Strange mix today, but some great stuff.
The Meters, "Here Comes The Meter Man"
I hope one day to make a sound even half as cool as the noises that Ziggy Modeliste is making on the drums on this song. You get those ten hour loops on YouTube of every annoying noise on the planet, can I get a ten hour loop of the drum break on this song? (Answer: probably, yes.)
The Pyramids, "I Am So Sorry, Goodbye"
Been a bit since we've had a song from metal weirdos The Pyramids. I mean, I assume. I'm not going to check. This is a song that sits in some strange valley between a lot of different styles of music. There's a little bit of the drone and tremelo picking of black metal, but it's not really shrieking and dissonant enough. There are times that it sounds almost post-rock-ish, but it's not really that either. It also doesn't really go anywhere. It's just kind of atmospheric and odd. Still, nice for a band to be different, I guess.
Krallice, "Failed Visionary Cults"
This track, from the most recent Krallice album, Go Be Forgotten, is one of those songs that feels much bigger than its actual running time. Even though Krallice really steps out of their usual sound on the rest of this album, this is more of a vintage track from them, all intrumental fireworks and dizzying power.
Noisem, "Split From The Inside Out"
I guess we're doing metal today? For those of you still sticking this out, these two songs can provide some contrast between the death metal and black metal camps. This is very much more on the death metal side, with its focus more on growling, riffs, and double-bass drum power. Oh, and the solo, of course. That's as opposed to the more trebly, tremelo picking churn characteristic of black metal. Now, neither of these bands hew that closely to their camp. Noisem has a fair bit of thrash (think old Metallica), and Krallice can have some real progressive elements at times.
Chance the Rapper, "Angels"
OK, sure, why not, shuffle? Chance the Rapper's third album Coloring Book (I completely reject the reductive "mixtape" nomenclature, as if not being on a "real" label makes this a less worthy artistic endeavor) was one of the true highlights of 2016. Joyous and surprising, it's just a pleasure to listen to, and just keeps getting better the more you listen to it. Listen to those horns on the hook! Listen to how great he sounds! Goddamn.