video review: 'TRXYE' by troye sivan

Okay, next is Imogen Heap. You all wanted this, you got it.

But until then, stay tuned!

album review: 'TRXYE' by troye sivan

Okay, in case most of you who are new here haven't gotten the message, I don't tend to cover EPs. I tend to like looking at fully formed albums that have definitive presence and a theme behind them, which even shallow dance-pop albums can deliver.

And on that note, I tend to be a little cautious when covering fellow YouTubers. I've talked about this way back when I reviewed Karmin's major label debut album, because YouTube is a smaller community than you might think and there's always the chance that whatever I review gets back to the artist in question. Now the conclusion I ultimately drew was that I'm still a critic, and it doesn't matter what platform they started on, they deserve the same level of criticism as any other act, and to soften my typical style would be a disservice to Troye Sivan, because the implication would be, should I go easy on him because of YouTube or because it's an EP or because he's 19, that I don't feel his art can stand in the big leagues, and that's not fair to him. And considering so many of you recommended this guy, I figured I'd do my due diligence and take a look.

So, Troye Sivan. Australian, does a lot of acting and theater work, and a prominent YouTuber who has built a pretty impressive platform. He got his major breakthrough with one of his songs featuring in the hit romance movie of this year The Fault In Our Stars, based on a novel written by author and fellow YouTuber movie. Now I haven't seen that movie, mostly because that particular brand of cancer drama tends to gun for sentimentality that I don't tend to like, but I did hear Troye Sivan's charting single on the lower end of the Billboard Hot 100 'Happy Little Pill' and wasn't exactly impressed. But I kept getting requests for this EP so I figured there had to be something that was gripping everyone and gave it several listens. What did I get?

video review: 'my everything' by ariana grande

Hopefully this'll satisfy everyone who kept requesting that I talk about this.

Anyway, next up will be Imogen Heap. Stay tuned!

album review: 'my everything' by ariana grande

It's been an eventful year for Ariana Grande.

And let's be fair here, it wasn't exactly like 2013 was a bad year for her, considering the breakthrough success of 'The Way' and to a lesser extent with 'Baby I', songs that did a fair amount to showcase her talent and did enough for me to review her debut album Yours Truly. Which, for the most part, I quite liked: the songwriting was well-framed and complimented Ariana Grande's image and delivery quite well, and it featured a fair few songs that really stuck with me, including her collaboration with Mika 'Popular Song', which landed on my list of my favourite songs of 2013. Sure, I didn't think the instrumentation and production was all that stellar, but I figured that would be something that would take a little time to iron out.

Now one element I noticed about that debut is that even though Ariana wanted to distance herself from her Nickelodeon sitcom roots, her material was still fairly 'innocent', all things considered. Sex and sexuality were referred to through innuendo, the romance took center stage, and the songs had a much lighter tone - and like someone who has seen so many teen starlets go down this road before, or even Ariana's vocal predecessor Mariah Carey, I knew that pristine image wasn't likely to last, especially as Ariana rocketed up the charts and as of this recording has three songs in the Billboard Hot 100. And with a larger stable of writers and collaborators jumping behind her, you could tell that the marketing push was looking for this album to sell a lot. Yours Truly was the warm-up, this was the real deal, so how's the record?

video review: 'maximum overload' by dragonforce

And that'll probably end off a streak of records/videos because I'm going to have company this weekend (spoilers: Imogen Heap video might be delayed until next week or Sunday, because I'm exhausted). Still pretty pleased with how it turned out, though.

Well, regardless, it's Imogen Heap and then finally I'll talk about Ariana Grande like all of you have gone on about. Stay tuned!

album review: 'maximum overload' by dragonforce

You won't find many metal bands with a worse reputation within their own genre than DragonForce.

And really, it was inevitable the instant 'Through The Fire And The Flames' popped up as a track on Guitar Hero and DragonForce was vaulted into stardom thanks to a focus on their blazing, gratuitously fast riffs and ludicrously overblown lyrics and sound. Even though conceptually they weren't many steps away from many common topics in traditional power metal and speed metal, they were the ones who got popular and their completely sincere embrace of their material became an easy target for backlash. It didn't help matters that the more one dug into DragonForce, the less substantial and well-written the lyrics were, to the point where the speed and occasionally solid melodic progressions were the only things saving the band from being a borderline parody of itself, especially after less-than-favourable live reviews started coming in. 

Nevertheless, DragonForce continued on with Ultra Beatdown in 2008, which tried to showcase more experimentation and progressive elements and did contain some solid enough songs, but at this point the lyrics were becoming a much more noticeable problem, demonstrating less and less cohesion and elements that were starting to actively repeat themselves. After that, lead singer ZP Theart left in 2010, replaced by Marc Hudson, and they released The Power Within in 2012, which wasn't a bad record by any stretch but the more I listened to it the more I began to think the band was missing their mark. Sure, the fast-paced speed runs were impressive, but DragonForce could write some really solid well-textured melodic grooves at a slower pace, and considering the lyrics of DragonForce were always pretty much interchangeable, I didn't want to see the band become just a gimmick.

