The end of 2019 marks the end of the decade. I honestly didn’t think much of it until Spotify reminded me, but after I got to thinking about how much things can change in a decade. Since 2010 started we’ve had a lot happen in the world (don’t worry I won’t go into anything here because a decade is a lot to cover) but my point is there has been rapid change in the world and that change hasn’t left any aspect of life the same, especially not music. We just finished a unit, in my music literature class, on last year’s pulitzer prize winner Kendrick Lamar, which pushed a huge conversation on music, specifically the direction hip-hop is taking in our world. I think the timing is perfect for the new decade since it’s about time hip-hop and other incredible works get more recognition and don’t get pushed aside because they don’t fit the classical definition of ‘high class’ music. It’s about time that definition changed.
But that’s just a part of the story. The fact of the matter is this was a huge decade for music because technology has changed our world A LOT. Making music is the most accessible it’s ever been, it’s not just something done by the few and far who can access it anymore, anyone can make anything and publish it. This huge change will only further the development of music going into the next decade, I mean it already has but since the new decade also has that and the new discussions that came with Kendricks win I think we’re in for a lot of change in the next decade. Change can be scary, but I’m pretty excited for the possibilities here. Entrepreneurship and the arts are making such a bold leap these days I wonder just how much new material we’ll have in the next decade and what new developments will come our way.
What do you think? Will technology and the discussion of what ‘high class’ music is rapidly change the music scene in the coming decade? Are you looking forward to it or have any predictions? I think genres will be challenged even more and music will become even more abstract then it already can be, do you agree?
It’s the end of the year and since everyone’s sharing their spotify wrapped I figured I would too. Just the 2019 one though, I’m not sure I want to expose myself by sharing my decade. I have to say I wasn’t really surprised by anything (I mean I know what I listen to), but it is super fun getting a rundown of the data.
My favorite part is that top 100 song playlist, I’ve had a serious nostalgia trip this week listening to that since a lot of the music I listened to at the start of this year I haven’t heard since then. It’s odd how emotionally heavy it can be looking at the year through music, it’s not even just the music (though that totally counts because the music you listen to can say a lot about where you and your head are), but because I usually get a vivid picture in my mind of where I was when I first heard the song. Memories come flooding in and I begin to realize just how much has gone on this year. Anyhow, to get it over with here is DJ Psycheds Spotify Wrapped for 2019.
Top Artists : #1 Smallpools
I love this band a lot (obviously) and they were the first band I saw in concert this year at Motorco. I first started listening to them when I was a freshman and the show was so amazing I’ve had their setlist on repeat ever since.
2. Clarence Clarity 3. Arrested Youth 4. Panic! At The Disco 5. Mike Shinoda
Top Genres : Indie Pop (as an indie DJ this was expected, Pop (I didn’t see that one coming but then again my workout playlists is pretty pop heavy), Lo-fi beats (I listen to that lofi study playlist a lot so sounds about right), Rap and Modern Rock
Top 10 Songs : #1 We change by Clarence Clarity #2 Naysayer, Magick Obeyer by Clarence Clarity
These two songs are amazing, the whole album is but these two songs get me everytime. I have yet to get tired of these tracks and the transition between them is so smooth I can see how they became my top two songs, it’s hard for me to listen to one and not want to listen to the other
3. Blood // Water by grandson 4. Get to You by The Honeysticks 5. Promises I Can’t Keep by Mike Shinoda 6. Don’t Know How by Ricky Montgomery 7. (finally getting more into that indie music) Death, Thrice Drawn by The Scary Jokes 8. Wavy Gravy by Okey Dokey 9. Trippy by Mindchatter 10. Ok by J.P. Plains
So what were your top listens of the year (Spotify user or not)?
P.s. Panic! At The Disco was my artist of the decade.
A week or so ago, my mom and I went to see Tool! My mom has seen Tool many times, but this was my first time seeing them live. I was supposed to see them at Epiceneter earlier this year, but due to tornado warnings, they canceled the rest of the festival for that day. So this was my redemption, my second chance to see Tool and my mom bought tickets before they were sold out.
I grew up listening to Tool. My mom would play songs like Sober, The Pot, and Schism all the time when I was growing up, and I quickly started to love these songs. Tool is a band that I can put on and just relax. They have a very particular sound that no other band has and their vibe just puts the listener into a different mindset.
