It’s been a fairly depressing week for new music. Not a bad
week, just a depressing one. Songwriters worldwide have been coming down with
the blues, crafting some beautifully moody and misanthropic material. I guess
it’s just that time of year. Winter is coming.
THE BEST
'Chains' - Bad Breeding
I live just down the road from Stevenage, the town from which these anguished hardcore punk rockers come from. It’s a not very pretty place to live and the band do a great job at reflecting this in their sound. These guys sound absolutely livid. More livid than I sound I when I stub my toe.
'Rot' - Washer
‘..all I wanna do is rot’ nonchalantly sings the frontman of this New York garage rock band. I said it was a depressing week for new music. The twangy Nirvan-esque guitars make it all the moodier.
'No Better Blues' –
Chance the Rapper
Hell, even the Chance the Rapper is feeling down this week. The Chicago hip hop artist, whose last album ended with a track optimistically titled ‘Everything’s Good’, now apparently hates everything including vegetables, white people, hope and you. Full of wonderful contradictions, clearly this track is all satire. My favourite line: ‘I hate the womb, I needed room, I ate my twin.’
'Bear
Biscuit'
A couple weeks back I was loving Mr. Oizo’s new track ‘Machyne’. This week, the French electronic artist has come out with an arguably more abrasive single. You thought Skrillex’s music was obnoxious AD/HD? You ain’t heard nothing yet. 1:10 made me think my computer had crashed.
'Landing' - Maryann
There’s nothing quite like a bit of good old #BedroomTrap. That’s what this chick has dubbed her music as. She also uses the second alias ‘Bae God’ and has an EP on the way entitled ‘THIS IS WHAT THE MOON SOUNDS LIKE’. I’m loving the production on this track. Its ultra-glossy, zero-gravity stuff - amazingly talented work for a DIY artist. Thank you, Bae God #BedroomTrap4Life #TheMoonSoundsLikeNothingCosThere'sNoSoundInSpaceDuh
THE WORST
'Guts over Fear' –
Eminem ft. Sia
Having to slate this song is all a bit awkward, considering
the whole track is Em talking about the inability to make new music in fear of
it being slated. Truth is, the subject’s all too meta, and not
Who-Framed-Rodger-Rabbit cool meta. No, this is boring meta, like if I was to
write an article on writer’s block and how I sometimes write reviews and don’t
publish them because they’re not interesting enough. You’re nodding off
already. Point is, it’s dull subject matter. The beat’s bland too and no, don't try and tell me its ironically bland.
Big thanks to Emma Garland (Noisey), James Rettig (Stereogum), Anthony Fantano (The Needledrop) and Andrew Prieto (Dingus) for introducing me to this music.
Big thanks to Emma Garland (Noisey), James Rettig (Stereogum), Anthony Fantano (The Needledrop) and Andrew Prieto (Dingus) for introducing me to this music.