More Reviews- Hip-Hop

There will be plenty more coming, including some for metal and alternative. and electronic albums,

 

Atmosphere- The Family Sign (3/4)

The Family Sign is a polarizing album, and one of the hardest albums I’ve had to grade this year. On one hand, The Family Sign contains some of Atmosphere’s best work, especially at the beginning and end of the record. It starts out with “My Key,” a remarkably beautiful tribute to the late Eyedea, and then proceeds to two equally powerful tracks in “The Last to Say” and “Became.” The lead single “Just for Show” follows, and while it may not have the power of the first three tracks, it’s an exceptionally well written song with a great lively beat. At this point, Slug’s lyrics and Ant’s beats (now featuring a full band to match their live show) are the best Atmosphere has ever been. That makes it all the more disappointing when the filler starts to set in. Slug’s incredible storytelling and passionate delivery descends into lazy and overly simply rhymes for a few tracks, and the beats start to become predictable and forced. While the album does have a few solid songs in the middle, it doesn’t really find its stride again until the third from last song. That’s when the jaw-droopingly beautiful side of Atmosphere shows up again, especially on the indescribably powerful “Something So” and closer “My Notes.” It would be easy to call The Family Sign a disappointment, just as it would be easy to call it one of the best albums of the year. The truth is, there’s a little of both here, but the former prevents this dark and deeply personal album from reaching the level of When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold or God Loves Ugly.

 

Blueprint- Adventures in Counter-Culture (2/4)

Adventures in Counter-Culture is a puzzling album to say the least. Blueprint is a talented emcee, but he does a surprisingly poor job of showing it here, instead going for a type of experimental hip-hop that doesn’t suit him well at all. The beats are mostly electronic-influenced, and while a few might work better with an emcee who has more experience rapping over electro beats, most are either boring or obnoxious. A few of the songs contain no rapping whatsoever, but just singing (some heavily auto-tuned, some not), and those are unfortunately all awful. Blueprint works best from the element we heard in his work with RJD2, rapping over trip-hop and traditional hip-hop beats with a steady flow and insightful lyrics. When he resorts to singing and rapping one or two word lines over electro beats, Blueprint is completely out of his element, and it comes across as forced. Adventures in Counter-Culture contains moments of vintage Blueprint, but only those moments save it from a being a complete disaster. Far too much of the album just doesn’t work.

 

Raekwon- Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (2.5/4)

If the point of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang was to prove that Raekwon can rap without the RZA, it achieves the exact opposite of what it intended. The beats aren’t done by the RZA, but instead by a variety of producers trying way too hard to sound like RZA. It would be one thing if Rae would flow over a different type of beat, but poor RZA knockoffs just don’t cut it. Aside from the production, Raekwon is on his game, but much like the far better Only Built for Cuban Linx II it’s the guests that stand out. This time around the guest spots are a mixed bag, mostly being either incredible (Black Thought on “Masters of Our Fate”) or downright terrible (Rick Ross on “Molasses”). Much like Talib Kweli’s Gutter Rainbows from earlier in the year, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang’s mediocrity may only farther prove that Rae is a great emcee, as even with the disappointing beats, obnoxious hooks, and a few awful guest spots, there are enough solid verses from Raekwon himself to make this album listenable.

 

Sims- Bad Time Zoo (2.5/4)

Every hip-hop group needs a straight man. Wu-Tang Clan had Inspectah Deck to hold things together and allow more famous emcees like Ol Dirty and Ghostface to experiment. N.W.A. had the always consistent Ice Cube starting most songs off, and even Cypress Hill wouldn’t have been as good if the admittedly much better B-Real took all of the verses. Sometimes you just need a consistent rapper to take a verse and build to the more unique ones. In Doomtree, Sims is the Inspectah Deck, Ice Cube, and Sen Dogg. Dessa has her unique rapped-sung verses, P.O.S. has an aggressive punk edge, and Cecil Otter has one of the most distinct voices in underground hip-hop. Often times, Sims delivers that solid opening verse to get things going, and lead into the more memorable emcees. Much like Deck and Sen Dogg, however, Sims is somewhat disposable as a solo artist. When he gets two to three verses per song, as he does on Bad Time Zoo, things can get a little mundane. Even on his own album, Sims is far outshined by P.O.S. (who has the only guest verse on the entire record) to the point where after three listens I can remember more about P.O.S.’s one than the 30 or so Sims verses. All things considered, Bad Time Zoo is not a bad album. Sims is a solid lyricist, his flow is fine, and the production from Lazorbeak and other Doomtree regulars is quite good. It’s just that there are more memorable hip-hop albums out there, and it’s hard to recommend something so ordinary to anyone other than the underground faithful.

