JB's Listenings Of The Week (6/22-6/28, 2009)

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - "Rattlesnakes"

Rattlesnakes was another stumbled-upon album...I don't remember how exactly; magazine review, maybe? Either way, I knew little of it before I got it...British pop, was kinda something in its time ('84)...It's the kind of album that doesn't necessarily hit you as great upon a first listen, but it sticks. Catchy tunes, great jangly guitar throughout. I generally dig Cole's lyrics, even, though they occasionally run the risk of being a bit too glib. Though the Commotions split an album or two later, Cole has done quite a bit of solo work since, some of which I have (most of which I have not yet listened to).



Aesop Rock - "Labor" and "Daylight" from "Labor Days"

Def Jux is a label started in the 90s, generally known for a more intellectual, often experimental brand of hip-hop. For the longest time, I had this idea in my mind that I didn't like them. I'm not sure why; I think it was some kind of stupid hip-hop purism thing I had going on. Either way, recently, I decided to take a run at it, and one of the albums I got was "Labor Days", the consensus definitive album of one of their flagship artists, Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock is a white rapper from New York, and has some fucking dense lyrics. Seriously, tremendously wordy, a lot to digest. Amazing shit. Also, the beats here, by producer Blockhead, are great; unconventional but still with a definite hip-hop sense of beat. I haven't given the whole album a proper listen, but these two tracks, "Labor" and "Daylight" are both fantastic. "Labor" has a slow, menacing beat, while "Daylight" is gentle and melancholy, and Aesop drops cutting rapidfire flow on top of both.





Mr. Lif - "I Phantom" from "Emergency Rations"

The track itself, and a bit of backstory as to how I found it, was put up a few posts ago. Lif, another Def Jux artist, has great rhymes and flow, and that beat...Producer El-P (who also puts out solo stuff with Def Jux) makes this dense, buzzing beat, Lif's voice kind of cuts and weaves through it like another instrument.






Unwound - "Repetition"

Unwound was one of the more important indie bands of the 90s. I'm still not as familiar with them as most of the era (i have their discog but haven't listened to most of it) but this album is great. It's often harsh; it squalls, screams, pounds, scrapes and pummels. The dynamics of it are amazing...each instrument fits perfectly into the piece. It's tight and jagged as often as noisy and chaotic. The rhythm section, in particular, are great; always steady, even as the guitars make storms of feedback above them.