a few heavy topics veiled in happy chord progressions.

I’ll die happy having listened to this one.

Check out Fear of Death wherever you stream music and catch the Office Hours podcast for some laughs and commentary featuring Tim, Vic Berger (his video edits are hilarious) and DJ Douggpound.

Mana Pool - VAPERROR

Mana Pool, VAPERROR - By Johnny Barker

Mana Pool; a small area of supernatural power. The supernatural power in this album is in its ability to transport the listener to another dimension of digital frameworks. Mana Pool sends you swimming through a procedurally generated aquatic domain. It is a true masterpiece in the trap / vaporwave world because of its ability to create such a specific and unique feeling. That being - the computer generated/aqua combo theme which is consistent in all the synths, drums, and across the entire album's soundscape. All the sounds in this album are electronic with tambres being very lush, smooth, and large like the waves in the middle of the ocean. In regards to the percussion, the hats are, conversely, sharp and rhythmically dense. The backbeat sounds of snares and claps are somewhat sporadic and melodic while feeling very reverberated most of the time. Looking at the 808’s and kicks there is lots of repetition and stability giving unity here. One defining feature in the percussion realm are the reminiscent sounds of percussive rain drops adding a very important part of the album's aquatic feel. Oftentimes these rain drops are either very repetitive like the constant pour of a down fall or very melodic in nature and act as the standing melody for portions of the song. The synths generally are full and have a very active wave-like feel, possibly contributing to the oceanic feeling, like ripples from something that just displaced a body of water. This kind of synth occurs in ://transmission, ://shut down, Surf, 808 dreams, Like Water, and Aqua Domain (the majority of this album). However in other parts of those prior songs and in all the rest, the synth is percussive with a smooth but articulate attack like a bunch of bubbles popping abruptly but peacefully. This kind of synth appears in Tropical Resort, the swinging breakdown of Krystal GB, and the later half of ://start_up_seq in a repeated melodic pattern.

The album is composed of nine songs which all have no sung lyrics, only spoken word coming from what seems to be the female voice of some kind of artificial intelligence. Who also acts as the guide for this aquatic journey. That voice greets us in the first song which is actually just a start up sequence. The sequence loads generally at a fast rate but experiences some rhythmic lag before all systems are a go. She then notifies the listener of an incoming transmission, which is the interlude song; ://transmission. And lastly she unexpectedly alerts us that the system (the album) has encountered a fatal error and needs to shut down in the song ://shut_down.

This album in the broad scope of music lies pretty soundly in a specific niche, being vaporwave-trap. However, it is a defining work of that niche and represents that genre perfectly. This album is a wonderful listen to create a dreamy vibe that’ll surely transport you to a lushes Tropical Resort.

The songs are as follows:

://start_up_seq 03:16

Krystal GB 03:06

Aqua Domain 02:17

Surf 02:10

808 Dreams 02:42

://transmission 01:54

Tropical Resort 02:48

Like Water 02:28

://shut_down 02:10

RTJ4 ~ Run the Jewels

This week we discuss a recent and relevant release, RTJ4 by Run the Jewels. The duo has stated that they chose to release the project early due to the current protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Fuck it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit so here's something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy.” - Jaime + Mike

Some of us thought it was a great coincidence that this album dropped when it did, but other members point out that it isn't since these issues of systematic racism and police brutality have been popular topics amongst many rappers throughout decades. Lincoln makes a good point that you can take any of the verses from this project and slot them into any time period in the last four years and it would still be relevant. The lyrics are confrontational and points out the bullshit in our systems, clearly shown in the chorus in the song JU$T:

“Look at all these slaves master posing on you dollars”

The project has an air of seriousness while still having some playfulness, mostly shown throughout the production. It’s seamless with songs that flow into one another, especially with the first 6 tracks. This flow keeps the energy going and enhances the album listening experience, as opposed to listening to the tracks separately or in a playlist. There’s clear influence from 80’s and 90’s hip-hop with tons of samples from record scratches to a frog noise. Drew also described it as a “metallic” sound with bouncy 808’s. The ending track has a tasteful fade into a sax solo that Rhian wanted to point out, since it;s a calming resolution to such a thought provoking album.

All tracks ranked about the same for us with JU$T being the only polarizing one; some liked it the best and some liked it the least. Ooh la la was also a favorite. Most of us had not listened to Run the Jewels prior to this week, but this project won our hearts and we will continue to listen to it.

