Category: 2021 Indie Albums

Artist Spotlight: Nick County’s ‘A Colorful Corner of Northeastern Pennsylvania’

Posted on by IRC Staff

Recently we came across the fascinating indie folk/alt country music of Miami musician Nicolas Mencia who uses the moniker ‘Nick County’.

Having listened to Mencia’s latest album, A Colorful Corner of Northeastern Pennsylvania, more than a half dozen times at this point, it is convincingly one of the best folk/alt. country rock albums of 2021 most people never heard of.

Mencia’s amazing recording is a collection of 13 wonderfully-written and composed tracks featuring soaring violins (“Jesus is Dead”); the cheerful piano keys on the sentimental “Going Back” (which reminds us of Kurt Vile); the upbeat melodies and unforgettable rhythym of “Stormtown”, not to mention the heartbreaking ballad, “Your Pain Tears Me Apart.”

Unlike his previous two albums, Mencia added indie pop and folk influences on his record as songs like “Stormtown” so vividly demonstrate.

Colorful was released on Public Works Department Records which Mencia co-founded. Based in Miami he considers his fellow artists on the label as his best friends who subordinate musical genre to the pursuit of songwriting.

Americana-UK writer Lyndon Bolton wrote: “‘Daddy’s Robe’ is a vivid insight into a tragic life with intense arrangements that just hold together. ’Dreamland Hotel’ has a very Brit feel, The Kinks come to mind as [Mencia] duets with his principal collaborator, Rick Moon, daring each other into oblivion: But I’ll buy the champagne/ We can toast to your pain/ Sign your name on the line and we’ll have a good time.

Mencia’s range of styles, genres and emotions is quite impressive and no doubt one of his strongest skills, a good second to his remarkable songwriting abilities.

A number of mixed-genre acoustic numbers include the sing-along “O Sailor” and the two minute and fifteen second number “Whiter Than A Ghost,” not to mention the touchingly beautiful “Prayer For You” as well as the provocative “John Silver.” Thankfully, Mencia saved one of his acoustic gems, “Denny’s Dream,” for the closing track. Nice!

When Mencia lost his father in 2019, there was a “rush of pain and profound sadness” that levelled anything he thought he had known. The fact that the two had been estranged for many years only compounded Mencia’s sense of loss.

With these emotions also came a “deep desire to reconcile” not only with his “fathers ghost,” but also the small town where Mencia grew up, and his lapsed relationship with god.

A ‘journeyman songwriter’ and a self-described ‘lifelong student of country music hailing from little havana,’ Mencia’s second album, Cocorico Simpatico Corazon, was a family affair.

He recorded in Miami and LA with a collection of old compadres and played with bands such as Gemma, Vampire Weekend, Krisp, Rick Moon, Jacuzzi Boys, and Jeff The Brotherhood.

Mencia lists his top musical influences as Hank Williams, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Townes Van Zandt, among others.

instagram.com/nickcounty

Album Review: Wavves’ ‘Hideaway’

Posted on by BPM

From the first verse heard on Hideaway — the latest album by the Nathan Williams-headed project Wavves — it becomes clear that the singer is on the defensive. “Oh I don’t love the people? / You never even met me before” he sings on “Thru Hell”, the album’s opening surf-punk track. “Thru Hell” is the kind of track that’s become expected from Wavves: aggressive, self-deprecating, playful in a laughing-through-the-pain kind of way. He’s still aware of his contentious demeanor, likely not only in the context of the song but in the context of his career overall, one that’s been particularly plagued with PR missteps. In other words, little about Wavves has changed.

For the past decade, the band has built a readily identifiable (if increasingly derivative) discography; indeed, “Thru Hell” bears resemblance to the title track of 2010’s King of the Beach, which also served as its opener. To be fair, Hideaway does offer up some punk songs infused with genre experimentations that help prevent such a knee-jerk dismissal. It’s an achievement possible thanks to TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, who produced the album and was enlisted to give life to these songs that were previously workshopped by the band in abandoned studio sessions. Sitek would play Williams obscure honky tonk songs and Johnny Cash deep cuts; their influence on Hideaway is undeniable. The guitar riff that enters halfway through the straightforward surf-rock ballad “Honeycomb” gives the song a distinct country-western flavor. Williams further embraces the genre on “The Blame”, a rambling track that sees Williams hone in on his lower vocal range to evoke Cash’s crooning.

