Looking for new music? DJs at WVAU share their thoughts on a range of recent releases.
BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2
BBNG are the future of jazz in the mainstream, and thank god for that. All under 21 years old, they’ve made a name for themselves with their catchy jazz covers of Odd Future, Nas and Joy Division, and their overflowing live energy.
This album increases the legend, kicking off with a grimy version of Earl Sweatshirt’s theme song and only getting better, with an outer-space jazz cover of James Blake’s “Limit To Your Love,” an unapologetically bumping rendition of Blake’s “CMYK,” back-to-back Kanye West and My Bloody Valentine covers and the studio appearance of their epic version of Tyler the Creator’s gloomy “Bastard” mixed with a psychotic performance of Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade.”
However, the original compositions are so fierce and aggressively grooving that they threaten to steal the show. Every song boasts brilliant keyboard, explosive drums and nimble bass in slippery jams that owe as much to “Bitches Brew” as to “Illmatic.”
Recommended If You Like: The Roots, Thundercat, Herbie Hancock
By Jesse Paller, “We Like Music,”
Wednesdays 10 p.m.-midnight
La Sera - Sees the Light
For those of you paying close attention, you’ll notice this is the second Vivian Girls solo album to be released this year, after Frankie Rose’s “Interstellar.” The comparisons between these two albums are rather obvious; and, if you enjoyed “Interstellar,” chances are you’ll enjoy “Sees The Light.”
“Sees the Light” is 30 minutes of solid, breezy, beach rock with each of the ten tracks being a perfect accompaniment to all those summer days that just haven’t come yet. This sound is nothing new, but it’s very competently done, providing variations in sound and speed from track to track. It’s one of those albums that, while not providing the most depth in the world, is immensely enjoyable to listen to, and one that you’ll find yourself returning to often.
RIYL: Vivian Girls, Frankie Rose, Best Coast
by Richard Murphy, “Lionheart James,”
Thursdays 2-4 a.m.
White Arrows - Fireworks of the Sea EP
Fun fact: White Arrows frontman Mickey Schiff was born blind, but regained his sight after 11 years of vision exercises and perseverance. Inspiring, right? Hence, it’s no surprise that Schiff’s music sounds like a celebration, laying down groove after groove in the short span of ten minutes.
While the album is predominantly driven by electronics and synths, you can hear a love of traditional pop songwriting in the material; in fact, the title track equally recalls Paul Simon’s “Graceland” and Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion.” The only downside to the EP is that it ends much too quickly, leaving listeners hungry for more. Still, White Arrows establish themselves as an instantly appealing group with loads of potential, while creating high expectations for their upcoming full-length.
RIYL: Neon Indian, Animal Collective
by Cameron Meindl, “Rhyme and Reason,”
Sundays noon-2 p.m.
Willis Earlbeal - Acousmatic Sorcery
Chicago-based Willis Earl Beal has stated in the past that he aims to be the “black Tom Waits,” a goal that is clearly heard on “Acousmatic Sorcery,” his first full-length album. Beal’s songs, with his powerful, rich voice combined with tinny, sometimes-out-of-tune instrumentation, fall firmly between the elegant soul of the ’60s and ’70s and the strangest of outsider music. It’s an odd combination, but one that, for the most part, works pretty well, with only a handful of tracks wandering aimlessly.
Most notable among the album’s strengths is the character of Beal, full of a swagger and confidence that comes through crystal clear in both his delivery and lyrical content. Whatever you end up thinking of Willis Earl Beal’s purposefully strange ballads, you are not soon to forget that you heard him.
RIYL: Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston, The White Stripes
by Richard Murphy, “Lionheart James,”
Thursdays 2-4 a.m.
M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion
It may be his seventh studio album but you’d never even know it; M. Ward’s new record replicates nearly every feature of his last six. Short and sweet tunes with long acoustic finger-picked sections, breathy vocals, hollow piano, nonchalant layered harmonies, female guest vocalists (one of which is Zooey Deschanel, his partner in crime in side-band She & Him) and dreamy pulsing guitar rhythms are all present and far more than just casually reminiscent of M. Ward’s previous records.
While this lack of growth may be a bit of a let down, “A Wasteland Companion” is nonetheless inviting and extremely laid back. Ward’s complex yet delicate guitar solos are a reminder of why he is a “Monster of Folk.” But, other than folk, “A Wasteland Companion” toys with rock and blues, subtly forming a multi-genre listening experience. M. Ward’s untiring instrumental elements, fused with his same warm smooth vocals, show that artists need not rework their musical styles, or alter them at all for that matter, to make an album that is both enigmatic and poignant.
RIYL: M. Ward, Monsters of Folk, She & Him, My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird
by Brendan Principato, “This Radio Show Will Ruin/Save Your Life,”
Mondays midnight-2 a.m.
