The Cool Kids

The Bake Sale EP
rating = 7 out of 10

The Illinois-native hip hop duo consist of Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish, the latter being originally from Detroit. Having met in 2005, the two began recording tracks that they would eventually compile as their Totally Flossed Out EP. Having received offers from Diplo and A-Trak to release the material on their respective indie labels, they ultimately signed to Chocolate Industries.

The group has received considerable press well before this record. In 2007 their songs were featured in a Rhapsody commercial, video game NBA Live 08, and HBO’s series Entourage. They have, and continue to tour with indie mega star M.I.A.. Rolling Stone also listed the duo as one of their “Ten Artists to Watch in 2008”. The stage was all set for their spring 2008 release, The Bake Sale EP, and they do a reasonable job at delivering on all the hype.

Their music is 1980’s inspired minimalist hip hop infused with modernized Neptunes-esque elements. Imagine a present-day hipster version of A Tribe Called Quest. All the beats on this EP are self-produced and mostly handled by Chuck. Every beat is deliberately simple but solid. There isn’t a real dud, but there is also nothing spectacular. Utilizing a very small palette, with practically no flashy editing, Chuck makes well on what little beat making muscle he either has, or chooses to display. Moreover, all of the instrumentals are extremely skimpy when it comes to melody. Most melodic duties are relegated to simple bass lines, and are usually only present on the hook. Same goes for samples, there aren’t many but what is there is well executed.

Both Mikey and Chuck share emcee duties. Their lyrical abilities are passable, never attempting any rhyme pattern that’s too intricate, and never getting too bold with their vocabulary. Oftentimes their lyrics fail to rhyme at all, but they do it with a confident swagger that will convince most listeners that it was still fresh.

The subject matter examined by The Cool Kids is relentlessly lighthearted, which is possibly one of their greatest strengths. They know themselves and they know their audience. Topics of interest for them consist of sneakers, pagers, BMX bikes, partying, and basically being cool.

Ironically, for as much personality that they attempt to exude, they lack in this area musically. Stylistically, they share many similarities to the Bay Area group The Pack, yet the less accredited Oakland group is surprisingly more charismatic. The Cool Kids are actually more talented artists, but in this sub-genre of hipster rap, style and flair is very crucial.

Even when you are in the mood for their particular brand of hip hop, it’s hard to listen to this EP all the way through without it getting a little old. The home made beats mixed with sneaker raps isn’t conducive to serious extended listens. However, that is probably not their goal. Perhaps their agenda is as simple as making a few party tracks, provide good background music for video gaming and trendy boutiques, and build a small but loyal following of fellow hipsters along the way. In this instance, The Bake Sale EP is a giant step in the right direction.

Black Mags

88

Atmosphere

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
rating = 9 out of 10

Atmosphere, the duo of emcee Slug and producer Ant, has been a household name in the indie rap world for a while now but I’ve never been a huge fan of their music. Any one familiar with the group knows the emo-rap moniker that has been staple-gunned to their foreheads since their first few releases. No, Slug did not spit his lyrics yelling out cries Dashboard Confessional style, but he did rap about failed relationships, abusive situations, and other various personal problems track after track. Match this with what were often boring and simplistic beats that failed to engage the listener and you had a rap group that you either loved or hated. Still managing to build a loyal following of hyper-sensitive white suburban backpackers, Atmosphere has sustained a long and relatively prosperous career practically pioneering a genre of rap no one knew they wanted.

With all this being said, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, is a masterpiece. As someone who was never a fan of Atmosphere, I approached this album with the utmost skepticism but came out thoroughly impressed.

Yes, Slug is still pretty emo, but his delivery on this album is much edgier and he tackles subjects that are more real and relative to most anyone, regardless of background. He focuses much less on himself this album, but when he does look in the mirror his analysis is brutally honest and intrusive. This is one of the most intimate rap albums I’ve ever heard.

Yes, Ant’s beats are still pretty minimal, but not in the same monotonous and flavorless way that he’s been on previous records. Ant’s instrumentals match the emotion and topic of each song brilliantly. He maximizes each sound produced while never overcrowding the track, which allows Slug’s meaningful lyrics to coexist beautifully. Ant’s versatility is also impressive, creating moody and slam poetry-esque tracks such as “Guarantees” and upbeat party songs like “You” with equal success. The chemistry between Ant and Slug on this album is reminiscent of the magic between Aesop Rock and Blockhead on albums such as Float and Labor Days.

Each track explores, and fully fleshes out a new subject. There is zero braggadocios filler-rap on this album. On top of that, there are no guest emcee spots, a rarity these days. Slug even does all his own hooks, and does them well. Even his harmonizing is on point. These traits really aid the intimacy of this album, which is something that is very hard to find within this genre.

