Cal Chuchesta - The New CALassic: MIXTAPE REVIEW

Listen here (since it's not on Spotify)

Most mindblowing fact of the week? It's only been six days since The New CALassic landed on Audiomack, making waves all across the Internet. It feels like it's been weeks since it's dropped, but that might be due to the fact that I've been listening to it as much in six days as I listen to a normal album in a couple weeks. And it's a good thing I've been giving it so many listens because, man... this is so. freaking. dense. I wouldn't be able to do it justice if I was to review it, oh I don't know, the day after it came out. I don't know who that Anthony Fantano thinks he is, but can you get more presumptuous?

So, if you read my track review of "I Am Angry," you'd probably think this album was a shoo-in to be a 10/10. And, yes, I am enjoying this mixtape more than I ever thought it was possible to enjoy a mixtape and it definitely delivered on all the hype, but... I don't know, I was looking a little more into the background behind this mixtape, and I guess I'm a little concerned. I mean, it's basically public knowledge that originally Cal sold his soul to The Damon to have this mixtape released, and, yes, Cal was brought back from Hell by the power of smooth jazz courtesy of Creationist Cat, but has nobody stopped to ask what became of that demonic record deal? Isn't it abundantly clear that Cal is still being backed and hyped up by The Damon? I mean, how else on earth could he get signed by literally every record label in the world?

So, I don't really know how I feel morally about enjoying and endorsing an album that came about because of a deal with The Damon. People are throwing around terms like AOTY and BNM without stopping to think about the example Cal is setting for every young, up-and-coming MC who will think "If Cal could get signed to literally every record label in the world and drop such a fire mixtape out of nowhere by signing his soul to The Damon, why can't I??" Basically, I'm expecting to see major ramifications in the music industry generally and the hip hop community specifically because of this.

However, as a reviewer, I owe it to the artist and to fans to be as objective as possible and realize that all of that is context. So, for the rest of this review, I'm going to focus on the actual music and whether or not it is of quality.

The simple answer is, ohmyfreakinggosh yes. This is some of the highest quality hip hop you will hear this year. That is... when it's just Cal rapping. Due to the fact that Cal is such a brand spanking new MC, none of the features on this mixtape are worth listening to. Cal is reported to have "scored" these features through his roommate, Anthony Fantano's, social media connections. That's why we have such awful intros and verses as those provided by youaintpackinmeat, 3Pac, Filthy Frank, and Pink Guy. In regards to the latter two, their spots are on "Cocoa," one of the most wildly successful singles leading up to the release of The New CALassic. However, on the single version, they were absent, and now that they're here... They completely defecate on Cal's trademark G-rated, kid-friendly raps. Not only are their verses awkward and unenjoyable, but they're unnecessarily vulgar. It's so bad that I really just listen to the "bonus track," original single version of "Cocoa."

Thing is, Cal is just so charismatic that when he tries to share his throne like this, I'm just begging for him to push the wannabes out of the way and shine. Thankfully, on the majority of the album he does that. New CALassic kicks off with the banger "hot dinner" (shout out to Jahil Beats for the fantastic production). This track sets the tone for what makes the rest of the mixtape great: sleek references, non-stop supah hot lyrical fire, Cal's voice, Cal's raps, Cal's bars, and the brilliant idea to have Cal converse back and forth with his hypeman (who is also himself). We see them on this track and throughout discussing such things as Nicholas Cage movies, the direction of the song (in the middle of the track, like on "parody" where they stop the beat and go into a Drake-influenced R&B break) and the emotional journey Cal goes on throughout the album.

Yes, in addition to being a tape packed with hit single after hit single, this is also a concept album! Cal begins the journey cocky and on top of his game, but as the music continues, he confronts tragedies such as romantic rejection ("be my bae bae") and betrayal by his friends ("cal the best freestyle"). This leads to the eventual emotional climax of "i am angry," where Cal is literally exploding with anger, easily the most moving piece of art I have experienced this year. However, just as Cal is reaching the zenith of his righteous indignation, he folds and realizes he is nothing without those around him, his friends, who have gotten him this far. In a move of brilliance and benevolence, the closing track "i need my friends" finds Cal finding solace and stability in the ever-changing hip hop community.

