Here's a pair of animated videos from Cole Kush. Both are strange and made us LOL, and then they both end on bummers. We are sad that the protagonist in the Mac Demarco video is sent down the river like that. One of the townspeople is "The Mask" from the movie The Mask. The TNGHT video gets more blatantly existential. Like yea, we get it. We're all going to die one day. Wow, you're kidding. I had no idea.
Showing posts with label mac demarco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mac demarco. Show all posts
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Hot Mix 2015: #70 - 41
Welcome back to the countdown. After some consideration, we liked how the "30 songs on a page" thing looked, so it's happened once again.
| Hot Mix 2015 on Spotify |
| #200 - 166 | #165 - 131 | #130 - 101 | #100 -71 | #70 - 41 | #40 - 21 | #20 - 1 |
| All 200 Songs |
70. Janet Jackson “Unbreakable”
“It’s been a while. Lots to talk about. I’m glad you’re still here.” Wait, so she's singing to the listener? Hey, that's pretty cool, although it might be less awkward if we pretend she's still singing to that dude from the "Anytime Anyplace" video. P.S. Her best Diana Ross tribute since "Doesn't Really Matter."
69. I Hate Sex “I Fucking Hate Sports”
An extreme juxtaposition: On one side, this is an incredibly musical punk song with an intro that sounds like it might be paying homage to The Smithereens or Marshall Crenshaw. Nine seconds later, all hell will break loose. *SCREEEEEEAM.* Don't get it twisted: "I Fucking Hate Sports" isn't rage based around misplaced teen angst. It's a depressingly intense frustration with an inability to find a place that fits. And yes, catharsis helps.
68. Carly Rae Jepsen "Making the Most of the Night"
Hey, Carly Rae likes you. She really, really, really, really likes you. She told us. And her smiley repetition isn't just confined to single word mantras. "One more time" singalongs strategically recur throughout E•MO•TION, and the "Making the Most" instance is probably the one where we wish she had opted for a hint of variance. It feels like 80% chorus, but it's perfectly structured otherwise: The bridge builds to a grand slam, representing the pinnacle of Carly Rae's big night. The last 15 seconds utilize "the ominous minor-key outro" motif, a cue that may or may not have derived from "Lovefool." It goes by quick, but it might be the most mysteriously satisfying moment from any recent pop record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2BGjJ_4BTk
67. Kamasi Washington “Isabelle”
SPIN's 90 Albums From The '90s from August-ish 1999 included Sonny Sharrock's experimental-jazz record Ask The Ages at #59. It wasn't an especially high profile release at the time, but it's probably the last instance when we can recall a jazz record receiving an "end of year" or "end of decade" placement that came anywhere near what The Epic has been experiencing. It's no surprise that the strength of an event album like To Pimp A Butterfly assisted musicians like Thundercat and Kamasi Washington with generating some crossover branding. While it's refreshing to finally see a jazz record receiving high praise of this type, the excitement can only lead its fans to wonder what other recent jazz releases might have been equally worthy.
66. Dej Loaf featuring Big Sean “Back Up”
We couldn't think of anything so here's this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_7An-3J6kM
65. Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney “FourFiveSeconds”
How exactly did this song generate such a viciously negative reaction? Are we crazy? Was this the No Jacket Required of 2015? As a standalone single without the context of the three names attached, there's really nothing objectively shitty about it. Had it been sung by Taylor Swift or that Shotgun Annies thing (or whatever Miranda Lambert's group is called), it would have been heard by completely different people, framed in a different context and thus judged as a song instead of a headline. And besides, we'd rather hear Rihanna sing something like this than almost any modern country singer. It's probably the only recent simple-guitar-&-vocals jam we can recall with so many buried weird noises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt0g4dWxEBo
64. Kendrick Lamar “The Blacker the Berry”
Initial critical evaluation seemed to immediately tag this song as a thematic sequel to "i" from Fall 2014. "The Blacker The Berry" and "i" both worked well as standalone singles but somehow seemed so much more explosive within the context of To Pimp A Butterfly. Its third verse might be the album's strongest with its themes of pride, violence and protest all accentuated by its gnarly beat and eerie subtleties.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMxNYQ71LOk
63. BEAK> "The Meader"
We have no "Best shows we saw in 2015" list this year. But Beak> in Bristol would have been an easy #1. We imagine this show had almost nothing in common with Portishead's show accompanied by the NY Philharmonic aside from Geoff Barrow, who excused himself to "go take a wee" after 6 songs, leaving Billy Fuller awkwardly unprepared to "tell some stories" that didn't go anywhere. They got drunkenly (playfully) heckled by the hometown crowd (a lot). And so naturally, they drunkenly (playfully) fought back with expletives (a lot). Matt Williams chugged two Coronas during "Eggdog" while continuing to play the keyboard with his free hand. Who knew these guys were so much fun?
62. Kurt Vile “Pretty Pimpin'”
KV finally dusts off his copy of The Moon and Antarctica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=659pppwniXA
61. Mac Demarco “Another One”
Salad Days threw listeners some sonically unexpected curveballs. On Another One, this was not the case. Rather, its most surprising attribute lies within Demarco's ability to secure a handful memorable hooks on every release while sticking so rigidly to the structural confines he's built for his songwriting.
60. Aphex twin “diskhat ALL prepared1mixed 13”
The version on Soundcloud is apparently different from the EP version, but we can't tell the diff.
59. Alex G “Thorns”
Sigur Ros goes pop. Slow motion playgrounds. 55 degrees. Overcast skies. Beach Music sounds very "rite of passage." "Thorns" specifically is the earliest point in someone's life when they can observe a sunset or a cloud formation and perceive it as a perfect gift. The song's cryptic lyrics and title suggest an allure that leads to prickly stings.
58. Erykah Badu featuring Andre 3000 “Hello”
Winner of the "Best Song Called 'Hello' of the Year" Award. Without releasing any new albums or singles of his own between 2004 and 2009, Andre 3000 remained the grand champion of guest rappers. His effortless flow assisted jams like "I Can't Wait," "Bubble Pop Electric," "Walk It Out (Remix)," "International Players Anthem," and "Royal Flush" to immediately secure a spot within the best singles of their respective years. Since the turn of the decade, however, his panache seems downgraded to "phoned in" status. While "I Do" and "Party" are both pretty great songs, they aren't nearly as indebted to Andre's genius like his late-2000s output. "Hello" marks a refreshing recollection of his glory days, possibly signaling a guest-dominance comeback with his best verse since "Royal Flush." Erykah's lullaby also notably includes "idunno idunnoidunnoidunno" intertwining with "elloello hey hello hello" and the best Todd Rundgren interpolation since Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXGqHYNTNHU
57. Jute Gyte “Machinery That Renders Debt Infinite”
Jute Gyte's impressively prolific catalog of free Bandcamp releases focuses on two genres: Blackmetal and ambient. The whole of his blackmetal catalog resembles a balloon with a diameter of several lightyears infinitely expanding far past what was previously deemed imaginable. In this case, it's the first noisy blackmetal on our radar that features a creepily sped-up series of music boxes played simultaneously, with rhythm and atonal dissonance occurring by virtue of controlled chaos.
56. Redman “***** Like Me”
"Sour diesel" refers to a weed strain. Thank you Rap Genius. When old people complain "there's no good rap anymore," please remind them that Redman still fills his albums with classic-sounding jams, just as high quality as his radio hits from 1995. Some artists prefer to change with the times, while others aren't finished exploring the sounds that earned them their original fanbase. The video shows Redman somewhere in the southwestern part of the United States hanging out at a weed greenhouse, which reminds us that we haven't seen How High in about 12 years and this needs to happen again soon. "I figure if I study high, take the test high, get high scores! Right? Right."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSLC_mGJWRY
55. Palehound "Easy"
Earworm alert: That 16-note intro tends to stick. Class of 2015’s singer-songwriter VIPs not only fuel our hope for the future of this genre but lead the pack with a notable lack of pretention unseen since at least 15 years ago. Out of all of them (which includes names like Alex Giannascoli and Taylor Ross), Ellen Kempner’s songwriting development - dating back to Kempa, the early Palehound singles and the Dry Food LP - might present the most potential for some type of enormous creative breakthrough over the course of the next couple albums. Also, excellent move getting mega-talents like Jesse Weiss and Gabe Wax on board.
54. Lumpy & The Dumpers “Flush Em”
Gags and puke are always helpful, but that keyboard run is so spot on. We don't know why, and it's best to not think about it. Best punk A-side of the year.
53. Drake & Future “Big Rings”
What a time to be Godiva. Referring to the candy, of course.
