Skrillex and Diplo. Clear all preconceived notions you may have about the pair of prolific DJ's, whether you like them or not-- separately they have managed to undercut the world of modern EDM for better or worse to varying degrees. Both have relentlessly spawned mass-cult followings and heightened their direction with each release- so the collaboration of the two could prove to be a team-up of box office super hero proportions- WHICH IT IS.
Admittedly, any reviewer is looking for an excuse to rip the titans down- but Jack ü makes it difficult to find any cracks in the surface. With a barrage of guest spots including Keiza, 2 Chainz, Justin Bieber and Missy Elliot, the album hits all the right notes to be a perfect summer dance album; effortlessly incorporating silky r&b-laced chorus among patented Diplo/Skrillex beat drops. This album is the epitome of two individual artists feeding off each others' frenetic energy to ensure the party never stops.
Full disclosure, this particular reviewer absolutely hated both Diplo and Skrillex prior to hearing this album- but now? I'd consider myself a convert.
Jamie XX has been an integral contributor to the select movement of indie artists unfurling genres to reignite the flames of their tired sounds. As a founding member of bedroom-eyed slow jammers, The xx, Mister XX injected soulful gloom and R&B-inspired grooves into minimalist indie pop to create their cool, collected pastiche. His library of remixes and collaborations with Gil-Scott Heron have proven his confidence behind the board as a producer as well-- layering songs with ethereal poise, always on the brink of breaking the subdued for the anthemic.
His debut full-length, "In Colour", boasts Jamie at the height of his wünderkid proficiency. Lacking the deliberate restraint he demonstrates with The xx, "Colour" is immediately striking with its dancefloor push; confidently reeling the listener in from the first few notes. Above all else, the album should be a course-study for up-and-coming young producers as an exercise in mood & punctuation; XX's knack for elevating the listener with auditory purpose is unsurpassed. Blissfulness and melancholy ride in tandem throughout the album, which is arguably Jamie XX's strength as both an artist and producer; which should prove to make for a hypnotic career to come. CLICK HERE to get YOUR copy of JAMIE XX's "IN COLOUR"
In the world of experimental music it takes an undeniable polar shift to transpire new blood, let alone new ideas and execution. The realm of uncovered sounds has become the uncompromising battlegrounds for synth patches, vocal samplings and unlimited noise chucked through filters and processors until they become unrecognizable from its source. Enter Holly Herndon, the potential phoenix from the ashes of the modern avant garde movement.
With a guarded, logic-based approach to songcrafting, Herndon's penchant leans toward the melancholic side of the spectrum; swelling orchestrated electronics are punctuated with whisper-soft elegant vocals throughout, mindful of the prospects of truncated noise. Forgoing the standard-issue cliches of your run-of-the-mill Pitchfork darlings for more organic and ethereal textures, Holly Herndon's body of work could easily stand to be a welcome beacon of change for the audio visual community, and what a welcome change it would be.
RJD2 (or Ramble Jon Krohn to his compatriots) has been a noteworthy slaughterhouse of infectiously tight production and beatmaking since breaking onto the scene with 2002's "Deadringer" and has consistently had a hand in making high-impact hip hop. His solo career and various collaborations, including "Magnificent City" with Aceyalone (the instrumental for "A Beautiful Mine" has since been co-opted as the opening titles theme for a little show called Mad Men), has spanned a number of high-ranking footnotes in modern DJing. His knack for unleashing newcomers and showcasing their work as the elder-statesman brings us to his latest endeavor: "STSxRJD2".
Atlanta-bred, Philly-native rapper Silver Tongue Slim (STS) has the makings of a hip hop prodigy: lightning-fast rapid-fire delivery (think Andre3000 at the height of his game) and lyrical precision that rivals the best the underground has to offer. Easily one of the rap-game's best kept secrets, RJD2 embellishes the high points with the ease of a soundtrack composer and the two deliver an album of bouncy, high-energy soul-woven tracks primed for summer. Grab YOUR copy of STSxRJD2 by clicking RIGHT HERE!
If Metz ruled the world, no songs would last longer than three minutes and guitars could only be used at maximum volume and brandished like weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, Metz exist in a miniscule ether of the musical stratosphere reserved for the scattered few that still believe aggressive music could continue past the death of Nirvana. Blasting onto the scene with their angular, post-hardcore-inspired fretwork and fearless application of noise, Metz's debut album (aptly-titled "Metz") set them apart the pack with reckless abandonment.
Returning with the immediacy of a four-alarm fire, Metz are back with their latest offering: the cleverly-named, "II". True to form, Metz have been reluctant to revamp what made their initial release so transgressive to the genre. If it ain't broke, don't fix it- the old saying goes, and so Metz carries on as such. The band is hyperbolically self-aware of their strengths and they deliver precisely what existed so seamlessly on previous works: short, fast, and immersive post-punk. Ten songs of merciless, blast-back energy without frills or pandering. Get your copy of METZ "II" RIGHT HERE!
It's 2015 and there's a new Blur. The forerunners of the spiraling Brit-pop explosion of the early nineties (alongside infamous rabblerousers, the Brothers Gallagher), Blur's 1991 debut "Leisure" broke the band into the BBC Radio mainstream like a fuse to a powder keg. Enigmatic frontman Damon Albarn's melancholic musings on suburban drudgery and bratty nose-thumbing to Brittania traditionalism paired with the needlessly infectious hooks of founding member Graham Coxon made for a barnstorming pop powerhouse that chugged through seven well-received albums. Outside of Blur, Albarn's kept busy with various side projects including Gorillaz and his own solo album this year- which makes you wonder, where does he find the time for another Blur album?
The answer: He's simply good at what he does. Recorded over a short stretch of festival dates the band was playing amidst the summer of 2014, Blur (featuring the return of Coxon for the first time since his outing amidst the 2009 "Think Tank" sessions) have returned with "The Magic Whip". Pensive and subdued, "Whip" plays cool and confidently; the sound of a band that has eased into its own self-awaredness with pomp and bravado. The textures and production from years of record-foraging and sideprojects is there, but the fretwork is much more restrained than their younger years- this is a band that has come of age with grace and dignity.
There has been a dearth of Built To Spill in the record bins for six years. 2009's "There Is No Enemy" was decidedly a hit among Built To Spill fans and die-hard advocates of janky 90's guitars, their reach as a band has seemingly tapered in the last decade (due, in part, to their constant disbanding). Formed in 1992 by frontman Doug Martsch, their latest offering- "Untethered Moon" is consistent Built To Spill at it's finest. The hooks and earnest songwriting is there, the fuzzy choruses are also in check- it's hard not to beat the alternative 90's mainstays, their undeniable ability to out perform the myriad of bands that have tried to cop their style is insurmountable. "Untethered Moon" is a true testament to the longevity of a band that relentlessly releases albums at their own accord, just as well as the day they started.
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