Lav's Music Corner

The Drums  are the musical project of California singer and songwriter Jonny Pierce. Following their first three albums as a full band the following three have been a solo project for Pierce. The shift also saw their transition away from surf rock stylings into an equally sunny indie pop style. Review by Lav:  Jonny  had album-of-the-year potential for me. If you're only a casual observer of the band that may seem surprising as they aren't exactly the type of high-brow critical bait I tend to fall for sometimes. But I became a big fan of the band during the rollout for their 2017 album Abysmal Thoughts. I became a flat out super fan just a few years later when Jonny shared Brutalism   a terminally underrated album that turned up in the top 10 of my albums of the year list in 2019. If anything, I like the album even more now than I did at the time. When combined with the parade of absolutely excellent singles the band released in the lead-up to the album I was extrem...

Another big week of new releases, let's get it. <3 5.  Let Them Live  - Death's Dynamic Shroud DDS release about 9 albums and 200 songs a year and generally, I'm pretty iffy on them but this single really works for me. I love the versatility of vocal samples throughout. I also love the very vibrant and futuristic beat which builds and builds and eventually gets these wiry guitars right at the end it's a very focused and well-executed rendition of their sound.  Listen 4.  N/Y  - The Haxan Cloak It has been 10 god damn years since this masterful dark ambient project last released new material. What he returned with is sonically very different, but honestly I'd be more surprised after all this time if it sounded the same. With stuttering drums and distant booming electronica this feels closer to something Prurient was doing around the last time we got new Haxan Cloak music. It trades out nuance in between the cracks for pummeling intensity and comes out the othe...

Normally with these weekly-ish segments I look for a few records that have something in common with each other that I can cover together because its cute and congruent. Once we get into the last few months of the year however, there becomes a point where I just have some records that I need to talk about before the curtain closes on 2021. These are three records that I really only put together because I originally went into them anticipating they would be good, didn't quite have the time to fully review them, but still wanted to talk about them in some capacity. So without further meaningless delay here are those concise reviews.  Texis  - Sleigh Bells Sleigh Bells are one of those groups that kind of disappear in between album cycles and don't get the same level of press they once did as early 2010's indie darlings. But every time they emerge I see fans come out in mass to praise the duo for their infectious noise pop fusions. I've always had a soft spot for the band a...

Weezer is a California rock band. If you're not familiar with them, getting you up to speed would take a lot longer than just one introductory paragraph. The short is that they are a frequently memed band whose material in the 90's is universally respected as classic, but everything since them lands with a high variance. Earlier this year they dropped a baroque pop and rock record OK Human  that was met with generally positive reviews.  Review By Lav: Well here it is, Van Weezer . The dorky but incredibly loveable rock band taking on the late 70's hair rock and guitar heroism era felt like the punchline of an elaborately planned joke but it is very much real. Like 10 tracks and half an hour real. Honestly with Weezer you really never know what you're gonna get. I have to say that Van Weezer  is very entertaining, the merit of its musicality however is much more up for debate.  Honestly as hesitant as I was to the concept of this album when it was originally announced...

CZARFACE is the collaborative hip hop project of Boston duo 7L and Esoteric alongside New York MC and Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck. The group had a few records under their belt already before originally collaborating with hip hop legend MF DOOM on 2018's Czarafce Meets Metal Face . Since then they released a handful of other projects including a critically successful team up with fwllow Wu-Tang alum Ghostface Killah in 2019. Super What?  is the first time we have heard new MF DOOM music since it was announced at the tail end of last year that he had passed away, and its unclear how much material he left behind.  Review By Lav: While I've always been a fan of CZARFACE, most of the hype I had going into this record was for hearing MF DOOM again. I have all the respect in the world for DOOM's talent and was incredibly broken up by his passing. On top of my admiration for his work I also enjoyed his previous collaboration with the CZARFACE boys. There was no reason for me to t...

Squid are a British post-punk outfit who have been active for a few years now and are coming on the back of a couple of widely acclaimed singles and EPs. They have been discussed in the same circles as other British post-punk acts who have emerged recently, namely Black Country New Road and Black Midi, both of whom have found enormous critical success.  Review By Lav: Man was I excited for this record. I first heard about Squid from their Town Centre  EP which was on my list of stuff to review way back in 2019 but I unfortunately didn't end up getting around to it. Now I wish I had because in the time since both Black Country, New Road and Black Midi have released great debut albums and Squid dropped a couple of absolutely killer singles. In a year where we've already seen so much great experimental rock and specifically post-punk from the likes of Shame, Iceage and Viagra Boys, Squid is yet another major hit for the genre that is having quite a grandiose revitalization. ...

Iceage is a Danish post-punk group who have been garnering massive critical acclaim for their heavy and creative art punk sound for a full decade. 2013's You're Nothing  and 2014's Plowing Through The Field Of Love  expanded their sound and the scope of their reach cementing them as one of the most beloved post-punk acts of the 2010's.  Review By Lav: For those of us who are in the know, it doesn't get much better than Iceage. I know that sounds a tad pretentious but despite just how much critical acclaim the band has been drowned in they still feel like a secret in the music industry at large. With a sound that is somewhat accessible compared to a few of their piers I've always been amazed that the band doesn't have the massive reach they deserve. I have enjoyed everything the band has released so far without a bad album or even many bad songs in their catalog. Consistency is really the key word with their discography, and with Seek Shelter . Across this 9 ...

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 ...