album review: 'a sailor's guide to earth' by sturgill simpson

I want to start this review by clarifying something important: I've talked a lot in the past about genre and how it can play a role in how artists are marketed and sold, but at the end of the day I really don't care all that much which genre an artist chooses. If an artist wants to take a pivot into uncharted territory for them, I might be skeptical of the choice, but provided they pull it off well, I'm generally pretty accepting of it.

And thus when Sturgill Simpson made his incredible sophomore album Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, I had no problems at all that he was blending in elements of psychedelic rock - after all, he did it well, one of the many reasons that record is one of my favourites of 2014. But what started to irk me was the aftermath of it all, and one you can expect when an artist starts getting crossover attention from the hipster crowd. And by now, anyone who has followed Sturgill had heard the comments: 'oh, I don't like country music, but I like Sturgill Simpson', as if they'd like to pretend that country was never a factor because they'd never want to be associated with it. Seriously, those pretentious twits can blow me, mostly because country is just as viable of an artform as any other genre and denying the role Sturgill has played does a disservice to everyone, especially his producer on that record Dave Cobb, who recently released with Southern Family one of the best country records and albums period that I've heard in the past few years.

That said, I had heard that Sturgill Simpson was going to be taking his country influences even further afoot with his upcoming record A Sailor's Guide To Earth, beyond psychedelia and into more soul tones, including a full horns section, and combined with Sturgill not working with Dave Cobb and producing the entire record himself, I was a little concerned. Sure, it was bound to be a very good, probably great record, but this sort of experimentation was pushing into uncharted territory, and if the fundamentals are compromised, this could get messy. But look, the man has incredible talent and I had hope that A Sailor's Guide To Earth might stick the landing: did Sturgill pull it off?

video review: 'lead poison' by elzhi

Finally glad I got a chance to cover this, and damn, it was so good. Next up... well, there's Tim Hecker, but that Sturgill Simpson and Parquet Courts records is tempting too... stay tuned!

album review: 'lead poison' by elzhi

I've talked a bit before about regionalism in hip-hop, how certain areas cultivate certain sounds and styles of rap. New York hip-hop tends to be more opulent and proud, the West Coast trends towards more laid-back grooves and g-funk, the South is known for trap and hard, trunk-knocking bangers, you get the picture.

And yet if we cast our eyes to the city of Detroit, only one word springs to my mind: bars. Formerly the engine of the United States but now fallen into disrepair and poverty, to me Detroit has always been characterized by hard-edged MCs fighting their way out and building independence with sheer, mind-bending wordplay. Granted, I'll wholeheartedly admit a lot of this impression was probably crafted by an early liking for Eminem and seeing 8 Mile one too many times, but when you consider rappers like Eminem and Royce da 5'9'' or even more out there MCs like Danny Brown, one of the reasons they remain interesting rappers is how they construct their wordplay. And hell, even though I don't like Big Sean I'll give him credit for at least trying to hold up the legacy when he talks about his hometown.

And continuing in that tradition is Elzhi, former member of Slum Village which was most well-known as J.Dilla's group, though the two were not in the the group at the same time. For the longest time he was one of those MCs I had just not had the time to dig into - but I'm definitely glad I found time to check out his 2008 album The Preface, because it is just the type of hip-hop I really like. Great production courtesy of Black Milk, fantastic wordplay, and Elzhi delivering not just great bars but great stories, showing a ton of real promise and poise. Along with his mixtapes he also released a tribute to Nas' Illmatic in 2011, which is also pretty damn excellent... but let's get real, it's been nearly five years since we've heard an Elzhi project. This one was funded through Kickstarter back in 2013, but after extended delays we finally have it. Was it worth the wait?

video review: 'more issues than vogue' by k. michelle

I don't know why I'm always surprised that a K. Michelle record is actually good, but this is pretty damn solid, definitely liked it. Except 'Rich' - goddamn, that song is terrible.

Next up, think I'm ready for Elzhi, so stay tuned!

album review: 'more issues than vogue' by k. michelle

When I first covered K. Michelle near the end of 2014, I found myself surprised. That had been a year where I was taking tentative steps to appreciating more R&B, and as such I had been game to K. Michelle's somewhat unique position. She had played the reality show game but you can tell there was a unique songwriting voice that came through her record Anyone Want To Buy A Heart?, a fiercely independent and imaginative writer that had genuine promise. That record had the potential to be a smash... potential that wasn't realized thanks to frustratingly cheap production and a vocal performance that brought volume but not quite the tact or emotive subtlety to match the writing. In other words, definitely a good record, but a flawed one all the same.