These ideas offer glimpses into a future for Wavves that isn’t so reliant on the sound that’s been their bedrock since King of the Beach. At the very least, they’re newer ways to deliver Wavves’ blend of depressing albeit catchy rock. “You say the grass is greener on the other side / But I know the truth is that everything dies,” Williams sings on the album’s title track. The teasing guitar notes plucked on the verses of “Planting A Garden” bears a passing resemblance to Pavement, but the choruses just as quickly return to the loud, angsty guitar playing heard on any generic punk-rock track. Hideaway also has Wavves venturing into the indie-pop territory of yesteryear; the playful “Sinking Feeling” wouldn’t feel out of place on an aughts-era Tegan and Sara record. Here, the approach is fleshed through its entire runtime, which only makes the more obvious ‘Wavves’-type tracks get lost in the shuffle (the album’s most aggressive song, “Marine Life”, can’t compete with, say, “Super Soaker”).

Hideaway marks the project’s return to Fat Possum, which released the early LPs Wavves and King of the Beach. Yet, returning to the label only seems to highlight Williams’ current predicament; despite the label hopping, the independent releases, the decade of time spent away, Wavves still hasn’t changed much. Take the single “Help is on the Way”, easily the album’s most hook-laden and accessible track. However, the title belies the song’s cynical message: “Nothings gonna stay okay / I’m getting used to it.” Williams isn’t hopeful, he’s struggling to come to terms with the place he’s found himself in 2021. No wonder he’s on the defensive.

58%

The post Album Review: Wavves – Hideaway first appeared on Beats Per Minute.

Album Review: Kings of Convenience’s ‘Peace or Love’

Posted on by IRC Staff

kingsofconvenience

After a 12-year hiatus from recording and releasing new music, the widely-acclaimed Norweigen music dynamic duo, has dropped a new album, Love or Peace.

The 12-track recording, long-anticipated, does not disappoint. Love or Peace offers a well-balanced and superbly-produced mix of the familiar and of the new.

If you are a KOC fan, you’re probably going to dig Love or Peace.

With the new album receiving widespread accolades, KOC has reinforced its position as one of the greatest musical exports from Norway in decades. We are sure glad Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye decided to pursue music and create the terrific acoustic sound and soothing voices that have become KOC’s signature.

Reviews of Love or Peace from around the webs:

Songwriting this unadorned requires melodic strength and confidence, but the pair never waver from their acoustic guitars and occasional violin. “Fever” is the only song with a drumbeat; “Catholic Country” – featuring Feist, and one of KOC’s best ever songs – and others play up the percussive quality of their stringed instruments to add urgency and even a little funk.

Bøe and Øye’s paired, timbrally similar voices remain a key part of the charm. Delicacy and care are given to both boyish and adult vocal pitches, perfectly expressing innocence and experience at once. There are moments of straightforward breakup glumness, but the complexity of love and desire comes through on songs such as “Rocky Trail” and “Killers.” [truncated] (U.K. Guardian)

Uncut
Jun 17, 2021
90
Peace Or Love is their most cohesive album yet. While it’s not a world away from their previous work, the mood is noticeably more stripped-down and melancholic. … Kings Of Convenience seem to have discovered the purest essence of the music they create. [Aug 2021, p.26]

musicOMH.com
Jun 18, 2021
80
No alarms, no surprises (unless you count a few surprising moves into bossa nova), but it does make for a lovely listen.

Slant Magazine
Jun 17, 2021
70
Informed by years of experience, growth, and collaboration, Kings of Convenience extend a comforting hand through the warm calm of their music.

Exclaim
Jun 18, 2021
70
Though eschewing the (mild, but still present) domestic theatrics of their earlier works for more wizened fare may have muted their immediate impact, their knack for immersive melodies and grooves keep things compelling.

