Lav's Music Corner

Marilyn Manson is a long running American industrial rock and metal project fronted by the controversial but charming figure after which the band is named. After a series of critically acclaimed releases in the 90's and early 2000's the band developed a cult following, but has failed to receive the same amount of attention or praise since.  Review By Lavender: I've always been a pretty big fan of Manson's releases in the 90's, particularly 1998's Mechanical Animals . After some uninspired releases expanding into awkward sounds in the lat 2000's and early 2010's I wasn't too excited for whatever the band was coming out with next, but their last two albums have been pretty big improvements. Even though they aren't as great as some manson classics those last two records are the reason I was optimistic for We Are Chaos  despite some weak singles. As it turns out Chaos  sees the band sounding more uninspired than they have in quite a long time. The ti...

Bumper is the new collaborative project of Michelle Zauner the woman behind Japanese Breakfast, and Ryan Galloway a multi-instrumentalist member of indie trio Crying. The quarantine collaboration seemingly came out of nowhere with no singles and a late announcement for the EP's release.  Review By Lavender: I was all in on this project as soon as I first heard about it, only a few days before it was actually released. I've enjoyed both of Michelle's records as Japanese Breakfast particularly her 2017 sophomore record and I was wondering when we would hear from her next. I was particularly intrigued with Crying's 2016 debut record and surprised we hadn't heard anything from the band since. Given my admiration for the artist and how long it's been since we heard from each of them properly I was very exited for this project and while it is not at all what I expected, it is pretty good.  There were no singles for this project so lets just jump right in with the grea...

Dirty Projectors is the long running indie project of David Longstreth. Over the years numerous musicians and vocalists have filled in roles for the band and Super Joao  is the third of 5 EP's the band plans to release this year each focusing on a different vocalist.  Review By Lavender: I have loved Dirty Projectors for as long as I can remember which was pretty clearly evidenced by my very positive reviews of their two EPs earlier this year. I was particularly excited for this release because long time frontman David Longstreth is the vocalist for these tracks. I have always enjoyed his vocals quite a bit and more than ever before on the past two full length Dirty Projectors records. But now that the EP is out it is by far the weakest of the trio from a songwriting and instrumental perspective.  The lead single Holy Mackerel forecasted this as a sift and off kilter indie tune that I didn't love at first and has slightly grown on me. I think David's singing is as ...

6ix9ine   is a controversial New York based rapper who has capitalized off of trolling the status quo of hip hop and pop music culture for the last 5 years or so. After a stint in jail where he notoriously snitched on the Nine Trey gangsters who he was once affiliated with. Since then he has released a handful of viral singles including a #1 hit collab with Nicki Minaj leading up to TattleTales  his second studio album. Review By Lavender: Most people don't make it past 6ix9ine's appearance and reputation, yet he has managed to consistently find success with his music. His combination of latin flavored trap music and hard-hitting rap bangers is a unique one that has translated into albums with highlights, but also major inconsistencies. With TattlesTales  we see that it is no different as for every song here where 6ix9ine brings exciting there's one where it misses the mark.  The best group of songs on the album by far is the singles which may be the best set from an...

Angel Olsen   is an Asheville, North Carolina based indie singer-songwriter who blew up in 2016 with her My Woman  album. She followed this record up in 2019 with All Mirrors  a grander and more instrumentally rich statement. Whole New Mess  was recorded before All Mirrors  and and features many of the same composition in earlier form and with stripped backed instrumentation.  Review By Lavender: I was excited about this record despite the fact that I am pretty familiar with most of the material here in a more full capacity. I enjoy so much of Angel's catalog including All Mirrors  as well as some of her early material with a more lo-fi slant. So Whole New Mess  was an exciting prospect but now that it's here I find that most of these tracks work better in the full form.  Of the 11 tracks here only two of them are entirely new compositions and they were both released as singles beforehand. Whole New Mess  is the opening track and lead si...

