Flatbush Zombies, stylized Flatbush ZOMBiES, are a hip hop group active since 2010. They first became noticed within the East Coast rap scene in the 2010s with the release of multiple mixtapes; since then they have produced three albums. Their most recent work is their 2020 EP, “now, more than ever,” and new single “Afterlife,” which has quickly become a fan favorite. Members Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott met in grade school and have been great friends and co-performers since.
Flatbush Zombies have also produced interesting media. Their NPR Tiny Desk Concert and YouTube music videos are very entertaining. The group continues to create music together and build upon their previous discography with new and exciting styles.
I recommend checking out their most recent EP, “now, more than ever,” which they created in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. Their song “Big Shrimp” from their first album is another favorite of mine. Give Flatbush Zombies a listen and let us know what you think.
The second studio album from All That Remains, This Darkened Heart, was released on March 23, 2004 (Prosthetic / Razor & Tie). The band’s debut record, Behind Silence and Solitude, as well as its third release, The Fall of Ideals, are very good records in their own rights; but it is their sophomore release that stands in a category all its own.
So, All That Remains was first listed as a “Heavy Metal” band, with This Darkened Heart listed in the genre of “Melodic Death Metal.” Later, the band would come to be known as one of the first bands of an evolving sub-genre known as Metal Core, while the vocal style of This Darkened Heart is a perfect example of very early “Death Core;” though, the music (and its composition) is very much Heavy Metal, leaning toward Death Metal. Today, this combination of styles would be considered a band’s way of breaking out of the various “Core” genres. But in 2004, this is the expression of a band forging an entirely new brand of Metal.
Philip Labonte (Shadows Fall) is the founder and lead vocalist of All That Remains. He is one of the visionaries of the, then, forming new genre of Metal. His first band (in the mid-90s) was a Death Metal band called Perpetual Doom, where he also played guitar. He left the band to join Shadows Fall as the lead vocalist, recording the band’s debut album, Somber Eyes to the Sky, in ’97. He left Shadows Fall the following year due to “musical differences,” and formed All That Remains. In 2010 Labonte filled in as the touring vocalist for Killswitch Engage. And in 2016 he filled in as lead vocalist for Five Finger Death Punch. Labonte had a great band with him for This Darkened Heart with Mike Martin and Oli Herbert on guitars, Matt Deis on bass, and Michael Bartlett on drums.
I understand This Darkened Heart to be a bridge between Metal genres. While All That Remains went on to be more Metal Core, this record, with its combination of styles, really helped the logic of the evolution of sub-genres. My dad (The OG), as an Old School Death Metal head, remembers when this record dropped. “Oh, I loved the riffs of the songs, and Philip’s vocals were incredible. But I also recognized that there was something different being developed, here. The structures of the songs were departing from the style of pure Death Metal, while the riffs were very Old School. And the vocals, while delivered with “gravel,” were more melodic, but not like Melodic Death Metal. We knew that something new was happening.”
There are exactly 0 wasted songs on This Darkened Heart. This is truly a great record that still, today, speaks to the struggles and suffering of life lived in community; the darkness of loneliness and the light of friends and loved ones. This record, itself, is a light in that darkness.
Favorite Songs: Focus Shall Not Fail; Tattered on My Sleeve; This Darkened Heart
Rating: 10/10!! A perfect record at the perfect time
I can already tell that I am going to be loving this band. Loving is a slow-wave indie bedroom rock band from Canada. Their music gives off the impression of a lazy sunday, which pockets of sun poking in through the windows as the rain taps against the glass. The band consists of a group of three from Canada, who play sparse, intimate songs.
The band started back in 2015 when David Parry and Jesse and Lucas Henderson, who are brothers, started recording music together. It was initially a long-distance project, since some members of the trio were in Victoria while others were in Toronto. However, their initial success inspired the trio to become a full-time band and set up shop in Victoria.
The music of Loving is like psychedelic folk. It’s calming, relaxing, and uplifting all at once. Loving’s first album is their self-titled debut, which came out back in 2016. My favorite song is “The Not Real Lake,” closely followed by “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk Into the Future” and “A Long Slow Little Wave / Citizen, An Activity.” Their second album, “If I Am Only My Thoughts,” came out in 2020. It is a bit more fast-paced and features more acoustic sounds than their debut album. From this I would choose “A Mirror for Two Voices” and “Only She Knows” as my favorites.
You can love, you can leave it, and say you’re nothing without it, but don’t sleep on Loving. Hope you guys enjoy the tunes, -The DJ Formerly Known As Chippypants
For me, 2021 has been about finding music new and old that is good quality and worth listening to. This is evidenced quite clearly by this list being composed of music with release dates that span from 1998 to 2020. Let’s not waste any time and get straight into my February Favorites.
“Let’s Get Out” by Life Without Buildings
Up first, we have “Let’s Get Out,” by Life Without Buildings, an arbitrary but joyous song comprised of slightly nonsensical lyrics. Despite this, it is so addicting to listen to, as the words and phrases seem to have no real meaning behind them, causing them all to flow into each other beautifully. The lead singer of the band, Sue Tompkins, talk-sings amongst an addicting guitar melody engineered by Robert Johnston, upbeat percussion headed by Will Bradley, and a groovy bass-line by Chris Evans (not to be confused with the famous Marvel actor Chris Evans). This song feels like sunny days in January, and I can’t help but smile as I sing along.