Pitchfork
Jun 17, 2021
67
The follow-up to 2009’s Declaration of Dependence, makes languid, pleasant pop seem deceptively effortless; the album is so smooth that its seams are barely visible. The record’s 11 tracks are a Quaalude dream, a set of gossamer songs so refined that they take on sedative properties.
All this publication’s reviewsRead full review

Album Review: Allday’s ‘Drinking With My Smoking Friends’

Posted on by AcquariumDrunkard
allday band press shot

In December 2020, Tom Gaynor (under his moniker Allday) posted to socials, “High on mdma in Bunnings holding hands with the guy at the paint counter”. The Melbourne-based indie rapper has always had a distinctive way of connecting with his predominantly millennial audience, but little did we know, this was a lyric from his upcoming 4th album, Drinking With My Smoking Friends. 

Distinctive is an accurate lens to view Allday from. Even if you hate his somewhat corruptive lyrics and boyish persona, the artist listens to his gut and runs with it. It’s why he’s one of the only Aussie rappers that doesn’t sound like a discount Hilltop Hoods, and why his breakout hit Always Know The DJ was such a refreshing bop for party playlists. 

Since his 2014 label debut, we’ve seen Allday turn increasingly inward, offering increasingly thoughtful perspectives. Gone are his emo-rap boasts of hedonism, instead replaced with heartbreak tales, jarring juxtapositions (bunnings and MDMA), and politics. On his latest full-length, DWMSF, not only have his lyrics blossomed, but his soundscape has too. 

DWMSF is Allday’s first project with no rapping. The artist has gone into full sentimental mode for this project. 808s and fat bass has been replaced by jangly 80s guitar driven pop, offering audiences delicately crafted chord changes and melodies. Take opener Void, which gently lulls the listener into a melancholy euphoria, with effect-heavy acoustic. “No need to curse the sky, when you wash your clothes but they won’t dry”, Allday sings sweetly. The song is incredibly simple, but makes a strong impression. The Cure is a strong reference point here, and for the remainder of the 10 tracks. I wonder how many fans pulled this track from YouTube to mp3 after spotting the Edward Cullen lookalike in the thumbnail. 

Cup of Tea in the Bath rides along with observations and fingered bass, until a high-end chorus breaks out. By the end of the track, it’s obvious that Allday is focusing his energy on crafting hooks this audience will sing back to him. For rap-focused Allday fans, this will be a disparaging record, but for indie-pop lovers, these softer sonics will be a welcome change. 

Next on the tracklist is standout single, Stolen Cars. It tells the tried and true tale of two lovers running away together, to the sound of drenched synths, a tight rhythm section, and some of Tom’s hookiest hooks to date. It’s his most radio-friendly tune since his Japanese Wallpaper collaborated track, In Motion. 

The Paris End of Collins St utilises an awkward, conversational flow that revels in irony and self-awareness. It’s a nod to the effecting style of Courtney Barnett, an artist Allday clearly admires. In the lyrics, Allday manages to squeeze in themes of capitalism, existentialism and denial. One hilariously resonant moment caught me off guard: “I don’t wanna go to the art gallery and pretend that I get it. I wanna watch movies with happy endings, alright!”. 

Butterfly Sky is the classic stripped back track you’ll find on most albums worth their salt. It’s a testament to Tom’s growth as an artist. Here, he holds a tune with little more than a guitar and melody. “Butterfly Sky you’ll be my brand new start”. It’s a rebirth to be proud of. As Tom nears 30, he’s approaching this new chapter of life calm and prepared, but understanding the stakes. “I’m gunna dive into the strange and lonely”. 

Where DWMSF falls short is in Tom’s vocal performance. Though his singing voice is sweet and sincere, he has a limited vocal range, in tone and emotion. His song writing chops and observations are as strong as ever, but since Tom is predominantly a rapper, that’s where his vocal nuances are at their most compelling. Overall however, DWMSF is a beautiful sounding album, with lyrical observations to ponder over, while the lush guitars and melodies spiral you into a daydream.

allday dwmsf artwork

This post Allday – Drinking With My Smoking Friends appeared first on Indie is not a genre.

Album Review: ‘A Cup of Good Smelling Coffee’ by Flamingo Jones

Posted on by IRC Staff

Initial Impressions

Flamingo Jones’ A Cup of Good Smelling Coffee takes a unique approach to synth-based music that incorporates a broad range of influences and musical ideas. The sonic story told by this album is both aching and wistful. Flamingo Jones keeps my ears ready to hear the story unfold through the richness of his music.