We Have the facts and we're voting yes - dcfc

This week, the gang listened to Death Cab for Cutie’s sophomore LP We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes. This album was released in March of 2000 on the Barsuk record label, a label the band stuck with until their fifth LP Plans.

The sound of Facts is a bit different from the sound the band is known for. On their later albums, DCFC take on a bit of a poppier, more accessible sound, whereas in their earlier work, there’s a little more grit to their style. There’s a certain rawness present in the band’s early work that you won’t find as much of in their later material. The production on much of the band’s records, including this one, is primarily done by Chris Walla, the band’s lead guitarist. A standout production moment on the record comes on the first track, “Title Track” where Chris puts a low-pass filter on the first half of the song. When the filter is finally released, the song explodes into its true form and grabs the listener’s attention, bringing them into the album’s world. This album is truly its own world, not just because of the band’s tight playing and Chris’ exceptional production, but also because of Ben Gibbard’s poetic storytelling.

Most of the discussion about the album was based around the content of the lyrics. It’s widely believed that the entire album is about an ex that Gibbard was with just prior to the writing of the lyrics. This ex is described as a friend turned lover. Gibbard sings about how the relationship was rushed and initially based on lust. Ben fills listeners' heads with poetic prose about his ex’s wedding and him almost crashing it, as well as a hint at his ex cheating on him. Ben is actually a huge fan of the poet Jack Kerouac, who is known for his long prose, and the frontman’s writing style certainly reflects this fandom.

Most of the fun in discussing this album came from speculating the meaning behind certain lines in songs. For example, the song “405” is believed to be Ben anthropomorphizing the 405 freeway as his ex. The lines of the chorus are “You keep twisting the truth/That keeps me thrown askew.” Our limited knowledge of the 405 led us to a discussion about how the freeway is curvy and bends a lot up towards the Pacific Northwest (where Ben is from), so just like the 405 twists and bends, so does the “truth” his ex speaks.

Speculation aside, this album (and the rest of DCFC’s early work) is a must-listen for anyone who is a fan of the band or anyone who enjoys alternative rock music in general. If you enjoy bands like The Shins or Pedro the Lion, I guarantee you’ll enjoy this record. We’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and speculations on this album at our Instagram @psrosound.

Telefone - noname

Independent rapper Noname tackles difficult (and still relevant) topics in her debut mixtape Telefone from 2016.

It may be a short project but it packs a punch with it’s lyrical content. Songs like “Shadowman” and “Casket Pretty” talk about Black death and the disillusionment that comes with it in her community. Then there’s songs like “Bye Bye Baby” that allude to abortion. Along with content,

The alliteration in the lyrics go crazy. For example, here is one of my favorite sets of lyrics, from the song “All I Need”.

“Unorthodox paradox in a pair of Docs

With an overbite, oversight to a merry clock”

The way she raps is pretty unique to everybody else. No one comes close to her style, at least in the mainstream(Lincoln). It’s almost like spoken word, or slam poetry over “lo-fi” beats(Max).

The production is twinkly and sparkly, mainly from the warm-toned keys and neo-soul elements(Ashley). When trying to describe her sound, we said jazzy, sleepy, chill, low-key, and as Max put it, advanced textured lo-fi beats. She holds true to the Chicagoan flow and production, which comes to no surprise with the contribution of Smino and her connection to other Chicago artists like Chance the Rapper and Saba.

One issue brought up is perhaps this production style is too ‘lowkey’. It’s not adventurous, kind of monotonous especially with the lyrics almost being whispered. That being said we did enjoy the project, and we didn't really have any least favourite tracks. Our favorite being “Diddy Bop” because it’s catchy, fun and the most light hearted song. Lincoln and I, however, do bring up how her second project, Room 25, expands and better utilizes Nonames style in a more dynamic way.

After that, we took a moment to talk about the connection of the messages in the mixtape to what is currently happening in the world right now with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as Noname’s shift to activism through her book club(@nonamereads).

Personally, I think Noname’s work, both in music and activism, is great media to consume during this time. Check her out and let us know what you think!

Djesse Vol.2 - Jacob Collier

We switch things up this week with the discussion of Djesse Vol. 2, the third album by trained multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier. Right of the bat we start talking about the clear technical training and skill Collier showcases in his work. As Drew would put it, “Yeah I can tell this guy is far smarter than me”, noting the fact that he’s won 4 Grammy’s and is only 25. Jess adds, “he’s so technical and talented, it’s almost intimidating to listen to…...he’s somewhat of a prodigy”, and Drew continues with “it’s sort of a big flex”, which led us to a debate on whether or not this album is accessible.

