Sunday, May 7, 2017

Loosies Of The Week, May. 1-7



Welcome to yet another Loosies Of The Week, a wrap-up of this weeks singles, throwaways, leaks, and any other loose tracks I find. A monumental week filled with lots of amazing, interesting singles. Guarantee they'll be something to enjoy here. 
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LCD Soundsystem - Call The Police / American Dream

Months, maybe years of preparation lead to the release of these two songs. This week's a very big week for those in the Indie scene, as it signals the official return of LCD Soundsystem, capped off by last night's performance on SNL. Despite features a breadth of influences, LCD Soundsystem's music always felt iconic, instantly recognizable to the trove of generational youths listening to James Murphy's life-affirming proclamations. That was the crux of their three albums, guided by a beating heart intent on defining our post-2000's universe and the swath of generation Y-ers that were lost inside it. In 2017, we needed LCD Soundsystem more than ever. And not a washed up, half-hearted return. We needed 'Call The Police' and 'American Dream,' two massive singles that immediately set aside any doubts towards their long-awaited return. There's so much bite to each of this dance behemoths, a simple write-up on my behalf will not do them justice. Best listen for yourself.

Take note Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, and the plethora of other big name artists trying to make politically-charged Dance records; 'Call The Police' is how you do it. Fiery, multi-multi-layered, and unequivocally cathartic, 'Call The Police' is an instant LCD Soundsystem essential cut. Both in regards to its agenda and execution. While not as original as 'American Dream,' 'Call The Police' comes close to filling that empty gap where 'Someone Great' and 'All My Friends' once stood. It's inspired by LCD Soundsystem's past, which in and of itself was inspired by David Bowie. As for 'American Dream,' the darker, more brooding edge gives way to Murphy's critiques on our societies tendency to worship the pick-up and throwaway romantic culture. It's a bit out of touch, but harmless enough to still be enjoyable. While I prefer 'Call The Police,' there is no denying the greatness of 'American Dream,' as the waterfall of synths that captures the background chants moves gracefully over the punchy, almost militaristic drums that guide the track. Two wonderful singles that find little to complain about. Their next LP should be an event.
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The I.L.Y's - I Love You Man

For those unfamiliar with The I.L.Y's, you shouldn't be. Why? Well, you know those Experimental Hip-Hop purveyors Death Grips? The I.L.Y's are what happens when you remove the maniac MC Ride from the group, as that's literally the group; Zach Hill and Andy Morin. Their two albums, based upon Death Grips relations, has always been somewhat interesting to me, but never enough to fully check out. Hip-Hop was replaced by Punk, and that's hardly ever my scene. But this? This is something else. 'I Love You Man,' the second single to Bodyguard, is sensational. Sure, the standard Garage Rock fanfare is there, but 'I Love You Man' takes more cues from Psychedelic Rock and Art Punk than the standard genres. Despite having clear influence, it's a really unique song that's both musically-engrossing and delectably catchy. Every aspect is downright odd, with the beachy vibe going against the lackadaisical grain of other similar artists, while Morin's electrics provide a secondary sound throughout, all while Hill's vocals press onwards like radicalized Post-Punk. Insanely good song.
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Japanese Breakfast - Machinist

Okay, well this was unexpected. Japanese Breakfast, created by the cute little heart-melter Michele Zauner, took both me and some of the Indie world by storm last year with Psychopomp, an excellent record that used her Punk origins to sideswipe some otherwise standard Dream and Indie Pop. There was a ample amount of diversity too, with slow Singer/Songwriter ballads mashed up against perfect Twee Pop (See: 'Everybody Wants To Love You,' one of 2016's best). So, maybe Zauner suddenly changing directions wasn't so unexpected after all, Psychopomp certainly gave some indications. But this? Japanese Breakfast goes full-blown Synth and Electropop; complete with 80's kitschy autotune. There's a chance 'Machinist' just isn't a good song. There's also a chance 'Machinist' just doesn't work for Zauner. But more than both of those, I feel 'Machinist' doesn't work for Japanese Breakfast's fans, including me. You put this track in front of a mainstream listener whose only flirtations with indie come in the form of Chvrches, The xx, and Purity Ring, and they'll love it. It's all about perspective. While this perspective doesn't suit me, I can bet Soft Sounds From Another Planet, the album on which it appears, will. 
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Lil Yachty - Bring It Back