 

Wiz Khalifa- Rolling Papers (1/4)

Maybe I’m not the best person to review this album. I don’t smoke weed, and the Penguins are the only Pittsburgh team I’ve ever rooted for. However, I feel that my problems with Wiz Khalifa’s Rolling Papers have less to due with its subject matter and more to do with a lack of quality parts that make up just about any good hip-hop album. Namely, the beats, the flow, and the lyrics (again, regardless of subject matter) are all terrible. The beats are identical to that of most mainstream hip-hop, generic and obnoxious in equal measure. Furthermore, they do nothing to help the content of the songs. When Snoop and Dre rapped about weed, they would have a beat that you could vibe out to while under the influence. You could tell just by the beat itself when Cypress Hill was about to rhyme about marijuana. The beats that Wiz rhymes over are completely interchangeable with other pop rap artists. This puts more emphasis on Wiz himself, which makes it harder to stomach just how bad of an emcee he is. His flow is safe and predictable, often using only a few words in a line. He says practically nothing, with no clever lines or interesting wordplay to speak of. Hip-hop albums about weed are nothing new, and there are far better rap albums that fill that niche. “Rolling Papers” is a repetitive and completely pointless album, but more than anything it’s an incredibly boring one.

Lupe Fiasco- Lasers Review

Lupe Fiasco- Lasers (1.5/4)

Although Lasers is cited as a Lupe Fiasco album, the studio big shots at Atlantic Records had just as much a hand in this album as the young rapper. Beneath the radio-friendly auto-tuned exterior of Lasers, there is probably a good album somewhere. After all, many of the leaked songs from as far back as 2009 were amazing. As in, some of the best work of Lupe’s career. “Shining Down,” “I’m Beamin’,” and “Go to Sleep,” are all masterful. Unfortunately, none of those three tracks made it onto the album. According to an interview with Lupe himself, those songs were cut at the label’s request, and replaced with songs that Lupe had no part in writing.

However, song selection isn’t the only hand Atlantic had in Lasers. Missing from Lasers is any uniqueness or signs of the real Lupe Fiasco, the man who wowed hip-hop fans with Food & Liquor and The Cool. Lupe’s usual producers and guests have been replaced with more mainstream counterparts, including auto-tuned singers, club producers, and guests that clearly had their parts laying around somewhere prior to the recording of Lasers. Needless to say, the production is annoying, and it rarely fits with Lupe’s rhyming. “Beautiful Lasers,” for example, is one of the most heartfelt and personal songs Fiasco has written, as its lyrics deal with depression stemming from the saga of releasing Lasers. The song would probably be masterful if placed with either a dark and ominous beat or a trademark Lupe sound. It has neither, and instead is produced like a club song, complete with an annoying beat and a heavily auto-tuned chorus. This type of neglect is found throughout the album, although some of the blame needs to be handed to Lupe himself.

More than half of the tracks have lazily thrown together lyrics that may impress mainstream rap listeners who aren’t used to intelligent wordplay, but anyone who is familiar with Lu’s work should be able to see past that. Just about everything here has been said before and said better by Lupe himself. “Words I Never Said” is a dated, watered-down version of “American Terrorist” from The Cool, and many of the tracks don’t even live up to that. “The Show Goes On” sounds like a generic radio single that Lupe tried to make his own, but without taking away the radio-friendly element. It doesn’t work, mostly because when you start with crap it’s hard to make something listenable out of it. Once the unbearably awful “I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now” rears its ugly head, it becomes apparent that Lasers is not just awful in comparison to other Lupe albums. It’s a truly awful album period, and the lack of Lupe himself is a major reason for this.  “Never Forget You” sounds like a John Legend song, and “Out of My Head” sounds like a Trey Songz track.

