TRACK: Danny Brown - "Kush Coma"

One of the most eccentric emcees to blow up in 2011 was Detriot's own Danny Brown who, with his 2011 album XXX, left his mark on abstract, weirdo, slightly satirical hip-hop. The album was weird, funny, disturbing, horrifying, and in the end slightly tragic. But Danny has maintained his popularity since then while his fans wait on a new album which is tentatively entitled Old, and set for release this year. Danny finally gave the album's first drop, assuming it's going to be on Old, in the form of "Kush Coma". Just a look at that title gives you the sense that Danny hasn't quite given up drugs as a songwriting topic. But thankfully this track doesn't feel old at all, and Danny is smart to choose a beat that's abstract, unique, and sort of atmospheric from SKYWLKR, who produced a good deal of the joints on XXX. Danny keeps his odd persona, maintains a high standard for spitting, and stays just as entertaining as ever. In short, this track is a win, and has me even more ecstatic to hear what he has in store for the remainder of his new LP.

Stream "Kush Coma" below via SoundCloud.


(Don't keep yourself in a kush coma and be sure to follow Robby on Twitter @ClydeNut for more music musings)

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TRACK: Cities Aviv - "Forever"

Save a few stray singles on his Bandcamp, oddball rapper Cities Aviv has been relatively quiet since the release of last year's exceptional Digital Lows. The MC has another release slated for Novemeber 13, however, titled Black Pleasure, which will arrive by way of Mishka Records. Check out a single from the album, "Forever," via Mishka's SoundCloud below.

By this point, experimentation with unconventional production choices has become somewhat of an expectation with Cities Aviv. With "Forever," he travels even further down the rabbit hole than normal, spitting over a highly danceable synthesizer-oriented beat. His verse doesn't start until nearly halfway through the song, and yet even with his voice settling in a low spot in the mix, his adept flow and personality cut through. "Forever" is a short song, but nonetheless a reminder of Cities Aviv's exciting refusal to be too confined.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB

by Robby Beck

To say that Death Grips have had a busy 2012 would be the grossest understatement I've heard, at least all day. If you're one of the 2 1/2 people reading this who have no clue who this band is or who is in them, please consult our many, many posts on them, for your health. The saga of Death Grips' 2012 include, but are not limited to, signing to a major label and announcing two albums for this year, releasing The Money Store to great critical acclaim, planning a tour, cancelling that tour, creating an entire alternative reality game around this very album, and culminating (so far) with bypassing their record label's decision to not release this album until next year by releasing the album themselves for free via SoundCloud, YouTube, and various filesharing sites. All the while building one of the most devoted followings a "buzz band" has seen in recent years. But now that I have that out of the way (I really couldn't do a review without going over some of that), let's get busy with what's at the eye of this cluttered storm, what the point of it all really should be: the album.

If you go into this one expecting "Death Grips as usual" (if there is such a thing)or a repeat of any of the sounds and vibes they've been working with, you'd be sorely mistaken and surprised. "Come up and get me" sets the stage for No Love Deep Web; it's a cold, minimal, paranoid, and lumbering piece of music with Stefan Burnett's MC Ride persona really taking center stage here. He gives one of his most impassioned, angry, loud, and even anguished performances yet on this track. He's eight stories high and ponders whether or not he should "nosedive to the next life in seconds" and if you think that's the only reference to suicide throughout this album, you'd be wrong.

In fact it's the element of anguish along with the depressive, cold electronics that separate this album the most from its predecessors. Throughout this album the character Ride has been playing for the entirety of Death Grips' trajectory has found himself in a rock bottom place; he's lived his life is such abuse and excess that there's nothing left for him anymore. The darkness on this album makes Exmilitary and The Money Store look like summer albums in comparison. While those albums definitely didn't glorify the behaviors discussed, they were definitely the high compared to NO LOVE DEEP WEB's low, low, lows.

As I relayed earlier, the music here is certainly darker, but Death Grips said in the official announcement of this album that "the material is cold , bass heavy , minimal , rock & roll influenced and could simultaneously fit into a rave or dance club context". Pay attention to that last part, because there is a huge element of club music on the production of this album; you could maybe even hear "Lil Boy", "Black Dice" and more at your local dance club.....er, if that dance club is located in Purgatory, that is. But in all seriousness, coldness, darkness, and minimalism are really the names of the game when it comes to the sound on this thing. While some of the tracks here are just massive ("No Love" in particular), the electronics here are nowhere near as intricately detailed as in previous Death Grips releases, and that was an intentional move. As well as the album being not nearly as hook-oriented as Death Grips were before; explosive hooks akin to tracks like "Hacker", "The Fever", "Guillotine", or "Get Got" won't be found here. In fact when the album does get hooky, it's on tracks like "Hunger games" and "Stockton", where the hooks are so awkwardly timed and have such strange rhythms that I think it's just as alienating as the rest of the album.

