About five years ago, I almost gave up on the hip-hop genre entirely. Then I heard T.I.’s “What You Know,” quite possibly one of the most raw, free-flowing, catchy and downright honest rap songs I’d heard in years, and I was easily drawn back in. It was then that I realized what hip-hip—at least that of the mainstream kind—had been missing in previous years: honesty.
And that brings me to our artist to watch, from Los Angeles by way of Alabama. With vibrant electro beats mixed with a full-force delivery that oozes swagger, Matchstik is on the verge of a breakthrough. Last year, he released single “Surina’s Song” independently in London, which sold over 100,000 ringtones, was featured in Billboard as an artist to look out for, and his debut LP Along Came Matchstik is set to be released later this summer. Right now he’s stuck in a bidding war between two major labels, and whoever scores him will surely have a gold mine in their hands. Not bad for a former high school dropout from the drug-infested neighborhood of Dothan, Alabama. Matchstik’s back-story is quite eye opening, and you can read all about it in this Billboard article.
And now onto the issue of honesty in the rap world. When T.I. broke through with a dose of realism and catchiness, he revived a dying hip-hop landscape that was obsessed with ridiculous supped-up cars, partying “like a rockstar” and waxing poetic on why MiMS was so “hot.” Nothing seemed real—just fake and processed, and nobody (at least me) could really connect to the themes. Now, the protégés of rap’s biggest names (Drake, Kid Cudi, Wale, B.O.B.) are ruling the charts and (for the most part) critical approval. And while these kids haven’t impressed me entirely, I will admit, things are better.
Now, given Matchtik’s back-story, including his dramatic fight to make it out of his neighborhood to make it to where he is now, it is important to note how truly honest his music feels. Along Came Matchstik can currently be heard here. Listen to opening track “Just An Artist,” in which Match reminds us that we are all human, and therefore imperfect, but that no matter who we are or where we come from, there is no reason we can’t dream of changing the world. The aura is hopeful, realistic, and as I said earlier, honest.
Matchstik is playing a show tonight at the Kress club in Hollywood. For more information on the show, go here. Hopefully I’ll be seeing a lot of you there, and you’ll be able to say that you “were there” when it all happened for him. Seriously, bet on it.
This brings speculation that the new Radiohead album could be coming a lot quicker than expected. Even if this “Tehrangeles” buzz ends up being phony, keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for a new full length by Radiohead.
Even with such a rich repertoire, Hold Time is straight up M. Ward’s masterpiece. It’s more of what we love best about Ward, it’s more thoroughly upbeat, and it sure sounds like he had the most fun recording this one. It starts off strong with three feel-good sing-along anthems, mellows out for a few songs and climaxes with “Stars of Leo”, but is still boated through the end with delicate melody. Ward’s guitar work is beautiful as ever and definitely complimented by collaborations with Lucinda Williams, Jason Lytle, and especially the crush-inducing Zooey Deschanel. Go on a walk with it. –Roxane Moaveni
And now for the biggest mainstream breakout success of 2009 that wasn’t an androgynous American Idol-er or a hermaphroditic dance-pop queen: Versailles, France’s indie pop group Phoenix already had three solid albums under their belt before Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was released, which makes their recent success that much more thrilling. Sure, the single “1901” single-handedly vaulted them to this point, but one song can only do so much for a band (i.e. Cage The Elephant and “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”). It’s the rest of Wolfgang that has ensured Phoenix’s legacy. With the delicate guitar hook of “Lisztomania” leading off the album combined with singer Thomas Mars’ innocent, charming delivery, it’s really impossible to not like Phoenix. The whole album has a musically deep and vivid quality to it that guarantees repeat listens, such as on the atmosphere-rich ballad “Love Like a Sunset.” The electronic quirks keep the album fresh to the point where there is never a dull moment. To be honest, it’s not that Phoenix had been overlooked up to this point; it was simply that they had not yet found their authentic sound. On Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, they not only found it, but they made it uniquely their own. –Jeff Cubbison
The up-and-coming British noise-rock five piece The Horrors have escaped the zombie-garage rock sound heard on their 2007 debut Strange House and have grown into themselves as musicians. Aided by producer Geoff Barrow of Portishead, Primary Colours both shows a noticeable progression in the band’s sound and stands out compared to efforts of the same genre. Though the band frequently channels other artists like My Bloody Valentine, Can, and Joy Division on Primary Colours, The Horrors never lose their sense of identity. From the eight-minute, unconventional chorus-less first single “Sea Within A Sea”, to the eerily heartbroken “Who Can Say”, this album is full, to say the least. Primary Colours starts and ends with ambience; everything between is calculated chaos. –Chris Cubbison
