Artist Record Label 1 SIX FEET UNDER “Amputator” [Single] Metal Blade 2 INGESTED Where Only Gods May Tread Unique Leader 3 ABOMINABLE PUTRIDITY “Non Infinite Sequence” [Single] Self-Released 4 SO THIS IS SUFFERING “Moonlight Serenade” [Single] Self-Released 5 NECROT Mortal Tankcrimes 6 OBSCURE OF ACACIA Eclipse. Self-Released 7 LORNA SHORE Immortal Century Media 8 UPON A BURNING BODY Built From War [EP] Seek & Strike 9 SKELETAL REMAINS The Entombment Of Chaos Century Media 10 MASTODON Medium Rarities Warner
Artist Record Label 1 DISCLOSURE ENERGY Capitol 2 ELKKA “I. Miss. Raving” [Single] Local Action 3 TAMA GUCCI “I Let You” [Single] b4/4AD 4 BIICLA No Place [EP] Good Luck Have Fun 5 JAYDA G Both Of Us/Are You Down [EP] Ninja Tune 6 JESSY LANZAAll The Time Hyperdub 7 YVES TUMOR Heaven To A Tortured Mind Warp 8 SYSTEM OLYMPIA Delta of Venus Huntleys + Palmers 9 KITTY Charm And Mirror [EP] Pretty Wavvy 10 YAEJI What We Drew XL/Beggars Group
This is a continuation of a series on my all-time favorite album art!
There’s so much really bad cover design out there, so when I find one that catches my eye it’s a great feeling. It’s hard to make a good album cover; to be able to capture the feel of an album and an artist through visuals is a real talent. There’s no doubt that music and design fit well together, but to find the sweet spot that encapsulates an artist’s vision while staying tasteful is difficult.
Here are this week’s albums that do just that:
1. JACKBOYS – JACKBOYS & Travis Scott
The everlasting king Travis Scott has done it again. He is honestly one of my biggest guilty pleasures, but his stuff is always so fire, including the JACKBOYS cover. This short album, with Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, and other guests came out around Christmas in 2019 and has to be one of my favorites from Travis. The grainy film texture and colors on this cover are amazing.
2. Still Striving – A$AP Ferg
I really adore the simplicity of this cover art. To me, the best covers are the ones that completely leave out all the information about the album and opt to provide a visual that speaks for the music itself. A$AP Ferg accomplished this beautifully with “Still Striving,” his 2017 release.
3. Chinese Fountain – The Growlers
Not the biggest fan of the Growlers right now if I’m being honest with myself, but the “Chinese Fountain” cover is a really stand out piece. The colors of the neon sign, the fog, and how it all mimics a restaurant you’d find in China Town really complements the album nicely.
4. Thickfreakness – The Black Keys
I love how the all the album info is worked into this cover. This is from one of the Black Keys’ older albums, but it continues to be one of my favorites now. All around, I just love the colors and composition.
5. Mint – Orions Belte
Recently, Orions Belte has been at the top of my listening cue. If you’re into any sort of psychedelic surf rock, you’d be into them too. The way the lines and figures all blend together is so fantastic and trippy.
Stay tuned for next week’s rendition of Album Art Gems!
In general, discussion of the Kendrick Lamar canon is limited to the holy trinity of good kid, m.A.Ad city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN., with the occasional nod to untitled unmastered. Rarely is there mention of Section.80, Kendrick’s 2011 debut. It’s true that some of the tracks haven’t aged well (“No Makeup”, “Tammy’s Song”), but in my opinion there are many more hits than misses on K. Dot’s first studio album. It isn’t as focused as GKMC, as ambitious as TPAB, or as eclectic as DAMN., but Section.80 has a story to tell all its own.
