One Liner: Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge rapper with some good stuff
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop, trap. Home: Prince George's County, Maryland Poster Position: 23 Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: The guy's birth name is Jason Mills, but he goes by both IDK and Jay IDK. I figured that IDK stood for I Don't Know, but Wikipedia claims it stands for Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge. "My name is Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge. I like ignorant music, and I like music with substance." Guy was actually born in London, but his Wikipedia lists his home as Prince George's County, Maryland twice. Is that a well known location? Is it normal for any other person to describe their home by the county, instead of a city? Looks like it is really part of the D.C. metro area, but they represent themselves as from PDC to differentiate from regular old DC people. Interesting thing is that four of his top ten tracks also feature Denzel Curry, who I just profiled because he too is coming to ACL. I wonder if they are on the same agent or something that would cause them both to appear on each other's music and glom together for the festival. They aren't on the same label (per the likely very exact information on Wikipedia) but who knows. A bunch of albums/mixtapes: 2014's Sex, Drugs, and Homework (nice usage of the Oxford, there), 2015's Subtrap, 2016's Empty Bank, 2017's IWASVERYBAD, and 2018's IDK & FRIENDS :). I didn't add the smiley face emoji... The top track from that most recent album is the one with Denzel Curry, and I agree it is the best one on there. "ONCE UPON A TIME," with 3.3 million streams.
The beat is great stuff, even before the Wu Tang-ish/Tribe Called Quest-ish flow pops up. Great freestyle flow - IDK's last verse was freaking hot. The rest of that album is only OK - nothing on it really stands out. On the other hand, several of the tracks on IWASVERYBAD are damn good. It also has some clunkers like "Birds & the Bees," but "Pizza Shop Extended" and "No Shoes On the Rug, Leave Them at the Door" are as good as anything else this guy has. The Empty Bank album has a funny sound, in that his sound bounces all over the place, from Kanye in "Somebody," to Kendrick on "Mr. Mills," to Schoolboy Q on "Boy's Innocence" (and others). His best album is Subtrap. The cover is great, where he's sitting on a front porch with an AK in one fist and a keyboard in the other. This album has kind of the style of Kendrick's Good Kid MAAD City, with an overarching storyline that you can follow if you listen to the whole album. The songs each list a character in the song title (i.e. "Dirty Scale (Jay)") so that you know which of his characters is speaking for the track - Jay (the weed dealer), King Trappy III (the coke dealer alter ego of Jay), or others. He explains the concept (which is kind of weird) in "Sexy Bartender/Intro." He even set up Twitter accounts for each of the characters on the album. Here is one video from the album, "Metro," that pushes that narrative and story forward - 553k streams.
Good stuff, and the whole album is very good. If you liked Good Kid, then you should like this type of thing as well. "God Said Trap" is the bigger hit than that one, with 3.2 million streams. One more video - his most streamed track (also with Curry) is called "No Wave," with 6.4 million streams.
Has elements of ASAP Ferg in it - both in the shouted asides that sound just like Ferg (what? right!), as well as mentioning his watch being plain jane. Feels like the ignorant side of his rap persona, but its a good, brawny track. I like it. Surprisingly, this guy is really freaking good. If you only try one thing out, go listen to that Subtrap album. And I bet his show is pretty live as well. let's go! [EDIT] new album released on 9/13/19, called Is He Real? and its also pretty solid. He's got Pusha T doing a cameo on a track that also features a bunch of sound bites from porn! That is the best song on here - "Porno." I'd like to find that one and play it for you, but I refuse to search for IDK Porno and see what the search results return. So I'll give you "24" instead.
Got those Jay-Z "uh huh huh" sounds in there. I also am a fan of the low piano strike as a rap beat device. Underrated. He also sings surprisingly well on "December," with a really nice tenor. "No Cable" has a really nice flow to it.
One Liner: Kiddie Limits alien with a nice, sweet sound
Wikipedia Genre: Kiddie Limits Home: The Sun Poster Position: 26 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: So, usually you get to the Kiddie Limits stuff and its pretty brutal. Some song about barnyard animals or those stupid Q Brothers, but instead, this is pretty nice stuff. Good sounding indie rock music with funny lyrics about a gravy shop or fireworks or "Baconstein." Real name is Morgan Taylor, who has been nominated for Grammy awards, and created this character both in cartoon illustrations as well as in this music. Gustafer is a friendly yellow alien who has come from the Sun to live in the Minnesota woods and explore the Earth. Taylor performed for a 22 week run Off-Broadway, making music to go with his cartoons. Of more interest to me is the fact that he has been brought on to open for real bands like Wilco and Polyphonic Spree, and works as a sound engineer with a bunch of good bands/music under his belt like Norah Jones, Duncan Sheik, Rufus Wainright, and Regina Spektor. So this is more than just a kid concert thing, this guy has real talent that has already translated to real concerts. Which is pretty awesome if you are needing to go to the Kiddie area, and you can see someone legit over there. Like, "Hot Malt Eagle" could be a weird Cake song. "Gravy Insane" cracks me up and could be an old Beatles B-Side from when they were doing lots of drugs.