One of the main features that draws me to this album is the varied sonic palette that Flamingo Jones uses. There are a whole range of synths that sometimes glow and sometimes feel sharper and harder, but even more interesting are the different acoustic, organic elements that he brings to the music. There’s piano that can be jazzy or gentle and guitar with unique tones from warmer and rounder to funkier that also add their own voices to the tracks.

Speaking of voices, Flamingo Jones adds vocals that are introspective and soft-spoken but the lyrics they express have their own individual qualities that express some part of the artist’s personality, showing a fresh view of the world. They aren’t long songs but they do express a emotive quality that I find engaging.

I enjoy the genre-hopping of this album as well. There are times when it channels New Wave music, others that have a jazz influence and sometimes there’s even a little touch of something on the folksier end of the spectrum. The end result is indeed a tasty auditory brew to nourish the ears.

Track-by-Track Breakdown

“A Cup Of Good Smelling Coffee” starts off with a swirling mist of synths and the steady tick of percussion before a hard hitting drumbeat shapes the music along with a ‘50s style ad voice over for good smelling coffee. A steady, distorted synth pulse and a repeating darkly trumpeting, sharp edged musical line also moves through along with bright, slightly edgy sounds. A melodic synth line wriggles through before a synth that is like a shiny xylophone carries a thready line of sound.

A stuttering beat and dark, hard sounds roil below the more elevated elements. I enjoy the use of shattered vocals threading in and out of the music, adding an oddly unsettling feeling to the track. There’s a dense thickness to the growling pulses of synth before a drifting segment and again the vocal sample, the breaking beat and the high flash of synth.

The soft drift of water and a full, caressing piano opens “Flamingos Love Waterpools.” The piano carries warmly rising notes and delicate chords as the vocals float through the background and there’s a full, fuzzy noise accompanying unique metallic sounds. Round, circling synths flare in a steadily moving pattern and the beat guides the track forward along with a pulse of medium low synth and the gentle vocals.

I enjoy the hazy, relaxing sensations that permeate the music along with the intriguing percussion as a deep, shifting bass line moves in. A synthesizer with a flaring glow burst into the music and there’s a serene flow to the rising, drifting line of synth that echoes through before the waves flow into silence.

The lyrics are a wistful expression of life changing and time passing as they say,”You can blame it on me. You know in time we’ll leave it all behind, it wasn’t meant to be. You’ll never feel the sunlight or hear the song.”

“Campfire Feels” kicks off with wandering jazzy piano and adds adds some funky strings to the mix along with a high, distant sound. A solid beat hits the track and a smooth, roaming line of medium high synth flows over the gliding drumbeat that shapes the track.

A floating, glimmering synth line slips over open background as the ultra-cool guitar sound flickers in and through the track. I like how laid back and jazz inflected this particular campfire is. It gives me an impression of extreme calm and I think we all need a bit of that these days!

A drippy, steady pulse and echoing vocals drifts into open space as the caressing, easily gliding lead synth glows as “Stephanie Leaves the Marketplace” comes into being. The melody that is full, all encompassing and full of smooth touches as the vocals also lightly move through the music.

I’m drawn to the ringing, round guitar tone as it carries the soothing melody that adds to the caring, dreaming feeling that permeates the track. Light and air imbue every aspect of the music. The emotional content of the lyrics is complemented by the feelings in the music. There’s a reverberating, echoing sound gliding through the open spaces of the track before it breaks to gentle sounds.

There’s a wistful beauty to the words as the narrator asks, “Don’t you know I’m still with you?” as he remembers the sight of “sunlight shining off the moon.” I get the feeling that the person he’s talking about when he says, “As Stephanie leaves the marketplace, I see that look on your face” is himself in another life.

“A Gentle Agitation” comes to life with an easy going, sliding sensation as chimes swirl through the music and bird song is joined by the simple brightness of the laid back, relaxing melody as a shimmer of chimes again moves along with round, metallic sounds.

