Grantland, one of my favorite sites for pop culture commentary, recently had their editors each select their own, personal, top song of 2014. I liked this list because there is quite a variety, and it looks like each editor picked something that they personally liked, even if it wasn't critically acclaimed or popular.
There is also a great mix of genres, which is a challenge for me. I don't listen to much folk rock and very little mixtapes, so I can only hope to appreciate them. I also think the Grantland staff has a streak of hipster, more than once they selected songs that seemed pretty obscure.
Also these are not ranked in any way. You can review the list for yourself here.
Andy Greenwald's pick: Jamie xx, "All Under One Roof Raving"
I have occasionally read some of Andy's work on Grantland, but he isn't someone I go over there specifically to find. I do, however, think that he and I have some similar musical tastes. I loved this selection. It is well mixed, well presented, and it does what it sets out to do. I'm not a huge DNB fan, but the lounge feel of this one works for me. The laid back, chill vibe is fun and interesting.
Steel drums are always risky, they easily fall into the trap of becoming a focal point rather than an instrument, but that isn't the case with this one. I'm not such a fan of the oppressive sampling, but I will let it slide here because 1) I know this isn't made for me and 2) this song is great and 3) I discovered the rest of Jamie xx's discography, all of which is good, most of which is great, some of which is outstanding.
I also really enjoyed Andy's brief introduction.
Showing posts with label quality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quality. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
New Music Discovery - Rushfell
Today's New Music Discovery comes from an artist known as Rushfell. Hailing from Seattle, he gives his full name as Mike Monroe. I have been focusing on EDM style artists lately, and that is what I found in Rushfell.
SplitSeven (Forgotten) - direct link
This is a really great song, right? I got a huge kick out of this one. I'd describe it as solidly in the IDM category. I think the best word here is DARK. The haunting, chanting vocals are well handled. They are just piercing enough to make you notice them, and there is a slight trance influence sneaking in there. At first it is all you can hear, but later they wash over you, blending with the rest of the track.
And the rest of the elements? A very deep, heavy, bass line. You almost never use those words to describe IDM, generally you are thinking dubstep or DNB. Here, though, they work. Forgoing a heavy drop and instead focusing on a heavy line, it plays a counter-balance to the vocals. The bass moves slow and even, and it never seems out of place. I also thought the drum line was well done.
The best IDM blends a lot of disparate elements in a way that you would never think makes sense, but sounds great. This track does all of that correct.
The biggest hurdle for this artist to overcome is stretching this one, tight, track into a full album of quality materials. If you like this one as well, check out his bandcamp page for some free downloads or support an up and coming artist with a pay what you can deal. Sadly, SplitSeven (Forgotten) is not available for download at this time.
SplitSeven (Forgotten) - direct link
This is a really great song, right? I got a huge kick out of this one. I'd describe it as solidly in the IDM category. I think the best word here is DARK. The haunting, chanting vocals are well handled. They are just piercing enough to make you notice them, and there is a slight trance influence sneaking in there. At first it is all you can hear, but later they wash over you, blending with the rest of the track.
And the rest of the elements? A very deep, heavy, bass line. You almost never use those words to describe IDM, generally you are thinking dubstep or DNB. Here, though, they work. Forgoing a heavy drop and instead focusing on a heavy line, it plays a counter-balance to the vocals. The bass moves slow and even, and it never seems out of place. I also thought the drum line was well done.
The best IDM blends a lot of disparate elements in a way that you would never think makes sense, but sounds great. This track does all of that correct.
The biggest hurdle for this artist to overcome is stretching this one, tight, track into a full album of quality materials. If you like this one as well, check out his bandcamp page for some free downloads or support an up and coming artist with a pay what you can deal. Sadly, SplitSeven (Forgotten) is not available for download at this time.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
New Music Discovery
Today I am bringing you a new track from Kid Methusela. His soundcloud profile indicates that he is brand new, starting in the summer of 2014, and his music is self-described as "reclusive beats." I don't necessarily know about any of that, but I will say today's shared track is pretty nice.
Luna (ft. The Ella Project) - direct link
I categorize this track as IDM, with a little bit of ambient thrown in. There are some very predictable features, including the NASA radio sample and the croaking frog swamp sounds. The radio sample didn't really bother me, other than that it was a little bit too directly on point. The frog noise did bother me though, I thin ham-fisted is the phrase that comes to mind.
Having said that, there is plenty of good in this one as well. When the beat picks up halfway through, it really moves the song and adds a layer of freshness that is desperately needed. It never falls into pure breakbeat, but it does have the same feel. It will appeal to those who can't get behind the complex dissonance of a true breakbeat track.
Overall, there is a nice, dreamlike quality, and this is overall a great way to spend a few minutes of your day.
Luna (ft. The Ella Project) - direct link
I categorize this track as IDM, with a little bit of ambient thrown in. There are some very predictable features, including the NASA radio sample and the croaking frog swamp sounds. The radio sample didn't really bother me, other than that it was a little bit too directly on point. The frog noise did bother me though, I thin ham-fisted is the phrase that comes to mind.
Having said that, there is plenty of good in this one as well. When the beat picks up halfway through, it really moves the song and adds a layer of freshness that is desperately needed. It never falls into pure breakbeat, but it does have the same feel. It will appeal to those who can't get behind the complex dissonance of a true breakbeat track.
Overall, there is a nice, dreamlike quality, and this is overall a great way to spend a few minutes of your day.
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