Lav's Music Corner

Jeff Rosenstock is a New York DIY legend who spent the 2000s with explosive punk and ska bands like Bomb The Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches. In the 2010s he pivoted to a solo career that received massive critical acclaim for albums like We Cool? , Worry , and No Dream . HELLMODE  is his 5th studio album and follows the longest gap in projects since he began his solo career.  Review by Lav: I've dished out a lot of praise for Jeff Rosenstock on this blog. I loved his previous album No Dream  in 2020 with its jittery punk intensity and distinctive social and political undertones. Even my least favorite of his solo albums the surprise-released Post-  is still quite an enjoyable outing with some incredible highlights like 9/10 . So Jeff Rosenstock gearing up to release a new album is exciting because his floor is higher than almost anyone around and his ceiling is album of the year every time he drops. While the latter is to be determined, HELLMODE ...

5.  Soul Capturer - Animal Collective The "single version" attached to this song feels particularly funny after the band took a big swing on a 21-minute lead single.  This isn't one of those Animal Collective songs that blows me away immediately with some kind of catchy refrains or wild instrumentation. But the longer the track goes on the more its hypnotic loops go to work on me. The watery sounds of Avey Tare's solo music leak into these tracks in a way that wasn't explicitly present on their last project but they manage to make solid use of it. Listen 4.  HEALMODE  - Jeff Rosenstock This is a song I've gone back and forth on a LOT. There are elements of its amateurish nature with the imperfect vocals and simple instrumentation that were grating right out of the gate. But the more I sat with the song and dug into its vivid lyrical details I started to develop a connection with it. Ultimately I've started to like the song quite a bit and Jeff Rosenstock i...

We're officially in the second half of 2023 and the singles chart is off to a GREAT start. 5.  DOUBT - Jeff Rosenstock Fittingly, Jeff Rosenstock left no doubt with his second single. The awesome two-part single shows off Jeff at his most sentimental on the more emotional first half before erupting into an explosion of punky angst in the second half. All along the way the track is full of great refrains and even better vocals from Jeff.  Listen 4.  Defeat  - Animal Collective AnCo delivered a whopper of a new single completely out of nowhere. The new track treats fans to a number of highly distinct segments across more than 21 minutes of music. While I couldn't possibly have listened to it enough times to remember the whole thing just this week, I did listen to it an embarrassing number of times. A full breakdown of the track isn't for this forum but I'll say that while every single moment isn't perfectly essential there are some absolutely wonderful passages.  ...

5.  Justify Your Life  - George Clanton Even though the issue I've always had with George's music, namely the songwriting, is still an issue on this song it might be one of my favorites he's made so far. I just can't deny the track's sunny, fuzzy disposition and rich assembly of instrumentation. Even if moments on the hook hit like a thud they quickly get blended into the gorgeous haze presented throughout the song.  Listen 4.  Time Ain't Accidental  - Jess Williamson This upcoming Jess Williamson album is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated of the year following last year's Plains  and one great single after another. This one isn't quite as instantaneous as the others but with each new subtle piece of instrumentation introduced accompanied by a string of memorable lyrics, it certainly worked its magic on me quickly.  Listen 3.  LIKED U BETTER  - Jeff Rosenstock The DIY king is back in action with a song that quickly ditches its acous...

Jeff Rosenstock is a New York based singer-songwriter who spent much of the 2000's with bands like Bomb The Music Industry and The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches. Despite a solo mixtape coming shortly after BTMI announced their split it was still a few years until Jeff's breakout solo moment on his debut album We Cool? . When the track Nausea  caught on like wildfire across indie blogs and music news sites he set out on a trilogy of critically acclaimed punk rock records with his distinct lo-fi flare.  Review By Lavender: Even though I wasn't fully equipped to appreciate it at the time, Bomb The Music Industry was something pretty special in its heyday, and Jeff's commitment to the lo-fi aesthetic of the work to this very day is awesome. But when Jeff broke off on the back of his debut solo album in 2015 I was all in, even more so when he followed it up with Worry, likely my favorite record he has ever released under any of his projects to date. Even though I wasn't quite...