Lav's Music Corner

Porter Robinson is a North Carolina based electronic music producer who first emerged as a dubstep artist before transitioning into more abstract fields of electronic music leading up to his debut album in 2014. He hasn't been completely radio silent in the 7 years since releasing some remix projects and a couple EPs. Since his debut album received acclaim the long wait has caused this follow up to be a highly anticipated one.  Review By Lav: Man, I love electronic music. I missed Porter Robinson when he first emerged and only really heard his debut record after it came out. I have had time to learn a little bit more about him and given that he's from my home state of North Carolina and started dabbling in veins of experimental electronica I was pulling for him to succeed and excited to see what he would do next. I only heard one or maybe two of the singles for this record before going into it so I didn't know what to expect and I really was excited for it. Unfortunately th...

Lil Yachty is an Atlanta rapper who first emerged in the latter half of the last decade with a unique and fun sound on his Lil Boat Mixtape . Since then he has released an inconsistent series of projects that pivoted completely from his individual sound into something much more commercial. Review By Lav: There have been a couple of times in Yachty's discography that I've really enjoyed his sound. His breakout mixtape is still one of the most idiosyncratic pieces of contemporary trap out there and the sequel is a more commercial leaning hard-hitting affair. Even on last years Lil Boat 3  there were plenty of solid tracks among the bloated 19 song tracklist. Unfortunately everything not in the Lil Boat series has been pretty disappointing from Yachty so far and I was hoping this would break that trend. Yachty collected a bunch of artists from Michigan to feature all across this album and occasionally highlights some excellent unique voices. But unfortunately for the most part thi...

Cordae is a Maryland based rapper who has emerged in the last few years as one of the most lyrically gifted young MCs in hip hop. He was originally one third of the YBN trio but since scoring a XXL freshman slot and releasing a highly acclaimed debut album he has dropped the YBN from his name and started to release solo material. Just Until  is a 4 track EP meant to tide fans over until the release of Cordae's second album later this year. Review By Lav: I really enjoyed Cordae's debut album in 2019 and he's been on my singles of the year list for three years straight with his J Cole response track, Bad Idea  and last years The Parables . He has displayed a strong talent for cohesive tracks with excellent narrative focus and witty lyricism but is no slouch when it comes to making hard-hitting and fun tracks as well. This versatility and high level of execution has made him one of the most exciting artists out right now in any genre and Just Until  builds even further upon...

Kero Kero Bonito is a London based indie and electro pop act who have bounced between a number of different stylistic eras. They first broke onto the scene with a distinctly J-Pop inspired sound before following it up with a shimmering electro pop style and then coming through in 2018 with a much more indie influenced sound on Time n Place . Since then they released the first edition of this EP series and presented a blend of all their previous explorations, which also seemed like the outlook for this sequel. Review By Lav: I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've ever heard from KKB. Despite bouncing between some very distinct sounds they have brought with them fantastic songwriting and a creative exploration of sounds that makes it always fresh and interesting. While Civilization I wasn't my favorite thing the band had ever done I did see a lot of potential in it, particularly with the When The Fires Come  single. Thankfully on Civilization II  that potential is fully rea...

Slime Language 2 is the second compilation album from Young Thug's Young Stoner Life Records. It features contributions from many artists on the label, most notably Thug himself and Gunna, while spotlighting a number of young talents and bringing on many high profile guests. The 23 track 75 minute record is an extension well beyond the first Slime Language  and has been one of the most talked about moments in popular rap music this year.  Review By Lav: I've always been known to dish out praise in Young Thug's direction as one of the more unique MC's in the world of trap music. Despite that he isn't without his misses and he tends to release a lot of material, not all of which is great. Slime Language 2  takes that element of Thugger's output as a mission statement rather than a word of warning. This thing is incredibly bloated and even more inconsistent with the quality of songs varying drastically depending on the talent level of the artists involved. One thin...

