Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lav: DIIV are a shoegaze outfit from Brooklyn that have been active for over a decade now. After falling in love with their debut album Oshin  I wasn't crazy about their second record. Thankfully in 2019 their third album arrived and I was much more fond of it. Given the full 5 years that have passed since then I was excited to hear yet another new rendition of the bands shoegaze sound. On Frog In Boiling Water,  the band gets expansive in a way that raises the stakes and drama of their sound even without having to get harsher. Frog  may not be the band's most compelling release yet, but its embrace of a slower more spacious brand of shoegaze is nonetheless well done.  Five different songs, a full half of the record's tracklist, were released as singles before it dropped. For the most part, they're a pretty good bunch and they make up most of the first half of the record. The title track Frog In Boiling Water  may be my favorite of the bunch serving up...

5.  New Species  - Iglooghost Earlier this year Iglooghost released a song that I didn't exactly see the appeal of. In a sense, I can kind of identify a similar issue with this frenetic banger if I think about it for too long. But I consider thinking about this for too long to be a cardinal sin. The song is a high-tempo pummeling of wiry electronic that was always happy to hear in the moment. Listen 4.  Like I Say (I runaway)  - Nilufer Yanya It must just be a heavy week. Nilufer's album indulges with sound in a way many singer-songwriters don't want to and she managed to do it without getting the way of her poetry. Now the sounds are even louder and even at moments when it feels emotionally overpowering, it's magnetically aligned. She continues to sound not only unique, but vibrant.  Listen 3.  Mirage  - Gel Last year Gel used subtle interpolations of different genres and styles to add meaningful flavor to their brand of hardcore. The debut album that...

Now that I'm recovered enough to have opinions again a week full of big swings fell right into my lap. See what hit it out of the park and what completely struck out.  5.  Alter Ego  - Doechii (feat. JT) This is definitely a tricky one but in a week like this, it belongs on the list. Doechii and City Girls rapper JT is a combination I was THRILLED for and boy do they deliver. The two verses on this song are intense, pummeling, verbose, and completely unstoppable avalanches of charisma and momentum. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I try I just cannot get behind this chorus. Where both rappers make the intensity of their performance sound great on the verse the hook is just purely annoying in a way that is so blown out it's difficult to swallow. It's a tricky assessment on a song that has some of the most impressive performances I've heard all year.  Listen 4.  Gasping Dust  - Full Of Hell (feat. Ross Dolan) Is this song only a minute long, yes. But b...

Late again, I have a good excuse this time though (she doesn't have a good excuse.) 5.  Wild God  - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds After a trio of albums under the Bad Seeds name that very fittingly saw Nick Cave exploring something more somber, introspective, and poetic, he got weird again on a 2021 collaboration with Warren Ellis. Now that bizarre tone and style of songwriting that's always existed in his music is coming revving back to the Bad Seeds in this new single. I appreciate his uniquely bizarre imagery and the way the song dramatically rises throughout. Listen 4.  Summon  - Jlin As has been the case throughout her career Jlin is a master of texture. Leaning away from some of the grinding electronics deployed on last year's EP this song focused more on the combination of an array of chimes with what sounds like some of the tensest strings I've heard anywhere so far this year. The result is quite striking at first but it's something I settled into more and m...

*mwah* 5.  I'm A Man  - Kim Gordon It seems like the uncompromising nature of the first single from this new Kim Gordon album was no accident. This second single is arguably just as intent to grab you by the throat and hold on tight. The instrumental once again featured rattling drums and rumbling bass but it's even more brash in its presentation. While the refrains here aren't quite as catchy as its predecessor they arguably set up for even more intense moments.  Listen 4.  Brown Paper Bag - DIIV In a world where a lot of music fans were excited for other things. I was hyped for the return of one of my favorite shoegaze outfits of the 2010s. DIIV's new lead single certainly fits in with the sound and style I was expecting to hear, but in a sense, that's why I'm not head over heels for it. While the slowed down and heavier demeanor is welcome, sonically parts of this song still feel like the band leaning into what they know they can do well. It's hard to see...

Each year for the past few years I have selected a handful of artists that had fantastic single years both musically and in their promotion and publicity. Artists like Danny Brown, Brockhampton and Ariana Grande have had spectacular breakout moments that inspired some of my writeups but with the end of the decade list on the horizon I decided it was time to switch-up my approach. I've taken seven genres and selected an artist from each one that I felt had a particular breakout moment in the spotlight, and even then it was difficult to get everybody I wanted. Artists like Kim Petras, Carly Rae Jepsen, YBN Cordae and Jenny Hval had plenty of moments I would love to talk about if I had all the time in the world. But I like to think that I've collected seven artists from across the musical spectrum who have had a variety of successes throughout 2019 and approach the next decade from so many unique places. Rap Artist Of The Year: Freddie Gibbs Before 2019 the defining mome...

DIIV is a New York based shoegaze and dream pop band who exploded in 2012 with an excellent debut record  Oshin . They got praise from all over for their revitalization of Shoegzae music and the energetic pacing and songwriting that appears all over the record. After dropping a second record in 2016 there was some questioning about the groups switch to a sweeter more dream pop oriented sound and  Is The Is Are  was a record that let down some early fans, but found the group a whole new crowd. Now three more years later the band is returning with a record whose singles indicate a return to form to the groups shoegaze roots. Review By Lavender: It's never been a secret that I love Shoegaze music new and old so I was already a big fan of DIIV by the time they released their second record in 2016. Despite the fact that their sophomore album wasn't what I was expecting, I thought it was still a decent record. The wait between releases made me forget just how blistering ...

1. Danny Brown - Best Life Danny Brown steals a slow week for his second #1 of the year just two weeks removed from his first, and with a highly anticipated new album right around the corner. 2. Have A Nice Life - Lords Of Transmission After a lead single that some saw as a misstep the legendary experimental rock band has seen fit to release a second track from their long awaited third record ahead of its release. 3. DIIV - Blankenship After scoring a #1 earlier this year DIIV continues to place strongly as they continue to deliver shoegaze tinged indie rock that sounds as refreshing as their style always has. 4. Gang Starr - Family and Loyalty  (Feat. J. Cole) Almost ten years after MC Guru's death Gang Starr producer DJ Premier is releasing new material under the moniker and recruited J. Cole for a guest verse on the track. 5. Wilco - Everyone Hides Wilco's new era is upon us and with the indie groups legendary pedigree they continue to be in the rotAfter releasi...

1. DIIV - Skin Game DIIV returns after a long studio album drought of three years with the lead single for their upcoming third record running away with the #1 spot this week. 2. The 1975 = The 1975 Matty Healy and company get their new era kicked off with a quick turn around from the last one dropping the band-named track that has been the opener to each of their records so far up to this point. 3. Taylor Swift - The Archer Taylor has only one way to go an its up, with the midweek drop of The Archer  Taylor takes a risk from a chart success standpoint but garners plenty of mid-week attention all her own. 4. Tegan And Sara - I'll Be Back Someday Tegan and Sara kick off their own new era with their last studio record having come three years ago. The duo have co-opted songs they wrote in high school and assembled them into a new record that should sound like more of a return to form for the band. 5. Liam Gallagher - Once Liam continues his surprisingly successful 20...