billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - september 17, 2016

So let me give you all a quick recap of my past few days. I get home from vacation, put up my big recap video, get ready to set up the Travis Scott review and then Billboard BREAKDOWN today... and then my editing computer loses multiple cores and experiences systemic hard drive failure. Now I've been having computer troubles for the past few weeks so I knew this was coming - hell, I've got a new machine in transit right now - but given the insane album release schedule of the next few weeks, I was hoping to save the transition for a slower period and not have to work with a machine that's on its last legs. No such luck - hell, I'm just thankful Billboard BREAKDOWN seems a little slower this week, giving me a little more time to prepare for the shift.

video review: 'birds in the trap sing mcknight' by travis scott

So yeah... this happened. Not quite sure I can quite explain it, but I didn't mind this at all. Pretty decent listen, all things considered, and yet the critical backlash on this one has been fascinating to watch. Go figure.

Anyway, Billboard BREAKDOWN will be going up shortly, then probably Isaiah Rashad or Carly Rae Jespen - stay tuned!

album review: 'birds in the trap sing mcknight' by travis scott

Man, Travis Scott can frustrate me.

See, I didn't want to cover Rodeo last year, mostly on the thinking that his production was too cavernous and dark to really support the banal party lyrics and his general lack of distinctive personality, but going back to that review, I can say that I don't really hate that record so much as I find it underwhelming. The problem wasn't as bad as on Days Before Rodeo, but Travis Scott was getting crowded off the stage by guest stars with more presence or charisma, and it was hard not to see his persona as a composite of other artists.

That said, in recent months I've come to the conclusion that Travis Scott can work for me in the right environment, because he does have a knack for huge hooks that can go over the top, and he's not afraid of giving his mix the depth you'd need to pull it off. I wouldn't really be expecting substance... but again, he's making over-the-top party music, you don't really need a lot of substance if you avoid errors and crank up the bombast. That's one of the reasons I was a little exasperated when people accused me of 'not liking party music' during the Rae Sremmurd review - I can like it when it has convincing swell and personality that doesn't fill me with seething rage, and at least instrumentally Travis Scott can deliver that, and even over the past few months on hooks like 'Champions', he's been a propulsive presence. 

That said, I was a little worried about The Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight - outside of the frankly bizarre title, this record had the feel of being rushed out to capitalize on Travis Scott's now ascending popularity - and yet it missed its planned release date twice! And with fewer production credits than ever - yes, I know he's the executive producer but it's not a good sign that he's handling less of the beatwork with each successive album when that production was what added so much flavor - and still plenty of guest stars... look, I had reason to be concerned, but I really did want to like this - so, did it work?

VACATION SERIES - album review RECAP

Well, this finally happened. Long video to render, which is giving me the unsettling feeling that my computer is finally starting to give out on me - not a good sign, but given the problems I've been having with the processors, it's only a matter of time. Plus, in the meantime I've got so many reviews to cover before next weekend...

Eh, Billboard BREAKDOWN is next, followed by Travi$ Scott, Isaiah Rashad, Angel Olsen, De La Soul... suffice to say, I have a lot to cover, so stay tuned!

video review: 'moonbathers' by delain

Oh, I know a whole load of you are going to be peeved with this review... but look, there was nothing all that distinctive or interesting about the writing, themes, compositions, or production on this record. When we've got Avantasia and Tarja dropping far stronger and more interesting projects, this is just forgettable and all the more cements Delain as a b-list act. Sorry.

In any case, I'll be expanding on these thoughts soon as I'll be heading home from vacation! Vlog talking about more will probably go up either tomorrow or Sunday, but we'll see. Stay tuned!

video review: 'dig your roots' by florida georgia line

I know I shouldn't really be all that surprised this was a letdown... but I really am. Florida Georgia Line try so desperately hard for maturity and yet fall so short it's damn near tragic. Of course, a major factor of that is some godawful, overdone production that's way too slick and sterile for its own damn good, but hey, it happens.

And on the topic of records that have their fair share of warning signs, Delain! Stay tuned!

video review: 'how to be a human being' by glass animals

Man, this was one that took a lot to unpack. Weird record... and yet for as voyeuristic as it can feel, it relies a little too much on the freak show rather than actually saying something about the humanity it tries to mirror. And when you strip away the distinctive production of their debut... man, I dunno about this.

But it still has more texture than the next album I'm covering... brace yourselves, folks, it's Florida Georgia Line. Stay tuned!

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - september 10, 2016 (VIDEO) (VACATION REVIEW!)

This is the first video I've ever shot that's entirely handheld... not sure it entirely works, but I'm overall pretty happy with it, especially in terms of the picture quality. And plus, Barcelona!

Next up... ah, okay, Glass Animals soon, so stay tuned!

video review: 'real' by lydia loveless (VACATION REVIEW!)

Yeah, it's not pure 'country', but it gets under your skin in a way that so few albums like this truly do. It's one of those albums that hits you in the gut so well you can barely remember how you were without it - absolutely stellar, deserves so much more acclaim in a year where women in country/country-adjacent are doing incredible things.

But more on this later - next up, Glass Animals, Delain and (sigh) Florida Georgia Line, but also a new Billboard BREAKDOWN, so stay tuned!

video review: 'glory' by britney spears (VACATION REVIEW!)