So, am I to understand that the bats use weed to make the gravy amazing? Sure looked like it from that video. Subversive ass weed propaganda for the kids, yo. And yes, the cartoons are pretty solid as well. The top streamer, by a very long gap, is "Fireworks!" with 145k streams.
I mean, the chorus is pretty literal and all, but when singing for kids, I can see getting them pretty involved in the songalong. Either way, this music actually is enjoyable. Who could have imagined enjoyable music and kids, all in the same place? Well done, Mr. Taylor.
One Liner: Semi-punk English dudes making catchy blasts with humor
Wikipedia Genre: Punk rock, post-punk, post-hardcore, hardcore punk Home: Bristol, England Poster Position: 11 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: They had one of the top ten albums of 2018 (per Rob Mitchum's consensus-collecting spreadsheet) and I liked it pretty well also:
10. Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance. Never heard of this one either, although strangely enough YouTube keeps wanting me to watch a video of their in-studio performance at some radio station. So, now I get a chance to check them out... And, you know what? pretty good punk rock/post-punk. Sometimes it gets a little strident for me, but overall I enjoyed it a few times.
Although, I looked at them for potentially coming to ACL and predicted them as a no, because they had a May show in Austin that wasn't even sold out. Made it seem less likely that they'd be right back to Austin for the Fest, but I was wrong. These guys are a critically acclaimed punk band from England. They started in a night club in Bristol, England, and after a few singles, they found success on two albums. I know all of their genre information up above points to them being hardcore punk stuff, but they actually have a real pop shine to the punk, a tunefulness and catchy aspect that I don't normally find in regular old punk music. In fact, the lead singer was quoted in 2018 saying "for the last time, we're not a fucking punk band." I just think they have the driving, pounding drum section and speedy bass playing that might be the backbone of traditional punk, so people tie them into that world. But its more like when the Arctic Monkeys are at their wildest and best (prior to their lounge act BS last album). First, Brutalism, released in 2017, scored a bunch of critical acclaim from many critics on the other side of the pond, including the BBC's 6 Music Recommends Albums of the Year 2017 and and an overall 88 (of 100 on Metacritic), which is pretty high praise in these days of fractured opinions and hot takes. The top track from that album is "Well Done," with just over 2.2 million streams.
I normally wouldn't care for straight punk, and that is the main reason I think these guys leave that moniker behind - yes the drums pound and drive, but the rest of it has a speed groove to it that jams. They also have some randomly funny shit in here - like in "Gram Rock," when the lead singer just starts chanting "TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR! TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!" Or in that song above, when he is randomly talking about people (who I guess are known people in England) who don't like football or reggae. Or "I don't care about the next James Bond, He kills for country, queen, and God, we don't need another murderous toff." I had to look up what a toff is (a rich or upper-class person) but I still like him talking shit about Bond.
Their second album keeps it in the same vein, and I like it even more than I did back when I was trying it out at the end of 2018. "Colossus" makes me want to kick a hole in the sky when the coda of the song bursts in after like 4 minutes, and earlier in the track they use a guitar tone taken straight out of Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger. "Never Fight a Man With a Perm" is not only funny, but also another power crotch-grab of a tune. "I'm Scum" is a great sing-a-long with a tasty jangle of the guitar. The top streamer, at 3.6 million, is "Danny Nedelko,"
So, the song is a good jam, and from the lyrics, it sure seems like this is intended to bring people together, but with all the weirdo white supremacist assholes using the OK sign now as a symbol for hate, its hard to know what the video is on about. Sure seems like it is a happy video, and the lyrics appear to be pro-immigrant. Wikipedia says the story of the song is a friend of the members of the band who is a Ukrainian immigrant, who is the goofy dude running around and spreading joy in that video. Stereogum seems to think that using the OK sign so much is an attempt to take the symbol back from the assholes. Maybe true, all I know is that I am very ready to yell the soccer chant portion of that song and bounce off of the people standing near me at the Fest.
One Liner: WTF? Gentle, soft-focus 70's rock is apparently back.
Wikipedia Genre: Psychedelic pop, baroque pop, psychedelic folk, soft rock Home: Santa Monica, CA Poster Position: 15 Weekend One Only
Thoughts: I'm sure there are better examples of this, but I can't think of another artist whose name matches their music less than this gal. I was expecting some sort of death metal, or at least something tough and angry. Picking the word "blood" to go in your name just seems to denote a certain level of hardness. Instead, this is like some straight up 70's soft rock stuff. Super freaking weird. Natalie Mering, who is Weyes Blood, apparently took the name from a Flannery O'Connor novel called Wise Blood. I had not heard of that novel before, but I just might give it a shot. My theater teacher in high school used to read us stories from A Good Man is Hard to Find, in this deliciously heavy southern accent. I can still remember the pleasure of hearing him read A Late Encounter With the Enemy, and the way that he said the word Coca-Cola near the end of the story when the kid pushing the wheelchair stops to grab a drink from a machine. I think I still own that book of shorts, I should probably go read her again. Amazing writer. Anyway, that is why she has chosen to have "blood" in her name - not for pagan metal sacrifices. Also, FYI, you pronounce the name as "wise blood." I don't know that I have the musical knowledge to describe who she sounds like, but it has that Laurel Canyon, soft-focus, quiet rock thing going. Maybe the Carpenters? It is absolutely beautiful - her voice is lovely and the arrangements are pretty chilled out full-band ballads, lots of piano and brushed drums. Kind of melancholy, really. Can make me think of Lana Del Rey, but I think this all sounds more throwback to me. Four albums, with this year's Titanic Rising rounding out the lot. 2011's The Outside Room is only 6 songs, so maybe that would officially be an EP. None of the songs on that one push past 100k streams, and I tend to agree with that statement, they're not as good as the newer stuff. Her most streamed tun isn't even on one of these albums - "Suddenly" is with a band called Drugdealer and appears on their album The End of Comedy. Such a weird tune - totally sounds lifted straight from the easy listening station in 1977.