52. Deerhunter “Snakeskin”
RIYL: Disco T.Rex with a psychedelic outro section or In It For The Money-era Supergrass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG6jk5Q90DA
51. Carly Rae Jepsen “Emotion”
The vocals seem vulnerable to analog peaking upon entering the red. We highly doubt any of the music on E•MO•TION was taped, but this one aspect (also obvious on a few other songs) raises our suspicions. Also, the Rap Geniuses revealed that two of this song's co-writers were formerly in Boston's own The Click Five, who along with Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger are responsible for "Just The Girl," quite possibly our guiltiest guilty pleasure single of the 2000s. And this fun fact might have contributed to our brain chemistry dividing Carly Rae's song between teen-pop and power-pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV9sNmujCPk
50. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats “Slow Death”
The waging war in this humble place against the forces of darkness where Satan's seed is, the zip code of this evil place is the mark of the beast: 666. The ritual begins slowly, working around the circular room. After all 33 candles are lit, the dark spirits may receive the signal to enter. A slow, dark mass fills the atmosphere, overtaking everything in its path with spirits working their way in and out, left and right. There's no escaping it. "Slow Death," The Deadbeats' finest epic, is the opposite of an exorcism. It invites the demons in. [Note: The song is actually so satanic that it's one of the few jams on Hot Mix 2015 completely unavailable outside of legal streaming services.]
49. Trust Fund “Dreams”
Make way for Bristol's smiley-est rock band as they challenge the punk aesthetic and stretch the rules of what to expect from a punk 4-piece. Their records proudly insert elements from not only UK-punk but also power-pop, grunge, and campfire singalongs. The key-change in "Dreams" is one of their catchiest moments, kinda like how Ash used to do it back in the mid-'90s on singles like "Jack Names The Planets" or "Kung Fu." Also if Hollywood ever decides to remake Angus, this is definitely the #1 choice for the band that should play in the high school dance scene. Trust us on this.
48. Tenement "You Keep Me Cool"
A good old fashioned punk-rock double LP finally graces its presence upon the 2010s. Forgive us, but records like Screaming Females' Ugly from 2012 always kinda felt more like a CD-length album expanded to 2 LPs, while Tenement's Predatory Headlights actually feels like a sprawling magnum opus a la Zen Arcade complete with odd experiments and a well-paced tracklisting. It's a grand and impressive complete statement, which might be why we've yet to notice many reviewers cherry picking their own personal stand-outs. We're nerdy for singles though, and plus we still make mixtapes. Gravitating towards the late-'70s Americana of "You Keep Me Cool" was def a cool selection for some fiery summer mixes. Or wait, maybe it was a hot selection for some icy mixes?
47. Vince Staples “Get Paid”
Thanks to "Get Paid," fans of 1998's "bounce rap" trend might be more hopeful than usual for its big 2016 comeback. Sources have speculated that Jay-Z's forthcoming 2016 hit single "Can I Get A (Part 2)" will include the lyric "Can i get a part two?"* while Mariah Carey plans to revisit her "evil bizarro" counterpart previously featured in the video for 1999's "Heartbreaker."* Rap and pop might actually get fun and adventurous again. Also we thought Vince was saying "pocket fulla lean" which is a phrase that apparently doesn't mean anything, but it sounded cool at the time.
[*Note: Possibly not true.]
46. Faith No More "Superhero"
"With an 'S' on your chest / You're feeling like a God." Political or no? Or maybe it's about Anthony Kiedis? You decide. There have been plenty of "why did they even bother" type of reunion records in the past couple years, with Indy Cindy and now Compton as two of the most baffling offenders. Sol Invictus (along with Failure's album released around the same time) was this year's rare instance of a "'90s reunion" record that didn't allow an extended hiatus to stain their nearly flawless discography. Overcoming the odds seems to be a huge factor in these reunions. So now, what's gonna happen with Mr. Bungle? Bare in mind that Trey Spruance DID in fact join FNM to perform King For A Day in its entirely back in 2011, somewhat increasing the almost non-existent odds that a Mr. Bungle reunion might ever happen within our lifetime.
45. Alex G “Salt”
The salt imagery feels closely related to its album title, Beach Music. So it's possible that "Salt" is the key to this entire record, tying together its surrounding jams with its hugely nostalgic slow-motion cascades of rhythm and melody. Tween-life is when innocent crushes might feel the scariest. It's when friends ride bikes through the woods or down narrow alleys. It's the thrill of discovery and uncertainty and videogames and touching boobs. Not necessarily summery, but definitely full of memories and the creation of future memories. Alex G's records are all the better for including his atypical curveball jams, and "Salt" might be among the very best of those.
44. Stove "Jock Dreams"
Congratulations to Stove, recipient of our coveted "Most Amazing Song Intro of 2015" award. Who knows what was contained within those libations, but the song's fire seems indebted, somewhat mirroring its themes of "wondering if you've made the right choices" and "deciding if it's too late to change" (not too far off from what might have informed Stove's recent re-branding). It doesn't matter if it's called Stove or Ovlov or McGuirk or Guitarmageddon, as long as it's got that smooth Stove seal of approval. That's how you know you're fucking with a quality-ass product. "Jock Dreams" highlights a very strong Side B with all those classic Stove moves you've grown to love over the years.
43. Waka Flocka “Ask Charlamagne”
This contains possibly the darkness beat of 2015, sampled from The Velvet Underground and Nico of all places. But even with that in mind, the most surprising aspect of "Ask Charlamagne" is that Waka Flocka hasn't released a truly great song in over 5 years. We were certain that he had quietly retreated to the has-been camp, content with his unremarkable mixtapes and the millions of dollars he earned from "Hard In The Paint" and "No Hands." His official comeback begins now: "Ask Charlamagne" might be the best song this dude's ever laid to tape, his flow and swagger seemingly reinvented. It's the sound of someone who's had enough of wackness and fakeness, desperate to break away from a trap of cliches, no longer mired in self-parody. We're suddenly (shockingly) very excited for Flockaveli 2.
42. The Internet “Under Control” / The Internet featuring Vic Mensa “Go With It”
Track 3 is called "Under Control," while the chorus of track 4 includes the phrase "lose control." So it's possible that these two songs represent the ying and yang of Ego Death, one of the most oddly slept-on releases of 2015, front-loaded with 4 of the absolute best soul jams of the 2010s so far. The sensuous and sultry "Under Control" might have the record's best-sounding live instrumentation, while "Go With It" is anchored by one of the year's best basslines, recommended for any fans of Big Boi & Andre's "Royal Flush."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSlnd4YnmGI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw2d9mo7jYE
41. Babysitter “Hard Times”
Halfway through "Hard Times," Babysitter uses the song's solo section to feature analog-tape-manipulation, specifically the jolt of the "play" button as 4 or 5 additional reel-to-reel machines slowly contribute more and more guitar feedback and noise into the mix. "Warped and lofi" is the best combination for punk rock. Butthole Surfers, Ween, The Dead Milkmen, The Frogs, Eric Gaffney's contributions to Sebadoh. There are way too few current bands who have willingly embraced this category. Perhaps inhalants aren't as popular as they used to be. [Palberta might be the only other current band who fits into this. Do FNU Ronnies fit? They might be more "noise" than "warped." Lil B and Ariel Pink are both weirdos, but not really punk per se. My Dick, The Purpletraitor and Farrah Abraham were more like one-off novelties. But no matter the category, we're grateful for each of them.]
| Hot Mix 2015 on Spotify |
| #200 - 166 | #165 - 131 | #130 - 101 | #100 -71 | #70 - 41 | #40 - 21 | #20 - 1 |
| All 200 Songs |
| Hot Mix 2015 on Spotify |
| #200 - 166 | #165 - 131 | #130 - 101 | #100 -71 | #70 - 41 | #40 - 21 | #20 - 1 |
| All 200 Songs |
70. Janet Jackson “Unbreakable”
“It’s been a while. Lots to talk about. I’m glad you’re still here.” Wait, so she's singing to the listener? Hey, that's pretty cool, although it might be less awkward if we pretend she's still singing to that dude from the "Anytime Anyplace" video. P.S. Her best Diana Ross tribute since "Doesn't Really Matter."69. I Hate Sex “I Fucking Hate Sports”
An extreme juxtaposition: On one side, this is an incredibly musical punk song with an intro that sounds like it might be paying homage to The Smithereens or Marshall Crenshaw. Nine seconds later, all hell will break loose. *SCREEEEEEAM.* Don't get it twisted: "I Fucking Hate Sports" isn't rage based around misplaced teen angst. It's a depressingly intense frustration with an inability to find a place that fits. And yes, catharsis helps.68. Carly Rae Jepsen "Making the Most of the Night"
Hey, Carly Rae likes you. She really, really, really, really likes you. She told us. And her smiley repetition isn't just confined to single word mantras. "One more time" singalongs strategically recur throughout E•MO•TION, and the "Making the Most" instance is probably the one where we wish she had opted for a hint of variance. It feels like 80% chorus, but it's perfectly structured otherwise: The bridge builds to a grand slam, representing the pinnacle of Carly Rae's big night. The last 15 seconds utilize "the ominous minor-key outro" motif, a cue that may or may not have derived from "Lovefool." It goes by quick, but it might be the most mysteriously satisfying moment from any recent pop record.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2BGjJ_4BTk
67. Kamasi Washington “Isabelle”
66. Dej Loaf featuring Big Sean “Back Up”
We couldn't think of anything so here's this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_7An-3J6kM
65. Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney “FourFiveSeconds”
How exactly did this song generate such a viciously negative reaction? Are we crazy? Was this the No Jacket Required of 2015? As a standalone single without the context of the three names attached, there's really nothing objectively shitty about it. Had it been sung by Taylor Swift or that Shotgun Annies thing (or whatever Miranda Lambert's group is called), it would have been heard by completely different people, framed in a different context and thus judged as a song instead of a headline. And besides, we'd rather hear Rihanna sing something like this than almost any modern country singer. It's probably the only recent simple-guitar-&-vocals jam we can recall with so many buried weird noises. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt0g4dWxEBo
64. Kendrick Lamar “The Blacker the Berry”
Initial critical evaluation seemed to immediately tag this song as a thematic sequel to "i" from Fall 2014. "The Blacker The Berry" and "i" both worked well as standalone singles but somehow seemed so much more explosive within the context of To Pimp A Butterfly. Its third verse might be the album's strongest with its themes of pride, violence and protest all accentuated by its gnarly beat and eerie subtleties.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMxNYQ71LOk
63. BEAK> "The Meader"
We have no "Best shows we saw in 2015" list this year. But Beak> in Bristol would have been an easy #1. We imagine this show had almost nothing in common with Portishead's show accompanied by the NY Philharmonic aside from Geoff Barrow, who excused himself to "go take a wee" after 6 songs, leaving Billy Fuller awkwardly unprepared to "tell some stories" that didn't go anywhere. They got drunkenly (playfully) heckled by the hometown crowd (a lot). And so naturally, they drunkenly (playfully) fought back with expletives (a lot). Matt Williams chugged two Coronas during "Eggdog" while continuing to play the keyboard with his free hand. Who knew these guys were so much fun?62. Kurt Vile “Pretty Pimpin'”
KV finally dusts off his copy of The Moon and Antarctica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=659pppwniXA
61. Mac Demarco “Another One”
Salad Days threw listeners some sonically unexpected curveballs. On Another One, this was not the case. Rather, its most surprising attribute lies within Demarco's ability to secure a handful memorable hooks on every release while sticking so rigidly to the structural confines he's built for his songwriting.