As such I was strongly debating whether I would even bother to cover her third release, More Issues Than Vogue. On the one hand, it was reportedly a greater stab towards differing genres and styles, pushing more artistic boundaries - of which K. Michelle had shown a tendency towards on her sophomore release, there had been some odd instrumental choices there. But what gave me pause were the songwriting credits, namely that K. Michelle didn't have writing credits at all on over half of the album. This is coming after an album where she had writing credits on every single song and a lot fewer cowriters overall, and it gave me concern that her unique personality would end up diminished, especially when there was no guarantee her production team was top quality. But hey, it could turn alright, so I dug into More Issues Than Vogue - how did it turn out?

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - april 23, 2016 (VIDEO)

Man, this took WAY too long to finish. Long episode too, so I hope you all enjoy!

Next up... hmm, time to take care of some unfinished business, so stay tuned!

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - april 23, 2016

And to think this week was going to be busy enough. The chart instability is only getting more pronounced, we've got a healthy list of new arrivals - including what looks to be bad signs coming from Drake's lead-off to Views From The 6 - I thought things would be mostly stable. So of course here comes Kanye West with eight new songs from The Life Of Pablo, an album I covered nearly two months ago with one of the most confused release strategies I've ever seen play out. Of course, such is the transcendent power of Kanye's fame and fanbase that the album went to #1 on streaming alone, regardless of middling quality or the fact that it's been out for two months already.

video review: 'metal resistance' by BABYMETAL

I liked it. Sue me.

Next up, Billboard BREAKDOWN, and i'm really not sure what might come next, so stay tuned!

video review: 'TWENTY88' by big sean & jhene aiko

Man, my promotional efforts have been absolute crap these days. Anyway, this record turned out better than expected - not precisely good, but still interesting enough.

Next up... well, you'll see. Stay tuned!

album review: 'metal resistance' by babymetal

Have to be honest, even I am surprised that I'm covering this band, a group that blew up on the Internet and in their native country of Japan a few years back but only now are seeing a real explosion on this side of the Pacific, bound with all of the controversy that one would expect fusing idol j-pop with a hodgepodge of extreme metal.

And really, there shouldn't be a controversy about this. I heard about Babymetal around the time of their debut and really was not all that surprised or impressed by the novelty of the concept. Oh look, a bunch of cute j-pop singers in front of what otherwise would be synth-driven DDR music except with a full metal backing band - cute concept, but on my first few listens that's all it seemed to be: a bit of a gimmick, and not even a new one. Let's face it, as much as some hardcore metalheads will refuse to admit it, heavy metal can work in a pop-leaning context. As much people tend to dump on hair metal or nu metal, both genres have their standouts that can work, and I've always thought symphonic metal with a solid hook can play in the same arena, if only because their power ballads are on a different level compared to most. Hell, I don't even need to point to Nightwish or Within Temptation or - God help us - Evanescence for proof of that, Disturbed is now notching their biggest ever hit on the Hot 100 with a cover of 'The Sound Of Silence'. Now I'll concede the more extreme metal genres have always been a bit different, but I've also heard enough Devin Townsend to know if the melodic hook is strong enough, you can win over most audiences - it's not like the riffs are that much more abrasive than modern EDM synths or a dubstep breakdown.

As such, my issues with Babymetal have always been a little different, because as much as I dig a lot of the heavier riffs fused with pop hooks, there are real problems with that debut album. For one, many of the songs did try to do too much, including genre fusions of hip-hop, reggae, and dubstep that did not fit whatsoever. A more glaring problem came in the lyrics - I get that most people aren't going to bother translating them, but they do come across as a tad too cute to really mesh all the way with a metal sound, which didn't help dispel the image of the band being a gimmick. That said, when I heard their sophomore record was taking things a little more seriously with more cohesion, I figured this was probably worth my time: was I right?

album review: 'twenty88' by big sean & jhene aiko

When I first heard about this project, I thought it was a joke.

