Wikipedia Genre: Hip Hop Home: Chicago Poster Position: 11 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Crazy - I started listening to this dude and was like, I can't even tell who is rapping on the tracks that have Chance the Rapper as a guest. And it sure does look like Chance is the guy on the cover of his freaking album? What is up with that? And now I fire up Wikipedia and see that this dude is Chance's little brother. Which is very interesting. Chance shows up on several of his tracks, so Chance is obviously supporting his little bro, but also wouldn't it be weird to be Chance and your little brother is totally biting your style and sound? So, Wikipedia says that Chance actually held back on promoting Taylor until he could build his own fanbase. "Chance believed this was an important step in his development as an artist. Bennett finally started selling out shows at local venues such as Reggie's and even opened for his idol Nas at a Lollapalooza after party in 2014. Following his success, he and his brother released a track "Broad Shoulders", which is also the title track of one of his most recent mixtapes." That one just so happens to be his top streamer, so let's give it a shot. 17.4 million streams.
So that is a full-on "official short film," so you get a 13 minute long video, with some deep talking before he even gets to the song, but if you want to see more of the guy than just a traditional music video, this is your chance. And, just FYI, that video incorporates much more than just the song, it has chunks of several tracks from that mixtape from 2015. His style very much borrows from Chance - conversational flow, some singing in the middle of it, beats that end up feeling more like an improvisational jazz session than a purposeful rap track. His second most streamed track also features big brother, this is "Grown Up Fairy Tales," with 11.2 million streams.
Like, really, try to figure out which of those voices is Taylor and which is Chance. Maybe you are a major Chance stan or something, but I can't tell who is who. I obviously know when Jeremih jumps in to sing the hook, but I can't tell which verse is who by just listening. Is Taylor the deeper voice? Their cadence is so similar. It's a nice track, kind of a sad one about his grandmother passing away, but I have to say that the beat leaves me wanting something more. I usually find myself in that boat with Chance as well - if he could pair his great lyrics and turns of phrase with a more banging beat, he could beat the world. Let's find one more - Taylor put out a new album (? - it is only 8 songs, so maybe just an EP or mixtape? I dunno) a few months ago called THE AMERICAN REJECT. The opening track - "AMERICAN REJECT (WHITEHOUSE FREESTYLE) - has a little different style - a little more of a trap beat and some yelling to go with it (which might actually be coming from the collaborator named Supa Bwe). I was hoping that there might be some harsh words in this track for the current state of our political discourse, but instead they are pretty crappy lyrics that appear to be about sexing up a lady? Not very clear - not great lyrically. He also steals the horn section sound that Chance uses well in his albums - like on "IN MY HEAD." But the top song so far is "NO ONE OUTSIDE," which features a Chicago singer named bianca shaw (who appears on several of his tracks) and bog brother, yet again. 735k streams.
Again, not sure which one is which, but that verse at about 2:10 is pretty solid. So many rings, gonna turn into a tree - I want to call it cheesy, but I actually dig it. Nothing wrong with some love for momma and a little nostalgia. Very chill stuff - generally like it but would like it a lot more if they mixed in some bangers to go with the laid back. But his flow is good and sometimes his lyrics are good. I might check it out.
One Liner: Lovely crooner walking a line between country and indie
Wikipedia Genre: Folk pop, indie pop Home: Nashville Poster Position: 17 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: A beautiful voice, backed by some pretty relaxed tunes that border between classic country and a kind of torchy indie. Spotify bio claims several albums, for Erin Rae & the Meanwhiles, but the only one available on Spotify under Erin Rae is 2018's Putting on Airs. Lead singer of the band is named Erin Rae McKaskle, in case you were unsure about the name's provenance. Super FRESH Tiny Desk! This was literally uploaded TODAY (well, last Wednesday by now):
My goodness, that is just nothing but pure loveliness. Roll it up, crush it, grind it, soak it in lemonade, freeze it and then and let it run down my chin on a hot summer day. The album music is the same - loads of comfortable sounds - steel guitar, acoustic strumming, soft drums - and her lovely voice weaving in and out over the top. Top track is "Wild Blue Wind," with 2.2 million streams. Live version, but you'll get the picture.
On some Emmylou Harris shit, and I'm here for it. She also does a "Merry Christmas Darling" cover that is some smack-dab right-on Carpenters sounding stuff. Her most recent single (released June 14) has only 28k streams so far, but I'm sure it is minutes from blowing up into the 30k level.
