In No Particular Order: March 25, 2016
Apparently In No Particular Order is also known as With No Particular Deadline.
After a time-consuming Easter long weekend and battling a few days of illness, it’s amazing how quickly a week goes by. So let’s turn back to the clock and just pretend for a moment that it’s still March 25th and these albums are fresh off the press. Okay? Okay.
In other news, this week’s choices are hopeful candidates for some of the best albums of 2016. Connecting Brooklyn, Austin, Los Angeles, and Wales, the following albums show a little diversity in city and genre. Alternative rock to psychedelic southern rock to artsy hip-hop and all the way to Youtube-inspired electronic mixes, this edition of INPO is about to get exciting.
Don’t forget to browse through the complete list of new releases from this week to not miss out on anything.
White Denim – Stiff
“Is that a cactus in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”
Straight from the heart of Austin, Texas, southern rock outfit White Denim are alive and kicking with their sixth album Stiff. 9 tracks of full-throttle Austin heart and soul, it is the first after a few changes in the band’s lineup last year, including a new drummer and guitarist (the former members went off to work with Leon Bridges, so not the worst option). In an interview, frontman James Petralli mentioned the band felt like they needed to start from scratch; get back to basics and treat Stiff like a debut record. It certainly holds the garage, DIY grittiness that propels the album’s undeniable groove forward. Opener “Had To Know (Personal)” is just the starting point for the album’s relentless soul and blues underpinnings. From the self-love promoting “Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)” to dance floor craze “Holda You (I’m Psycho)” to progressive southern closer “Thank You”, Stiff is a phenomenal collection of work that will only get better as the summer months close in.
Check yourself a copy by visiting their website.
Must-haves: “Holda You (I’m Psycho)”, “Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)”, “Mirrored In Reverse”
The Joy Formidable – Hitch
We all have that powerful, edgy woman in our lives that stands out as a unique human being. Welsh trio The Joy Formidable have theirs in the form of lead singer “Ritzy” Bryan (just her name is mighty). Think female Dave Grohl but in the body of Emily Haines.
Her small stature is compensated by her larger-than-life guitar playing and room-filling vocals. Ritzy can switch between angelic and ridged in one swift moment.
Hitch is the band’s third album since their triumphant 2011 debut The Big Roar (I still revisit it often), and they have evolved and smoothed out their sound. Hitch stays true to their fist-pounding, enthusiastic style, but relocates a portion of their intensity into their lyrics and subject matter. They’ve slowed things down for sure, but it is not necessarily a bad thing with most of the songs touching at least six minutes in the length and with a familiar expansive, atmospheric power.
It may not be their best album to date – although with The Big Roar and Wolf’s Law in their discography it’s hard to compete – but it certainly has enough gusto and character to afford a high level of replay value and interest.
Head to the band’s website to get hands on a copy now.
Must-haves: “A Second in White”, “The Last Thing On My Mind”, “It’s Started”.
Domo Genesis – Genesis
I’ll admit – I’m not that well-versed on the music of Odd Future. Sure, I loved Tyler, the Creator’s last album, and I’ve treated myself to Earl Sweatshirt a handful of times, and Frank Ocean has brushed my eardrums once or twice, but other than that, I am by no means an expert.
However, just as Cherry Bomb was an entertaining surprise, underratted/lesser known Odd Future member Domo Genesis‘ debut album Genesis grabbed my attention. His gritty, grimy delivery certainly holds true to the Odd Future style, and backed by production that is more than just basic samples, his style of self-doubting, slow-burning delivery is taken one step further. Domo’s articulate and careful flow is easy on the ears to say the least; it’s easy to get lost in its entrancing tempo and tone.
Influenced heavily by R&B and ’00-soul, Genesis uses old-school piano melodies, and female-forward backing soul vocals to create a vintage-meets-modern sound within the manipulated, unpredictable additions. Ghostface’s collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD last year quickly comes to mind as slowed-down, heavy-weighted hip-hop is dropped overtop pseudo-jazz beats.
Domo features pals Tyler, The Creator, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, and breakthrough artist Anderson. Paak on the new record for a handful of stoner-friendly hits.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy Genesis for free on Spotify.
Must-haves: “Go (Gas)”, “Dapper”, “One Below”
The Range – Potential
Have you ever spent a dizzying amount of time scouring the dark corners of YouTube eventually asking yourself, “how did I end up at this video of someone doing a handstand while playing the Jeopardy theme song on a harmonica through their nose?”
Well, those hidden gems of talent and untapped potential lead to Brooklyn native James Hinton’s (a.k.a The Range) latest work Potential – although the selected videos aren’t as ridiculous.
Using vocal samples of unknown artists from around the world through Youtube, the 11-track effort reconstructs those organic moments into something new. Strangers who put themselves out there through their singing, or rapping and hoped for the best give Potential a genuine and unique edge. Most of the videos sampled have barely reached 100 views including British MCs spilling their hearts out, and young singers covering pop songs into a shower curtain.
Although Hinton is American, his music is heavily influenced by the U.K. grime and underground scene of the ’90s and ’00s. Jungle, footwork, and other electronic genres characterized by their fast changing tempos and contrasting highs and lows provide an exotic, trance-like sound.
Along with Potential, The Range is releasing a mini-documentary later this year covering the stories behind the featured artists. You can view the trailer and order a copy of Potential through his website.
Must-haves: “Copper Wire”, “Five Four”, “1804”
