The kids these days need some new RnB. Some brand new lovemaking music. There’s almost a whole generation now who wouldn’t even think to grab 12 Play when they turn the lights down low with that special someone. For shame. Oh well. Meet The Weeknd. They’re here to fill that void. Just some guys from Toronto, lighting candles and dropping panties and whatnot.
Apparently their stuff’s been bouncing around the blogosphere for a bit now, but damned if it hadn’t passed me right on by. Then I heard their song “What You Need.” Damn. Or how about title-track “House of Balloons” with it’s slick Siouxsie Sioux sample? Awesome. The Weeknd is composed of vocalist Abel Tesfaye, but we’re a lil’ hazy on who exactly handles the production duties. We’ve seen them credited between Doc McKinney, Illangelo and Jeremy Rose depending on the site. But regardless of who’s behind the knobs along with Tesfaye, they’ve locked into a serious rose-colored, writhing, sultry groove. The-Dream, you finally have competition homie. Their new mixtape (or is it an album?) House of Balloons just dropped, and you can download it here. Seriously do so.
Imagine Black Sabbath and Heart or maybe even Jethro Tull had a bastard lovechild during a séance at Anton Lavey’s house. That’s the closest I can get to describing the sounds that Blood Ceremony have cultivated in their new album, Living With The Ancients. Part NWOBHM, part 70′s psych rock, Blood Ceremony mixes in a fatal dose of occult-themed lyrics with the sounds of rock’s past.
Why is it fatal? Partially because of the vocals. While Blood Ceremony’s debut album received great accolades, I feel like much of the hype was unwarranted. Sure, there aren’t a lot of female-fronted doom metal acts out there but that doesn’t mean they deserve a gold star on default. Where are the vocal ranges? I wanna hear her actually sing, not just lay down 50-minutes of mono-tone vocals. At some points, they’re almost just lazy.
This angers me. So much potential for another great doom metal band is lost. “The Great God Pan” builds with a lot of potential and immediately, the sounds are overturned by a lot of emphasis on vocals. We’ve got a huge influence from the 70′s here and the female lead is just so weak. There’s no power in her vocal range and all of the Satanic and Pagan references in the world can’t help her. Where’s the emotion lady?
“Coven Tree” brings in flutes to put the occultly folky theme over the top and if that wasn’t enough to drive you back to the round table, there’s “The Hermit”. Enough with the fucking flutes ok? It’s great that you were in your highschool band but leave it out! Here I was thinking this was about as bad as it could get but then a tambourine comes in to ruin the party. With all these attempts to “age” the band, they still come off sounding like a washed-up Wino side-project, without the powerful vocals. “My Demon Brother” comes across as an homage to Hammer Films and other British horror. A sound clip mentions the Devil and Beelzebub and we’re supposed to get scared or something?
Listen to Electric Wizard “Black Mass” and tell me how Blood Ceremony even creates an ounce of emotion in their music. The rest of the album kinda flops like hippie footwear. More flutes, less variance and “Morning of the Magicians” is boring. For their one decent track, put on “Oliver Haddo”. It’s pure Sabbath worship. More sound clips, organs come in and the riffs are tolerable and the vocals carry a little bit more variance. The last two full-tracks are “Night of Augury” and the 10-minute rock ballad “Daughter of the Sun” with a god-awful minstrel track “The Witch’s Dance” sandwiched in between.
It’s a huge let down when I come across an album like Living With The Ancients. It has all the potential to be a great album. Occult-themed lyrics, check. Sound clips from horror movies, check. Female front, check. But they had to go and fuck it all up. Maybe I’m being too hard here but I am not impressed. Pass on this and go listen to Candlemass or Witchfinder General.
Do these guys really need an introduction ’round these parts? I hope not. But I’ll do one anyway: it’s Left Brain and Hodgy Beats of MellowHype, part of OFWGKTA. So stoked they rolled through to get some gear because we’re obviously huge fans.
These guys are not only one of the best things to happen to Hip Hop in god knows how long, but on a personal note, one of the best things to happen to Streetwear as a whole. The entire crew is filled with young, creative and talented kids who grew up skating, reading Hypebeast and hanging out on Fairfax among the shops of their favorite brands. In many ways, seeing these dudes do their thing and grow bigger and bigger and bigger is validation for us and our contemporaries that we weren’t some flash in the pan “hype,” but in fact (in whatever small way) we made a lasting impression on some of the most creative voices of the next generation. I’m proud that these guys are flagbearers in carrying Streetwear further and further out to the public. O.K. Enough soapboxin’ from me.
The producer and emcee duo’s Blackenedwhite was one of our favorite albums of last year. Hell I’m sure it was on plenty of people’s must-play lists, but it’ll always hold special significance for us since Hodgy name-checked us on one of the album’s standout’s, “Brain.”
