Quick Hits, Vol. 8 (Foxes in Fiction, Lecrae, Mellencamp, Porter Robinson, TV on the Radio)

Foxes in Fiction - Ontario Gothic.  Atmospheric indie harmonies.  Pretty, moody music that worked well for me today as a cold front rolled in over downtown.  Really nice, but I doubt I'll listen to this one again.

I have already talked about how awesome First Aid Kit is, but check out this video a friend sent around today.  Such a perfect cover for them to tackle.

Lecrae - Anomaly.  Christian rap.  Which sounds horrible, but is actually well done.  The beats and tone make it sound like any other rap album currently out.  For that matter, if you listen to the lyrics, for the most part it sounds like any other rapper as well.  I just heard him say "y'all must be high on that medical," so he's not above rapping about the weeds.  But this is more of an empowerment anthem about how the rappers should stop bragging and leading kids down the wrong road and be something more.  Not bad.

However, not bad isn't good enough to climb into my Keepers playlist.

John Mellencamp - Plain Spoken.  Sister Susan first introduced me to the Cougar, way back in the day.  Scarecrow was and is awesome.  But this is not nearly so interesting and exciting.  Tried it twice and have no recollection of anything.

Porter Robinson - Worlds.  Indie electronics.  Interesting tunes.  Some with no lyrics, mainly just beats and samples, but others with simplistic choruses.  Kind of like Passion Pit.

TV on the Radio - Seeds.  I really like this album.  I tried TVOTR a few albums ago (Dear Science) and recall being underwhelmed.  Critics talk about these guys like they cured cancer, but parts of this album finally live up to some of that hype.  It is complex music that rewards multiple listens, although Happy Idiot is a jam from the very first get-go.

"I'm gonna bang my head through the wall, until I feel like nothing at all."  And Pee Wee Herman as the main character in a weird video.  Cool all around.  Snappy jams that belie the fact that this is kind of a sad song.  Careful You is another great semi-love song about being unsure in love, with cool stereo effects that make the snares sound like they bounce between the speakers.  The title track is also a cool one - love the chorus mantra: "rain comes down, like it always does, this time I've got seeds on ground."  Cool album that you should check out.