Hello, it’s me (imagine me saying this in a Todd Rungrent voice). I realize that many of you, or maybe just three of you, have questioned why I have taken an unexplained leave of absence in posting pieces. As promised, many times actually, I would like to publish something once, if not, twice a week. This goal, while I thought would be feasible, has only proven how naïve and overzealous I can be sometimes. My love for listening, analyzing, and writing posts knows no boundaries, however, it is safe to say that my essential life priorities ultimately get the first say in what is most important. Balancing two jobs, looking for other opportunities, FOOTBALL, and a social life has simply divided the amount of time I would like to spend here. No need to fear, I can already tell that many of you are already slamming the panic button like a coked out family feud contestant. This is not a farewell post, I wouldn’t dare put that evil on you (or me). It is simply an open explanation as to why I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time to something that I love. It goes without saying, when your energy is exerted in every manner to make yourself a better and smarter individual, it leaves your mental tank depleted of creativity and patience of self. Often times, I will find myself restless and agitated in bed contemplating about the next opportunity I will get to write and show the world my craft. Unfortunately, the constant war that wages between doing what is responsible and doing what is desired is still one of the biggest conflicts of self that anyone can face. While it will be forever unclear what the correct answer to this will be, the only knowledgeable solution is to stay rooted in yourself and your passion. As you guessed, this is why I am here right now. My passion of music publishing and writing has led me on adventures that cover the highest altitudes of promise and the lowest depths of frustration. With that being said, there is nothing in this world that makes me feel the way that music does, nor will there ever. I smile every night knowing I get to listen and relish in the fact that I have access to a limitless library at the tip of my fingers. Furthermore, I do not mean to sound pompous or arrogant (maybe a little), but now is the time to invest….in me. My knowledge in the industry, genre classification, etc, has lead me to become as confident as ever that I know something that I believe no one else will ever be able to. If you think I am an idiot, so be it, I can’t wait to prove you wrong. If you are with me, I will promise you a road full of thrills and emotional (hopefully literal) riches to come. No one else will ever believe in you, the way YOU do. My final message before I get into music discussion is to find something that you love and run with it. I am obviously way too young and inexperienced to issue consultation on what to do with your life, but I know for a fact, no one can tell you what you love.

To escape from that emotional climax, below I will post some new music albums from the past couple weeks that should be on everyone’s fluid rotation.

Mount Kimbie: Love What Survives

I often find it hard to categorize Mount Kimbie at times. Over the better part of their 7 year start, it seemed applicable to describe them as a dynamic duo of young Londoners exploring the deep abyss of electronica and house. However, on their third studio LP, it seems clear that the addition of melodic features like James Blake and Andrea Balency, has ultimately transgressed the threshold of typical dub house. With these features adding such a more intimate aura to the record already, Mount Kimbie matches this sound with various bursts of future garage brilliance. While much of this genre (electronic/future garage) stands out noticeably upon the first beat, this record makes it fairly arbitrary that it is all done behind a computer. Circulating around each track are blips and spurts of electronic excellence, stemming from pioneers like Stereolab and Massive Attack. However, the most noticeable factor in each song is the primal influences of post-punk, garage rock, and even some blues. Features obviously being a central theme around the record, the haunting melodies of reoccurring musician, King Krule, have never been more in-sync and compatible with the ambience of the overall project. “Blue Train Lines,” the first single from this album, initially grips the listener with glass-swallowing eeriness only to finish it with a pallet cleaning sorbet of closure. This carefully curated listening experience serves as a punctuation point to the inevitable up rise of these talented young artists.

Omni: Multi Task

A reoccurring topic that seems to stay relevant with me (mainly because it is one of my favorite genre) is the continuous development of post punk. The groundwork for this subgenre being paved by artists like Gang of Four, Wire, and Pere Ubu, gave rising musicians nothing but more wall space to finish this everlasting mural of sound. At times monotonous, Omni serves a mundane delivery, but ultimately backs it up with jolty guitar riffs and sucker punch percussion. This Atlanta group provides a sense of urgency without being too pushy about it. Musical influences from artists like DEVO and Television have given this band the necessary tools to take an already brilliant genre and make it their own. Interestingly enough, members of the band include Deerhunter’s ex-guitarist Frank Broyles and Carnivore’s ex-bassist Phillip Frobos. With this well-seasoned lineup of experimental rock veterans, expect an aggressive development of maturity with the next record. I don’t mean to jump ahead, but after the initial anchor drops for these past two records, I expect very big things from these rambunctious peach state natives.

Zola Jesus: Okovi

Over the better part of a decade Zola Jesus’s, Nika Danilova, has been perfecting her ominous and apocalyptic delivery into something that can be relatable amongst the Goth underground. Channeling early Kate Bush and a more mysterious Bat for Lashes, ZJ uses her echo-laden production to bounce her cryptic lyrics and avant-garde influence into an iron clad cauldron of murkiness and despair. While the previous statement may seem like a lukewarm reception of this record, it is quite the contrary. While the overall ambience of this most recent studio LP closely resembles a dreary and gloomy oceanfront horizon, each song is delightfully finished with rays of an emerging sun. Ambient, intimate and truthful, are all perfect adjectives that this album encapsulates.

The next couple of projects will not be in depth, but will provide a brief summary.

Songhoy Blues: Resistance

-This electric group from Mali combines great fluidity of African electric guitar, reggae/rock percussion time switches, and messages of political oppression effortlessly. Signed with Fat Possum records, the repertoire of this influential band seamlessly blends in with past roster legends like R.L. Burnside and Al Green. They even have a song with Iggy Pop. What’s not to love?

Metz: Strange Peace 

-Newly signed Sub Pop group, Metz, clash like a wave of thunder in the midst of a bad afternoon storm. This Toronto noise rock trio has somehow mainlined this pandemonium of sound in an abrupt, yet effective manner. Oh yeah, having sub pop backing you also helps.

Bicep: Bicep

-Hailing from Belfast, critical acclaim has rolled in fast with this disco and house ingrained ball of chaos. Plenty of relevant European and Chicago dance influences all seem to be shucking and jiving to the night beat of this fabulous record.

Downtown boys: Cost of Living

-Who would have thought that Providence, Rhode Island would be a hot bed for wild Spanish feminist post punk? I sure didn’t. Signed on the same label as Priests, Don Giovanni Records has done an impeccable job in resurfacing an angry, but politically conscious roster of fired up derelicts.

More Recommended Projects:

Protomartyr-Relatives in the Distant

Susane Sundfor-Music for People In Trouble

Black Grape- Pop Voodoo 

Gordi- Resevior

Ariel Pink- Songs Dedicated to Bobby Jamison

Come follow me on a playlist that I have now closed due to the end of the year (my birthday dictates it)

All the best. Stay tuned and stay in tune.