Song Rundown - FURY WHIP, I FEEL YOU, MADE AN AMERICA, B.I.T.C.H., & more
(By Melody Werner)
A relatively new reoccurring segment here. Basically, I'll run through a bunch of singles that I have been vibing on lately and tell you to go and listen to 'em if they sound interesting based on my recommendations. Consider these a taste of my formal reviews for each. FYI, all of these songs are gonna get 5/5's, something you can probably tell based on how much I gush about 'em.
This time, I had a lot of songs I wanted to talk about, and this seemed like the best way of blowing through them. This crop is a nice grab bag of tunes from different artists, genres, and years, so think of this as a good place to find a variety of killer tracks to give a bash.
Made An America is a track that I've been wanting to talk about for months at this point. I first found out about THE FEVER 333 through Rocked's review of their album STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS--which got my interest when Luke Spencer (Rocked) compared TF333 to Rage Against the Machine. Oh, you know, only one of my favorite rock bands of all time. So I was naturally interested in hearing some of their work, and I started with SIN. However, the song of theirs that really hits me the hardest is Made An America--a riotous, politically-charged barn-burner. This song is so badass, and yet also so incredibly poignant. Which is where I think THE FEVER 333 is at their best; angry as hell, but channeling that anger into a movement.
After my review of the great Fever, I was naturally eager to hear what Megan Thee Stallion had next. Well, here's the first single off of her first full-fledged album and it's fantastic. Megan still has an incredible flow and sense of personality, and once again she's on a phenomenal beat that she pulverizes. Unlike some of Fever's finest songs, though, B.I.T.C.H. is more laid back and less of a high-energy banger. It's a nice change of pace, and shows her versatility as an artist. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Usually when I find an excellent obscure artist I hadn't ever heard of, it's because I was digging through Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, Reddit, or wherever. This is to say, they don't usually come to me. But 2DCAT, a socialist synthpop trio currently working with a progressive candidate I support (Jess Scarane), followed me on Twitter, and so I decided to check them out, because I like to shine a light on leftist artists. And also, I fucking love synth. And you know what I also fucking love? Now, 2DCAT. What I've heard of them so far has been exceptional. Where to start? Well, the instrumentals are obviously exemplary and incredibly relaxing, playing to an old sound that now feels so fresh again thanks to acts and artists like 2DCAT. Also great are the vocals by Chloé, who is an outstanding singer. Beautiful stuff.
Joycie may not have many songs out there now, but if she can put out more tracks that are as good as End, she could be on par artistically with a SZA or a Sudan Archives as far as ethereal R&B is concerned (though her style is different from either of those). The fact that I only found out about her through a collaboration with theneedledrop's Cal Chuchesta (the GOAT) is still so bizarre; she has to be one of the very best singers right now, her production is fantastic, and yet... zero traction? JFC.
mitom is another artist deserving of far more attention. A French synth artist toying around in the realm of alien funk. It's weird, it's delightful, it's groovy. No one's listened to it, but you should.
Johnny Manchild & the Poor Bastards is a band that I've become increasingly enamored with since I first listened to them after a thumbs up from Anthony Fantano. Four Years Gone is a lovely ballad that melds jazz, ska, and alternative rock wonderfully, with beautiful lyrics and heartfelt instrumentation. A humble falling out of love song without a hint of acrimony.
If you think a lot of what I'm recommending here is too timid, then have you listened to High on Fire's 2007 earth-cracking sludgy fist-pumper, Fury Whip? If heavy metal is too tepid for you, and death metal is too monotonous for you, then High on Fire is well worth trying out. Fury Whip, the opener to Death Is This Communion, keeps up its relentless aggression throughout.
What happens when you have a rapper with a killer flow (Quay Dash) on top of sick production by SOPHIE? An incredibly badass banger that is a fantastic breath of fresh air for those bored with the usual trap rap production. It's odd and unconventional, but fucks shit up. This isn't trying to be thoughtful and inclusive in the way that Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides was--it's trying to be fun, and fun it is. This will probably wind up being one of my favorite songs I'll have listened to this year, cuz it's got crazy replay value.
Anamanaguchi has been doing a tremendous job blending chiptunes and rock for about 16 years now, and 2011's My Skateboard Will Go On was an awesome flex showing just what they can do with old tech.
I hate metalcore. I'm sorry, but it's true. Most metalcore I've heard sounds to me like this whiny, tryhard shite designed to make chuds go "Yeah! All women are lying bitches." Maybe that's just the metalcore that I've been exposed to, since While She Sleeps seems to have more punk sensibilities lyrically. Which is great, since metalcore does spring out from punk in a sense. And I get along much more with "I'm sick of wealth and bigotry," than "I'm sick of wahmen." Instrumentally, ANTI-SOCIAL rocks pretty hard, and the vocals from Lawrence Taylor have nice personality and range.
Hozier is another recommendation I got from Rocked, and I'm supremely glad that I gave him a look. Okay, so what to love? Well, the first thing (since I am a proud hedonist, after all) would be how goddamned sexy all this shit is. Hozier's voice, his lyrics, and the instrumentals--all incredibly romantic and sincere. It's the kind of tune that just sweeps you off your feet, even if it doesn't do the things for you that it, er, does for moi.