Conway The Machine is a Buffalo, New York rapper and one third of the acclaimed Griselda records trio alongside Westside Gunn and Benny The Butcher. The trio have been incredibly prolific in recent years garnering the attention of both mainstream hip hop and numerous critics with 2020 in particular being big for the label. They've continued releasing prolifically with both Conway and Benny dropping collaborative tapes with producers already before La Maquina  was dropped. Review By Lav: Last year after flirting with the label for years I finally took a deep dive into Griselda and all three of its prime artists and came out pretty satisfied. While they've each had their moments across the past few years as far as 2020 was concerned, I was much more pleased by big albums form Westside and Benny than Conway's From A King To A GOD . I was hoping that Conway would show his talents off more consistently on a new project that would definitively put him in the same high tier as h...

Lil Mariko  - Lil Mariko I first heard this girl on Dorian Electra's album last year and I just new she was gonna be somebody to look out for. Her songs here follow a formula of fusing trap and pop for catchy simple tunes, that randomly explode into Poppy like industrial metal right at the end. Mariko pulls it off pretty well with her raunchy in your face personality and hilarious lyricism. The bad bitch bangers on this thing are instant anthems and I can't get enough of songs like Hi I'm A Slut , Catboys , Shiny  and I'm Baby . While the songwriting and production here aren't going to blow anyone away the EP is overflowing with unforgettable personality. The only major complaint I have is that the stop and start refrains make it really difficult for Mariko to pen catchy hooks, which is usually a must for music like this. I think with just a splash of improved songwriting and more interesting beats she could follow this up with something absolutely spectacular. But ...

There is more great rap music out there than I can possibly cover in full reviews, or even in rapid fire reviews. With many of the years most talked about releases being hip hop crossovers I decided to once again return to some records I didn't get the chance to review in full to make sure I don't fall behind with plenty more great rap music surely coming in 2021 Haram  - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist Armand Hammer is the New York duo of Billy Woods and Elucid who have spent the last decade releasing some of the most abstract and indulgent rap music around with highlights coming in the form of projects like Paraffin  and Race Music . The Alchemist is a producer with a resume that rivals just about anyone with a number of great collaborative projects in the past few years, most notably the Freddie Gibbs meetup Alfredo . For fans of The Alchemist you'll find these instrumentals mostly recognizable if not a bit more grimey than usual. There are those classic moments of spa...

Brockhampton are a California via Texas rap group/boy band whose youthful fusion of rap, pop and R&B has become sort of a trademark in the years since their Saturation  trilogy first caught fire in 2017. The last time we heard from the group in 2019 they were exploring a much more somber approach to their sound, but from the singles to this record they projected a return to their idiosyncratic brand of hip hop.  Review By Lav: I've had pretty positive reception to most of what Brockhampton have done. They kicked off their career with Saturation 1 and 2  which scored a 9 and 10 respectively in my reviews and the acclaim returned when Ginger  turned out to be one of my favorite albums of 2019. I was excited to see what the band was going to do next even before I heard the incredible lead single from this album. Now that it's been released in its entirety I'm impressed by both the versatility of the execution on the record, as well as its consistency.  BUZZCUT ...

Iglooghost is the experimental electronic project of British musician Seamus Malliagh that first drew attention with the Chinese Nu Year  EP released on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder records. The debut Iglooghost alhum was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2017 but the project has continued to be busy since then. In 2018 Seamus released a pair of EP's that expanded the Iglooghost discography and lore, and in 2019 he teamed up with Kai Whiston and BABii for a collaborative project.  Review By Lav: The sounds of Iglooghost music were absolutely insane for 2015. Looking back on the explosion of hyper pop it is clear how much Iglooghost's fusion of drum and bass with jittery electronica helped set the genre in motion, even though he doesn't necessarily fit in perfectly with the label. I've been enjoying just about everything released under the project since as well, Neo Was Bloom  was a great debut, the Steel Mogu  EP was a great cohesive set of bangers and even hi...

These 13  - Andrew Bird/Jimbo Mathus This collaboration between indie folk veteran Andrew Bird and Squirrel Nut Zippers alum Jimbo Mathus had the potential to be fascinatingly unique. With Bird's unique lyricism and sweet vocals alongside Jimbo's versatile back catalog including swing revival I wasn't really sure what to expect from These 13 . As it turns out the record is a mostly folk affair with occasional splashes of country. This works more than it doesn't with Bird in particular feeling quite at home and pinning some provoking lyrics throughout. There are definitely a few points on the record where it gets flat out hokey and some of the more country inspired cuts don't tend to hold up from a songwriting standpoint. Ultimately there is enough here to keep fans of either artist interested, but I don't see the pair as adding up to greater than the sum of their parts here. 6/10 The Art Of Losing  - The Anchoress The Anchoress is the project of Catherine Anne D...

