The Meltdown

Murs and 9th Wonder - Fornever

It seems like it's been a while since I listened to a hip-hop record and really enjoyed it. Like start to finish head bobbing. A real good neck breaker. There have been beat tapes and albums from a few years back that I'm just getting around to hearing but nothing new. And while Fornever isn't a perfect record by any means, it's a good hip-hop record.

I've always been a fan of 9th Wonder as a producer and his beats are on point on Fornever... mostly. A handful of beats don't hit my ears right... But that could be I'm heavily based in metal, punk, and rock music and my love for hip-hop doesn't account for things that die hard hip-hop fans might enjoy or appreciate more then I do.

And there are only two tracks that hit me in a weird way. Asian Girls and Cigarettes and Liquor are the tracks that I just don't find as enjoyable. The beats don't do it for me. And if the beat is failing me, the mc isn't going to save it.

Other then that I'm loving Fornever. A lot of nice grooves on this album. 9th Wonder's production is nice. The album isn't front loaded with the best beats and best tracks, which is welcome. From start to finish Fornever is an enjoyable record. I don't know what else the hip-hop scene has to offer in 2010 but Murs and 9th Wonder have given us a good record.

Kaki King - Junior

Kaki King's transition from guitar godess to indie rock super star has seemed like a slow progression. And with each record her confidence seems to grow. Junior is her confidence at an all time high. I would never call Junior a punk record by style but the attitude is there.

Until We Felt Red sound King changing her sound, using electric guitars and singing, stepping outside of slapping and playing her guitar like a mad woman. Dreaming of Revenge saw more vocals and more confident vocals from King. The sound of the album was a fuller sound, like a band effort album. On Junior King grabs the mic and belts her little lungs out. And although a part of me wishes she would've stuck to a sound similar to that of Until We Felt Red, the music and songwriting on Junior are top notch. Listening to Kaki King through the years is truly listening to an artist gain confidence and step into her own.

Right from the get go Junior is a rock record. Again working with producer Malcolm Burn has paid off. The dueling lead guitars that play against each other on the album's opener, The Betrayer, showcase King's skill as a guitarist, well the track as whole gives you a sense of her growth and confidence as a singer, as well as sets the tone for the record. The guitar tones on Spit It Back in My Mouth match with the tones we heard on Dreaming of Revenge. Where Dreaming of Revenge drifted between instrumental pieces and King singing, Junior is King's album to shine.

The Instrumental pieces on the album, EVerything Has An End, Even Sadness, My Nerves That Committed Suicide, and Sloan Shore, are all in the their own right beautiful pieces of music that almost make you wish this record were an instrumental record. The song Falling Day and Death Head are pure punk rock attitude song. Hallucinations From My Poisonous German Streets has a long pretty intro that lulls you into comfort only to crescendo halfway through and then dip back down where King's vocals come in.

From production and songwriting to overall flow and direction, Junior is a hit on all fronts. The highs and lows balance each other nicely, and the album is enjoyable from start to finish. Another great album from a true talent.

Secret and Whisper - Teenage Fantasy

I don't think it's a secret that I really hope Tooth and Nail can get to a place where they're constantly releasing quality music. So I continue to download their newest albums hoping for the best.

Secret and Whisper is pretty standard emo... Whiny vocals and all. Think of them as Taking Back Sunday's younger, less talented brother. But that doesn't discredit Teenage Fantasy. It's not catchy song writing, but the hooks and discordant melodies are enough to keep you listening... For a little while. After 4 or 5 songs I find myself losing interest and tuning out. The songs began to run together as if it were all one sound.

Where songs like Youth Cats and Warriors start the record off strong and give a sense that this might be something fresh and nice to listen to, the record doesn't have a lot of dynamic range and by the time songs like Star Blankets and Blush hit the stereo, you feel like you've been listening to the record for a while. The album is all up with no down, and it's not helpful for the listener. A few slower jams or ballads might've gone a long way in helping Teenage Fantasy not seem like a stain on the ears.

DIllinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis

Calculating Infinity is the standard by which all DEP records are held. I prefer Miss Machine but what do I know. After the commercial success and praise of Ire Works, DEP parted ways with their label and decided to release Option Paralysis on their own. Also, to the fold is a new drummer and a new guitarist. To be honest Ire Works seems to have filler moments that didn't help make it a great record.

Option Paralysis is the real deal. Billy Rymer (DEP's new drummer) is the real deal. This might be the closest DIllinger has come to matching the furry that was Calculating Infinity but still keeping the progression that they had on Miss Machine and Ire Works. The album's opening track Farewell, Mona Lisa is a good snapshot of what you're about experience. The songs kicks in standard DEP style, straight and uncontrollable chaos. But halfway through the track they bring it down. And the album moves that way, between the bring of completely falling apart and the most melodic chaos you've ever heard. Billy Rymer's drumming is top notch. His grooves might not be as tight as Gil Sharone's but he can match Chris Pennie any day. The album's less chaotic moments are more similar to those on Miss Machine then Ire Works but they drumming and guitar work seems far more technical and intricate.

Widower comes almost right in the middle of the album and it's the most interesting song DEP has ever done and I might even go as far to say their best song yet. The album starts with piano and Greg Puciato singing. A very non-Dillinger sound song. It reminds of Mouth of Ghost from Ire Works only Widower is so much more. It's more melodic, more technical and just a better song. It's DEP out of the box and yet not unexpected. And then 4 minutes into the song all hell breaks lose and whatever control was being held onto is lost and DEP explodes. The song is one big crescendo into a jazzy ending back into the hook of the song. The song moves in so many different directions and leaves you feeling so satisfied after hearing it, that you can't help but wonder why this wasn't the closing song on the record and what is left for you to hear.

Dilling has taken a lot of risks and chances with Option Paralysis and all of them pay off. The album is classic DEP with a twist of the experimental, which they do nicely. There is no band that even comes close to being a good as Dillinger Escape Plan.

A Hope For Home - Realis

I don't know if there's a line between screamo/melodic hardcore/post hardcore anymore. The genre lines blur and I guess it's up to the listener to decide. I guess it's post hardcore if you don't want to be associated with the screamo and hot topic scene. But genre lines blur and the terminology changes over time. Whatever you want to call A Hope for Home is fine with me. I'll stick with saying they're a damn good band.

Maturity and a new sound without really changing your style or sound is a hard thing to accomplish. Maturity shines through on Realis. Realis doesn't deviate far from The Everlasting Man but expands the sounds. It's more dynamically interesting. In a hardcore scene that thrives on triggered drums and precision guitars, Realis a raw throwback to the mid 90's.

No Light offer's a lighter side to the band. A pretty piano plays the melody in the background while Matt Ellis sings. Nathan Winchell delivers a scream that reminds me of when Chad Gilbert was singing for Shai Hulud. Realis steers clear of being just another album of screaming verses and clean sung choruses. It's post hardcore that is done right in a genre that's mostly known for being pretty terrible. No can't help but be remind of As Cities Burn's first two records.

Concept records are hard to pull off and Realis is a concept record. The first half based around Nietzsche's quote "God is Dead", the second half of the album is a man “building his beliefs from the ground up”. A Hope For Home half created something special and fans who might have been skeptical after hearing The Everlasting Man might not be too impressed with Realis but in my book maturity has been shown and Realis is a step in the right direction.

Like normal I'm lacking on reviewing and posting stuff. I have reviews for the latest Dillinger Escape Plan and A Hope for Home records.

This week brings a handful of releases.

The Classic Crime - Vagabonds
Jónsi - Go
Olaf Arnalds - Vid Og Vid
Red Sparowes - The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer


Time to stop being so lazy