ZeeThaNomad - Zapoleon Dynamite (TourLife) - Jul 26, 2023
The DIY scene in Auburn was blessed with yet another project from a local artist, and it comes from the collaborative efforts of two WEGL alumni: bars from ZeeThaNomad and production from Luke Walker. Zapoleon Dynamite (TourLife) is a very concise EP that has no skips whatsoever, immaculate bars and storytelling from Zee, and fun boom bap / jazz rap production from Luke. Zee’s lyrics are as consistent and thought provoking as usual, where she brings up concepts such as generational trauma, relationship difficulties, institutionalized racism, and trying to make it as an independent artist. Additionally, Zee features some neo-soul vocals over tracks such as "Like Water" and "TAKEYOASSTOTHERAPY." The sequencing of the EP is very smooth accounting for a very relaxed, enjoyable first listening experience. Luke’s production compliments Zee’s performance as his instrumentals are complex enough to pick apart and appreciate yet simple enough to vibe to. Overall, this duo of WEGL alumni dropped a very enjoyable, short, concise project that combines elements of alternative RnB, neo-soul, conscious hip hop, and boom bap. If you enjoy listening to artists like Saba, Noname, and Smino, I suggest you check out Zapoleon Dynamite (TourLife).
Favorite Tracks: “Dumb Bars” ; “Like Water” ; “TAKEYOASSTOTHERAPY (INTERLUDE)” ; “Smart Bars” ; “Dream Chasin’”
- Gerrit Notch
Being Dead - When Horses Would Run - July 14, 2023
Originally known as "America's #1 Sweethearts" through self proclamation, it's easy to see how the Texas-based indie rockers came to this conclusion. Few bands can tastefully mix confidence and humor as elegantly as Being Dead have on When Horses Would Run, and it being their debut LP makes it all the more impressive. Composed by Falcon Bitch and Gumball, best friends and founding members of the group, WHWR is littered with old-school surf rock leads, gritty percussion, imagery of the American west, and a fast-swinging pendulum oscillating between the lead vocal roles shared by both members. As individuals who clearly don't take themselves too seriously, their refreshing charm and desire for something truly personal and unique allowed them to produce, at its core, simply a very fun and enjoyable album. It certainly has its share of layers meant to be peeled back and explored, but WHWR is a record best enjoyed as a creative and entertaining escape from the mundanity of contemporary guitar music.
Favorite Tracks: "Last Living Buffalo" ; "Daydream" ; "Livin' Easy"
- Will Lewis
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES: DLC PACK - Jul 11, 2023
Only a little over three months since the initial release, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown return to drop the bonus tracks from SCARING THE HOES. The DLC PACK feels like what a DLC pack in video games are made for. The unique production on the original version of SCARING THE HOES feels absent from these four tracks, with JPEG and Danny taking turns that you wouldn’t expect of them. For example, on the track "Tell Me Where To Go," Danny Brown uses his normal voice on a project for the first time since like 2016. Furthermore, the track is probably one of the chillest lo-fi tracks to come either artists’ discographies. The song HERMANOS is just straight boom bap, Griselda inspired production with great bars and insane one liners. The EP even ends with an entirely acapella verse from Danny Brown. If these bonus tracks prove anything, they show that JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown are just an absolute force to be reckoned with and that their chemistry as a duo is far from fizzled out or over. It proves that both artists are not bound to one style of hip hop and could really rap circles around anybody they want over any type of production they choose.