Only one song on Lasers sounds like an actual Lupe Fiasco creation, and it’s no coincidence that that song is far and away the best on the album. “All Black Everything,” a powerful track about racism through history is simply outstanding. Lu’s wordplay is at its best, his flow is excellent, and the beat actually fits.

Fans have been pushing for the release of Lasers for years now, protesting and petitioning for the album to see the light of day. Throughout all of this, something happened and the album that fans desperately wanted has been replaced with something that resembles more of the album Atlantic wanted. Honestly, the whole saga has been sickening, and reading interviews about the ordeal has been painful, both as a critic and a fan of Lupe Fiasco. Even ignoring the process, the album that has been released is awful. There’s no getting around it. Lasers is a terrible album that has no business being in Lupe’s discography, and I would discourage even the most hardcore of Lupe fans from buying it.

Assorted Reviews

Belphegor- Blood Magick Necromance (3/4)

It’s always strange when a band that relies almost entirely on being heavy changes things up. After a string of disappointing albums, Belphegor have dropped the death metal and added a new melodic element to their sound. It takes a bit of getting used to, but Helmuth shows some surprising talent as a songwriter. He still uses the same style of over-the-top anti-religious lyricism of past Belphegor, but Belphegor’s equally over-the-top musical brutality doesn’t suffer from the melodic influences. Blood Magick Necromance is a very solid melodic black metal album, and it’s one that even hardcore fans of traditional black metal might be able to get behind.

 

Cake- Showroom of Compassion (3/4)

Compared to their contemporaries, Cake have always been the “mature” part-comedy part-alternative rock band. While Ween were crude, The Presidents were random, and Weezer were full on pop parody, Cake were the more simple and sophisticated of the lot. Their music is simple but wildly unique and creative, and their lyrics range from parody to literary references. Showroom of Compassion is the first Cake album in seven years, and it shows the band growing as musicians. Some alternative fans may be put off by its almost avant-garde oddity at times, especially on tracks “Teenage Pregnancy,” but listeners who embrace Showroom of Compassion’s mix of the weird and the accessible will find Cake’s best album since Prolong the Magic and maybe the most consistent album of their career.

 

Cold War Kids- Mine is Yours (1.5/4)

There gets to a point where an album like Mine is Yours becomes absolutely useless. Its brand of indie pop/rock has been popular for years now, and just about anyone with interest in indie rock has heard an album almost identical to the latest from Cold War Kids. Everything about this album is completely by-the-numbers. You have your “ooh” and “aah” melodies, slow building ballads, and everything else that has become a staple of modern indie rock. It’s boring, predictable, completely unoriginal, and impossible to recommend.

 

The Decemberists- The King is Dead (2.5/4)

The King is Dead is a Decemberists album for the fans that aren’t interested in the band’s weird and often demented stories. This is a safe, forgettable album, but it’s one that has a clear audience in mind. The music is almost entirely acoustic, and the songs are all self contained. Again, if you like The Decemberists softer material, and don’t mind the lack of a concept this is an album you will probably enjoy.

 

Iron & Wine- Kiss Each Other Clean (2/4)

Kiss Each Other Clean is the Iron & Wine album I never wanted to hear. After gaining popularity among indie fans with 2007’s brilliant The Shepherd’s Dog, and even getting some mainstream recognition with his inclusion in the Twilight soundtrack, it’s not surprising but still disappointing that Sam Beam has decided to go in a more accessible direction. Iron & Wine’s sound has transitioned from minimalist folk rock to a more band-oriented indie pop. That’s not to say that folk is better than indie pop, and it’s great that Beam’s music is being appreciated by a larger audience, but the problem is that Kiss Each Other Clean ignores nearly all of Sam Beam’s strengths.

Usually an extraordinary lyricist and storyteller, Beam struggles to tell a coherent story on this album, largely because he focuses on trying to create catchy melodies and longer songs. While some of the tracks are catchy, none are particularly memorable. “Tree by the River” is an example of that, as it’s an all too generic indie pop song that is completely lacking in substance. Furthermore, the full band was implemented far better on The Shepherd’s Dog. There is simply too much going on here, and the misplaced brass instruments are annoying and detract from the music. “Rabbit Will Run” is the only worthwhile song here, and that is mostly because it sounds like something that would fit on The Shepherd’s Dog. It pains me to say this, but Kiss Each Other Clean is a bad album that contains none of what makes Iron & Wine great.