In any case, I had no high expectations with their newest album Maximum Overload, featuring new drummer Gee Anzalone after Dave Mackintosh left to pursue progressive rock projects. So what did I get?

video review: 'blacc hollywood' by wiz khalifa

Whew, that should be it when it comes to frustrating records this week. Let's hope for better.

Then again, next up is Dragonforce, so I've got no idea how that's going to turn out. Stay tuned!

album review: 'blacc hollywood' by wiz khalifa

The last time I talked about weed rap was way back last year when I reviewed Sonic Dopamine, the album from Cousin Ayjay, which was more of a layered and intriguing concept album about getting stoned than anything else. Even though I haven't really revisited it much since, I still respect it for some interesting wordplay, great production and a fair amount of ambition.

Yeah, we're not getting that here. Wiz Khalifa may have started with some vestige of street cred and nuggets of insight on his mixtapes, but that degenerated quickly when he burst into the mainstream in 2011 with his major label debut on Atlantic with Rolling Papers, quickly becoming the mainstream-accessible weed rapper with a strong focus on pop-friendly hooks. And to his credit, as much as Wiz Khalifa wasn't a technically strong lyrical MC, he occasionally managed to pull together some decent hooks and lightweight production that was pretty tolerable. I'll admit it, 'Roll Up' was surprisingly sincere, and his collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Bruno Mars 'Young, Wild & Free' was one of my favourite songs of 2012, even though Wiz Khalifa was probably the weakest performer on that track. And yet ever since that high point, Wiz Khalifa seemed to get less and less interesting as both a technical lyricist and with regards to his content, focused on ever shallower weed and luxury rap. And what was frustrating about him is that, well, we already have a Snoop Dogg who can step up to the mic with effortless charisma and marginally better wordplay, and Wiz Khalifa always pales in comparison. But even as his verses got more vapid, he tended to have solid enough hooks on songs like 'Work Hard, Play Hard' and 'We Own It', even though he seemed to be succumbing to Autotune abuse.

And let me make this clear: the opening singles for this record were not giving me any good feelings about this record - hell, I was planning on skipping it altogether. But I thought, 'Hey, I gave Kid Ink and Iggy Azalea a chance, and they both managed to surprise me, maybe this record isn't that bad, right?'

video review: 'ignite the night' by chase rice

Oh, I can't imagine how this review would inspire controversy WHATSOEVER...

Okay, got that out of the way, what's next... 

Wiz Khalifa. By the Nine Hells...

album review: 'ignite the night' by chase rice

There's one thing that tends to be true about trends in music: the acts that jump on the trend last tend to be the absolute worst. We're looking at the group that's not perceptive enough to realize it's dead and gone, the group who are gunning for the quick cash-in, and those who weren't talented enough to ride the wave when it first began to crest.

And thus I knew that as I had chronicles the rise and subsequent collapse of bro-country, I dreaded the acts at the tail end of the trend, the ones who owed their careers to helping craft the music and now had the chance to grab a hold of the spotlight, if only for a brief time. And thus, I couldn't help but feel a certain amount of dread when I prepared to look at the major label debut of Chase Rice, who was most notable for his big single 'Ready, Set, Roll' that is only now inching up the charts. And really, that song annoyed me right out of the gate, a grab-bag of country cliches with some of the most sterile and electronic production I've heard thus far this year in country music outside of Cole Swindell. And like Cole Swindell, he got his start writing for other country acts, most notably co-writing 'Cruise' with Florida Georgia Line, a song I don't exactly dislike but one that doesn't inspire anything close to intelligence.

Now to be fair, like Florida Georgia Line, Chase Rice at least seemed to be having some fun on his song and I had heard that some of his deep cuts did actually talk about things outside of the bro-country catalogue, so I steeled myself for the absolute worst and looked up his major label debut Ignite The Night. What did I find?

video review: 'the golden echo' by kimbra

Well, this was... odd. I wish I liked the instrumentation better, but Kimbra's got some solid thematic arcs here that are definitely worth some consideration.

Next up... okay, apparently Dragonforce dropped an album in 2012 that I didn't know about, so I need a little more time for them. In between...

Chase Rice. Oh fuck.

album review: 'the golden echo' by kimbra

In 2012, the world was rocked by a surprise indie hit that soared up the charts and remained there for months on end, a song that would ultimately become the #1 song of Billboard's year-end charts of that year, capping off a year in pop music that has held up surprisingly well upon re-examination. It was a level of success previously unknown to the artist and his collaborator, the former who had spent the previous decade quietly making very solid indie albums that had garnered him a fair amount of respect and critical appreciation.

