Blog Post #6a: The Finale (Not Really)

Conclusion

This will be the final graded blog post for my 20% project. I specify the "graded" portion because at the moment I fully intend to continue writing these reviews for future albums. I suppose that since this is the final post and I have not been following any sort of rubric for my posts this year so far, I should at least make an attempt to answer the questions required to be addressed by this post. The first question asked of me asks me (that's a tongue twister) to describe the final outcome of my project in terms of success/failure. I like that. Either the blog is a success or a failure. No grey area. Just how American youth-age sports should be, but aren't. Back on to the topic, I consider my blog to be a success. I met all of the goals that I set in my introduction, got more than a few people to try some music that they would have never listened to (for better or for worse), and I got a lot of good writing practice. As far as the final outcome of my project, I direct you towards the previous twenty-two posts. First off, that will give you a chance to re-read the greatness (failure?) of my reviews. Secondly, that will give you a chance to generate your own impression of my project. In terms of why I was able to succeed, I can honestly answer that the reason is mostly because I care. I enjoy writing and I love music, thus I was willing to put the time and effort into writing these reviews. Each review took well over two hours to write and hyperlink, and if I did not care about what I was doing it would not be worth the effort. I was spending at least eight hours each blog cycle on my reviews and I do not feel arrogant in saying that my hard work shows. These reviews are decently written, informative, lengthy, somewhat entertaining, and organized. If I write something with all of those qualifiers and spend anywhere from eight to ten hours each cycle working on it, you better believe I will consider it a success and the reason for that is not exactly hard to determine. 

Personally, this project was beneficial to me. The actual act of sitting and writing for hours on end has helped me greatly in my essay driven classes. Sitting and analyzing music the higher degree necessary to write the reviews has also helped me to develop my listening techniques as well. On a more cynical level, this project has also taught me one major lesson; nobody else cares as much about your passion as you do. Not just with my project, but with others as well, it is obvious that nobody really, truly cares about what you do. On one hand, that is a great, great thing. That means everybody has their own unique set of interests and hobbies. On the other hand, it certainly is annoying to see thoughtless, generic comments from people who I know did not actually read the blog post and are just filling out a comment format in order to get points. In the case of my blog posts, this is understandable. I write a lot and I do not expect everybody to be interested in my weird music. But on other, more accessible blogs this habit is a little saddening. Luckily, I don't work hard for other people. I work hard at these reviews because I enjoy it (and because I love seeing that sweet 14/12 get entered into my grade book and drag my plummeting Honors Anatomy grade into an acceptable range). Luckily, these reviews have gotten enough legitimate views and I have been sent positive feedback over text due to my sending them to my friends and Mr. Man's much appreciated in-class shout-outs. 

For part d. of the rubric, I will be writing my response in a question/answer format. I hope that is ok, because that is how I will be doing it. A few questions I have asked myself, as well as their answers: 

Q: Should I continue this after the "final blog post?" 

A: I should. These reviews are great practice for writing, they allow me to express my opinions, they have been talked about by my peers, they take up some of my downtime, and I enjoy it. With my Channel Orange and Drive North review, I posted links to both on my Twitter. That night I got 132 views on my blog, proving that if I were to continue these reviews they would still get views and exist as more than just a musical diary for myself. 

Q: Should I review other forms of media? 

A: I should. I wrote a series of film reviews (think: my music reviews but more formal) for an out-of-school elective that are arguably even better than my music reviews. I do not know nearly as much about film, art, video games (yes, video games are art and the public perception that they are not is insulting to the thousands of hours of hard work it takes to make a large budget game, as well as ignoring some of the most incredible pieces of entertainment created in the modern era), and literature as I do about music, but I could make it work. 

Q: Can I make money from this? 

A: Probably, but not much. Freelance writing for major music publications is quite competitive and pays terribly, but I feel that when I really try I can write nearly as well as anybody being published on most of the major review sites and I am not even out of high school. On top of that, if my blog becomes popular enough, I will be able to sell ad space along the sides of the page for some very minimal monetary compensation. I will never make a living off my writing, but if I can somehow manage to bring in a few dollars each month from it I will be more than happy. 

Q: Do people care? Are people still reading this post? 

A: No and no. 

If I were to take this class for another semester, I am not entirely sure what I would do to improve. I would certainly give myself an easier to achieve goal. Many Friday nights I found myself writing blog posts on my phone during halftime at basketball games instead of talking with my friends or at dinner with my girlfriend (sorry about that, I hope you make it this far into the review when I send you the link later and that you see this). I would also allow myself to be a bit more lenient with my hyperlinks, as those took quite a bit of time and I know nobody was clicking them. 