60. Aphex twin “diskhat ALL prepared1mixed 13”
The version on Soundcloud is apparently different from the EP version, but we can't tell the diff.
59. Alex G “Thorns”
Sigur Ros goes pop. Slow motion playgrounds. 55 degrees. Overcast skies. Beach Music sounds very "rite of passage." "Thorns" specifically is the earliest point in someone's life when they can observe a sunset or a cloud formation and perceive it as a perfect gift. The song's cryptic lyrics and title suggest an allure that leads to prickly stings. 58. Erykah Badu featuring Andre 3000 “Hello”
Winner of the "Best Song Called 'Hello' of the Year" Award. Without releasing any new albums or singles of his own between 2004 and 2009, Andre 3000 remained the grand champion of guest rappers. His effortless flow assisted jams like "I Can't Wait," "Bubble Pop Electric," "Walk It Out (Remix)," "International Players Anthem," and "Royal Flush" to immediately secure a spot within the best singles of their respective years. Since the turn of the decade, however, his panache seems downgraded to "phoned in" status. While "I Do" and "Party" are both pretty great songs, they aren't nearly as indebted to Andre's genius like his late-2000s output. "Hello" marks a refreshing recollection of his glory days, possibly signaling a guest-dominance comeback with his best verse since "Royal Flush." Erykah's lullaby also notably includes "idunno idunnoidunnoidunno" intertwining with "elloello hey hello hello" and the best Todd Rundgren interpolation since Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXGqHYNTNHU
57. Jute Gyte “Machinery That Renders Debt Infinite”
Jute Gyte's impressively prolific catalog of free Bandcamp releases focuses on two genres: Blackmetal and ambient. The whole of his blackmetal catalog resembles a balloon with a diameter of several lightyears infinitely expanding far past what was previously deemed imaginable. In this case, it's the first noisy blackmetal on our radar that features a creepily sped-up series of music boxes played simultaneously, with rhythm and atonal dissonance occurring by virtue of controlled chaos. 56. Redman “***** Like Me”
"Sour diesel" refers to a weed strain. Thank you Rap Genius. When old people complain "there's no good rap anymore," please remind them that Redman still fills his albums with classic-sounding jams, just as high quality as his radio hits from 1995. Some artists prefer to change with the times, while others aren't finished exploring the sounds that earned them their original fanbase. The video shows Redman somewhere in the southwestern part of the United States hanging out at a weed greenhouse, which reminds us that we haven't seen How High in about 12 years and this needs to happen again soon. "I figure if I study high, take the test high, get high scores! Right? Right."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSLC_mGJWRY
55. Palehound "Easy"
Earworm alert: That 16-note intro tends to stick. Class of 2015’s singer-songwriter VIPs not only fuel our hope for the future of this genre but lead the pack with a notable lack of pretention unseen since at least 15 years ago. Out of all of them (which includes names like Alex Giannascoli and Taylor Ross), Ellen Kempner’s songwriting development - dating back to Kempa, the early Palehound singles and the Dry Food LP - might present the most potential for some type of enormous creative breakthrough over the course of the next couple albums. Also, excellent move getting mega-talents like Jesse Weiss and Gabe Wax on board. 54. Lumpy & The Dumpers “Flush Em”
Gags and puke are always helpful, but that keyboard run is so spot on. We don't know why, and it's best to not think about it. Best punk A-side of the year.
53. Drake & Future “Big Rings”
What a time to be Godiva. Referring to the candy, of course.
52. Deerhunter “Snakeskin”
RIYL: Disco T.Rex with a psychedelic outro section or In It For The Money-era Supergrass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG6jk5Q90DA
51. Carly Rae Jepsen “Emotion”
The vocals seem vulnerable to analog peaking upon entering the red. We highly doubt any of the music on E•MO•TION was taped, but this one aspect (also obvious on a few other songs) raises our suspicions. Also, the Rap Geniuses revealed that two of this song's co-writers were formerly in Boston's own The Click Five, who along with Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger are responsible for "Just The Girl," quite possibly our guiltiest guilty pleasure single of the 2000s. And this fun fact might have contributed to our brain chemistry dividing Carly Rae's song between teen-pop and power-pop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV9sNmujCPk
50. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats “Slow Death”
The waging war in this humble place against the forces of darkness where Satan's seed is, the zip code of this evil place is the mark of the beast: 666. The ritual begins slowly, working around the circular room. After all 33 candles are lit, the dark spirits may receive the signal to enter. A slow, dark mass fills the atmosphere, overtaking everything in its path with spirits working their way in and out, left and right. There's no escaping it. "Slow Death," The Deadbeats' finest epic, is the opposite of an exorcism. It invites the demons in. [Note: The song is actually so satanic that it's one of the few jams on Hot Mix 2015 completely unavailable outside of legal streaming services.]49. Trust Fund “Dreams”
Make way for Bristol's smiley-est rock band as they challenge the punk aesthetic and stretch the rules of what to expect from a punk 4-piece. Their records proudly insert elements from not only UK-punk but also power-pop, grunge, and campfire singalongs. The key-change in "Dreams" is one of their catchiest moments, kinda like how Ash used to do it back in the mid-'90s on singles like "Jack Names The Planets" or "Kung Fu." Also if Hollywood ever decides to remake Angus, this is definitely the #1 choice for the band that should play in the high school dance scene. Trust us on this.48. Tenement "You Keep Me Cool"
A good old fashioned punk-rock double LP finally graces its presence upon the 2010s. Forgive us, but records like Screaming Females' Ugly from 2012 always kinda felt more like a CD-length album expanded to 2 LPs, while Tenement's Predatory Headlights actually feels like a sprawling magnum opus a la Zen Arcade complete with odd experiments and a well-paced tracklisting. It's a grand and impressive complete statement, which might be why we've yet to notice many reviewers cherry picking their own personal stand-outs. We're nerdy for singles though, and plus we still make mixtapes. Gravitating towards the late-'70s Americana of "You Keep Me Cool" was def a cool selection for some fiery summer mixes. Or wait, maybe it was a hot selection for some icy mixes?47. Vince Staples “Get Paid”
Thanks to "Get Paid," fans of 1998's "bounce rap" trend might be more hopeful than usual for its big 2016 comeback. Sources have speculated that Jay-Z's forthcoming 2016 hit single "Can I Get A (Part 2)" will include the lyric "Can i get a part two?"* while Mariah Carey plans to revisit her "evil bizarro" counterpart previously featured in the video for 1999's "Heartbreaker."* Rap and pop might actually get fun and adventurous again. Also we thought Vince was saying "pocket fulla lean" which is a phrase that apparently doesn't mean anything, but it sounded cool at the time. [*Note: Possibly not true.]
