Hey everybody, here’s some excellent new music we discovered this week that will provide the perfect soundtrack for your weekend and kick off Halloweek in fine style! Enjoy!
Hey everybody, here’s some excellent new music we discovered this week that will provide the perfect soundtrack for your weekend and kick off Halloweek in fine style! Enjoy!
Danny Brown – Dip
That zany Detroit rapper with the unmistakable voice is back–Danny Brown just released his latest album, Old, and as with his previous breakthrough album, XXX, he’s talking very openly about his relationship with drugs. “Dip,” the album’s hyped-up, bouncy single, is all about having crazy escapades while high on molly, but despite its upbeat sound and the amusing cartoon effects in the video, Danny’s clearly a bit concerned about his own substance intake. From references to fainting and barfing in sinks to the ominous last-verse line “Obviously we got some problems, so bitch, let’s kill that pain,” there’s an undercurrent of worry here. Last month, when Noisey asked him if his drug use was a problem, he said “Yeah, of course.” So keep that in mind when you’re dancing around to this track (and it is a lot of fun to dance to)–maybe trying this stuff at home is not a good idea. Anyway, grab a digital copy of Old from iTunes HERE, or get it on CD from Fool’s Gold HERE.
Elizabeth – Danger
If you like hardcore and metal, you need to be aware of Throatruiner Records. This one-man operation from France puts out an insane amount of high-quality European hardcore and metal records every year, and once the records are out on vinyl, they make digital downloads available for free! Considering their prolific release rate, the fact that pretty much every band on the label is outstanding seems even more impressive. Elizabeth, a Swiss hardcore band whose LP Where Vultures Land came out on Throatruiner last year, is back with a new EP called Insomnia, and “Danger” is the first track from that EP, released this week as a sneak preview. The band’s speedy attack and dark, minor-chord riffing walks the line between hardcore, crust, and black metal, and the high, brutal vocals sound appropriately throat-ruining. Insomnia comes out December 15–keep an eye out for ordering info HERE (and score a free download of Where Vultures Land while you’re at it).
Death Of Lovers – Buried Under A World Of Roses
A lot of former hardcore kids are growing up to play in new wave and shoegaze bands. Death Of Lovers is a side project of Whirr and Nothing, meaning they are no more than two degrees of separation from early-00s hardcore bands like American Nightmare and Horror Show. But when they can tackle their new favorite genres with such obvious proficiency, why complain? On “Buried Under A World Of Roses,” Death Of Lovers offer a mix of postpunk guitars and coldwave synths, with a wispy yet pleasing vocal line winding through. The lyrics are indistinct due to the vocal being buried in the lush, reverbed-out mix, but hey, treating the vocals as just another instrument worked really well for My Bloody Valentine. Death Of Lovers may not be in that rarefied company quite yet, but they fit well with the best of the current shoegaze revival (Yuck, Tamaryn), and show serious potential. Best part: they really do look like a bunch of hardcore kids in the video. The Buried Under A World Of Roses EP will be out soon on Deathwish Inc–follow Death Of Lovers on tumblr to learn more.
Motorhead – Heartbreaker
It seems hard to believe, but Motorhead are still going just as strong after 35-plus years as a band as they were back in the “Ace Of Spades” days. They’ve had their ups and downs along the way, but the first single from their brand new album, Aftershock, brings us metal god Lemmy Kilmister and co. in top form. “Heartbreaker”s video incorporates some cool cartoon effects with sweet Motorhead live footage, and the song’s based around some classic driving punk/metal riffs that incorporate just the tiniest touch of melody on the chorus. So it’s catchy, but it’s still tough as nails–just like all your favorite tracks from these guys. Long live Motorhead! Order your copy of Aftershock‘s limited edition digipak for a quite reasonable price from Amazon HERE.
The Wonder Years – Passing Through A Screen Door
This is cheating, because the album this song comes from has been out for six months. But I don’t care, because I just heard this song for the first time yesterday and it’s amazing. The Wonder Years came out of that pop-punk/melodic hardcore hybrid scene (sometimes known as “easycore”) of the late 00s, and a few years ago I gave their second album a bad review in the print mag. They’ve come a long way since then, and their decision to slide more towards the pop-punk/emo side of things has done wonders for them (no pun intended). This song of working-class regret and fear hits close to home for me, and will probably ring true for anyone who has ever sacrificed financial stability to chase their dreams. The amazing, heartfelt chorus only further underscores the intense emotion in the lyrics; plus, it’ll have you singing along as it runs through your head all day. The Wonder Years used to sound like Set Your Goals, but not as good. Now they sound like The Gaslight Anthem, only a lot better. There are no downsides to that kind of transition. Get yourself a copy of their new album, The Greatest Generation, in digital form HERE, or on CD HERE.