One of the tracks that really struck me was ironically entitled “Me”. Even though this is one of the most emo and self-indulgent songs on the album, it is also one of the most enlightening songs I’ve heard in a while. Slug paints a self portrait regarding his experience with major relationships in his life, starting with the one between his parents. What’s remarkable about this song is the turn that it takes when he starts to analyze his own actions in his own relationships, and the real self-fulfilling reasons. He strips away every ounce of pride when he proclaims in third person:

“After that, it was one co-dependant to the next
A lot of love, a lot of hate and a little bit of great sex
Self-learning in between the self-loathing
Strangled in a cycle, can’t feel yourself choking
Some of them would overlap, some of them would double-back
None of them deserved to be exposed to all the trouble that he posed
Strike one? Not even out of fear
He don’t even do rough sex, you bite him and he’s out of here
Make no mistake he puts the man in manipulate
And he’s attracted to the women that reciprocate”

On “Guarantees” he depicts a gloomy tale of capitalistic living that is the reality for more people in this country than our smoke and mirrors would have you believe. The heavily blues-inspired backdrop that Ant creates matches the mood of the song perfectly as Slug spits:

“no overtime pay no holiday
months behind on everything but the lottery
winter ’round the corner guarnteeing that my car dies
wifey havin’ trouble tryin’ to juggle both part times
my cup ain’t close to filled up
we tryin to build up so we can have enough
and when I finally get the color
won’t be nothin’ left to paint on
a friend of mine tried to kill himself to the same song”

Not everything on this album is gloom and doom. There’s plenty of uplifting imagery, and even a party track for good measure. Every song has a mission that it accomplishes superbly, with the single exception of the questionable beat and hook on the poorly executed “Wild Wild Horses”. When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold is a late career classic that should please even previous detractors. It’s a must listen for any fan of good hip hop.

Dreamer

Can’t Break

Animal Collective

Water Curses EP
rating = 5 out of 10

I love Animal Collective, for the most part. Their latest EP, entitled Water Curses, features three songs recorded during their Strawberry Jam sessions, and one more recorded on a different occasion. Most of the tracks on this EP showcase a much more stripped down and minimalistic approach when compared to this eclectic band’s recent works.

The first, and by far the best song of the EP is “Water Curses”. This song represents what most people love the most about this band, which is their ability to create beautiful up-tempo melodic chaos. This track is as elegant as it is obnoxious, but in a good way. It induces body movement, perfect for dancing like a jackass to.

The second track on the EP is entitled “Street Flash”. This song feels like a slow churn with minimal instrumentals. Reflective lyrics change to mid-song ramblings and ultimately their signature screams. This is their less accessible selves.

“Cobwebs” is another slower, minimalist endeavor, but a more rewarding one this time. The sound is composed mostly of soft keys, water thumps, and feint guitar plucks. The back end of the song features the band screaming the song title, while the lead responds:

“They block the path of what’s connecting you and me,
It’s a sticky case, the more I move the less I’m free”

Lastly, there is the aimless song “Seal Eyeing”. I can understand how this song was made on a seperate session from the first three, as it almost doesn’t sound like the same band. Piano keys play while random ambient sounds decorate the walls. Drawn out, drone-esque vocals complete this interlude-like track.

If every song was of the same caliber as the brilliant psychedelic pop sounds of the first track, “Water Curses”, this EP would be a classic. This is however, usually the nature of EPs in general. I am still eagerly anticipating their upcoming 2008 release, which is rumored to be a collection of tons of unreleased material from former sessions.

Water Curses

Portishead

Third
rating = 9 out of 10

Third is the third album, after a long hiatus, by the highly influential and respected trio Portishead. Known for their innovative style that blended analog driven trip-hop sounds with decadent vocals, the two multi-instrumentalists Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley, along with singer Beth Gibbons have been regarded as pioneers of sorts inspiring many of the biggest artist of present-day. Third is a masterpiece that captures the maturation and progressiveness of a band that built a vast and loyal following with only two previous albums.

The tracks on this album are arranged beautifully. Each song has its own personality that sucks you in and doesn’t let go, until the next track which repeats this same trend. I found it difficult to stop listening to this album once I began, even when I was in the mood for something else. It’s like aural adderall for the ADD listener. This is an especially impressive trait for the moody, relatively soft style of music that Portishead creates.

Within each song are various minor tweaks that give this album a highly refined feel. Barrow and Utley treats the listener to a plethora of production tricks such as speaker shifts, analog edits, and climactic crescendos that squeeze every ounce of juice out of the songs.