46. Faith No More "Superhero"
"With an 'S' on your chest / You're feeling like a God." Political or no? Or maybe it's about Anthony Kiedis? You decide. There have been plenty of "why did they even bother" type of reunion records in the past couple years, with Indy Cindy and now Compton as two of the most baffling offenders. Sol Invictus (along with Failure's album released around the same time) was this year's rare instance of a "'90s reunion" record that didn't allow an extended hiatus to stain their nearly flawless discography. Overcoming the odds seems to be a huge factor in these reunions. So now, what's gonna happen with Mr. Bungle? Bare in mind that Trey Spruance DID in fact join FNM to perform King For A Day in its entirely back in 2011, somewhat increasing the almost non-existent odds that a Mr. Bungle reunion might ever happen within our lifetime. 45. Alex G “Salt”
The salt imagery feels closely related to its album title, Beach Music. So it's possible that "Salt" is the key to this entire record, tying together its surrounding jams with its hugely nostalgic slow-motion cascades of rhythm and melody. Tween-life is when innocent crushes might feel the scariest. It's when friends ride bikes through the woods or down narrow alleys. It's the thrill of discovery and uncertainty and videogames and touching boobs. Not necessarily summery, but definitely full of memories and the creation of future memories. Alex G's records are all the better for including his atypical curveball jams, and "Salt" might be among the very best of those.44. Stove "Jock Dreams"
Congratulations to Stove, recipient of our coveted "Most Amazing Song Intro of 2015" award. Who knows what was contained within those libations, but the song's fire seems indebted, somewhat mirroring its themes of "wondering if you've made the right choices" and "deciding if it's too late to change" (not too far off from what might have informed Stove's recent re-branding). It doesn't matter if it's called Stove or Ovlov or McGuirk or Guitarmageddon, as long as it's got that smooth Stove seal of approval. That's how you know you're fucking with a quality-ass product. "Jock Dreams" highlights a very strong Side B with all those classic Stove moves you've grown to love over the years.43. Waka Flocka “Ask Charlamagne”
This contains possibly the darkness beat of 2015, sampled from The Velvet Underground and Nico of all places. But even with that in mind, the most surprising aspect of "Ask Charlamagne" is that Waka Flocka hasn't released a truly great song in over 5 years. We were certain that he had quietly retreated to the has-been camp, content with his unremarkable mixtapes and the millions of dollars he earned from "Hard In The Paint" and "No Hands." His official comeback begins now: "Ask Charlamagne" might be the best song this dude's ever laid to tape, his flow and swagger seemingly reinvented. It's the sound of someone who's had enough of wackness and fakeness, desperate to break away from a trap of cliches, no longer mired in self-parody. We're suddenly (shockingly) very excited for Flockaveli 2.42. The Internet “Under Control” / The Internet featuring Vic Mensa “Go With It”
Track 3 is called "Under Control," while the chorus of track 4 includes the phrase "lose control." So it's possible that these two songs represent the ying and yang of Ego Death, one of the most oddly slept-on releases of 2015, front-loaded with 4 of the absolute best soul jams of the 2010s so far. The sensuous and sultry "Under Control" might have the record's best-sounding live instrumentation, while "Go With It" is anchored by one of the year's best basslines, recommended for any fans of Big Boi & Andre's "Royal Flush."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSlnd4YnmGI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw2d9mo7jYE
41. Babysitter “Hard Times”
Halfway through "Hard Times," Babysitter uses the song's solo section to feature analog-tape-manipulation, specifically the jolt of the "play" button as 4 or 5 additional reel-to-reel machines slowly contribute more and more guitar feedback and noise into the mix. "Warped and lofi" is the best combination for punk rock. Butthole Surfers, Ween, The Dead Milkmen, The Frogs, Eric Gaffney's contributions to Sebadoh. There are way too few current bands who have willingly embraced this category. Perhaps inhalants aren't as popular as they used to be. [Palberta might be the only other current band who fits into this. Do FNU Ronnies fit? They might be more "noise" than "warped." Lil B and Ariel Pink are both weirdos, but not really punk per se. My Dick, The Purpletraitor and Farrah Abraham were more like one-off novelties. But no matter the category, we're grateful for each of them.]
| Hot Mix 2015 on Spotify |
| #200 - 166 | #165 - 131 | #130 - 101 | #100 -71 | #70 - 41 | #40 - 21 | #20 - 1 |
| All 200 Songs |
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Hot Mix 2014: #40 - 31
We forgot we were supposed to keep doing this. Whatever, we're still way ahead of schedule compared to last year.
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
40. Ovlov “The Great Ohmu”
One of our favorite stray '90s jams happened at the end of 1995 when Pearl Jam's "I Got Shit" hit #7 on the Hot 100. "Shit" is an anomaly for PJ, mostly because singer and guitarist Eddie Vedder is the only band member who actually plays on it. The rest of the band is comprised of Chili Peppers' drummer Jack Irons, producer Brendan O'Brien doubling as bassist, and Neil Young (yes, that Neil Young) on lead guitar. As a result, "I Got Shit" also has its own specific atmosphere, separate from the rest of their music. We're gonna guess that Ovlov probably isn't into Pearl Jam, but we couldn't help ourselves from noticing an easy, cheap comparison.
"The Great Ohmu" is also a one-off with different musicians. Alongside "The Great Crocodile" and "Ohmu Shell" (both performed by the same lineup they've had since 2012), they form an unofficial trilogy of monsters that appeared on three split releases in the summer and fall of 2014, causing at least one confused fan to ask, "Why didn't they just release an EP?" Ovlov were unavailable to comment (as they're currently touring Canada), but we think we hear the reason for this in the songs themselves: They each generate their own specific energy that feels different from any other release they've had so far, which is especially true for "The Great Ohmu." In addition to the one-off line-up, it's the only Ovlov track we've ever heard that sounds like Neil Young (yup, Neil Young again - with Crazy Horse's vocal harmonies, of course) shredding over one of Uncle Acid's more grotesque creatures. It's one of those "Godzilla knocking down buildings in slow motion" type jams that are like catnip for people like us. Again, we couldn't find Ovlov in time for this, but recording engineer Julian Fader was available to speak about the "Great Ohmu" session:
"That's me. I'm drumming. Jesse Paller is playing bass. He's our intern and biggest Ovlov fan. Jesse was shitting himself with happiness. We did it live, and then Steve [Hartlett] didn't want me to mix it. So we just used the rough mix, pretty much. I guess I'm glad about that because I probably would've fucked it up."
39. Disco Doom “Dead Eye”
"Dead Eye" is the song we would play for someone if they asked "what does Disco Doom sound like?" It's probably the quintessential DD-moment of Numerals, a wildly inventive record showcasing their mastery for restraint and appropriate placement of weird noises, a psychedelic approach to noise-rock. This is no hippie bullshit. "Dead Eye" includes a quick theme-and-variation, with the theme established in the first minute and change (the section with the lyrics and words). It's this launching point that frames the canvas with Disco Doom's dependably delicate chord structures, a subtlety often masked by meticulous selection of effects pedals, not unlike similar heroes of '80s underground rock - Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth. It gets trippy and trancey, but it's also a 4-minute song that easily could have expanded to 15-minutes in the hands of some self-indulgent art-rock bros. Sorry Boomers. The '60s sucked. Get to the money shot, and move on.
38. Jute Gyte "Semen Dried into the Silence of Rock and Mineral"
There's not much more we can say about this song that we didn't already say about "Mansions of Fear," even though we were determined to fit two Jute Gyte songs into this list so we have no one else to blame but ourselves. There's only so far you can go when describing microtonal math-rock influenced blackmetal. But that's okay because instead we'll use this as an opportunity post the "Ants In My Eyes" Johnson commercial.
37. Mac Demarco "Passing Out Pieces"
What's the name of that sci-fi movie from the late-'60s or early-'70s where they're like "in the year 2014" and everyone's wearing aluminum foil suits and a song not too unsimilar from "Passing Out Pieces" is playing on the radio in the opening scene? It's not A Clockwork Orange, although the Moog synths easily project the same warmth as Wendy Carlos' soundtrack (or any of the keyboard solos on Abbey Road). And also what's that goofy, quirky indie film from the late-80's or early-'90s about apathetic slackers where something that kinda sounds like the more experimental half of Salad Days plays during the panning of the landscapes? Maybe it was all a dream. The more unconventional half of Salad Days serves a necessary layer of wholeness and completion, with the lo-fi warmth sent from the same universe as 2 and Rock & Roll Night Club. AM sunshine. AM radio. Where's that limited edition 8-track re-release? Our $34 is ready.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF7P3oq8Enc
36. Schoolboy Q featuring Kendrick Lamar “Collard Greens”
Increased pulse. Breathe in, breathe out. A more fantastical person might associate this with Jack Bauer - always on the move - or possibly paranoia if they're the one being sought. For those who enjoy fitness, a good run in the park or a weight training never hurt. But our guess is that the manic urgency of "Collard Greens" refers to something a little raunchier than this. We had to Google it, and our suspicions were close: "Curly greens" is in fact a euphemism for a little of the ol' in-out-in-out. A quick one before the elevator reaches the top floor. We also hear buried references to about 9 other hiphop songs, including Kanye's "The New Workout Plan" (duh), but also "Get some dick tonight" from "Ass (Dance)" and "Freak the freckles off your face" from "Molasses." Mysterious skin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2vJEb6lVE
35. Ariana Grande featuring Zedd “Break Free”
“Problem” isn't bad, but it always sounded to us like a puzzle that was pieced back together incorrectly, whereas “Break Free” sounds a little more complete and satisfying as a whole. Max Martin's touch is obvious in the layers of vocals that get added as the song unfolds, leading up to the EDM-coda - the literal moment of breaking free from its previous structural elements, basically presenting the key to the whole song. A declaration of freedom. “Fuck everyone, I just wanna eat molly and dance forever.” Oh yeah, also this was the one where she got pissed about the lyrics because homeschooling never taught her about poetic license. "Now that I've become who I really are." "I only wanna die alive." It's not like they were titling the song something egregious like "I Gotta Feeling." She wasn't into it though, busting into the studio and giving everyone a mouthful. "Yo, I don't think so. You can't make me. I'm cute Ariana, ya heard?. Homie don't play that." And she was all cute-pissed with her head moving back and forth. Max Martin just smiled and shook us head and made a "talk to the hand" motion and was all like "pppppsssshh bish pleese."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eRzOYhLuw
34. Ava Luna "Daydream" / Ava Luna “Sears Roebuck M&Ms”
We had to tie tracks 1 & 2 for this entry because how could we separate those guys? They just seem to like each other so much. Acid-rock filtered through funk-punk steeped in No New York with a twist of Remain In Light. That's some mmm tasty shit. Where's Julian Fader? We haven't heard from him in a minute:
"We recorded those update on our friends' farm. We just went and lived up there for a while and recorded. I remember when we recorded 'Daydream' everyone was dancing, like everyone who wasn't playing on the rhythm tracks. They were just like leaping up and down."
