Showing posts with label kanye west. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kanye west. Show all posts
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Homework: Kanye West's "The College Dropout" Ten Years Later...
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Pop Critics Top 20 Releases of 2013
2013 was a mixed bag when it came to releases. Like 2012, it was the debuts of artists that really shined, where some follow-ups did their job cementing their status as some of the best acts of the These are the releases that captured my ears, my Last.Fm account, my iTunes, kept me going through grueling exercises and long days of doing homework and held my attention from their release dates up until this list was created.
20.Perfume-Level3
The Japanese trio under the tutelage of composer Yasutaka Nakata's fourth full length album mixes what the girls have been putting out for the past thirteen years of their career into a neat package of sugary, electropop eargasm that even a person unfamiliar with the Japanese language can get into.
Recommended Tracks: Spring of Life, Spending All My Time, Magic of Love
19.Lorde-Pure Heroine
While Lana Del Rey had to (re)-work to get the public to show her some type of admiration, 17-year old Ella Yelich O'Connor from New Zealand did it without trying. Pure Heroine is an aged album that's best listened to with some type of understanding of the world, or a rainy day is ok too.
Recommended Tracks:Ribs, Tennis Court, Team
18.James Blake-Overgrown
The post-dubstep phenom dug a little deeper for his second LP, which is more a continuation of his self-titled LP rather than a deviation. Rather than recycle the understated iciness that made James Blake so good, he opened himself up to collaboration with Brian Eno and RZA and added warm tones of R&B and soul, making it moodier and more accessible.
Recommended Tracks:Digital Lion, Take The Fall For Me, Voyeur, Retrograde
17.Kanye West-Yeezus
Kanye, though polarizing in real life, always makes above average music (except for "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", I have no idea what he was thinking when he released that). Though it divided his fans, "Yeezus's" mix of genres from industrial to metal and glimpses of pre-808's Kanye are warm welcome and gives us hope that Kanye will give us another "Graduation" caliber release, but don't hold your breath waiting.
Recommended Tracks:Blood on The Leaves, Bound 2, Black Skinhead, New Slaves
16.Kavinsky-OutRun
Kavinsky's 80s inspired concept album about a teenager who becomes a music making zombie after crashing his Lamborghini (every teenager's dream to be honest) was six years in the making. Six years that couldn't have come sooner, especially after hearing "Nightcall" in "Drive" two years prior. "Outrun" is a test drive you'll want to repeat on numerous occasions. Maybe over some episodes of Knght Rider (the 80s version, preferably).
Recommended Tracks: Suburbia, Nightcall, Protovision, Deadcruiser
15.Frankmusik-Between
After leaving the big wigs over at Island, Vincent Frank was able to stretch his wings and get his creative juices flowing, which resulted in a independent dance record for the ages. Frankmusik drops us in on the tail end of a relationship, where he goes from questionably passive aggressive, to angry, to resolving his issues and moving on. All over some solid production and catchy lyrics.
Recommended Tracks:Cake, Fast as I Can, Captain, Life is My Revenge
14.Autoheart-Punch
Autoheart's debut is a slow starter and may take a few plays before you can fully appreciate the depressing yet whimsical nature of it. Piano pop in its purest form, "Lent" is a rare record: untouched by the hands of mainstream radio and made for the ears of people who more than likely never hear Jody Gadsden's glorious feminine vocals.
Reccomended Songs:Control, Agrophobia, January, Lent, The Sailor Song
13.HAIM-Days Are Gone
HAIM actually knows how to sound like the 80s, 90s and 00s without cheesing it up to high heaven. Rock music with a pop sensibility that few can master, Days Are Gone blends all the ingredients of what an emerging indie superpower should aspire to sound like: consistency, cleanliness and fun.
Recommenced Songs:The Wire, Let Me Go, Forever, Days are Gone, Don't Save Me
12.Alice in Chains-The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
After 2009's "Black and Blue," many were unsure how the refurbished Alice in Chains would sound going into future. Rest easy fans, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Put Here is a mainstream rock album that doesn't compromise the tortured grit that made the band the alternative staple that it is today. The band hasn't sound this fresh or cohesive since the 1995 EP release "Jar of Flies".
Recommended Tracks:Voices, Choke, Scalpel
11.Oliver Tank Slow Motion Music
The Australian's 2nd EP is more a religious experience than a listening one. A dreamy, ethereal landscape is created within the span of seven tracks, doing what Bon Iver's Justin Vernon does on their album, though conveys the feelings behind the songs better with the icy production and haunted special effects.
