2020, Sol
This album came out a few short weeks ago, and this post is a public appeal to all of you devoted readers to GO BUY THE CRAP OUT OF IT. Sol has singlehandedly blown a blast of fresh air into the recent rap releases, establishing a unique focus that could be described as a soul-rock-rap fusion. The first thing to note is the sound; this guy records only with a full band that refuses to let him take the spotlight. With soft tones from the keyboard, grooving bass, the ultimate level of smooth percussion, and some sudden interjections from the horn to fill you with that soulful pleasure, this song would be incredible even if Sol was not involved. Those of you who know me know I have to single out the drums for a second; the beat is the perfect medium between metronomic and visionary. For a rapper working with a live band, the drums are his only guideline for accuracy and no matter his skill and lyrical dexterity, all of his success is contingent on how sharp and even that beat is. That being said, Sol does have some pretty absurd lyrical dexterity. This song is beautiful, sending a THC-fused message about peaceful and personal revolution while simultaneously pumping you up and leaving you in the dust with the speed and rigor of his rapping. Eminem set the stage for white rapping, and since then it’s been a struggle for guys to come close to his shadow. Sol just sidestepped the whole thing and went in his own direction; he turns his anger and resentment into a calm yet invigorating call to arms, while instigating such a warm and powerful feeling that only some music can. If you like this, absolutely check out his whole album, Yours Truly, which won’t be the last we hear from him I am sure.
Peter Adelfio
It is technically tomorrow, and once I get on a writing binge… well anyway, enjoy:
5. After Midnight, blink-182
I can safely say that blink is one of the core components that led to my love in music, and it wasn’t until this great year that I got to see them perform, twice, as part of their tour for their new album Neighborhoods. Tom Delonge’s influence is staggering throughout the album, and the entire thing feels like an Angels and Airwaves creation with a better drummer. All things considered, it’s still an awesome punk album regardless of the detour from blink’s roots. This song is one of the few that is reminiscent of the powerful angst that blink brought to the forefront, angst that transcends regular teenage frustration and fuels the painful fire of punk rock. Travis does everything you want him to, and the feel of the song is moody and generation specific. What more could you ask for?
4. N****s in Paris, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Overall, Watch the Throne was not the greatest thing hip-hop has ever seen, though it’s hype would suggest otherwise. This song, on the other hand, allowed Kanye and Jay-Z to treat their verses as their own as opposed to a collaboration. Each of their verses is entirely reminiscent of what made them as individuals great, not the mixed up back and forth the anticipation suggested. Jay-Z and his humble ability is reflected in his fluid rapping; he makes rhyming in rhythm seem as natural as speaking, and the content of his lyrics is concretely evocative while it capitalizes on a wide variety of topics. Kanye, on the other hand, is the opposite of humble and reflects so in his boyish appreciation of rhyming. Both are equally talented, but Kanye reflects so in his toying with words and joy of using language to his crude advantage. This song is exactly what you want from both, and makes Watch the Throne worth every penny.
3. Shake Me Down, Cage the Elephant
This song is a fantastic example of what rock can do when tailored to a crowd. Cage the Elephant is truly unique with their accented lyrics, dramatic stories with upbeat instrumentals and rocking, passionate choruses. Well that last one isn’t unique, but you get the point. This song draws you in as it begins to paint a somber picture and the instrumentals almost drag you down as well. Suddenly it begins to grow, and the mood picks up and begins to invigorate the listener. It draws you in, making you beg for more. The uplifting call to nature lifts you up and brings you crashing such as the wave the song is. This song alone is enough of a reason to see them live, even on a cloudy day.
2. Mama’s Boyfriend, Kanye West
Jack already introduced this song, and I must reinforce his disclaimer of a parental advisory sticker. This song is the hip-hop king of the year, and I don’t care what ‘Ye has to say about it being released early; he poured his heart and soul into this rap. It deals with a very real and emotionally deep-seated social reality from both sides, and affects the listener in many visceral ways. It really makes the listener think about his own flaws and directives, while simultaneously appealing both to humor and lyrical impressiveness. Don’t change much when you release it your own way, Kanye (I’m just as good at rhyming…)
1. Seven Nation Army (Remix), The Glitch Mob
Some people may call this cheating to put at number one considering it is a remix, but this song was truly my favorite of the year. The Glitch Mob took one of the most amazing rock songs we will ever hear, and morphed it into an electronicly laden head banger. The notes are the same, but these three dudes take everything that makes this song great and put it into an electrical socket. Juicing up everything gives the song a new flavor; it can still be enjoyed in all its rock glory, but now there’s a dance component that drives the listener’s emotions. Jack White’s already electric guitar notes blast out another amp, bringing down all sorts of houses. I’m very thankful for the Glitch Mob’s remix, and their originals aren’t too shabby either.