 

Lil B- Angels Exodus (3/4)

How does one critique an album like Angels Exodus? I assume it would be similar to how a movie critic would asses “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” an infamous b-movie that is undeniably horrible, and yet it’s unintentionally one of the best comedies ever made. Does the unintended comedy make it a good movie? Lil B’s music is very similar to Plan 9, although I’m almost certain that the self-proclaimed “based god” is in on the joke. Apparently, Lil B has over 150 Myspace pages, all containing awful hip-hop that has Lil B either repeating a celebrity name over and over again (with someone yelling “swag” in the background) or the rapper “based freestyling,” which he describes as freestyling without regard for whether the words rhyme or even make sense. Furthermore, Lil B describes his music as “based,” a genre that he is a “god” of, and one that’s music is “very positive and very rare.” All of this is ridiculous, and again, I’m convinced that this is a fairly genius parody of hip-hop artists that take themselves too seriously. Even if I’m wrong, and Lil B really is just a garbage rapper who happens to be messed up in the head, it doesn’t change the hilarity of his music.

Angels Exodus is a little different than the music Lil B has previously released, as this album is more listenable and at times even more hilarious. The beats are pseudo-ambient tracks that parody more conscious hip-hop beats. The beats are actually quite clever, as well as surprisingly listenable. Lil B’s rapping often does rhyme, and his storytelling is hysterical. He starts to tell stories (“I remember this one time motherfuckers forgot about me”) and then dives back into his nonsensical verses about his positive outlook on life and the troubles that come with being a based god. Regardless of whether its humor is intentional, Angels Exodus is a very entertaining album. I don’t know if that makes it a “good” album, but I’m recommending it nonetheless.

 

Talib Kweli- Gutter Rainbows (2/4)

Released exclusively as a digital album, Gutter Rainbows sounds like an album of outtakes. There are moments where it lives up to Talib Kweli’s talent, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is just a warm up for a new and better album (Kweli has another scheduled to be released later in the year). The production is a huge indicator for this, as the relatively bland beats on Gutter Rainbows are far removed from the Hi-Tek and Kanye beats Talib Kweli has rapped over in the past. Maybe Gutter Rainbows is proof of how great Talib Kweli really is, as even the emcee at his worst is listenable and sporadically entertaining despite seeming like a watered down version of a true Talib Kweli album.

 

Times of Grace- The Hymn of a Broken Man (2/4)

Heavy on breakdowns and light on originality, the new project from former Killswitch Engage vocalist Jessie Leech and current Killswitch guitarist/producer Adam Dutkiewicz doesn’t drift far from Killswitch territory. The Hymn of a Broken Man is a metalcore album through and through, and only Leech’s strong vocal performance separates it from other melodic albums in the genre. There also a few ballads to mix things up, but even those become predictable. Fans of metalcore will find a listenable, albeit formulaic album here, but there are simply too many similar and better albums to recommend Times of Grace.

Paid Dues in 8 Days

The title says it all. I’m going down to Hawaii for a family vacation on Saturday, and then flying to LA on April 1st for the Paid Dues festival. The set times were released last week, and for those of you curious about who we’ll be seeing (and subsequently featuring in the write-up), I can give you a little preview of some of those artists. Of course, the set times are subject to change, and there are still a few conflicts that remain unsolved. For that reason, I don’t want to make this a full run down of our planned day, but it’s hard to say how it will turn out.

For those of you who haven’t followed Paid Dues, let me give you a bit of background. Paid Dues is an independent hip-hop festival run by Murs. It goes all day, and has expanded to three stages this year, playing host to numerous types of underground hip-hop artists. The 2011 festival is being headlined by the duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, known collectively as Black Star. They released one of my favorite hip-hop albums back in 1998, and it’s pretty rare to see them perform live together. Without question they are my most anticipated act, so barring a cancelation or other extremity, Black Star should be the group that ends our night.

