Lowercase - Kill the Lights

lowercase's kill the lights

I don't know much about Lowercase's history. This is noisy post-hardcore from the late '90s blending early Swans with the sounds Shellac or Unwound were playing with. Fantastic stuff. Vocals are really alt. rock inspired and the album definitely has a great sense of dynamics.

Lowercase - Kill the Lights (1997)

J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid

To a casual fan of hip-hop the name J-Dilla may not mean a lot. If you’re more interested in Anticon or Wu-Tang than the genre as a whole 'Jay Stay Paid' may not be a big deal. Change that. Like every genre hip-hop's gems are found underneath the rough and Dilla’s work puts him in the position of being the most influential and progressive producer in the last twenty years. His story is just as long and detailed as his career but to address that is a discredit to what 'Jay Stay Paid' represents. Jay Dee may be gone but his music continues to impress and expand itself to new audiences. Most of the tracks on this record are seemingly works in progress. The guest list fits perfectly with artists like DOOM, Havoc (Mobb Depp), and Black Thought all stepping into help create a darker and more diverse record.

jdilla

Jay Dee’s strength has always been his ability to create musically complex beats that work on both a basic and layered level. For example electronic artists like Flying Lotus continually sing the praises of Dilla for his constant attention to detail and musicality. His work with fellow Detroit group Frank-N-Dank saw him exploring usage of minimal effects and layers to create more to the point material. Dilla pretty much finessed this sound with 'Donuts'. 'Jay Stay Paid' attempts to explore that evolution though it is posthumous material. 'King', 'Mythsysizer', and 'In The Night/While You Slept (I Crept)' all focus on creating lush soundscapes in a hip-hop setting. ‘9th Caller’ mixes vintage guitar strokes over a pulsing beat. Dilla’s penchant for self styled strip club jams comes out in ‘CaDILLAc. ‘Spacecowboy vs. Bobble Head’ transitions itself through various sounds and finally closes out with a soulful finale. Jay Dee adapts equal parts of the Wu-Tang and New York sound into the more bass heavy Detroit style on ‘24K Rap’. Raekwon and Havoc both also appear on '24K Rap' which even adds to the strength of it. Other key vocal additions on the record are Blu on 'Smoke' and Black Thought on 'Reality TV'. While the majority of ‘Jay Stay Paid’ is instrumental this is clearly a hip-hop record and the addition of such high quality lyricists is welcomed. Mixing everything from Asian sounding melodies with soundclips of waves 'Coming Back' acts as a true definition of why Dilla will always remain the greatest of all time.

Is 'Jay Stay Paid' the most alarmingly original record of 2009? No, this is a collection of recycled material and sounds as such. Though subtle factors like J Dilla’s hero Pete Rock cutting the album and Illa J's appearance help it retain the artist’s respect. Similar to UGK's '4 Life' earlier this year Dilla's friends, family, and admirers have created a(nother) great tribute to one of hip-hop's great.

J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid (2009)

Brainworms - Brainworms II: Swear to Me

The sound that Virginia's Brainworms have become notorious for is definitely different. Early material was notable for short, explosive post-hardcore tracks that were marked by their extremely melodic guitars. 'Swear To Me' marks a distinct change for the band though, as the material here seems to be diving into much more eclectic territories. Brainworms have always embraced the style of hardcore that was made popular by groups like Split Lip and Grade. All of the group's discography bleeds of a melodic hardcore influence, but the fact is they hardly ever sound that clean or restrained. Whether it is punk, hardcore, or even indie rock, Brainworms are able to spew a dissonant yet catchy mix of numerous genres.

Brainworms' Brainworms II: Swear to Me

'Swear To Me' improves on Brainworms' former material by taking a more progressive approach. Blues style solos, group vocals, and various studio techniques are taken to make the sound more layered and diverse. For reference, think Bear vs. Shark's evolution from debut to sophomore release. The guitar attack of the group has been stepped up a notch and the addition of Josh Small layers the sound nicely. The odd fit in Brainworms has always been lead vocalist Greg Butler who physically resembles Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav fame. Butler's voice has a distinct distorted sound to it whether it is synthetic or natural. This really helps his voice contrast with very high frequency guitar and bass parts that the group likes to employ. Butler's lyrics also show themselves to be just as sophisticated as the song structures. His penchant for illustrating hardcore concepts in a personal way echoes other Virginia groups like Haram or Malady. His lyrics on 'Swear To Me' seem to be focusing on the various realities that accompany the term home, whether it is a person or place. Butler seems to be aching to find and define his own "home" and these thoughts seem to be a basis in the lyrical side of 'Swear To Me'. Of course the material strays into other realms whether it be the political 'Whatever, That's How You Get Famous' or the two instrumental tracks 'Vulgar Display of Flowers' and 'The Pinnacle of Story Telling.'

'Swear To Me' is a great record both because it is extremely enjoyable to listen to, while at the same time it helps carve out its own niche in post-hardcore. Fans of Bear vs. Shark, Hot Water Music, or a Dischord association would be wise to check out 'Swear To Me' - it really is a great and new sounding example of that sound.


Brainworms - Brainworms II: Swear to Me (2009)