We talk about the moments in the project that seem like beautiful chaos, or breakdowns that we just don’t understand the point of, but perhaps that’s just him having fun. That being said, him having fun is insane, “years beyond us”(Max). Collier’s discipline is clear throughout the album, but it can fall flat to a non-classical audience, some of us just don’t understand. John argues that Collier is playing with the listeners expectations, and the purpose of this album aligns more with the culture around him(classically trained musicians and jazz instructors). In many ways, he is trying to be accessible to a wider audience with this album, i.e two covers and the “non-discordant harmonies he chose”(John).

With a string interlude, a bossanova, and different languages in the mix, the project is sonically diverse. Despite all the collaborations and diversity within the album, Collier was able to keep it all cohesive mostly due to his unique use of choral vocals and acapella. This shine’s through the most in the “Moonriver” cover, which Max and John mention has 1,000 tracks in the Logic DAW session, some of which have 12 doublings of one note that are each manipulated. Almost unanimously our favorite track was “Moon River”. The “Here Comes the Sun” cover being our least favorite, due to it’s feeling of being “overdone” and preferring the original version.

Honestly we spent a lot of time just gushing about his knowledge, skill, and creativity. Below are some noteworthy quotes from this discussion:

“[An audible] charcuterie board”

“It’s like a buffet”

“The middle is like fondue”

“He’s a musician’s musician. He makes music for musicians”

“He’s mastered music, like it's over, pack it up”

“The vocal harmonies on this are insane”

“He treats his voice like a super fancy instrument”

“It’s like math”

“Lush and rich”

Even if you aren’t into classical or jazz, if these quotes don't drive you to give this project a listen, I don't know what will. Let us know you feel(or if you have other food analogies) on our IG page @psprosound!

How I Got Over - The Roots

This week we discussed The Roots ninth studio album How I Got Over, which was released on June 22, 2010. This week’s relatively smaller group kicked off the convo with an exploration of both the influences of and the influence of The Roots. The Roots body of work has been consistently met with critical acclaim, and our conclusions were no different. Several of us remarked that, though we don’t often listen to the Roots music, their sound was familiar. Max remarked that he got “some major Gorillaz vibes” from some of the choruses, and we quickly concluded that it was likely the Roots that influenced the Gorillaz, not the other way around.

We had a lot to say about production aspects of How I Got Over. Storm was the first to remark on the pleasant soundstaging throughout the album. Proper attention was given to the percussion in the arrangement as well as in production resulting in a mix that was full, without being overcrowded. The song Radio Daze was brought up as an example of percussion mixing that resulted in an “almost orgasmic” physical-sonic sensation for Storm. We loved the use of the piano throughout the album. Lincoln pointed out the clever combination of drum hits and percussive keyboard playing in The Fire that Johnny thought helped contribute to a driving feeling. Storm also brought up the importance of the recording of a real piano, the complex tonal expressions that result from piano strings vibrating in sympathy with others that cannot be replicated digitally.

Several of us discerned a three-part structure to the album, outlined by the two short instrumental interludes DillaTUDE and Tunnel Vision (Storm lamented that these were only interludes and not full songs). Jess explained, convincingly, that the three sections represented the past, present and future. Lincoln later connected that to an overall theme of coping. We felt that the title track, How I Got Over, reminds us that as compelling as it can be to not give a f***, someone has to care in order for us to get through this. That message is, if anything, more relatable and more important right now than it was at the end of the Bush Presidency.

We loved this album, and the discussion was perhaps the most fruitful yet. Nayeli, who was perhaps the least impressed by the album, felt that it sounded “old” in a way that made it less compelling to her. However, she felt herself open up to it more on her second listen and enjoyed several of the features. Lincoln, our resident Roots expert for this session, mentioned that the album was one of the more accessible albums in their discography, which is otherwise much more experimental, or even edgy. Though reviews of the album were universally “good”, we near-unanimously held the opinion that the last two tracks fell flat. It is a testament to the quality of the rest of the album, and the respect that the Roots demand, that we actually considered that it was meant to.

As always, we invite any and everyone to join the discussion. Share your hot take on our instagram, @psprosound!

Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

This week we discussed LCD Soundsystem sophomore album, Sound of Silver, which was released in 2007. Once again, we start off listing our favorite tracks like “Someone Great”, which nearly everyone mentioned. A couple were polarizing like the 7 ½ minute sing “All My Friends”, which loops the same piano notes the entire time, or the musical outlier “New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down”, an emotional ballad that wraps up the project and feels out of place.

Most of the songs use the same looping structure for the base of the tracks, while layering additional instrumental to provide contrast and melodic shifts. Like mentioned before, “All My Friends” is a great example of this, however, for some these loops became boring and repetitive. Storm described it as “It’s almost as if you took out all the creative-ness from a Daft Punk song…..or Deadmau5”. Perhaps the project isn’t exploring something completely new within their genre, but then again, it falls more into a dance punk arena rather than house music. James Murphy vocals, similar to Beck or Cake, tie in the pop punk-y-ness to this album. Maybe not the best vocal performance in terms of technical skill, but the conjunction of his vocals and instrumentals gives a dance-y feeling, for something that shouldn’t really be dance-y(as said by Drew).

The themes throughout the LP also helps with this feeling, as Murphy brings up messages of time slipping away, fear of missing out, the death of his therapist, and his love/hate relationship with New York. His lyricism shines through the most in “Someone Great” and “New York, I Love You”, each of which shows off Murphy's sentimental side. It’s easy to tell that it’s a purposeful project, and not a loose collection of tracks. We all agree it’s a well mastered album that is consistent and spacious, which is not surprising since the band is known for perfectionists and gearheads.

Once again, this week’s album falls pretty neutral amongst us. Definitely a solid project and we can see ourselves coming back to it, but nothing that swept us off our feet. Are you neutral as well? Let us know your thoughts @psprosound !

Titanic Rising - Weyes Blood

This week we examined Weyes Blood fourth album, Titanic Rising, released in 2019. I start off the conversation by talking about the overall cinematic and theatrical feeling the album gave me. Many of the instrumentals felt orchestrated like a score, due to the opening, middle, and ending track, the latter of which had callbacks to some of the earlier melodies in the project. This is also amplified by the song “Movies” where Weyes Blood sings about her love of cinema and the overarching influence of the 1997 film “Titanic”. Ashley, who suggested the album, then talked about the wide/open feeling this album gives, most likely due to the intergalactic and ocean themes throughout the LP.

We all noticed a strong 60’s influence in the general sound of the project, especially with the song “Everyday” channeling what could be a modern-day Beatles song, as Max put it. Weyes Blood’s voice definitely plays into this, while still being unique and holding a strong range. She utilizes many vocal runs and extended notes that pair perfectly with the reverb, often giving a smooth and wet, oceanic feeling. Ashley describes her voice as “warm, in a space that’s cold all around it” and Max notes “The vocal textures are very rich, full of layering, almost like its own instrument”. John and I both greatly enjoyed the use of strings in this project, however, John felt some of it sounded the same and could have been more varied. Max also noticed lack of variation but in the sub rhythms and literal BPM. These two critiques could also be attributed to the use of crescendo throughout the album instead of hard dynamics.

Broadly speaking we enjoyed the album, but some felt that it wasn’t interesting or varied enough. Perhaps this project reminded us of too many other musicians. Throughout the conversation, we threw around lots of names like Lana Del Rey, Mitski, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, and especially Father John Misty. In the end, we were kind of split. This album is definitely a softer project with lengthy songs, so for half of our team that prefers faster or harder tunes, it faded into the background. That being said, we couldn’t think of any tracks we disliked from this project, with our favorites being “Mirror Forever”, “Andromeda”, and “A Lot’s Gonna Change.”

I know this album has gotten a lot positive reception from various music publications, so this conversation was a bit of surprise. Now I’m interested to hear your thoughts, which you can comment on our Instagram, @psprosound!

Summertime ‘06 - Vince Staples

“Summer of 2006, the beginning of the end of everything I thought I knew. Youth was stolen from my city that summer, and I’m left alone to tell the story. This might not make sense, but that’s because none of it does, we’re stuck. Love tore us all apart.” - Vince Staples

This week, we chose Vince Staples debut album Summertime ‘06, released in 2015. The album is split into two sections, both discussing drug addiction, gang life, love, and growing up in North Long Beach, California. The team quickly mentioned their favorites; the songs that stood out to us the most are Norf Norf for its personal nostalgia, 3230 for its rhythmic components, and Might Be Wrong for its emotional lyrics and instrumentation.