Where this album succeeds, to me, in a way that this group's previous full lengths haven't to this level, is in the narrative. More than either of the band's other albums, this album flows like a story, like a grimy pulp novel. We're witnessing the lowest days of MC Ride's character, and with vivid, vivid detail. Even if it's something ridiculous and seemingly nonsensical, like him being "the coat hanger in your man's vagina", there's still something so disturbingly poetic about it. The final track, "Artificial death in the west" has the most subdued, depressing, and mournful tone of any track on this album, or any Death Grips track for that matter. The refrain, "where you running now" is repeated often, and it shows MC Ride's character at an end, not knowing where to go anymore. You can see where this is going.

In this humble reviewer's opinion, NO LOVE DEEP WEB is Death Grips' most cohesive, thematic, and fully realized work yet, and while it doesn't have the immediacy or accessibility of The Money Store, it's just as much of a rewarding listen, if not more so. It seems like this is a band that just keeps getting better, and for me, this is their crowning achievement.

Score: decent-strong 9

(Where you running now? Well hopefully to Robby's Twitter account @ClydeNut! ;D)

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LIVE REVIEW: El-P / Killer Mike / Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire / Despot at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, CA

Before I start talking about this show in question, a couple orders of business:
1. This review is nearly a week late. Boo hoo.
2. This is my first time doing a concert review in written form, so forgive me if it's not so eloquent and it comes off as a kind of transcript of what I would've said in video form.

Now that that's out of the way...

When I heard El-P would finally be coming around these parts of LA, and at one of my favorite venues, I knew I couldn't possibly miss it. It was my first hip-hop show ever, and given that he was bringing along fellow NYC rappers Despot and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, and Atlanta rapper Killer Mike (whose latest album El-P produced), it would certainly be a night to remember.

And it was, but in a way I didn't expect. These four emcees showed me how personal, intimate, and fun a hip-hop show could be. I never expected to lose my voice the morning after a rap show. I never expected the people around me to be so welcoming. I never expected the mood of the show to be so fun-loving and almost nostalgic.

The first act was Queens, New York City rapper Despot, who's a name I've seen in a good number of feature spots but whose solo material I've never heard, what little of it there is. He even joked about how long it's taken for him to drop an album. But he performed very well, if a little lethargically. As good as his beats, flows, and lyrics are, Despot's inflection never quite changes as he raps. But everything else, as well as his witty banter with the audience in between songs, made his set memorable.

Next came an emcee whose popularity is massively growing, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire. While all four rappers that played that night brought great energy, eXquire brought a kind of manic punk rock energy. The dude is so hyped up himself I'm surprised he even bothered to have a hype man for himself. The crowd was going nuts for this guy, he performed with a weirdness that turned into charisma, and even El-P had to come out to hype this guy up. I'd love to see this guy at a headlining show.

Killer Mike came on after that. Love him or hate him, you cannot say that Mike is insincere. Not only was this apparent with the brute force he brought into his harder songs, but after giving a tribute to his fallen grandfather and playing "Willie Burke Sherwood", Mike ended the song in tears, admitting that he "cries every time [he] plays that song." The fact that someone as "tough" as Mike is completely unashamed of his emotions made this one of the most profound moments of the night. It reminded me that the music these people were making was some of the most honest and sincere music you can find in hip-hop these days.

I forgot to mention that there were DJ sets playing in between each act, and before El-P's set, none other than The Gaslamp Killer showed up to twist some knobs. I've seen him DJ a couple times before and he's always more entertaining than the average DJ; apparently he played some new Flying Lotus material. Interesting.

Finally, the man of the night took the stage. El-P came out with his 3-piece band, hypeman, and later on plenty of guests. As many of you probably know, I fucking loved his latest album Cancer 4 Cure, and he played the entire album in full, which to me is the best way to present the songs. It's one of those albums where if you just play one song out of the flow and context of the record, it wouldn't be as meaningful. This way every track got to shine in their own unique way.

For the performance of "Works Every Time", Zola Jesus came out to fill in for Paul Banks' vocal parts; she performed with El on Conan O'Brien's show the night before, so it was pretty nice to see that in person. Of course Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Killer Mike and Despor came out to do their respective verses on "Oh Hail No" and "Tougher Colder Killer", but what was probably the biggest surprise of the night was Nick Diamonds stopping by to do his fantastic vocal part on "Stay Down". I don't know if this was just for the LA date or for more surrounding shows, but it was breathtaking hearing him perform live.

After performing the album, El came back out and did some old tunes, including one from Fantastic Damage. I feel like I couldn't give you an accurate telling of my experience, because a lot of what made the show great was the camaraderie I felt from everyone around me, including the people on stage. It was one of those shows where you go to it alone, but you find yourself making friends with everyone there. This was one of the most intimate, personal, and memorable shows I've been to in a long time, and I feel so incredibly lucky that I got to partake in it. Hopefully more hip-hop shows are like this.

(Robby wishes he was as good of a writer as he is a video blogger...which isn't saying much. But follow the motherfucker on Twitter @ClydeNut anyway)

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TRACK: Coin Locker Kid - "Gretle."