The way Portishead implements contrast is outstanding. Soft vocals, light strings, and gentle keys collide with hard drums, abrasive keys, and bitter cords. This album donkey punches you in the neck while simultaneously giving you a deep tissue massage.

“The Rip” is one of the softer songs on the album. It begins with soft harp plucks and Beth Gibbons’ light vocals of first person descriptive storytelling and questioning. As the song progresses, the melody of the soft strings is replaced with more assertive keys and mid-tempo drums as she repeats the same pending question to herself: “Will I follow?”.

Unleashing perhaps the best use of contrast on the album is “Machine Gun”. An abrasive Autechre-esque beat is paired with dubbed over keys, giving this song a very industrial feel. Gibbons’ contradicting vocals somehow seem right at home. After she finishes throwing your ears for a loop, Barrow and Utley proceeds with the onslaught, drastically tweaking the beat with distortion and throwing in dramatic synths to seal the deal.

The track list ends with “Threads”, a perfectly placed return to form of Portishead nostalgia. With this song, the full circle is made and you realize that this band has just completely revolutionized themselves while still maintaining their familiar swagger.

Third is definitely not the background music that is commonly associated with trip-hop oriented bands. Although it would be hard to neglect the excellence of this album, it is still best appreciated with your earphones or alone in your living room on some personal time shit. Sit back and be mesmerized.

Machine Gun

Threads

The Roots

Rising Down
rating = 9 out of 10

The latest album from the Legendary Roots Crew sounds as raw and hungry as they’ve ever been. Abandoning some of their softer, more jazzy tendencies, Rising Down is a more blunt and aggressive endeavor. Compared to their previous Def Jam release, the under appreciated Game Theory, this album is less dark and more accessible.

Early on in the track list is the hook-less, non-stop assault entitled “75 bars (Black’s Reconstruction)”. Questlove wails on the drums and distorted horns enter in and out of this no frills track while Black Thought smothers the beat with lyrics like this:

“No telling when the bullet coming, be prepared niggas
Cuz when it do it coming land, sea and air niggas
That’s everywhere niggas, Am I the muthafucking legendary?
Yeah niggas, make it very clear niggas
Been looking at y’all in my rearview
Mirror niggas want to be a millionaire, I’m already there niggas
I’m the definiere nigga, a bear taking more than my share
Lookee here, yeah, I know it ain’t fair nigga
Neither is a bar even with a hair trigger
Haystack, try and find a needle up in there nigga
Leave you up in there nigga, show me the puppet
That don’t need a puppeteer nigga, shed another tear nigga
I’m in the field with a shield and a spear nigga
I’m in your girl with her heels in the air nigga”

And that is just 14 of the 75 bars. Even though you wouldn’t be able to tell from those lyrics, Black Thought is at heart a conscious rapper, along with the likes of Talib Kweli and Common (both of which are featured on the album). He is just far more militant. Many substantial social and political topics are examined on this album including terrorism, global warming, school shootings, and child soldiers.

One of my favorite songs on the album is the methodically frenetic “I Can’t Help It”. This stressed out banger features El-P style distorted horns, and a highly edited voice sample that is broken down beautifully with added instrumentals at the back end of the track. The lyrics by all three emcees (the extra two being the featured Malik B. and P.O.R.N.) match the chaos and urgency of the production perfectly.

The top 40 ready “Rising Up” featuring Chrisette Michele and Wale, is perhaps the greatest achievement on the album. Not because it is the best song, but because of its brilliantly composed crossover capability. Although I admittedly don’t listen to the radio much, I have already heard it played on a local hip hop station here in D.C.. It may never reach the top of the Billboard charts, but over the years The Roots have proven to be one of the best hip hop groups at making quality singles without going too pop or deterring too much from their true style.

This is a stellar hip hop album from beginning to end, with the exception of the creepy and ill-advised Patrick Stump collab “Birthday Girl”. Cop it and enjoy.

Rising Up

I Can’t Help It

Santogold

Santogold 

rating = 7 out of 10 

Santogold is a hot new female artist from New York that’s received praise for her 2007 double A-sided 12” single, and has drawn comparisons to the eclectic indie superstar M.I.A..

Santogold’s music is all over the place, but never on the same song. The first song on the album, “L.E.S. Artistes”, was one of the songs featured on her 2007 single release and is probably the best example of Santogold’s modern rock side. It is a fairly straight forward, potential top 40 hit with a catchy hook. Immediately following that on the tracklist is “You’ll Find A Way”, a slightly dub-influenced rock track with more aggressive vocals. While Santogold’s delivery is solid, the accompanying instrumentals fall flat and fail to match her intensity, particularly toward the tail end of the track. Although it’s a drastic detour stylistically, the Switch and Sinden remix of this song at the end of the album does a much better job of complementing Santogold’s vocals on this song. She shows her dub-step tendencies on “Shove It”, which features a powerful handclap beat and reggae style horns.

