September 2012 Hotlist Week 4

Eprom - "Metahuman" 2012

One of the strongest new releases out there right now. This is getting tons of plays from me right now. He's a fairly newer artist from LA that's hitting the exact right pockets of electronic music for the current climate, in my mind. There is a weird yin/yang type balance between this being super chilled out and super hyped up that has got to be a hard tightrope act to walk and still have it sound this fresh on every single song. some of my favorite tracks are: "Sun Death", "Floating Palace", and "Honey Badger".

Big Business - "Quadruple Single" 2011

I've been listening to this more lately than when it was new. "Guns" are better than anything else.

Oneohtrix Point Never - "Dog In The Fog" 2012

4 remixes of songs from his last album. Nothing too special, but there is a nice Matmos version of "Replica". I do like me some Matmos.

Poolside - "Pacific Standard Time" 2012

I checked this out because I believe they are opening up for Com Truise on his current tour. Really generic sounding. This is kind of like 80's Steve Winwood style music for the new millenium, but there's no flair or any personal stamp left on it at all. Just a bunch of boring, flat, pseudo funky, soft electro-pop. The vocals are kinda Mayer Hawthorney, except extremely apathetic sounding instead of being soulful or energetic. Here's one of the stronger songs to me. This is what I would refer to as prozac music. These guys sound like they would be from the local scene here in Minneapolis, and i'm not saying that as a compliment. They have the same generic, cut n paste my hero's styles type of feel.

Onra - "Deep In The Night" 2012

I downloaded this EP because I liked a track I had gotten for free, but there's really not that much for me to enjoy here. It sounds like some semi-lazy 80's sample chops, but what do I know... It's not awful, it's just not special. I suppose it changes my opinion of this style of music that I have a friend that makes this exact style of stuff, and does it much better, and is getting nowhere near the international buzz that Onra gets right now, but that's the business. This is still worth checking out if you like Kavinsky or Com Truise or stuff like that. Check out "Somewhere (Deep In The Night)".

Killer Mike - "R.A.P. Music" 2012

This album isn't spectacular by any means, but for a 2012 rap album, this is damn solid, and standing up to the test of repeat listens. I like how this is a political based album, but it's not heavy handed and preachy like a lot of stuff in that vein is. It's just one man and his view of the world over dope El-P production. If you haven't seen it yet, you need to peep out the epic mini-movie video they have for "Big Beast", a song that features T.I. and Bun B. 2 MC's I never though i'd hear on an El-P beat. Also "Reagan" is a really strong track.

Tahiti Boy & Mr. Oizo - "Wrong Soundtrack" 2012

The soundtrack for Mr. Oizo's new movie. I don't know when it's coming out here in the US, but I can't wait to see it. I hope I can see it in the theater like I did with "Rubber", his previous film. I feel similarly about this soundtrack as I do about the "Rubber" soundtrack. The score pieces can be a little boring or tedious at times, but the actual "songs" are spectacular and some of the best new music out to me. I'm also convinced that with no previous releases under his belt, Tahiti Boy is just a made up alias for Mr. Oizo to display different sides to his style, but I could be wrong, maybe it is a real person. Check out "Ronnie" for the typical Oizo-ness you would expect if you're a fan already, but also check out the Air meets Black Moth Super Rainbow sound of  "Resolution". A new side to him I hope to hear more of in the future.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez - "Saber, Querer, Osar y Callar" 2012

I haven't really been digging the recent releases by him as much. This one just kinda sounds like some cutting room floor type material that works OK as background music for people smoking weed or something. Check out "Gentle Umbrellas".

The Residents - "Night Train To Nowhere" 2012

Some extra spooky ghost stories, told in the creepiest way possible, as only The Residents can. A couple of these I had heard before like "The Talking Light", but this is a great example of what this group is like, based on one album, if I had to pick only one. This plays out good for the Halloween time of year too. Check out "Phantom Fingers". I love his unusual take on supernatural stories.

Diplo - "Express Yourself" 2012

This 6 song EP is really safe sounding for the current climate in dance music. All of these tracks sound like he's just trying to remake Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor" with some M.I.A. style vocals, despite the fact that all the tracks have a different set of guests, they all sound like the same people are on them. I don't know if that shows how generic the guests are or that Diplo is really going for a specific sound, but either way I shouldn't be this bored listening to music that's designed to hype people up. The strongest track to me is "No Problem" if I had to pick one.

Buckethead - "A Real Diamond In The Rough" 2009

Continuing my catching up on Buckethead's recent career, this one is another of the mellow variety that you could enjoy with your parents, and they won't tell you to "turn that racket down" or anything like that. Just some nice instrumental rock music that is soothing. Check out "Four Rivers".

Through All The Windows I Only See Infinity - "Through All The Windows I Only See Infinity" 2012

A sound art project put together by some friends of mine, I didn't really know what to expect, but a lot of this is very beautiful sounding though. There's also a bunch of tight interactive video footage to go along with this, and makes it more of a weird multimedia project that's hard to describe, but I like it.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez - "Octopus Kool Aid" 2012

I think I like this one a little less that his other new one that I mentioned above. Similar sounding, but this one is a little more electronic and less rock sounding. Nothing awesome, just some OK avant-garde background music. Check out "Pink Heart"

Whourkr - "4247 Snare Drums" 2012

Holy shit, this album blew me away. Easy contender for album of the year. Apparently these guys are from France, and are doing this weird progressive hybrid of grindcore metal and glitchy Squarepusher-esque electronic music. This might sound corny on paper, but I can assure you that these guys are the real deal. Also apparently, the album title is the actual number of snare drum hits that appear on the record. Funny. Check out "Manger Du Beurre", "Polygroin", and "Petits Poneaux". Pure genius insanity.

