Cannibal Ox

Hockey Night, “For Guys’ Eyes Only”

[don’t mention Pavement don’t mention Pavement don’t mention Pavement]

Hey, that doesn’t actually sound much like Malkmus! It’s more like Spiral Stairs.

[nailed it!]

Beck, “Sexx Laws”

Midnite Vultures starts off like this, letting us know that we are in for Party Beck instead of Sad Beck. I like Party Beck a lot more, personally.

Cannibal Ox, “Ox Out the Cage”

It’s always fun to hear a record that still sounds fresh more than twenty years later. El-P’s production on this record is so good that it still sounds futuristic even after all this time. A great record!

Mule, “I’m Hell”

Hi Hell, I’m Dad.

Cannibal Ox, “Iron Galaxy”

It’s difficult to overstate how much this album sounded like the future when it came out. And while it sort of does represent a path not taken in hip-hop, at least by the mainstream, I suppose it did eventually find full flower with El-P’s work with Run the Jewels.

Atmosphere, “Stopwatch”

Mi Vida Local, Atmosphere’s 2018 record, continues their pattern of staying in the realm of the personal. Slug continues to mostly contemplate and explore his life in his lyrics. Supporting that, Ant’s production relies more and more on live instrumentation, giving again a more organic feel to things. It’s a decent album, but I’m not sure it stands out from their other 2010s work.

It was wobbly a few times there, but another month in the books. As always, thanks for sticking with me here!

BIG|BRAVE, “Do.No.Harm.Do.No.Wrong.Do.No.Harm.Do.No.Wrong.Do.No.Harm.Do.No.Wrong”

If you were just given the data above, the name of this song and the name of this band, I wonder how close you’d get to guessing that it sounds like this kind of abrasive drone? I think I’d guess something pretty outré, at any rate, so I might get pretty close to “early Swans, I guess?” But that’s easy for me to say, I already knew what this sounded like.

Today’s entry is probably the most divided one we’ve ever had. Two songs of pure pop (separated by over 40 years), two disparate slabs of uncompromising noise, and one song of old, yet futuristic sounding hip hop. That’s the stuff.

Lily Allen, “Him”

Lily Allen’s first album, Alright, Still is thoroughly charming, pure pop delivered with wit and tons of catchy songs. One of those albums that’s hard not smile your way all the way through. Her followup album shares at least some of those same attributes, but I never found it as bouncy or memorable as the first record.