End of Blog Post 6a and the first stage of my blogging experience. 

Post 5c: CONTEMPORARY REVIEW: Drive North - SWMRS

Contemporary Review: Drive North - SWMRS

8.6/10, Listen Immediately

Background: SWMRS are a California punk/grunge/pop band that have been gaining popularity in the indie and punk scene for a while now. They have released a half dozen or so projects under a variety of aliases and this is their first project under the name of SWMRS. As painfully un-cool as possible, a large portion of their initial success can be owed to drummer Joey Armstrong's father, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Armstrong produced nearly all of the band's early work, and as not-punk as it is to say that daddy produced your first few records, you can't blame them for utilizing a connection to one of modern punk's biggest icons. While still discussing influences, it is important to mention the bands that are responsible for SWMRS. One influence is certainly Green Day, but also, to my ears, The Ramones. Frontman Cole Becker's vocals sound like a squealing, teenage impression of Joey Ramone's voice and the group's integration of beach music/50s girl group style melodies feels very similar to the bubblegum influences The Ramones melded into their sound. Other major influences include the surf punk band and touring partners Wavves (whose breakout album's cover is currently my lock screen), the hardcore/surf punk band FIDLAR (this record is produced by singer Zac Carper) and as with any punk band since the grunge era, Nirvana. 

Review: This is an album obviously designed to be a breakout for SWMRS. It features their first obviously made for radio track, "Figuring It Out," and while it is not one of my favorite tracks, it is certainly a solid radio song. The production is less lo-fi than in the past, and the songs are designed for maximum energy delivered with maximum hooks in as short of a time as possible. A much better piece of pop than the cheesy "Figuring It Out" is the sunny "Turn Up." This brilliant little slice of California sunshine is sung by lead guitarist Max Becker. While the "other" Becker certainly does not have the strangled voice of his brother, he does have an incredibly simple way with melody. This song is incredibly infectious, with an easy to follow melody and a pleasant tone. The song also features a neat production trick in the beginning, with the song beginning as barely a whisper and then building in volume until hitting the first chorus, where it then hits full loudness. There is nothing about this song that doesn't inspire foot tapping, grinning, sing-a-long happiness. 

Many of these songs have been part of the band's live catalogue for months before the release of the album. When I caught the band opening for Wavves (with Twin Peaks) in LA, their superb show included nearly every song from this album. Many of these songs have also been featured on previous, smaller SWMRS releases, albeit in slightly different forms. One such song, my favorite from the album, is "Silver Bullet." This song has remained compositionally identical to its previous sketch, but with added details and enhancements. Every small change to the song is perfectly done and necessary to the better, newer song. Another song that gets a similarly great treatment is the opener "Harry Dean." This song's length is cut by about fifteen minutes and is streamlined considerably in terms of raw speed. It would have certainly been a ballsy move to open their big mainstream record with the full 17 minute original, but it is for the better that they skimmed it down. The hook is better, the production is better, and the song is overall a much better listen due to the shortened length. While "Silver Bullet" is expanded through the addition of vocal embellishments and extra instrumentation, "Harry Dean" is quite the opposite. "Harry Dean" rids itself of needless instrumentation  and detours and gains a huge amount of focus on the catchy hook and energetic instrumental. The new scream that opens the track sounds much better than the previous intro, but I wish they had found a way to keep the clapping that accompanied the drums on the original, some of the bending country influenced guitars, and the bass' high mixing. Still these are very minor complaints and would actually sound out of place on the new version, minus the loud bass guitar. Both songs are two of the best not only on the album, but of SWMRS' career, strengthened by smart decision making and sensibility. I would have liked to see reworked versions of a few more of their early songs, such as the surf rock number "Tito, Don't Give Me The Stink Eye," the catchy, depressed, "Dancing On My Own," and "Goodbye Mrs. Hemingway," which sounds exactly like it was written by The Strokes, if The Strokes didn't proceed to drive off a sonic and creative cliff after their Earth shatteringly impressive debut album. 