Right off the bat, we discuss how the second half of the album feels weaker than the first, maybe due to the length of the project which has a whopping 20 songs. Some felt like there was a lack of differentiation between tracks, and perhaps if the LP was condensed it would feel stronger. Jess speculates that since this is Vince’s debut album, he may have felt the need to include all of his ideas.

Lincoln brings up that Vince once said that the first half of the album is about understanding the power of fear and the second half about indulging in it, and he thinks that’s why the themes go from something personal in the first half and then goes wider scope and cynical in the second. A great example is through the lyrical contrast of “I ain't never ran from nothin' but the police” in Norf Norf and “I ain't worried about the police” in Street Punks. Perhaps another example includes how he clearly displays where he spent his time, Ramona Park, and even tells us where he lived in 3230. Giving out your address is risky, but Vince knows his audience or whoever is listening would not dare to show up due to their fear and preconceived notions of “that” side of Long Beach.

Vince expresses his frustrations on how people do not understand his community and look down on it. In a conversation with Genius on the song Senorita, Vince states

“I don’t feel like I need to go too deeply into explaining my lyrics. People don’t care about what’s happening in Long Beach, or Compton, or Watts...When they look at these areas and look at these people, they don’t see themselves. Until people really see themselves within other people, they can’t genuinely care for their betterment. It’s hard to understand and respect things that are different than us.”

With that, it is important to note that majority of the PSPS team definitely have had different walks of life compared to Vince Staples, so it was interesting for us to tackle the themes presented in the project. We talked about relatability and how that can affect our enjoyment of different music. For some, lack of relatability was a bit of a hurdle to enjoying the album, although to be transparent, many of us do not listen to a lot of rap music which definitely affects our opinion.

In terms of production, Nayeli describes her enjoyment of the negative space in instrumentals, as well as the clear vocals. Vince may not have a lot of vocal range or dynamic but the instrumentals and creative lyricism make up for it. Lack of range could explain why he includes many features in his work, like Kilo Kish, who we all thought was a great vocal addition to this album, especially in Dopeman. That being said, A$Ton Matthews in Hang N’Bang demanded attention in his feature, but not for the right reasons.

There were many instrumental additions that caught our attention, like the beach noises, strings, hand-clapping, and of course the gunshots. The love interest is the first half of the album is suggested to be Latina, and we talked about how that may have been an influence in adding flamenco-inspired hand clapping to songs like Loca and 3230.

When talking about the production of this album we have to mention the contribution of producer No I.D., and his method of working with artists. Vince was known to not spend more than a few weeks working on music, but for this project, he would come in with his ideas and work with No I.D to search for beats that work around his lyrics. This is in contrast to the popular method of finding a beat first, then rapping over it.

Overall, many of us felt as though Vince Staples overexplored a small amount of ideas and influences that dragged out the album. Maybe it was too personal to a fault, but Vince’s greatest strength is his lyricism. Had he chopped off some of the less creative tracks, it would have been a more powerful debut. That being said, most of us will definitely be coming back to this album, but likely skipping many of its tracks.

Now, those were our thoughts, what are yours? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know what you think on our Instagram, @psprosound!

The SNuts - W.L.

In our first AOTW of the Spring, Portland State Professional Sound is taking a

look at Scottish band The Snuts & their new deluxe album titled W.L. The band's first debut album has had an impressive showing in its first week, charting at the number one spot in the U.K. Members include Jack Cochrane (Vox/guitar), Joe McGillveray (guitar), Callum Wilson (bass) and Jordan Mackay (drums).

Here’s what we thought:

Overall, this album is a strong debut that delves in between vibes, yet feels very

much rooted in the U.K. rock we "yankees" have come to love. The opening track Top

Deck from disc 1 is a humble, raw song with minimal arrangement including vocals

from lead singer Jack Cochrane, caressing fingerpicked guitar, light orchestration,

and an anchoring kick. Solid start.

Next is Always, which shows off a talkative electric, gritty vocals and an overall

spacious mix. Picture yellow stage lights and a positively grooving, chill crowd. Ok

wow--- I really miss live music. The third track Juan Belmonte gives me Arctic

Monkeys vibes with the echoing falsettos and hard panned distorted guitar. I love

how the vocals play with the melody held in the guitar. It feels like some parts were

recorded in a totally different space but the variety of textures is really interesting to

hear.