When it kicks in at 0:40, it is truly hard to believe this was made in 2016. Her most popular track on her own albums is "Seven Words," from 2016's Front Row Seat to Earth. 5.4 million streams.
Yeah, lovely tune again. Sweet mermaid action as well. Lyrically great too - she does a great job of describing the pains of a breakup with lines like "I want you mostly in the morning, when my soul is weak from dreaming." (although, I have to say, I just spent too long counting on my fingers to establish that the eight words that she says after "these seven words, I say to you one by one," are actually eight words and not seven words). Its a little like a female Father John Misty. I have actually enjoyed listening to it all day, even though it seems super weird to be jamming this soft rock action. I might go see it live.
One Liner: Surprisingly solid rapper whose mom gave him some sage advice
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop, trap, experimental hip hop, punk rap Home: Carol City, Florida (part of Miami metro) Poster Position: 9 Weekend Two Only
Thoughts: Saw this guy play live a few years ago at a SXSW showcase at Stubb's where he was one of many unknown openers for Lil Wayne. My recollection was that this guy and Boogie wit da Hoodie were two of the openers, but now I can't find any post that I did about that show (even though I recall writing one? Losing my mind). Anyway, my recollection is that this guy was not especially impressive, so I was surprised to see him all the way up on the 9th row of the poster this year. Amazingly, this is really his name. I thought for sure that he tried to piece together a perfect name of pop culture references and decided a top African American actor and a top African American basketball player would resonate and be popular with rap fans. But nope, I'm the dope, his real name is Denzel Rae Don Curry. Raised in Florida, he started making mixtapes in grade school, and then was apparently discovered by SpaceGhostPurrp (who sucks big time) and joined that dude's group for a while. His first real album was released in 2013, when he was 18, although that one isn't available on Spotify. The three things (well, in addition to a pile of singles) on Spotify are 2015's 32 Zel, 2016's Imperial, and 2018's TA13OO (which is pronounced like taboo). But his top streaming song is not on any of those releases, but is a single from 2015 called "Ultimate," and in my opinion, it is very annoying.
This is what I don't like about Meek Mill - the rap flow that sounds like someone just yelling at the top end of their vocal register. No nuance, no flow, just maxing it out at the top. But, 115.5 million streams, so maybe everyone else finds that maxed out crap to be appealing? Also going to note this random and unpleasant story: "On March 4, 2014, Curry's brother Treon Johnson died of injuries from being tasered and pepper sprayed by police. Officers had responded to reports of Johnson throwing coconuts from a roof at a dog that bit him. Curry has said that his brother died of an apparent cardiac arrest when he went into sepsis from a freak injury after being tasered." Holy shit. First off, "throwing coconuts from a roof at a dog that bit him" is an amazing story - like some Diddy Kong in real life shit. How do you have that many coconuts? How high of a roof? Did he hit the dog? I have so many questions. And then for the guy to die over that? Let him throw his damn coconuts! Freaking sucks, man. His second-most streamed is from that 2018 album, and it uses Kurt Cobain's suicide as a device in the chorus to talk about his car, which is an interesting move.
His album cover for this album has this clown makeup shit on it too and it is definitely freaky. Almost 60 million views of that video, plus another 63 million streams on Spotify. Fucking disturbing ass video too - damn. And not an easy song, to be honest - obviously the suicide references all throughout aren't happy, but it's also very paranoid in a well-written way. I kind of figured that "SUMO | ZUMO" would be the big hit from this album, but that one is only at 20 million streams - it just has the better beat, but I guess the lyrics are pretty unimaginative. That album also has a tune called "BLACK BALLOONS" that has more of a Pharcyde/Anderson.Paak vibe to it, that I kinda dig. He's got some good turns of phrase in here as well - much of his lyricism is generic hype stuff - but here and there he ties together bricks and Shaq's free throw ability or drops a line with Pennywise and floating. The top track from 2016's Imperial is the album opener, "ULT," which is actually pretty solid.
The slow burn of the open, kind of ominous and tense, and then when the actual verse starts, it stays pretty bare, until the bass comes in and the song really gets at it. The chorus feels like something the crowd would get into. Dense ass lyrics though - I can catch the part about cops shooting people and "black as the raiders," but so much of this is so damn fast and complex that its hard to grab out of the air without going to read the lyrics. Oh, no, here it is - His most recent single freaking bangs, and I can imagine doing it up in a crowd at the Festival. A killer beat that erupts, a pretty solid flow of lyrics, and a killer chorus that will be perfect for yelling with a couple thousand other fans.
