Quick Hits, Vol. 367 (Horsegirl, Roc Marciano, Japanese Breakfast, My Morning Jacket)

Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On.  Not sure where this one came from, but do you remember those weird little songs interspersed through the Juno Soundtrack?  My brain says they were by the Moldy Peaches, but I looked it up and it looks like those were by Kimya Dawson.  That is what some of these songs remind me of.  Kind of like if Sonic Youth, the Velvet Underground, and Kimya Dawson decided to make gentle indie rock together.  I don't intend that to sound like a slight either, it is a pretty nice set of quiet, little rock and roll slivers.  "2468" is the top streamer, with 608k.

Got a Wes Anderson vibe to that video, that colorful, active, and particular minimalism.  Definitely prefer some of the other songs on here that have more to them lyrically.  This one is like a droning experiment.  But, like, "Well I Know You're Shy" is a bright little nugget of poppy indie that makes me happy inside.  "I Can't Stand to See You" has some pleasing jangle to it as well.  This thing is super lo-fi and unassuming, but it makes me happy.

Roc Marciano - The Skeleton Key.  Also not sure where this came from, this isn't a go-to rapper for me. The Internet tells me he is a legend, but I don't know about all of that.  I've been digging what the Alchemist has been doing for Larry June, but I feel like maybe he used his best stuff before he got to this album.  Or at least he used his most luxe, chill, smooth shit there, and kept mostly sparsely crafted and menacing tracks for this one.  They feel intense.  Instead of finding a lush loop of bass or sax, he finds a tense violin sound and loops that into a worrisome nailbiter.  Interesting why he chooses certain beats for certain guys.  Maybe Marciano requested stress.  I guess "Make Sure" is a little more luscious, even as he is rapping about blowing people's brains out.  "Chopstick" may be my favorite.  Top track is "Street Magic" with 561k streams.

It's almost not even a beat, it is so disjointed and spare.  And the rap is very conversational, it just happens to rhyme.  I want that fat ass coat though...  Maybe a powerful thing for deep rapheads, but I can let it go.

Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women).  As per the usual, this is really pretty.  Not quite as upbeat as the prior albums (which, duh, with that title) but nonetheless I find it warmly dark.  And its not all dark!  "Mega Circuit" has a whimsical Fiona Apple-esque lilt to it that is catchy for sure.  The weirdest thing to happen in all of music this year, for my money, is the warbling addition of Jeff Bridges to "Men in Bars" for, uh, reasons.  At first, I thought maybe Elvis Costello had gone through a stroke and agreed to come back with this song, but then I saw who it was, and I guess that makes sense.  His marblemouthed delivery of lines in The Old Man definitely checks out here.  At 10 songs and 32 minutes, this disc definitely breezes by quickly.  "Orlando in Love" make me think of a Lord Huron song from a few years ago.  That's the top streamer with 3.7 million.

I don't know why but I was really hoping Orlando Bloom was going to wander out in his elf costume.  These are good songs, this is a good little set.

My Morning Jacket - is.  I KNOW, I KNOW.  I am a huge ass homer for these dudes, and if you know that you already hate them, then you can just bugger off and go read Pitchfork or something.  Because I am going to gush.  I freaking love it.  For me, this is the perfect combination of regular ass rock and roll, jammy instrumental detours, and harmonic beauty.  For some rude ass people, including, unfortunately, my wife, this is a bad combination that makes them want to leave transcendent live shows early to avoid the amazing beauty of such a thing.  But for me, this is what I want to boogie/groove with and then bliss out to in equal measure without having to change the disc.  I was trying to consider what about them reaches so deeply into my brain, and I think it is the combination they create of some of my favorite early musical loves, like the Black Crowes bluesy rock, the Dead's freewheeling spirit, and the way that the Allman Brothers do all of those things.

I think I get to go see their show in a few weeks and I'm psyched that I really like the new album. Sometimes when you go to the show the band wants to just play new stuff, and that wasn't what you really came to hear.  I like that some of these songs call back to classic MMJ - like how the drum/synth strikes at the start of "Half a Lifetime" sound like a retake of "Off the Record" from Z - but then make it all new all over again.  Definitely helps that Jim James has such a rad voice.  "Time Waited" was the first single, and so it has the most streams by a good-sized margin.  And it's a great tune!  But I feel like I connect more to the grimy rock goodness of "Squid Ink" so I am going to give you that one.  608k streams.

Yeah, baby.  Lock in to that groove and never leave.  Not that it is necessarily better than the more chill light touch of "Time Waited," this is just more where my ear is right now.  That heavy ass riff in there is yummy fo sho.  "Everyday Magic" is a sweet groove that I dig as well, and the copycat sound of "I Can Hear Your Love" makes me smile even if it reminds me way too much of the "Love is Strange" song that was on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack a million years ago.  I am in all the way.  Dig it all.  Sign me up.