Saturday, June 14, 2014
Music Update 2
Ohh boy, it's been awhile. How about another music update?
I'm listening to Strange Mercy by St. Vincent. I've listened to it twice now, and I got to say it is quite good so far! My opinion of it is fairly good, though of course nothing has been entirely mind-blowing.
I really enjoy the track "Cruel", I had heard sometime before in the past, and always liked the effects she puts on her vocals throughout the chorus of that song.
Other stand-out tracks on the album include "Cheerleader" and "Neutered Fruit". The title track is also fairly interesting, though the middle of the last half of the album is a little weaker, reminiscent of her earlier work that I wasn't really a fan of. Not that the actual production of it was bad, just that the slowed down pace isn't as immediately accepted by my brain. But who knows how I'll feel after a few more listens. Typically it is those slowed-down songs that become the most impactful once all the little nuances are identified; the pacing just makes it tougher to parse it all out.
I'm listening to Strange Mercy by St. Vincent. I've listened to it twice now, and I got to say it is quite good so far! My opinion of it is fairly good, though of course nothing has been entirely mind-blowing.
I really enjoy the track "Cruel", I had heard sometime before in the past, and always liked the effects she puts on her vocals throughout the chorus of that song.
Other stand-out tracks on the album include "Cheerleader" and "Neutered Fruit". The title track is also fairly interesting, though the middle of the last half of the album is a little weaker, reminiscent of her earlier work that I wasn't really a fan of. Not that the actual production of it was bad, just that the slowed down pace isn't as immediately accepted by my brain. But who knows how I'll feel after a few more listens. Typically it is those slowed-down songs that become the most impactful once all the little nuances are identified; the pacing just makes it tougher to parse it all out.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Music Update 1
To kick things off, let's talk about music. I listen to a lot (or at least I think it's a lot, it might not be by some people's standards) and an inherent part of listening to all this music is to check out new styles and artists I haven't heard before. Nothing does this apply to more than Death Grips, a new group I've just recently began listening to.
I've only listened to their first album, Exmilitary, so far, but it blew me away. It was like some industrial electronic and hardcore hip-hop combined. I was walking out of class one day, the sun shining, and suddenly, this strange monologue comes on my iPod, talking about getting out of jail and making music and rolling nickels. Curious as to what I was listening to, I checked and it was Exmilitary.
I first heard about Death Grips maybe a year or so ago, I was intrigued by the cover of their 2nd album The Money Store and the praise around it. I didn't think much about Death Grips again until their 4th album Government Plates was released, once again with praise surrounding it. So I felt like it was the right move to check them out.
I guess if you want to get technical, Exmilitary isn't actually an LP, it's a mixtape. If that distinction confuses you, don't worry, it confuses a lot of people. Me too! The way I keep them distinguished in my mind is that a mixtape is basically a collection of an artist's works from across their catalog, while an LP, the traditional album, is a concentrated effort by an artist to record material all around the same time and in the same theme. So Exmilitary is apparently a mixtape, according to how any other source defines it.
If I'm talking to much about Death Grips, I'll switch it up! I've also recently gotten into Au Revoir Simone. I just finished up listening to their 3rd album, Still Night, Still Light. It was some well produced Indie Pop/Dream Pop, and they've gotten better with each subsequent album, so we'll see how their 4th goes for me.
There's been a lot of music lately, but Death Grips and Au Revoir Simone are two of the most recent additions to my "collection" of "good stuff to listen to".
I've only listened to their first album, Exmilitary, so far, but it blew me away. It was like some industrial electronic and hardcore hip-hop combined. I was walking out of class one day, the sun shining, and suddenly, this strange monologue comes on my iPod, talking about getting out of jail and making music and rolling nickels. Curious as to what I was listening to, I checked and it was Exmilitary.
I first heard about Death Grips maybe a year or so ago, I was intrigued by the cover of their 2nd album The Money Store and the praise around it. I didn't think much about Death Grips again until their 4th album Government Plates was released, once again with praise surrounding it. So I felt like it was the right move to check them out.
I guess if you want to get technical, Exmilitary isn't actually an LP, it's a mixtape. If that distinction confuses you, don't worry, it confuses a lot of people. Me too! The way I keep them distinguished in my mind is that a mixtape is basically a collection of an artist's works from across their catalog, while an LP, the traditional album, is a concentrated effort by an artist to record material all around the same time and in the same theme. So Exmilitary is apparently a mixtape, according to how any other source defines it.
If I'm talking to much about Death Grips, I'll switch it up! I've also recently gotten into Au Revoir Simone. I just finished up listening to their 3rd album, Still Night, Still Light. It was some well produced Indie Pop/Dream Pop, and they've gotten better with each subsequent album, so we'll see how their 4th goes for me.
There's been a lot of music lately, but Death Grips and Au Revoir Simone are two of the most recent additions to my "collection" of "good stuff to listen to".
Re-intro
I've decided that my thoughts are too scattered and "eclectic" to confine to any one themed blog, so instead I'm making this one right here the sounding board for every thought, idea, or opinion I have.
The problem I've found is that while I really like music, I don't have enough knowledge of music theory to properly critique it. The same can be said for film, for books, for anything really. I'm kind of a dumb guy. But what I do know is what I like and what I don't like, so every review that shall come henceforth has this little caveat attached to it: I'm a pseudo-intellectual with no real qualifications other than that I, just like so many other people out there, have the ability to formulate opinions based upon my experiences. I wish I could comment more decisively on the quality of my future posts, but I can't. They might suck. They might not. We'll see.
Aside from commentary on music, movies, games, and other forms of media, this will also act as a space to really just talk about anything I want to. I don't really want to box myself in to a particular topic or anything. So once again, we'll see. I could get tired of this project in the next few months and you'll never hear from me again. Or I could keep this up for the rest of my life, meticulously detailing every aspect of my life. Whatever happens, happens.
The problem I've found is that while I really like music, I don't have enough knowledge of music theory to properly critique it. The same can be said for film, for books, for anything really. I'm kind of a dumb guy. But what I do know is what I like and what I don't like, so every review that shall come henceforth has this little caveat attached to it: I'm a pseudo-intellectual with no real qualifications other than that I, just like so many other people out there, have the ability to formulate opinions based upon my experiences. I wish I could comment more decisively on the quality of my future posts, but I can't. They might suck. They might not. We'll see.
Aside from commentary on music, movies, games, and other forms of media, this will also act as a space to really just talk about anything I want to. I don't really want to box myself in to a particular topic or anything. So once again, we'll see. I could get tired of this project in the next few months and you'll never hear from me again. Or I could keep this up for the rest of my life, meticulously detailing every aspect of my life. Whatever happens, happens.
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