33. YG featuring Drake “Who Do You Love”
Shimmering grit. Grit that shimmers. A little too much shimmer on that 5-note e-piano loop. Imagine the dopeness if it were instead sampled RZA-style, lofi from an acoustic piano. Close enough though. DJ Mustard reinforces the darkness and minimalism, joining Gravediggaz' 6 Feet Deep with "New Slaves" from Yeezus. That creepy slowed-down voice from the outro of Warren G's "This DJ" makes a quick cameo after two decades of silence. (This is actually our favorite part.) Halloween jam. Also, sorry about before when we mistakenly thought we had a Drake-less Hot Mix. We forgot he was on this because his verse is kinda not memorable at all, but at least it isn't distracting in any sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN4upVaDFFs
32. Alex G “Serpent Is Lord”
Yes, we know that's a cobra and not a serpent, but it's Master Shake's tattoo, so just leave it already. There's a couple Alex G songs where the first 20-30 seconds (before the vocals enter) kinda sounds like the intro of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies, a frequent MTV hit from the winter of 1994 that nobody really talks about anymore (and one of the least-remembered of Weird Al's parody videos). With or without that context, "Serpent Is Lord" still projects adolescent, contemplative introspection, alone in the bedroom with the door locked, headphones on, with a sign on the door telling your parents to stay the fuck out. Or like that movie Son of Ranbow where those kids in the '80s make their own version of Rambo using shitty Super 8 cameras. DSU is an album full of gentle ballads like these, intimately nearby the trudges through childhood's trials.
31. Hospitality "It's Not Serious"
NBD. No gimmicks here. Just flawlessly structured songwriting and musicianship, warm and understated - the type that we wish would come around more often these days. Seriously, this could have been on Dusty In Memphis. It even has a bass solo! Plus, a clever little coda section. Slap a Burt Bacharach or Jimmy Webb jam on the b-side and we got ourselves a winner here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlVGmDhl6Q
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
40. Ovlov “The Great Ohmu”
One of our favorite stray '90s jams happened at the end of 1995 when Pearl Jam's "I Got Shit" hit #7 on the Hot 100. "Shit" is an anomaly for PJ, mostly because singer and guitarist Eddie Vedder is the only band member who actually plays on it. The rest of the band is comprised of Chili Peppers' drummer Jack Irons, producer Brendan O'Brien doubling as bassist, and Neil Young (yes, that Neil Young) on lead guitar. As a result, "I Got Shit" also has its own specific atmosphere, separate from the rest of their music. We're gonna guess that Ovlov probably isn't into Pearl Jam, but we couldn't help ourselves from noticing an easy, cheap comparison. "The Great Ohmu" is also a one-off with different musicians. Alongside "The Great Crocodile" and "Ohmu Shell" (both performed by the same lineup they've had since 2012), they form an unofficial trilogy of monsters that appeared on three split releases in the summer and fall of 2014, causing at least one confused fan to ask, "Why didn't they just release an EP?" Ovlov were unavailable to comment (as they're currently touring Canada), but we think we hear the reason for this in the songs themselves: They each generate their own specific energy that feels different from any other release they've had so far, which is especially true for "The Great Ohmu." In addition to the one-off line-up, it's the only Ovlov track we've ever heard that sounds like Neil Young (yup, Neil Young again - with Crazy Horse's vocal harmonies, of course) shredding over one of Uncle Acid's more grotesque creatures. It's one of those "Godzilla knocking down buildings in slow motion" type jams that are like catnip for people like us. Again, we couldn't find Ovlov in time for this, but recording engineer Julian Fader was available to speak about the "Great Ohmu" session:
"That's me. I'm drumming. Jesse Paller is playing bass. He's our intern and biggest Ovlov fan. Jesse was shitting himself with happiness. We did it live, and then Steve [Hartlett] didn't want me to mix it. So we just used the rough mix, pretty much. I guess I'm glad about that because I probably would've fucked it up."
39. Disco Doom “Dead Eye”
"Dead Eye" is the song we would play for someone if they asked "what does Disco Doom sound like?" It's probably the quintessential DD-moment of Numerals, a wildly inventive record showcasing their mastery for restraint and appropriate placement of weird noises, a psychedelic approach to noise-rock. This is no hippie bullshit. "Dead Eye" includes a quick theme-and-variation, with the theme established in the first minute and change (the section with the lyrics and words). It's this launching point that frames the canvas with Disco Doom's dependably delicate chord structures, a subtlety often masked by meticulous selection of effects pedals, not unlike similar heroes of '80s underground rock - Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth. It gets trippy and trancey, but it's also a 4-minute song that easily could have expanded to 15-minutes in the hands of some self-indulgent art-rock bros. Sorry Boomers. The '60s sucked. Get to the money shot, and move on.38. Jute Gyte "Semen Dried into the Silence of Rock and Mineral"
There's not much more we can say about this song that we didn't already say about "Mansions of Fear," even though we were determined to fit two Jute Gyte songs into this list so we have no one else to blame but ourselves. There's only so far you can go when describing microtonal math-rock influenced blackmetal. But that's okay because instead we'll use this as an opportunity post the "Ants In My Eyes" Johnson commercial.37. Mac Demarco "Passing Out Pieces"
What's the name of that sci-fi movie from the late-'60s or early-'70s where they're like "in the year 2014" and everyone's wearing aluminum foil suits and a song not too unsimilar from "Passing Out Pieces" is playing on the radio in the opening scene? It's not A Clockwork Orange, although the Moog synths easily project the same warmth as Wendy Carlos' soundtrack (or any of the keyboard solos on Abbey Road). And also what's that goofy, quirky indie film from the late-80's or early-'90s about apathetic slackers where something that kinda sounds like the more experimental half of Salad Days plays during the panning of the landscapes? Maybe it was all a dream. The more unconventional half of Salad Days serves a necessary layer of wholeness and completion, with the lo-fi warmth sent from the same universe as 2 and Rock & Roll Night Club. AM sunshine. AM radio. Where's that limited edition 8-track re-release? Our $34 is ready.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF7P3oq8Enc
36. Schoolboy Q featuring Kendrick Lamar “Collard Greens”
Increased pulse. Breathe in, breathe out. A more fantastical person might associate this with Jack Bauer - always on the move - or possibly paranoia if they're the one being sought. For those who enjoy fitness, a good run in the park or a weight training never hurt. But our guess is that the manic urgency of "Collard Greens" refers to something a little raunchier than this. We had to Google it, and our suspicions were close: "Curly greens" is in fact a euphemism for a little of the ol' in-out-in-out. A quick one before the elevator reaches the top floor. We also hear buried references to about 9 other hiphop songs, including Kanye's "The New Workout Plan" (duh), but also "Get some dick tonight" from "Ass (Dance)" and "Freak the freckles off your face" from "Molasses." Mysterious skin.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2vJEb6lVE
35. Ariana Grande featuring Zedd “Break Free”
“Problem” isn't bad, but it always sounded to us like a puzzle that was pieced back together incorrectly, whereas “Break Free” sounds a little more complete and satisfying as a whole. Max Martin's touch is obvious in the layers of vocals that get added as the song unfolds, leading up to the EDM-coda - the literal moment of breaking free from its previous structural elements, basically presenting the key to the whole song. A declaration of freedom. “Fuck everyone, I just wanna eat molly and dance forever.” Oh yeah, also this was the one where she got pissed about the lyrics because homeschooling never taught her about poetic license. "Now that I've become who I really are." "I only wanna die alive." It's not like they were titling the song something egregious like "I Gotta Feeling." She wasn't into it though, busting into the studio and giving everyone a mouthful. "Yo, I don't think so. You can't make me. I'm cute Ariana, ya heard?. Homie don't play that." And she was all cute-pissed with her head moving back and forth. Max Martin just smiled and shook us head and made a "talk to the hand" motion and was all like "pppppsssshh bish pleese."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eRzOYhLuw
34. Ava Luna "Daydream" / Ava Luna “Sears Roebuck M&Ms”
We had to tie tracks 1 & 2 for this entry because how could we separate those guys? They just seem to like each other so much. Acid-rock filtered through funk-punk steeped in No New York with a twist of Remain In Light. That's some mmm tasty shit. Where's Julian Fader? We haven't heard from him in a minute:"We recorded those update on our friends' farm. We just went and lived up there for a while and recorded. I remember when we recorded 'Daydream' everyone was dancing, like everyone who wasn't playing on the rhythm tracks. They were just like leaping up and down."