When we got to PNC Arena, there were signs everywhere that stated that we were not allowed to take any pictures or videos during the show. I have never seen this before, and when doing some quick research, the rule was legit. Tool didn’t want anyone with their phones out because they wanted them to enjoy the experience of the show. If you were caught with your phone out, you would be kicked out of the arena. I thought this rule was wack because we spent so much money to see this band and then you say we will be kicked out for having our phones out? Let people enjoy the concert how they want to enjoy it. If it is behind a cell phone then so what? You already got our money for the show so why does it matter? Now, did The Saw take any videos of Tool? That is something that your Master Butcher is going to keep to herself. (:
The opening band that kicked off the show was Killing Joke. I have never heard of this band before until I saw them play at the show. The band was good, but they didn’t have much of a stage show. I didn’t really know what was going on to be honest. Their singer would do these weird little dances but mainly just stood in the middle of the stage the entire time. Their sound throughout the arena was really good! You could hear them clearly and perfectly.
Tool was up next and I was really excited to see them, finally! They had one of the best light shows that I have ever seen. It was so trippy and mesmerizing. They had this thin curtain around the stage and their light show would bounce off the curtain to make some sort of design, it was awesome to watch and the light show and the artistry fit the vibe of the music really well! I didn’t know a lot of the songs that Tool played, but they were all really good! The band sounded awesome and Maynard’s voice is still strong and loud. He sounded amazing! The only song I knew that they played was Schism. They didn’t play The Pot OR Sober!!! Can you believe that? They had some sort of an intermission before their encore which I thought was pretty weird because we all just sat there for about 5 minutes until some of the band members came out and spent about 5 more minutes creating noise.
Overall, I am so happy that I finally got to see Tool and I got to see them with my mom! I also got a Tool shirt and I am surprised that I got the last shirt in my size. I thought they would sell out because there were so many people in line to get merch, it was insane.
Have you seen Tool live? What is your faveorite Tool song?
Okay, I’m not gonna lie, when I saw this lineup, I screamed. You have Left Behind, Traitors, Spite, The Acacia Strain, AND Chelsea Grin all on one bill?? ICONIC. This show sold out the day of the show and the Blind Tiger was packed with people. I went to this show with two of my friends: Sarah, who I trained as a metal DJ at WKNC, she is a real good friend of mine and all we do is listen to metal and send each other metal memes. I love it. I also took my friend Andrew who works at WKNC with me. Andrew does not listen to metal on a regular basis, but when I play it at the station, he really likes what he hears, and we are always having discussions about the evolution of music. When I told him about this show, he was down to go and he ended up having a great time!! I am close to converting him into a metalhead!
When we got to the show, the first band, Left Behind, was already playing (we got stuck in traffic, smh). But where we were in line, you could hear the band clearly and they were jamming! I was dancing in line and having a good time. The line was so long that by the time we got into the venue, Left Behind was finishing. I hate that I didn’t get to see them, but I bought a bomb ass hoodie from them so it is okay.
The next band that came on was Traitors and I have seen them a handful of times and they never disappoint me. Their singer, Tyler, has some great vocals that always leaves me in awe. He is really good at hyping the crowd up because he always says, “is that all you got Greensboro? Destroy this s***!” He was very entertaining to watch. Their light show was great, and the crowd really got into them, from what I saw. We were shoulder to shoulder in that venue due to it being a sold out show. Sarah described Traitors as a band that every song is just a big ass breakdown and I totally agree. Love it.
Spite came on next, and I love Spite. Their energy on their albums, and live, is top notch and can’t be beat. Every time I listen to them, I get this burst of energy and I feel unstoppable. Darius, their singer, is one of the best front men I have seen. Not only does he have insanely great vocals, but his stage presence is awesome. He comes on stage yelling and running around and it immediately gets the crowd hyped. When he sings, he will wiggle his eyebrows and make these funny faces; he is simply, just fun to watch. They played some of my favorite songs, mainly, Kill or Be Killed. Andrew was really digging this band, and he actually got in the mosh pit for Spite!!!! He was jamming hard.
The Acacia Strain came on and a lot of people were looking forward to seeing them. They are one of the bands that has a lot of respect in the scene and have a huge following. Their singer thanked all of us for being there at the show and told us to have a good time. Their sound was phenomenal live and the singer’s voice was perfect. His low growls were impressive. But to me and my friends that I went to the show with, we felt that The Acacia Strain could not follow Spite. Spite kicked our asses!!! When we sat outside, we could still hear the band and from what I heard, they put on a great show.
