Mac Demarco is currently out with a new album called Here Comes The Cowboy, a 13 track collection of songs that do not fall to audiences expectations. At first listen there is confusion, uncertainty, and eventual skips to the end. However, this albums does have moments of shine and solitude, this work is definitely a personal and unapologetic view into Demarco’s diary and solitude. This album focuses on what Continue reading “Here Comes The Cowboy – Mac Demarco Album Review”
I wouldn’t call this an album review, more like an appreciation. This week I got really tired at picking music and skimming over my playlists, and what great way to fix the problem is by listening to an album, and I happened to pick The Drum’s 2017 album Abysmal Thoughts. I knew at least Continue reading “The Drums- Abysmal Thoughts (An Album Appreciation)”
Hello. So like I said so much music has been a big factor and friend in my life. Recently I have been introduced to many new songs, artists, and albums and I feel that I should make a list of these things just so we could be on the same page in the music vibe. That reminds me- I have a lot of books to read. Maybe I should make a book club or something. I know that I want to read a book during the Christmas break, and especially the summer break. Oh, I can not wait for the summer. So much is going to happen and I am so excited.
Now about music.
I’ve been sort of overplaying my Fallin Down playlist (which you should go check out on the menu), so I’ve been playing absolutely anything and any recommendations on Spotify. So I collected these songs and albums in hope to make a cumulative list.
This is not in any specific order
Albums and EPs
Singles
It is a long list, but that’s the point. I want to constantly immerse myself in new music. I know some of these artists already and have heard few of these albums. However, I want to go back on some and really listen to them and enjoy them in its entirety. I’m not sure where to start. Maybe I’ll make separate playlists with the albums divided.
I hope you follow me and listen to these selections!
Give it a listen, give music a chance.
H
Lately it has been tricky for me to listen to anything else other than Mac Demarco’s lasted album This Old Dog. I know I do mention it a lot in these past few blog posts but honestly I really enjoy the music he makes and has became one of my most favorite artists. But I knew I had to broaden my horizons, and this month a few artists have release a great amount of new albums and music which I am looking forward to listen to this summer. On the same day as Mac Demarco the band Day Wave released their new album The Days We Had. I get bored during the summer and especially when I lounge in my room with nothing to do. Sometimes I decided to do work outs and I discovered that it is a great opportunity to listen to a new albums, plus it helps with boredom when I workout. Now, Day Wave has certainly out done himself with this new release. With one listen I felt completely immersed with nostalgia and calming quiet drives around town. The tracks on this album certainly convey momentum while calming with the lyrics.
For those of you who don’t know who Day Wave is, it is a Ameircan Indie rock band formed from Okland, California. The band consists with main instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jackson Philips who formed this production in 2015. So it’s been not so long ago that Day Wave has come to the public.
In this albums, I would say that this is the type of album that is “safe and comfortable” meaning that this can appeal to any kind of modern music lover, indie or rock fan. I can play these songs while going to run errands, in the car, running, cleaning- it is a variety like this albums. Going to the beach? Kick back and play this album on your way there. The synthesized melodies correlated so well to the wispy vocals of Philips. The guitar riffs and patterns are rhythmic and catch, along with the subtle bass in the back ground. The chorus in song drops comfortable with endurance.
Songs that I enjoy ( in no particular order):
I believe that artist Jackson Philips has come out of his shell to show his true artistry. He is not afraid to make the music and style he believes in. Another song that I enjoy is not from this album but a single he released called Drag in 2015. One thing I would say about this album and this style if music is that the songs do sound similar to one another. I can’t really pin point exactly what song I enjoyed because when I look for it the songs sound like one another. Production and time is good in this album, and I believe it deserves a 7.5 or an 8 out of 10. It is an enjoyable collection of songs and is nice to listen to while chilling or relaxing.
Give it a listen, give music a chance.
H
I have been waiting for this album for a very very long time. And at last it finally came out on May 5, the day before I went to see Chance The Rapper. Mac Demarco is coming clean in this brand new side of himself in the album This Old Dog. In this album we a given a collective storyline of emotions through all the tracks. From the first song My Old Man to the last in Watching Him Fade Way. I had very very high expectations for his new release since I have saturated myself in the depths of Demarcos past albums.
