Lav's Music Corner

This was a strange week of subverted expectations and curious returns, none of it really assembled into anything rational. Let's break it down.  5.  Evicted  - Wilco This sure is a Wilco song. While it doesn't necessarily have any of the compositional or instrumental adventuring that has kept the band fresh at points deep into their career, they still do what they do. This gentle bouncy indie-folk tale of love lost is simple but memorable.  Listen 4.  Angel In The Marble  - Stormzy After loving Stormzy's new album last year I haven't been as crazy about some of his new singles. This one is definitely my favorite so far and I think it sees Stormzy returning to a style that worked for him earlier in his career. He delivers a series of bars that bounce between ridiculous opulence and occasional flashes of honesty that add up to something really compelling. Paired with the thumping beat and wild vocal samples this is kind of a banger. Listen 3.  Munekita ...

I've had a busy few weeks but this was yet another massive release weekend on top of the hundreds of albums I already feel like I have to play catch-up on. So hopefully there will be a LOT of rapid fire reviews coming soon. SPARK  - Whitney I've been a fan of pretty much everything Whitney has done since they first started out. Their very raw debut album turned up the folk influences and ciphered it through their own eccentricities, giving the impression of a true local band gone international overnight. Their sophomore album was another treat even as it shifted their sound into a much more familiar and polished brand of indie folk. In fact, the first inclination I had that I might ever actually not like a Whitney record was when I heard the lead single from this album, which seemed to predict a sea change I wasn't really vibing with. But after a parade of singles that reinforced to me why Whitney are who they are I was excited for the record all over again. That excitement...

This was a tough week to be a single. With albums coming from Kendrick Lamar, The Smile, Florence + The Machine and more there was only so much listening time to go around. But a few brave souls still did try. Enjoy <3 5.  Roman Candles  - Death Cab For Cutie Before the new Death Cab For Cutie song even starts keen eyed fans will realize that the runtime clocks out at just over two minutes, which is unusual. What's even more unusual is how punchy the instrumental palette is. While the sentimentality and vocals are still very much in tact everything from the explosive drums to the fuzzed out guitars feels like a very direct and conscious choice to turn it up a notch. The band may not sound 100% comfortable in this environment particularly on the songs instrumental conclusion, but they also aren't completely out of their depth.  Listen 4.  Tired Of Taking It Out On You  - Wilco There's such a charming, songwritery bliss to Wilco's music that makes almost all of...

I'm late, sorry, I was at a music festival. Let's not waste any more time. Enjoy <3 5.  Falling Apart (Right Now)  - Wilco When Wilco announces a new album it's still an event in indie music. When that announcement comes with a short but catchy and slightly psychedelic tinged lead single it is even more of a moment. Nothing about this is mind blowing but it's a very solid start for one of the more respected acts in all of indie to return with. Listen 4.  Big Time  - Angel Olsen If you ever hoped that Angel Olsen would try her hand at writing a Courtney Barnett song I think this is the closest you'll get. While it doesn't have the same kind of snarky attitude to it and the instrumentation is much more folk inspired this is one of the wordiest tracks I've ever heard from Angel Olsen. While I do enjoy what she has to say I also can't help but think the song is crying out for a climactic moment to complete it.  Listen 3.  Hello, Hi  - Ty Segall Ty's e...

The Flaming Lips are an Oklahoma based psychedelic, indie and alternative rock band who have been releasing material frequently since the mid 1980's. On top of an extensive catalog of side projects, collaborations and covers albums The Flaming Lips have released 16 studio albums, including 3 in the past 4 years.  Review By Lavender: While everybody loves classic Lips records like Yoshimi  and Soft Bulletin  the band has managed to avoid the pitfalls of other major indie artists late in their career and have consistently released studio albums with something to offer. Records like Embryonic  and The Terror  proved that the band still had creativity even while pushing 25 and 30 years of existence but even their weakest record from this period 2017's Oczy Melody  had some notable highlights and stands above some of their now washed contemporaries. They have mainly achieved this by channeling all of their underwhelming and uninspired music into other projects, ...

Ed O'Brien is a British guitarist who is releasing his debut solo album under the EOB name after serving as a member of Radiohead for over 25 years. Earth  was written and recorded over a multi-year period as Ed toured with Radiohead in support of the bands record A Moon Shaped Pool , and the record was worked on by members of Wilco, Portishead and of course Radiohead. Review By Lavender: I, like everyone else on earth absolutely love Radiohead. Coming off A Moon Shaped Pool  in 2016 I had a feeling it would be a while since we heard from the boys again but they have kept us fed in the mean time with solo projects. With both Johnny and Thom releasing film soundtracks, Thom releasing an excellent third studio album and Ed's debut here we have not been strapped for Radiohead side content. While Earth  is a solid debut record by all means it evens out to about an equal number of hits and misses.  The record had four singles and I was split down the middle, so lets handl...

Wilco is a legendary Chicago based indie rock band that has been releasing critically acclaimed indie and folk records for over two decades now. Their most critically acclaimed period came in the early 2000's with records like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , A Ghost Is Born  and Sky Blue Sky . The 201o's haven't been a the best for the band but they haven;t fallen nearly as far as some of their contemporaries. They had the tolerable but bland The Whole Love  in 2011, the surprise dropped and surprisingly good Star Wars in 2015 and finally the short and forgettable Shmilco  the next year. After taking two years off they are back once again and dropped two relatively well received singles leading up to the album but expectations are still measured. Review By Lavender: I love Wilco's legendary run of records just as much as anyone. Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot  and A Ghost Is Born  features some of the more compelling indie music of their eras and a few all time...

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. XXXTETACION - Royalty (Feat. Ky-Mani Marley, Steffelon Don & Vybz Kartel) Over a year after his tragic dead X finds himself back on top of the charts with a fan favorite snippet finally making its way into a finished product featuring some of its original collaborators. 2. Charli XCX - Gone  (Feat. Christine And The Queens) Charli drops yet another single from her collab heavy upcoming album this time recruiting the services of Christine and The Queens, its safe to say hype is successfully built up. 3. Wilco - Love Is Everywhere (Beware) Legendary indie band Wilco is back after a three year absence with the lead single to their album coming later this year. 4. Whitney - Valleys (My Love) Whitney got their new era off to a hot start with their excellent first single and they hope to follow it up with this track as the release date of their sophomore record approaches. 5. Four Tet - Dreamer After dropping a record to criminally low profile last year Four Tet drops...