29 whopping views on the YouTube for that video, so as usual, my tastes are wildly out of line with the masses. Whatever. I know some days I'm down on pretty things and would rather have the gut punching blast of rock or rap, but this is the perfect stuff for me right now. I could listen to this all day.
No longer on the schedule. A reddit commenter mentioned that she might have visa issues. One Liner: Mexican pop singer-songwriter
Wikipedia Genre: Pop, rock, latin pop Home: Guadalajara, Mexico Poster Position: 17 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Mexican singer-songwriter who received a Grammy nomination in 2009 for her debut album, Mediocre. Wikipedia also says that she is an actor, appearing in telenovelas and multiple movies. Almost all of her songs are full Spanish, and I have no clue what is going on in them. Most of her top ten are kind of traditional-sounding Mexican music combined with a little new pop sense, but then when you go down and find that "Mediocre" song, from her Grammy-nominated album, it sounds like freaking Spanish Fiona Apple, and its kinda cool.
Way more interesting that the more recent stuff. Of course, I don't know what any of it is saying, so the new stuff could be deep and amazing and I'm just missing out. Her top track is "[upside down question mark]Que Tiene?" with 21.5 million streams.
That janitor seems like a good dude. Good ol' Tomas. Heckuva fella. Just FYI, Que Tiene means What is Wrong With It (according to the google). I don't know what to tell you - if you are into this, have at it, but I'm not going to go see this one played live.
One Liner: Bad facsimile of the worst band in rock
Wikipedia Genre: Alternative music, pop rock, pop Home: LA (but originally from NYC) Poster Position: 17 Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: Like a combination of Imagine Dragons and that Fall Out Boy song they kept using for basketball games of something. Full of chanting lyrics about some vapid subject like "I WAS BORN FOR THIS!" or "THE REVOLUTION IS COMING!" or "BANG BANG WON'T STOP TIL WE LEGENDS!" I don't know what that style of singing is called, where it is multi-tracked (but not really harmonizing, more just two versions of the same vocal tracked so that it's like two guys are yelling the same thing at the same time?) and it's half-chant/half-sung? Very much the Imagine Dragons style. Like they sat down to write the perfect thing for some faceless exec at CBS to want to use for commercial intro music during SEC Saturdays this fall. And under that yelling/chanting/singing thing, you get a pummeling plod of music that is predictably similar in each song. THUMP clap! THUMP clap! chakaduh <guitar squeal> THUMP clap! THUMP clap! chakaduh <guitar squeal> If you can't tell, I actively hate this music. I'm sure they are going to take the Fest by storm and everyone will be talking about their huge show, like 21 Pilots a few years ago. Wikipedia says that their songs have been used in the 2017 Power Rangers movie soundtrack (perfect), the World Series of Poker main event on EPSN (also perfect), an add for Jeep Grand Cherokee (OK, stop, this is too much), and as background for Dude Perfect videos (WTF, is this an Onion article?). Their Wikipedia article has no personal details about the two dudes in the band though, just names. Likewise, their website has no "about" page or other bio. The name is a good one though, they definitely ... made a good choice on that one. They apparently considered using E-Squared (both of their names start with the letter E) but made a good choice in keeping the easy and memorable name instead. So, you've been waiting patiently, hoping for a chance to hear this amazing music for yourself. Thanks for bearing with me while I ranted. The most popular track right now is "Legend," with 52.3 million streams.
Oh man, these guys are fucking amazing. A RESPECT THE FIRST RESPONDERS video too?!? They are literally banging for marketing at every angle. That track is from the 2017 album ATLAS, their only disc on Spotify. Here is a quote from an article, where they talk about how intricate and careful they are when writing songs: "When we write, our method of writing is the path of least resistance. We’ve learned that, to get the creative flow going and to get into a rhythm while you’re writing, you need to make sure you don’t think too much, if that makes any sense. It’s good to think outside the box and whatnot, and get creative – but you don’t want to get too analytical to the point where you’re stalling yourself out, because once you fall down that pit of despair while writing, it’s hard to get out of that writer’s block. So you’ve got to create this creative rhythm and keep going with it. The best way to do that is to just let it flow and not be too critical of yourself. Repetition is always a place we go, because it just works: People want to hear a verse sung the same way the second time as the first time, they want to hear that hook multiple times. We love to do that – we’re not scared of repetition at all. Now, there is such a thing as too much repetition, but we’d rather be too repetitive, and then figure out afterwards how to make it less repetitive, than vice versa." Makes me think of the way that that one IG song says "thunder" like 75 times and makes me want to curl up and die. One more track, let's look at the new 2019 EP, which has two tracks that already have 19 million streams. We'll go with "Glory," with 19.5 million streams.
