Review: Themselves – CrownsDown
Upon first listening to Themselves’ new album CrownsDown, they sound downright awkward, like they’re trying to be something they’re not. They sound almost like a demonic, technofied version of Public Enemy or any other early 90s rap group.
But, upon further inspection, Themselves’ are definitely not posers. While their new age demonic, techno hip-hop, might be a bit much too handle in the beginning, if you actually give this underground music a chance, you will definitely not regret it. The extremely fast rhymes will keep your head spinning and the up-tempo beats will keep you moving and smiling. So if at first sound you don’t like CrownsDown, give it a second spin. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. This artistic hip-hop is definitely something you don’t want to miss out on.
Review: Mapei – The Cocoa Butter Diaries
Mapei’s Cocoa Butter Diaries is an interesting mix of hip hop, jazz, and house music. The Swedish rapper combines her cleverly astute rhymes with technotic hip-hop beats. It’s definitely something you could jam to at a rave. But it also makes you think, with lyrics like, “We can say what’s on our minds/But if we say what’s on our minds we might get fined/One hit two hit, push a man please/If we don’t push units we then we might push trees.” Mapei uses rhymes that are in no way simple, like much of hip hop today. She comes up with verses that most rappers would never even think of. Even when she discusses sex in her music, like in Leader of the Pack, as can be expected in rap music, it does so in a brilliantly metaphorical way. Mapei is a true individual and a great musician.
Review: Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
Calvin Harris is a genius. Calvin Harris is a genius. Calvin Harris is a genius!! This is what came to mind as I was listening to Calvin Harris’s Ready for the Weekend. His gay-friendly, euro pop club music is both creative and artistic. It’s fun, techno dance music that truly will make listeners want to dance and party all through the weekend.
Harris’s music borders on fun and funky and brilliantly witty. While his songs are extremely catchy, they are just as smart and fresh. With song titles like Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La and Stars Come Out, Harris bridges the gap between cool and acceptable. He is breaking all the normal rules and making music that is harmoniously pleasing, without the clichéd titles and lyrics. Calvin Harris is too good for clichés.
The amazing thing about Harris, is that unlike most artists who are also banally void, his music is still likeable enough to go mainstream but all the while preserve it’s uniqueness. That’s what makes his music so appealing.
Ready for the Weekend is an album that can be played in the car, in the club, at a party—it’s a fun record. It will make you dance but also laugh at the sometimes comical lyrics. You will definitely enjoy this album. And if you’re anything like me, you probably won’t even want to turn it off. Simply put, Calvin Harris is a genius.
Wolf & Cub – Science & Sorcery
Wolf & Cub, interesting name for a very interesting band. While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which musical category this band fits into, alternative is definitely the best word to describe Wolf & Cub. Their new alternative album, Science & Sorcery is a great mix of music for people who really love rhythms
Throughout Science & Sorcery, Wolf & Cub plays with different sounds often giving them a psychedelic, tribal, techno, groovy, or rock n’ roll feel. Most of the songs combine some of these elements in a seemingly unnoticeable, but brilliant manner that really just makes you want to listen to the songs over and over again. While I like a good beat, at heart I’m a writer. So, good lyrics will get every time over a killer beat. But surprisingly, I often found myself getting lost in the rhythms of the songs on Science & Sorcery to the point of completely ignoring the lyrics. I honestly don’t remember the majority of the lyrics. They could be singing about burning the rainforest for all I know. But the tribal beats and funky sounds—the mixture of the psychedelic 60s with the futuristic millennium—resonated in my head for hours and hours. Rather than badly singing the lyrics, as I usually do, I found myself humming and tapping out the rhythm of the music. And after I finished listening to Science & Sorcery, it struck me that the reason I was so engrossed in this powerful music was the same reason I love great lyrics—the sheer beauty and art of it.
The musical composition of this album is a wonderfully artistic blend of splendor that just makes you want to tell everyone about it. You want everyone to love it as much as you do, and understand it they way you do. It’s worth your time.