Favorite Tracks: “Guess What Bitch, We Back Hoe!” ; “HERMANOS” ; “Tell Me Where To Go” ; “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
- Gerrit Notch
ANOHNI - My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross - July 6, 2023
For those, like myself, who were previously unfamiliar with Anohni Hegarty's work, her latest album has more than satisfied longtime fans, in addition to creating plenty of new ones. Stylized as ANOHNI, Hegarty has spent the last decade focusing on her solo work as opposed to releasing albums with her band, Anohni and the Johnsons (formerly Antony and the Johnsons.) This July, however, Anohni decided to end that hiatus and collaborate with the band once more to deliver a dense 41 minutes of some of the best modern soul to come from the UK in quite some time. The music alone is powerful enough, but Anohni's timely political messages and defense of the transgender community is what gives this record a certain "instant-classic" sort of feel. Packed with reverbed guitar licks, tasteful and soft percussion, and occasional string passages all swelling up into tear-jerking crescendos, all the while leaving plenty of room for Anohni's powerful and jaw-dropping vocal performances, producer Jimmy Hogarth, no stranger to UK soul, really outdid himself on this one. Easily one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
Favorite Tracks: "It Must Change" ; "Can't" ; "Scapegoat"
- Will Lewis
Paris Texas - MID AIR - Jul 21, 2023
Although they debuted their career back in 2018, rap rock duo Paris Texas first made notable waves back in 2021 with their mixtape BOY ANONYMOUS and their EP Red Hand Akimbo. On July 21st, 2023, they released their debut LP MID AIR, where they fully realized their potential and proved that they were a force to be reckoned with. The album is angry and abrasive enough to make even the most relaxed person on earth geek out for a bit. With unique, experimental production and both artists' interesting delivery and lyrics, this entire project feels like getting wasted for the first time. Paris Texas combines elements of drill, conscious hip hop, trap, punk, synthwave, and alternative rock to create one of the most jarring listening experiences of 2023 yet. The fifty minute runtime is cut short as every track is just banger after banger after banger, with each one being more addictive than the last, and leaving the listener wanting more. The diverse track list is riddled with multiple songs that don’t even attempt to take themselves seriously, but still includes a plethora of lyrically dense masterpieces. The best example of this is towards the end of the album, where after you listen to one of the best musical build ups of the year, and the most insane beat switch of the decade in "Lana Del Rey," you are met with the soul crushing ballad "Ain’t No High," which contains some of the most devastating lyrics and choruses in the entire project. The production on MID AIR is top tier, which is even more impressive given that it’s the duo's first album and they released it independently. Additionally, we get two impeccable features from both Kenny Mason in "DnD," and Teezo Touchdown in "Full English." If there’s anything to take away from this project, it’s that Paris Texas is not afraid to push the boundaries of hip hop, no matter how insanely stupid they’ll end up sounding, and that alone is enough to promise great things from them later on.
Favorite Tracks: “Split-Screen” ; “PANIC!!!” ; “Full English” ; “Lana Del Rey” ; “Ain't No High”
- Gerrit Notch
George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya - July 28, 2023
Ooh Rap I Ya is a new album by electronic artist George Clanton. Although other sources have tagged him as being chillwave and dream-pop, I would have trouble labeling his sound if asked personally. The adjective that came to my mind while listening, however, was glitzy. A shiny and glittery sound covers your ears with layers of sound that evoke nostalgia and comfort. While completely different, it reminded me of last year’s “Blue Rev” by Alvvays, which was also praised for its thoughtful layering. Each album uses a wall of sound to smother the listener in a special feeling.
Some standout tracks from first impressions include the opening track “Everything I Want” and the title track “Ooh Rap I Ya”. Each chord played on “Everything I Want” leaves an entrancing effect. It feels as if looking at time in slow motion. “Ooh Rap I Ya” excels in its embellishments. Little voices, falling synths, and droning noise continue the feeling heard throughout the album. The album is slow and hypnotic, but it excels in its illusion of simplicity. When you listen closely, there is always more than it presents itself with.