In addition to the boom clap / guitar squonk, this one adds in a few EDM builds and drills, just to make sure to capture every possible angle for currently popular sound. I'm sorry if you dig this type of music, I'm just a bitter old man. But I never want to hear this stuff again. Can't wait to eat my words when they're the biggest band in the world.
One Liner: EDM guy with a name playing on his childhood reading.
Wikipedia Genre: Trap, future bass, drum and bass Home: LA Poster Position: 6 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: What? The photo of this guy is of generic white guy with messed hair, standing in front of a mountain background, and then the first most popular song is nothing like the pastoral Americana I was expecting. EDM plus rap. It's actually a pretty fun track. "UCLA," with 22.6 million streams.
Once I get past the initial shock of this guy making this music, that track is pretty basic. The usual, a build and drop and some knob-twisting effects over the bass thump. That track appears on his 2018 album, NOVA, which features a bunch of guests, including unknowns (to me at least) like 24hrs, the rapper on that last track, or Joji or Jeremy Zucker, but then has some well-knowns like Miguel, Julia Michaels, Jeremih, Tory Lanez, Ty Dolla $ign, Chief Keef, and popular EDM hook-singer Daya. After the release of that album, he has kept it going, with 2018's NOVA (The Remixes, Vol. 1), 2018's NOVA (The Remixes, Vol. 2), and then 2019's NOVA Pure, a version of the album without any of the vocals so that you can just purely enjoy the JAMZ. Speaking of remixes, that is where this guy came up, doing remixes of other people's stuff. In 2012, he did a remix of Kanye's Mercy that grabbed over eight million streams on soundcloud, and then later did remixes of tracks by Chief Keef, Rihanna, and Benny Benassi. Just to get a feel for that start up, let's check it out.
I mean, I think I'd rather hear the original? Pretty good remix, I suppose. The Wikipedia entry made me expect a massive wall of bass, but at least here on my work computer, I'm not getting the depth charge power that would make me call it "massive" like The Fader apparently did. The man's real name is Henry Alfred Steinway (which is an amazingly moneyed-sounding name, like this guy should have a butler and live in a huge flat in Manhattan), and he originally went by Clockwork. "He created the name RL Grime after joking around with his friends and talking about the author of his favorite childhood books, Goosebumps, R.L. Stine (who even did a voiceover for one of his Halloween mixtapes)." Which is kinda funny. Prior to that newer album, his only other album was 2014's VOID. He appears to actually like putting out albums, which is different from most of the EDM guys. The top track from that album is called "Core," which is a surprise to me because I figured the track with Big Sean would win the stream battle. Incorrect (although that Big Sean track is kinda tight). 14.8 million streams for "Core".
You know what? That track is weird, like a pack of sheep bleating in unison, and then it smears into a pretty cool version of the trap track. I like that it doesn't quite drop on the beat that feels right, like he makes you wait just one second longer. I also dig whatever middle eastern sounding instrument that is supposed to be sounding like. Reminds me of an effect from that old Prodigy song "Climbatize." I'm surprised, but I like it. Also on this album, "Valhalla," which is an otherwise pretty generic EDM banger, features some drumline bits that get me fired up. Nothing like a good drumline slice to get an old band nerd hard. I also like "Pressure." Something has changed in me - I don't immediately hate the EDM. I'll readily admit that this wears on me when I listen to it all day long while trying to work, but listening to his top ten again is pretty fun. I mean, I doubt I'd go do this over many of the other items at the top of the poster, but it might be fun.
One Liner: Surprisingly jammy new tunes from the 80's piano soft-pop mastermind
Wikipedia Genre: Improvisational multi-genre, jam band, rock, gospel, heartland rock, jazz, bluegrass, blues rock Home: Williamsburg, VA Poster Position: 9 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Huh. Who woulda thunk that Bruce Hornsby would turn his soft-rock piano stuff into a freak-jazz-jam-band style thing in his older age? I'll readily admit that I enjoyed the classic Bruce Hornsby shit - the "Mandolin Rain" and "The Way It Is." Wait, do you even remember that stuff? Quick refresher - Bruce Hornsby and the Range brought the heat in 1986 with the album The Way It Is, which boasted the massively popular title track and several other great tracks. 57.5 million streams for that hit.