Katy Perry   is a pop artist who really needs no introduction at this point. With over a decade of hits under her belt and one of modern pop musics most acclaimed albums in Teenage Dream  Katy doesn't need to prove herself. Despite this Smile  has a lot of singles released over the last year and adds up to Katy's shortest album yet.  Review By Lavender: There was a point in my life coinciding with Katy's brilliant 2010 record Teenage Dream  where I was a major fan of her music. Since then however it hasn't been quite as fruitful being a Katy fan starting with the very underwhelming follow-up record Prism . 2017's Witness  was an improvement that saw Katy dipping her toes into some different sounds with mixed results. After releasing 7 singles over the past year Katy seemed to be forecasting a more conventional pop sound. When the tracklist was released I was surprised to see which singles made it onto the record while Small Talk  and Never Worn White w...

Nine Inch Nails   is a Cleveland based industrial rock and metal outfit fronted by Trent Reznor who has been pushing the envelope of rock music since the late 80's. After departing from a major label in the 2000's the band released Ghosts I-IV  a long ambient style soundtrack record, and earlier this year released two more records both over an hour long to serve as the next installments in this series. Review By Lavender: While my love for Trent Reznor's music and Nine Inch Nails in general is no secret I also have a ton of admiration for Ghosts  as well as Trent and Atticus' work on various soundtracks. So I was excited to dive into these albums and first heard them back in March when they were released. But given the nature of the music and the fact that it was over 2 and a half hours of material, well, I put it off. But here on a slow week I'm finally getting around to properly reviewing the records and in short if ambient music is your thing listen to Together  ...

Nas is a New York rapper who made hip hop history with his 1994 debut album Illmatic  which is still considered among the greatest of all time. It has been a turbulent road since then as Nas has tried to reach a similar level of success with mixed results. Following up his 7 track Nasir  produced entirely by Kanye West in 2018 King's Disease  features front to back production from Hit Boy.  Review By Lavender: I like Illmatic  as much as anyone but with 25 years between then and now it is safe to say that Nas has not had a very consistent career. Though most of his albums at least have points where they show off his immense talent it is often just that, moments. The last record we heard from Nas definitely had those moments particularly the excellent Cops Shot The Kid . While there isn't a song as good as that one to be found here, King's Disease  is definitely an improvement as an album. The record is 13 tracks and under 40 minutes but the brevity manages ...

Troye Sivan   is an Australian pop singer who has been releasing electronically tinged emotional pop music since the mid 2010's. His recognizable sound and willingness to address personal topics of love and sexuality, alongside collaborations with the likes of Charli XCX, Allie X and Lauv have helped him gain a profile and a fanbase. In A Dream  is Troye's first release since his critically acclaimed sophomore record Bloom  in 2018.  Review By Lavender: I would consider myself a fan of Troye Sivan. i responded pretty positively to his Bloom  album back in 2018 and his pair of collaborations with Charli XCX are two of my favorite songs on one of my favorite records of 2019. On top of that the lead single for this EP released closer to the beginning of 2020 still remains as one of my favorite pop singles of the year so far, which had me excited for this set of tracks. Now that the EP is here I'm happy to report that I think it is pretty solid and I'm excited for w...

The Killers   are a Las Vegas based indie and alternative rock band who have been dropping consistently successful studio albums since their 2004 debut Hot Fuss . This was the bands first record without regular guitarist Dave Keuning and it was produced in full by Johnathan Rado of Foxygen fame.  Review By Lavender: It is safe to say I was very very excited for this record. I saw the bands last album Wonderful Wonderful  as a really solid and critically underrated album from the band and they have a back catalog that I think can stand up to most any other bands from the 2000's. Given my love for the groups glamorous dramatic alternative rock sound the pairing with produced Johnathan Rad seemed perfect given that Foxygen have helped carry the torch for that sound into modern indie rock. Not to mention he proved his versatility on one of the most immaculately produced albums of last year Weyes Blood's Titanic Rising . Now that the record is here I have to say it has both a ...