Number four we’ve got All Your Friends which has the grooviest bass line. Loving the

guitar timbre at about 2 minutes, super 60s-esque. A growing theme is the sassy way

the lead singer and guitars play off each other which keeps the energy high and the

listener engaged. Just gave me huge Cage the Elephant vibes, which is always cool.

Somebody Loves You is number five which starts out making me feel as if I’ve gone to

a cathedral. The hook is a sort of call and response, and it builds into a very

light-hearted road-trip/beach-ready song. This one feels super poppy and pleasant

but is maybe not exactly fitting seamlessly on this album so far. Glasgow is initially

slow and almost somber, but becomes this concert ready track that I can hear a live

stadium version to already. It gave me Wombats vibes and had such a solid hook.

No Place I’d Rather Go is track seven and carries Oasis energy, and some really cool

sonic textures. After that is Boardwalk which has a haunting feel, perhaps without

enough energy, but with a clever choir and simple percussive elements.

Maybe California is really fun, light, and another one for the beach playlist. I think

Jack’s voice really shines here. Don’t Forget It (Punk) is very pop-rock but just makes

you want to dance. Coffee & Cigarettes is the track I’ve been waiting for! I would have

even traded a few of the previous songs for this one. Fun filters on the background

singers, Kooks feel.

Okay Elephants, track 12 is receiving lots of plays on Spotify rightly so because IMO

it’s the best song off the album. Perfect hook, catchy lyrics, interesting effects on the

guitars. This track sort of gives the band a name for themselves, I could see them

carving out more success with songs like this one. Love the breakdown at about

2:30. We need more Elephants!! Sing For Your Supper is the last song on disc 1. It

starts with some gentle guitar/harmonics and builds into a total slow jam that might

fit in the big slow dance scene in an early 2000s movie or something. A little bit too

ultra-somber at times to close out the disc.

Disc 2 includes four tracks, starting with the lovely guitar/strings track Blur Beat.

The whole second disc is pretty mellow, perhaps to a fault (but maybe I’m just

not in a mellow mood? Everything’s subjective). I would say Blur Beat and

Waterbirds are the strongest tracks here with some lovely vocals/guitar.

All in all, this is a strong and diverse debut from The Snuts that will solidify them as

a band to watch. I felt that some songs didn’t quite belong or felt too introspective

for what is in other ways a crowd-pleaser of a record. My top five favorite tracks

were Elephants, Juan Belmonte, Top Deck, All Your Friends, and Always. I’ll give this

one a solid 7.5, and I look forward to hearing more from this band in the future!

Check out W.L. anywhere you stream music & let us know your thoughts!

by Ash Autumn

BROCKHAMPTOn - Roadrunner: neW lIGHT, nEW maCHINE

In the second AOTW of Spring, PSPS resident reviewer Lincoln here will be covering

Brockhampton's 6th studio album, "ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE".

Members include Kevin Abstract (vocals), Merlyn Wood (vocals), Joba (vocals, production),

Matt Champion (vocals), Dom McLennon (vocals), Bearface (vocals, guitar), Romil Hemnani

(production), Jabari Manwa (production, vocals), Kiko Merley (production), and Roberto

(roberto).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the start of 2017, Brockhampton had one mixtape to their name, a Vice documentary,

and a relatively low-key following. By the end of that same year, they had 3 critically-acclaimed

albums and everyone in my high school knew their name.

It was a meteoric rise, but as they released more projects over the years, it became more

clear how they were able to achieve it: Brockhampton has a formula. Even its most egregious

breaches from this formula still follow it to a degree, with a variation in the production style or

the order the songs play out. Combined with a large pool of talent, you have a recipe for

consistency.

Minus the album Ginger, every Brockhampton album starts hard. Buzzcut grabs you in the first

second with that dizzy-ass circus loop and does it best not to let go. It's a fun track, especially

when Danny Brown busts in rapping about "incels" and "normies" in his weird uncle spirit.

In fact, with the exception of A$AP Rocky, who seems to rap for 10 seconds on his first

feature and 2 seconds on his second, all the features are a highlight on this album. Chain On

starts with JPEGMAFIA dropping one of the best verses on the album, with some quoteworthy

boasts such as

"Slick with the ink, these melodies need Duolingo"

and

"Livin' lie, Lance Armstrong at the finish line"

All delivered in a swaggering flow constantly sliding back and forth in tempo. He's a

fantastic rapper, and doesn't need his signature production to showcase it. The hook from Kevin

Abstract also has a lax, apathetic attitude that perfectly fits the beat. However, the only other

person who gets a verse on the track is Dom Mclennon, which is a bit of a shame- this type of

old-school production is completely new for Brockhampton, and would be interesting to see

other members of the group show evolution with their styles.