If you're a fan of rad late 90's hip hop, then you certainly recognize that lick and hook as co-opted by 2Pac in "Changes." Which is a good track. And the original is great as well. But Hornsby's gig was jamming the piano - he was an unapologetic piano man. Took home the 1987 Best New Artist Grammy for that initial album as well. He's also jumped out and done some other weird things, like winning another Grammy for an album with Ricky Skaggs (for Best Bluegrass album) and then served as a member of the Grateful Dead from 1990 to 1992, playing over 100 shows with them. But this band, The Noisemakers, appears to have come about many years ago to serve as his touring band, but then they've made a handful of albums that are listed as being by Hornsby and the Noisemakers. I have no clue what that means for the live show - are we getting a full career retrospective from Bruce, or will this only be those tracks that are on official Noisemaker albums? Taking a look at his setlist from a July 14 show in Ohio, it looks like this will be a full-on do-whatever-the-hell-they-want show. His set includes multiple Bruce Hornsby & the Range tracks, a few Hornsby solo tracks, a 2Pac mashup (of Hornsby's "Sunflower Cat" + "California Love," which is wild), some Creedence, Staples Singers, Don Henley, and Robbie Robertson. So no clue what you'll hear in Austin, but I bet you get "The Way It Is." Without any knowledge of what is coming, I'll just dig into his two most recent albums - 2016's Rehab Reunion (which is expressly with the Noisemakers) and 2019's Absolute Zero (which features all sorts of people, like Justin Vernon and somebody named yMusic). The 2019 album is the one with the super strong jam band lean, although even the 2016 one has some of those aspects. But they also have small pieces of folk, country, Irish traditionals, rock, jazz, and who knows what else. But I think a lot of the jam-ish sound are the guitar solos. And, it must be said, that his voice is still beautiful. He's always had a wonderful voice, and time hasn't reduced his instrument any that I can tell. He might not try as many of those top end notes, but when he jumps up and goes for it, they still sound tasty. The final track of Rehab Reunion has the most streams, most likely because Mavis Staples is on it. The track right before, "The Valley Road," has some of that Irish traditional sound, the jam-band guitar sound, and little to no featured piano parts. But here is that Mavis track, "Celestial Railroad."
Nice little organ-fueled groove. And its that mandolin solo-work that also sounds tight. Absolute Zero is all over the place. "Fractals" is like some freaky experimental jazz thing with his staccato piano angles bouncing up and down the keyboard. The title song is more of a chill groove. Sometimes, he almost sounds like solo Sting in some pieces, where Sting used to get worked up over a piano groove - like in "Meds." "Voyager One" is a high energy one with more high hat than all the other tunes combined, until it goes into a rumbled little jam solo on some weird instrument for a minute. But "Cast-Off," one of the tracks featuring Justin Vernon (Bon Iver for those of you who have slept) is the top streamer, at 484k.
Understated and lovely, with a distinctive sadness in the first minute or so before the drums and lyrics kick in. Reminds me of some sad Peter Gabriel song I've heard before. And the sax makes me think of Dave Matthews. Random aside, Wikipedia says that he claims to have beaten Allen Iverson in one-on-one basketball three games in a row after helping Iverson get out of jail. What in the hell is that all about? I also found a live album back among the 20-something albums available from Hornsby on Spotify, that is called Here Comes the Noise Makers, so maybe that is a good indication of what they will sound like live (albeit from 1998, 1999, and 2000, so hopefully they will have some fresh material since then). Still has a jam band feel, his great voice, and excellent piano playing. A good sound. And includes covers from Grateful Dead, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, and probably others I just can't identify. Here is "Circus on the Moon," captured live last year by this whole posse, to give you a little flavor of what to expect.
A buncha gray haired dudes making nice tunes that would feel at home right in the middle of a String Cheese set. I've been surprised at how much I have enjoyed these new BH albums. Figured that this was just a nostalgia play for the old 80's heyday, but his new tunes are legitimately enjoyable stuff. I could see doing this show.
One Liner: Heartfelt love songs and support for transgender folks
Wikipedia Genre: Pop Home: LA Poster Position: 17 Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: Definitely never heard of this guy before, but his stream count is ridiculously high for a guy on the 17th line who I've never heard before. He's got seven tracks with eight figures of streaming, which is impressive to me. Although I have to say that Wikipedia calling him pop is a little odd. I still think of pop music as dance music pop like Brittney and Katy Perry, so lumping this indie type music into those spaces seems weird. But whatever. So who the hell is he? Real name is just Stephen Wrabel. Grew up in Houston, went to Berklee College of Music but dropped out to move to LA and get moving on his songwriting. His Wikipedia says that a 2014 remix of his song "Ten Feet Tall" became an international hit and was used in a Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light. Let's see about that.