Gentle, shifting piano chords and splashing sound glide into the track before a tech-y round and distorted synth and cascading, singing full sounds like tuned metal shift with the steady throb of the drums. There’s one more shift to a computerized, hard sound and then silence ensues.

A smooth and easily throbbing beat shifts underneath a slightly twangy and jazzy guitar to start off “An Evening Stroll” as a flow of wind blows through the track. Flamingo Jones’ voice, soft and whispering, moves through the open background. I enjoy the impressions of a forlorn and lonely wanderer, tempting to just give in.

Full, slightly shadowed synths drift over the smooth drums and the beat grows stronger under descending piano chords. The tempo picks up, propelling the track with more energy as a fuzzy guitar tone carries notes that extend into the track.

A profound, deep sadness fills the lyrics of this song. A sense of emptiness and desolation fills the lines that start “join me for an evening stroll” and end successively “join me out here in the cold…join me out here among the ghosts.”

There’s a sense of peace and resignation in the verse, “You can rest upon the ground and sleep forever when you’ve found me” and even a feeling of something inviting in the words, “We can talk oh so profoundly, sleep forever now you’ve found me.”

“The Lure Of The Ice Flats” comes to life with icy winds over the steady ticking of the drums while clouds of warmer sound flow around the airy rush. The percussion shapes the track slowly as medium-high synth and a hollow reverberating sound shifts in the background.

I am enamoured of the soothing, all encompassing guitar chords that slide into the music. An elevated synth calls out, full and roaming, over the beat that moves in and through the music. A glitchy, static sounding line wriggles through the track over the onrushing air and the drums slip along with a gentle touch.

Conclusion

A Cup Of Good Smelling Coffee is a rather unique, intriguing collection of synth-based music. It has a distinctive quality and a wistful, varied and emotive musical landscape that is laid out in a fresh and ear grabbing way.

Album Review: LWTHR’s synth-dom ‘Home’

Posted on by Karl Magi
home-lwthr

Read on to find out why I enjoy how “Home” creates luscious, intricate soundscapes that are full of hope, but touched by melancholy.

Initial Impressions

LWTHR’s Home is an album that is full of dreamy drifts of warm sound, lovingly crafted melodies and spans a broad range of synth tones, timbres and textures that paint rich aural imagery in the mind of the listener.

The first element that I feel makes Home work well is the dreaming, misty quality of many parts of the album. There are softly glowing, floating soundscapes that sparkle with light and glide along with ease. It’s the mental equivalent of taking a deep, cleansing breath as one listens to the music.

LWTHR also has a gift for melodic writing and it shows on the album. The melodies he creates are clear, memorable and emotive. I enjoy how many of them are positive and hopeful, but always have just a touch of melancholy or sadness. There’s something touching in that combination for me.

There’s a richness and depth to the synth choices that have been made on Home. LWTHR explores a wide variety of synth sounds that run the gamut from clear and sharp to gentler and more flowing. Along with full bass and solid drums, all of the different musical elements work together to create a full sounding album.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Pathfinder Mission” kicks off with trembling, rattling sounds fill the wide open void of space as a steadily rising series of cosmic, caressing notes are joined by uplifting piano chords.

Full arpeggios glimmer and dance as the solid, pulsating drumbeat adds form to the music. An elevated, metallic synth carries a shining line of synth that mirrors the waves of lambent sound that throb out over the beat’s steadiness.

The shimmering synths play extended lines of oscillating sound while delicate aural mist swirls. A repeating, trembling line of synth rises and falls as piano chords climb and sing into the track. I am drawn toward the cascading torrents of light flowing from this track.

Computerized, round sounding waves of medium-high synth ripple across the surface of “Aurora Australis” as soft, ticking percussion becomes a throbbing pulse and whorls of synth coalesce and cry out a hopeful, heart warming melody over the substantial drums. I enjoy the caressing nature of the melody in this track.

A rich, slightly distorted series of notes moves behind the melodic line, wobbling a little, as it glimmers into the open air of the music. There’s a momentary lapse into silence before the steady beat shapes the music again. The bright melody dreams over the chest deep beat while arpeggios spread in glowing ripples while warm chords flow.

