Album Reviews: December 2014 Week 4

Blockhead - "Bells & Whistles" - 2014

This is Blockhead's 6th album and he's decided to self-release it rather than go through Ninja Tune this time, like he did with the "Uncle Tony's Coloring Book" album in 2007, which coincidentally, is probably the most similar album to this new one in his back catalog. In my opinion, an artist of his nature produces better music without as many of the constraints of sample clearance that could possibly go along with being on a label like Ninja Tune. This is easily his best and most interesting album since his debut. He seems to have stepped up every aspect of his game for this one. His average song length has increased, with most of these songs going well over the 5 minute mark, but it's left room for more experimenting within the sound palettes he creates with samples. It gives the songs a more orchestrated feel instead of them just being 'beats', which all of his previous best songs had done, but I feel like his hit to miss ratio is a little higher on this new one, as this whole LP is very well crafted. This material seems more well thought out and less like a guy just noodling around on his MPC. These songs take you on adventures in your mind. You can listen to the album here. You can purchase the album here.

DJ Rashad - "We On 1" - 2014

As with any artist who's life ends too soon, there is always the posthumous releases. Usually the first wave of them is really tight, and then after a while people start really picking their unreleased catalog clean and the releases get weaker. This is obviously part of the first wave, considering he just left us in April. (R.I.P.) These 4 tracks are all pretty solid ones that I was either familiar with through people's DJ sets, or in the case of "Do It Again" (featuring DJ Spinn & DJ Manny), i'm more familiar with a DJ Earl version of this song. I was very pleased to see "Somethin Bout The Things You Do" (featuring Gant-Man) finally get a official release. I've been loving that song for a minute. You can listen to the EP here. You can purchase the EP here.

Hail Mary Mallon - "Bestiary" - 2014

Apparently, when Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic teamed up in 2011 for the first Hail Mary Mallon LP, it wasn't a one and done type deal, as here they are back with a 2nd album together. This album is superior to the first one in pretty much every way, and Rob Sonic in particular sounds like he's recently stepped his game up on the mic, like he's got something to prove. Aesop Rock is sounding a lot more comedic than normal throughout this album, which I also enjoy. The only drawback to this LP as a whole, is the interludes that are placed at the end of a few tracks that portray on ongoing story of them trying to organize a fundraiser concert to reopen a closed bowling alley. It breaks up the flow of the album in an odd way that kinda ruins the way it could all flow together. I'm all for interludes on albums when they're an essential part of the listening experience of the album, but these just seem like a half baked idea that went too far, which was probably the point, but like I said, it screws up the flow of the LP a little. That minor gripe aside, this is one of the more impressive rap releases of the year, with 2 underground vets showing that they are both still in their prime. Check out the videos for "Jonathan", "Kiln", and "Whales". You can listen to the album here. You can purchase the album here.

Traxman - "The Unforgiving" - 2014

Traxman has been a powerhouse this year, putting out at least 7 releases, and there's probably more that I don't know about. This is the one I can find the least information on, and I can't even figure out where you can purchase this EP from. This is 7 tracks of pure greatness in sampling. No duds here. Just a music lover making good new music out of old music. Check out "Tha Unforgiving", the only song from here I can find a link to listen to.

JJ Doom - "Bookhead EP" - 2014

JJ Doom is the duo of MF Doom and Jneiro Jarel (AKA Dr. Who Dat?), and this is the somewhat belated remix EP for their 2012 project "Key To The Kuffs", an album I thought was decent, but also shows MF Doom on an inevitable downslide, which after releasing so many classic albums was bound to happen once he started making albums that were 'just good'. The leftover tracks sound pretty much just like that, the title track being the one exception. The remixes however are great, especially the one by Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. The beats on this EP are a lot more strange and off kilter than the ones on the album, and I appreciate that. This EP makes for a nice quick 25 minute listen and enough to quell the want to hear some new Doom material for the time being. Check out the video for "Bookhead". You can listen to this here. (the track "Pause Tape" and the Clams Casino Remix are mysteriously missing from youtube right now...??...) You can purchase this EP here.

Lana Del Rey - "Ultraviolence" - 2014

I was never one of those people who was an active Lana Del Rey hater (there seems to be so many), but I also never understood the draw that she had with her "Born To Die" album. I found that album to be relatively bland in the overall scheme of music. Maybe slightly better than the average pop album, but that's never a hard feat to achieve. On this new one, she has teamed up with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach to handle most of the production duties, and the results are pretty damn good. I would describe the feel of this album as being similar to "Like A Prayer" era Madonna put through a Mazzy Star sounding filter, if that makes any sense to you. Her voice reminds me of a lot of different singers at various times and she's definitely more versatile than I ever would have given her credit for. This whole album has a really good sound and mix, and i'm surprised by how often I enjoy listening to this. Even the lesser tracks on this album that sport more 'by the numbers' songwriting are still decent as background music. I noticed that both me and my girlfriend have different favorite tracks on this album as well, which I think is also a mark of a good album. When different people get different things out of it, but both get enjoyment. This is pretty easily one of the best albums to come out of the mainstream world this year that came across my ears. Check out the videos for "West Coast", "Shades Of Cool", and "Ultraviolence". You can listen to the full album here. You can purchase the album here.

