Quick Hits, Vol. 33 (purity ring, George Ezra, Kid Rock, EARTHGANG)

purity ring - another eternity.  Excellent alternative electronic music.  Heavy dosage of hip hop influence and low end sounds in here, along with a really fine singing voice.  Kind of like Chvrches. Hottest song right now is "begin again."

I have no clue if I am supposed to be using all lower case letters, but that is how they are written on Spotify, so I'll give them the e.e. cummings-esque benefit of the doubt.  But check that out - its got some of the skittering trap sounds and thump of rap, but with the synths and soft-touch voice of electronic chill.  Loving this album.

George Ezra - Wanted On Voyage.  I've given this one a few spins, and just can't get behind it. Generally pleasant folky pop that kind of reminds of Ray Lamontagne, with one song that is on the radio quite a bit here around Austin.  "Budapest"

I mean, it is just about impossible to hate on that - it is a perfectly nice little strum-along love song. And yet, I'm just not all that interested.  He is included on the Lolla 2015 lineup, so I'd bet $20 I will be revisiting him in a few weeks for the ACL 2015 lineup.

Kid Rock - First Kiss.  Oh damn, this is horrible crap.  Cheesy treacle, sounds like new Nashville country rock.  When Kid Rock first came out and blasted us with raunchy, raw, party rock, that was excellent stuff.  American Badass, Bawitdaba, Cowboy, Roving Gangster?  Even though they are rap/rock, which is highly out of style now, they still bring fun, cocky heat.  This new garbage though? Those big balls of steel have been cut right off and replaced with wimpy riffs, drum machines, and an earnest singing voice that would get its ass kicked by the old Rock.

Remember Bryan Adams?  Yeah, how much does that sound like a big, fat, terrible rip-off of Summer of '69?  And some of that garbage new Nashville country that talks about falling in love and Chevy Trucks and drinkin' on a Tuesday.  Ugggghhh.

Earthgang - Torba.  Laid back Atlanta rappers, some of which sounds a lot like Big Boi.  The album runs through a song for each day of the week, and I think Wednesday does it the best (even though Monday, with Mac Miller, and Friday, with OG Maco, are more listened to tracks).  This one is funky and has some classic sampling to go with their nice flow.

Pretty good for something I've never heard of or seen anywhere before...

Mackned - Cyber Magicka.  Speaking of stuff no one has ever heard of before, I present Mackned. Who said Seattle wasn't a rap hotbed?  First, Sir Mix-a-Lot busted out the Posse on Broadway, then Thrift Shop took the world by storm a few years back, now I give you Mackned.  This is "Rookie of the Year."

I have a strange feeling that the NBA licensing department didn't give them permission to use game footage for that video.  The second song on this album says that his buddies are smoking weed, sipping lean, and "serving Katy Perry," and I'm not entirely sure what that means.  Maybe selling coke?  That is my guess.  Because Katy Perry is white and stuff.  Seattle is so HARD!  Anyway, this is enjoyable rap - entirely devoid of good storytelling, but enjoyable nonetheless for having rock solid beats.  Only one of his tracks has more than 1,000 listens on Spotify, but this is just as enjoyable as most of the other plain, current rap out there.