As the name suggests, Kanye West’s “Monster” is big, ugly, and heavy. Between ‘Ye, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj, all three take the form of a monster: West (playing himself) as an egotistical, womanizing asshole; Hov as an ice-cold titan in a thankless music industry; and finally Minaj putting in a verse of a lifetime as a schizoid Barbie/Bitch. All in all, this is a monstrous effort truly deserving of the title.
Without a little perseverance, “Round and Round” could be quickly dismissed as a corny attempt to cash in the current popularity of lo-fi, weird-but-cool hipster pop. After giving it an honest chance, though, I saw why the track has been ballyhooed one of the coolest and most interesting of 2010. “Round and Round” is structured: it has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Starting off, the listener is greeted by dreamy vocals and a 80’s exercise video groove – not much to get excited for. Thankfully, it builds towards an utterly glorious chorus. At the 2-minute mark, the song erupts into a shout chorus that challenges everyone without earshot to not join in. It is simply infectious, and strong enough to make up for any lulls or gaps elsewhere in the song. Upon repeated listens, it’s easy to fall in love with. In fact, the chorus is now my ringtone. So good.
When Kanye premiered “Runaway” at the 2010 MTV VMA’s, he smartly announced that the song represents an apology to Taylor Swift. He stood in front of the world in a bright red suit and proceeded to (indirectly, at least) call himself a douchebag. Though fleshed out on the album, I always found that the studio version of “Runaway” lacked the same energy and passion compared to the live spot. The vision of Kanye grooving on his sampler like a madman, ballerinas strutting around him, and Pusha making his electrifying cameo just about exploded my world. I still listen to the live version regularly.
Considering it was only a few years ago when members of Vampire Weekend were still working full-time jobs and doing music in their free time, I’d say things have turned out pretty nicely. Scoring a chart-topping record with last year’s Contra, the New York-based quartet have suddenly found themselves as the “it” band of 2010. As we can see with “Taxi Cab,” Vampire Weekend is known for drawing from all sorts of musical genres for influence. I particularly like the down-tempo style here, paced by the measured heartbeat bass kicks and echoed handclaps. The piano and harpsichord riffs also add a touch of elegance to the track. Ezra Koenig continues to be one of the most sought-after voices for cross-over collaborations. He can do fun and loose, but as “Taxi Cab” shows us, he’s comfortable being a little more reserved as well.
For some reason, Man on the Moon II just didn’t really do it for me. The lead single was pretty wack and I just felt like the album made less of an impression than his first. Regardless, the album wasn’t without its winners. Over the past little while, we’ve become accustomed to hearing Cudi as the hook guy on other people’s tracks and kind of forgotten that he’s entirely capable of stealing the show on his own. “Mojo So Dope” reminds us that he’s among the elite when he’s bringing his unique blend of rap and slurred singing to the table. His rebellious disposition is still his edge, and he continues to milk that “just don’t give a fuck” angle. Will he flame out before evolving into a more mature artist? We’ll see.
For those who don’t know, Phantogram is electronic/rock duo hailing from New York. They had put out a couple of EP’s in North America before, but the 2010 release of Eyelid Movies was their first true introduction. Widely varied in their styles, one can tell they have an ear for melody but they still strive to create their own unique sound. My ear tells me there are hip-hop influences at work here as well. “Let Me Go” speaks to me as a song for the tortured soul. I’m haunted each time Sarah Barthel lets loose with that long, drawn-out “...let me go.” Musically, the song features diverse instrumentation and rich layering. I like busy music, as long as it’s easy on the ears. Thankfully, Phantogram delivers everything I like and more on this one. I look forward to more great things from them in the future.
After making his mainstream debut on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 in 2009, J. Cole’s cred has exploded exponentially. The dude is in prime position to become the next face of hip-hop: I can’t remember the last time I heard something like “Who Dat.” It combines an announcement of sorts, but Cole comes out swinging for the fences. Whip-smart punchlines, gaudy flow and sheer relentlessness power “Who Dat” Cole declares, “Bitch, I got that flame, so don’t worry ‘bout my name.” When’s the last time you heard it like that? Most newcomers will say anything to get their name in your mouth. J. Cole proves that if the shit is fire, people will clamour to be able to put a name to the face. Real talent.
Who would’ve thought that people would enjoy listening to noise this much? Normally, noise is garbage, ignored by anyone who values their eardrums. What Sleigh Bells did was take the novelty of the noise genre and infuse it a little bit of pop rock sensibility. Though the lyrics of “Infinity Guitars” don’t make a lick of sense, they don’t really need to because the listener is so preoccupied drumming or clapping along with the beat. The rawness of the guitars, tambourine and drums is also something to behold. With 40 seconds left, the lid gets blown off at song explodes and fires off its remaining payload, leaving scorched earth in its wake. In a few words: it’s fucking awesome.
It’s fitting that within the grandiose scope of The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monae would pen a letter to an unnamed deity, trying to make sense of our existence. Philosophy and music don’t always mix that well, but Monae strikes a harmonious balance. The folk-ish guitar sets a warm, earnest tone and is later joined by a catchy R&B groove. Monae’s soaring vocals are the ribbon and bow that bind “Oh, Maker” together and make it a pleasure to experience. Dynamic range is there as well, as Monae bounces from low to high, soft to loud. “Oh, Maker” will go down as one of the lesser talked-about tracks from the album, but I’m so glad it caught my attention. Really though, I can’t imagine how something this sincere wouldn’t catch someone’s attention.
While most people would only know Gorillaz for “Feel Good Inc.”, the UK-based group really has a solid body of work. Last year’s Plastic Beach continued the group’s penchant for the weird and eclectic, but the creative minds behind Gorillaz are still alive and well. I’ll admit that I’m warmer to their more poppy material, such as “On Melancholy Hill.” The synth-heavy tune is probably up there with “Stereo Love” in terms of how easily it’ll get stuck in your head. It’s perfectly singable, and that little chirpy synth riff is impossible to forget. The video’s pretty cool too (click above to check it out). To me, “On Melancholy Hill” is road trip music. I would make a slide show to this song. I don’t know why, but I would. It just has that vibe to it.
"...80’s exercise video groove – not much to get excited for" made me lol man
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