Before disregarding Full of Hell as a by-the-numbers grindcore, black metal, powerviolence or whatever extreme metal hybrid label you prefer (harsh grinding death is still my favorite), consider the versatility in their abrasive sonic history. The Maryland and Pennsylvania-based quartet’s eight-year-long foray in the hardcore and metal scene was nasty from the start, not by virtue of the genres...
“Slowdive” is the final act in what the band would liken to a cinematic representation of their musical journey. Fitting, that their debut EP bore their name as well, as if to anticipate the climactic return of a self-titled bookend release. All the more fitting that after 22 years, Slowdive (like My Bloody Valentine did with “mbv”) re-enters the...
The first time I ever listened to Mac DeMarco was during the summer of 2015, just after he released his mini-LP “Another One” and just before I started my first year of college. I first listened to the titular track, “Another One,” as well as a few songs here and there from his 2014 album “Salad Days,” but could...
Following 2014’s critically acclaimed “The London Sessions,” Mary J. Blige released her 13th album, “Strength of a Woman” on April 28. Rewritten following her divorce with now ex-husband and manager Kendu Isaacs, Blige’s new album reflects on the separation.
In the lead single “Thick of It,” Blige doesn’t hold back on the emotional stress that her recent divorce had caused her. Her consistent...
If I told you that I once saw Cold War Kids perform at my middle school’s cafeteria when I was in seventh grade, would you believe me? No? Yes? Well, it's true. See, on their 2006 debut, “Cowards and Robbers,” the indie rock band had a track titled, “Rubidoux,” named after a small town right next to UCR (now...
He actually does no such thing. But, he did drop two albums within two weeks and that’s pretty crazy. There is something to be said about the rate at which trap artists push out music: Native Atlanta artist and trap music architect, Future released two full-length LPs within a week of each other. These two projects, respectively titled “FUTURE”...
At 28 years old, Detroit rapper Big Sean has certainly come a long way from humble beginnings. With poppy, lyrically shallow singles like “Dance A$$” the public reception of projects such as “Finally Famous” Vol. 1 and 2, it was impossible for listeners to foresee the leaps and bounds that Sean would make in his flow and musicianship leading...
“The Chief” is the debut studio album by Jidenna, the Nigerian-American hip-hop and R&B artist previously best known for his Grammy-nominated single, “Classic Man.”
The album starts strong with “A Bull’s Tale,” a song about Jidenna’s childhood in Nigeria. The track begins with narration from Uncle Palmwine, a fictional character based on the advice Jidenna received from various family members,...
There are wild moments on “Drunk” that make me feel like I’m on an Adult Swim show, high off imagery and infectious grooves alone. There are also sobering moments on “Drunk” that make me feel like I’m little more than a bag of bones with a shelf life and a longing for love. These mood swings, as conceptually antithetical...
There are wild moments on “Drunk” that make me feel like I’m on an Adult Swim show, high off imagery and infectious grooves alone. There are also sobering moments on “Drunk” that make me feel like I’m little more than a bag of bones with a shelf life and a longing for love. These mood swings, as conceptually antithetical...