Well — I had planned to pop in for a quick update since I’d caught a couple interesting items worth flagging over the week, but of course all my simple pleasures must become infuriatingly over-complicated clusters lately, so it’s taken me over an hour to find a way to log in here as my computer thinks the site is malicious and it keeps telling me my passwords are wrong (and won’t allow me to change them). Fucking GD technology…
AAAAAAAANYhow — I finally found a way in, so before Agent Smith and his cronies find me here’s a couple things to wrap your ears around… We’ll continue the trend of the last post and keep riding around on our hiphoppopotamus, stomping ’round the riverside in search of some banging beats. First find is the lead single from the upcoming collaboration between MF Doom and Czarface, the side project of Wu-tang’s Inspectah Deck (along with Boston duo Esoteric and 7L). I’ve always thought Deck was the most underappreciated and lyrically lethal member of the Wu (check his verse in “Protect Ya Neck” for but one outstanding sample), but like almost everything about those guys, what you often get is a frustratingly inconsistent tangle of tunes to sort through. So the Czarface project, which is three albums in at this point, is an at times exciting endeavor, with verses from fellow Clansmen Ghostface, GZA, and Meth, along with efforts from Action Bronson, Large Professor, and even DJ Premier, but also occasionally muddled and mediocre. (The comic book backdrop for rap is somewhat tired at this point, similar to the martial arts influences of Deck’s original group.)
Doom is the same way — at times brilliant lyrically, throwing out choice lines over killer beats — but too often he gets tripped up in schtick: trying to be funny, or adhering to closely to the cartoony gimmick of his comic book alter ego (or both). Which is why this pairing makes perfect sense, makes you a little nervous, and makes you salivate. They’ve worked together before — “Ka-Bang!” on Czarface’s second album, 2015’s Every Hero Needs a Villain was a highlight on what I still think is that outfit’s strongest outing — and the single is pretty solid. There’s just that note of hesitation in your head because you suspect the album (due out in March) will be another up and down affair and not the home run you hope for. Time will tell, but in the meantime enjoy the single (and check out the second album):
Next are a couple more singles to entertain the ears from a pair of hip hop influenced producers, one from BOOTS and one from the tireless Diplo. First is BOOTS’ latest, which again pairs him with favorites Run the Jewels (a duo who is nothing if not consistent — pure fire purveyors for three straight albums now!) and the marriage still works. Mike and El’s verses are hands down the best part of the song, which get a little limp when BOOTS and Cristin Milioti are cooing at the end, but as usual it’s worth the price of admission to hear those two go to work. So come on in and check it out yourself:
As for Diplo’s latest, it has him showcasing some new feathers, which is a nice change of pace. Instead of his usual high octane numbers with battle bots squaring off against reggae Rastas in a sweaty dancehall, he goes downtempo (and downright cinematic) in this one. Featuring Virginia rapper DRAM, this one’s a languid little thing bound for car commercials or movie trailers. Good to see Dip showing his range and continuing his sonic explorations. Check it out here:
We’ll close with a couple articles on indie acts/albums near and dear to my heart — first a solid writeup on the 20th anniversary of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, which as the article details is a much-beloved — and much-maligned — gem from the late 90s. I fall into the former camp (I still remember how gobsmacked I was by the ‘nothing else on planet Earth sounds like this’ carnival of a lead single, “Holland, 1945”), but along with the author I get what can drive people into the latter (Mangum has a voice similar to Corin Tucker from beloved Sleater-Kinney, you either love it or hate it immediately). It still holds up for me all these years later, though, particularly the nakedness of it, that uncomfortable, unabashed openness. “Oh Comely” is the one I come back to most, its beautiful melody and unbridled angst feeling like bleeding out in a bathtub, with Mangum’s knocking on the guitar acting as an ebbing heartbeat before the brass band marches in and drives you back to life. It, like most of the album, is a strange, spellbinding affair — but one that’s not easy to ignore. Pop this one on while you read the writeup:
Last we’ll close with another solid list from Stereogum that follows on the heels of the announcement that hometown legends Smashing Pumpkins would be going on tour again soon, but this time with some noteworthy restrictions. One, it would be the first time this much of the original lineup would be performing — Corgan and Chamberlain would remain from recent lineups, but this time it’ll be a real Jim Jam as guitarist James Iha will accompany the pair on the road (though still no D’arcy). Two, they will only play tunes from the early albums — Gish through MACHINA — which means these setlists are going to be chock full of classics. Three, as any good Chicagoan would they’ve decided to give DC the middle finger and steer clear of this shitbox, so I might be fueling up for a road trip soon. The news has me pretty excited, and I’ve been on a bit of a bender since then, going back through my favorite tunes that didn’t make the list (Stumbleine? Silverfuck?), but they do a decent job hitting the high notes. Their number one of “Cherub” is a no-brainer, but for me nothing will top the break at the end of “Rocket” for my vote for the band at its most exhilarating. Click play and crank it as loud as you possibly can — and get ready for the release. Until next time, amici…