That story centers around Tammy and Keisha, two characters who struggle to make sense of the world around them. Kendrick paints a picture of this world in great detail throughout the album’s runtime. On “A.D.H.D”, he reflects on the drug abuse that is so prevalent in his generation by saying “You know why we crack babies?/Because we born in the 80s, that A.D.H.D crazy.” “Ronald Reagan Era” describes Kendrick’s hometown of Compton, California in a way that only a true emcee could. In one bar, he says “1987, the children of Ronald Reagan/Rake the leaves of your front porch with a machine blowtorch”, which speaks to the generation of children who have been negatively affected by president Reagan’s policies. The narrative continues on “Keisha’s Song”, in which the titular character becomes a sex worker in order support herself. Like Tupac’s classic “Brenda’s Got a Baby”, Kendrick shows how this vicious cycle of neglect ends in tragedy. On “Ab-Soul’s Outro,”, the penultimate track on Section.80, Kendrick meditates on the themes presented throughout the album. In a particularly candid moment, he says “I’m not on the outside looking in/I’m not on the inside looking out/I’m in the dead f—— center, looking around.”
Even in 2011, Kendrick – who had not yet reached his prime – was no stranger to the Odyssean task of creating a concept album. He would continue to develop this skill with each project following Section.80, cementing him as one of the most gifted storytellers in hip-hop. While the narrative on this project isn’t as compelling as those found on his later albums, it is definitely worth a listen. To see the world through Kendrick Lamar’s eyes is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Everyone born in Gen Z remembers and loves Victorious which aired on Nickelodeon between 2010 and 2013. This show was a favorite of mine and all of my friends during middle school, and I remember it fondly. The show has complex characters and some great scenes, but most notably the soundtrack is sung by the cast and many of the songs are total bops. It’s unsurprising that these actors make great songs, as many of them got their start young on Broadway, and actresses like Ariana Grande who performed on Victorious are now well-known for their musical talent.
1. Take A Hint
This is the best song hands down. Not only are the vocals amazing and memorable, the scene itself is really empowering as two of the female characters shut down two annoying guys that are hitting on them. This song pops into my mind constantly and it’s definitely worth a listen if you want to reminisce about the show.
2. It’s Not Christmas Without You
I love a good holiday song and this is no exception! The scene itself has some of the cutest costumes and narrative of all the episodes, and the song itself is great to put you into a Christmas mood.
3. Best Friend’s Brother
10/10 always a bop. I definitely can’t relate to the subject matter, but despite that I think Victoria Justice did a great job with this one and the background vocals are also amazing. The music video is cute as well.
4. Give It Up
I love the vocals by Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande, so this R&B style song from the main soundtrack is also one of my favorites. The harmony between the two girls is beautiful throughout.
5. I Want You Back
A classic cover song with talented vocalists can’t go wrong. I love the energy the cast brings to this track. Though Victoria Justice dominates the track, we get snippets of vocals from members of all of the cast.
I love listening to all of these songs when I feel nostalgic for this period of my life, and it’s always entertaining to listen to these amazing straight up bops. Let me know your favorite songs from the show, and if you agree with my ranking. Hope you enjoyed.
Y’all don’t even understand how ~~shook~~ I was when I first heard Jinjer. I came home from school and my mom tells me that I have to listen to this band called Jinjer. She showed me their song Pisces, which I thought was a really cool name for a song because I am a Pisces!! Where are all my Pisces at?! When the song first starts, the vocals are clean and beautiful. Their vocalist has a pretty singing voice, and when she started growling? OH MY GOD. I was in awe and shocked that she can transition so seamlessly between the two vocal styles. I love watching reaction videos of people listening to this song because the looks on their faces are hilarious!
Jinjer is a Ukrainian heavy metal band from Donetsk, Ukraine that formed in 2009. The band considers 2010 their official formation when Tatiana Shmailyuk replaced Maksym Fatullaiev on vocals and Roman Ibramkhalilov was picked up for lead guitarist. The band was still trying to create and develop their sound until bassist Eugene Abdukhanov joined the summer of 2011. Their first EP, Inhale, Do Not Breathe, gained significant attention within the metal community, and Jinjer began touring constantly throughout the year with their own money. The band gained more attention after winning the “Best Ukrainian Metal Act” in 2013 and again in 2016. Jinjer was gaining a lot of recognition after the release of their EP, so the band quickly wrote another album and self-released their 2014 album, Cloud Factory. This album would later gain the attention of Napalm Records, which is the current label the band is signed to. The band has mentioned that many of their influences for their music are Slayer, Death, Pantera, Lamb of God, Gojira, and Opeth. Hip-Hop acts such as Cypress Hill and House of Pain has also influenced their sound.