Production-wise, this album is very reminiscent of FIDLAR's 2015 release, Too. Both albums featured the same producer, so this conclusion makes a great deal of sense, logically. Particularly present here is the use of glitchy, electronic twists. These can be seen prominently on the drums of the song "Uncool." These drums are soaked in fuzz and static, leading them to sound as if they are playing through broken or peaking speakers. The drums on this song are a powerhouse, with Armstrong doing his most intricate playing of the album. The whole album features an abundance of complicated surf/punk drumming, but here his talents are on full display. It is a shame that his drums are so heavily distorted, as they nearly mask some brilliant playing. The drums kick up another notch for the song's explosive' cathartic ending, and Armstrong really goes for it on the cymbals. Here, the distortion actually benefits the drumming as it leads to a nearly palpable wall of crashing and sound as Becker moans "I just wanna be uncool" while the rest of the band screams the words behind him. This distorted effect can also be seen on the skittering opening for "Harry Dean" and the hip hop influenced ballad "Hannah." This effect is somewhat interesting, but is slightly over used on the album, while on Too it was used with more scarcity and to greater effect, such as during the horrifyingly dark "Overdose." Aside from that, the instrumentals are punchy and loud, and excellently mixed. Carper has always had a good ear for mixing/mastering drums and distorted punk guitar but this is the first time he's ever buried the bass playing underneath some of the other instruments. Bassist Seb Mueller is certainly no Thundercat but the boy is still a talented musician (and has a hilarious Twitter account) and deserves to have his aggressive playing placed equally with Armstrong's complex playing and Becker's yelping vocals. 

Many of the songs here, while not as immediately impressive as others, are saved by their hooks and melodies as well as their songwriting. One sterling example of this is "Hannah," which features #relatable lyrics about being an quirky, outsider teenage girl. Cringy lyrics about smoking weed, hating math class, and not being understood abound here (all three are topics that can be handled skillfully), along with a relatively tame instrumental make for a bad song; yet the song is saved by the incredibly catchy melody. The lyrics are actually passable and the instrumental seems fitting when taken in the context of the bubblegum pink melody. "D'You Have a Car" makes a glaring, painful error in its guitar tone, which comes off as flat, especially compared to the absolutely bone shattering heaviness of the previous track "Miley." This song would have benefited heavily from some thicker guitars during the outbursts in the verses. Despite that, this is still one of the better songs on the album. Becker's vocals and the songwriting are truly the stars here. The melody is catchy and the vocal performance is strongly emotional, especially at the end when Becker breaks out his pained, blood-curdling scream for a few repetitions of the chorus. The tense chord changes also help to highlight the emotions present here, those being a desperate cry for freedom on the road that nearly any teenager can relate to. 

Despite the sunny pop melodies of tracks like "Turn Up" and "Hannah" there is no doubt that SWMRS can function at full capacity as a punk/grunge band. As previously mentioned, the new "Harry Dean" is a blistering punk affair. "Miley," a hilariously genuine and fun tribute to Miley Cyrus, is an absolute banger, although a little too stylistically similar to Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" for me to completely fawn over this track. This track features a quiet, subdued verse defending the wonders of Mrs. Cyrus until the instruments drop out before the chorus. Suddenly, the whole band roars to life and the song mutates into a grungy anthem, strongly reminiscent of the aforementioned Nirvana song. The snares hit like gun shots and the guitar and bass are astoundingly loud, as are the passionate yelled vocals. The melodies as the song structure on this tracks are established classics. The closer, "Drive North" is perhaps the band's most convincing statement of surf punk cred. An anthem dedicated to slandering Los Angeles, this song features a beautifully succinct chorus: "I Hate Los Angeles" repeated ad infinitum, yet the rest of the band is yelling something that intentionally sounds like a mix of "I Love LA" and "I Hate LA." This song was particularly powerful live, convincing to the point that it had an entire crowd of LA born and bred punks/hipsters screaming along with the song's anti SoCal ethos. 

As far as I am concerned, this is SWMRS debut album. Not to undermine their previous efforts, but this is their first project that is being widely distributed and streamed, with songs that are getting radio play. Touring with an indie (and personal) favorite like Wavves has done wonders for their name recognition and this album truly feels like the band is breaking from being some unknown local band to a band on the verge of breaking into the realm of relative mainstream consciousness. I would be willing to bet the next album from these boys will be the one that gets them the Pitchfork review, the big single, and the headlining spots. These guys are on the verge of something big, something important. They are a group of talented, funny, and passionate young men and those three things will pay off in terms of success in music. They have done all the hard work like getting noticed and making the music and now it is time for them to fine tune a few of their mistakes and shoot for the big time. They may not have gotten the Pitchfork review (which probably would have brushed them off as derivative or juvenile without any major consideration or even a full listen of the album), but they are getting a positive review from me. I believe in these guys, and you should too. 