33. YG featuring Drake “Who Do You Love”
Shimmering grit. Grit that shimmers. A little too much shimmer on that 5-note e-piano loop. Imagine the dopeness if it were instead sampled RZA-style, lofi from an acoustic piano. Close enough though. DJ Mustard reinforces the darkness and minimalism, joining Gravediggaz' 6 Feet Deep with "New Slaves" from Yeezus. That creepy slowed-down voice from the outro of Warren G's "This DJ" makes a quick cameo after two decades of silence. (This is actually our favorite part.) Halloween jam. Also, sorry about before when we mistakenly thought we had a Drake-less Hot Mix. We forgot he was on this because his verse is kinda not memorable at all, but at least it isn't distracting in any sense.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN4upVaDFFs
32. Alex G “Serpent Is Lord”
Yes, we know that's a cobra and not a serpent, but it's Master Shake's tattoo, so just leave it already. There's a couple Alex G songs where the first 20-30 seconds (before the vocals enter) kinda sounds like the intro of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies, a frequent MTV hit from the winter of 1994 that nobody really talks about anymore (and one of the least-remembered of Weird Al's parody videos). With or without that context, "Serpent Is Lord" still projects adolescent, contemplative introspection, alone in the bedroom with the door locked, headphones on, with a sign on the door telling your parents to stay the fuck out. Or like that movie Son of Ranbow where those kids in the '80s make their own version of Rambo using shitty Super 8 cameras. DSU is an album full of gentle ballads like these, intimately nearby the trudges through childhood's trials.31. Hospitality "It's Not Serious"
NBD. No gimmicks here. Just flawlessly structured songwriting and musicianship, warm and understated - the type that we wish would come around more often these days. Seriously, this could have been on Dusty In Memphis. It even has a bass solo! Plus, a clever little coda section. Slap a Burt Bacharach or Jimmy Webb jam on the b-side and we got ourselves a winner here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlVGmDhl6Q
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Hot Mix 2014: #80 - 71
The first real week of the year might be the toughest. Page 3 of Hot Mix will help you get over the hump. Maybe.
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
80. Rae Sremmurd “No Type”
Adolescent-sounding voices + "going viral" = one way ticket to one hit wonder (usually). It's not like Y.N.Rich Kids, California Swag District or New Boyz weren't fun and awesome. The world of pop craves ephemeral, while hiphop heads value authentic (or like "the next Illmatic" or whatever). So it was no big surprise when hiphop writers assumed Rae Sremmurd would earn a similarly brief shelf life, even though they sang one of the most addictive songs of 2014. We were hooked on "No Flex Zone" for months, pining for more Rae. This was no "Hot Cheetos & Takis." And then one day, "No Type" just showed up on Spotify without warning. It was time to see what the Sremmurd had up their sleeves. Catchy hook? Check. Playful fun singalong lyrics? "I ain't livin' right (yup)." That's a double check. Sounds good while driving around with the windows down? Fuck yeah it does. "I be livin' life (ye) like I live twice."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzMrK-aGCug
79. Mac Demarco "Chamber of Reflection"
Dreamy slow-moving mist surrounds meditations within solitude. Levitation is optional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY8IS0ssnXQ
78. Sloan “You've Got a Lot On Your Mind/Three Sisters”
We had to combine these because #1 they flow together within the album context, and because #2 both songs sound like composites of about a half-dozen '70s AM Gold hits. Some might scoff at us for suggesting where sounds might have been borrowed, but Sloan are no plagiarists. Plus, cracking the code yields fun puzzle times. Our case begins as we skim through about 10 reviews of Commonwealth, ultimately revealing two interviews with Jay Ferguson regarding the former. He cites Phoenix, Wings, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac. From our end, we're also hearing ELO, "The Night Chicago Died," and the "wooo-hoo" from "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart." “Three Sisters” is a bit tougher to nail though, seeming to mesh “The Great Gig In The Sky” with solo McCartney and Harrison (with a hint of Ween's White Pepper). There's probably more. We'll figure it out later.
Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy62TmrSPGk
Sisters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGyW5IonVI
77. Ex Hex “New Kid”
The thrashing garage-rock energy of "New Kid" immediately struck us as one of the standout jams on Ex Hex's Rips LP. We simply had to know more, and so we tracked down everyone in the band for our wild n' crazy TMK exclusive:
Laura Harris (drums): "'New Kid' is real fun to play. It's my favorite one. And it's fast!"
Betsy Wright (bass): "Yeah, it's my favorite one. It's a fast punk-rocker."
Mary Timony (guitar/vox/writer): "It's about bullies and fighting back. It's like Revenge of the Nerds, basically. Getting revenge against the bullies."
So now we're envisioning this song playing during the moments of anticipation leading up to the final brawl. The big bully walks up to the nerd and is all like, "Shut up, punk. I'm gonna love kickin' your ass." And then the nerd just fucks him up without any warning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeKu2U61QMM
76. Big Ups “Wool”
Meeting somewhere between Damaged and End Hits, "Wool's" ominous guitars and near-whispered sing-speak vocals exemplify the monotony and boredom of after-school detention. "Daylight savings and pencil shavings." Damn yo, that's fuckin' bored. All the while, buried tension is building, ultimately surfacing for an appropriately brief climactic explosion. Seeing it live and in person is even better. Highly recommended. Note: "Wool" also placed on Hot Mix 2013 (past #100 due to late-discovery) because at the time we hadn't realized that the album was pushed back to a Jan 2014 release. Fair game, yo!
75. Swans “Oxygen”
Consider this one sort of an unofficial three-way-tying of the 8-minute To Be Kind jams. (We weren't really into the rest of this album nearly as much. Sorry.) "A Little God In My Hands" is the cartoonish nightmare that reminds us of the haunted mansion at Disneyworld. Its sister jam "Screen Shot" seems to be commenting on all the paranoia in the wake of the Snapchat scare. It's not like people didn't already have the ability to screen cap all those the dick pics and nip slips. However, "Oxygen" beat out both of these, coming closest to resembling a warped and mentally unstable ass-kicking expected from Nick Cave or Flipper. It's the one that "rocks" the most out of these three.
74. Priests "Right Wing" / Priests "Doctor"
Damnit, we really didn't want this one to be a tie. But we would have been kicking ourselves hard had we neglected "Doctor," a punk moment so authentic that it might be tough to decipher whether or not it's a lost relic from the early '80s. "You put your fingers in other people's mouths all day." Priests' cathartic blasts make up the majority of their live set, but it was the invitingly catchy refrain of "Right Wing" that perplexed us most, playing in our heads as we woke up at least a dozen times this past year. Maybe it's the beer talking, but this kinda beats Sleater-Kinney's new stuff.
73. Nicki Minaj “Four Door Aventador”
Thank you to whoever correctly noted how uncannily she aligns with Biggie on this one. To whoever said she was going for a Lil' Kim impersonation, keep in mind that Biggie spent 2 years ghostwriting for Kim. Better luck next time.
72. Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks "Strange Colores"
A natural extension from Animal Collective's Centipede Hz, "Strange Colores" is centered around a tight enough drum loop that any adventurous rappers might still be able to benefit on future mixtapes. Awesome chorus too. Prolly the best AC-related party jam since "Brother Sport."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_nHgrlZMCs
71. Schoolboy Q featuring BJ The Chicago Kid "Studio"
"I'm just sittin' in the studio just tryna get to you, baby / But this song so fuckin' dope, girl, it's harder not for me to blaze it / To tell the truth, wish it was you in this booth that I was blazin." Alright, we're confused. This could mean "The faster I'm done with this dope track, the faster I'll get back to you." Or possibly, "Sitting in the studio trying to get everything down and solid so that you can understand me." Or wait, we thought of another possibility too, but we just lost it. Fuck. The tape slows down in the last 10-seconds, sort of suggesting defeat. Schoolboy Q was unable to reach his lady baby, and we're left witnessing the song collapse onto itself despite his best efforts. We're actually kind of feelin' this ambiguity and would rather not consult Rap Genius with this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zo9VTJUVWc
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
80. Rae Sremmurd “No Type”
Adolescent-sounding voices + "going viral" = one way ticket to one hit wonder (usually). It's not like Y.N.Rich Kids, California Swag District or New Boyz weren't fun and awesome. The world of pop craves ephemeral, while hiphop heads value authentic (or like "the next Illmatic" or whatever). So it was no big surprise when hiphop writers assumed Rae Sremmurd would earn a similarly brief shelf life, even though they sang one of the most addictive songs of 2014. We were hooked on "No Flex Zone" for months, pining for more Rae. This was no "Hot Cheetos & Takis." And then one day, "No Type" just showed up on Spotify without warning. It was time to see what the Sremmurd had up their sleeves. Catchy hook? Check. Playful fun singalong lyrics? "I ain't livin' right (yup)." That's a double check. Sounds good while driving around with the windows down? Fuck yeah it does. "I be livin' life (ye) like I live twice."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzMrK-aGCug
79. Mac Demarco "Chamber of Reflection"
Dreamy slow-moving mist surrounds meditations within solitude. Levitation is optional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY8IS0ssnXQ
78. Sloan “You've Got a Lot On Your Mind/Three Sisters”
We had to combine these because #1 they flow together within the album context, and because #2 both songs sound like composites of about a half-dozen '70s AM Gold hits. Some might scoff at us for suggesting where sounds might have been borrowed, but Sloan are no plagiarists. Plus, cracking the code yields fun puzzle times. Our case begins as we skim through about 10 reviews of Commonwealth, ultimately revealing two interviews with Jay Ferguson regarding the former. He cites Phoenix, Wings, ABBA and Fleetwood Mac. From our end, we're also hearing ELO, "The Night Chicago Died," and the "wooo-hoo" from "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart." “Three Sisters” is a bit tougher to nail though, seeming to mesh “The Great Gig In The Sky” with solo McCartney and Harrison (with a hint of Ween's White Pepper). There's probably more. We'll figure it out later.Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy62TmrSPGk
Sisters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGyW5IonVI
77. Ex Hex “New Kid”
The thrashing garage-rock energy of "New Kid" immediately struck us as one of the standout jams on Ex Hex's Rips LP. We simply had to know more, and so we tracked down everyone in the band for our wild n' crazy TMK exclusive:Laura Harris (drums): "'New Kid' is real fun to play. It's my favorite one. And it's fast!"
Betsy Wright (bass): "Yeah, it's my favorite one. It's a fast punk-rocker."
Mary Timony (guitar/vox/writer): "It's about bullies and fighting back. It's like Revenge of the Nerds, basically. Getting revenge against the bullies."
So now we're envisioning this song playing during the moments of anticipation leading up to the final brawl. The big bully walks up to the nerd and is all like, "Shut up, punk. I'm gonna love kickin' your ass." And then the nerd just fucks him up without any warning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeKu2U61QMM
76. Big Ups “Wool”
Meeting somewhere between Damaged and End Hits, "Wool's" ominous guitars and near-whispered sing-speak vocals exemplify the monotony and boredom of after-school detention. "Daylight savings and pencil shavings." Damn yo, that's fuckin' bored. All the while, buried tension is building, ultimately surfacing for an appropriately brief climactic explosion. Seeing it live and in person is even better. Highly recommended. Note: "Wool" also placed on Hot Mix 2013 (past #100 due to late-discovery) because at the time we hadn't realized that the album was pushed back to a Jan 2014 release. Fair game, yo!75. Swans “Oxygen”
Consider this one sort of an unofficial three-way-tying of the 8-minute To Be Kind jams. (We weren't really into the rest of this album nearly as much. Sorry.) "A Little God In My Hands" is the cartoonish nightmare that reminds us of the haunted mansion at Disneyworld. Its sister jam "Screen Shot" seems to be commenting on all the paranoia in the wake of the Snapchat scare. It's not like people didn't already have the ability to screen cap all those the dick pics and nip slips. However, "Oxygen" beat out both of these, coming closest to resembling a warped and mentally unstable ass-kicking expected from Nick Cave or Flipper. It's the one that "rocks" the most out of these three.74. Priests "Right Wing" / Priests "Doctor"
Damnit, we really didn't want this one to be a tie. But we would have been kicking ourselves hard had we neglected "Doctor," a punk moment so authentic that it might be tough to decipher whether or not it's a lost relic from the early '80s. "You put your fingers in other people's mouths all day." Priests' cathartic blasts make up the majority of their live set, but it was the invitingly catchy refrain of "Right Wing" that perplexed us most, playing in our heads as we woke up at least a dozen times this past year. Maybe it's the beer talking, but this kinda beats Sleater-Kinney's new stuff.73. Nicki Minaj “Four Door Aventador”
Thank you to whoever correctly noted how uncannily she aligns with Biggie on this one. To whoever said she was going for a Lil' Kim impersonation, keep in mind that Biggie spent 2 years ghostwriting for Kim. Better luck next time.
Mixtape > RT “@NickiMarajBR: @NICKIMINAJ describe "four door aventador" in 1 word 🙈♥ #thepinkprint”
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) December 2, 201472. Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks "Strange Colores"
A natural extension from Animal Collective's Centipede Hz, "Strange Colores" is centered around a tight enough drum loop that any adventurous rappers might still be able to benefit on future mixtapes. Awesome chorus too. Prolly the best AC-related party jam since "Brother Sport."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_nHgrlZMCs
71. Schoolboy Q featuring BJ The Chicago Kid "Studio"
"I'm just sittin' in the studio just tryna get to you, baby / But this song so fuckin' dope, girl, it's harder not for me to blaze it / To tell the truth, wish it was you in this booth that I was blazin." Alright, we're confused. This could mean "The faster I'm done with this dope track, the faster I'll get back to you." Or possibly, "Sitting in the studio trying to get everything down and solid so that you can understand me." Or wait, we thought of another possibility too, but we just lost it. Fuck. The tape slows down in the last 10-seconds, sort of suggesting defeat. Schoolboy Q was unable to reach his lady baby, and we're left witnessing the song collapse onto itself despite his best efforts. We're actually kind of feelin' this ambiguity and would rather not consult Rap Genius with this one.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zo9VTJUVWc
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Hot Mix 2014: #90 - 81
Day 2, Page 2. Everything's pretty chill so far. We're not losing our minds yet. But it's early. SO early.
The Spotify mix now includes 100 through 81 plus all those bonuses. Give a listen!
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
90. PC Worship “Rust”
Just saw the commercial for the new Kidz Bop and it should come as no surprise that "Rust" and "Gypsy's" are tracks 1 and 2 respectively. Makes complete sense if you know brats like we do; all 4th through 7th graders love dissonant drone and the sound of flushing toilets; they love PC Worship and know all the words to Social Rust; when they get bored, they draw PC Worship logos on their Surgery Channel trapper keepers. I'll never understand these fuckin' kids these days and their Surgery Channel. It's just like sometimes you don't wanna see that stuff, you know? Like you're just flipping through the channels looking for Charles Barkley porn or whatever and BOOM there's Little Richard on MTV getting open heart surgery. There's this wolf pressing his face against the window and he's like screaming at us right now.
89. T.I. featuring Young Thug “About the Money”
We were starting to miss T.I. and figured he was a goner. Leave it to Floyd Mayweather of all people to get T.I. back into the spotlight of buzz and gossip. At that point, returning to the radio was a no brainer, as he prepped the same checklist as everyone else who charted on hiphop stations in 2014. After crossing "Call DJ Mustard" off his list (resulting in "No Mediocre"), he did the other thing everyone else did: Stealing the triplet-rap thing from Migos' "Versace," a mostly annoying and timely trend which probably just recently died alongside the end of 2014 itself. Migos doesn't even use it anymore. "About the Money" is probably the only other charting instance besides "Versace" that accents the triplet cadence in an interesting way, while the keyboard loop seemed suspiciously familiar. It's not from Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At," but possibly something similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfIdtm-OC8
88. Midnight “No Mercy for Mayhem”
Death-rock is still with us, alive and well. Bands like 45 Grave and Turbonegro carried the torch over to Cleveland's Midnight, who administered much needed defibrillation in the mid-2000s, a necessary resuscitation essentially saving the genre from falling victim to corny call-and-response cliches ("and i like it like it and i love it love it"). They got drums, guitars and death galore, but strangely enough, buried way in there you'll also find melodies, huge riffs, and honest-to-satan catchy hooks. Coming to a Return of the Living Dead sequel near you.
87. Shamir “On the Regular” / tUnE-yArDs "Water Fountain"
Remember those kids on the playground during recess who were all about double-dutch and handclap memorization games? Down Down Baby and Miss Mary Mack and all that shit. And that other one that was like "Miss Lucy had a steamboat the steamboat had a bell Miss Lucy went to heaven and the steamboat went to hello operator give me number 9 and somethin somethin somethin i will kick your behind the fridgerator there was a piece of glass miss lucy stepped upon it and she somethin broke her ask me no more questions tell me no more lies the boys are in the somethin somethin." So yeah, those kids grew up and became Shamir and tUne-yArDs. Now you know.