A big apology to all for my recent lack of internet activity. As the majority of our readers know, the life of a college student is a taxing one. But enough excuses: time to follow my colleagues’ suits and make final decisions on my top 10 favorite songs of 2011. As Jack already mentioned, I don’t pretend that these are the songs I think are the most musically impressive or whatnot. These are simply the songs that I appreciate the most and are why I praise 2011. And so it goes:
10.Jack Sparrow, Lonely Island feat. Michael Bolton
I’ve always loved The Lonely Island and their ability to be hilariously comedic while still maintaining an extremely high level of musical accountability, unlike other comedic artists (cough Weird Al cough). I enjoyed this album immensely, and pretty much all of the songs made me laugh at some point. This song makes my top ten list for a number of reasons: A. I freaking love Pirates of the Caribbean. B. The hip-hop beat and lyrics are infinitely more legit than any Drake song I have ever heard. C. The combination of the two to form a musically impressive club song while simultaneously making me laugh at every “big, sexy hook,” and D. The music video. I hope they release a non-joking song based on the hip-hop verses… that beat is sick.
9. Rolling in the Deep, Adele
I did not jump onto the Adele train as hardcore as many other music fanatics did. Don’t get me wrong, she’s got one of the most impressive and unique voices I believe our generation will ever hear. In general it is her lyrics that make me remiss to idolize her; I find her occasionally boring and awkwardly straightforward, straying from her propensity to powerfully engage imagery for the sake of stating the obvious. That being said, there was no way this song wasn’t making it on my top ten. From the first few seconds, her voice bursts out of the recesses and grabs a hold of the listener, captivating the deepest reaches of our aural souls and entrancing you to listen through the end. The instrumentals are simple and serve as a subtle backbone to Adele’s triumph over pain and suffering. I’m looking forward to her next album, where hopefully she’ll branch out story-wise.
8. Broken American, Dispatch
I have long been a fan of Dispatch, and when Jack and I got the chance to go see them this summer we were both [reservedly] ecstatic. While they only released an EP as their reintroduction to the live show scene, it had enough songs to turn me nostalgic to the early high school days when I listened to Bang Bang a little too much. Broken American gets to the heart of what I love about Dispatch; the lyrics are fully impassioned while feeling almost like a stream of consciousness, and the instrumentals find the perfect balance between folk and rock, acoustically keeping up the pace without ever feeling draggy or disconnected. Not to mention that Chad has the unique ability to sing every single word as though each carries the same weight and meaning, really engaging the listener. They’re touring the UK and apparently releasing an album this upcoming year, so be on the lookout.
7. Pumped Up Kicks, Foster the People
Yeah, you knew it was coming. This may be one of the catchiest non-dance songs ever released. These guys are so soft that the chorus seems to implant itself in the listener’s head subliminally, and soon you find yourself humming a tune and not remembering where you heard it. The subtle synths and perfect vocal harmonies leave an indent in your brain, and regardless if these fellows meant to or not, their lack of utilizing the obvious keys to making a song ‘catchy’ had the exact opposite effect. Well done gentlemen.