The main gripe I hear about Girls’ Album is that it isn’t anything new; some people can’t find a reason to freak out about another man with long hair singing about his experiences with bad relationships. What makes Album so enticing is its execution. Perhaps it’s not a new, sonorous experiment from another blog foundling with a synthesizer, but Album’s incredible mastery over the world through a broken heart connects with listeners in a way that does not feel maudlin at all. Even though the songs are founded on failed lovers, its fundamentals beg to approach gloom with serendipity. Album is brimming with sincerity and warmth that feels oh-too-real to us all. –Cody De La Vara
xx is the year’s coolest album. Spare arrangements, slithering guitars, and drumming that doesn’t use cymbals at all (I just went through the album to verify this and I only found a hint of hi-hat on one track), and singers who barely raise their voices give the record a clinical sound. The album is thoroughly minimal but truly beautiful. My favorite elements of the album are its whisper-like falsettos, hand claps, and alternating voices. “VCR”, “Crystalised”, “Islands”, and “Heart Skipped a Beat” are arguably the best 12 consecutive minutes on any album of 2009. –Eric Simmonds
Regardless of how well structured this album is, I cannot mentally identify what is occurring within each of its charming and slightly erratic layers. Bitte Orca has an identity of its own and invokes similar feelings to those that come when you have been crawling on a lonely, dry island for 30 years, and on the day you return you walk out into a new, liberated sun, and though you have so many conflicting ideas of what you want to do, your most overcoming emotion is to sob because you are simply happy to be. –Cody De La Vara
In their debut year, Japandroids slaughtered our eardrums with some of the most exciting garage rock in recent years. While the xx stole a lot of the newcomer hype, the Vancouver duo flew under the radar to provide listeners with the type of ’90s revivalist sounds that change lives—a testament to Post-Nothing’s surprising thematic depth. On the surface, Post-Nothing is a distorted garage rock assault, but strip away the layers of electric guitar and fast-paced drumming and you’ve got a mighty ode to teenage rebellion. Like fellow noise-rockers No Age did with Nouns last year, Japandroids present us with the teen anthem of the year. The album fires you up from the very beginning on “The Boys Are Leaving Town,” a call to arms for the desperate youth of America that opens with piercing guitar fuzz and an energetic percussion attack. The album leans more toward the garage rock genre with its modest, catchy guitar lines punctuating single “Young Hearts Spark Fire” before drifting into a decidedly more noise-punk approach on “Wet Hair” and the fierce, sing-a-long inducing “Heart Sweats.” On “The Boys Are Leaving Town,” singer/guitarist Brian King screams, “Will we find out way back home? Whoaaaaah!” To be honest, after listening to Post-Nothing, there simply is no going back. –Jeff Cubbison
Grizzly Bear’s long-awaited Veckatimest met the hype this year with both the critics and the charts, showing the world what indie music is truly capable of. With their angelic harmonies and glittery guitar effects, Grizzly Bear show on Veckatimest that they can make a lot out of a little. And hey, Jay-Z liked it. –Austin Cesear
When Merriweather Post Pavilion leaked more than a full year ago, it was discussed with what seemed like endless amounts of hyperbole. It was clearly Animal Collective’s epochal album– With its meticulously layered mixture of dub, house, electronica and psychedelic pop, it not only acted as a culmination of Animal Collective’s past work but defied genre altogether. And the songs themselves were arguably flawless—from “In The Flowers”’ masterfully intriguing opening to “Brothersport”’s triumphant catharsis, it was hard to even find minor flaws in Animal Collective’s songwriting. Needless to say, Merriweather was the most interesting thing in the music world when it came out, and many hoped that 2009 would bring about a record that could compete. Well, nothing did, and for that reason alone one can call Merriweather Post Pavilion the best album of 2009. But what’s more significant is that after taking a year to digest, our first impressions of Merriweather still stand: Even after dozens of listens, Merriweather Post Pavilion is still as fascinating and consistent as it was on the first. And more importantly, the success of Merriweather holds greater implications for the music of the next decade. Hordes of bands have already produced albums that [unsuccessfully] try to replicate Merriweather’s unique sound, and upcoming releases from the likes of Yeasayer and Beach House have already demonstrated the power of Merriweather’s influence. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Merriweather Post Pavilion proved be a classic album of our generation– my parents hate it, and I couldn’t be more proud. –John Warlick