Shamir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp9GgdCgMXk
tUnE-yArDs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiFcPhccu8
86. Eyehategod “Robitussin and Rejection”
The internet buzz suggests a few of the songs on Eyehategod's outstanding self-titled have been floating around and performed live since as early as 2008. While the uncharacteristically energetic "Agitation Propaganda" or the death-puppet dangling limbs sludge-romp of "Nobody Told Me" could have fit into our Hot Mix just as easily, "Robitussin and Rejection" wins for cutting the deepest. With agonizing, devastating hopelessness intact, nothing beats the lowest depths. At that point, just say fuck it and find literally any fucking drug you can get your hands on. If you can't find money for real drugs, then go raid your parents' closet or your girlfriend's bathroom or anywhere, and just swallow the first thing you can find. Mom's got Robitussin. Cool. Wash it down with your own piss. Numb the pain and move on.
85. Azealia Banks “BBD”
The NY girl's Boston tribute. It's our 2nd favorite song on Broke With Expensive Taste after "212," but mostly because it doesn't confront the listener with the album's predominant excessively-musical production which removed all the grit and rawness from almost all of its other new songs. A few instances on BWET get so EDM-corny and unnecessarily melodic that it sounds like she's rapping or singing over MarioKart (and not in a good way). "BBD" unfortunately indulges the OTHER thing that brought down this record: Her impeccable rap flow on "212" seems to have been completely abandoned in favor of a quieter lower-register Missy Elliott impression meshed with a thick, heavy Long Island accent. Although in this instance, the "BBD" recipe actually works: dancable, catchy, fun, and just minimal enough that it made almost no difference. As much as we love "212," part of us wishes she hadn't included it. While we understand why it's there (money), it supplies a glaring reminder of what we're not receiving. (Note: Well we're not changing this now, but it turns out this song was actually released over 2 years ago on 1/1/13 and isn't one of the album's 12 newer songs. Go figure.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lidf7koHmI8
84. Mac Demarco "Let Her Go"
Probably the best from the more traditional-sounding half of Salad Days. The subdued chorus doesn't resolve itself until after returning back to the verse section, suggesting an unsettled, bittersweet type of freedom. It's kinda weird and lame how stupidly large the Demarco-backlash has grown over the past two years. Yeah, of course he's a fucking weird rockstar, but he's a weirdo who basically invented his own specific combination of recording technique, guitar timbre and tone, achieving a distinct and instantly recognizable atmosphere. And he's still able to write very good songs within the somewhat strict parameters he's built for himself. And what's more, it kinda sounds like Pod-era Ween. All of these things rule. If a few fans of Vampire Weekend or The 1975 or Neutral Milk can't take another weirdo in the world, what difference does it really make? Haters gon' haight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neu3_4MeGls
83. The Notwist "Casino"
Rollin' the dice. "See the dice roll just like me." What's that movie where the dude's like "Life's a risk. Everything's a risk." It probably sucks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m18L18wcypI
82. Xiu Xiu "Black Dick"
DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK.
81. Ariel Pink “Lipstick”
The Mysterious Cities of Gold has to be somewhere in top 10 best TV theme songs. So after the theme song is finished, queue "Lipstick" to play as the episode begins, setting the scene and panning the landscape. (Or this show could also work.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRmtrT6hoPM
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
The Spotify mix now includes 100 through 81 plus all those bonuses. Give a listen!
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
90. PC Worship “Rust”
Just saw the commercial for the new Kidz Bop and it should come as no surprise that "Rust" and "Gypsy's" are tracks 1 and 2 respectively. Makes complete sense if you know brats like we do; all 4th through 7th graders love dissonant drone and the sound of flushing toilets; they love PC Worship and know all the words to Social Rust; when they get bored, they draw PC Worship logos on their Surgery Channel trapper keepers. I'll never understand these fuckin' kids these days and their Surgery Channel. It's just like sometimes you don't wanna see that stuff, you know? Like you're just flipping through the channels looking for Charles Barkley porn or whatever and BOOM there's Little Richard on MTV getting open heart surgery. There's this wolf pressing his face against the window and he's like screaming at us right now. 89. T.I. featuring Young Thug “About the Money”
We were starting to miss T.I. and figured he was a goner. Leave it to Floyd Mayweather of all people to get T.I. back into the spotlight of buzz and gossip. At that point, returning to the radio was a no brainer, as he prepped the same checklist as everyone else who charted on hiphop stations in 2014. After crossing "Call DJ Mustard" off his list (resulting in "No Mediocre"), he did the other thing everyone else did: Stealing the triplet-rap thing from Migos' "Versace," a mostly annoying and timely trend which probably just recently died alongside the end of 2014 itself. Migos doesn't even use it anymore. "About the Money" is probably the only other charting instance besides "Versace" that accents the triplet cadence in an interesting way, while the keyboard loop seemed suspiciously familiar. It's not from Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At," but possibly something similar.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfIdtm-OC8
88. Midnight “No Mercy for Mayhem”
Death-rock is still with us, alive and well. Bands like 45 Grave and Turbonegro carried the torch over to Cleveland's Midnight, who administered much needed defibrillation in the mid-2000s, a necessary resuscitation essentially saving the genre from falling victim to corny call-and-response cliches ("and i like it like it and i love it love it"). They got drums, guitars and death galore, but strangely enough, buried way in there you'll also find melodies, huge riffs, and honest-to-satan catchy hooks. Coming to a Return of the Living Dead sequel near you.
87. Shamir “On the Regular” / tUnE-yArDs "Water Fountain"
Remember those kids on the playground during recess who were all about double-dutch and handclap memorization games? Down Down Baby and Miss Mary Mack and all that shit. And that other one that was like "Miss Lucy had a steamboat the steamboat had a bell Miss Lucy went to heaven and the steamboat went to hello operator give me number 9 and somethin somethin somethin i will kick your behind the fridgerator there was a piece of glass miss lucy stepped upon it and she somethin broke her ask me no more questions tell me no more lies the boys are in the somethin somethin." So yeah, those kids grew up and became Shamir and tUne-yArDs. Now you know.
Shamir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp9GgdCgMXk
tUnE-yArDs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbiFcPhccu8
86. Eyehategod “Robitussin and Rejection”
The internet buzz suggests a few of the songs on Eyehategod's outstanding self-titled have been floating around and performed live since as early as 2008. While the uncharacteristically energetic "Agitation Propaganda" or the death-puppet dangling limbs sludge-romp of "Nobody Told Me" could have fit into our Hot Mix just as easily, "Robitussin and Rejection" wins for cutting the deepest. With agonizing, devastating hopelessness intact, nothing beats the lowest depths. At that point, just say fuck it and find literally any fucking drug you can get your hands on. If you can't find money for real drugs, then go raid your parents' closet or your girlfriend's bathroom or anywhere, and just swallow the first thing you can find. Mom's got Robitussin. Cool. Wash it down with your own piss. Numb the pain and move on.85. Azealia Banks “BBD”
The NY girl's Boston tribute. It's our 2nd favorite song on Broke With Expensive Taste after "212," but mostly because it doesn't confront the listener with the album's predominant excessively-musical production which removed all the grit and rawness from almost all of its other new songs. A few instances on BWET get so EDM-corny and unnecessarily melodic that it sounds like she's rapping or singing over MarioKart (and not in a good way). "BBD" unfortunately indulges the OTHER thing that brought down this record: Her impeccable rap flow on "212" seems to have been completely abandoned in favor of a quieter lower-register Missy Elliott impression meshed with a thick, heavy Long Island accent. Although in this instance, the "BBD" recipe actually works: dancable, catchy, fun, and just minimal enough that it made almost no difference. As much as we love "212," part of us wishes she hadn't included it. While we understand why it's there (money), it supplies a glaring reminder of what we're not receiving. (Note: Well we're not changing this now, but it turns out this song was actually released over 2 years ago on 1/1/13 and isn't one of the album's 12 newer songs. Go figure.)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lidf7koHmI8
84. Mac Demarco "Let Her Go"
Probably the best from the more traditional-sounding half of Salad Days. The subdued chorus doesn't resolve itself until after returning back to the verse section, suggesting an unsettled, bittersweet type of freedom. It's kinda weird and lame how stupidly large the Demarco-backlash has grown over the past two years. Yeah, of course he's a fucking weird rockstar, but he's a weirdo who basically invented his own specific combination of recording technique, guitar timbre and tone, achieving a distinct and instantly recognizable atmosphere. And he's still able to write very good songs within the somewhat strict parameters he's built for himself. And what's more, it kinda sounds like Pod-era Ween. All of these things rule. If a few fans of Vampire Weekend or The 1975 or Neutral Milk can't take another weirdo in the world, what difference does it really make? Haters gon' haight.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neu3_4MeGls
83. The Notwist "Casino"
Rollin' the dice. "See the dice roll just like me." What's that movie where the dude's like "Life's a risk. Everything's a risk." It probably sucks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m18L18wcypI
82. Xiu Xiu "Black Dick"
DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK. DICK.81. Ariel Pink “Lipstick”
The Mysterious Cities of Gold has to be somewhere in top 10 best TV theme songs. So after the theme song is finished, queue "Lipstick" to play as the episode begins, setting the scene and panning the landscape. (Or this show could also work.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRmtrT6hoPM
| Hot Mix 2014 on Spotify |
| #100 - 91 | #90 - 81 | #80 - 71 | #70 - 61 | #60 - 51 |
| #50 - 41 | #40 - 31 | #30 - 21 | #20 - 11 | #10 - 1 |
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