“Dreaming Cities” begins with keyboard notes that have a twisting edge to them as they move in a tide of oscillating sound. A lush, slightly sharp-edged synth carries an unsettled melodic pattern as another bursting, wandering synth with a technological feeling flickers and washes outwards through the track.

There’s an impression of a dream that isn’t completely pleasant in this track. A circular, glistening sound shifts while the beat pulsates and adds motion to the track. The melodic synths expand through the track and another evolving, shifting line of synth flows out in an oscillating rush before the track returns to the “A” section.

A full, intertwined synth wash is joined by a warmly lapping melody that sings out with light and ease to open “Perpetual Motion.” I am touched by the message of hope that the music exudes.

An elevated, shimmering line of synth soars upwards over the steady beat’s gliding throb while stacked, ever climbing chords are broken into by a quickly spinning arpeggio.

The song’s hopeful message is emphasized by a robotic voice repeating the phrase “Nobody’s stopping us now” and stuttering, throbbing broken beats move along with nasal-sounding, leaping arpeggios that move in dense clouds. Climbing, drifting synths keep adding brightness before the track breaks to the robotic voice and smoothly sliding and sparkling tides of sound.

Dense, slightly gritty washes of sound move into “Sega Blue Skies” with expanding circles of medium-low synth hat vibrate out into the music over the slow tempo of the drums. Rapidly leaping lines of chip sound flare through the music and the relentless patterns of vibrating synth sound go on. Chip sounds arpeggiate and wriggle rapidly through the track before a massive drum fill hits.

A synth that gives a rocking sensation to the music rises and falls in uneven pulses. I am enamoured of the feeling of energetic agitation in this track. Expansive synth chords add more depth and a feeling of fullness before glimmering, leaping chip sounds flicker through in a surging tide before silence falls.

“Andromeda Initiative” comes to life with a delicate airy background and sweeping synth notes that extend out over it. A glittering arpeggio circles slowly as a steady pulsation of sunlit synth moves in lines that flow on and on. The beat comes into the track with a solid weight to guide it along. I am pulled in by the addictive combination of gentleness and wistful aching in the main melody as medium-low, round synth carries descending musical patterns.

There’s a drum fill before coruscating, slow bursts of synth move over the reverberating echoes of glowing sound underneath. The pained, softly touching melody slips into the track while the drums keep shaping and propelling the music in smooth forward motion. The lead synth now breaks into the descending patterns of sound, matched by the beat and a bass oscillation that flows into the echoing drift.

Conclusion

LWTHR creates luscious, intricate soundscapes on Home that combine with his melodic chops and a feeling of hope and dreaming that is just a little tragic and melancholy. I find that this album relaxes me while still engaging me as a listener.

Album Review: St. Vincent’s ‘Daddy’s Home’

Posted on by IRC Staff

The multi-talented indie starlet Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is back with her sixth full-length release inspired by her father’s 1970s record collection.

Daddy’s Home is a tour de force of genre-mixing fueled by the influences of that amazing decade in music when the album ruled.

Reviews from around the webs:

The Independent (UK): “It sounds – for the first time in a decade – like Clark has slipped out of her high heels and found an equal strength in this barefooted soul.”

Mojo: “It’s masterful stuff: a full conceptual realisation, filled with great melodies, deep grooves, colourful characterisations and sonic detail that reveals itself over repeated plays. … A keeper for the decades to come. ”

musicOMH.com :
Daddy’s Home may lack the more exhilarating, guitar-shredding moments of some of Clark’s earlier work, but it’s possibly her best, most considered album to date. Six albums into her career, St Vincent is arguably becoming the defining artist of her generation.
All this publication’s reviewsRead full review

Clash Music: “It’s a record about growing up, and playing it straight; a more open, rounded experience than we’ve come to expect from St. Vincent, it’s a brave, fascinating record.”

Read more Daddy’s Home reviews from Metacritic

U.K. multi-instrumentalist Hemai melds soul, jazz & electronic on ‘Strange Beauty’

Posted on by This Song Is Sick

hemai-musicianThere’s no shortage of talent to come out of the UK and it’s always exciting to see a new face emerge onto the scene. Incredibly talented producer and multi-instrumentalist, Hemai, sonically melds soul and jazz with just enough electronic flair and has managed to stand out amongst the crowd. He’s graced us with his debut album, Strange Beauty, which already shows a maturation that very few artists manage to accomplish so early in their careers.