Of course, the singer-songwriter I'm talking about in this case is Gotye, and the song is 'Somebody That I Used To Know', a song to this day I really like and yet can say it's not even the best song on that third album Making Mirrors. But while he works on his next record, let's talk about his collaborator on that song and the real reason why it works as well as it does: Kimbra, a New Zealand singer-songwriter who had released her debut album Vows in 2011. And having revisited that record... well, it's odd. Kimbra's blend of retro-glam breathy vocals was an odd fit against the aggressively chipper jazzy indie pop and over-expansive production, and when you throw in lyrics going for cooing lounge singer entreaties with a subversive feminist edge and an undercurrent of brittle instability, you got a unique and decidedly memorable performer. And despite a few missteps, I really dug the mess of contradictions that coalesced on that record, mostly because Kimbra was the sort of singer who I could still pull together a melodically interesting and lyrically nuanced track. 

So you can bet I was intrigued about her newest album The Golden Echo, especially considering the early buzz suggested the album was even more of a mess than its predecessor. So I took a look: what did I get?

video review: 'they want my soul' by spoon

Man, this is a solid record. Not exceptional or something that'll blow your mind, but Spoon delivered exactly what you'd expect and a damn great version of it too. Seriously, check this album out.

Otherwise, this is going to be a busy week for me. I think I'll tackle Kimbra first, and then it's Dragonforce. Stay tuned!

album review: 'they want my soul' by spoon

So here's one of the frustrating things about being a music critic, particularly if you cover indie music in any variety. Inevitably, you build up a list of indie bands that, for some reason, could have had that big mainstream breakout hit and yet never did. And on a certain level, it makes no sense: these bands might have a pop sensibility or ridiculously catchy choruses or even a sound that would fit perfectly into the mainstream but for a slightly weirder edge, and yet they've never managed to get that big hit. It's especially infuriating if you're a fan of power pop, a genre fitting between rock and pop music with huge choruses and a ridiculous amount of pop appeal, and yet always seem to get caught in the gap and never get the airplay they deserve.

And if you know indie rock, you know one of the bands that tends to leap to the top of that list is Spoon, the indie rock band that has accumulated a ton of critical acclaim over the past decade over several great albums and yet never got that breakout hit. It's a more than a little frustrating, mostly because Spoon is a great melody-driven rock band with tons of guitar texture, ridiculously catchy choruses, and lyrics that are strikingly clever without being flashy about it. If anything, that's probably the reason Spoon never got that monster hit - they aren't exactly a flashy band or one that's about to switch up their style or sell out in order to break, instead content to pump out great record after great record for their devoted fanbase, from their early hard-edged albums reminiscent of the Pixies to the understated punch of their early 2000s work to their brief flirtation with the mainstream with their mid-2000s work. And yeah, you can count me among that group of newfound fans, with my favourite record probably being Girls Can Tell with Kill The Moonlight as a close second. 

As for my least favourite Spoon album... okay, here's the thing about Transference, their 2010 release that soured some of their newfound fans won after Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - it's not a bad album, all exposed messy edges and minor chords and abrasive lyrics, but it's the sort of album where every 'imperfection' is carefully calculated, and that can resonate as a little off to me. But after that record, Spoon took another four years off and came back finally this year with They Want My Soul - how is it?

video review: 'worlds' by porter robinson

Well, this was a bit of a dud. Eh, they happen.

Next up, I finally tackle Spoon before heading into the significantly more crowded late August. Stay tuned!

album review: 'worlds' by porter robinson

It's one of the unspoken truths of synthpop that if your instrumentation and production is good enough, your lyrics won't matter. Hell, you can say that's true for the majority of modern pop music, but synthpop is probably one of the more egregious offenders, mostly because of its lineage. Throughout its early years and especially around its breakthrough with new wave in the early 80s with the rise of MTV, synthpop could get by through keeping its instrumentation and image edgy and cool, and deeper substance beyond that was just a bonus.

Now keep in mind I don't exactly think this is a bad thing: if you're not a good lyricist, it's probably best to keep that simple or minimalized and focus on the elements that will at least drive people to dance, but as a critic who appreciates when lyrics inform the context and emotion, it means I don't tend to have a lot to talk about when discussing synth albums, especially those emerging from the EDM scene. And thus I was a little wary about discussing Porter Robinson, a producer and DJ signed to Skrillex's record label and who got sick of the mainstream EDM where he made his name and wanted to shift things up. Now I don't mind the step away from EDM towards synthpop, but some of Porter Robinson's main influences did make me a little cautious. For one, he claimed to draw a lot of his influences from the high-energy j-pop scene and anime, both of which I know but I can't say I'm a huge fan.