6. Civilization, Justice
The French have got hard-pumping dance music down to a t, and this duo is no exception. This song gets your heart thumping with its intro, and when you are about to get bored with the monotony of the single bass tone, the electronics explode and send wave after wave of industrialized sound over you. This song has so many sounds that the combination of each unique instrumental rocks you to your core, grabs your limbs and throws them around in the most processed form of dance imaginable. Don’t listen to this unless you’re standing up in an open environment, we don’t want any broken bones from listening to these two. Actually…
In the words of Michael Scott, “I’ll give you the rest of the 10… tomorrow…”
Why Where What, King Fantastic
I first heard this song when my friend introduced me to a independent music video of sorts featuring the LA rapper duo’s single. The
music video was well made, and the focus was on something much more… innately attention grabbing than the song (NSFW, but check it out here). Yet the slightly background song caught my attention with its dance-esque bass and non-filtered lyrics. These two take the route of recent VMA nominee Tyler the Creator, letting their minds run rampant in the land of the censored and nitpicking every lyric to make sure it is offensive to someone. This song was tailored with a message, flush with city pride of course, but also containing a motivational monologue. These guys make it clear that weakness, hesitation and conformity are not options for them and if you don’t like it, you can get the fuck out. I think it is the inherent badass nature of the “war” these true LAers are fighting that draws me into this song. While my suburban white upbringing would suggest otherwise, I relate to the passion and drive these two rap about to not be silenced. The lyrics inspire vehemence and the beat fuels the listener’s body with unquenchable energy and focus. There are many examples of impressive rapping, and the whole package of the song makes me have no option but to give these guys major props.
Planetary (GO!), My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance has gone through band-shaking musical transitions in between the releases of all three of their albums. Their
first, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, was an angry, angst-ridden attack at delicate sensibilities, but really did not focus on much musically. Their second album spawned such singles as Welcome to the Black Parade and Teenagers, and the album in general was focused primarily on traditional pop punk characteristics; catchy choruses, simple and recognizable rifts and passionate angsty lyrics. In their third and most recent, Gerard Way and his band of misfits capitalize on that which made them popular. Their ability to spawn dancing and revelry out of pain and frustration is what brings them fans, and as a result the entire album is a pop-fueled dance party. Planetary is a good example of morphing vicious anger into music that inspires the exact opposite. The song is about avoiding death and those who try to make your life no better than the end of it, and from the beginning siren noise the listener is caught up in the perfectly hectic nature of that message. This song bounces all over the place from creepy whispering over throbbing bass to joyful singalongs over the quintessentially simple punk guitar riffs. It’s perfect live: it gets the audience on their feet and jumping, responding in perfect time and rhythm to the band’s singing, clapping, dancing, and general eccentricity. A fun, raucous and interminable song that can easily sway potential punk skeptics.
The Cave, Mumford and Sons
Mumford and Sons came out of the depths of obscurity with a bang when they released their impressive album, Sigh No More in
2010. They were immediately recognized for their unique folk-esque sound, their commitment to personal and motivating lyrics and the palpable passion in their presentation of songs about weighted and intense topics. Before these guys, there were no folk rock bands that I could honestly say I would play over and over again, but this album offers so many musical complexities both in the instrumentals and the vocals that many of the songs on it have indefinite longevity. The Cave is the song that tackles the most emotionally distressing and somber situation on this album. Being human means you know what its like to have a friend who is drowning and who, no matter your best efforts, you are incapable of fully saving. The Cave takes this heart-wrenching universal experience and molds this emotion into a simile-packed, energetic and ardent musical description of the overwhelming feelings behind trying to help someone who is trying to destroy themselves. The chorus is perfect as it builds with every repetition to come crashing out from the singer’s heart as he belts his myriad of emotions over a growing cacophony of sound. This song and this band will always make the listener take an inward look at how he or she comes across to other people, and the beauty of their talent makes these introspective moments a joy to listen to.
Stay Together For The Kids, blink-182
As pop punk bands go, blink’s repertoire is very diverse. Their discography ranges from songs that are literally a cheerful string of curse words with no grammar or punctuation to songs written from the perspective of a teenager about to commit suicide. Stay Together for the Kids falls closer to the latter; its a very weighted and sobering topic, and Tom, Mark and Travis use the song to treat the subject of divorce with truly passionate angst. All three of them are a part of broken families, and their own personal experiences explicitly empower their musical prowess to pour out the emotions they’ve all contained via their instruments. The soulful guitar strumming throughout represents only a portion of the anguish represented by being a child with divorced parents. Travis stays subtle during the verses and uses the chorus to explode outward in a flurry of powerful and rapid drumming, which displays another side of the inward vicious anger that can only be released forcefully. The lyrics are a good excuse not to be reserved; they invite listeners to use this song however they want. One can listen to this when feeling angry, sad, rejected, aggressive, or really just to sing along loudly with the chorus. I finally saw blink live for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and the first few notes from Tom’s guitar at the beginning of this one made the crowd go insane as they eagerly anticipated that exceptionally vehement outlet genres like pop punk offers its fans. This is a song for many moods, so use it frequently and without hesitation.