This mixtape has been likened by many in several ways to To Pimp A Butterfly (which is probably The New CALassic's biggest contender for AOTY) and for good reason. Personal journeys of self discovery, extreme emotional dynamics, unbelievable narrative continuity, and incredible verses characterize both of these albums, but what separates this mixtape from Kendrick Lamar's opus (and what silence's haters who say Cal is ripping Kendrick off) is that, of course, this is Cal's debut effort.
I mean, that is just unheard of. Someone this new and this white rising to such a level of creativity right out of the gate.

I've barely been able to touch down on the sick production or individual lines that stopped me dead. So here's some of my favorites:

"How can I keep it kosher but go H.A.M. though?"
"Rappers don't ride bikes cause they can't handle bars."
"I'm an empirical lyrical miracle, I'm the hysterical spiritual spherical of miracle miracle miracle miracle miracle spherical miracle lyrical theorical" "Lalalalanonononobababababaneaneaneaneaneaneanea"
"Yeah yeah oh girl, be my girl, oh girl, you're my girl"

Of course, there's a lot more, but I'll let you discover those for yourself as you dive into this absolute musical treat. There's so much that could be said about this mixtape, and I can only have your attention for so long. Really, I think Cal's record executive, Mr. Doodyhead, sums it all up perfectly on "doody's second message": "Kanye West, Eminem, Drake... Talentless fools, as far as I'm concerned! You, Cal, you're the future."

OVERALL SCORE: 99/9.9/9/.9
Cal Chuchesta – The New CALassic
1. intro 2. hot dinner 3. i was throwin up on a tuesday 4. cocoa (remix) 5. doody's first message 6. parody 7. be my bae bae 8. sad boy 9. doody's second message 10. friend from the apple store 11. og radio interview 12. cal the best (freestyle) 13. i am angry 14. i need my friends 15. cocoa *BONUS TRACK* 16. cocoa (nmesh's whack cal zone remix) *BONUS TRACK*	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.

FKA twigs - M3LL155X: EP Review

FKA twigs is nothing if not hard working. Hot off the heels of 2014's LP1, one of the most highly celebrated albums of that year, FKA twigs have dropped another depth charge of sensual soul onto the music scene.

Truth be told, this is for all intents and purposes my first real experience with FKA twigs, the nom-du-music of British trip-hop/R&B singer-songwriter Taliah Barnett. I have, again, the excuse of my mission for missing out on the LP1 bandwagon. And when I have given it a few listens, nothing has really stood out to me. Maybe the psychological effects of hype have ruined it for me? 

FKA twigs from Pitchfork's 2014 interview

Well, thankfully I came to this new EP, M3LL155X (which is essentially leetspeak for "Mellissa") with a fresh slate and no expectations, and I'm glad I did. I'm realizing now that FKA twigs' brilliance lies in subtlety, which really is the best way to pull off her genre of music that lives or dies off of its ability to be sensual and sexy. Anything more heavy handed and we'd have people singing about doing it like they're filming in the valley. Oh wait...

Of course, sensual music like this has been done basically since pop music began, and earlier. So, again, FKA twigs' subtlety sonically and emotionally give her an advantage: keeping things fresh and interesting. Experimenting with weird sounds and being seductive usually mix like cheese and chocolate, but the magic of FKA twigs, as exemplified by this EP, is that she somehow knows how to pull it off.

Opener "figure 8" shows exactly what I mean. The musical backdrop sounds like something from an experimental beat producer's beat tape, or even like the sparseness and shadows of Chelsea Wolfe's new Abyss turned electric. Yet it's tempered by the backbone of danceable snare and kick and made perfect by twigs' stellar vocals. Her stunning voice also carries "mothercreep," which could (no, should) be a really weird and... creepy song, but instead sounds like a Sia remixed by Shabazz Palaces and James Blake. Yeah, it's good.

Check out the music video for "glass & patron"

M3LL155X, like anything truly alluring, grabs the attention not so much for what it says but for what it doesn't say. twigs weaves lyrical images that are sometimes obvious, like on "i'm your doll" and others that take some more imagination, like "Everything I hold is wet/ and I've never tasted glass and Patron." Often, her vocals are chopped and skewed, or covered in waves of lush synth, that they're not even intelligible, which again adds to their mystery. Through it all, twigs shows that she knows that in love and music, subversion of expectations is the name of the game. 