Raise your hand if you thought the two most popular Synthpop songs released this week would be by Japanese Breakfast and Lil Yachty. Throw in LCD Soundsystem and you have one hell of a week. Honestly, 'Bring It Back' is exactly why I love Lil Yachty, even though I'm not entirely in love with the song. Dude doesn't care, whatsoever. The song is laughably cheesy, and brings back memories of the first moments my ears tried to process him a little over a year ago. Like much of Lil Boat, and some of Summer Songs 2, 'Bring It Back' has immense replay value, something that doesn't dawn on you on first listen when you're questioning just what the hell is going on. 'Bring It Back' isn't Hip-Hop, inspired more so by the 80's glam of Synthpop, ripe with darting synths and pounding percussion. Some similarities can be drawn to 'So Many People,' which makes this sudden shift to Synthpop not too surprising. It's a fascinating sound for Yachty, both for those who love and hate him. Two more hilarious things to me; the fact that it's almost five minutes long, and that the glorious climax immediately reminds me of M83's 'Midnight City.'
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Grizzly Bear - Three Rings

Well, my bias concerning Grizzly Bear just took a whirlwind this past week. Having never sat down with their discography, despite the acclaim its been given, the trove of teasers in preparation of 'Three Rings' really rubbed me the wrong way. Last I counted there was over a dozen, which is laughably irritating. So, going into 'Three Rings' my bias wanted to dislike it. And then it began, vibrant instrumentation abound, building with a delightful assortment of sounds, colors, and shapes, and I couldn't resist the urge to really, really dig this. So much for thinking they were the definitive basic Indie Rock band, a pre-conceived notion I had. This honestly leans way more towards Neo-Psychedelia, or, at the very least, Psychedelic Rock. Concerning vocals, there's even traces of Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes' lead, in Edward Droste's tenor and falsetto, providing a more vibrant background for that voice than what I was accustomed to. Really nothing bad to say about 'Three Rings,' it's masterfully produced and immediately turned my naivety around concerning Grizzly Bear.
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By all accounts, HAIM is a conflicting band, both for those in the indie scene and those in the mainstream. That's because they really seem to be the crossroads between both. Certain female artists that rely on Indie sensibility, like Tove Lo, Halsey, or Marina & The Diamonds, can easily be deemed Pop and thus ignored by the indie crowd. But HAIM, even abiding dangerously by their basic chick/tumblr shtick, has pulled in crowds that would otherwise ignore an all-girl Pop Rock band. The only two artists in this crossroads that is more conflating than them is Lorde and Lana Del Rey. All that being said, I haven't even heard a lick of their music until 'Want You Back,' so calling me ignorant is fair. Truthfully speaking though, I can totally see the merit behind these three sisters, as 'Want You Back' was way more compact, enjoyable, and groovy than I had envisioned. The bulk of the appeal relies solely on the hook, which is excellent, and HAIM knows it too, given how much they utilize it. Reminds me of the power punch Pop of the mid-80's, like a more thunderous John Hughes flick.
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The not-so mysterious R&B outfit dvsn surprised me with their 2016 effort Sept 5th. A lot of that album's appeal can on behalf of their identity-less nature, leaving the worth laid purely on the music. It was supremely sensual Alternative R&B that packed an atmospheric punch, glazed over by a gooey heartthrob. Throw in a singular gimmick, that of occasional Gospel background singing, and you've got an all-around great, modern R&B record. 'Think About Me,' the band's first official single since then, continues with those same ideas, which makes it pleasant but a tad bit redundant. See, Sept 5th, like a handful of artists and albums, felt like an open and shut case. The saturated romanticism that came from the record was all I ever needed. Anything more seems like excess. That being said, 'Think About Me' isn't a poor song by any means, liquefying the percussion and synths as they drip in and out of some massive bass hits. The vocals are honestly the most forgettable aspect of the single, seeming somewhat uninspired in the lyrics and by-the-books in the tone.
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