Boylan - "BOYLAN ITZ 2k14 ITZ TIME FOR SOME BOYLAN" - 2014

Boylan is a Teklife member that I don't know much about, but apparently he is a science teacher in Chicago and is DJing and producing on the side. This EP is right in step with the rest of the Teklife crew, supplying the world with upbeat, fast paced, sample heavy, crazyness. You can listen to and purchase the EP here.

Mouse On Mars - "21 Again" - 2014

Mouse On Mars are a German electronic duo that have been around since the early 90's, and I was unfortunately extremely late to the party, having only discovered them through their great 2012 album "Parastrophics". They are the exact type of artists I like, where they refuse to conform to genre specifications, and just seem to be doing whatever it is they feel like at any given time, which is almost always some next level, awesome shit. This is a compilation that is celebrating 21 years of their group being in existence. 2 discs of all collaborations with other artists. It's amazing to me how cohesive this works as an album with how different the styles of the songs are, but it definitely works. This is the type of album that makes me wish for more full length albums to exist that are similar to this. It's interesting to me that Prefuse 73 appears on an interlude, talking about how influential these guys were on him and his sound. I had always attributed a lot of that sound emerging when it did as Prefuse's influence on the music world, but maybe I was just way in the dark about Mouse On Mars at the time. You can listen to the album here. You can purchase the album here.

The Budos Band - "Burnt Offering" - 2014

The Budos Band are an instrumental funk band out of NYC and part of the Daptone Records stable. This is their 4th album, and the first one with an actual title, since they decided to forgo calling this one "IV". Calling them a funk band is a very loose term, as with the way some of their fuzzy guitars are, they are more rock influenced than most funk bands are, which gives them a unique sound within the genre. I had the opportunity to see these guys play a bunch of these songs live, a few months before the album was released, so I was already primed for this when it came out, but I will definitely say their live show is not to be missed when they come through your town. The album versions of their songs are merely a sketchbook for the paintings they create in your mind with their sounds during their live shows.... or maybe this is just the type of lively music that was MEANT to be heard live... or at the very least LOUD.. This is instrumental music that never ever gets slightly boring. The guitar rocks. The horns sizzle. The drums have just the right amount of sloppiness and tightness. I would say this is easily their best LP so far, which is a hard feat to accomplish, considering how much I enjoy the other 3 albums, but I do really feel they stepped it up a notch on this one. Check out the videos for "Burnt Offering" and "Aphasia". Also check out "Turn & Burn", "Tomahawk", "Black Hills", and "Into The Fog". You can purchase the album here.

Free The Robots - "Two Snakes" - 2014

Free The Robots is an LA based beatmaker that i've been listening to a lot the last couple years. He seems to drop a new release every few months, so fans are never left wondering where the new stuff is for too long. His last full length, "Balance" was one of the stronger releases of last year in any genre for me, and I generally enjoy most of his stuff, but these 3 songs of his on this EP just aren't doin it for me. They're too 'by the numbers' and standard compared to other beat scene stuff to stand out from the crowd. I do enjoy a couple of the remixes quite a bit though. They save this EP from being lost in the ocean and introduced me to a couple Japanese producers i'd never heard of before, particularly Ramza, who's remix is easily the standout track on here to me. It reminds me of the type of stuff Shlohmo was doing a couple years ago. You can listen to the EP here. You can purchase it here.

The Underachievers - "Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium" - 2014

The Underchievers are a rap duo consisting of Issa Gold and AK. It's weird to me how little I hear The Underachievers talked about when people talk about the tightest rappers in the game, or even the tightest newer rappers in the game. To me, these guys are easily the best thing i've heard come out of the genre in the last couple years. To the uninitiated, the best way I could describe these guys style, is that their flows are sort of like certain A$AP Mob people but with way tighter lyricas. There's moments where these guys remind me of Dead Prez. At times their flows also remind me of people on Strange Music, but it's not as overbearing and seems more natural and less rehearsed. In any event, these guys do not have the typical NYC sound, and almost remind me more of midwest rappers. Their "Indigoism" album from 2012 was the best rap album I heard in a long time, and this one isn't quite as good to me, but still almost on that level. I feel they've gotten better on the mic since then, but I still think that was a slightly better LP overall than this one. As far as the production goes, they seem to have found some beats that suit their stoney style and give a proper psychedelic, but not too out there, backdrop. The beats always suit the flows perfectly without overshadowing. They are the type of artists to not put out weak songs, it seems, as I never have the desire to fast forward anything when I have their stuff playing. Truly a breath of fresh air for someone with my listening tastes, as lately i've been wondering what type of person i've even become nowadays, with how little I even enjoy a genre that I used to live and breathe for years and years. I start to ask myself questions like "do I even truly enjoy hip hop anymore or do I still listen to it out of habit?", and groups like The Underachievers show me that I can still enjoy it. I think they've really struck gold with their combination of technical skills and an actual want to reach out to the ignorant masses without actually fully pandering to them at all, but making them want to come to them. Check out the videos for "Metropolis", "Sonorous", and "Nebulous". You can listen to and purchase the album here.