Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury 11.30.11-12.6.11

I came across this album years after its 2006 release. Originally, it didn’t even occur to me to give it a chance (“Who’s Clipse?”) until I browsed through some “Best Albums of the Year/Decade” lists in a search for new music. This album was consistently near the top, and after a few weeks of not being able to put it down, I can see why.

Clipse is the duo of Pusha T and Malice, two brothers from Virginia who apparently sold a lot of cocaine before hitting the studio. I’m not talking like pseudo thugs who went to art school (e.g. like Mobb Deep). The authenticity of the lyrics adds to the overall chilling vibe of the record. Pusha and Malice’s straightforward flows are surprisingly captivating and a lot of the word play is downright clever. A choice lyric: “I make All-of-her Twist like Dickens.” The track “Keys Open Doors” is all about how selling “keys” of cocaine opens “doors” to upward social mobility. Neat.

However, the real standout performance on the album goes to The Neptunes, producers extraordinaire. Pharrell’s handiwork provides a perfectly eerie backdrop for Clipse’s rhymes. Unlike so much other rap/hip-hop out there today, it isn’t overproduced; while there’s a lot going on in each track, the beats retain a sparse sound. In this way, the style shares some similarities to early 90’s hip-hop, but with much more variety. The individual parts on Pharrell’s compositions are all weird and very intriguing. To see what I mean by this, check out the chimes on “Ride Around Shining” or the high-pitched steel-drum on “Ain’t Cha.”

Overall, the combination of the dark production and the boastful lyrical content exudes cockiness and brashness that makes this hip-hop album fun to listen to. And it’s so good that I feel like an irreverent badass even when I’m listening to it on my i-pod while wearing business casual attire and walking down Newbury Street.

Hell Hath No Fury is a lean record with no filler, which is refreshing for this genre. No dumb intro and interlude “skits” of gunfights and answering machine messages that stretch the album length to 20+ tracks; no spotlight-stealing features of big name stars. Just a really solid hip-hop record that should go down as a classic.

Apple Juice Kid - Louis Armstrong Remixed 11.23.11 - 11.29.11

This album is an excellent choice for anyone who loves to re-imagine a classic. It can be dangerous territory remixing the greats, and Apple Juice Kid makes a bold choice attempting this with Louis Armstrong, inarguably one of the most influential American musicians of all time. However, he does it with class, refusing a cheap hijacking of someone else’s genius and instead creates a seamless tribute to jazz and a genuine effort to keep it relevant.

Apple Juice Kid never takes too much credit and Armstrong’s gritty voice shines through the mellow electronic layering. You’ll never forget who the real star of the show is, and you’ll appreciate AJK all the more for realizing it. A great album for fans who want to re-experience a favorite, it can also provide a beautiful translation to those whose ears haven’t been opened to the cadence of jazz and still need the right middleman to tune them in. It’s the perfect background music for long conversation.

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials 11.16.11 - 11.23.11

I am taking a risk with posting this album.  I think it might be a bit too girl-angsty for your taste, but as this is my first post, and I feel like (or am at least guessing) that  you are an ecclectic, willing-to-try-anything-once bunch, here we go...

I really like Florence + The Machine.  As a lover of Alanis, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, in a time of Lady Gaga, Kesha, and Beyonce (who are great, given the right time and place), I thought this type of music was dead.  Florence + The Machine have pieced together an album that is both morbid and uplifting.  Better yet, its not a debut album (which, for many artists contains the greatest songs they can come up with, which is followed by a shit second album, for the purposes of staying relevant, but I digress...).  I like it.

"No Light, No Light"-  In my opinion, the best song on the album because the hook is so friggin' catchy and it appeals to my love of dramatic, over-the-top lyrics.

"Seven Devils"- This song lands smack dab in the middle of the album and breaks things up nicely because it gives us something to think about.  For whatever reason, I link this song directly with "Leave My Body", a ghostly gospel ballad.

"Remain Nameless"-  Well-placed and unique.

"Only If for a Night"-  Great opener- pretty much the gist of the album.

"Lover to Lover"- Poppy, upbeat, dare I say fun?

The rest of the album is comprised of shades of the songs mentioned above.  I am curious to see what everyone else thinks.  Thanks for reading!  Love you forever.

-EZ

Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers 11.2.11 - 11.9.11

I'm going to do something that hurts me, something that on a primal level makes me feel unsophisticated, stupid, thoughtless and sophomoric and above all uncomfortable. Here I go.

Some pop music today actually sounds good to me. Ya. And I think it's gotten better. And I listen to it sometimes. I listen to it a lot these days actually because it makes me feel good; it makes me feel like a star. It balloons my ego. Like all the girls in the club are staring at me, like I'm just reeling on the edge of awesome, like I'm more important than I actually am. It reminds me of my younger brother and the way that he parties: like everything and everyone is stupendous.

And you know what? I don't care. I don't care if I know that's an artificial feeling sold in the guise of a song. Because I think today, if you can identify something that you like for whatever reason, you should cling to it. Teen years are for being reckless, reckless about the internal anguish you can feel over the way people think about you. Most of the continuing process of getting older is anesthetizing discomfort by identifying resources that you truly like and then utilizing those resources to improve your daily life. Whether they be gourmet lollipops, the "Lion King" game for Super Nintendo or Wiz Khalifa, using those resources is a way to make life better.

So, ya. I like Wiz Khalifa's "Rolling Papers". Because it sounds good to me and it's catchy and makes me feel like the shit and I'm a person and I can do whatever I want. All we can do is hoard the things to like.