I remember one time my friend showed me a song by Kendrick Lamar and my ears were not really adjusted to rap or hip hop music so it didn’t really affect me as much as I wanted it to. It was a great song but it didn’t remember the name of it but this was about a year ago
Now this is the first time since last year I have given him another chance. And this album is crazy good. I got so use to listening to it because my boyfriend would always play it over and over while we were doing homework and I could hear it through his headphones. At the start of the summer is when I had some downtime to play it and actually listen to the album, and it became one of the albums I like to listen to while I worked out.
The first few songs that caught my attention was YEH and ELEMENT. I think the reason why YEH attracted to me is because I really enjoy and crave the slow dreamscape of rap. This reminded me of how I would listen to The Internet and their album Ego Death and even Nonames Telefone album. Lamars album incorporates the mix of upbeat aggressive tracks and slow vulnerability. This album is incredibly lyrical and consistent through the production and musicality of the tracks.
As I listened to it another time I started to feel the emotional rawness and aggression of Lamar. In the first track BLOOD it features the Fox News clip over the controversy of him and his music being “bad for black culture” and “race relations”. In this album and tracks Lamar goes with force of the embodiment of aggression and questioning of his own faith, self ,and morality. It is just by the obvious bold titles of the tracks and words like FEEL, PRIDE, GOD, LOVE, FEAR, HUMBLE, and PRIDE there is a relation of these words that mean bold concepts such as politically, and morally. We struggle with this and Lamar showcases his own struggle of what to do with himself in this conflict. In the album you can hear the unhappynes and sadness of Lamar which brings the honestly and attraction of the lyrics and tracks.
In the music sense of he album the production and sound of the album is amazing. Cuts are crisp and transitional. And the bass works are amazing. A really interesting transition is in the song XXX.FEAT.U2, when lamars slow rap transitions to a more aggressive and fast pace to a hill slope down to the slow collection when Bono sings the lyrics
It’s not place
This country is to me a sound of drum and bass
You close your eyes to look around
And other wonderful transition is with ELEMENT and the chorus comes into place.
The tracks that I like from most to least is:
This is a pretty hot album, really great to listen to chill or to not. There are so many bangers and Kendrick has now become a new artist in my library. I would give this album a 8, (remember just my opinion) 🙂
Give it a listen, give music a chance.
H
This is a big one for me, a big one. I have been listening to The Shins since I was born, their band formed in 1996 with the soul of it all, James Mercer. Mercer and one other band member are the only original bandmates since 1996. Since then, Mercer made many changes by adding and taking away band members that didn’t share his vision or blocked his creativity and beyond horizons vision.
Their past album before Heartworms, is Port of Morrow, which sadly I have not fully listened too. (I will listen to it though,soon) Actually one of my favorite songs and partnered music video is from Port of Morrow, called “Simple Song” ( which I recommend to listen to).
Coming out this 2017 is , Vagabon, singer and songwriter Laetitia Tamko. In 2014 she released her first EP Persian Gardens. Since then she has developed her musical indie sound and even dedicated herself how to play all the instruments that is now recorded in her new album Infinite Worlds.
Brooklyn based- 24 four year old Laetitia Tamko has grown into her indie rock sound, producing a album that holds many raw and personal poetics and sounds. Laetitia showcases a force of rawness and vibrant indie taste layered with unapologetic vocals. Upon hearing her for the first time in the opening song The Embers, I was surprised by the loose and rush 90s quality of her voice. I got a slight tambour of Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins and a touch of Sinead O’Conner, not in sound but in quality.
When listing to the first five songs I felt as if I was a part of her personal life. I was in some way looking through all her brokenness and expereinces. I can feel her isolation and loss, a hopeful look towards finding oneself during pain.
Something that surprised me for this year. I had not idea that Foxygen was going to release a new LP this year. It has been a while since  listened to any of their new music since their album …And Star Power. I feel that personally it is about time for me to get back into the grove of their musical concept of 60s/70s inspired indie rock and psychedelic rock.
Indie rock duo Sam France and Jonathan Rado of Foxygen has released their new Album Hang.Honestly when I heard their first two songs I forgot to prepare myself to be sucked into my old records of The Rolling Stone’s with a mix of T. Rex Vocals. Foxygen is one of the only bands that I know of that has a very distinctive tonal quality. With orchestrated melody, building piano chords, and rolling drums. Here and there a few brass instruments that build up the sound and fill in the violins you can hear in the back ground.
This album is just full of 70s sounds. At times I even think of Roxy Music (Foxy) when there is a instrumental change. But back to the stylistic approach of Hang, the difference from this album from their past ones is investment to the production and quality they are giving to their audience.
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