The Tape

Danny Brown’s flow is always at 11, with his voice staying at a constant yell, mastering the aggression that Kanye could never quite balance. While Kanye’s flow and lyrical content never really caught up with his beats (post-Late Registration), Danny Brown is quite the opposite. The beats are still great, but so are his tremendously witty raps. The Detroit native released his latest LP, The Hybrid back in March, and it’s still free. I first checked this LP out when Aesop Rock tweeted that this was the only record better than Camu Tao’s King Of Hearts. I loved Camu’s release, and I’m a die hard Aesop Rock fan, so I figured that this Danny Brown dude had to be pretty good. Turns out Aesop was more than right. The Hybrid is the type of hip-hop record that people simply like hearing. He’s smart, confident, emotional, and most importantly – every track is great. Album opener “Greatest Rapper Ever” establishes a firm opinion on the matter, with Danny unabashedly describing just how good he is. The robot sounding vocoder that backs up Danny’s vocals most likely represent “the hybrid”, more specifically the more-than-human aspects of his rap persona. “New Era” is the epic hit single of the album, with a chorus as majestic as they get. Yeah, that is a harp you hear. The verse seems to move along with this tension, as if it knows what’s about to come; giddy that it gets to share its findings with a listener. “Nowhere 2 Go” is the club banger, with futuristic electronics floating through the atmosphere while Danny muses about whatever he wants. “Thank God” is Danny’s retrospective track, where he looks back on his rough Detroit past and shares his story with us. Speaking of his upbringing, I highly recommend you download Hot Soup, Danny’s previous full length. In his own words, “Yep its a classic…. Say what u want but on July 1st 2008 i released in my opinion my opus… this album was about the one thing that made me who i am… Detroit… it was about everything that was goin on in my life at the time…”

Another Detroit connection on The Hybrid is Danny’s track with Chuck Inglish from The Cool Kids. The beat is one of the most sophisticated we’ve seen from Chuck, with a clever piano sample stabbing at the beat. The chorus is carried by Danny and backup vocals doing a call and response of sorts. The Detroit duo is cool to see, and I honestly like it more than Chuck and Mikey. Granted, it’s only one track, but Danny’s lyrical skills are far superior to those of Mikey Rocks.

So along with The Hybrid, I highly recommend you check out Hot Soup as well. It’s all over the internet, I’m sure you blog reading folks will be able to find it no problem. Download a few Hybrid tracks below, along with a link to the entire LP. I’ve also included Danny’s remix of Camu Tao’s “Actin’ A Ass.”

DANNY BROWN- THE HYBRID (LEFT-CLICK)

Danny Brown- New Era

Danny Brown- I’m Out

Camu Tao- Actin’ A Ass (Remix) featuring Danny Brown

J. Irvin Dally exists in his own galaxy, somewhere between homemade folk music and the daunting nebula that is “indie rock.” His Despistado EP is a lesson in creativity, with each track adding something beautiful and unique to a wonderful collection of tunes. As a whole, the EP is fantastic, but it’s even better when analyzed track by track. Dally’s voice is sweet and fairly high pitched, giving him an extra instrument to use in his arsenal. I wouldn’t classify his vocals as classically beautiful, but he uses his voice in such a way that it sounds perfect. “The Little Ones” opens up the EP, and within the first few seconds, the listener knows that they’re in for a treat. Harsh acoustic guitar chords sprawl over random percussion and scarce electronics, until his voice comes in and quiets the storm. It’s as if his voice pacifies all the chaos, even though the chaos is still occurring beneath his voice. The EP moves forward with “Brasil (Adelir de Carli)”, a stellar track and an EP standout, if every other song wasn’t so good. His melodies are a bit more fleshed out on this track, and the instruments have a bit more focus and drive than on “The Little Ones.” “Brasil (Adelir de Carli)” also features an extremely catchy hook, something we don’t see from the first track. “Wild Things” comes next, and is once again one of the best tracks on the EP. A sweet jam with pedal steel and floor tom percussion, and a chorus that Local Natives would be jealous of. “Salt Water” isn’t labeled as part of the EP in my Itunes, but Jordan sent it along with the EP, so I figured I’d mention it. “Salt Water” is one of the only true folk jams Dally has to his name, although it doesn’t last long, as noisy guitars enter the picture fairly quickly. The vocals are great, displaying the immense talent this young buck has.

I’m willing to go all in on this dude, I really think he’s that good. It’s so exciting to see that this dude is from LA, hopefully he can be some kind of LA troubadour or something. Anyways, it’s of my highest recommendation that you purchase this record, because you don’t want to deprive yourself of something this great. You can buy the EP right here, it’ll be the best five bucks you spend all week. Download a couple of tracks below, and catch him on tour if you’re living on the west coast (why wouldn’t you be?).

J. Irvin Dally- Wild Things

J. Irvin Dally- Salt Water

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, or OFWGKTA for short. The future of California backpack/weed rap has been here for a while, but I’m finally catching up. Domo Genesis’ Rolling Papers LP was released for free yesterday at precisely 4:20. The beats are fantastic, mostly created by OFWGKTA creator Tyler the Creator (also known as Ace Creator), who seems to show some cult leader-esque resemblances. The group is aggressive, but every bit of aggression is equaled in fun and wittiness. For instance, check out “Super Market”, which features Tyler the Creator as well. A sludgy drum pulse moves along with a horn line that sounds like it came straight out of one of the Star Wars movies. Lyrics like “I’m a fucking ninja and a jedi/and I’m from Compton” are riddled throughout the entire LP, making the record equally entertaining and interesting to digest. I’m also digging “Rolling Papers”, which features fractured drums and an equally odd synth, reminiscent of Fly Lo and some other LA beat scene dudes. While Rolling Papers is a great LP, it’s not necessarily the best place to start with the collective. The Fader initially introduced me to the group, and offered up a couple of free MP3s. They also referred readers to the OFWGKTA website, where you can download a ton of free and awesome music.

Download Domo Genesis’ Rolling Papers LP below, along with a couple of standout tracks (although they’re all pretty rad).

DOMO GENESIS- ROLLING PAPERS LP

Domo Genesis- Rolling Papers Featuring Wolf Haley

Domo Genesis- Super Market Featuring Ace Creator

Consistency is something seldom seen in hip-hop these days. Not in the sense that most rappers can’t record multiple good songs, because many can, but in the sense that not too many rappers are recording albums as a cohesive unit of songs. Hip-hop records are often riddled with multiple producers, and the results frequently reflect this collage. This is why I love Curren$y’s latest record. He enlisted Ski Beatz to produce most of the record (he’s involved on 11 of the 13 tracks), and its consistent pace and feel allow it to be one of the years best records. Curren$y’s lack of lyrical content actually works to his advantage, with the listener having a firm grasp of his marijuana, video game, and lady habits. It’s fun, it’s loose, and the beats are fantastic.

“Audio Dope II” is a good example of what the record is all about. Ski produced a great beat, with fat drums and a perfectly placed bassline. Some sort of slightly distorted arcade game/organ type noise is on loop throughout the whole track, putting the listener into a similar trance Curren$y was probably in while recording. “King Kong”, the record’s first single features a dream-y synth that is a perfect stoner beat. Bleeps and bloops are surrounded by swirling synthesizers and hilarious musings, with a few of my favorites being:

Everybody round this bitch got money /we ain’t never gonna run out of weed

Tearing through the city snatching bitches/top of the building/king kong ain’t got shit on me

Another thing I love about this record is that the LP’s title actually makes some sense. Yes, there is the whole “pilot’s fly high in the air, we smoke a lot of weed, we’re as high as pilots” side of the coin; but Curren$y does a fantastic job inserting the word ‘pilot’ in appropriate places throughout the track. “Seat Change” is almost a perfect track, but Snoop Dogg’s verse really fucks it up. Curren$y takes a real laid back approach, taking cues from Ski’s miraculously chilled out yet frantic beat. Everything’s all good, even great, until Snoop steps up to the mic. His verse starts off with “Playa/playa/laya/spraya/on the real loco, I should be the mayor/compassionate writer/fly to a spider”, and it only gets more pathetic. I love Snoop, but at a certain point dude’s just gotta throw in the towel. “Breakfast” is one of the record’s best tracks, with Mos Def killing it with the beat. The production credit goes to both Ski Beatz and Mos, but the horn line has Mos Def written all over it. Some sort of New Orleans slow romping trumpet makes this track so fantastic, that Curren$y could be rapping just about anything and I could enjoy it. Mos moans “You’re the best… around” for the chorus, and it’s just so damn charming. An old school funk guitar riff and that killer trumpet line end the track, helping the listener feel real classy before the record proceeds. “Skybourne” features Big K.R.I.T. and Smoke DZA, which is cool to see. K.R.I.T. seems to be the odd man out on this track based solely on the fact that he doesn’t talk about weed nearly as often as DZA or Curren$y, but they really make it work. It’s also really cool to see two of the younger stars in hip-hop (K.R.I.T. and Curren$y, no offense to DZA) hop on a track together. “The Day” is an absolutely killer track. A grimy horn line is accompanied by a fantastic cast of characters. If Curren$y isn’t enough for you, Mos Def and Jay Electronica hop on the track just for shits and giggles. Curren$y’s verse ain’t bad, but Mos and Jay steal the show. When the horns ascend and the excitement is palpable in Mos’ voice, I can’t help but yearn for a new record from him. Yes, Pilot Talk is a great record, but I haven’t listened to “The Day” once without hoping for a new Mos record sometime in the near.

Curren$y emerged from rap purgatory and created one of the best (not just hip-hop) records of the year. It’s a real feel good record, simply making the listener feel good. This record has my highest recommendation, and you can pick it up right here. Download a couple of tracks below as well.

Curren$y- King Kong

Curren$y- The Day (Feat. Jay Electronica & Mos Def)

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) are doing things backwards. In an age of instant gratification and accessibility, Nic Offer and co. are really making us work for it. At first listen (and maybe even a few after that), this record doesn’t make sense. Tracks aren’t rewarding enough for how long they are, and they just seem too jam-oriented. But after a certain amount of listens (it could be one for you, it was four for me), the record makes sense.

The band should have never released a single for this record. Sure, the internet latches onto anything tangible, but no single track on this record is tangible… On its own. Strange Weather, Isn’t It? shouldn’t consist of individual songs. I can’t blame them for separating this record into nine tracks – no listener would have listened to one 40 minute MP3, but that is how this record should be approached. Yes, the two singles “Am/Fm” and “The Most Certain Sure” are two of the catchiest tracks the record has to offer, but I don’t think they’re good enough to be released on their own. For the record, I think Strange Weather, Isn’t It? is great; potentially !!!’s best work. I just would have loved to see the group show some real guts and represent the record the way it should have been represented. Whether that’s not releasing a single or offering the record as one continuous track, they should have done something to simply establish the intentions of this record. Yes, my assumptions of their intentions could be completely off base, but if they are this is one of the biggest disappointments of the year. If they’re actually buying into this record as an LP composed of many great tracks that happen to work well together, they’re simply wrong. The only track I thoroughly enjoy on its own is “Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass”, and that’s because Shannon Funchess adds a dimension to the band we’ve never witnessed before.

This record will have a difficult time garnering mainstream praise, because I assume that most people won’t have the patience to consume this record in one sitting, multiple times. For those up to the challenge, you’ll find an engaging LP that’s as funky as it is smart. Nic Offer is a genius if you’re looking at this record as a whole; which I’ll assume was his initial intention, because I really want to like it (which I do). So, I highly recommend you check this record out, but don’t give up after a few tracks. Listen to the whole thing, digest it as one piece, and do it again. You won’t be disappointed.

A reputable brand name brings with it an expectation of quality. So often does a new offering from a lauded source fail to regenerate prior acclaim and enthusiasm. Thus, my first listen to Phil Selway’s (of Radiohead fame) Familial, and Sufjan Stevens’ All Delighted People EP, was an anxious trial. The cycle occurs all too frequently: procure a new release from a band which you’ve enjoyed, only to find that the release pales in comparison to “their old stuff”. Following this, one must consider whether to deny their ears and be a blind homer for their beloved artist, or else accept that perhaps said artist may not be as consistently talented as the listener had thought. With the reputations of two of my favorite artists at least somewhat on the line, I hoped to evade that vexing cycle. Far from sending me into cyclical nausea, the records served as a reminder why (even despite Sufjan’s reclusive behavior) both remain at the forefront of contemporary art and creativity.

Preview and download All Delighted People at Sufjan’s BANDCAMP

Sample four cuts off Familial below, or stream the entire thing right HERE (NPR). The physical drops August 31st via Nonesuch Records.

Philip Selway – Familial (Album Sampler) by Bella Union

Lefse Records has been on some hot shit lately. Yesterday marked the release date for the debut Dominant Legs EP, a project consisting of Girls guitarist Ryan Lynch – with help from Hannah Hunt. Yeah, the music is nostalgic, but the vocals are audible and the parts are carefully crafted. Lynch has a surprisingly great voice, although it seems to be a bit hesitant and shy at times. The contributions of Ms. Hunt can not be overlooked when listening to the four song EP. Adding great harmonies and backing vocals to every track, Hunt adds color and flavor to tracks that would simply drag without her. “Young At Love And Life”, the EPs title track starts things off with some real funky guitar and Passion Pit like synths. Electronic drums and a tambourine join the fun, backing the duel vocals throughout the entire track. This is one of those real “feel good tracks”, with all the instruments minus the drums dropping out just before the duo sings out “So young at love and life.” At this point, the synth jumps back in and it’s a real fun time all around. “Clawing Out The Walls” is another fun track, with some hand percussion and campfire-esque guitars. One thing I really dig about this EP is the diversity from track to track. The band establishes a consistent sound at the start of the EP, but each song stems off in its own direction, showing off a different side of the band. The Young At Love And Life EP is now available, and I highly recommend you check it out. You can buy it right here and sample a track below.

I’m also digging A Classic Education, another Lefse band that happens to be led by Jonathan Clancy. While His Clancyness took a minimalistic approach to lo-fi music, A Classic Education is almost the opposite; with six members. The band has supposedly been around for a while, but didn’t really seem to get a lot of attention until His Clancyness started making his way around the blogs. The group has an EP coming out September 21st (courtesy of Lefse), and are giving away a track in anticipation. “Gone To Sea” is a woozy gem, hypnotizing the listener into a sea like haze. Lyrics aren’t always sung, but the melodies are in abundance. However, when lyrics are sung, they are keen and to the point: “You said just settle down/you said don’t leave this town.” “Gone To Sea” is a great track, and the EP is just as lovely. Download the song below, and lookout for the EP in the near future.

Dominant Legs- About My Girls

A Classic Education- Gone To Sea

Camu Tao’s solo debut is so passionate and brilliant, listening to the entire record creates a bittersweet feeling after consumption. King Of Hearts is everything I look for in a record; it has feeling, it’s extremely well crafted, and the songs are great. One can’t help but get sad when listening, because Camu’s tragic death prevents more of this amazing music from ever being released. Yes, it is considered hip-hop, but it’s unfair to peg it as just a rap record. Hints of post-punk filter throughout the entire record, with Camu’s pained yells being precisely backed up by meticulously crafted, yet edgy drums. The whole disc has a certain fuzz to it that’s always present, yet always wanted. No song is much longer than four minutes, but Camu didn’t need more than four minutes to convince a listener how excellent this record is. King Of Hearts kicks off with “Be A Big Girl”, which features everything a great Camu song has to offer. Catchy hooks, razor sharp guitars, and well placed drums are all on this track, starting the record off on the right foot. “Death” features quick drum rolls and Camu shrieking hardly intelligible lyrics, but it’s impossible to stop listening. There is so much character within each note he sings, so much tension between his words. “Fonny Valentine” is another favorite of mine. If Cudi created the perfect song in his mind, it would sound something like “Fonny Valentine.” Kid Cudi often mentions Camu as an influence, and you can hear what Cudi mimics in this track. “My fonny valentine/my sweet little valentine” are almost moaned over dragging drums and piano, switching back and forth between singing and rapping. “Actin A Ass” is the track that sums up the communal heartbreak felt over Camu’s death. An aggressive banger that features some of Camu’s most ferocious raps, the track ends as quickly as it started. It clocks in at only 34 seconds long, simply because he never had time to finish it. “Ind Of The Worl” is one of the more depressing tracks on the record, with lyrics like “It’s the end of the world baby so let’s have fun.” For everyone around him, the world did end in a way, but no one had fun. I’ve talked about “Plot A Little”, “The Perfect Plan”, and “When You’re Going Down” before, but I’ll just reiterate how amazing all three are. If you didn’t grab ‘em before, just click on the link. The record comes out today, and I highly recommend you pick it up right here. In addition to the three earlier tracks (I’ll re-up ‘em below), you can also download “Be A Big Girl” below. In addition to FOUR tracks from the full length, you can also download an eight song EP Camu and El-P did together under the Central Services moniker. It’s grim, but it rules. Download it here (read the fine print).

Camu Tao- Be A Big Girl

Camu Tao- Plot a Little

Camu Tao- The Pefect Plan

Camu Tao- When You’re Going Down

Andreya Triana is a London-based songwriter who’s debut record is coming this September, courtesy of Ninja Tune. She has all the backing an up-and-coming artist needs, with production cred going to Bonobo, and remixes from Fly Lo and Mount Kimbie. She first emerged within the beat scene when she was featured on Fly Lo’s fantastic “Tea Leaf Dancers.” Since then, she’s been touring with Bonobo, and more recently, snagged Bonobo to produce her debut full length. The results are fantastic, with Bonobo creating various backdrops for Triana’s vocals to shine. She sounds like a young(er) Erykah Badu, having the ability to stretch her vocals out when necessary, and more importantly – knowing when to restrain herself. “Lost Where I Belong” features carefully plucked guitar, backed by a shuffled and subtle drum beat. The chorus is catchy yet sophisticated, featuring fantastic backing vocals that add extra color to an already bright song. Along with “Lost Where I Belong”, you can download previews of remixes from Flying Lotus and Mount Kimbie. I also recommend you check out the video for “A Town Called Obsolete.” The record, also titled Lost Where I Belong hits stores September 7th. Buy it.

Andreya Triana- Lost Where I Belong

Andreya Triana- A Town Called Obsolete (Mount Kimbie Remix) PREVIEW EDIT

Andreya Triana- Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix) Preview Edit

Flying Lotus- Tea Leaf Dancers (Feat. Andreya Triana)

I’m a tad late on this one, but as a Radiohead die-hard, I felt it would be heresy to over look this cut. Originally, this was indeed an obligatory Radiohead (and related items post), yet in listening to the track, it’s apparent that Phil has authored something remarkable on it’s (and his) own terms without riding the coattails of the RH juggernaut. Indeed, almost twenty years of backing Yorke takes it’s toll, as Phil’s airy vox mirror the patented melancholy of RH. The tune is certainly not as sonically diverse as most Radiohead, yet in this it is more accessible. Selway’s solo debut, entitled Familial, may very well be a middle ground for those who want the RH without such a  daunting and challenging soundscape. Peep the first single, By Some Miracle, below…

Phil Selway-By Some Miracle