The highlight of the album is the spaced out energy release entitled “Creator”. The powerful bass thumps, pitch dial trickery, and spastic vocal editing are provided by London-based producers Switch and FreQ Nasty. Santogold can do a lot of things well, but she shines the brightest in this musical environment. Similarly funky is “Unstoppable”, a track that Santogold simply rolls over effortlessly while the beat puts you in a trance.

She is such an eclectic artist, which is perhaps her greatest strength, but the extreme variation of her self-titled album’s tracks is actually it’s greatest weakness. While her extra wide scope as a musician is admirable, and when executed properly is wizardry, this album simply lacks cohesion. Although there are no real duds on this album, with the exception of “My Superman”, Santogold feels as though it is two different albums mixed into one. There’s Res-like new wave art rock Santogold, and M.I.A.-like aggressive digital funk Santogold. Both personas are enjoyable, but when they are displayed individually throughout the entire album it gives it sort of a compilation feel. At least it is a good compilation.

Creator

L.E.S Artistes

Cut Copy

In Ghost Colours

rating = 7 out of 10

Cut Copy is receiving considerable buzz right now. The Australian band is comprised of Dan Whitford (lead vocals/keys/guitar), Time Hoey (bass/guitar), and Mitchell Scott (drums). Their sound can best be described as indie electro-pop. Throughout In Ghost Colours the songs remain upbeat, and rainbow-chasing, think of The Faint meets The Backyardigans. Cut Copy implements a highly digital palette with washes of analog distortion. They are at their core an indie rock band, but their prominent use of electronic sounds that, at times, tastefully drifts into house music realms make In Ghost Colours feel like a dance album more than anything else. Most of the albums short tracks are welded together by a decrescendo of keys and synths that give the record a continuous feel.

Standout tracks include “Far Away” and the more subdued “Strangers In The Wind”. Both songs feature a healthy dose of dance pop without drifting into Care Bear territory. On the other hand tracks like “So Haunted” can feel a bit too warm and fuzzy, particularly on the songs hook.

Cut Copy seems to capture the essence of a popular, if not peaking, scene present today: tragically hip young adults gleefully hopping repeatedly, and somewhat collectively, on a small and sweaty dance floor. Not to say that’s a bad thing at all, it’s actually quite fun, especially after a few drinks.

One thing that holds this album back is it’s replay value. The initially impressive record is all about instant gratification. After only a few repeatedly listens to In Ghost Colours, my attraction slightly faded. A solid listen while its fresh on your ipod, but it comes with an expiration date. 

Far Away

Strangers in the Wind

Del The Funky Homosapien

Eleventh Hour

rating = 8 out of 10

Del The Funky Homosapien has been in the rap game for nearly two decades, during which time he’s been a part of enough quality hip hop for his name to be commonplace in this genre, but it isn’t. Perhaps you’ve heard his name because of his early work with his cousin Ice Cube, his role as the main emcee behind the Hieroglyphics, or his collaboration with producer Dan The Automator that yielded one of the classic albums in recent hip hop history Deltron 3030, or maybe it’s none of the above. Del certainly has an impressive rap resume that he’s had to work hard to achieve. Various record deal struggles and set backs associated with the business have tested the artist more so than even many of his numerous fans are aware of. After being dropped from Elektra right before releasing his third album Future Development, Del and his fellow Hieroglyphics’ emcees started their own small label and eventually released the album themselves even though it would only be available on cassette tape via the Hieroglyphics web site. It was not given its proper CD release until 2002, six years late.

Newly signed to New York based indie rap powerhouse Definitive Jux, the Oakland, California native showcases a silky smooth display of wordplay on his first release for the label, Eleventh Hour. Upon hearing that Del’s new album was being released by Definitive Jux I was very curious to hear how the production on the album would come out. Being familiar with both Del’s unusual cadence and rhyme delivery and the gritty, avant-garde, east coast sound associated with most Definitive Jux releases, I was skeptical about pairing the two contrasting schemes. After listening to this album multiple times through, I am thoroughly impressed with how the two sides successfully melded themselves together. Del sounds like Del, the production definitely leans towards his style but you can still hear the Definitive Jux influence in the beats and they both sound great together. Certified head nodders like “I Got You” keep a brisk pace from start to finish with a steady drum ensemble, tambourine hits, and a Def Jux-esque voice sample while Del simply smothers the beat with his usual humor:

“watch these scissors, as scissors beats paper, paper beat rock, got you in the box, like a fiend in detox, rebelling against the empire, like the e-woks”

It is hard to pick out any real standout tracks on Eleventh Hour as its really an exercise in consistency throughout its 14 tracks. This may make it feel a bit flat for some people, but really its consistency is more of a testament to the quality of the album, if you give it a fair listen. Overall, Del’s new album won’t blow you away, but it’s solid as fuck.