This is the biggest criticism I can make of this album, ironically linked to the recipe of

consistency I first brought up. When Brockhampton first became popular, the novelty was also a

selling point: no one else at that time sounded like them and that feeling of spontaneous, creative,

collaboration hadn't been felt to this degree since Odd Future.

However, a few years, albums, and controversies later the novelty isn't as strong as it was.

The few attempts here of Brockhampton pushing deeper or branching out work great- The Light

is intense and emotional, credited to the panicky production and Joba's most affecting

performance to date. It's immediately followed up with Windows, a 6-minute display of lyricism

from every member of the group carried over varied production that takes a very nice shift

towards the end. The tone is decidedly dark, and the verses, particularly from Dom and the

feature, SoGone SoFlexy, carry real weight. It's what I want from this group at this time- every

member pushing into new territory or deeper into old territory and sounding good doing it.

"But wait, was the tone getting too dark? That's no good, we need to lighten this up

now!" Or so I hear the album's sequencer saying as he drags I'll Take You On into the next

position. I don't know what it is with rappers placing cheesy love songs directly after their

darkest material, but the mood shift is jarring more than whatever effect they were going for.

Anyway, I'll Take You On has well-produced but generic instrumentation and the lyrics

may as well have been AI-generated for this kind of shallow filler love song. Old News and

What's The Occasion fare a little better but I can't shed the feeling I just listened to the same song

three times in a row. Despite their "boy-band" moniker, these are the songs that seem to have

evolved the least to me personally- Not that there aren't great softer Brockhampton songs- Big

Boy from Ginger and Rental from SATURATION III are some past highlights in that regard. But

these feel like echoes of songs already made, with the usual gimmicks of high pitch and

autotune, and no feature offering enough presence to distract from the clichés.

On the opposite end, let's talk about Don't Shoot Up The Party. This kind of "dark party

song" has shades of 1997 Diana to it, but has managed to evolve by adding more layered

production, melodic segments and even some social commentary with all the gun imagery and

Kevin's opening verse. It also feels out of place sandwiched between the stretch of more

laid-back songs and the out-of-place acapella Gospel interlude that is Dear Lord. If anything, this

would fit more with The Light and Windows, but for some reason it's over here.

The wide variety of sounds that Brockhampton has created has been one of its strongest

selling points, but I realize it also results in all of their most recent albums lacking in

specialization and tonal coherency. Sure, Ginger is slightly more melodic, and Iridescence comes

close by being more edgy and abrasive (in retrospect, it's one of their most interesting releases),

but they also have songs on there that push in the opposite direction. On this album more than

ever, it feels like Brockhampton is throwing songs in to keep trying to appeal to everyone. It

works. There are songs I like on here, but also quite a few I don't. There are songs like The Light

and Chain On that feel truly new, but others that feel on autopilot. So I like the album, but don't

love it. The album ends on an introspective note with The Light Pt. II, as has been the case with

every Brockhampton album. Brockhampton is consistent.

7/10

Top 3: Windows, Don't Shoot Up The Party, The Light

Least Favorites: Dear Lord, I'll Take You On

By Lincoln Meeker

THE brian jonestown massacre - Take IT From the man!

Take It From The Man! is a 60s psych garage, rolling stone-esque record produced by The Brian

Jonestown Massacre in 1996. This record is the bands third studio album, following the release

of Spacegirl & Other Favorites which served mostly as a compilation album.

The album has a retro charm that comes wrapped in a psychedelic sheet, creating a unique

sound that blurs the lines between the past and the present. Its simple recording approach of

the band all playing and recording at once also contributes to the experience. It is for these

reasons that, at 25 years old, this album continues to hold up today, especially alongside retro

enamored indie music.

The majority of the songs on the album were written by band leader Anton Newcombe, except

for “ Cabin Fever”, “B.S.A”, and “ In My Life”, which were written by guitarist Matt Hollywood.

In typical rock fashion, most of the songs consist of hang ups on girls, but refreshingly enough they

also provide an intimate and introspective perspective into the writer's emotions. This

combination is responsible for songs like “Mary Please” and “Straight Up And Down”, which are

among some of the best on the album.