Cattle Decapitation - "Monolith Of Inhumanity" 2012

This album goes HARD. Lately a lot of harder sounding metal sounds to me like it's just being hardcore for the sake of being hardcore, and ends up just coming off as boring in the end, but this album is for real. I'm not huge into their career, but none of their older albums grab me like this one does. This is what i'm looking for in a metal album. Check out "Gristle Licker".

Anagraphs - "Cephalopod Applause" 2012

Much like his previous releases, I like this well enough, but the stiffness of some of the drum programming keeps me from fully liking it. I really like what this guy does with synth sounds and atmospheric soundscapes though. Free download from bandcamp.

Buckethead - "Slaughterhouse On The Prairie" 2009

This one is more upbeat and rockin than a lot of the more laid back stuff i've been checking out from him lately. Still not balls out metal or anything, just some nice upbeat instrumental rock. Check out "Goat Host"

September 2012 Hotlist Week 3

Com Truise - "In Decay" 2012

This is his album that is a collection of some of his best stuff that he did before his major releases the last couple years. In some ways I prefer these slightly more primitive sounding songs to his current sound, which isn't really much different. Check out "84 Dreamin"

Com Truise - "Komputer Casts"

There is 6 volumes of these podcasts total. He mixes in a few of his own songs here and there, but it's mostly a mix of wacky 80's synth stuff. Really fun. They are all free downoads here.

El-P - "Cancer 4 Cure" 2012

This album is still sounding pretty good. I think I like it a slight bit better than the new Killer Mike album, also produced by El-P, but only barely. Both of these albums are like 2 peas in a pod. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely check out the video for "The Full Retard". People pretty much know what to expect from El-P if they've heard his music before, by now, and therefore this album comes off as his most predictable. It still doesn't make it a weak album at all, it just doesn't have the same element of shock and surprise he usually packs. 

Buckethead & Travis Dickerson - "Left Hanging" 2010

Buckethead teamed up with a jazzy sounding keyboardist. Sounds pretty damn nice. Check out "Game Theory" for an example of how well they sound together.

September 2012 Hotlist Week 2

Meat Beat Manifesto - "Test EP" 2012

This EP is weird. It's a lot of different styles, none of which sound very new, but it all still sounds pretty good. It's just strange to me how they seem to have gone out of the way to make all these songs very different from each other, but maybe that is the test. Check out "My Son The DJ The Forger" 

Knxwledge - "Karma.Loops.Prt4" 2012

I like this one a little more than Part 3. Another short little beat tape EP.

Eprom - "Regis Chillbin" 2012

I definitely love goofy upbeat stuff like this. The regular version that appears on the LP is pretty awesome, but Machinedrum takes it to the next level with his remix.

I:Cube - "M Megamix" 2012

This is a pretty cool continuous mix of a bunch of songs by this artist. I have full versions of a couple of these, but most of this is new to me. I don't know what this sub-genre is called. It's dancey but doesn't quite seem like techno or house to me. Check out this fucking sweet preview for this album.

Antibalas - Antibalas - "2012"

This picture does this artwork absolutely no justice. In vinyl form, this album cover looks immaculate. Whoever designed this really outdid themselves. Antibalas come with a self titled LP after being quiet for a couple years and it doesn't disappoint. Just 6 songs, all over 6 minutes each. My favorite is the album closer, "Sare Kon Kon"

Lil Wyte - "Still Doubted" 2012

Lil Wyte is barely tolerable as an MC, but he rhymes on DJ Paul & Juicy J beats, so i'm always gonna listen until that changes. This one is OK, just like all his other albums are only just OK. Check out "Call Us" featuring Thug Therapy.

Buckethead - "Spinal Clock" 2010

Continuing on with my catching up with Buckethead's career from the last few years, this one just seems like it's him playing around with a banjo. I'm cool with that, even if a lot of this is unnecessary. Check out the title track.

Buckethead - "Underground Chamber" 2011

Just one long 30 minute song.  This one is pretty upbeat as he rips through this.

Big Business - "Mind The Drift" 2009

This is my favorite LP by them for sure. "Cats. Mice." and "Ayes Have It" (mysteriously not on youtube) are 2 of my favorite rock songs from the last 10 years or so.

Melvins - "A Senile Animal" 2006

I'm pretty into this album as far as Melvins albums go. Check out "A History Of Drunks"

Necro - "The Murder Murder Kill Kill Double EP" 2012

This album seems kinda tired to me. Maybe i'm just tired of his schtick at this point in my life. Here's a video he directed for one of the songs. It's one of the stronger tracks.

TNGHT - "TNGHT EP" 2012

This EP is the perfect example of people doing the exact right thing at the exact right time before a concept gets too played out or mainstream. Hudson Mohawke and Lunice are really striking while the iron is hot with this type of sound, but still sounding ahead of everyone else trying to do this style too. Here's a little quick megamix of all 5 songs. Great music to dance to, for me at least.