If you didn’t grab it for free while you could, fear not, because Blackenedwhite will be getting remastered, expanded and re-released courtesy of Fat Possum Records, who like Odd Future are on a pretty incredible roll themselves. So keep an eye and ear open for it in the near future.
In the meantime, check out this interview with Hodgy during Odd Future’s recent trip to Austin for SXSW. You’ll learn something new, like that Hodgy is originally from Jersey. Go figure!
Мишка LA
1547 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles CA 90026
213-536-4234
As you already know, The Death Set‘s latest record Michel Poiccard dropped recently to great fanfare. Johnny and the boys have been all over the country promoting it, but are making a much needed stop back in New York to hold what’s shaping up to be a fucking awesome release party. Post-release party? Whatever, just get drunk and hopped up on music enough that you don’t even think about it!
Seriously, the album is a winner, and The Death Set have recruited some of their best friends (who happen to also be awesome musicians) to help them celebrate their so auspicious of achievements. Album guest and fellow XXXChange affiliate Spank Rock will be there. So, that’s fucking awesome (I dream about the follow up to YoYoYoYoYo). Also “Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snappers” Ninjasonik, as well as Hood Chef, and DJ C-Lo. So, if you’re 16 or older, come out to MHOW this Saturday and get down.
So of course, mere weeks after I go off on a screed about conventional shooters, I end up getting utterly blown away by one. Crysis 2 is the best FPS I’ve played in a very long time, perhaps even since Halo. Better than any Gears, better than Killzone, better even than any CoD. But, I lied a little earlier. Despite the surface similarities, Crysis 2 is anything but conventional.
Crysis was somewhat of a great white whale for most gamers, a PC exclusive that at first mention would instantly bring about a discussion of graphical capabilities and the power of your “gaming rig”. Crytek has created a monster with their CryEngine 2, one that sent normal computers into a quivering fit, unable to handle the massively detailed graphics and deep physics engine. As such, I never played it. So don’t come at me if you were a big Crysis fan who’s disappointed the graphics were (necessarily) toned down to accommodate console gamers.
I wasn’t really paying attention to any of the lead up to Crysis 2. Whereas other game releases these days are treated with ad campaigns befitting of studio blockbusters, I saw my first Crysis 2 commercial last night. Nevertheless, as I walked past a GameStop Tuesday afternoon, I was feeling saucy and decided to go out on a limb and get Crysis 2. I got the PS3 version, but I’m hearing now that the 360 version might run better. Whatever.
The game takes place in a stunningly well recreated NYC as it is laid to waste by a war between invading alien forces, the US military, and the privately contracted CryTek army. You play Alcatraz, a marine who, after an accident involving an alien ship, ends up encased in the NanoSuit 2, an upgrade of Crysis‘ powersuit. Pulled between various factions, Alcatraz must fight his way through the collapsing city and uncover secrets and stop the aliens and… you see why I thought it was just going to be the same old shit?
And in way, plot wise at least, it is. But it’s well done at least, with a minimum of cringe-worth dialogue and a fast pace that doesn’t linger on anything for too long. It won’t change your life, but it’s fine. But the gameplay… oh boy, the gameplay. It’s great, it’s new, it’s fun, it’s smart, and it has everything to do with the NanoSuit. Each enemy encounter, as opposed to the linear firefights set up in games like CoD, functions as a mini-sandbox, with numerous strategies and vantage points to fight from.
The NanoSuit can be used to scout these out, with hud markers placed over things like “Snipe”, “Flank”, “Grenade”, “Stealth”, and “Infiltrate”. Within each of these choices, there are multiple ways to fight based on how you use your suit. Using the triggers, you can instantly switch between 3 modes: Agility, armor, and stealth. Agility lets you sprint and jump far distances to evade bullets, armor slows you down but let’s you absorb massive damage, and stealth turns you invisible with a nice Predator noise.
Based on your suits energy level, each setting can only be used for a limited time, forcing you to use them smartly, while also allowing you to build your own unique play style. Various suit and weapon upgrades also create some light-RPG elements, once more giving the gameplay more customizations. The guns fire with the right amount of heft, and the sound design (including an original score by Hans Zimmer) pull you deep into the game.
The graphics are incredible, free from the boring sepia tone that seems to be a requirement in modern FPS’. Instead, NYC is rendered in beautiful daylight, with details upon details to build out the amazingly well formed world. All of these come together for a great single-player experience, that translates wonderfully to multiplayer. I haven’t played much yet, but as far as I can tell the MP is great. Whereas other FPS have built perk systems into their MP, Crysis 2‘s gameplay already has it built in. A very impressive game that is worth your time, and a gameplay style that other studios should take a long hard look at.
Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John refuse to be one hit wonders. But when you have a hit as big as they did (2006′s “Young Folks”) it’s a tough climb down from a career-defining pinnacle. “Young Folks” was an indie pop track of anthemic proportions, and it was everywhere. Before this song existed though, PB&J had already released two LPs and four EPs. Post-”Young Folks” the band plays on, having released LPs in 2008, 2009 and now, a third, the recently released Gimme Some. Their refusal to be bound by one hit is admirable. But the question remains, can they coax the public into seeing them as more than that one song?
2009′s Living Thing was a reactionary effort in the face of “Young Folks”‘s success. It’s moodier sound painted the band perplexed, with depth in place of sunshine. Still, PB&J milked “Young Folks”, its familiar instrumentation written all over the album’s single, “Nothing To Worry About”.
With Gimme Some, the band have decided to give the people what they want, and hope they choke on the candy they begged for. The melodies are supremely catchy, interlaced with tropical flourishes. It’s a far cry from the calm and collected Living Thing. The band’s energy is through the roof as they whizz from the hurried guitar and drum work of “Dig A Little Deeper” to unison chorus and cowbell of “Second Chance”. The album feels as though its being listened to on fast forward, each track competing to top the muscle of the last. The album’s most tender moment “Down Like Me” loses its specialness sandwiched between the odd and furious “Black Book” and PB&J’s attempt at power pop, “Lies”.
Gimme Some feels panicked, and a little bit desperate. There’s so many hooks that they void one another out. Pacing is nonexistent as Peter Bjorn and John race to the finish line. I feel like I’ve been trampled by the Kentucky Derby of indie pop.
Sissy Bouce. New Orleans music scene based around booty popping, rhyme spitting, and being transgendered and/or androgynous. Who knew? Based on how awesome this video, and Big Freedia in general are, the whole world should. Seriously though, this is some fun shit. How long has this been going on right under our noses? I feel like New Orleans always has secretly cool shit happening.
Someone should expand this into a musical Cloverfield style thriller. Imagine it: a massive invasion of oversized funky aliens who’s only desire was that everyone dance. I, for one, welcome those alien overlords. Big Freedia’s new EP is out on Scion A/V on March 29th, and you better buy it, because if you don’t she’s coming to smash your city with her righteous moves.
Take heed Dubstep fans, learn the name Numan and learn it quick. This 19 year old Manchester, UK based producer is going to have a breakout this year. In a relatively short while he’s already made his stamp on the sound by challenging the expected when it comes to Dubstep.
Hot on the heels of his latest EP, G.O.L.D., Numan is following that quickly up with this brand new mix for Off Modern. An upbeat and insanely dancey mix that’s just a small taste of what you can expect if Numan ever decides to DJ a party live one of these days… at least we’re hoping he does.
Numan – OM Mix 006 1. Morcheeba – Blue Chair (Unitz Remix)
2. Desto – Kodama’s Sanctuary
3. L-Wiz – Stesolid
4. Kavsrave – The Break Up (Anger)
5. Kito – Spill
6. Silkie – It’s Late
7. TRC – Into Sync
8. Tim Deluxe – It Just Wont Do (TRC Remix)
9. Numan – Race Against Time
10. Starkey – Yellows and Greens
11. Numan – Untitled
Next Friday, for one night only, 350 Broadway is getting an overhaul. Bigger. Better. Synth-ier. Burgeoning Chillwave, retro electronic legend Com Truise will be leading his icy assault right into Brooklyn with an In-Store performance that promises to be the best yet. Seth Haley, better known by the superlative pseudonym Com Truise, is a one-man nostalgia factory who has been at the top of his game (and his scene) since its inception.
The great chillwave explosion of 2010 claimed its fair share of artists, hordes of laptop bearing bedroom poppers lost in a (sun bleached) sea of similarity. The ensuing backlash separated the wheat from the chaff. The innovators from the imitators. Com Truise worked his way to the front of the pack with ease. With an accomplished and unique sound, Truise first made waves with his brawny remixes, which he continues to put out with impressive regularity.
It quickly became overwhelmingly evident that Com Truise was not a one-blog wonder. His debut EP Cyanide Sister originally release via AMDISCS has since been reissued to wider release by the venerable Ghostly International earlier this year. The EP was fantastic and made it to our best of 2010 list with ease, simultaneously reaffirming his place in the upper echelons of Chillwave, while also further exploring his work beyond that genre. More than anything, it was a big fun record, one that we’re very excited to hear performed live.
The store isn’t exactly giant, so I suggest you arrive early. But the more people we get in there, the more massive this should be. And lemme tell you, the store could be dead empty and I’m sure Com Truise could still find a way to set it off. If you haven’t been to an In-Store before, this is a great place to start. So come ring in April by getting your face rocked, fools. ‘Cause this ain’t no joke.
Friday April 1st, 7pm-8pm Мишка
350 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
718-388-1725
