Singles Round-up, May week two

Danny Brown| “Kool Aid”
This is way more fun than anything on Atrocity Exhibition, which is nice. Still, no one mixes druggy paranoia (“See, I’m tired of all of these pocket-watchers/ Niggas watching my pockets/ Wanna know where I spend it at, tryna figure out how I got it”) with absurdist sex talk (“Your hoe ate my dick off, call that hoe a cannibal”). With this, and the DJ Shadow / Nas collaboration, the Silicon Valley soundtrack is looking to be fantastic.

The National | “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness”
First single from Sleep Well Beast is as tense as anything they’ve done, and the spasm of a guitar line throughout gives the song an added sense of uncertainty. Matt Beringer’s always had a way of abstract-yet-relatable descriptions and he proves it again here: “We’re in a different kind of thing now/ All night you’re talking to God”.  September 8 is too far away.

Origin | “Accident and Error”
Impressive (and catchy) as usual. Origin continue to make tech-death fun, especially the call-and-response between bass and guitar mid way through; Paul Ryan is still death metal’s preeminent thinker and player. The only downside here is the muddy mix.

Miley Cyrus | “Malibu”
It’s summery, sure, but it’s not really anything more. It’s just kinda…there, and it’s lyrics aren’t much better: “And it’ll be us, just for a while/ Do we even exist?/ That’s when I make the wish, to swim away with the fish/ ‘Cause it’s supposed to be this hot all summer long”. It’s kinda like California – it’s aesthetically appealing but fake and plastic once it’s examined to any degree.

Singles Round-up, May week one

Mutoid Man | “Kiss of Death”
It’s a slower and sludgier track than the punk-y “Melt Your Mind,” but it’s no less fun or catchy. The menacing sway matches the song’s lyrics, which seem to depict the cover of War Moans. It’s weird and it’s attention-grabbing and it’s memorable; in other words, it’s Mutoid Man.

Rancid | “Ghost of a Chance”
There’s nothing new or special here, but it is Rancid’s brand of whiskey-fuled punk with Tim Armstrong’s half-drunk snarl thankfully intact so he can offer humble platitudes like, “Well, maybe someday we’ll get a new start/ You never grow too old to dream”. The song’s earnestly uplifting melody sneaks up on you, too. Add a tidy solo and background ah’s all in 96 seconds and you got another Rancid classic.

LCD Soundsystem | “call the police” / “american dream”
Awfully nice of James Murphy to offer a double-A single. “call” is a tense rockers powered by watery, ’80s guitar and features some rather topical lyrics like, “Well, there’s a full-blown rebellion but you’re easy to confuse/ By triggered kids and fakers and some questionable views”. Meanwhile, “american” is one of the most beautiful songs James Muyphy has ever been a part of – a gentle, warm bath of a ballad with bright sparkling synths surrounding his brilliantly blunt observations (“In the morning everything’s clearer/ When the sunlight exposes your age”). LCD’s upcoming record would be great if either of these were on it.

Dead Cross | “Grave Slave”
Pulsing, thrusting insanity from a new supergroup featuring Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo. This is violently stabbing hardcore filtered through the mind of Patton, who continues to be extreme music’s most versatile vocalist, as he attempts just about every vocal style that metal has ever had. Their debut LP could be something worth waiting for.

Singles Round-up, April 28

Arcadea | “Infinite End”
Synthesizer-powered psychedelic outfit fronted by Brann Dailor and featuring Core Atoms and Raheem Amlani. Apparently, the record will only have synths, live drums, and vocals. Atoms’ vocals sound like they might be torn apart by the gravity from the black hole of synths. Between this and the other single “Gas Giant,” it sounds like Arcadea have decided to weaponize the synthesizer.  Light one up and blast this.

Fall Out Boy | “Young and Menace”
This is a joke, right? This is just terrible pop EDM nonsense. It’s like what would happen if FOB tried to rip off The Chainsmokers, who themselves are ripping off the Top 40. It’s a Möbius strip mindfuck. What was the goal here?

Prince | “Electric Intercourse”
Lovely piano and synth ballad from the Purple Rain sessions with typical ’80s Prince-isms like “Our bodies want to be together” and “I want to shock you with my lips”. “Electric” further demonstrates that few artists do more with space than him. I wanna go listen to Purple Rain right now – that’s how great this is. Prince, you are deeply missed.