Right before Black Star, we plan to see Immortal Technique, who was the first hip-hop artist I ever saw live in 2008. Tech always puts on a great show, so while I’d love to see Murs, who plays on the Dues Paid stage at the same time, it’s an easy decision to catch Technique again.

Another late main stage act that we plan to see is Sage Francis. Sage’s set conflicts with Slaughterhouse, a hardcore hip-hop collective that should be on a hell of a show, but my love of Sage’s early work helps him win out here. Plus Sadistik told me to go with Sage here, and when one of your favorite artists gives you advice, you take it.

While the headliners are great, there are a couple of early main stage sets that have me just as excited. At the top of that list would be Heavy Metal Kings, a collaboration between Jedi Mind Tricks emcee Vinnie Paz and La Coka Nostra’s Ill Bill. I think it goes without saying that I’m a huge metalhead, and as such I have a fascination with hardcore hip-hop. I know that my seem like an odd comparison to some, but there are strong similarities between the two. Jedi Mind Tricks are one of my favorite artists in any genre of music, and they scratch the same itch for me that extreme metal does. I always have a desire to find heavier and brutal death and black metal, just as I’m always looking for the hardest of hardcore hip-hop. Once I hear something shocking in hardcore hip-hop, the next step is to find something that can top that. Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill together would be like listening to an Emperor and Darkthrone split in the 90’s. Obviously, I can’t wait to see what they can do live.

Binary Star, another classic underground duo who recently reunited, is also a major highlight for me. Their Masters of the Universe album from 2000 has been on heavy rotation for years, and they’re a group that I’ve been waiting to see since I first got into hip-hop. P.O.S. is the other main stage act that has me excited, andwhile I’ve seen him twice already (including an 2+ hour set with his Doomtree collective), he always put on a hell of a show. I’m going with a friend who has never seen him before, so if you’re reading this Tad, prepare to be amazed.

P.O.S. - MTV Shows

There are plenty of other artists we plan to see- Rhymesayers emcee Grieves, Detroit’s best female emcee Invincible, Musab (founder of Rhymesayers), a round or two of the Grind Time Now All-Star battles, possibly Andre Nickatina, and some other early acts on the side stages. Of course, there are a few big conflicts as well, which means that some of my most anticipated artists likely won’t be on the write-up. DJ Exile vs. Blu & Fashawn will likely be a casualty due to conflicting with Heavy Metal Kings, and I’ve already mentioned the likelihood of us missing Slaughterhouse and Murs.

However, one of the most interesting conflicts is between an intriguing DJ/MC combination and hip-hop’s weirdest comedian. Many Paid Dues attendees have taken to the internet to express their hatred of Lil B the Based God, an up-and-coming artist who has turned heads in the underground. However, the turned heads aren’t due to his skills, but more because of his borderline insane videos and songs. Honestly, it’s impossible to describe all of the strange things Lil B does. From creating over 150 Myspace pages to post his free songs, to making dozens of tracks of him repeating a celebrities name while “swag” is said in the background, to videos of Lil B in the nude teaching you how to “cook.” Recently he released a hilarious album of “conscious” hip-hop, clearly parodying hip-hop that takes itself too seriously. I mention in my review of the album (which should be posted soon, by the way) that Lil B will start stories and then end without finishing them or making a point, and he’ll often repeat “positive” sayings over a pseudo-ambient beat. Then in his music videos (which are all just Lil B lip synching to the studio track in front of a shaky handheld camera, despite every video being tagged as “directed by Lil B”), he lets the listener know that it’s okay to cry to his music. Add in his ""based” philosophy, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever (it has something to do with being “rare” and “positive” apparently), and you have hip-hop’s biggest troll, who is going over the heads of some “real” hip-hop fans, who are incapable of recognizing that Lil B is a joke. Regardless of whether Lil B is an intentional comedian or a strange man on hard drugs (I’d vote for the former, but both are possible), his music and persona is extremely entertaining and intriguing.

The question then becomes whether we should see Lil B over an artist will actual musical talent. While I’ve never been a huge fan of Psycho Realm, I enjoy some of their music, and a set with DJ Muggs and Sick Jakcen performing alongside Bambu and Planet Asia sounds like it could be a great show. It’s a tough decision,and one that has me thinking. Honestly, I don’t which one I’m leaning towards, but I do know that I want to share the aforementioned video of Based God “cooking” in the nude.

