Quick Hits, Vol. 40 (Kodaline, Project Pat, Miami Horror, The Tallest Man on Earth)

Live Nation has now nabbed Bonnaroo.  In my estimation, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and ACL are the big four festivals each year, and now Live Nation controls three of the four.  We'll see how that plays out over time, but I sadly expect even more homogenization of the festivals.  It is already a bummer to have ACL look just like Lolla, but this may make it even harder to have a truly Austin festival in the future.

Kodaline - Coming Up for Air.  If you have been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I fell in love with these dudes last year in listening to them in preparation for ACL 2014.  And then they broke my heart, by pulling out of the Fest (as I recall, because a band member broke an arm or something while riding a motorcycle?).  Anyway, their 2013 album In a Perfect World is a fantastic thing, and so I was pretty excited to check out the new disc.  After a couple of listens, I like it but am not quite so into it as the last one.  This one amps up my Coldplay-o-meter rating with more good arena rock ready for jamming at high volume in front of a huge crowd.  Hopefully they have plans to come make up for last year's diss and play ACL this year.  Here is "Honest," the lead track from the album:

Good song, but it might be the best one on the album.  Also, I have to note that they run off the rails for one song, "Play the Game," which is kind of drum machine pop garbage.    I seriously thought that the album had crossed over to some other band when this one kicked in.  Blech.  "Human Again" is right there on the edge of that as well.  This one is a little uneven, with some good tunes and some missteps.

Project Pat - Mista Don't Play 2 Everythangs Money.  I have no clue how to read that album title. They do have an older album from 2001 called "Mista Don't Play: Everythangs Workin'," so I guess this is a continuation of that amazing title they came up with.  You'd hate to waste something so amazing as "Mista Don't Play." Project Pat is a Memphis rapper who had a minor hit in the early oughts with "Chickenhead."  My wife and I still quote that song to each other every once in a while, 15 years later, as it was on constant rotation on Dallas hip hop radio when we lived there in 2001. "Bwawk bwawk, Chicki Chicki, Bwawk bwawk, Chickenhead!"  Truly revolutionary lyrics.  Pat is also part of Three Six Mafia ("Hard Out Here for a Pimp" and "Sippin' on Some Sizzzurp") with Juicy J.

Similarly, this album is full of good, slow southern beats, with good but repetitive lyrics.  I dig "I Ain't Payem Shit,""Leave Me Alone," and 'Pull a Move."  The most popular song on the album is "Twerk It" with Ty Dolla $ign, Wiz Khalifa, and Wale.

Khalifa's verse is garbage.  Complete throw away.  Wale's is a little better, but not much.  The only way this song is popular because it says twerk in the title.  Eh, this album has a great sound, but if you really pay attention to the individual tracks, its pretty weak.

Miami Horror - All Possible Futures.  Dude.  "Love Like Mine" is a power pop 80's mega-jam.  The background guitar swank sounds like "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the key-tar sounds like something from Grand Theft Auto's Vice City soundtrack, the hand-clapping beat is unstoppable, and the COWBELL lives.  Stick this on a mixtape with "Uptown Funk" and "Just My Type," and just back up and cover your mouth, because something is going to explode all up on you.

That video makes zero sense at all, but check the jam!  What!?!  "Wild Motion" is a pretty sweet party as well.  The rest of the album is more throw-back, Passion Pit ("Real Slow") and London house ("Cellophane") sounding tunes, none of which come close to touching Love Like Mine, but still pretty fun music.

The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now.  Dylan-esque in sound, if not in lyrical content.  Swedish dude who does some pretty sick acoustic picking, with a growly, nasal voice tone. I've never been much for Dylan, even though I know that brands me as a musical loser with no coolness factor, so this isn't my favorite thing I've ever heard.  However, at the same time, I can appreciate that this is really well done acoustic folk.  "There's No Leaving Now" is beautiful.  The video below isn't music from this most recent (2012) album, but is one of those NPR Tiny Desk concerts, which are really cool.

He's got a slot at Lollapalooza (tenth row!  With the excellent Lord Huron!) this year, so he very well could show up at ACL Fest as well, although I'm not sure how well these nice tunes will translate to a huge stage.  But after a few listens, when I put my Dylan issues behind, I'll admit that this is cool music.  He's got a new album coming out in May, so maybe I'll be able to review that one for an eventual ACL slot.