Katy Perry feat. Migos | “Bon Appétit”
It’s about oral sex, we get it. Over disco-esque strobe light production, Perry sings lines like, “So you want some more/ Well I’m open 24/ Wanna keep you satisfied/ Customer’s always right,” making you wonder if she’s capable of feeling embarassment. Meanwhile, Migos phones in a bunch’a nonsense, and is here simply because they’re the “it” thing right now. Max Martin, you can do so much better.

 

Singles Round-up, April 21

Paramore | “Hard Times”
The current worship of ’80s pop culture continues with Paramore’s tropical-flavored comeback single from the band’s new record, After Laughter. It’s an understated ear-worm (with fitting lyrics like “Where do I go?/ Gimme some sort of sign/ Hit me with lightning!/ Maybe I’ll come alive”), and doesn’t reach for the cheap seats like “Ain’t It Fun” or “Misery Business”. Still, “Hard Times” shows that even when Hayley Williams follows a trend, she makes it her own.

Papa Roach | “American Dreams”
Yup, they’re still a thing and they’ve decided to bring back the quasi-rapping of Jacoby Shaddix, which is as awkward as ever. The same goes for his sort of indictment of the reality of the American Dream by today’s standards. The chorus, though, plays to their strengths by being almost cynically anthemic. Judged by Papa Roach standards (which is how it should be), this ain’t terrible.

Big Boi feat. Killer Mike and Jeezy | “Kill Jill”
Big Boi returns with a Japanese-flavored, Hatsune Miku-sampling beat and one of the best rappers alive having a fucking blast on the mic. Hearing these two chew through scenery with absurd braggadocio is a joy the world needs more of right now.

Big Boi feat. Adam Levine | “Mic Jack”
A Big Boi song made to make you dance featuring Adam Levine, huh? OK, sure. “Mic Jack” features more of Big Boi’s (practically trademark) lecherousness, something that (sadly) seems inexhaustible at this point. Meanwhile, Levine phones in a sorta-catchy chorus with embarassing lyrics. It’s a lotta fluff, honestly, and it’s kinda fun. Eh, whatever.

DJ Shadow feat. Nas | “Systematic”
Shadow’s collaboration with Run the Jewels last year was fantastic, and he’s done it again here with Nas. He has an inate gift for coaxing out great performances from rappers. The nervous, twitchy beat bounces around with immediacy, while Nas raps like he still has something to prove. We could have one new song between Shadow and a rapper once per year and I’d have no problem with that.

Singles Round-up, April 14

DragonForce | “Curse of Darkness”
It’s not as whiplash-inducing as other DF songs, but it’s also not any kind of a surprise, either. At five and a half minutes, it’s a (relatively) manageable song, too. Naturally,  the solo is flashy and little else, and the chorus is POWER METAL (!). What I’m saying is, you don’t need to hear this to know what it sounds like.

Suffocation | “Your Last Breaths”
First single from death metal vets’ eighth record, …Of The Dark Light, offers nothing special or any shocking reinvention here, just fantastically punishing NYDM. In this case, an ominously plodding opening leads right into a headlong sprint of brutality with guitar heroics. Newer death metal bands, take note: this is how it’s done.

DREAMCAR | “All of the Dead Girls”
Fun ditty from ’80s worshippers, complete with a bouncy bass line, playful guitar stabs, and Davey Havok’s come-hither vocals. Based on the three songs released so far, their debut LP should be an enjoyable, though likely superficial, romp through ’80s pop just in time for summer.

Linkin Park feat. Pusha T and Stormzy | “Good Goodbye”
Talk about playing it safe: this fits right in beside The Chainsmokers in terms of vapidity. On the plus side, Mike Shinoda surprisingly holds his own against two rappers who are out of his league even if neither is trying all that hard, so there’s that. Meanwhile, the blasé chorus makes the song fade into an already-crowded field of down-tempo EDM pop. Shinoda stated that “Good” is not representative of the record…yet, it’s a single. Take that how you will. Linkin Park can do better, and they should.

TLC feat. Snoop Dogg | “Way Back”
Their breezy comeback single is an attempt at throwback R&B in every possible sense (even lyrically: “James Brown and Michael J/ Like them high school parties”), though it’s less throwback than nostalgia worship. If I wanted to be reminded of how great CrazySexyCool is, I’d go listen to it, so I’m not sure why this exists. Serious question: Was anyone really clammoring for another TLC record?