"My daddy said, "Trust no man but your brothers," and "never leave your day one's in the gutter," My daddy said, "Treat young girls like your mother," My momma said, "Trust no hoe, use a rubber." Poetry. [edit] I posted this back in May, but since then he released the full new album that has "RICKY" on it - ZUU - and its his best album yet. The beats are better, the lyrics are better, the whole vibe is very good. Other than Rick Ross, all of the guests on it are (at least to me) nobodies with names like Ice Billion Berg and Kiddo Marv, both of which sound super made up by an eight year old who had 5 seconds to come up with his rapper name. But I dig the new disc. I'd also like to mention that he does a pretty unhinged version of "Bulls on Parade" that is available on Spotify that I like, just because that song is great, but am not entirely sure about, because he just screams a lot. I am imagining this show will be pretty fun - if you want to go get rowdy to some deep bass with a bunch of teenage boys who want to mosh and throw down, then this is going to be the right place to be. Weekend Two only though, so I'll probably miss him. Dammit.
One Liner: I'm mentally blocked from recalling their name, but kinda Spoon-ish indie rock.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, Home: L.A. Poster Position: 22 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: The first impression from the first song involved me cursing out loud and asking if every small type band this year is just a copy of LCD Soundsystem. But then this takes a different path, and becomes more of a David Bowie psych thing ("Loving the Animal" is a prime example) and a Two Door Cinema Club type thing. Five guys from LA who formed the band in 2016. The band name apparently comes from the "facade of a cult church in LA," which is "derived from a Latin moniker that translates to 'may they overflow.'" I will beef with that name, because it is singularly unmemorable. I have typed it several times and read it a good 20 times by now, and yet just now I couldn't remember it again. One of my kids had a camp counselor named Soupiset a few years ago, and that is what I am going to call this band now. No Wikipedia, and most of the descriptions/bios I can find on the band read like they were all prepared by the same PR guy. Their Spotify bio makes mention of Spoon, as though the lead singer was in that band, but Wikipedia would disagree. Ah, it is the keyboard player - he is also in Spoon as well as this band. They are a little similar, in that both are hooky pop rock bands, but don't think this is Spoon 2.0. No real album yet, just a bunch of singles and a 2017 EP. Only one song cracks six figures on streams, so we'll go into that one first - "Loving the Animal" (that I mentioned above) has 173k streams.
Now I'm gonna hear Spoon every time I listen to them, but I swear the first time I hear this song, I was thinking more Bowie. The tunes, overall, are pretty solid. Most of them are entirely unheard of - two get five figures of streams, most can't even crack 5k. The current most popular is called "YDS2M," and has 38k streams.
Kind of a New Pornographers vibe there at the start, then like Magnetic Fields or something. Kinda disco-ish, kinda groovy, but also kinda light-touch indie. Pretty alright. The problem is that I'll never remember their name. And someone will be like - hey dude, you want to go see Sooootehprt or The Comet is Coming, and I'll be like I guess we can go see the freaky jazz freakouts, cause I have no recollection of what Suuuppuuuuupp is about. [shrugging emoji] Although, just so you know, this one guy (a Senior Editor at something called It's All Dead) jizzes many loads when he even considers the existence of this band. So maybe their live shows are the finest thing that has ever happened in all of time. I dunno.
Wikipedia Genre: Pop, Indie pop, Alternative Pop Home: Tijuana, Mexico Poster Position: 22 Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: Today has been one of those busy work days where I have just let the music play without writing or moving from band to band, so I've been through her catalog a good five times by now. Unfortunately, it is entirely in Spanish, so I haven't the foggiest idea what in the world is going on in any of these songs. Vanessa Zamora Ramirez, also known as Zane, is from Tijuana, Mexico. Her Wikipedia is otherwise bereft of much detail, other than her childhood musical skill and education. Her tunes, despite being exclusively in Spanish, are pretty pleasant little songs. Relaxed indie music. Two albums, 2015's Hasta La Fantasia and 2018's Tornaluna. Her top streamer comes from that first album, "Te Quiero Olvidar," which translates to I Want to Forget You, and has 4.9 million streams.
You know, a nice little indie track. Full of lyrics I don't understand. But still pleasant to listen to. She has a weird thing on her new album, one of the tracks ("Hbls Mucho") just cuts off at 3:39, like right in the midst of music. I can't tell if that was a purposeful thing, or if her album is screwed up on Spotify, or what. Anyway, the newer album has better tunes - and that song is the top streamer at 830k.
Huh. Yeah, that track just stops hard at 3:39 as well. And then the video plays some more music for the credits, but I guess that was a purposeful thing to cut the song off in the midst of a groove. Weird. So, I probably am not gonna go watch this one, but its perfectly pleasant stuff...