I think it's safe to say that dark, experimental hip hop has been thriving as of late. The success of artists like Shabazz Palaces, Death Grips, and El-P has made way for other unconventional rappers to come out of the woodwork, some forgettable and some presenting their own voice in a memorable light. Coin Locker Kid is a prime example of the latter; between an appearance on the recent Quakers record and a new, self-produced free album, the MC has been offering an interesting angle on the weirder side of hip hop. Look no further than "Gretle.," a highlight from his new release. With its expressive hand percussion and sampled chorus vocals, the beat is sparse yet dramatic, which creates the ideal backdrop for CLK's intimate, thought-provoking delivery.

The track is just one of the 21 tracks on The Ghost Sonata, which Coin Locker Kid has made available to stream and download for free on his Bandcamp.



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VIDEO ALBUM REVIEW: El-P - Cancer 4 Cure

My review of the new album from one of my favorite hip-hop artists, El-P. Low video quality and frustration will be explained below.



Score: decent 9

TRACK PICKS:
The Full Retard
Drones Over BKLYN
Oh Hail No
Tougher Colder Killer
True Story
Stay Down

(For some better quality videos and some more cool music reviews, check out Robby's YouTube page)

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VIDEO ALBUM REVIEW: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

This week, I'll be reviewing R.A.P. Music, the latest collaborative effort from Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and Brooklyn rapper/producer El-P. The nature of this collaboration was at first surprising and confusing. But I'm glad to say it's paid off handsomely.




Score: decent 8

Track Picks:
Big Beast
Go
Southern Fried
Don't Die
Butane
R.A.P. Music

(To see past reviews and subscribe, go to Robby's YouTube page, MrSplatterPlatter)

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STREAM: Death Grips - The Money Store

It's here! It's finally here! After dropping not one, not two, not three, not four, but five tracks from their major label debut The Money Store, experimental hip hop group Death Grips have made the album available to stream on their SoundCloud. Listen to it below, and look forward to the LP's official release on April 24 by way of Epic Records.

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VIDEO: Death Grips - "The Fever (Aye Aye)"

Excitement has been building around the YPOIW camp for the two new Death Grips albums that are coming out later this year. Considering the pace at which the experimental hip hop trio has been releasing high-quality tracks from the first of these albums, The Money Store, how could we not be getting excited? Some people may have been a bit skeptical after hearing about Death Grips' major label move, but with the tastes we've been given of the album so far, the group has gladly defaced any rumors that their sound would be "watered down." Following up "Blackjack," "Get Got," and "Lost Boys," here is the video for "The Fever (Aye Aye)."

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OPINION: Death Grips Signing to a Major Label?

Weird news of the day: loud, abrasive, experimental punk hop trio Death Grips, a group that has made a name for itself off a largely DIY and outsider vibe, has signed to a major label, Epic Records. We received the news a few weeks ago that 'Grips would be releasing two new albums this year, and now we know that the first, which is looking at an April 24 release, will be titled The Money Store. The album will include both the recently dropped "Blackout", and the newly released "Get Got". You can watch the video for that track here, via the group's -- wait for it -- VEVO.

If you've seen YPOIW's list of favorite albums of last year, you know that many of us are fans of these guys. This move to a major label, however, is sure to make even some of Death Grips' most loyal fans skeptical, since the "anti-establishment" vibe that comes with the group's music and image seems to run in basically direct contradiction to the major label ethic. After all, I saw these guys live in a friggin' art space in Oakland, CA last year that could hardly hold 100 people. However, I'm not sure I can totally get behind the sentiment that Death Grips have "betrayed" their fans, or whatever. Personally, I love seeing ridiculously oddball stuff being appreciated on a wide scale, and even though I don't see Death Grips joining the ranks among Kanye and Drake in the Top 40, I'm glad to see them succeed to at least some notable degree. Besides, as cliché as this sounds, isn't it supposed to be "about the music"? I, for one, am really enjoying the two most recent tracks the group has released, especially "Get Got". Those familiar with Death Grips' previous work will notice that this track in particular is relatively more subdued, but that's not to say that any of the flavor, originality, or spirit has been lost. Vocalist Stefan Burnett still sounds as powerful as ever, even if his delivery isn't quite as ferocious, and the production offers a characteristically dirty aesthetic, which is topped off with a memorable synthesizer melody that is just as noisy as it is infectious. I'm not without numerous problems regarding the way major labels operate, but if Death Grips continue to deliver this kind of quality, I wouldn't feel justified in pouting.

So, I suppose the real test of whether or not this was a bad move comes with the release of the trio's two promised albums later this year. Until then, I'll continue bumping Exmilitary, holding myself over with "Blackout" and "Get Got", and hoping for the best.

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VIDEO: New Death Grips Albums on the Way

Aggro-hip hop enigmas Death Grips released this characteristically cryptic video yesterday along with the announcement that they will be releasing two full-length albums this year, the first of which is set to drop in April. Considering how last year's Exmilitary made it to the #2 spot on our favorite albums of 2011 list, you can probably imagine that many of us are excited.

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