Ketchup (the First in, Probably, a Long Series)
There’s a lot of… stuff, going on(*gestures at everything). But within the (*gestures again) is music, new music to be specific, and there’s A LOT of it. So much that I can’t really keep up.
Needless to say, these—most likely—recurring segments will be flash observations of good music I’ve heard that I just don’t have the time, or, more honestly, the inspiration to cover in depth.
When something really, really great comes out, I will be doing a full review. But since I haven’t been whipped up by anything since that CRJ album (B-side, whatever), I’ve been going back through stuff I either skipped for some reason, or just plain missed the first time, and this segment will go through those things—err…albums.
Links to listen are in the album art, by the way.
Crepuscle I & II by Tujiko Noriko
Ambient
Ambient music is always kind of hard to write about. This one especially because it’s pretty dark. I like it a lot, but at close to two hours, you definitely need to approach it in shifts. Too much at once and you’ll be time-is-a-flat-circle-ing. Check it out if you need background music that also makes the hairs stand up on your neck.
Does Spring Hide Its Joy by Kali Malone
Drone
Drone is very similar to ambient in that…it is ambient. The difference here is that it takes minutes to produce a single musical phrase. The effect is like listening to an orchestra warm-up, but slowed down and stretched out to last … JESUS CHRIST 5 HOURS!!! It’s definitely a time commitment, but this is one you can for sure have on while piling through code or dishes or whatever. It’s actually pretty enjoyable to have your life come with a musical score for a little bit.
After the Magic by 파란노을 (Parannoul)
Shoegaze
It might be entirely in Korean, but shoegaze knows no borders (especially considering, when it’s done right, you can’t hear what they’re singing anyway). These are some of the heaviest, haziest guitars I’ve heard in a very long time, and the emotional ride they take you on is one of the most rewarding of the year.
This Stupid World by Yo La Tengo
Post-Rock
Loud noise rock veterans Yo La Tengo return, and it’s great. The guitars are the liveliest they’ve been in years, and their decades of experience at this point make them the perfect messengers for this tale of inescapable darkness.
Girl in the Half Pearl by Liv.e
Neo-Soul
The second album from Liv.e is more expressive and more nuanced than her first. Here, she brutalizes the molds of standard R&B and soul until they form into the shape of her own journey of personal truth, as painful as it might get.
Dogsbody by Model/Actriz
Industrial Rock
New industrial is a rare thing. Good new industrial is even rarer. This is a return the the late-80’s/early-90’s style of industrial: pop-rock songwriting in the disguise of goth with sound effects added that gave albums like Pretty Hate Machine their sound. The songs are catchy, the noise is ever-present but not overbearing, and the lyrics are still discernable (lookin’ at you, Street Sects). Check it out if you need some aggro fuel ASAP.
Red Moon in Venus by Kali Uchis
Neo-Soul
Kali Uchis returns to provide some incredibly smooooove R&B. The instrumentals are lush and her lyrics are captivating. This is Kali leveraging all of her pop star power to transport us to the heavens.
Oh Me Oh My by Lonnie Holley
Spoken Word Soul
I couldn’t really come up with a good single term for what this album is. Lonnie Holley delivers some very stirring poetry over a backdrop of neo-soul that incorporates a much more technological instrumentation than is usually found in that genre. I feel like the only reason this isn’t getting more buzz is because the man is 73. I know spoken word isn’t for everybody, but this is some seriously inventive stuff, musically and thematically.
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey
Art Pop
I have slept on Lana Del Rey. I mean that seriously, her music makes me fall asleep…normally. This album is where she finally got through to me. To point out just one highlight, “A&W” blew my mind. Lana’s delivery is so varied and technically proficient, the flitting falsetto during the verses perfectly countered with the drab resignation of the final chorus line “This is the experience of being an American whore.” Then the end: at the halfway point, the final piano chord of the chorus is PEFRECTLY mixed into the sound of a droning synth and the song becomes a Year-Zero-esque techno-glitch-hop instrumental experiment. Then Lana comes back in and it becomes a Wet-Leg-style slacker-pop chant?! Hats off to you!
93696 by Liturgy
Black Metal
Get ready for screaming!!!!!!!!!!! Also, the instrumentals here are sufficiently brutal for a black metal album, and, when listened to through proper audio equipment (read: good speakers (not your laptop or phone) or decent headphones), the vocals meld with the surrounding sound to form a beautiful wash of noise. I couldn’t tell you what Liturgy is trying to say, I just know they’re saying it exactly right.
Ten? Yeah, ten’s good for now. Remember, links are in the album art. We’ll catch up more later.