And by now you all should know how I feel about these two acts, but in case you don't, Jhene Aiko is probably the one with whom you're a little less familiar. If you do remember her, it's probably for being the best part of that godawful Omarion and Chris Brown track 'Post To Be', although that really isn't saying much given that track landed on my top ten worst hit songs of 2015. And what made it so much worse is that just a year earlier, Jhene Aiko was an R&B star was entirely behind, riding a few pretty songs and EPs to her debut Souled Out, which is one of my favourite R&B albums of the 2010s! Smart, beautifully performed and produced, it had so much goddamn promise - and it did precisely nothing on the charts in terms of singles, even though the record did sell well.

So I understand if Jhene Aiko wanted to network and get a boost for her career... but did it have to be Big Sean of all people? Those of you who saw my Dark Sky Paradise review know that I'm no fan of this guy, who somehow manages to squander the backing and production of Kanye West with some of the corniest and sloppily written bars you'll find in mainstream hip-hop. I'm not going to deny he's made a few songs I like, but the songs I don't like, to quote my buddy Anthony Fantano... (stream of inarticulate 'nos').

So on that note, I shouldn't even be surprised that Jhene Aiko and Big Sean were apparently long time friends, even if it does kind of depress me. It's like remembering that Ariana Grande used to date Big Sean, and that he also dated Naya Rivera from Glee, it just makes me so sad for every woman involved, they can do so much better. But enough tabloid nonsense, apparently they put together a project. And I debated even covering it, given that it was technically considered an EP. But then again, it's a half hour long, Jhene Aiko clearly saw something in this project that's worth while, and Big Sean has been slowly becoming a better rapper, so I decided to check out TWENTY88 - how did it go?

video review: 'lukas graham' by lukas graham

Apparently it's surprising that I chose to cover this album. I was just genuinely curious - for a pop record, it certainly has unique personality, just a little too slick and sanitized for my taste.

Next up... I think I want to keep it as a surprise, if only because how much its existence surprised me. Stay tuned!

album review: 'lukas graham' by lukas graham

I think I've said in the past that music from around the world landing on the US Hot 100 is basically a crapshoot. It happens occasionally, but with the exception of huge established acts from Canada like Drake or Justin Bieber or the UK in Adele, it tends to be very rare that you get a smash hit. And that becomes especially true when you look at the indie scene, as most acts barely have the money to promote themselves within their own country, let alone internationally. However, it becomes a little more likely when you get an act that gets traction stateside and major labels look to hop on the trend and flesh out their respective rosters with whoever they can find. And obviously they're going to opt for Americans first - paradoxically then taking them on international tours before trying to break into the US market - but sometimes they get a little desperate or they find an act that's been quietly doing well and prime the pump for a real push.

So when 'Stressed Out' by twenty one pilots got big, I knew it was only a matter of time before indie pop-leaning acts with borderline emo lyrics would start to creep towards the mainstream pop music to provide the 'smarter' counterbalance to Justin Bieber's whiny narcissism - hence we have Lukas Graham. Now they released a self-titled debut in their native Denmark back in 2012 that got huge reception there... and pretty much nowhere else. And while I wouldn't say I was blown away by it - the writing definitely showed the signs of being a debut, the pop soul blend seemed a little too polished for my taste - it did catch the attention of Warner Bros, which put some backing behind their second self-titled album, otherwise known as the 'blue album', where '7 Years' actually wasn't the lead-off single. It was the third single from that sophomore release... and then thanks partially to the success of twenty one pilots opening the way, the song is now absolutely huge and everywhere, propelling Lukas Graham into the spotlight and Warner Bros to desperately repackage an album for mainstream consumption. So on that promising note, how's the album?

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - april 16, 2016 (VIDEO)

Well, this happened and has already sparked up furious debate. Billboard BREAKDOWN, folks.

Okay, Lukas Graham next, so stay tuned!

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - april 16, 2016

So as I predicted, this week is indeed busier than last week, with not just more activity within the charts but a slew of new arrivals... and yet my predictions why this happened seem to have mostly gone unanswered. Sure, Zayn's debut album Mind of Mine made an impact, but not with any new arrivals. Instead... well, let's just say that I'd prefer Zayn had gotten traction than Young Thug.

video review: 'weezer (white album)' by weezer

So I can only imagine how this review will be received... eh, whatever, it happens.