Recommended Tracks: Stay, Home, Blessing In Disguise, Her
Monday, August 26, 2013
2013 MTV Video Music Awards: The Performances and Winners
Lady Gaga-Applause
Best Male Video Bruno Mars-Locked Out of Heaven
Best Female Video Taylor Swift-I Knew You Were Trouble
Artist to Watch Austin Mahone-What About Love
Best Pop Video Selena Gomez-Come and Get It
Best Rock Video 30 Seconds To Mars-Up In The Air
Best Hip-Hop Video Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-Can't Hold Us (feat.Ray Dalton)
Best Collaboration Pink-Just Give Me a Reason (feat. Nate Ruess of fun.)
Best Direction Justin Timberlake-Suit and Tie (feat.Jay Z)
Best Choreography Bruno Mars-Treasure
Best Visual Effects Capital Cities-Safe and Sound
Best Art Direction Janelle Monae-Q.U.E.E.N (feat.Erykah Badu)
Best Editing Justin Timberlake-Mirrors
Best Cinematography Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-Can't Hold Us (feat.Ray Dalton)
Best Video with a Social Message Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-Same Love (feat.Mary Lambert)
Best Song of the Summer One Direction-Best Song Ever
Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award Justin Timberlake
Friday, July 12, 2013
My Favourite Songs of 2013...Thus Far
With half of the year over and another half to go, the music has been just coming and coming and coming and...well you get the idea! Some of it good, some bad, some meh and some very exceptional. While a lot of American artists seem to be giving us the run-around with their music (a certain artist whose name begins a B and ends with a Eyonce?), other countries have been keeping their music flowing (sometimes overflowing) that I can't keep up with releases. I usually do a best of list, but since it's only the middle of year, I decided to go with some of my favourites rather than the ones that I think are the best, which can wait until December.
Girl's Day-Expectation
Girl's Day shed their quirky, side-splitting antics for a more mature concept and did not disappoint with this highly infectious dance-pop slice of heaven. It's already my most played song of the year and second most played of all time (damn you BoA for releasing "Only One.")
Nine Muses-Dolls
The classy nine get paired with Sweetune for this equally classy, jazz-inspired record. If you aren't tapping your toes to the beat, you seem to be missing a soul (or just don't like K-Pop).
Ellie Goulding-You,My Everything
This song is everything that is right with Ellie Goulding. "You, My Everything" is just Ellie's husky yet dreamy vocals over Jim Eliot's drum and bass inspired production. Just how I like her.
Girl's Generation-I Got a Boy
The hate for this song was warranted. I commend SM for breaking the Americanized cookie-cutter mold for K-Pop songs by mixing and mashing five or so songs together and transforming the divine nine into aegeyo hip-hop queens. #bowdown.
2AM Club-Black Liquor
The band laments their late night escapades over a minimalist beat fit for a The Weeknd record. If I told you that I have never cried listening to this record, I would be telling you a lie.
Rudimental-Hell Could Freeze (feat. Angel Haze)
Rudimental is a extremely versatile and "Hell Could Freeze" has to be one of their best. New York raptress Angel Haze talks about a failed relationship that she is willing to try again
Jessie Ware-Imagine It Was Us
Her solo foray into the 90s house trend that has become so popular within the past year, Jessie blesses us with her consistently sultry vocals while serving some "Queen of The Night" realness in the music video.
Supercell-The Bravery
J-Pop as I remember it from when I used to watch Anime as an awkward pre-adolesent/teen. Full of energy, heavy on the rock and a soaring inspiring chorus with so whoas and yeahs added for good measure. The five minute length is a turn off though.
Kate Nash-OHMYGOD!
Kate Nash starts this punk-pop tune languid then hits us with a stir-crazy chorus that was made for the summer and for pop radio. Too bad she's independent now.
Kanye West-Bound 2
The Kanye West that everybody was waiting for to come back. Though the lyrics are a bit iffy, it still captures perfectly who Kanye was before his "808"days.
T-ARA N4-Countryside Life
THE BEST K-POP OF 2013 SO FAR!!! Only T-ARA would have the balls to have their sub-unit come out with a netizen diss song, incorporate the real Harlem shake in the video and update Richard Simmons's ridiculous exercises. Why U Hatin'?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)