Lav's Music Corner

Father John Misty is a name as synonymous with the last 10 years of indie music as anyone. From this acclaimed collection of love songs I Love You, Honeybear  to his politically conscious opus Pure Comedy  he's been a surprisingly ambitious, though occasionally divisive musician. A few years ago he released Chloe And The Next 20th Century  whose themes included a pop culture reference-heavy take on old Hollywood sounds. Thought I liked the record it was his least universally acclaimed in a while. Mahashamashana  hasn't been met with the same fate, at least among his core fanbase. With single after single lauded by listeners and critics alike, this quickly became one of my most anticipated albums of the year.  Let's start with those singles because they're an unreasonably great bunch. "I Guess TIme Just Makes Fools Of Us All" kicked things off as a sauntering 8-minute jam with a vibrant brass section and one of the slickest grooves I've heard all year. It t...

5.  First Rodeo  - Kelsea Ballerini Kelsey Ballerini's vulnerabilities continue to be the highlight of her music. While the track does have a gentle swaying instrumental and a pretty memorable chorus it's really the bearing of her soul that she displays through second-guessing and pure admiration that fully sells the song.  Listen 4.  the cost of giving up  - Poppy While Poppy has become pretty damn hit-or-miss since a great 2020 effort, you can't say she doesn't occasionally hit the mark. It's the songs where she manages to slice directly between her girlish dreamy pop side and her crushing dark metal instincts that hit the hardest. the cost of giving up  throws it back a few years in her discography to when she had that sound even more honed in and it's all the better for it.  Listen 3.  Defense  - Panda Bear (feat. Cindy Lee) I'll be the first to admit that this song may not have lived up to the impossible level of excitement generated pur...

Some major announcements this week didn't dissuade from a few surprising names landing on the list. Enjoy <3 5.  Nail In A Wooden Trunk  - Tapir! Earlier this year Tapir! dropped one of my favorite debut albums of 2024 so far and though I wasn't crazy abotu their first follow-up single, this song reminds me of EXACTLY why I like them so much. From its subtle instrumental versatility to its rustic sound palette to an understated but still truly bizarre vocal performance that's been stuck in my head all week. This is another hit from Tapir. Listen 4.  No Comma  - Slayyyter A classic Slayyyter banger for 2024. After an album that felt like a bit of an experiment wandering away from her pummeling pop swagger she's back with a song that feels like it could have slipped into her early mixtape. This song is even better when you realize it's a slight subversion of the kind of expectations Slayyyter often faces. She manages to even make being less slutty than her reputati...

Lana Del Rey is an artist who really needs no introduction at this point. The pop auteur has spent over a decade growing a distinctive brand of mature nostalgic pop music infused with her irresistible personality and flare. After releasing what was essentially a B-sides collection in Blue Banisters  quickly after her critical smash Chemtrails Over The Country Club  in 2021, Tunnel  is Lana's 9th official album. Review by Lav: My love for Lana Del Rey's music is the worst-kept secret I have on this blog. From the relentless praise I've dished out to her music as it's been released and even the various nods I've given to her discography before I began reviewing it should be clear to just about everyone that she's one of my favorite artists around. That's why after three amazing singles I was pretty much expecting this to be one of my favorite albums of the year. At the end of the day Tunnel  is a very good record, maybe the best I've heard so far this year...

Father John Misty is the pseudonym of singer-songwriter Josh Tillman who has spent the last decade releasing some of the most acclaimed records in the world of indie. His satirical and comedic style is often a source of acclaim from critics as well as fans and his smart and conceptual style of writing is instantly recognizable. Chloe And The Next 20th Century  is an instrumentally versatile concept album soaked in old Hollywood aesthetic and loosely following a character, the titular Chloe.  Review By Lav: I like Father John Misty even if I've been trying to shake a reputation as a hater among my friends for years now. The origin of that is that I didn't lump as much acclaim onto his fan favorite record I Love You, Honeybear  back in 2015. I preferred his next project Pure Comedy  which while hefty in length, was his smartest and most conceptual album to date. So seeing the defined aesthetic in the singles and music videos had me really excited for this project. Ulti...

No heady observations this week. Given just how much great music came out on albums and EPs this week I'm sort of in full length review mode at the moment but that didn't stop me from engaging with some of the better singles I heard this week as well. 5.  C'mon Baby, Cry  - Orville Peck While I'm not sure this is the BEST song anyone's ever written it's hard to ignore the fact that Orville delivered a sadboy country anthem for what must be a pretty narrow group. His characteristically deep vocals and instantly recognizable voice sounds great flying over these jangly acoustic guitars and the whole song oozes a level of authenticity that most contemporary country falls drastically short of. Listen 4.  Bussin  - Nicki Minaj & Lil Baby After a HUGE whiff on a collaborative single last week Nicki and Lil baby didn't wait long to deliver the track that many had originally hoped they would. This is a confident and uncompromising banger that genuinely does see t...

Happy New Year babes. For the first time in 2022 we are looking at all the new singles dropped this week and highlight the best of the bunch. Normally this time of year its pretty slow all around but there are some great albums coming out in the next few weeks and the singles aren't lacking behind. Here are the five best new tracks this week: 5.  Hard Drive Gold  - alt-j The alt-j renaissance marches on with their most upbeat single of this new era. With a deep selection of wonky instrumentation and the charming vocal gymnastics we've come to expect from the band the track builds up to a rewarding chorus. It's all done in the kooky way that only alt-j can. 4.  Respirate  - Pinegrove If you know Pinegrove you pretty much know this song. The anxious observational lyricism with a boyish lo-fi charm and the simple indie instrumental which erupts into a detailed arrangement of backing drums and horns. This is exactly what the band does well.  3.  Titanic  -...

Fleet Foxes are a Seattle indie folk band fronted primarily by singer and songwriter Robin Pecknold. They became indie darlings of the Pitchfork folk era in 2008 with a critically acclaimed debut EP followed by an even more acclaimed debut album. Since then they have released the poetic Helplessness Blues  in 2011 and the winding experimental Crack-Up  in 2017 both of which received nearly unanimous critical acclaim. Shore  was announced just a few days before it's release which coincided with the autumnal equinox. Review By Lavender: I like Fleet Foxes, both Fleet Foxes , Helplessness Blues  and even the Sun Giant  EP have songs I love even if I don't worship the band at nearly the same level as many others. The first time the band really wowed me was the first time I ever got to properly review their music on their 3rd record Crack-Up , my favorite of the bands album by far. Compared to the bright indie riffs and simple song structures of their early work Crac...

The Top 10 Artists Of 2017 While the Albums, Songs and EPs list celebrate individual achievements of greatness artist of the Year takes a step further. Everyone comes into the start of a year in different places and everyone leaves a changed artist, whether drastic or minor. The Top Artist Of The Year has always been one of the more subjective lists as it takes into account the perception of an artist beyond their music where opinions differ even further. Acts like Kendrick Lamar and LCD Soundsystem released albums that would easily land a first timer on this list, but when compared to their greater discographies we're left to wonder what could have been. These 15 artists left no room for wishing as they set out to have fantastic 2017's across the board. Honorable Mentions Alvvays In 2017 Alvvays proved they had staying power in the Dream Pop genre, a feat most bands without "Beach" in their name have struggled to achieve. A trio of fantastic singles and ...