Huh. Definitely a remix - that sounds nothing like his regular music on Spotify. And what a weird commercial, just seeing a bottle twist around and splash through icy water as Wrabel sings that he is ten feet tall? Odd. Then, in 2016, he released a single that "was heavily supported and promoted by Kesha." His songwriting credits include Adam Lambert and Ellie Goulding. he also covers Kesha's "woman" and its pretty fun. No studio album, just a pile of singles and a live album that is part gay buddy confessional/ part falsetto love song festival. Got a Sam Smith sound going on a lot of the time, with the big, soaring falsettos. Let's see about that initial single that Kesha liked. His most streamed at 50.7 million, this is "11 Blocks."
Nice, pretty song. Dude's voice is great. Almost sounds like the current cheesy country, mixed with some Dear Evan Hansen-style showtunes. That soaring "knoo--woooahhhh-oowww thatcha hooo-wooooaaahhhh-ome" has the showtune piece, and the kind of generically powerful music in the background makes me think of the bad country. Catchy tune. His hair is horrible. The currently most popular track is one that apparently supports transgender folks, and the video does the same. This is "The Village," with 28.2 million streams.
The mean dad looks like a heavier Mayor Pete with stubble. That one line that a page of the bible isn't worth a life is pretty strong stuff. Powerful song, although if I'm being honest, I bet tired of him yelling the word Village over and over. From listening through the live album, it seems like most of the live show is going to be heavy piano and solo vocals, which is nice, being that this guy's voice is very good. But part of me would rather see a more exuberant show based on the fun songs, like "Ritual" or "We Could Be Beautiful" (which is the Coldplay moment in these songs). Not sure if I want to see this one or not - on the fence here. Just because, here is that last one, the Coldplay copy.
One Liner: John Mayer-esque guitar and soft-blues-rock guy
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, soft-rock-blues Home: Nashville Poster Position: 23 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Only five songs available, all from a 2019 EP called Patrick Droney. I feel like he could work on the last name and choose something a little more cool. Droney makes me think this is going to be boring and sucky, and instead its quite good. This piece about him says that he attended the Clive Davis school at NYU, and then received "major placements on TV shows." It also says he had a self-titled debut that was released on August 3, which is either in the future or a past that is not in the same multiverse as my Spotify account. But he started touring when he was 12, so dude has been going at it for a long while. He says Eric Clapton is a hero, and I can see that in here, but I'd compare him much more closely to John Mayer with the guitar licks and that very similar vocal tone. Top track for streams is "High Hope," with 4.4 million.
Gentle little soft-rock song, dripping in soul. I like it. I sort of wish that one of his songs would kick it into higher gear, instead of just always sticking with this laid back groove stuff. I'll also give you the other top track, "Stand and Deliver," with 828k streams.
C'mon man, that light touch guitar work underneath most of the tune, his soft tenor in the chorus? Totally John Mayer. I'd give this a shot - sure he only has a few songs now, but he seems pretty talented and ready to blow it up. Might be fun to get him before he's the next big thing.
One Liner: Radiohead's lead singer doing his 2014 solo album for some reason.
Wikipedia Genre: electronic, experimental rock Home: Northhamptonshire, England. Poster Position: 3 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: So, this is going to be weird? Thom Yorke is, of course, the lead singer of Radiohead, one of the biggest bands in the world. He has a few solo albums, and Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is one of them - not a new band that he is fronting. The album was made alone, with Radiohead producer Nigel Goodrich producing, and is mainly spare electronic beats and sounds, with Thom gently singing over the top. Like a sleepy Radiohead album from their modern catalog where the guitars take a backseat to the machines. He originally uploaded the album only on BitTorrent in a pay-what-you-want (or don't pay at all) thing. It became the most downloaded legal torrent of 2014, and has since also been released on vinyl, and then later on CD and on bandcamp. Rolling Stone named it the 30th best album of 2014, and all of the reviews noted on the Wikipedia page for this album quotes several different reviewers to say that the album doesn't sound great on first listen, but "slowly unfolds" and "begins to unfurl" and "demands deep listening." I dunno, man, just sounds like some b-sides from Amnesiac or something to me. Feels incomplete, or throwaway, not like something that was fully formed and ready for the light of day. Nothing seems memorable or catchy, its all smeary sadness and ominousness. So, who knows what he is going to do on stage for an hour or hour and a half - the 8 song album is only 38 minutes long, and about ten minutes of that is "There is No Ice (for my Drink)" and "Pink Section," which are both icy weirdo instrumentals. The ACL bio page says that this is a "stunning three-way collaborative audio visual experience from Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich, and Tarik Barri." So maybe they are planning to do more than just play this album straight through, and we will be getting some other weirdness to go along with it? The top streaming track is the first one, "Brain in a Bottle," with just over 1.2 million streams.