Overall, M3LL155X was extremely enjoyable for me. It definitely has me wanting to revisit LP1 and even to eat up her next release, especially since "mothercreep" on such a cliffhanger, like it's building into another song but only climaxes into silence. If you're looking for something catchy and pretty sounding, but also unique and dense, M3LL155X is not a release you want to miss this year. 

OVERALL SCORE: 8.9
FKA twigs – M3LL155X
1. figure 8 2. i'm your doll 3. in time 4. glass & patron 5. mothercreep	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.

Cal Chuchesta - I Am Angry: TRACK REVIEW

There's been a lull recently of hip hop that has been piquing my interest. I'll be soon posting a (late) review for one of the latest albums to do so, but in the meantime, I wanted to touch down on an up-and-coming artists who has the blogosphere abuzz right now.

I'm, of course, referring to none other than Hartford, Connecticut's own Cal Chuchesta, whose debut mixtape, The New CALassic, is a little more than one day away from dropping. A few days ago, he released his seventh (yes, seventh) single leading up to its release, entitled "I Am Angry." 

Photo of Cal Chuchesta from a recent press release.

"I Am Angry" is unique in Cal's short discography in that it is his first track that features him being angry or "mad," as he phrases it here. Cal's signature sound thus far has been one of positive, family-friendly raps (an obvious influence from one of his hip hop heroes, Will Smith), rapping on such G-rated subjects as hot chocolate, making dinner, throwing up, and the unreliability of Apple products. Never have we seen the dark side of Cal like we do on this track, tearing into his haters like a Wisconsonian badger into a family of diseased rats.

The track begins with the rookie MC cautiously exploring his emotional reaction to being dissed, an experience new to him but so familiar to veteran rappers. After searching his feelings, and just as the eerily sparse trap-influenced beat drops, Cal raps with chilling emotion and youthful energy the earworm hook, "I am angry! Really mad! I am angry! And I can't control my temper, feeling bad!"

On the subsequent verses, we see Cal making his characteristically slick plays on words and witty references, nodding at such cultural icons as Rush, Claude Monet, and Comcast. As on his prior singles, his flow can sound amateur or even soft to the ears of a hip hop community so accustomed to overly complex and vulgar lyrics. But, again like on his prior raps, a patient listen will reveal incredible flashes of brilliance. 

On the first verse, for instance, Cal spits a line that could very well be the best of his short career so far: "Rappers can't ride bikes cause they can't handle bars." Hot. Freaking. Dang. The wit of this play on words, in case it went over your head, is that he is using the phrase "handle bars" to refer to the other wack rappers who can't control their flows into decent bars AND Cal uses "handle bars" to refer to the handlebars on the aforementioned bike, an image which he continues to flow off of for the rest of the verse. Wow!!

This is just one example of the brainy lyrics to be found here. But perhaps the most memorable part of this track is the raw emotion seen building on each repetition of the hook. By the final repetition, Cal is almost literally screaming into the mic with throat-searing rage. The intensity of Cal's anger and the honesty with which he expresses it is as refreshing as it is sobering.

Really, this is something you have to hear to believe, so check out the official audio below:

No one is doing this kind of thing in hip hop today. Suffice it to say, I am waiting with bated breath for this mixtape to drop. Follow this link to join in the countdown to this landmark release!   

Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy: ALBUM REVIEW

Man, it's been a busy week. I'm working to get the blog up to at least two, ideally three posts a week, but with finals, working overtime, desperate apartment hunting, and the necessity of sleep, it's been a struggle to get even one out this week.

Add to it the fact that I've undertaken the new Titus Andronicus record to review which is a 29-track (no, for real, look at that track list down below), 5-act, 93 minute rock opera and I'm thinking maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew as a novice music reviewer? The problem is this record, The Most Lamentable Tragedy, is so memorable and so enjoyable, easily one of my favorites of the year, that I would hardly pass up the opportunity to review it.

Titus Andronicus are a group of musicians from Glen Rock, NJ, who have made a huge splash in the world of independent music with their incredibly unique and raw blend of Americana, lo-fi indie rock, classic rock, and straight-up, in-your-face punk. In 2010, they had a big breakout with their sophomore album, The Monitor, which is well known for its Civil War themes and simultaneously triumphant and cynical anthems for the disillusioned. The album is widely hailed as their best and the measuring stick for their subsequent albums.