Favorite Tracks: “Everything I Want”, “Justify Your Life”, “Ooh Rap I Ya”
-Trey Hibbard
Travis Scott - UTOPIA - Jul 28, 2023
When you ask the average person which rapper has helped mold the genre of trap for the past decade, you almost unanimously get Travis Scott from most people. A pioneer behind the distinct autotuned melodies to come out from the 2010’s, Travis Scott became a pillar to the future of hip hop, as his take on the genre of trap was electrifying, innovative, and to an extent, experimental. Apart from his musical ambition, his sense of fashion, clever brand deals, and chaotic live events helped raise his career to international status, and cement his iconography into the history of the genre. All of that came to a halt in late 2021, when the reckless and negligent decisions of a handful of people cost the lives of ten others who were just trying to see their favorite artist perform. Travis, being the face of this controversy, took a devastating hit to his career, his brand, and his live concert culture. The tragedy of the Astroworld Festival will be forever sewn into his image, regardless of who was at fault. After the unfortunate events of the festival, Travis laid low for a little over a year and a half having already laid low for three years prior, partly because of COVID-19, and partly to build up anticipation for the project that would follow ASTROWORLD. Since then, it’s been about five years since he’s dropped an album, making it the longest he’s ever waited to release an LP, and thus making his new album, UTOPIA, of the most anticipated releases of the decade. On July 23rd, 2023, Travis Scott finally released the album that would make or break his entire career. UTOPIA is Travis Scott's most ambitious and experimental album yet, with many avid hip hop heads drawing parallels to Yeezus. This checks out as two tracks on UTOPIA, MODERN JAM and CIRCUS MAXIMUS, sample the scrapped beats used for two tracks on Yeezus; I Am a God and Black Skinhead. Additionally, a handful of tracks on the new record use instrumentals that didn’t make the final cut for Yeezus. Apart from that, the samples and production used on UTOPIA is far from anything we’ve ever heard from Travis and far from anything in the trap genre as of right now, at least in terms of mainstream trap. There are so many unique moments that come from just the beats alone because it’s such a left turn that quite literally no one expected Travis to take on this record. Before the release of UTOPIA, one single was dropped, and that song was K-POP, arguably the most commercial sounding track on the album. Therefore, everyone expected UTOPIA to sound similar to the album before it, maybe even a little bit watered down given the stakes. But no, instead everyone’s expectations were subverted as we see the most artistic side of Travis break through on this new record. With nineteen songs clocking in at an hour and thirteen minutes, UTOPIA is Travis’ longest album yet. Travis raps like his career depends on it (because it does), experimenting with new flows and new rhyme schemes over dystopian UTOPIA production, yet throughout the track list, some songs still pay homage to his sound on both Rodeo and ASTROWORLD. Lyrically, UTOPIA is his most dense album yet with Travis bringing up his struggles with fame, his grief over the incident, and living life to the fullest as reaching a utopia is theoretically an unattainable goal. Pretty much every feature shone on this project, and honestly when listening to this album for the first time, hearing every feature when they weren’t listed felt like watching Spider-Man: No Way Home for the first time again. Every featured artist basically put crack in their verse, but some standout features for me personally came from that of 21 Savage, Westside Gunn, SZA, Teezo Touchdown, and Playboi Carti. UTOPIA is an interesting thought process when we look at how hip hop’s changing. As of recently, more mainstream artists have started to become more artistic with their projects, ignoring what the labels say, ignoring the commercial appeal, and dropping what they want to express. As a result, we’ve started to notice mainstream / well known rappers being more ambitious and experimental with their projects. This can be seen as far back to 2019, when hip hop hit sort of a brick wall after an insanely stacked year prior. Then out of nowhere Tyler, the Creator drops IGOR, and since then at least one mainstream rapper has dropped an insanely left field project that no one would expect them to create. Some other examples of this include Whole Lotta Red, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Pink Tape, and Honestly, Nevermind. So it seems from 2018 to now, the genre of hip hop has changed to the point where it’s becoming more acceptable for artists to become a little more experimental, and what’s that same time span indicative of? The gap in time between ASTROWORLD and UTOPIA. Now I’m not saying that Travis Scott is actively influencing what every artist does or how they make music. What I am saying, however, is that he’s really good at first noticing trends in hip hop, and then basing his art off of said trends. We see it in ASTROWORLD where laid back melodies and simpler production was taking off back in 2018. We also see it in Rodeo when the use of more grandiose production in trap / cloud rap as well as autotune in hip hop was becoming increasingly more popular in 2015. As of right now, Travis Scott’s current discography is a really good way at analyzing how hip hop’s evolved since the start of his career, and I guarantee whatever trend in music starts to bubble up within the next couple of years will be the basis for Travis Scott’s next project.
Favorite Tracks: “HYAENA” ; “MODERN JAM” ; “MY EYES” ; “LOST FOREVER” ; “TELEKINESIS” ; “TIL FURTHER NOTICE”
- Gerrit Notch