Not a horrible track or anything, just kinda bops along under his falsetto. FYI, that video is 9 minutes long, but the actual track is only 4:40, so the second half of that video is just going to be weird silence and more images of Thom Yorke's eyeball from too close. So, enjoy?
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop. trap, emo rap, punk rap, lo-fi rap (blurg) Home: Philadelphia, PA Poster Position: 4 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: This is the worst of the current crop of bad rap. Actually, maybe it is like 8th worst, not the actual worst. But it is definitely in the conversation of the unoriginal, boring, uninteresting, poorly written, repeatedly repeating, copycat garbage that mucks up the rap scene right now. Real name is Symere Woods. In high school, he was in a rap "group" with friends called Steaktown, but that broke up by the time he was 17. He started going by Vert, saying that it "stood for vertical, like a vertical jump." Which sounds like something an unoriginal lyricist would say - "I was touching her booty, like I'm talking about her butt." He then changed his name to the current thing because someone told him that his rap style was "fast, like a machine gun." I guess he added the Lil because he was too unoriginal to figure out his own rapper name that didn't lean on someone else? Here's a weird bit of his Wikipedia page:
Woods has been accused of being a Satanist, originally by battle rapper Daylyt who claimed that Woods worshiped Satan. Woods has been said to be inspired by Marilyn Manson's worship and support of Satan, who he called his biggest inspiration. In July 2018, Woods told a crowd of fans that they were "going to hell" with him. In August 2017, Woods created controversy by adding satanic imagery to his social media accounts and saying phrases often associated with Satanism such as "666". Woods frequently promotes Satanism on his social media, which went far enough to warrant his Instagram access being taken from him by his record label.
I love the idea of some dork at Warner Brothers (or whatever the low rent version of Warner Brothers is that would sign this guy) having to take over Vert's Instagram page and keep it "kewl" and "edgy" but without the devil worship. OK, let's get into the music. I've been suffering through it all day, so your turn now! He has a track with FREAKING OVER A BILLION STREAMS!!! I bet you could add up all of the streams for some of the best rap songs of all time, and you wouldn't even reach a billion. So ridiculous, this current moment in popular music. Here is "XO TOUR Llif3"
Catchy chorus, plain beat, completely unintelligible lyrics during the verse. Let's find those: That is not your swag, I swear you fakin' Now these niggas wanna take my cadence Rain on 'em, thunderstorm, rain on 'em (Ooh, yeah) Medicine, lil' nigga, take some (Yeh, yeh) Fast car, NASCAR, race on 'em In the club, ain't got no ones, then we would beg them Clothes from overseas, got the racks and they all C-Notes You is not a G though Lookin' at you stackin' all your money, it all green though I was countin' that and these all twenties, that's a G-roll I mean, even when I read it, I'm not sure that it means anything at all. People are trying to rip off his style, so he's going to rain (?) on them for it, and you should do some drugs, and then drive quickly on those copycats, and if you don't have any dollar bills in the club you should beg other people? Your money is green? Is that part a diss, or just an observation? I mean, yes, it is all green, unless the person you are dissing is from like Canada or something? On top of the lyrics not meaning anything, I can only really understand about every fifth word. I get it being a catchy chorus where you get to sing about all of your friends being dead, but as a piece of good rap with interesting beat or lyrics, its a zero. [edit - of course, I heard it on the radio in the wild the other day and was kind of grooving along before I realized that it was this song. So, I guess I can see that it could be popular, but like, the most popular rap of the year or something? Silly] None of this is memorable at all, just him throwing words together and smearing them along before he can get back to his chorus. A FREAKING BILLION STREAMS!!! Just because now the thought is in my head:
Geto Boys - Mind Playin' Tricks on Me: 40.3 million
Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day: 231.2 million
N.W.A. - Fuck That Police: 123.8 million
Notorious BIG - Juicy: 304.4 million
Public Enemy - Fight the Power: 19.9 million