Strange Beauty is a collection of stories of the love, spirit and balance of the universe. Hemai experiments with the idea of movement and the present, bringing together some of his favorite sounds from around the world and merging them with his UK roots.

He recruits a multitude of talented singers and musicians to provide the harmonic soul on the project but the true beauty lies in his ability to craft sonic novels in each track. Boundary-less and beautiful, Strange Beauty is a testament to the thoughtfulness and meticulous nature of Hemai’s production and dedication to music he makes.

Stream the entire project below and enjoy!

Hemai – Strange Beauty

The post was first published by This Song Is Sick.

Redman Announces the Long-Awaited Sequel to ‘Muddy Waters’

Posted on by IRC Staff

redman

Due to arrive this summer, ‘Muddy Waters 2’ will follow the rapper’s VERZUZ battle with longtime rhyme partner Method Man. Billed as a “4/20 Special”, the virtual event takes place on Tuesday (April 20) to celebrate the international weed smoker’s holiday.

Redman accompanied the news of his forthcoming album with the release of a new track called ’80 Barz’. It hears the New Jersey MC rap non-stop for three minutes straight, delivering witty punchlines and hard-hitting bars throughout.

“Make you duck down/ Learned that out my boot camp/ I was a big deal when MJ dated Brooke Shields/ Now I’m equipped to go Bushwick for the bills, that part,” he spits in the opening lines of the track.

Another set of bars hears him namecheck Eminem, Dr. Dre and Houston rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth. “I rep my city like Trae in Houston/ Hungry like Em’ before Doc’ Dre produced him/ The straitjacket I had on was loose/ And now I bodybag any rap n***a that suits him,” he raps.

Listen to the new track below:

Released through RIV MUSIC, Redman spoke of his collaboration with the company. “Collaborating with RIV MUSIC doesn’t feel like a partnership,” he said in a press release. “It’s definitely a family at this point.

“I can appreciate that they understand hip-hop, the authenticity of it, quality control, and most importantly that they are fans of it. They know their stuff and it felt right jumping back with not just this track that I’ve briefly been sitting on, but ‘Muddy Waters 2’ as well.”

‘Muddy Waters 2’ has been in the works for years, dating back to Redman’s time signed to Def Jam Records. He told HipHopDX in 2018 that the album would arrive that year, however it never materialised.

Speaking to the same outlet in September, he explained why it never materialised. “You have to understand that I’m a self-contained artist,” he said. “That means I engineer everything right here in my house that I’m talking from. I engineer, I write the music and I mix in my house. What I learned from Def Jam — because I’m a Def Jam baby — I learned all my tutelage on how to put out music through Def Jam.”






He continued: “The only thing now that’s missing is me having a date and me rushing when they want me to put it out. I’m able to move on my own time. Last time I talked to you, I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. A couple of months ago, I knew I was ready to put the album out, but COVID hit. I’m like, ‘I want to be able to be out there to promote the album, not sit from a couch doing interviews.’”

The post Redman announces long-awaited ‘Muddy Waters 2′, shares new single ’80 Barz’ appeared first on NME.

Lullaby Your Kids to Sleep with ‘Lullaby Versions of Alice Cooper’

Posted on by New Music Express

Alice Cooper‘s music has been re-recorded to reach a new audience with the release of a lullaby album made for infants.

Titled ‘Lullaby Versions Of Alice Cooper’, the new record features soothing instrumental versions of some of the legendary rocker’s  biggest hits including ‘Poison’, ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Under My Wheels’.

The album has been released in partnership with Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates “beautiful lullaby versions of your favourite artists”, via Roma Music Group.

With over 135 titles in its catalogue, other artists who have had their music turned into lullabies by Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star include Adele, The Beatles, Lady Gaga and Metallica.

You can listen to the lullaby version of ‘Poison’ below:

See the ‘Lullaby Versions Of Alice Cooper’ track list below:

01. ‘Poison’
02. ‘School’s Out’
03. ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’
04. ‘I’m Eighteen’
05. ‘Feed My Frankenstein’
06. ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)’
07. ‘Billion Dollar Babies’
08. ‘How You Gonna See Me Now’
09. ‘Only Women Bleed’
10. ‘I Never Cry’
11. ‘Under My Wheels’
12. ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’

You can listen to the album via Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and more here.