But then again, I'm always willing to try new things, and I did mostly like that Hundred Waters release on Skrillex's label earlier this year, so I gave Worlds by Porter Robinson a chance: what did I find?

video review: 'directors of photography' by dilated peoples

Took way longer than I would have liked, but it's done. Pretty damn proud of this review, too.

Okay, need more time before Spoon or Pallbearer... hell, might as well cover that Porter Robinson record everyone keeps asking me about...

album review: 'directors of photography' by dilated peoples

It's really been a shockingly good year for hip-hop music.

Well, you wouldn't know it if you only followed mainstream rap, but 2014 has proven to be shockingly good both in the introduction of new talent, an explosion of established MCs delivering solid projects or going in a new direction to strong results, and even old underground talents returning to the spotlight with seriously solid records. It's definitely a shame more of it hasn't elbowed its way into the mainstream just yet, but really, that's only just a matter of time, especially as a slew of strong records from TDE continue to gain mainstream attention and even some airplay.

But TDE isn't the only hip-hop label that's putting out quality, and this takes us to Rhymesayers Entertainment, an indie label based in Minneapolis who has some seriously talented MCs behind it like MF Doom, Brother Ali, and Step Brothers, the collaboration project between producers and rappers The Alchemist and Evidence, who released their debut record this year Lord Steppington.

But here's a funny thing: The Alchemist and Evidence have worked together before, on a project that has a certain amount of justly deserved critical acclaim in the underground. That project was Dilated Peoples, featuring the trio of DJ Babu, Evidence, and MC Rakaa Iriscience. After almost a decade of work, they released the exceedingly strong one-two punch in 2000 and 2001 with The Platform and Expansion Team, two records designed to be a thinking rapper's counterattack to the overheated violence and melodrama of gangsta rap. And while I definitely think The Platform is stellar, I couldn't help but notice the flow and wordplay seemed to simplify and get less interesting with each subsequent album, especially on 2004's Neighborhood Watch that had simpler production and their one genuinely awesome charting hit 'This Way' featuring Kanye West. They managed to pull things around with the reasonably solid 20/20, but it was the sort of return to form that simultaneously went grittier, more political, and a lot less likely to break through. It was their final album on Capitol Records, and after that, the group did not release an album or singles for years, going on to other projects and never really indicating there would be another Dilated Peoples record.

And yet this year, where many veterans have returned to the microphone, Evidence, Rakaa Iriscience, and DJ Babu have come together to drop a new album titled Directors of Photography, and you can bet I wanted to check it out. How is it?

video review: 'lp1' by fka twigs

Not giving this record as much critical acclaim as everyone else, but is still definitely worth your time for one of the best new talents of the genre.

Next up.. gah, need more time for Spoon and Dilated Peoples. Need another debut album... okay, stay tuned!

album review: 'lp1' by fka twigs

So let's talk about sex.

More specifically, let's talk about sex with regards to music. It's long been held that sex sells in some capacity, and you can point to dozens, if not hundreds of artists who have used sexuality in some way to sell their records. Tellingly, the number gets smaller when said sexuality is placed within the music and not just the image, and it gets smaller still when you discount the many acts who have simply made music about sex in order to titillate and nothing else. And if you want to shrink the number even further, discount all of the artists who use their music to talk around sex, using metaphors and symbolism to describe sex to get around censors or to make their songs have some additional class and poetry.

No, today we're going to be talking about a very small group of artists: those who use music that is written about sex and can even sound like sex, but in reality sex is the metaphor being used for other emotions driving the material. This is a much trickier balance to pull off, because sex is one of the most intimate, powerful, passionate experiences one can have in their lives, and using it to represent other things in art can be tricky indeed, mostly because the majority of audiences will simply focus on the sexual imagery and take things literally. You want a prime example of this dichotomy playing out in modern music? 'Do What U Want' by Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly - easily one of the best songs off of ARTPOP, and yet it suffers the frustrating lack of lyrical cohesion where Gaga is using sex as a metaphor to describe her tempestuous relationship with her audience and the press and how they judge her work, and then R.Kelly gets on the song and makes it, quite literally, about sex. And the startling thing is that R.Kelly is such a force of personality on the song that he can make even critics like myself think the song is really about sex all along.

So how do you get around problems like this? Enter FKA Twigs, with the 'FKA' standing for 'formerly known as' in order to get around a naming controversy with another artist. She started building serious buzz in the independent scene last year with her second EP through the Young Turks indie record label and a series of music videos that didn't shy away from thought-provoking imagery. And with a simply stunning voice, some fairly potent lyrics and instrumentation that blended spacious PBR&B and indie-electronica that recalled acts like James Blake, it was music that sounded like sex and yet seemed to be saying a lot more. So of course I picked up her debut album LP1, especially after the tidal wave of critical acclaim started pouring in...