One Liner: Boss queen rapper, singer, twerker, and flautist extraordinaire
Wikipedia Genre: R&B, hip hop, pop Home: Minneapolis (by way of Detroit and Houston) Poster Position: 2 Both Weekends
Thoughts: Y'all. I know, by now I'm sounding like a broken record, but if you are sleeping on the experience that is Lizzo then you are missing out on the most fun thing you can do in music right now. I mean, you could be a joyless prick who hates to find pleasure in objectively wonderful things, but so long as you enjoy music and pleasure and the happiness that springs directly from watching someone just give it their all, then this is the right thing to support. Before I get into the reviews, you need to watch her appearance on Ellen.
Dancing her ass off. Playing the damn flute, live. Twerking in the face of all those whitebread ass Ellen-loving ladies in the crowd. AND A FLUTE SOLO! I mean, if that doesn't make you grin a little bit, then get the hell off my rock. She came to ACL a few years ago, and the first weekend show was so damn amazing that I took my wife and friend back the next weekend to spread the gospel of Lizzo. Here is my preview from 2016: "I have been genuinely grinning by myself in my office all morning jamming this fantastically unexpected, bad-ass woman. Totally out of left field here, I expected "Lizzo" to be another gentle indie girl group singing plain but harmonic tunes about getting high and being bored, and instead, I get this genuinely funny, hella cool, big mama spitting rhymes. You just have to start with her new single, which is also her most popular track right now, but lives up to the name easily. This is "Good as Hell," and has 2.2 million streams [BTW, up to 43 million streams now, and still a killer track].
I'm going to be singing that all day. That song, that beat, those lyrics, it all is a great package. It makes me think of the Mark Ronson and Mystikal track "Feel Right," in that I want to sing it and strut around. And then the next one that got an out loud chuckle from me was "En Love," from her 2015 album Big Grrrl Small World.
But she's got so many that I think are awesome. I really don't think I can do it justice by just adding links here. "Let 'Em Say," "Batches and Cookies," "Ain't I," "Bus Passes and Happy Meals," I mean, this is just lighting me up. You should at least go check her top ten on Spotify. It's a little bit Missy Elliott, a little bit Nicki Minaj, but its all fun as far as I'm concerned. I bring you "Batches and Cookies" now.
That is from 2014's Lizzobangers. Also in 2014, she did a remake/remix of Blondie's "Rapture" that is pretty tight. What is it? Why am I so tired of most other rappers I'm hearing right now but this just clicks right and is making me bob my head and grin? What is the deal? The male rappers right now who get all sing-songy in their raps (Drake, Torey Lanez, etc.) annoy the crap out of me right now, but I don't mind Lizzo doing it at all. Am I sexist? I don't know. A few ideas: (1) her cadence and pronunciation is clear, so I can hear the jokes and the entendre; and (2) her beats are pretty dang good, brawny and swaggerfied. Whatever it is, I'm lovin' it. "Faded" is reminiscent of Outkast's "Bombs Over Bagdad," "W.E.R.K. Pt. II" is that Missy/Nicki sound, and the out of control flow and badass sample on "Pants vs. Dress" are unhinged and fun. Who is this bad mamajamma? She is apparently originally from Houston, but moved up to Minneapolis a few years ago. She had a few other bands she sang with, but this solo stuff is the real deal. Good as Hell indeed. I want to go see her live. Like, now." And then I'll give you a taste of what I wrote after seeing her do it all live, which was amazing:
Lizzo. Dude. Lizzo was freaking hilarious and amazing. She is a big girl, and just doesn't give a damn, wearing a skin tight leotard and some sort of see-through thing over the top that ended about hip level. And he backup dancers were big girls too, but they could dance like freaking champions. Lizzo spent the show twerking and bouncing and dancing and slapping her ass, she couldn't be more comfortable in that body. And then the rapping and singing (her voice is great) was top notch as well. Loved this show.
So, needless to say, I was already on board with her sauce before she even put out the very good new album Cuz I Love You. "Juice" is greatness. "Tempo," with Missy Elliott, is also badass - great beat, top notch verses. So many of these songs make me look up from what I'm doing to note them - "Like a Girl," the beat on "Soulmate," and the whole package of "Truth Hurts." That last one is her currently most popular track, so I'll give it to you (even though you should definitely go listen to the rest of the album).
"I just took a DNA test, turns out, I'm a 100% that bitch." And then that beat kicks in as she throws down on shitty men. And some of the songs on this album leave the true rap behind and go with a more soul/R&B thing - "Crybaby," "Jerome," or "Lingerie." And I am fine with those - even though I would normally bag on a rapper for leaving the rap behind, but something about her voice makes these tracks just as welcome to me as the bangers. I'm all in. Lizzo is Melissa Viviane Jefferson. Which is a freaking amazing name - like Megan Thee Stallion, just rocking a generic ass 70's girl name with that Melissa shit. She was born in Detroit, raised in Houston, and then moved to Minneapolis. She apparently appeared on a 2014 Prince track called "BOYTROUBLE," but when I just went and listened to it, there are so many effects on the voices its sometimes hard to tell who is doing the rapping. Wikipedia mentions something very obvious, that Lizzo has become an advocate for body positivity and self-love, employing plus-sized dancers and singing/rapping about her size with frequency. I think its all great - she keeps posing for photos (and her album cover) either nude or in sexy negligee-type things, and more power to her. Oh, and also, you should find her social media - shit is funny. She attended the Met Gala in this ginormously fluffy pink and white chinchilla ass looking coat that she wore with pride and pleasure. It is awesome. GO SEE THIS SHOW. I promise she puts on a damn fun concert and you'll enjoy it. [EDIT] HOLD UP! TINY ASS DESK, BIATCH!!! (I don't know what the deal is with this video, can't find it on YouTube, so just click on this link: https://jwp.io/s/hxcCxP7X Just go watch the damn thing and see what the whole internet is freaking out about. (She literally just made me laugh out loud watching this.) Only bummer is that "Truth Hurts" misses the bass line in the studio version - its still fun to watch her crush it, but I want that bang.