So I guess I will leave you with that question. Lil B or DJ Muggs? Let me know what you think, and I hope that this preview has been entertaining in some way. Regardless, it helped me vent my excitement for this festival, so I suppose it’s already served a purpose.

As always, thanks for reading.

Top 10 Albums of 2010

10. Phantogram- Eyelid Movies

One of my personal favorite albums of 2010, Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies is a trippy, dreamy, and atmospheric album that takes Mezzanine-influenced trip-hop and combines it with elements of 80’s alternative rock. Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter make for an excellent duo, both in terms of production and vocals. They both have their own styles that blend perfectly together, creating a multi-layered mesh of trip-hop that’s catchy and atmospheric in equal measure. Eyelid Movies is highly original and incredibly entertaining, and it’s an absolutely fantastic debut.

 

9. Agalloch- Marrow of the Spirit

After exploring their more mellow side on The White EP, Agalloch have returned with their fourth full length album, and their best since 2002’s masterful The Mantle.Marrow of the Spirit is almost the opposite of the aforementionedWhite EP, as Agalloch have turned their sound into a full fledged black metal assault, using the softer post-rock moments as a way to build to the heavier ones. Those dark and brutal moments are easily the highlights of Marrow of the Spirit, as five of the non-intro songs build to those at their climax. Maybe it’s a little predictable, but Agalloch have enough variety to prevent that from becoming an issue. Marrow of the Spirit isn’t quite a masterpiece, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better atmospheric black metal album released since the last Agalloch record.

 

8. Alcest- Écailles de lune

Neige (born Stéphane Paut) has to be one of the best musicians in music today. His debut album for Alcest, Souvenirs d'un autre monde, was an absolute masterpiece. Not only was it one of the best albums of the decade, but it marked one of the few times I’ve been completely speechless after listening to an album.Écailles de lune is the second Alcest album, and it continues the gorgeous black metal-influenced shoegaze of the first. This time around there’s a little more emphasis on the atmospheric black metal side of the music, as it can get quite a bit heavier than Souvenirs d'un autre monde. There are moments of pure beauty and moments of pure chaos, but it’s when the two blend together that Écailles de lune is at its best. At times it can take a little long to get those moments, especially on the album’s latter half, but Écailles de lune is still a masterful follow up to one the best albums of the past decade.

 

7. Enslaved- Axioma Ethica Odini

Enslaved have mellowed out a bit on Axioma Ethica Odini, but the new side of the black/viking metal band only makes them better.Axioma Ethica Odini is a progressive black metal album, similar to Opeth but with black metal replacing the death influences. The clean vocals are actually quite good, and the lighter sections only make the black metal parts more powerful when they come in. If you’ve listened to the last few Enslaved albums, you’ll know that a full on prog album is what the band has been building up to, and Axioma Ethica Odini is that album. Thankfully Enslvaed are excellent at what they do, and any open minded fan of metal would be wise to give one of the best albums of 2010 a close listen.

 

6. Pantha du Prince- Black Noise

Approaching music from a minimalist style is one of the hardest things a musician can do. As an electronic artist, there is always a temptation to speed things up, adding in unnecessary sounds or removing others too early. However, if an artist can be patient and really explore the sounds they’ve created, the listener is forced to do the same. Pantha du Prince has achieved this on Black Noise, and listening to it can be a mind bending experience. It’s hard not to get lost in the downtempo beats, and even after numerous listens I still feel me eyes well up. Black Noise is a masterful album, and one that anyone with the patience for minimalist art should experience.

 

5. Flying Lotus- Cosmogramma

Cosmogramma is not only the best album so far from experimental producer Flying Lotus, but it’s his first album of actual art. While Flying Lotus has always shown a great deal of talent, his overly experimental approach has never really amounted to anything more than just that- an experiment. With two full length albums under his belt, Flying Lotus has learned from his mistakes and created an album that lives up to his enormous potential.Cosmogramma is as cohesive as an experimental electronic album can be, and the songs have a great deal of tension and build up. Be warned that this album still isn’t all that accessible, but anyone willing to embrace their avant-garde side will be rewarded with an ambitious and creative record that simply cannot be brushed aside.