A relatively new reoccurring segment here. Basically, I'll run through a bunch of singles that I have been vibing on lately and tell you to go and listen to 'em if they sound interesting based on my recommendations. Consider these a taste of my formal reviews for each. FYI, all of these songs are gonna get 5/5's, something you can probably tell based on how much I gush about 'em.
This time, I had a lot of songs I wanted to talk about, and this seemed like the best way of blowing through them. This crop is a nice grab bag of tunes from different artists, genres, and years, so think of this as a good place to find a variety of killer tracks to give a bash.
Made An America
Made An America is a track that I've been wanting to talk about for months at this point. I first found out about THE FEVER 333 through Rocked's review of their album STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS--which got my interest when Luke Spencer (Rocked) compared TF333 to Rage Against the Machine. Oh, you know, only one of my favorite rock bands of all time. So I was naturally interested in hearing some of their work, and I started with SIN. However, the song of theirs that really hits me the hardest is Made An America--a riotous, politically-charged barn-burner. This song is so badass, and yet also so incredibly poignant. Which is where I think THE FEVER 333 is at their best; angry as hell, but channeling that anger into a movement.
B.I.T.C.H.
After my review of the great Fever, I was naturally eager to hear what Megan Thee Stallion had next. Well, here's the first single off of her first full-fledged album and it's fantastic. Megan still has an incredible flow and sense of personality, and once again she's on a phenomenal beat that she pulverizes. Unlike some of Fever's finest songs, though, B.I.T.C.H. is more laid back and less of a high-energy banger. It's a nice change of pace, and shows her versatility as an artist. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
I Feel You
Usually when I find an excellent obscure artist I hadn't ever heard of, it's because I was digging through Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, Reddit, or wherever. This is to say, they don't usually come to me. But 2DCAT, a socialist synthpop trio currently working with a progressive candidate I support (Jess Scarane), followed me on Twitter, and so I decided to check them out, because I like to shine a light on leftist artists. And also, I fucking love synth. And you know what I also fucking love? Now, 2DCAT. What I've heard of them so far has been exceptional. Where to start? Well, the instrumentals are obviously exemplary and incredibly relaxing, playing to an old sound that now feels so fresh again thanks to acts and artists like 2DCAT. Also great are the vocals by Chloé, who is an outstanding singer. Beautiful stuff.
End
Joycie may not have many songs out there now, but if she can put out more tracks that are as good as End, she could be on par artistically with a SZA or a Sudan Archives as far as ethereal R&B is concerned (though her style is different from either of those). The fact that I only found out about her through a collaboration with theneedledrop's Cal Chuchesta (the GOAT) is still so bizarre; she has to be one of the very best singers right now, her production is fantastic, and yet... zero traction? JFC.
Leaving the Planet
mitom is another artist deserving of far more attention. A French synth artist toying around in the realm of alien funk. It's weird, it's delightful, it's groovy. No one's listened to it, but you should.
Four Years Gone
Johnny Manchild & the Poor Bastards is a band that I've become increasingly enamored with since I first listened to them after a thumbs up from Anthony Fantano. Four Years Gone is a lovely ballad that melds jazz, ska, and alternative rock wonderfully, with beautiful lyrics and heartfelt instrumentation. A humble falling out of love song without a hint of acrimony.
Fury Whip
If you think a lot of what I'm recommending here is too timid, then have you listened to High on Fire's 2007 earth-cracking sludgy fist-pumper, Fury Whip? If heavy metal is too tepid for you, and death metal is too monotonous for you, then High on Fire is well worth trying out. Fury Whip, the opener to Death Is This Communion, keeps up its relentless aggression throughout.
Queen of This Shit
What happens when you have a rapper with a killer flow (Quay Dash) on top of sick production by SOPHIE? An incredibly badass banger that is a fantastic breath of fresh air for those bored with the usual trap rap production. It's odd and unconventional, but fucks shit up. This isn't trying to be thoughtful and inclusive in the way that Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides was--it's trying to be fun, and fun it is. This will probably wind up being one of my favorite songs I'll have listened to this year, cuz it's got crazy replay value.
My Skateboard Will Go On
Anamanaguchi has been doing a tremendous job blending chiptunes and rock for about 16 years now, and 2011's My Skateboard Will Go On was an awesome flex showing just what they can do with old tech.
ANTI-SOCIAL
I hate metalcore. I'm sorry, but it's true. Most metalcore I've heard sounds to me like this whiny, tryhard shite designed to make chuds go "Yeah! All women are lying bitches." Maybe that's just the metalcore that I've been exposed to, since While She Sleeps seems to have more punk sensibilities lyrically. Which is great, since metalcore does spring out from punk in a sense. And I get along much more with "I'm sick of wealth and bigotry," than "I'm sick of wahmen." Instrumentally, ANTI-SOCIAL rocks pretty hard, and the vocals from Lawrence Taylor have nice personality and range.
Talk
Hozier is another recommendation I got from Rocked, and I'm supremely glad that I gave him a look. Okay, so what to love? Well, the first thing (since I am a proud hedonist, after all) would be how goddamned sexy all this shit is. Hozier's voice, his lyrics, and the instrumentals--all incredibly romantic and sincere. It's the kind of tune that just sweeps you off your feet, even if it doesn't do the things for you that it, er, does for moi.
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