Criminally Underrated # 4
Artist: The Birthday Party
Album: Live 1981-82
For fans of: Hell, suicide (the band or the activity), Halloween, ear damage.
This album is Nick Cave and Goth music at their peak. Violent, ugly, disgusting and terrifying, even without the visual dimension of their live performance, The Birthday Party remains one of the most gripping live bands of all time. The band plays all their hits (I assure you, I use the term in its broadest definition) and conclude the album with a cover of The Stooges' "Funhouse" which sounds even more like the destruction of humanity than the original. Indeed, Nick Cave's three demonic shrieks that hail the beginning of the first chorus may be, if not the most sublime, certainly the noisiest moment of all recorded sound.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Why Die Antwoord is the Greatest Thing to Happen in Music
Random Op-ed
I make no secret of my love for the South African nutjob rap-rave duo. Their songs are catchy, their image is hilarious, their music videos are grotesque in the best possible way, and the rappers at the center, Ninja and Yolandi Vi$$er are fucking fascinating. Now, I understand what many must be thinking when they read the title of this op-ed. "The fuck dude, I thought you had good taste in music. They're crap. Also, they're music is dumb and they're homophobic. How could this band have any redeeming qualities?" Hear me out, I used to be of the same opinion, but they Die Antwoord is simply very good and hiding their brilliance.
I make no secret of my love for the South African nutjob rap-rave duo. Their songs are catchy, their image is hilarious, their music videos are grotesque in the best possible way, and the rappers at the center, Ninja and Yolandi Vi$$er are fucking fascinating. Now, I understand what many must be thinking when they read the title of this op-ed. "The fuck dude, I thought you had good taste in music. They're crap. Also, they're music is dumb and they're homophobic. How could this band have any redeeming qualities?" Hear me out, I used to be of the same opinion, but they Die Antwoord is simply very good and hiding their brilliance.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
The Constructus Corportation-The Ziggurat
For fans of: Horrorcore, Experimental hip-hop
History: Way back before Kanye, 50 Cent, Outkast's one bad record, and Dr. Dre's beats headphones, the mystical early 2000's left a lot of creative room for new rappers. With the mainstream success of late 80's and 90's hip-hop, more people were mceeing than ever before, taking chances and/or pandering to the mainstream rap radio stations. However, hip-hop as an expression, much like jazz, quickly left the United States and found homes in the hearts of people across the globe.
History: Way back before Kanye, 50 Cent, Outkast's one bad record, and Dr. Dre's beats headphones, the mystical early 2000's left a lot of creative room for new rappers. With the mainstream success of late 80's and 90's hip-hop, more people were mceeing than ever before, taking chances and/or pandering to the mainstream rap radio stations. However, hip-hop as an expression, much like jazz, quickly left the United States and found homes in the hearts of people across the globe.