Take It From the Man! is likely one of the better modern rock albums of the last few decades,

and I would go as far to say that it outmatches most modern releases today as well. It is a cult

classic, approachable, and recommended to lovers of classic rock and psychedelic music. Here

are some track highlights:

● Mary Please

● Monkey Puzzle

● Who?

● Straight Up And Down

● Cabin Fever

By Roberto C.

update your brain - the tuts

The Tuts Update Your Brain

Review

The Tuts are somewhat of an oddity in the punk space right now. They fall into a similar category as Smashing Pumpkins, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For those that don’t know, Smashing Pumpkins sound and write in a way consistent with the big grunge bands of the 1990s. But, they usually don’t fall in that category because they weren’t from the pacific northwest. Although they sound nothing alike, The Tuts occupy a similar space with the Riot Grrrl genre. Another PNW sound, Riot Grrrl originated in Washington slightly after grunge did. It sets itself apart from other punk subgenres with it’s hyper-focus on women and women’s issues. Nearly all the significant Riot Grrrl bands are all female, or at the very least not male.

Riot Grrrl still crops up in our media from time to time. Many people actually don’t realize that Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein is also well known as the lead guitarist of Sleater-Kinney, perhaps the most famous Riot Grrrl band. But, rarely do we see the evolution of the genre that The Tuts 2016 album Update Your Brain offers. The album features very women-centric lyrics with a new style for the genre; it’s somewhere between pop-punk and original Riot Grrrl. Their music also epitomizes the fast, D.I.Y attitude of early punk rock, with in your face messaging; the track ‘Dump Your Boyfriend’ comes to mind. The band also draws on earlier UK punk styles in their very transparent political messaging. My personal favorite track, ‘Give Us Something Worth Voting For’ is a seething critique of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom.

Update Your Brain is, for lack of a better word, an updated version of the Riot Grrrl genre. The Tuts know the roots of Riot Grrrl and punk as a whole and pay tribute to those who came before, while maintaining their own unique identity and style. The album is a good and fun listen, especially if you’re into loud and powerful punk with a purpose.

By Drew Havnaer

motivational music for the syncopated soul - cory wong

Cory Wong Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul

Review

Cory Wong himself isn’t really a “household” name in the music world, but if you

have ever heard the band Vulfpeck or the Fearless Flyers then you have probably heard

him. Still no? That's ok. Well anyways his album, Motivational Music for the

Syncopated Soul, is from 2019 and was released alongside a tour titled “The Syncopate

& Motivate World Tour”. The album itself features many other talented artists including,

but not limited to, Tom Misch, John Baptiste, Caleb Hawley, Nate Smith, Antwaun

Stanley, and many more. As the title suggests, the overarching theme of the album is

one of motivation and oozes light, positive vibes.

The album features 6 instrumental pieces, 3 with vocals, and 1 with a satirical and

very impassioned motivational speech given by Cory Wong himself. The song

“Companion Pass” includes the speech that immediately gives off the same crazed, and

somewhat scary enthusiasm that you hear in speeches made by mega pastors and other

cult leaders. That song is the 8th (out of 10) in the album and really just comes out of

nowhere, and despite being the song that most epitomizes the title of the album, it also

feels the most out of place. The motivational rant does contain some gems, including

this wonderful line: “This is the time in your life where you need not discover who

someone else is within you, but who you are within you! 'Cause you’re never gonna be as

good as Pat Metheny, as Pat Metheny is at being Pat Metheny”. There really is only one

other song that “Companion Pass” feels connected to and that is the 6th song, which is

titled “Today I'm Gonna Get Myself a Real Job” and features Cory Wong singing about

how he needs to give up music to get a “real job” before deciding at the end that music is

his “real job”. It’s a fun song, especially for people who have similarly “fake” jobs and

majors (I’m a theatre arts major), but this song also kind of feels out of place. It is a

much mellower vibe and feels like it is just a gimmick song. Not that there's anything

wrong with that, but it just doesn’t mesh with the rest of the album.

The Album Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul and Cory Wong really

does shine best in their instrumental songs. Each one features Cory’s funky and

rhythmic guitar and just feels good, even the less connected songs. So if you like

strumming and want some fun songs to be humming than this album is for you, just

make sure you don’t play “Companion Pass” in front of others without context.

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