HIGHPOINTS: "Harry Dean" "Turn Up" "Uncool" "Miley" "D'You Have a Car?" "Hannah" "Silver Bullet" "Drive North" "Brb" "Miss Yer Kiss" 

LOWPOINTS: "Ruining My Pretending"

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: King of The Beach - Wavves, Weezer - Weezer, FIDLAR - FIDLAR, Dookie - Green Day, Living In Darkness - Agent Orange, The Ramones - The Ramones, Here and Nowhere Else - Cloud Nothings (one of my all time favorites), Royal Headache - Royal Headache (another all time favorite). 

Post 5a: CLASSIC REVIEW: Madvillainy - Madvillain

Classic Review: Madvillainy - Madvillain

CLASSIC/10

Background: Madvillian is the name given to the collaboration team of legendary underground rapper MF DOOM (all caps when you spell the man's name) and acclaimed producer Madlib. MF DOOM's backstory is a bit long and confusing, so I am gonna leave that alone. Read the link. DOOM has reached cult leader status in underground hip hop due to his incredibly obscure lyrical references, his dense multisyllabic and internal rhyme schemes, and his reclusive personality. Madlib has become equally renown in his own right. His style of mixing obscure soul samples with deceptively complicated beats, as well as his  has earned him fame in the hip hop community. 

Review: Despite this record's attempts to make itself as difficult as possible to enjoy, through some miracle it actually managed to break the Billboard 200. Truly miraculous. This album is filled with songs that feature little to no chorus, lo-fi production, obscure lyrical references, songs less than two minutes, and more. The record becomes considerably less challenging when viewed as a whole, however, rather than as individual pieces and songs that make an album. Madlib's incredible production makes each song flow seamlessly into the next. This is certainly an album made for continuous listening rather than casual, shuffled listening. Yet, the album still works in that capacity once it has been analyzed in full beforehand. Songs like "Accordion" and "Fancy Clown" make for solid singles in their own right, easily digestible and perfect as a starting point in the album. 

Let's discuss MF DOOM for a minute. Easily one of the most talented MC's to ever pick up the mic, this album stands as his most formidable testament. His lyrics are often absurd and non-sequitur on the surface, but upon investigation feature dense references to pop culture, television, other rappers, and even his alter-egos. DOOM combines these references with a monotone flow filled with internal rhymes, that often carries over from song to song. The result is a smooth, hypnotic cadence that seems to twist and complicate itself to the point of breaking. Occasionally DOOM will break up his flow with something different, or use a misleading rhyme to surprise the listener and add emphasis to a certain phrase. It is quite obvious the influence DOOM has had on more modern rappers like Earl Sweatshirt, who also design confusing, dense bars of internal rhymes and deliver them in a monotone tone. 

Now let's turn to Madlib. This production is arguably the finest of Madlib's career. The beats are largely sample driven, taken their primary melodies from old, obscure soul records. They are sweet, melodic, and sound as if they were covered with a film of dust. The beats are also very lo-fi, yet still beautifully intricate and detailed. One of Madlib's main talents is his ability to create beats that are dusty and old sounding, yet mix them perfectly, thus giving each instrument it's proper space and preventing any instrument from being drowned out by the others. The number of producers with this ability is nearly none. On top of the technical excellence, Madlin also offers a sound that is at once a dusty compliment to DOOM's gruff voice, yet also a beautifully melodic and upbeat contrast to DOOM's hypnotic monotone. 

Compositionally, this album is as far from a hip hop album as possible, to the point where an appropriate label for the record could be experimental hip hop. The album features a variety or instrumental interludes, often with a story-telling vocal sample over the instrumental. These interludes are pleasant enough and are vital for maintaining a consistent environment. These interludes will often transition into a track, and on occasion even bleed into a song, taking up the first 15-20 seconds of the song before the beat morphs into its intended form. This is further proof that this album is designed to be consumed in one sitting, or at least so until the listener is familiar enough with the songs to recognize the instrumentals from the actual tracks. 

Legacy-wise, this album is arguably one of the most influential in hip hop. Generations of talented young artists, from all genres, have looked to this album as either a direct influence or a standard of artistry for which to reach. Also worth noting is the artistic significance of the album. Whether or not (it's not) this album's eccentric formatting and lack of pop concessions proved directly influential for future generations, it is still a commendable objective, one that has expanded the span of innovation in hip hop. The fact that this album charted is truly a testament to the ability of hip hop fans to appreciate talent when it is shown to them.