You might have heard of Foster the People. Their infectious single “Pumped Up Kicks” has been slowly climbing charts for the best part of a year and a half. But with the release of their latest album, Torches, Matt Foster and his people show us the range in diversity that synths, vocal layers, and dueling drums can create.
The track “Houdini” is nothing short of a musically brilliant example of this concept coming into fruition. Opening with pounding drums and synth flourishes, it explodes with a vocal layer that sets the tone and tempo for the piano laden verses. The layers come back in the pre-chorus, leading up to an exuberant burst of a synth riff, that never changes, but expands in its layers as the song goes on. Oh, and its damn catchy too. Underneath it all, the basic piano riff and percussion stays constant, allowing the musical flourishes of the band take hold, and mold the song. Take the second instrumental chorus, where the synth line layers itself with a basic horn track. Not much doing, nothing really changes musically. But it expands the song. Makes it huge, and this line stays through the breakdown, the real climax of the song.
Foster’s vocals range somewhere between laidback singing delivery to full on falsetto. He does show prowess though on the songs emotional moments, delivering a punch on the line “sometimes I want to disappear” right before the band launches themselves into the instrumental chorus. The breakdown of the song is where Foster also shows his range, from his low delivery, to full on falsetto, answering the chorus call “rise up to your ability” with the response “can’t stand while I disappear” (get the Houdini reference yet?)
The complex layers of this song, with the emotional musical punches that it packs make it an entirely unique listening experience. And a good one at that too.
Paris (Ooh La La) [Live], Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Grace Potter, alongside her band of long-hairs, was Jack and my first stop at Grant Park, and I was very excited to start off the weekend with their palpable energy. These guys have a very distinct personality; they clearly believe that music is the best way to cleanse the soul and through making personal and emotionally gritty songs they can aid in the spiritual happiness and fulfillment of their fans. They understand how music is a gift and respect it as such, molding each aspect of every song to elicit emotional reactions and true feelings from listeners. “Paris (Ooh La La)” is one of their major crowd pleasers, and the chorus makes it obvious why. But it is more than just a catchy sing-a-long with heavy chords and powerful bass rhythm. This song is sensual yet tame, pervasive yet passive, esoteric yet strikingly human, and this balance between many extremes makes this song worth listening to twice to catch all the subtleties. On stage, Grace et al seem to lose their minds to this song, allowing every note to take hold of their bodies and fling them as the musical gods choose. The lyrics are slightly mysterious and the instrumentals are rocking and powerful, which gives this song a lasting power stronger than any catchy chorus. These guys are masterful performers, and it is clear they understand what their craft can and should be used for.
Higher Love (Live), Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Well the three day haze of musical rapture has come to an end, and Mother Earth made sure it went out with a bang. Yesterday Jack and I got sunburned, torrentially soaked through every layer of clothing and so muddy that I think my toenails may have permanently changed color. It was also the best day my ears have ever had; every single artist we saw was incredible, and we saw all or most of twelve acts. I’ve had a serious inner debate about what to post from yesterday, but Jack and I have decided to not limit ourselves and keep posting about Lolla for the rest of the week; so for my first post about Sunday, I give you a cover of Steve Winwood’s 1986 hit, Higher Love. This cover was pretty much the explicit reason Jack and I chose to see Jr. Jr., and while they delivered on every song in their set, their performance of this epic jam took the cake. The first immediately noticeable component of the song is the drumming. The band’s drummer is so fluid and graceful with his purposeful composition and establishes the snappy grove of the song immediately with his unique style. The incorporation of the sax is just as powerful, bringing the house down during the explosive crowd rocking chorus. Everything about this cover is built for a live audience, with catchy and relatable vocals, epic yet not overpowering instrumentals, and a couple of goofy looking, absurdly talented dudes getting entranced by the emotional power of the song. This song was placed perfectly in our musical journey this weekend, connecting the whole audience through the dance-inspiring rock and making them (including me) hungry for more.