 

4. Dessa- A Badly Broken Code

Although it had the advantage of coming out in January, I’ve listened to A Badly Broken Codemore than any other album released this past year. Dessa’s full length debut is downright addicting, and contains layer upon layer of subtlety. Dessa excels as both a rapper and a singer, but her biggest talent is how she mixes them together. She’ll switch from rapping to singing to spoken word when delivering her lyrics, giving her already beautiful lines another layer not usually found in hip-hop. At times her voice can sound like that of a poet, as she has put thought into how she delivers each and every syllable. There is such a strong attention to detail in this album, and not just from Dessa. Each producer has clearly put a lot of work into their track, and it’s necessary to do so with Dessa’s unique talent. The beats are not your typical hip-hop affair, and it’s great to hear some varied work from Doomtree’s talented production duo of Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak. A Badly Broken Code is an all around exceptional album full of unique music and gorgeous lyricism. This one of the year’s most essential releases, regardless of how much you like hip-hop.

 

3. The National- High Violet

It's only recently that The National have been put under the mainstream spotlight, but the Brookyln indie rock band has quietly released some of the finest music of the pest decade. Starting with their self-titled debut in 2001, The National have grown with each album, continuing to polish and perfect their dark blend of chamber pop, High Violet is no exception. In a way, it’s is more of the same for The National, but this the most polished, consistent, and even memorable album to come from the band thus far.

High Violet starts with the gut-wrenching lo-fi tune “Terrible Love.” From the moment Matt Berninger’s vocals enter, it becomes apparent the group’s signature baritone voice has only gotten better. Berninger has a voice with the rare ability to shake its listener to the core, creating the dark ambiance that sets the tone for the barrage of distortion and melodic undertones to follow. However, while the vocals may be the most noticeable aspect of The National on first listen, High Violet is far more than a one-man show. Part of what makes listening to The National such an experience is the aforementioned melodic undertones. They may be subtle, but they work.

“Terrible Love” is only the first of many great tracks on High Violet. “Anyone’s Ghost” is a kind of dark pop rock tune that works far better than it has any right to, and the single “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is simply breathtaking. However, the album’s biggest highlights come in its second half. Tracks like “Runaway,” “Conversation 16,” and “England” take The National’s chilling ambience to a new level, all without loosing the rock ‘n roll sound at the band’s core.

The music is excellent, the lyrics are excellent, and High Violet is just an incredible album all around. Fans of the band won’t be disappointed, and new listeners are in for a treat. The National have established themselves as one of the best bands in modern rock, and High Violetmight very well be the group’s best effort yet.

 

2. Les Discrets- Septembre et ses dernières pensées

It’s hard to believe Septembre et ses dernières pensées is Les Discrets’ full length debut. This is a masterful album in every respect, and it’s one of the best albums of 2010. Les Discrets released a split last year with Alcest, so it’s no surprise that the album this is most reminiscent of is Alcest’s Souvenirs d'un autre monde. Much like Alcest’s debut,Septembre et ses dernières pensées combines elements of shoegaze, post-rock, and black metal, but the way those genres are combined is a bit unusual. Usually black metal is the most prevalent genre of the three, but here it’s comes second to shoegaze. This gives the music a raw sound that doesn’t overpower the gorgeous melodies and atmosphere. Septembre et ses dernières pensées is a brilliant album, and one that belongs in the collection of every music fan. It’s one of the best albums of 2010, and one of the finest shoegaze albums of recent memory.

 

1. Kno- Death is Silent

Kno, best known as the producer behind the underground hip-hop group CunninLynguists, refers to himself on the haunting track “Graveyard” as the “emo Primo.” While “emo” is used almost sarcastically, Kno’s description of himself isn’t far off. His talent as a producer rivals DJ Premier, although Kno’s beats are of darker nature and often drift closer into DJ Shadow territory. Needless to say, the beats on Death is Silentare fantastic. Each beat is layered with clean samples building and changing in the most interesting and subtle ways. Kno uses slow keys, vocal samples (often from films), and instruments that come and go at the most opportune time. Everything is simple, and yet few producers can achieve such beauty in their beats. Kno’s attention to detail is astounding, as every element of his beats is used to absolute perfection. Everything is so clean, so smooth, and so beautiful.