After a somewhat unambitious and laid back third album, Titus Andronicus (or +@, as they like to be called lately) have pulled out all the stops on this their fourth album and have created, as you might guess from the length of it, their most ambitious and grandiose album to date.

The Most Lamentable Tragedy is masterminded by the charismatic Harvard graduate of a frontman, Patrick Stickles, as all +@ releases have been, and it follows the story of his (or "Our Hero's") battle with manic depression. It's a true rock opera in the most classic, The Who-inspired way, with a dizzying roller coast of dynamics, a feverish web of self-references, and a "punk" band hopping genres as fast as any progressive band could do on their concept albums.  There's a 39 second hardcore punk track, a 9 minute Celtic rock inspired anthem, a Daniel Johnston cover, a Pogues cover, an intermission, and the kitchen sink. Unifying it all are Stickles' raw and earnest vocals, delivering his story with such desperation and vinegar in his throat that it's hard to look away.

Over the years, we've seen quite a bit of Stickles' sharp, cynical mind at work, especially as far as lyrics go. I mean, again, the guy wrote The Monitor which seamlessly combined quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Simon & Garfunkel alike while delivering memorable one-liners like "Will I not yell like hell for the glory of the Newark Bears?" or, definitive of his sharp cynicism, "I will not deny my humanity, I'll be rolling in it like a pig in feces."

Here, however, on surface level, Stickles' narrative of depression, which in fact was a major theme of The Monitor, is told with deliberate oversimplification. Like "I'm Going Insane (Finish Him)" whose only lyrics are "I'm going insane." Or "I Lost My Mind (+@ )" in which every single line of the 4:18 song ends with a word that rhymes with "mind." The opening verse features the lines:

"No it feels just fine when I lose my mind
And it looks so nice when it's flying right by
Now I don't mind when I lose my mind
My whole life I've been losing my mind."

However, true to +@'s style, they reward the listener who digs deeper than the surface value. Listen past that first verse of "I Lost My Mind," and you'll find the verse where he finds his mind in a corner with his eyes real wide, and after talking with him about coming back to him, they "hugged, high-fived, and stayed up all night." "I'm Going Insane" is itself a reference to, if not a refrain of, "Titus Andronicus vs. The Absurd Universe (3rd Round KO)." And speaking of references, which have always been half of the fun of deciphering Stickles' wonderfully ugly voice, they come much more subtly on this album and mostly are self-referential. Stickles himself annotated the lyrics to songs like  "Dimed Out" and "Come On, Siobhan" on Genius.com and it's sort of astounding how many lines tie into other tracks on the album. Then there's the obvious self-references like the continuation of the "No Future" songs and "A More Perfect Union." Even the album title itself nods to the band name itself!

Essentially, Stickles' lyrics, in their simultaneous simplification and tangle, serve as the much needed web of stability to this... well, manic and depressive album's dynamic range of music. Like the lyrics, The Most Lamentable Tragedy's songs are compositionally stripped back from the epics seen on The Monitor. Each song, or string of songs sometimes, its own self contained musical world, but they holistically contribute to each of the five "acts" as a self contained musical galaxy (which contributes to the story of the whole album).

For instance, Act IV: The Other Side or A Midsummer Night's Dream takes us from the bright, almost pop-y "Come On, Siobhan," to the Pogues cover "A Pair of Brown Eyes" to the Old English cover "Auld Lang Syne" to the dark punk almost-Titus Andronicus-cover "I'm Going Insane." And yet the whole Act IV is part of a "past-life regression / dream sequence ... with his own ancestor as his avatar."

Sometimes these worlds and galaxies align spectacularly, like the fantastic run from "Mr. E. Mann" to my absolute album favorite "Dimed Out." Sometimes, though, they flop, like Act V which features mediocre songs, one gem, and the absolute album worst "Stable Boy.

I think it's becoming apparent how impossible it is to describe everything that's going on here in a review that's a digestible length. I also think it's becoming apparent how much fun this record is to listen to. It's like taking a trip into the dusty basement of Stickles' mind where we see old elementary school photos, high school graduation caps, crates of empty pill bottles, +@ memorabilia from The Airing of Grievances era, an old rocking chair from his Irish grandmother, a piano in disrepair, a pile of rat poop, boxes of LPs, and a single light shining in the attic.