Next up, hopefully a more busy episode of Billboard BREAKDOWN, followed by plenty of new projects on my list, so stay tuned!

album review: 'weezer (the white album)' by weezer

I don't normally talk about artistic legacy on this show, mostly because it'd be unbelievably arrogant of me to assume that I could ever dictate the course of history with one of these reviews. At the end of the day, history is going to proceed as it may, and how much any critic's singular opinion might matter is a complex question. Maybe in the years where singular critical voices had more power and were more recognizable - which paradoxically in the age of YouTube personalities might become a 'thing' again - but when most people read Rolling Stone or Pitchfork, they consider the review a reflection of the outlet's opinion, not of the individual critic who wrote it, and those outlets have more clout than I can see myself having for several years, at the very least.

That said, when you consider the artistic legacy of an act like Weezer, how can you best describe it? A few solid to excellent albums in the 90s, a return to form in the 2010s with Everything Will Be Alright In The End, and between them a wasteland of records that at best were okay and at worst were asinine and insufferable. Because make no mistake, Weezer's been around now for over twenty years, and that length of time becomes significant when you realize how much of their discography doesn't hold up as strongly as you'd hope, especially in comparison with their best. And sure, I can appreciate the relief that Weezer fans must have felt with that record in 2014 actually being good... but at the same time, I have not had any urge to go back and relisten to it in the same way I might Pinkerton or The Blue Album.

And as such I had a lot of mixed feelings about their upcoming newest self-titled record, otherwise known as the 'White Album' - ha, ha, very clever. And yet I had a lot of reservations about covering this, the first being that they pitched long-time collaborating producer Ric Ocasek for Jake Sinclair, the producer you might recognize behind 5 Seconds Of Summer or Taylor Swift. It also didn't help matters that the buzz was suggesting that not only was this record a concept album, but Rivers Cuomo had once again descended down the lyrical rabbit hole - or up his own ass, it's really interchangeable at this point - and I can't be the only one who has long ago ran out of patience for that. I mean, I like eccentric, out-there lyricism that can be tough to decode, but I have a line, and Rivers Cuomo frequently steps over it. So with all of those reservations, how did the 'white album' turn out?

video review: 'hella personal film festival' by open mike eagle & paul white

So this album is fantastic. Again, bit of a hot streak with pretty damn solid records to make up for how slow this year started. I'm enthused, so let's check out that Cobalt record next - stay tuned!

album review: 'hella personal film festival' by open mike eagle & paul white

Well, this is a bit awkward.

See, those who have followed me for the past few years know that I covered Open Mike Eagle's Dark Comedy in 2014 - so much so that it landed on my year end list of my favourite records of that years at #3. And really, that record gets better every single time I hear it: a glitchy, frequently funny, often heartbreaking hip-hop record with so much unique wordplay and thought-provoking ideas that it showed Open Mike Eagle at the top of his game.

And yet even though I really loved that project, I kind of missed both of the projects he dropped in 2015. The first is a little more explainable - A Special Episode Of was an EP, I don't normally cover EPs, and while I did hear it and thought it was really solid, it wasn't really something that captured my attention in the same way Dark Comedy did, and I've always felt that Open Mike Eagle's thoughts are best expressed on fully formed albums rather than short form. The second project is a little less explicable - a collaboration with Serengeti under the name Cavanaugh, something that just slid through the cracks at the end of the year with mostly positive reviews.

But I'm not missing out this time and even though this is also a collaboration project, it strikes me as a little more of a traditional Open Mike Eagle project, as Paul White is a UK-based producer known for working with Danny Brown that handles the majority of the production here. And considering the sound was reportedly more sample driven and soulful - and yet of course still containing that glitchiness you'd expect from Open Mike Eagle that seems to characterize his anxious neuroses - I wondered how well a greater focus on melody would complement Open Mike Eagle's occasionally sing-song rapping cadence. Either way, a blend of old-school sounds and progressive hip-hop is right up my alley, so I dug deep into Hella Personal Film Festival - what did I get?

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - april 9, 2016 (VIDEO)

Well, that was a quick week. Next up, Open Mike Eagle - got a lot to say here, so stay tuned!