However, Death is Silent is more than just beats. Kno also raps on just about every track, and he is aided by some welcome guests. Deacon and Natti from CunninLynguists have multiple verses, all of which rival their best from A Piece of Strange and the Strange Journey albums. The immensely talented Tonedeff also shows up for a verse, as does Tunji from Inverse, Thee Tom Hardy, and Substantial. It would have been interesting to get a verse or two from someone outside of the usual CunninLynguists guests, but considering the quality of the verses it’s hard to argue.

Even Kno himself delivers some great verses. His flow is often methodical, coming across at times as a poor man’s Evidence, but he stays on beat and holds his own. In his lyrics, however, is where Kno truly shines as an emcee. He crafts his wordplay with the same attention to detail that he gives to the beats, creating the same type of “every word is necessary” lyricism that have been perfected by underground artists like Atmosphere and Aesop Rock. Kno’s lyrics are often stories, told vividly and even deceptively. He’ll start out with something typical and then take it a completely different direction, forcing the listener to go back and think about every line that has built up to the end. Rhythm of Rain might have his best verse, and is a perfect example of Kno’s deceptive wordplay. What starts out as a sexual metaphor turns into one of the darkest and most beautiful verses imaginable. Again, Kno’s mediocre flow may turn off some listeners, but those willing to dig deep into the lyrics will find that Kno’s talent is not restricted to beat making.

Death is Silent is a monster of an album, dark and beautiful in equal measures, and is absolutely essential to any fan of hip-hop. This is one of the best albums of the year, and it earns my highest recommendation.

On Sasquatch and Paid Dues

Fellow Seattleites have probably heard that the lineup for the 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival was announced a few weeks ago. I’ve attended the festival three years in a row (albeit for only one day in 2009), and did a write-up for last year’s. I have mixed feelings about the lineup this year, as many of my favorites are bands that I saw at the very same festival just a few years before, but there are still a few artists on the lineup that I would love to see. Unfortunately, that will not be a reality this time around. With the increase in ticket prices ($175 last year to almost $300 this year for a full pass), combined with the many other fees involved in making such a trip, I simply cannot afford to go. That means there will be no write-up for the 2011 festival. I know a few people who are going, and I hope they have a lot of fun and will let me know how the festival played out. Meanwhile, I’ll be at home wishing I could see Flying Lotus and Iron & Wine, while being thankful that I don’t have to do deal with the festival’s usually obnoxious attendees.

 

While Sasquatch is a no-go, I will have a write-up of a major festival for you guys. Thanks to some major help from a friend, I will be flying to Los Angeles on April 1 to attend the Paid Dues Festival the next day. I posted a news entry about Paid Dues a few weeks ago, stating my amazement of the lineup. For those of who missed it, Paid Dues is an independent hip-hop festival that will feature such artists as Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli), Immortal Technique, Sage Francis, Slaughterhouse, Murs, Heavy Metal Kings (Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill), P.O.S., Binary Star, Blu & Exile with Fashawn, Grieves, Sab the Artist (founder of Atmosphere’s Rhymesayers label), and plenty of others. I couldn’t be more excited, and I will of course have a full write-up of the festival with photos (assuming I can get my camera in, as the website seems a little vague about camera rules) as soon as I get back home.

I’m still working on a number of different entries that should be up soon, as well as a much needed update for the archives. I know they’ve been much delayed, but I promise that it won’t be much longer. Thanks to all of you for your continuing support.

Sound Writer on Facebook

I've created a Facebook page for Sound Writer. This is a good way to keep up to date with what I'm working on, and get Sound Writer updates on your Facebook feed. There is a box below that will take you to the page, where you can "like" it if you so desire.

You also may have noticed that I've changed the layout. Hopefully this will make it easier to find major posts (such as the Holiday Buyer's Guide, Sasquatch! write-up, and future posts of that nature). Let me know what you think of the new layout, and any suggestions you have to improve it would be much appreciated. Thank you again for your continuing support, and I hope to make 2011 a big year for the blog.