Quick Hits, Vol. 19 (Chet Faker, Restorations, Azealia Banks, How to Dress Well)

Chet Faker - Built on Glass.  Aussie electronic guy.  The album opens like Trolley from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood decided to make an electro slow-jam with a crooner.  Austin radio has been pimping "Gold" pretty heavy for a while, and I like it well enough.  Here is "Gold,"

That is the finest rolling skating I think I've ever seen.  Although I have no clue what the song has to do with midriff-baring roller skaters, its a good tune.  The rest of the album is similar, chilled out electro with a kind of mumble-y singer over the top.  An R&B-flavored, slo-mo-electro thing.  I've never heard of Kilo Kish, but the collaboration "Melt," is a pretty awesome sultry, breathy slink.  The guy got his fame through covering Blackstreet's "No Diggity," which is a pretty ballsy move, but he actually turns it into a downtempo synth groove that is funny but still a jam.  This is interesting music that I could listen to again, but I likely won't keep it.

Not music, but interesting article on five thirty eight about the true definition of Austin's city limits and the flight of people out of the increasingly expensive city core.  I went back to my old Junior High school a few weeks back, which is located on the east side of Austin, and was struck at how different the neighborhood is 25 years later.  Some of the houses are still tiny, wooden homes with chain link fencing and carports, while many of those lots have been replaced with architectural, large houses.  Weird to see.  Hard to believe that Austin-metro now has 1.7 million freaking people, with the real "city" (@ 800k) being larger than San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Baltimore, etc.  Weird that we have no professional teams and still miss out on some of the big concert schedules.

Restorations - LP3.  One of the Grantland top ten albums of last year I listened to previously, but this one stuck with me for a while.  Some 90's alternative flourishes in driving, earnest rock and roll. Their most-listened to tune off the album is "Separate Songs," which only has about 60k listens, but is a kick ass tune.  "Imagine going outside to hear the sweet sound of separate songs."

Dig it.  The rest of the album is similar - pounding rock and roll with heart on the sleeve and fist raised.  Good stuff.

Azealia Banks - Broke with Expensive Taste.  Much hyped New York rapper who finally got her album out after years of issues with a label.  Odd beats, with less typical rap thump and more island-flavored bounce, techno click, or funk bass with horns.  Oh, and the super weird beach-boogie "Nude Beach A Go-Go."  Her lyrics are so blazing fast it is hard to decipher all that she is rolling through, so while I am impressed by the speed, I'm not entirely sure that she is saying much of anything.  I listened carefully to the frenetic techno-rap of "Desperado," and it appears to be about her looking good and being badass, but the lyrics are super dense.  I don't even know the words she is using sometimes.  Even without understanding, the flow of her lyrics is excellent - I wish the music/beats were more appealing to me.  Her big hit a few years ago, which is only out now officially, is "212":

Not quite as speedy as some of her other tracks, this still gives you an idea of the quick delivery and non-traditional beats.  Next-level smack talking going on there.  Later, she says she is PYT and you be Billie Jean.  Which is awesome.  Majority of the lyrics seems to be about her being super high fashion and badass and way cooler than you.  Not my favorite music, but I'll respect the skills of her delivery.

How to Dress Well - What is this Heart?  Dude looks like a sad Manu Ginobli on the cover of his album.  Boo hoo, Timmy and Tony are going to retire some day!  He so sad!  He kind of sounds like a sad Manu Ginobli might if he tried to make an album - its all spare electronic and tender quasi-R&B falsetto style. Super boring.  I think this was the last of the Pretty-Good Top 5, and it sure was an underwhelming list.