Earlier this month, Cooper revealed that his first experience using drugs was alongside Jimi Hendrix.

“Weed was the first drug, and it was [with] Jimi Hendrix,” he told Ralph Sutton and Big Jay Oakerson on The SDR Show. “I’m sitting there after the show. I went to see them. And we were just a little high school band. But they said, ‘Hey, come on up to the hotel room.’ And we were sitting on his bed, and Jimi goes, ‘Here, man,’ [and he passed me the joint]. And I went, ‘Okay.’

“And then he goes and puts a quarter in the bed – you know, the vibrating bed. There was, like, eight people sitting on the bed. And he goes, ‘We’re on a spaceship.’ And I went, ‘Okay.’”






Meanwhile, Evanescence are set to hold a new livestream concert that will be hosted by rock icon Alice Cooper.

The group will perform tracks from that album and from across their back catalogue at the new virtual gig. Taking place on May 13, the show – dubbed ‘Driven To Perform’ – will kick off at 9pm ET (2am BST, May 14) and will be free to stream.

The post Lullaby album of Alice Cooper’s music has been released for infants appeared first on NME.

Meek Says New Big Thief Album is ‘Pretty Much Done’; Solo L.P. Is Indie Folk Love

Posted on by flytrap

big-thief-band In an interview with Guitar magazine, Brooklyn-based indie rock band Big Thief‘s lead guitarist Buck Meek talks about songwriting and gear, the band, life on the road, and his wonderful second solo album, Two Saviors.

In 2020, Meek, along with his bandmates – Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums) – wrote, developed, and recorded new tracks for an upcoming, so-far-untitled BT album (which will be No.5).

The new BT album, he reveals, is “pretty much done” and “certainly different”.

“Lockdown was a well-needed respite, I needed a break, and then Big Thief ended up making new music for nearly six months, which was really nice because we’ve been touring so hard we’ve had little chance to record in the last couple of years,” he told Guitar.

A new L.P. has been long anticipated by fans following Big Thief’s 2019 double-header drops – the wildly critically-acclaimed third album, U.F.O.F., and BT’s last release, Two Hands, which also dropped (later) that year.

BT’s 2016 debut, Masterpiece, and the following year’s, Capacity, transformed BT from a relatively unknown indie outfit to one of the top indie rock bands of the past five years.

Meanwhile, Meek’s newest, and second, solo effort has garnered solid reviews across the board from online music sites and countless blogs to social media and print media.

“If the song’s about two lovers driving down the highway and they crash and roll down a hill, my guitar part is going to be the sound crackling through the AM radio from over the Mexican border as they’re bleeding to death upside down on the side of the road.” – Buck Meek, Guitar March 2021

Fans, via Meeks’ Bandcamp page, are also praising the 11-track Two Saviors: “The way Buck crafted this album is beautiful. I love the practice and method the band put into recording these songs,” wrote Bandcamper mountainphases. “There’s tenderness here. Sincerity too. It’s so open and free. It makes me want to go outside and look at some trees and shit.”

Meek told Guitar staff: “Solo, I’m able to hold a more confessional space,” he explains. “That makes me a better player writing parts for Big Thief because it gives me narrative perspective. If the song’s about two lovers driving down the highway and they crash and roll down a hill, my guitar part is going to be the sound crackling through the AM radio from over the Mexican border as they’re bleeding to death upside down on the side of the road.”

If you liked Meek’s solo debut, you’re probably going to love Two Saviors. It’s delicious; fun; instrumentally, lyrically, and vocally rich; and original indie-folk with influences of Americana and country.

A bunch of tracks stand out for us on the album, including the melodic opener, “Pareidolia”; the title track; and songs like “Candle”, “Second Sight”, “Pocketknife”, and “Cannonball Pt. 2.”

In fact, “Cannonball Pt. 2” made our Top 10 Songs playlist for January among other track contenders on the album.

Start streaming the album now with the Bandcamp album embed below: