For week 4, I'll be checking out: Camp Cope - Camp Cope Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps And @ChaseTx is experiencing: The Alternate Routes - Good and Reckless and True Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts
Yeah, Sparta is a lot closer to ATDI aesthetically but there is definitely something missing there -- the songwriting is consistently good to great, but the highs aren't as high and it's never as weird. I think I prefer tmv at this juncture
Oh man. I havent listened to Sparta in YEARS. I loved their first two albums back in the day. I need to revisit those.
anyone remember that flash game centered around The Mars Volta's Bedlam in Goliath where you had to like escape the room?
Yeah new song was not great. Hoping the album is better than that. Still was excited for them to be active though, they always put on a great live show.
Sparta is just more straightforward alt rock than atdi, they just left the prog stuff out. And Mars Volta leaned into it.
I also think I prefer Jim Ward's voice as a punctuation mark than as the main vocals. Kind of how I feel about Blake in rilo kiley
Sorry for the delay, had notes for these reviews at my office and forgot to take them home. Reviewing my round 3 recommendations from @Kiana... Natalia Lafourcade - Hasta la Raíz (2015) If the intention of this club is in part to get people out of their usual listening habits, then this recommendation is definitely a good one in that regard. My foreign language listening is confined pretty much to the Icelandic musings of Sigur Rós, so this was a welcome diversion from my routine. Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade's Hasta la Raíz ("To The Root") is a general reflection on heartbreak and vulnerability, anchored by Lafourcade's delicate voice. There's some fun and diverse instrumentation to back her up, ranging from strings to horns to flamenco guitar. While it's certainly a pleasant listen, I usually find myself leaning towards the more maximalist and perhaps electro side for my pop cravings (ie: Purity Ring, Grimes, Kylie Minogue) and the language barrier is a tough thing for me considering the importance I put on lyrics. Fun fact: I took 7 years of Spanish and pretty much can't speak a single sentence. I also stole the midterm in 11th grade and had the best grade in my class while all the smart kids tanked and my teacher was EXTREMELY confused but could not prove anything. Bamboozled again! Standout Tracks: Palomas Blancas, Te Quiero Ver ——— Ibeyi - Ibeyi (2015) This is a well-timed recommendation, as Ibeyi's Ash, which was released earlier this year, has been a pleasant surprise for my 2017 listening. Comprised of French-Cuban twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, Ibeyi make artful pop music for the indie set, with supremely unique arrangements complementing the sister's soulful harmonies. Despite the relaxing and meditative soundscapes, Ibeyi is a record wrought with loss and sorrow for the loss of their father and older sister ("Yanira"). From tribal drums to deep, throbbing bass drops, Ibeyi seamlessly work through a medley of styles in intriguing compositions (see the very groovy interlude and breakdown towards the end of "Think of You") and honest, raw songwriting ("River" — Let me baptize my soul with the help of your waters / Those all means so ashamed / Let the river take them, river drown them). All in all, this album feels like a spiritual sister to this year's Ash and certainly appears to be the first step of an interesting career. Standout Tracks: River, Think of You
I'm a little bit late but here's my thoughts on what @iCarly Rae Jepsen recommended me for Week 3. St. Vincent - Masseduction This record was fun, I'll listen to some good pop music any day of the week. Didn't really love this record, but I found it very good background music while I was working. It was the same tier of all the other projects Jack Antonoff has worked on for the last year, solid subversive pop that is definitely enjoyable but never hits the next level for me. Nothing really grabbed me, but it kept my head bopping while I sat on the computer and tuned out all my annoying coworkers. Didn't have much time to listen to the lyrics, so maybe that would elevate it for me. Ke$ha - Rainbow Rainbow was definitely more my speed, I've been a Ke$ha apologist to my friends since she broke with Animal. I'd heard the singles for this record, but haven't had the time to sit with the whole record until now. Record takes everything I've loved about her and removes the superfluous sheen and over-processing from her older material. "Learn To Let Go", "Rainbow", and "Boots" were probably my favorites, besides "Praying" which is still one hell of a single. I wish there were a couple club bangers in the fashion of her older songs but I loved everything about this one. This record just made me happy haha.
About to do some dishes while I delve into what @AelNire has recommended for me. I'll be listening to: Hot Cross - Risk Revival Hanne Hukkelberg - Trust She'll be checking out: Hooligans - Heroes of Hifi (Easycore) Edan - Beauty & The Beat (Psychedelic influenced hip-hop)
I'll be listening to Gouge Away - , Dies Touche Amore - Stage Four @bree1981 will be listening to Circa Survive - On Letting Go Gatsys American Dream - Volcano