719.6 million streams. You could add The Message (17.9 million), Rapper's Delight (13.4), Sucker MC's (3.1), Planet Rock (8.1), Paid in Full (13.8), and C.R.E.A.M. (133.3), which are listed as other top ten tracks by Rolling Stone, and you still wouldn't get to a BILLION. FOH. (also, just because I am shocked, Public Enemy's By the Time I Get to Arizona only has 1.1 million streams, which is a tragedy. Also, I couldn't include Dr. Dre in that list because the dummy doesn't have his best album on Spotify). Also can't really tell the difference between this dude and so many of the other quasi crooner rap guys over melodic trap beats. The singing voice isn't bad, but then he yelps his way through the rapping, and on many tracks he drapes all of it in enough auto-tune to make it hard to even know what he sounds like. Some of his stuff sounds like Lil Wayne - that nasal whine and yelpy quality to the lyrics, like the new single "New Patek." Except lyrically he couldn't touch Wayne with a ladder that's forever. A 2015 mix tape called Luv is Rage, a 2016 mix tape called Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World, another 2016 tape called The Perfect LUV Tape, and then his one actual album, 2017's Luv is Rage 2 (which features that mega hit up above). His currently most popular track is a 2019 single called "Sanguine Paradise," with 108 million streams so far.
From looking at his shoes when he walks in that alley, dude looks like he might be Kevin Hart-style 5 foot tall. I also appreciate the Blade reference of the video - guilty pleasure movie for sure. How about another check of the lyrics here on the first verse?
If she left with me, she the right ho
Man, she ridin' me like a BMX
Man, she said the D is for Dyno
I got two horns like a rhino
It's no way you could buy ho
But I bought a mansion with a slide door
Yes, I opened up the slide door
So you can hear her hit the high note I mean, what? I get that the first few lines are about picking up a lady friend who wants to bone (and he has no standards), and that a Dyno is a type of BMX bike, but what in the world does the rest of it mean? Is the mansion with a slide door some sexual term for a special lady part with which to make the sexytime? But he bought the mansion, right after saying he couldn't buy the lady, so is the mansion a sex toy, not the woman? So when he has sex with his sex toy that has a sliding door, his lady friend will sing high notes? Is this a Fleshlight thing? I have no clue. This is exhaustingly bad. And also, I'm well aware that all eight million of those people who went and tore it up having a great time at Travis Scott's show last year are going to go in and go hard for this guy's set at ACL, but hopefully it will be opposite someone excellent and I won't have to deal with those people while watching the actual talented artist.
One Liner: Local dudes bashing their way into my heart with rock and roll
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, gonna say rock and roll, alternative rock, psych rock Home:Austin, Texas Poster Position: 21 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Where have you been all my life, Otis? This is the crunchy, cocky, raw rock and roll fuzzbox party that I needed after the last few bands. And they're local! A slight tinge of the psych rock feel to the tunes, but overall, this is just some scuzzy rock and damn roll. Great backend bass and drums giving a groove, while the guitarwork goes from grungy rhythm to soaring solo in a heartbeat. Also, in high school I named my two wooden lacrosse sticks Vlad the Impaler and Red the Destroyer (for all of my weird, purported originality, Red just had a maroonish red head), so I feel like these guys speak to my childhood as well. That being said, their stream counts are criminally low, so I may be on an island over here. One song with more than 20k streams, and most of their others are at less than 10k. Their top two streaming tracks come from a 2014 Dark Arts EP, with "Gravity Something" being the top track at 23k streams.
This is the one that gives off a little bit of surf/psych vibe to go with the rock and roll. You could see old (two albums ago) Tame Impala putting out a track like this. The band is made up of four dudes from the Austin music scene who had been in other bands and bounced around some - lead singer/guitarists Taylor Wilkins had been in a band called Couch. The original name of this band was Belushi, but then they changed it to the current (much cooler name) after a dog Wilkins had, who was apparently a destroyer as a pup but then mellowed out into a good boy. They have one real album - 2017's Keep Bashing. The top track off of that whole album has just over 5k streams, so this thing isn't lighting the modern music world on fire. This is "Monster Eater."