Wikipedia Genre: No wikipedia, but indie pop seems like the genre? Home: Utah (now in LA) Poster Position: 22 Weekend Two Only
Thoughts: Kind of an LCD Soundsystem/ old, quirky Beck vibe coming to me at first blush. Check out the second-most streamed tune, from his 2019 album Sego Sucks, called "Give Me." 59k streams.
Those old people are grooving, and that main guy up front is going to be working out some other muscles tonight, if you know what I mean. And I think you do. When I was in college, a friend hooked me up with a class where we went to an old folks home and helped people "exercise," although as I recall it we just like took a very shitty bowling set for toddlers over there and let the old people roll the ball and then set everything back up for the next person. God, how embarrassing. I bet they were cracking up behind our backs - thinking we were doing something useful when really we were just doing a horribly shitty bare minimum effort. Anyhoo - this is the track that sounds like low rent LCD Soundsystem. Same with "Neon Me Out." I like "Neon Me Out." Sego does not appear to have a Wikipedia page, but that name may refer to several things such as a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile, a type of lily, a ghost town in Utah, a diet drink that was discontinued by Pet Milk in 1961, or a 2007 French Socialist presidential candidate. According to an article about the band, the name of the band is from one of those items - the Sego lily, which is the state flower of Utah. Also, I swear I didn't read this article before I wrote the stuff above, but this article in the Salt Lake Tribune says that the lead singer's vocal style has been compared to "Beck, Cake's John McCrea, and LCD' Soundsystem's James Murphy." Boom! I can hear things! The article also notes that the band apparently blew up in Austin for SXSW, playing nine shows in four days. Three albums, with 2015's Long Long Way From the Fringe, 2016's Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around, and then 2019's Sego Sucks, which was apparently named in reference to a mean tweet about the band. Their top streamer also comes from the new album - this is "Shame," with 161k streams.
He has a Samples shirt!!! I loved the Samples when I was in high school! This is the Beck-ish shit, the plain-spoken vocals. Also kind of reminds me of that Superorganism band - pretty awesome actually. That song also reminds me of that band that makes crazy Rube Goldberg videos - OK Go. The older stuff, which was recorded before they added in two more members to the band, is even more LCD-ish, the opening track on the 2016 album even uses cowbell in a way that sounds just like LCD. Actually, the old stuff kinda really does suck. I like the stuff on the Sucks album better than the prior music. Listening to "Day Job" right now and its semi-unlistenable. The only track with any appreciable number of plays from those old two albums is called "Wicket Youth," from the 2016 album. 253k streams.
Yeah, this one sounds more like the new stuff - they found a new direction in this song and then turned that into a new sound for the whole next album. Still though, most of this old music is bad stuff. I'd go check this out. It doesn't quench every thirst I have in a band, but there are enough interesting pieces here that I'd be willing to go check it out and see what happens.
One Liner: Pretty kickass bluegrass with a made-up name to match
Wikipedia Genre: Bluegrass, Americana, Rock and Roll Home: Michigan Poster Position: 22 Weekend One Only
Thoughts: Oh this stuff is lighting me on fire today. Holy speed fingers rocking a banjo. His most popular track is an almost 10 minute long barn burner of a bluegrass party called "Meet Me at the Creek," with 559k streams. Live version, but check the kid out.
It's like if Nickel Creek grew up on a steady diet of rock and roll. Although I'm a little disappointed that he's just playing the guitar on that track and not handling the banjo shreddage. Also reminds me of that dude who plays with Allison Krauss - Dan Tyminksi, who did the "Man of Constant Sorrow" vocals. Either way, give me a tune with a slammin' mandolin player and a banjo in the front of the mix, and I'm probably in for a pound. Dude's real name is William Apostol, so I get the Billy part, and then I guess he did the Strings part because he plays instruments with strings? Kinda like a mob guy going by Joey Bats or Freddy Piano Wire. The name apparently came from an Aunt who noticed his skills on stringed instruments. So its the aunt who has no originality. His step-father was apparently a bluegrass picker of note, and introduced the kid to studs like Doc Watson and Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. Rolling Stone called him a country artist to know and mentioned his prodigious speed in 2017. So, if you dig some fast-fingered pickin' music, then this stuff is right up your alley. His most streamed tune, and probably also his best, combines both humor and speed-picking badassery. Country artists have lamented getting arrested and drugs for years from the outlaw country world, and this one slots right into there, but along with some ridiculous solo freakouts. "Dust in a Baggie," with 645k streams.