And now the band I have been waiting for, Chelsea Grin. I have seen Chelsea Grin various times but I have only seen them twice with their new singer, Tom. Tom used to be the singer for Lorna Shore, but then came to sing with Chelsea Grin. I love his voice and he really brings more energy to the band. The last time I saw Chelsea Grin was a few years ago at the Blind Tiger and I was in awe. When they played Across The Earth, their melodies in the beginning with their light show is something that I will never forget. I got chills just watching it. The first song that they came out with when I saw them recently was Recreant, which is easily one of their best songs. I lost my mind when they started off with this song. They instantly brought the energy and the crowd went wild. When Recreant began playing, I crowd surfed up to the stage and their bass player helped me up on stage!! How nice!!! I then stage dove, crowd surfed back to the stage, and stage dove again. It was awesome. They played some killers songs, like Playing With Fire, My Damnation, and Dead Rose. Their light show was amazing, and their overall sound was really, really good. Definitely a band you all need to see live. (pic here)
Artist Record Label 1 CATTLE DECAPITATION Death Atlas Metal Blade 2 COUNTERPARTS Nothing Left To Love Pure Noise 3 DESPISED ICON Purgatory Nuclear Blast 4 LEFT BEHIND No One Goes to Heaven Pure Noise 5 KING DIAMOND “Masquerade Of Madness” [Single] Metal Blade 6 VATICAN “Ex Nihilo” [Single] 1126 7 MESHIAAK Mask Of All Misery Mascot 8 CREEPING DEATH Wretched Illusions eOne 9 SKYBLOOD Skyblood Napalm 10 LORNA SHORE “Death Portrait” [Single] Century Media
Artist Record Label 1 BASEMENT REVOLVER Wax And Digital [EP] Sonic Unyon 2 GEOWULF My Resignation PIAS 3 DAYGLOW Fuzzybrain Self-Released 4 BLACK SURFER Black Surfer [EP] Self-Released 5 NEW PORNOGRAPHERS In the Morse Code Of Brake Lights Concord 6 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art 7 OH ROSE While My Father Sleeps Park The Van 8 GREEN BUZZARD Amidst The Clutter And Mess I Oh You 9 BOY SCOUTS Free Company Anti- 10 ERTHLINGS Indigo [EP] Future Classic 11 MATTHEW SQUIRES Visions Of America Self-Released 12 HOVVDY Heavy Lifter Double Double Whammy 13 NATHAN BAJAR Playroom In Real Life 14 GASPAR SANZ Meanderthal [EP] Helium 15 BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT At The Party With My Brown Friends Saddle Creek 16 PEACH PYRAMID Bright Blue Oscar St 17 PENELOPE ISLES Until The Tide Creeps In Bella Union/PIAS 18 CHRIS FARREN Born Hot Polyvinyl 19 HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE So Divine Run For Cover 20 GRINGO STAR Controlled Burn Baby Robot 21 GOOD SERVICE Summer Muses Self-Released 22 MARIKA HACKMAN Any Human Friend [EP] Sub Pop 23 GOOD RIDDANCE Thoughts And Prayers Fat Wreck 24 TRUTH CLUB Not An Exit Tiny Engines 25 CHAI Punk Burger 26 DUMB Club Nites Mint 27 JAY SOM Anak Ko Polyvinyl 28 NIGHT SINS Portrait In Silver Funeral Party 29 LUNCH LADY Angel Danger Collective/Upset The Rhythm 30 PURPLE MOUNTAINS Purple Mountains Drag City
Artist Record Label 1 KEDR LIVANSKIY Your Need 2MR 2 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY BO Y Self-Released 3 ROBYN “Beach2k20 (Yaeji Remix)” [Single] Konichiwa 4 GRACE IVES 2nd Dots Per Inch 5 COMPUTER DATA “Alright” [Single] Self-Released 6 LONE “Abraxas” [Single] Ancient Astronauts 7 HURLEE Beating For You [EP] Apparel 8 OCTO OCTA Resonant Body T4T LUV NRG 9 YEULE Serotonin II Bayonet 10 FOUR TET Anna Painting [EP] Text
BEST TRACKS: Heavenly, You’re The Only Good Thing In My Life, Touch
FCC Violations: Kiss It Off Me, You’re The Only Good Thing In My Life
Recommended if you like: Beach House, Slowdive, The xx
Cigarettes After Sex is back after 2 years of absence with a new, self-produced release, Cry. Their self-titled first album is a hard act to follow, containing what is, in my opinion, one of the purest, fuzzy-feeling modern love songs ever written, Sweet. I was excited to see what this album had in store for us. Much like Cigarettes After Sex’s first album, Cry is slower than molasses, and sweeter too.
Listening to this album, it’s obvious that front man Greg Gonzales holds firmly the belief that less is more and executes this ethos flawlessly. Cry is mind-blowingly gentle and slow, yet still somehow manages to keep the listener’s ear perked with ultra-downbeat hints of dreampop. Gonzales’ voice sounds like a moon fairy whispering into your ear. From the first note, Gonzales creates an unshakable atmosphere, like time standing still, through echoing guitar strums, and that lovely low hum of a bassline.