Somebody needs to take these dudes under their videographic wing and help make them a couple of good YouTube videos to go with their tracks. I've heard that video is the future. Then, they put out a new EP in April 2019, with very little streaming action so far, but the top track thus far is the title track, "Cool Evil," which only has 1,972 streams, but I bet I'm 12 of those already. Live version here, but you'll definitely get all of the bashing flavor.
Not much for lyricism of anything, but the rock and roll jam is what I crave. "Red Witch," from this same EP, is also a good one, almost adding in some Teenage Fanclub drone/squal in place of the Nirvana bash and soar. This is the good stuff. Gimme sommo.
One Liner: Great lyricist making fine Americana and country music.
Wikipedia Genre: Country, bluegrass, Folk Home: Lawrence County, Kentucky Poster Position: 4 (the fourth freaking line!?! Really?!?) Both Weekends.
Thoughts: A Kentucky Americana guy whose most recent album was produced by Sturgill Simpson? Yeah, I'm in for that. I give you that nugget of fact, but know that if you are looking for the next Sturgill, you'll likely be let down. He has some great turns of phrase and very strong lyrics, and some of these tunes are good, but nothing on here is so genre-bending and powerful as what Sturgill brings to the table. This is pretty straight-forward country/Americana with great lyricism. Fascinating that he is on the fourth line of this poster, with no track that breaks 25 million streams, and no name recognition among normal folks who I know. I'm sure in country circles he is known and rising, I just find it interesting that a relative unknown like this is above people like Jenny Lewis or Metric or Third Eye Blind. That being said, he may just be a star on the rise - he won Americana Music Honors' Emerging Artist of the Year in 2018. I reviewed his 2017 album Purgatory a year or so ago when a friend told me about his live show, and there are two songs on there that stand out enough to be immediately noted here. Funny thing, I was sure that I had pegged his top song with the reverb-filled "Universal Sound," but instead it is "Feathered Indians" by a mile - 24.4 million streams versus only 7.0 million.
Look at that opening couplet, man: "Well my buckle makes impressions On the inside of her thigh There are little feathered Indians Where we tussled through the night" Freaking fantastic love song - well told tale of finding something to finally live for in the Appalachian hills. This guy reminds me more of a Chris Knight or Slaid Cleaves, relatively simple tunes anchored by very good lyrics. Which, I mean, I love both of those dudes. The other killer song on that album is "Banded Clovis." While I don't know squat about a banded clovis arrowhead, the story of "Banded Clovis," in which a desperate digger murders his buddy for a great arrowhead, is a banjo-fueled fine tale. Perfectly told story, all in good rhyme and good music. It's unbelievable that he's not a big time songwriter doing battle with Jason Isbell for the Crown or Townes. And although "Universal Sound" isn't his top streamer, it is still a great track - more appealing and less country-ish. And it isn't even his second (or third, or fourth) most streamed track from this album. Second most streamed is "Whitehouse Road" at 12.6 million. Also, he had a 2017 three song EP thing called OurVinyl Sessions that boasts a track with over 12 million streams that is currently his second most popular track on Spotify top ten. I'll give you that raw and ragged track as well, "Nose on the Grindstone."
Like an Appalachian or Irish folk hymn for modern times. Feels like something that would have soundtracked a difficult scene in Justified or something, like a character falling back into heroin use and sinking into squalor. His only other album as of now is his first, 2011's Bottles and Bibles, which is a much less polished disc of stories told over sparse accompaniment. His voice is less strong, his guitar play less nuanced, it doesn't hold a candle to the newer album. Lyrically interesting, but the music itself isn't there yet. That being said, he was 19 years old when it came out. He's from Lawrence County, Kentucky, and if you click on the Wikipedia entry for that county he is listed first as the person from there, before a dead Chief Justice of the USSC. About 15k people in the county, and this is coal country bordering West Virginia. Childers' dad was in the coal industry. He has two new singles from 2019 - "All Your'n" and "House Fire" - which leads me to believe a new album is on the way. And Wikipedia confirms that a new album is due on August 2. "All Your'n" has a jammy, organ/piano fueled southern funk to it that is different than many of the prior songs. But "House Fire" is winning the stream battle for now with a more traditional Americana direction.
That video is weird as hell - like some choreographer was like "y'all seen that Hamilton thing with all them dances? We should do a redneck version of that with people from 1800's Kentucky!" And meanwhile the guy with the red mustache just keeps chuckling by the fire while Childers burns his guitar. SYMBOLISM! Anyway, another good track though. Loving this guy. Would totally go see him do it all live.