"I used my only phone call to contact my daddy, got 20 long years for some dust in a baggie." And holy damn hell, watch him at 2:25 or so when his guitar solo kicks in - his fingers do things that are illegal in 49 states and the District of Columbia. One real album - 2017's Turmoil & Tinfoil - and one joint album with someone called Don Julin (that is either live music or just recordings done in a room with bad acoustics and some people who cheer every once in a while). The real album is much better than the early thing - that one has a bunch of meandering instrumentals on it, I prefer the more polished newer sound. Also one of those little four song EPs from OurVinyl Sessions, which is damn good, and which is where that recording up above comes from. Pretty awesome, to be honest. I know a lot of people wouldn't be interested in bluegrass, but if you like someone who is ridiculously skilled with an instrument in their hands, then this is the good stuff. I'd go check it out.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, like Caribbean pop and R&B? Home: New York Poster Position: 22 Weekend One Only
Thoughts: Her top track has a Shakira feel to it - and comes in both a Spanish version and an English version - both of which feature Daddy Yankee (and his verses remain in Spanish in each version). "Como," with 1.6 million streams for Spanish, 7.2 million for English. Over 25 million views for this video.
That song is singularly annoying. I actually prefer the Daddy Yankee portions that I can't understand to her saying "lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-long" and "g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-go" in her parts. I mean, its catchy stuff, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. No real albums, just six singles. Her most recent single, "Here For You," sounds very much like the copy of some other latina pop song that I'm trying to place. Wait! My brain came up with it (well, with the help of a google search for "at night I think of you") and its is Ghost Town DJ's "My Boo." I'll let you be the judge - is this stealing or just homage? First, "Here For Ya"
Next, Ghost Town DJs:
I mean, it uses the exact same notes in the chorus, just different words. And the beat gets very similar as well. I mean, if Pharrell had to pay Marvin Gaye for Blurred Lines, then maybe this is the same thing? Feels like stealing. I sometimes wonder, and this is going to come off way more pretentious than I intend, if I'm wasting my brain on music. I mean, if my brain didn't have to remember weird shit like the beat and sound of Ghost Town DJs "My Boo" and make connections to new random songs, would I be like curing cancer or something? I'm gonna say yes, but just keep listening to this lady anyway. Her second-most streamed track is actually from the Pitch Perfect 3 soundtrack, so I wonder if it is her singing with all of the ladies from that movie, or if it is just her singing? Here is "Tribe," with 3.3 million streams.
Yeah, I think that is just her. She's got a great voice though. In a Billboard article, Viera is described as "Nuyorican." Which I had to go look up - it is a combination of Puerto Rican and New York and refers to those of Puerto Rican heritage living and raised in New York City. Interesting. She came up doing viral YouTube versions of other people's songs along with a pianist named Kurt Schneider - her sixth most popular track on Spotify is a Rihanna cover with Schneider. She went to Berklee College of Music, so she's been trained in this world. She has a great voice, she has the looks, for all I know she'll be the next Rihanna. But for me personally I won't go to this show or keep listening.
Wikipedia Genre: Rock and Roll, Garage Punk, Southern Rock, punk blues Home: Austin Poster Position: 13 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Love that these guys are from Austin, still making raw blasts of real deal rock and roll happen from here. Sometimes I hear King of Leon (who even had a song "Pistol of Fire"). Sometimes I hear Jack White. And a little bit of classic rock stuff sometimes too - not sure what, like maybe The Cars? Bad Company? Some of the old stuff has a Tom Petty feel - "Black Eyed Susan" for sure. I also get a little bit of the funky feel of The Revivalists sometimes. Their new single, "Temper Temper" has that kind of a swamp funk feel. Four albums. Going to look at each one because I like these guys enough to care. Of note, this is just two dudes - Kevin McKeown on guitar/lead vocals and Eric Owen on drums. You're not getting a stage full of dudes and multi-instrumentalists. They are actually from Canada, but are based here in Austin now. First was Big Beat '59, from 2012. This one is significantly more raw than their later stuff - lots of fuzz in the guitar, with loose playing and a garage blues rock sound - bashing drums, hollering vocals, DIY production. Here is "Crow's Feet," a live version. This is their second most streamed off of this album.
As of right now, the lead song on the album, called "Beelzebub," has 1.666 million streams. ;) But in something like "Stripes or Keys," when they break it down in the middle and jam, I feel it deeply in my bones that they are stepping on the stones laid down by Zeppelin, recently tread upon by revivalists like the Black Keys and White Stripes to bring that old school rock sound back to life. Another one this brings to mind - the kick ass Reignwolf who was at ACL last year. Second album was 2014's Hush or Howl. The album opener definitely sounds like the White Stripes - down to the cadence of the vocals and the tambourine. This one has one of their biggest streaming tracks - "Hipster Shakes" with 5.4 million streams.
The singer compared himself to a rooster in this song, saying that it starts off with "chicken scratching" and then just throwing his shoulders back to let loose. Which is what I'm fuckin' talkin' about. When this one kicks in after the chicken scratching, sign me up. Most of these songs are short and sweet - they find a groove buried in a guitar lick, wallow around in there for a minute, and then bash their way out. Other standouts on this album - "Show Pony" and "Blue Eyed Commotion." Next is 2015's Black Pistol Fire (which is actually their 2011 debut album, but Spotify lists it in 2015 because math). The unhinged freakout of "Where You Been Before" is good stuff. "Bottle Rocket" is also great. But the hit track is the second tune, "Suffocation Blues," with a whopping 16.2 million streams.