Bright Eyes   is a legendary indie folk and emo folk band originating from Nebraska who released some of the most critically acclaimed indie records of the 2000's. After going on hiatus in 2011 the various members stayed busy in the music world but have re-united 9 years later to release a 10th Bright Eyes record.  Review By Lavender: If you know me you probably know I have been a huge Bright Eyes fan for pretty much as long as I can remember. I've long called records like I'm Wide Awake It's Morning  and Lifted  personal favorites and I've enjoyed much of what frontman Conor Oberst has done since the band initially broke-up with his solo records and Better Oblivion Community Center solo project. I was very excited for this record especially given a few of the singles that I liked quite a bit and now that it's here I think the imperfections are largely outnumbered by great songwriting, impassioned performances and swelling instrumentals.  Even though I liked som...

 

Blu & Exile is the pairing of the California based rapper Blu and producer Exile. While they both have numerous projects under their belt their most well known and critically acclaimed records came together, particularly with 2007's Below The Heavens . Miles  is their third collaboration together and their first in 8 years.  Review By Lavender: I'm late on this record I know. I had it on my to-do list knowing that it was a comfortable 90+ minutes of material but the A.G. Cook record was almost twice as long and took quite a bit out of me. But I am now getting around to reviewing the record and I've been really excited about it because these two have made some very meaningful collaborations in the past. 2007's Below The Heavens  is a big favorite of mine and I was excited for this record after hearing the singles and even more so after seeing the positive reception the album has been receiving from critics. Ultimately, while not all of this records enormous runtime i...

Flo Milli is an up and coming rapper out of Alabama who blew up with a viral song that saw her borrowing the beat from Ethereal & Playboi Carti's Beef . She has maintained a level of popularity for much of 2020 releasing successful singles leading up to this, her debut mixtape.  Review By Lavender: I've liked Flo Milli since the first time I heard those enigmatic opening bars to Beef FloMix  that have been used in many a Twitter fancam this year. As far as viral breakout songs go it is one of the better ones in recent memory and has me excited for what she would do next. Ho, Why is You Here?  is a raw debut with some lyrical shortcomings and really only one type of punch to pull, but when she is working this formula to it's best she puts some immense talent and potential on display.  So yeah Beef  is the song everybody it talking about and I think it's very good. Despite a lyrical flaw or two the flow is so confrontational and the song is so hilarious I can'...

Lupe Fiasco is a Chicago based rapper who first emerged in the mid 2000's on Atlantic Records and has spent the last 15 years or so sporadically releasing records with a wide variety of sonic palettes and influences. On this EP he teams up with producer Kaelin Ellis and Louis Vitton and Off-White designer Virgil Abloh to create a mixtape heavily themed around the world of fashion and its creation.  Review By Lavender: I've always enjoyed Lupe Fiasco when he is operating at his peak. His last album Drogas Wave  was one of my favorite Lupe projects in years and I also enjoyed his single Run Game  last year. I didn't see much promotion for this EP and it nearly slipped by me when it was first released but ultimately I'm glad I listened to it, even if it isn't among my favorite works in his discography.  House  is 22 minutes long and features three songs that last over 5 minutes but the first track is just a short spoken word intro performed by Virgil Abloh. The nex...

R.A.P Ferreira: is the new moniker for rapper Rory Allen Philip Ferreira who first made a name for himself under the Milo name particularly with 2015's critically acclaimed album So The Flies Don't Come .  Review By Lavender: I missed this record when it first came out way back in March of this year and that's on me. Despite the fact that I'm a big fan of Milo's So The Flies Don't Come  I hadn't kept up with him as closely as some others and didn't even know about this project until after it was already out. But after some strong recommendations and critical acclaim I finally got around to checking the album out and I'm very glad I did. While it is a little bit long and not the most varied record I've heard all year there is plenty here to love.  Normally I wouldn't talk about a short intro style track yet Decorum  is so ridiculously stylish in the way it introduces everybody who worked on the album and is so captivating and smooth I had no c...