MC Paul Barman, "UNDOING ALONENESS"
Back when MC Paul Barman was just getting going, I remember a lot of thinkpieces coming out about him. Lots of descriptors for him describing him as smart or whatever in a way that in retrospect just strikes me as gross. To his credit, he never seemed to try and court that reputation or try and turn himself into a savior or anything. He just made his debut record, popped up on guest spots every now and again, and mostly kept a low profile. His output wasn't fast, with his first record in 2002 and this, his third, in 2018. But, overall, it's fun stuff - off-kilter but entertaining, and worth looking into if you read the hype back in the day but never actually tried it.
milo, "thinking while eating a handful of almonds"
A fine companion piece! Keepin' it mellow and from 2018 today.
Fucked Up, "Son the Father"
So much for "mellow" and "2018". We've got the second Fucked Up album here, from 2008. Or maybe not? They released a lot of stuff, so maybe this isn't the second album. Anyway, The Chemistry of Common Life is the first record I can remember from them getting a ton of press attention, so it's the first one I ended up trying out. And on paper, I should really like this a lot, but it's never really hung with me. I think the vocals are just too at odds with the heavily produced and layered approach to things.
Young Fresh Fellows, "Everybody Said Was Wrong"
The Fellows released a final album in 1994 before going on hiatus, Temptation on Saturday, and I think nobody noticed other than me. After a pretty loosey-goosey previous record, It's Low Beat Time, this one is more focused and features the band just knocking out solid tunes. It's actually a really solid record, one of the better from this part of their careers, and it's a shame it just kind of disappeared. The Fellows weren't done, as Scott McCaughey would bring the band back together for a double-LP with his other act, the Minus 5, and they'd pick their career back up from there.
Boss Hog, "Winn Coma"
Fun!