More straight White Stripes-esque bluesy garage brawling rock. I swear the strummy verse backing comes straight from some WS track, and the full-throated shred of the chorus also sounds like Jack White signature riffage. 2016's Don't Wake the Riot actually sounds familiar because I own it. Which is a funny thing - I had forgotten entirely that I have the CD, which I received for free as a sort of thanks for serving on an advisory board that is all about helping out local Austin music - but now that I hear it again I remember a drive up to Corsicana in the fall where I listened to this album over and over because it just gets better the more you jam it. The hit from this one is "Fleet Foot," with 3.1 million streams.
Another one that starts out with some chicken scratchin' little guitar work, and then erupts into some riffage. At times, it almost seems like the music gets away from the vocals - like he falls behind because its cranking so hard. The psych freakout/guitar solo in the middle also jams. I also dig "Cry Hell," Hard Luck," and "Storm Cussin'." "Tombstone Taillight" makes me think of Billy Squier. Finally, 2017's Deadbeat Graffiti. Surprising that they don't have any newer albums than that - with an almost annual release schedule. Maybe they have one on the way right now? With four recently released singles in 2019, that sure looks like the plan. But this album is their best yet - dirty, bluesy, fuzzy sound, still raucous, with a little more psych, but with better production all around and no filler. Interesting moments on here, from the harp opening of "Last Ride," to the Kings of Leon-esque acoustic longing of "Watch It Burn." As with most of their albums, the opening track is the most streamed, which is a bad sign to me for their actual popularity - most people are just testing out the first track, wrinkling their nose, and moving on. But those people are stupid and their nose is already wrinkly. Here is that opener, filmed live here in Austin at KUTX, "Lost Cause," which has 3.2 million streams.
I have to respect the drummer for playing shirtless every time. The guitar licks have a Black Keys "Lonely Boy" aspect to the riff. How weird must it be to be those fans in the front row of that seated performance? Just three feet away from a guy shredding his balls off, and you're sitting completely still and staring at him. My only beef with the band would be that I love bass - I'd love to see them add a third band member to beef up the low end and add some rumble under the guitar. But I still love the raw power of these tunes. I'd definitely go see this show - hell I should go see them around Austin before this show happens. They seem like a lot of fun and a lively show.
One Liner: Billie Eilish's brother singing generic blue-eyed indie soulfully
Wikipedia Genre: singer/songwriter Home: LA Poster Position: 13 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Was kind of hoping this was going to be some sort of Phineas and Ferb tribute band or something. My kids didn't entirely match up to that show in time, but my son watched enough of it to where I know the theme song pretty well, and it brings to mind this very odd propensity I have to insert either curse words and/or filthy lyrical re-writes into songs for cartoons. For F&F, its pretty tame, but when the song starts jamming and says to "stick with us 'cause Phineas and Ferb are gonnaaaaa, do ittttttt, allllllll!" I find myself singing (quietly under my breath) "so stick with us 'cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna fuckin' do it all!" There is a perfect space right there, just waiting to be filled. It feels very satisfying to include that one little rebellious extra nugget.
You should hear what I can do with the Thomas the Train song. Anyway, this guy has nothing to do with that cartoon. Or at least, I don't think he does. Nothing on his Wikipedia mentions a tie-in to the cartoon. But I just laughed out loud - but like a groaning laugh you would hear in a movie when the hero realizes how he is being screwed and isn't really laughing. Yoo-hooo-ho-ho, ohh. You know who this guy is? Freaking Billie Eilish's brother. I was wondering what this generic blue-eyed soul was doing up here on the 13th line of the poster when he doesn't even have an album out, and now we know. Little sister got him a hook up to come play the Fest. He also wrote and produced much of Eilish's work, so I'm sure he'll be over there helping out with her show as well. He's also an actor, appearing in a few movies (Life Inside Out and Bad Teacher) and TV shows (a recurring role on Glee and Modern Family). His time on Glee was after I gave up on that show. These tunes sound like things created solely to appear on earnest TV dramas - lots of repeat piano chords and swelling synths. Such as his most recent single, "I Lost a Friend," released on May 3, 2019.
Meh. I mean, his voice is good, but I'm just not hearing anything particularly interesting or new. It's just Snow Patrol with less instruments. "New Girl" sounds like a showtune. His top track actually has 10.3 million streams, so someone is choosing to listen to these tunes. "Let's Fall in Love for the Night," a single released in 2018.
Yeah, again, its not a terrible song or anything, but feels like a filler tune taken from the Shawn Mendez album from two years ago. Heavy hand claps, a tiny guitar lick, a few sprinkled cuss words to make him edgy, and a kick drum. Meanwhile, my daughters probably know this song and love it and sing it in big groups of friends like its their love anthem. The end sounds like he's trying to be Harry Connick Jr. or something. I would not choose to see this guy.