Though the music is unique and fantastic, there is not much substance in the way of lyrics on this album. Though it’s refreshing to see such blatant themes of sexual desire in a genre that is usually so subtle and prude, there is not enough depth or poetry in the writing. Lyrics come off as generic and clichéd. Listening to these songs kind of made me feel like I was reading the diary of a hormonal teenage boy who thinks he’s in love.
I’ll say that this album is still worth a listen purely for the atmosphere created by the music. That is, if you don’t let the corny lyrics jolt you out of the mood. This is an album for horny romantics and painfully hopeless fantasizers. If you are, or ever were, an unashamedly diehard fan of Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey, then give this album a spin.
ALBUM REVIEW: Pure Reason Revolution – “The Dark Third” 2007 Europe Release
BEST TRACKS: Golden Clothes, Twyncyn / Trembling Willows, Voices in Winter
FCC Violations: none
Recommended if you like: Space rock AND Symphonic metal
One of the best progressive rock albums to be released in 2006, but went largely unnoticed. The Europe Release in 2007 is the important one to obtain given that it has 5 added tracks that can only be found on that release and are some of the best tracks on the album.
Some background is that Pure Reason Revolution was formed in England in 2003 and have released 3 full-length studio albums since then. The Dark Third is their first and probably their most essential album. If you have any interest in both space rock and symphonic metal, this may become your new favorite album.
According to Wikipedia, the “dark third” is a reference to how a person spends a third of their life asleep, and this comes out in the spacey themes that pervade this album.
Produced by Paul Northfield (who has produced albums from many other progressive outfits such as Dream Theater and Rush), this album takes virtuosic instrumentation and a capella and crafts it into a rainbow of different emotions. One moment you’ll feel reminiscent for the past, and the next you’ll feel an epic march toward the future. I have always described this album as “if the members of Pink Floyd decided to start a symphonic metal band and add a female vocalist.” In fact, one of the tracks from this album “The Bright Ambassadors of Morning” is a direct reference to one of the greatest Pink Floyd tracks of all time, “Echoes.”
The beginning of The Dark Third is a long wash of spacey guitar riffs as it works its way into the 2nd track “Goshen’s Remains” where the female vocals come in, the music slows down, and builds into an intense wall of sound, which continues to persist throughout most of the tracks. Of course there are parts where things get slowed down, but that delectable intensity never quite ceases. One of my personal favorite tracks on the album is “Voices of Winter / In the Realms of the Divine” which exemplifies this duality perfectly. The first side of the track being more low-key “astral folk” and then moving into the second half which uses the themes from the first half for a crazy build up into another crash.
Another track that exemplifies the “eclectic”-ness of this album is the last track (European Release only) “Golden Clothes.” This track is 7 and a half minutes long but contains 3 themes that go from light to dark and back with ease, and contain an impressive mixing of genres ranging from classical, to alternative, to metal, to electronica.
Give this album a shot if you are interested in anything that does a lot of genre-mixing, but even moreso if you enjoy space rock and symphonic metal.
BEST TRACKS: Sept, Fruitcake & Cookies, International
FCC Violations: none
Recommended if you like: Shoegaze AND Electronica
There are many ways to define “experimental” music, but I think the most accurate description is something that does not fit any particular genre definition. This album certainly deserves the title of experimental. Before I get into the music though, Sweet Trip was a little known group from San Francisco, California that focused on mixing alternative rock and dream pop sounds with heavy electronica. Although it is worth checking out the rest of their discography (only 3 total albums) if you are into this kind of music, Velocity : Design : Comfort is essential.
On the surface, the music overall is purposely glitchy and difficult to follow at times, but the more one listens to this album, the more fun and intriguing it gets. I personally seem to find new ear candy every time I give the album a listen through. This album’s carefully crafted intricate soundscapes that juxtapose dream pop and electronic glitch music is a one of a kind experience. Songs like “Dsco” seem like they had influenced artists like Anamanaguchi, but then you have tracks like “Fruitcake & Cookies” which are arguably some of the most creative shoegaze songs you will come across. Furthermore, “International” is an epic 10 minute journey that will throw at you a cornucopia of emotions throughout it’s duration through it’s everchanging soundscape.
This album may not be accessible to people who do not listen to experimental music often, but it’s worth giving a shot for anyone interested in electronica and shoegaze, because I think you’ll find yourself listening to it nonstop once its grown on you because it is so unique.