“When It Hurts so Bad” by Ms. Lauryn Hill
This year, I finally listened to the critically acclaimed album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” which as a whole has been a favorite of mine thus far in 2021. In the hook of this song, Lauryn Hill laments the question “When it hurts so bad, when it hurts so bad / Why’s it feel so good?” Hill displays her stunning vocals throughout this song, especially in the chorus. The outro of the song, like a few others on the album, includes a skit of a teacher asking a classroom full of students what love is. Following that story throughout the album is very fun, and makes it all-the-more cohesive. This track is the ultimate song to sing along to in the shower.
“Tarantula” by Wavves
Despite what the title might make you think, this song is not about arachnids, but rather the perfect angry-for-no-good-reason tune. It simultaneously is an upbeat dance tune, while also having fairly nihilistic lyrics, which is my personal favorite type of song. The chorus loudly asserts “Every morning / Toxic waste / Everything sucks / If you don’t get your way.” Wavves makes great indie-rock tunes and this song is a prime exemplar of that fact.
“Simple Math” by Kid Sistr
Kid Sistr started releasing music last year, and it would be no understatement for me to say that I’m obsessed. “Simple Math,” is a beautiful indie-rock ballad about the hard cycle of getting over a relationship. The chorus, which I love to poorly sing along to, goes “I keep falling back on simple math / It’s all I have / Trying to subtract you / Coming back to simple math.” The intricate lyrics, clean vocals, and slow and somewhat haunting instrumentation comes to a head at the end of the song, where the lead singer belts out the last couple of lines. Kid Sistr is an excellent band, and I especially keep coming back to this song.
“The Breeze” by Dr. Dog
“The Breeze” is a folkier song from Dr. Dog, a band that tends to lean more toward the genre of rock. This track feels like a winter in the Midwest in a comforting way that I can’t put my finger on quite completely. The folky nature of the song feels like a mixture of Fleet Foxes and “Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles. I can’t speak high enough praises of this song and the pure nostalgia it brings to me, despite only listening to it for the first time a few weeks ago. The lyrics are poetic in nature, my favorite section being the first chorus, which goes “Do you feel like you’re stuck in time? / Forever waiting on that line / If nothing ever moves / Put that needle to the groove / And sing.”
Leaf Hound was one of those bands that slipped through the cracks in the early 1970s but are now receiving the recognition they deserve. After only one album, they went on the do other things, most notably their singer, Peter French, who joined Atomic Rooster in 1971. But what an album it was! “Growers of the Mushroom” has all the elements of British blues and proto-metal: blistering riffs, raspy vocals, and a twinge of psychedelia. Though Leaf Hound was not as influential as similar bands from the time, like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, one can imagine the impact they could’ve had if they continued.
One of their most outstanding accomplishments was the hit song “Freelance Fiend.” Wow! What an incredible track. Though Peter French is heralded for his signature ’70s-esc screeches, what really stands out to me is the dance between the two guitarists, Mick Halls and Derek Brooks. “Hipshaker” is another stand-out track.
In 2007, Leaf Hound spontaneously reunited to release one more album, this time with a completely new lineup. Peter French reinstated himself as lead singer, but the rest of the band included Tom Smith on guitar, Pete Herbert on bass, and Dominic French on drums. Including a collection of new tracks, remastered oldies, and songs from Atomic Rooster, the album was a success. However, “Growers of Mushroom” became somewhat of an artifact among record collectors, sometimes selling for over $4,000.
It’s no doubt their popularity has soared exponentially since their disbandment, going on to inspire artists like Tame Impala and Wolfmother. Leaf Hound is definetely worth taking a listen to!
Members: Peter French (vocals), Mick Halls (guitar), Derek Brooks (guitar), Stuart Brooks (bass), Keith George-Young (drums)
Discography: Growers of Mushroom (1971), Unleashed (2007)
Best Songs: Freelance Fiend, Drowned My Life in Fear, Stray, Hipshaker, Too Many Rock ‘N’ Roll Times
This song is very classic Men I Trust vibes, if you like the band you’ll love this new single.
yesterday – frumhere
A new single from my one of my favorite lo-fi beat makers.
Caution – KAYTRANADA
A chill new song from KAYTRANADA; perfect for working out to.
Gang Signs (ft. ScHoolboy Q) – Freddie Gibbs
Another great single from Freddie Gibbs since his recent album, “Alfredo.” ScHoolboy Q brings more of a top-100 vibe to the song but Gibbs keeps it unique.
Jealous (ft. Rico Nasty) – Mahalia
Mahalia’s strong, sweet vocals perfectly complement with Rico Nasty’s harsher rapping. You can definitely see how Mahalia’s style has evolved recently through this song.
![Cover for ERIKA DE CASIER “No Butterflies, No Nothing” [Single] Erika with lily flowers.](https://wknc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/a1047360069_10-1603217617-608x608-1.jpg)