If The Monitor was Titus Andronicus' crown, then they have their throne in The Most Lamentable Tragedy upon which they survey all that is theirs. If this isn't their magnum opus, I'm excited to see what's coming next. If they have written their magnum opus here, well, it's a knotted, ugly, grimy mess, but could there be a more fitting way for them to have their masterpiece?

OVERALL SCORE: 8.8
Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy
1. The Angry Hour 2. No Future Part IV: No Future Triumphant 3. Stranded ( On My Own ) 4. Lonely Boy 5. I Lost My Mind (+@ ) 6. Look Alive 7. The Magic Morning 8. Lookalike 9. I Lost My Mind (DJ) 10. Mr. E. Mann 11. Fired Up 12. Dimed Out 13. More Perfect Union 14. [ intermission ] 15. Sun Salutation 16. (S)HE SAID / (S)HE SAID 17. Funny Feeling 18. Fatal Flaw 19. Please 20. Come On, Siobhán 21. A Pair of Brown Eyes 22. Auld Lang Syne 23. I'm Going Insane (Finish Him) 24. The Fall 25. Into the Void (Filler) 26. No Future Part V: In Endless Dreaming 27. [ seven seconds ] 28. Stable Boy 29. A Moral	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.

Wilco - Star Wars: ALBUM REVIEW

 "Whoa! Wilco just dropped a new album out of the blue!"

"Dude, no way?! What's it called?"

"....Um. Star Wars?"

"What?"

"Yeah. And there's like... a cat."

This is the conversation every Wilco fan had on July 16th when the ninth studio album by Chicago indie rockers, Wilco, appeared on the Internet like a gift from the Indie Gods.

Almost as powerful as the bewilderment at the album art and title was the appeal of curiosity to check it out, since, after all, the album was released absolutely and 100% for free. Something about curiosity and cats.

The band stated that they "consider themselves lucky to be in the position to give you this music free of charge, but we do so knowing not every band, label, or studio can do the same." This comes as a stark contrast to certain other artists, in much better financial positions than Wilco, complaining about not getting enough money from music sales. Now, it's a subject for another day whether this is justified, whether Tidal is the more moral answer to music streaming than Spotify or whether your average, teenage, local opener acts should have as much say in getting paid for their music as Jay-Z. Star Wars is just an interesting event in the ongoing discussion. In addition to their recommending smaller name bands to check out and endorse, I think Star Wars served to awaken more fans to participate in the discussion.

Anyways, let's talk about the album! This album sounds exactly like you think it would sound, given its album art, title, and back story. It's loose, short, quirky, and fuzzy, with a definite DIY feel. And those adjectives are basically embodied in opening track "EKG," which acts as a weird little thesis statement for the album: Wilco is just enjoying themselves and letting us join in.

The album follows this feeling that we're partaking in a 33 minute jam session, and if there's any objective evidence needed that Wilco are a great band, it's that even when they're letting go and jamming like this, great music and memorable grooves seem to just arise spontaneously. Take "You Satellite," which could very well simply be an exercise in playing in 5/8 time. Not only does the band sync together like this complex time signature is as natural as breathing, but the increasing layers of sound on the song seem to organize themselves into a satisfying climax. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, they work magic on "Random Name Generator" by turning such a simple, fuzzed-out riff into one of the most enjoyable rock songs of the year.

These moments of brilliance aren't to be found everywhere on the album, though. The places where Star Wars falls flat is where the tracks fade into the fuzz and the simplistic instrumentation and riffs never coalesce into anything memorable. Listen to "Cold Slope" four times then try to hum it to me. I couldn't do it. Same with "Where Do I Begin." These songs aren't bad, per se, but... no one will remember them five years from now.

Add to it the fact Wilco made a name for themselves in crafting not just solid, respectable indie rock, but by experimenting in an artful and accessible way. Certainly they do that on this album, though in a significantly more sparse and lo-fi way, but not anywhere enough to make this one of their best albums. That being said, I'm certain that Wilco were not setting out to write their best album; I think they were just having fun making music, and the most impressive and enjoyable thing about this album is that they make it fun for all of us, too.