Well, this was mostly lousy. I don't know how anyone can defend some of the godawful vocal production here, but hey, what do I know, somehow her career keeps on going... although I really don't see the single longevity to push out with this.

So let's switch to something just as interesting with the Glass Animals and Lydia Loveless, so stay tuned!

video review: 'fishing blues' by atmosphere (VACATION REVIEW!)

Well, this was incredibly frustrating. Look, I know Slug and Ant have a diehard fanbase and I get that this album will connect with others more than me... but man, this was a hard listen.

And on that note, Britney Spears next - stay tuned!

video review: 'brave enough' by lindsey stirling (VACATION REVIEW!)

You know, this is one of those cases where I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or just kind of frustrated that I didn't like this more. I get the odd feeling that Lindsey Stirling just isn't evolving enough as an artist, and as a fan, that really does frustrate me - I think she's got the potential for real greatness, but it's not materializing yet... GAH.

Anyway, on the topic of disappointments, next up is Atmosphere - stay tuned!

video review: 'gotta be me' by cody johnson (VACATION REVIEW!)

Believe it or not, I suspect this review might be one of my more controversial ones - mostly because I'm no big fan of Cody Johnson, especially a lot of his songwriting in recent years. This at least steps away from the political ranting I've hated about his material, but still, this guy should never be writing sex songs, he's just way too clumsy to pull it off.

Okay, next up... I think I'm nearly ready to talk about Atmosphere... either that or Lindsey Stirling, so stay tuned!

billboard BREAKDOWN - hot 100 - september 3, 2016 (VIDEO) (VACATION REVIEW!)

Whew, this was an interesting little thing to film/edit on vacation. Overall, pretty damn pleased how it turned out, especially with how many takes we got to put it all together.

Next up, let's knock off that Cody Johnson review before we get into the rest of the week, shall we...

video review: 'blonde' by frank ocean (VACATION REVIEW!)

And here's the controversial review... look, it's a good record, it's got some fantastic high points, but there are some really rough points as well, and the lack of stronger, more cohesive ideas means that I'm not even sure it holds together as well as Endless. 

I'll have more to say when I get back from vacation (and this godawful sunburn I've got), but until then, Billboard BREAKDOWN is up next, so stay tuned!

video review: 'endless' by frank ocean (VACATION REVIEW!)

Well, this happened... and of course, it happened right as I went on vacation. Look, ultimately I appreciate what this visual album is and it's got some fascinating ideas, but separate any piece from it (with the exception of some really sharp production from Arca), and I'm not sure how well it holds together.

Next up, the actual album, so stay tuned!

video review: 'honor killed the samurai' by ka (VACATION REVIEW!)

Well, this was pretty damn solid. Don't worry folks, I'll have more time to dig into everything when I get back from vacation.

And on that note, I've got two sides of a Frank Ocean record coming, so stay tuned!

video review: 'i'm not the devil' by cody jinks

I'm still kind of on the fence about whether this is a truly great record or not. I get the feeling certain tracks will really give it some longevity, but it'll be interesting to see how long it sticks around. For the mean time, pretty damn great, I liked it!

Next up... well, I'm posting this from Madrid's airport... let's see if I can get something filmed here. A little shorter, a little more... let's call it succinct, shall we? Stay tuned!

video review: 'home of the strange' by young the giant

Ah, this was a pleasant surprise. Seriously, I did not expect this to be remotely good, and look what we got! Nice to see Young The Giant start to put together a distinct sound, it's comforting.

Next up, the Cody Jinks video and then my vacation series begins - stay tuned!

album review: 'i'm not the devil' by cody jinks

I said a few days ago that women in country music really are having a great year, but let's get brutally honest here: if you look outside most of the mainstream, country as a whole really is having a great year, and there are definitely promising signs that the radio is primed for a shift. And what I find bizarre is how little it's being covered outside of certain critical outlets dedicated to country - sure, this year we've seen a few more critics here on YouTube who are dipping their toes into the genre, but go over to certain indie-leaning outlets and they always seem a tad tentative to even touch the genre. Is it a fear of not looking cool, or do they just not know where to start? Because if it's the latter... well, I definitely get that, it's hard to break into any unfamiliar genre, but here's where you're mostly in luck: if you're looking for the two hotbeds of country quality right now, it's the acts affiliated with Dave Cobb and the Texas country scene.

And while my appreciation for Dave Cobb's stellar production is starting to be well-known on this channel, it's been a while since I've given the rough-edged red dirt honky tonk sound out of Texas some appreciation, one of the few scenes where regional radio has survived and cultivated a distinctive sound. Sure, if you go back through my top records of any given year, you'll find plenty of Texas names like Jason Eady, James McMurtry, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, and Kacey Musgraves, so let's add another name to that list: Cody Jinks. He actually got his start in thrash metal before cutting towards country and broke onto the scene with the excellent Less Wise in 2010. He then followed it with the slightly more experimental and melancholic 30 in 2012, and it seem liked everything was on path. And hell, he dropped a record called Adobe Sessions in the middle of summer last year... which for some reason, I didn't cover, even despite being a pretty damn good listen - a little smoother than his last two outside of a few darker exceptions like 'Loud And Heavy', but still solid. Well, here's as good of a time as any to make up for some lost time, so on the back of some promising critical acclaim, I dug into I'm Not The Devil - how was it?