The California-based falsetto crooner is back with a 5-song collection of synth pop similar to his previous outings. As is the case with all of Voytas’ music, you either love or hate it, and that’s all dependent on your impression of his voice, which is usually peaked to the highest pitch attainable. Highlights here include the EP’s title track and “You Don’t Even Know Where It’s At.” Apparently Voytas is as laid-back and casual as his music suggests; this is the first we’ve heard from him in a long while, and he has yet to release a full-length. Perhaps 2012 is the year.
Kendrick Lamar is the breakout star of the Black Hippy collective, a foursome of rappers changing the LA rap game. Probably the one delivering the darkest themes, however, is Schoolboy Q; his debut Habits and Contradictions is a far cry from the contemplative, more upbeat Section.80. Almost everything in the album is aggressive, pessimistic, and raw. While his colleague prefers to analyze our generation and current situation amongst the aura of weed rap wooziness, Q’s vibes are less pensive and more cynical. The drug haze remains in the production, but Lamar is for those who let their mind wander. Q might be smoking, but he never strays too far from the harsh realities around him.
Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
Kendrick Lamar – F*** Your Ethnicity
Nirvana – School (Live at the Paramount)
Kendrick Lamar – Ronald Reagan Era
Nirvana – Love Buzz (Live at the Paramount)
Kendrick Lamar – Members Only
Wednesday night, Big Freedia brought the booty-shaking sissy bounce movement to a mainstream audience via Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing two high-energy New Orleans favorites for all to hear…and see. And believe me, if you’ve never seen a Big Freedia show, you are in store for a pretty exceptional visual stimulation this morning. Just try not to shake your rump, I dare you.
Not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but Deftones’ Chino Moreno has got a pretty excellent new side project. Last year, Crosses released a dark, electro-heavy debut EP, and now they’ve returned for another one. You’ll find no reverb-heavy guitar work here, no trademark shrieking. Instead Moreno croons through optimistic melodies and synth lines. The upbeat vibe, as is best evidenced on “Purient,” is reminiscent of the feeling from Deftones’ previous, brilliant outing Diamond Eyes. The project thus far is a great distraction for those of us waiting for new material from the primary band, and perhaps a teaser into their gradual progression.
Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.
30. One Wolf – S/T
Yesterday Daniel Markham released a solo EP of new material, straying far, far away from the alt-folk background of his primary songwriting venture One Wolf. Those of us who have seen the band perform live saw the transformation coming a long time ago. The sound of a One Wolf album and a One Wolf show are two different animals. One is quiet, reticent, calculated. The other is high-energy, eventful, fucking LOUD. As Markham currently makes steps to combine the two with his newer songs, we should step back and dust off his finest creation – One Wolf’s debut album.
Deviating from the straightforward alt-country of previous project Waiting to Derail, Markham, along with drummer Zach Davis and bassist Brad Ivy (Sammi Rana joined the band later), amp up the diverse instrumentation, abstract lyricism, and, most importantly, the power of a simple hook. “Don’t Take It Personal” is a Cobain-esque passive-aggressive ode to shitheads in a redneck bar, many of which One Wolf has reluctantly played in. “H(A)unted” is the album highlight, a lamentation on self-identity. “Roads” is a timeless commentary on lost love and moving forward, strung together with a naturally beautiful melody. Here, underneath all the confusion, we find optimism in Markham’s lyrics, as in the two-stepping affair “Close Your Eyes” and the surreal “Sleeper.”
Keeping to traditional melody, yet remaining progressive in texture, Markham and the rest of One Wolf created the blueprint for how they would approach this album’s sequel, and how Markham currently tackles his newest efforts. Overall, it makes for a remarkable listen, one that cannot be duplicated, and an album only a fool would pass up. Years later, One Wolf’s debut is still Markham’s finest work, and one of the best Hub City creations of the past decade.
Daniel Markham’s solo ventures have been significantly darker and Deadsy-er than his alt-country leanings in One Wolf material. We first heard this turning point in the band’s second album, and then last March in Markham’s Demonstrations album. And now, in the six-song Hexagons, Markham, now residing in Denton, has turned the knob up on the sustaining, thunderous guitar sound. Still, those trademark Markham traits remain – lyrics signifying love and loss, alienation, and pensive lamentation. And let us not forget about the strong affinity for crafting an infectious melody. All in all, it’s refreshing to hear that familiar voice delivering new creations. Hopefully we won’t have to wait as long for the next batch.