OVERALL SCORE: 7.9
Wilco – Star Wars
1. EKG 2. More... 3. Random Name Generator 4. The Joke Explained 5. You Satellite 6. Taste the Ceiling 7. Pickled Ginger 8. Where Do I Begin 9. Cold Slope 10. King of You 11. Magnetized	O!HTT's COLORFUL SCORING SYSTEM 9-10 Holy. Crap. You must hear this song. One of the best of the year. 7-8 I'm so glad I have ears so that I can listen to this wonderful song. 5-6 Yeah, it's passable. Contributes to the vibe of the album, but not anything to write home about. 3-4 Ehh very mediocre or seriously flawed, there's a lot better music out there, or even on this album. 0-2 Good gravy, why must this song exist? One of the worst things that will enter your ears this year.

Get Pumped! Top 5 Albums I'm Still Looking Forward To (2015)

The year is more than half over now and it's already been quite an eventful 6 months. There have been albums which are being hailed as instant classics or even album of the year already. And there have been albums that have put final nails in coffins. And there's, of course, been everything in between. Personally, I already think this will be a year to remember in music, like 2010 and 1994 and 1967. However, there yet remain albums slated for release this year that have me squealing like a little girl to get my hands on. (Of course we could have more Star Wars's drop out of nowhere and we could have more Trust Fall (Side A)'s that make me sad, but here we go!)


1. Battles - La Di Da Di

Listen: "The Yabba"

Why I'm Excited: Where do I begin? I'm a sucker for mathy, heady, drum oriented instrumental rock and Battles are one of my favorites in this genre. It's essentially a supergroup, though each of its super-members is relatively unknown: John Stanier, drums (Helmet, Tomahawk); Ian Williams, guitar and keyboard (Don Caballero); and Dave Konopka, bass and guitar (Lynx). These guys teeter somewhere between math rock in their precision and post-rock in their emphasis on textures more than hooks. And it's awesome.

Take a gander at the dudes performing "The Yabba," a cut off of this new LP.
(Sep. 17 -Warp)


2. Animal Collective - TBA 

Listen: "Monkey Riches" from 2012's Centipede Hz

Why I'm Excited: Why?? Come on, it's my boys, Animal Collective! ...Well, then again Panda Bear just release the incredibly boring Panda Bear vs. the Grim Reaper this year -- with a gem or two. And Centipede Hz was a disappointing, very half baked and messy follow up to MPP -- with a gem or two, like "Monkey Riches" up there.

But even still, as a band, Animal Collective has almost never let me down. Their incredibly unique ears for experimentation and polyrhythm and hooks are unmatched, and when they flop, it's only because they're taking one of those elements too far (usually experimentation). I'm betting money that I will genuinely love at least part of this album; I'm hoping it's all of it.
(? - Paw Tracks)

3. Beach House - Depression Cherry 
 

Listen: "Sparks"

Why I'm Excited: Beach House is one of those bands, along with say the Tallest Man on Earth or the New Pornographers, who have found a sound that just works album after album. What makes it even more enjoyable is they seem to mature and tweak the formula just enough each time that they're reliable but not predictable.

That's definitely the case with the lead single, "Sparks," from this new album, Depression Cherry, scheduled for release on Aug 28. "Sparks" features some incredibly mature and gorgeous songwriting alongside vocalist Victoria Legrand's signature alto coos.
(Aug 28 - Sub Pop)

4. Zombi - Shape Shift

Listen: "Pillars of the Dawn"

Why I'm Excited: Zombi write soundtracks for movies that will never exist. Usually these movies take place in the 80s or on a distant planet whose culture and technology suspiciously resembles that of the USA in the 80s. There are high speed car chases, intense heists stealing cyber-treasure, dune buggy rides on the moon with nude models, and summonings of spectral  elephants; basically something for everybody.

I'm excited to hear what new sounds in their cinematic, texture-heavy, synth-post-rock vein they will mine next.
(Oct. 16 - Relapse)

5. Grimes - TBA

Listen: "Circumambient" from 2012's Visions

Why I'm Excited: Songwriter Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, created her last album, as the creation myth goes, after attempting to induce insanity by locking herself into her room with no lights for nine days without sleep or contact from other humans. The result was the understandably dark and hallucinative pop of Visions, which was one of the most enjoyable and addicting albums of 2012. She's been making waves since January of 2014 in announcing a much-anticipated follow-up album, but now we have a release date and some more information, but no singles or album titles yet.

Interestingly, her recent statements indicate that this album will be an aesthetic departure from her previous releases, which were "sad" (her word). This LP, she says, will be "happy and angry," a nice dichotomy of emotions that I'm sure she will translate into her contagious pop with great results.