Promises is an all around unexpected collaboration. Floating Points is the project of electronic music producer Sam Shepherd, most well known for his brightly toned 2015 debut album Elaenia . Pharoah Sanders is a legendary experimental jazz saxophonist and John Coletrane collaborator who has been performing music for over 50 years. This duo teamed up with the London Symphony Orchestra for a 46 minute, 9 movement piece that fuses abstract electronica with free jazz forming one of the most Mad-Libs sounding descriptions of 2021 so far. Review By Lav: Going into this record I would say I was more curious than anything else. I like Floating Points music but I have never necessarily been blown away by any one project, and while I fully understand the talent and poise that Pharoah brings as a jazz experimentalist, I'm not as indulgent enough of a jazz head to fully wrap my head around his contributions as an individual. Despite that these names teaming up definitely peaked my interest an...

Godspeed You! Black Emperor are a Canadian post-rock band that has become synonymous with critical acclaim within the genre. After releasing a series of 4 massively acclaimed projects in the late 90's and early 2000's they went on hiatus and returned in 2012. G_d's Pee  is the bands 4th album since returning and while they haven't been as critically successful on average since then there have been plenty of fan favorite moments across their discography in that time span. Review By Lav: Man I love this band. Their 2000 masterpiece Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Tiny Antennas To Heaven  is one of my favorite albums of all time but there are plenty of other worthwhile pieces of their discography. 1997's F#A#Infinity  is a dark, encapsulating experience and the bands return in 2012, 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!  made my favorite albums of the 2010's list last year. Even though their recent output hasn't been quite as grand and unforgettable there are sti...

The Antlers are the beloved New York indie project of Peter Silberman who released a pair of cult favorite albums in the early 2000's before signing to Frenchkiss Records and releasing their critical darling 2009 album Hospice . Green To Gold  is the bands 6th record in 15 years, but their first in 7 years since 2014's Familiars .  Review By Lav: I enjoy The Antlers music that is no secret. Just a few weeks ago I included their 4th album Burst Apart  on my 50 Best Albums of 2011 list and there's a chance Familiars  could crack that same list for 2014. While I have admiration for both those albums nothing comes close to how much I enjoy the bands 2009 breakout masterpiece Hospice  a tragic, brutally composed and performed tour de force that I consider to be one of the best albums of the 2010's. While the bands minimalist sound has transformed into something dreamier and more align with modern indie folk in the 10 years since Hospice  they have never really l...

Lost Girls is the combination of one of experimental music's most acclaimed vocalists Jenny Hval, with frequent collaborator and instrumentalist Havard Volden. Despite her last studio album being released in 2019 Jenny has been busy since then with her novel To Hate God  recently being translated and released in English. Menneskekollektivet  follows the duo's 2018 two-track debut EP Feeling . Review By Lav: I've always loved Jenny's music, as you could tell if you've seen me dish out tons of acclaim to her 2019 and 2016 albums The Practice Of Love  and Blood Bitch  as well as her 2018 EP The Long Sleep . While I enjoyed the original EP from Lost Girls it didn't knock my socks off in the same way some of her other work had. Despite that I was excited going into this project especially after liking both the singles, and I'm happy to report the music here is pretty solid.  The album is 44 minutes split over just 5 tracks, the first two of which were released in...

Xiu Xiu is the long running experimental music project of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart. The band has been through many iterations and line-up changes over the past 20 years and their most recent era was defined by horror themed experimentations starting with a covers album of the Twin Peaks  soundtrack and culminating in the brash an terrifying Girl With Basket Of Fruit  in 2019. OH NO  appears to be a transition in the bands style as they recruit guests vocalists on every single track here to craft a series of uniquely strange duets. Review By Lav: The last two Xiu Xiu albums have been particular favorites of mine so I think the band can be described as being in some sort of 2nd stage renaissance. With that being said I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this album. I wasn't sure how much influence the featured artists would have on the tracks but ultimately the album feels very pretty recognizably Xiu Xiu throughout.  Generally speaking most of the mor...