€ € € €^^%%!!!!!heaven!!!!!! by Lala Lala and Baths
Golden Girls by Devendra Banhart
Pines by Men I Trust
Coffee by beabadoobee
Ivy by Frank Ocean
Stay Tru by Mereba
Sea of Love by Cat Power
Teddy Bear Rises by OOHYO
Clouds by Hiroshi Yoshimura
Bella’s Lullaby by Michele Garruti
À tout à l’heure by Bibio
You Might Be Sleeping by Jakob Ogawa and Clairo
Something Wild by Radiator Hospital
Getting It On by SALES
Ghostride by Crumb
The Moon Song by beabadoobee and Oscar Lang
Love Song by Devendra Banhart
What kind of songs inspire romance? Which songs allow the listener to absorb the kind of soothing mood only a date at a cozy café? These are the questions which inspired the playlist, and successfully carried it out. This playlist is perfect for a quiet evening or a first date. Artists like Devendra Banhart and beabadoobee bring quiet melodies with subtle, romantic lyricism perfect for this mood. Check out this playlist here.
What’s going on Butcher Crew?! It’s your Master Butcher, The Saw and I have a very fun and exciting post for you today! I will be listing my top 10 favorite album covers! I think album covers can be a really cool way for bands to show off what ~~vibes~~ they want their record to give off. Depending on the genre (for metal in particular), album covers can show you what type of style a band is. I love it when bands put in a lot of time and effort on the album covers, because visual representation can be very beneficial! My dad, the “OG Metalhead,” told me that when was my age, he would go to the record store and he would find albums with the coolest album cover and band names and buy it. This is how he found new bands and I think that is a really cool way to find different artists to expand your own musical discography.
Let’s get into my top 10 favorite album covers!! This list is in no particular order, these are all equally, badass.
1. Obituary – Inked in Blood (2014)
2.Cannibal Corpse – Eaten Back To Life (1990)
3. Whitechapel – A New Era Of Corruption (2010)
4. Pig Destroyer – Prowler in the Yard (2015)
5. Impaled – The Dead Still Remain Dead (2013)
6. Marilyn Manson – Holly Wood (2000)
7. Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction (2015)
Happy Friday everyone! Here are the songs that got me through the past week:
Plastic by Moses Sumney: The unassuming guitar progression on this track is the perfect backdrop for Moses Sumney’s ethereal voice. The combination makes for a truly beautiful meditation on heartbreak and fragility.
Trader Joe by Junglepussy: A catchy indie-rap song about a man that Junglepussy likes more than Trader Joes. Favorite bar: “We don’t f—, he just pick me up from Trader Joe’s/Carry all my groceries and lick on all my toes”.
Weight by redveil: This self-produced track by 16 year-old redveil truly showcases his potential. Be sure to check out my review of his latest release, Niagara!
HiiiPower by Kendrick Lamar: Section.80 by Kendrick Lamar is often overshadowed by his later releases. The closing track, produced by J. Cole, proves why the album is still worth your time.
Crawl by Gabriel Garzón-Montano: Every time I create a Friday Favorites playlist, I have to fight the urge to include a GGM track. This week, that urge prevailed. “Crawl” has been stuck in my head all week, and if you listen to it, it will be stuck in yours too.
Wasteland by Tierra Whack: One of my favorite things about Tierra Whack is her versatility. Every one of her songs has a distinct feel. My only question is, where is the album?
Late Nights & Heartbreak by Hannah Williams and the Affirmations: This song is a scorching soul ballad about mistreating one’s lover. Its subject matter, combined with Hannah William’s commanding vocals, made it the perfect sample for Jay-Z’s “4:44”.
If You Want Me To Stay by Ari Lennox and Anthony Ramos: On this track, Ari Lennox and Anthony Ramos team up to cover a Sly and the Family Stone classic. This rendition features modern instrumentation but just as much soul as the original.