I Got You

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend

Rating 9 out of 10

The self-titled debut from this New York City band is as refreshingly crisp and simple as it is memorable. After a few casual listens through I was hooked. Many different styles are blended together seamlessly creating one superb indie pop experience. From the blatant punk influences on “A-Punk” to the afro beat inspired percussion behind “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” to the feel good indie pop nostalgia of “M79″ and “Bryn”, various influences can be picked out of the 11 song tracklist. Imagine The Walkmen meets Belle & Sebastian meets Sublime meets The Shins.

Perhaps the most remarkable accomplishment of his album is how this band manages to combine these different elements to create one distinctive sound of their own. In an indie music environment infatuated with the avant-garde and boundary pushing experimentation, it’s nice to hear a well composed album by a band that never gets besides themselves.

Fuck Buttons

Street Horrrsing

Rating 7 out of 10

The duo that make up Fuck Buttons, Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power, formed in late 2004 as a noise band. Implementing abstract shots of sound as their canvas, melody and rhythm were an afterthought, as they are for most members of this unique genre. Soon after their formation, they began experimenting with more accessible sounds however, adding progressive rhythm and melody to their hardened noise roots.As a result of the evolution of these artists, their debut album Street Horrrsing, is surprisingly accessible and ambient for a noise album. Friendly successive notes are layered behind abrasive synths and antiquated percussion. Distorted yells and screams come in and out of an album that feels like a song cycle rather than individual tracks.Guaranteed to be hypnotic, tracks like “Race You to the Bedroom – Spirit Rise” contain dedicated melodies that wash in and out of your consciousness while still maintaining its rough exterior. The shorter, more straightforward track “Ribs Out” displays their heightened interest in percussion, even though it plays more like an interlude than a dedicated song. It leads into the steady loopy drone of “Okay, Let’s Talk About Magic”, a great track that unfolds beautifully as the full palette of this duo is built slowly layer by layer.Overall, Street Horrrsing is a quality debut effort, but it may not convert the more casual listener. It’s still noise, just prettier.

Rick Ross

Trilla Rating = 3 out of 10 Never having listened to Port Of Miami, Ross’ debut album, I dove into Trilla with no particular expectation. I remember the singles from the first album “Hustlin” and “Push It”, and how horrible they were lyrically. The former at least having an infectious hook and tempo, and providing us with a decent remix that was good for a rotation or two while out at the club. Although some mainstream rappers can sell their album with radio friendly garbage and then showcase some actual artistry on other tracks on the album to prove their worth to real listeners, Rick Ross is definitely not one of those rappers. Song after song on Trilla is loaded with superficial commercial rap monotony. Surprisingly, this formula doesn’t always make for a worthless experience, as in the instances where its at least charismatic gansta rhetoric (i.e. Young Jeezy, T.I.), but with Rick Ross it does. Even the first single “The Boss”, which features who else but T-Pain, sounds flat and forced. T-Pain even sounds bored on the track as he repeats “Boss, Boss, Boss” with his computer-love vocals. Next on Trilla’s tracklist is another single, “Speedin’” featuring R. Kelly. The heavy synth-laced production on this track is flat out boring and the weak concept behind the track shines a huge spotlight on Ross’ glaring weaknesses as an artist. It feels as though on every track Ross struggles to fill up all the spaces in between hooks with whatever braggadocios bullshit that sounds good to the brain dead listener, which includes even resorting to rhyming the same words multiple times in a verse. The few highlights of this album are when guest emcees jump on the track to infuse at least a few ounces of talent into the song, such as on “Luxury Tax” which features Lil’ Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Trick Daddy. Most of the consumers for this album probably don’t even realize that what Rick Ross thrives off of, his street cred as a former distributer of illicit drugs, is mostly a facade. Although Ross might have touched a kilo of soft back in his day, he was by no means the drug kingpin that he promotes himself as. Rick Ross isn’t even his real name. He stole it from “Freeway” Ricky Ross, a real American gangster who ran one of the largest crack-cocaine distribution networks in the country during the ’80s and early ’90s.