Hip Hop Albums

I only have two albums for this section today, as it has been a heavy rock and roll, and indie couple weeks for me. But every day, I find myself coming back to these two albums: “Hyperyouth” by Joey Valance & Brae, and “Vessel” by Twenty-One Pilots. These two albums are extremely different in vibes, beats, story, production, and almost everything, but they both hold an extremely special place in my heart.

Joey Valance & Brae are one of the most unique artists out there right now. Two best friends from Penn State, JVB makes all their beats and records in a bedroom - but you would never know it. Their most recent album, “Hyperyouth” really spoke to me. The duo transitioned from more of the Beastie Boys style they were known for to do more club-type music, they also added many slower songs with a little bit of singing parts that I thought were beautiful songs. There is one main theme displayed throughout the album - the duo’s fear of growing up. Of the people they hang out to stop dancing and to have kids and do all these things while they are still partying. There is one line that is repeated on the song “Live Right” where it says, “As long as I got my friends, don’t want this to end”. This album and that song in particular hit me at the exact perfect time. I am getting ready to go to college, and the idea that some of my best friends now I might lose, has been haunting me. I have had the same group of around 10 guys for 6 years, and now I am leaving everything I know behind and growing up. And just like they said, I don’t want this phase of my life to end. But as far as the album is concerned, if you are looking for songs to dance and just vibe to, this is the album for you. Joey is an absolutely amazing producer and knows how to make perfect, infectious beats. The album also has great transitions in between songs, like the one from “Hyperyouth” to “Bust Down”. Features from JPEGMAFIA, Rebacca Black, and Tia Corine also put the cherry on top for this album. I can’t really even put into words how much I love this duo and all of their music. There are a must check out if you are into this genre. My favorite song was 100% “See U Dance”.

I questioned where to even put Twenty One Pilots, given the fact that they aren’t a hip hop group, but on “Vessel”, there is a lot rapping, so I decided to put it in this section. Twenty One Pilots was my first love when it comes to music. I must’ve been 8 when my dad showed me Vessel and Blurryface, and instantly I was hooked. About two weeks ago I came back to Vessel, after watching a Turning The Tables reaction video, and it was so nostalgic and enjoyable for me that I haven’t been able to stop listening ever since. And after calling Joey Valance & Brae unique, I don’t even know what to call Twenty One Pilots. Their ingenuity and creativity is other worldly. Frontman Tyler Joseph does a wonderful job writing about anxiety and depression, which are topics most everyone, including myself, can relate to. He talks so much about the night and how intimidating the night can be for a lot of people, and it is beautiful the way he portrays it. Songs like “Ode to Sleep” really encapsulate everything that Twenty One Pilots are capable of. It shows the rapping, the melodies, the outstanding production, and it also gives drummer Josh Dunn a chance to show off his skills. I think the most beautiful song on the album is the song they still close every concert with, “Trees”. There are so many catchy lyrics, catchy drum beats, and just songs that I would consider bops on this album. It is an absolute gem. The song “Guns for Hands” is my song of choice on the album. If you have never listened to this album, I would change that today.

Other Albums

I have pretty much polar opposite albums for this section. I have “Country Squire” by Tyler Childers and “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally” by Harry Styles. While one is a disco pop album and the other is a country album talking about how the city brings country boys down, both these albums are some of my favorites right now and overall, in the last month, definitely my most played.

“Country Squire” to me is a perfect country/folk album. There is something about the simplicity of all the percussion that just makes you tap your foot the entire time you are listening. I’ve told people this before, but it might just be my favorite album ever. I don’t know how to explain why or how fully, but every song on this album I listen to and have fallen in love with at different points. It is a simple yet elegant album using childhood stories and super down to earth and real lyrics. It has super catchy lyrics you can’t help to sing in a country accent. It has super smart melodic lines using fiddles, guitars, and other stringed instruments to accent and help his vocals flourish. The song “Bus Route” has an outstanding intro using a bunch of southern sounding instruments that I couldn’t even name, but they are absolutely amazing. “All Yourn” is definitely the hit from this album, a beautifully written love song that is impossible not to love. There’s not a ton for me to say on this album, except go listen to it.

“Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally” is not the type of album we were expecting from Harry Styles. It took on a much more disco influenced theme to his typical pop sound. It started it with the single “Aperture”. The world was thrown for a big loop when we heard this for the first time, me especially. If I’m being completely honest, I did not enjoy the first probably 3 times I listened to it. But the 4th time, everything clicked. This album was the same way. Once you listen to it and can adjust your expectations of what it will be like, you can finally hear the album for something new. I completely fell in love with the album the second time through. Songs like “Dance no More”, “Taste Back”, and “American Girls” ended up completely inspiring me each in a different way. I will say, I might be insulting the disco community by calling it a disco album. I am not familiar at all with this style of music in the slightest, but all I know is it is not a typical pop album. Harry uses electronic sounds, funky basslines, and echoing melodies to make this album completely unique in his discography and completely shows off the total creative musician he is. He is 100%

Rock Albums

This past week I have been obsessed with 4 different rock albums that are all very different. But all amazing. I have not been able to stop listening to “Is This It” by The Strokes, “Getting Killed” by Geese, “Ten” by Pearl Jam, and “Audioslave” by Audioslave. These four albums all bring something extremely different and unique to the table that has captured my ears.

“Is This It” by The Strokes started a whole movement in the Rock and Roll scene when it debuted in 2001. This album debuted right after the collapse of Grunge rock, and people were looking for something different, something new. The group of 5 kids from New York gave the people exactly that, and started a movement, paving the way for bands such as the Arctic Monkey and The Killers. It is famously documented that Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the The Killers, said that once he heard “Is This It” that they scrapped the entirety of what they had for the album except for “Mr. Brightside”. It is safe to say that the rock community and everyone in general loved The Strokes’ debut album. What caught my attention immediately was the production. It is a very minimalistic, sometimes muddy type of production. There are few records out there with similar production sounds. It instantly caught my ear and I grew to love it as the album continued. The Strokes also have a way of writing insanely catchy guitar riffs and infectious beats that end up stuck in my head all day. What steals the show for me though, is the amazingly creative bass lines of Nikolai Fraiture. My Personal favorites on the album are “Alone, Together” and “When it started”. The song “New York City Cops” which was not on the original, is an absolute banger as well. I have a ton of respect for Julian Casablanca and all of The Strokes.

I want to start “Getting Killed” paragraph with a story. I had seen Geese’s album popping up everywhere but had not listened. I decided to play the song, “Au Pays du Cocaine”. I instantly was intrigued by what is seemingly randomness that makes complete sense that I eventually found in all their songs that keeps you guessing the whole time you are listening. I sent this song to my sister, my dad, and my dad’s best friend, Ed. Ed has a very set music taste that he has acquired through an entire lifetime of listening to different music. When I sent him this song, the only thing he replied with was, “That was weird”. And as I read it, I just ended up nodding my head in agreement, because Geese’s music is definitely weird. But it is weird in the best way possible, and I have completely fallen in love with their music. Cameron Winter, the band’s lead singer, is an outstanding singer who most definitely has an acquired taste. I think my favorite part of this album is the percussion. Not only is the drummer absolutely fantastic, but the other percussions that get thrown in there make each song sound complete, and full. The song Trinidad smacks you in the face with a heavy chorus, while Winter screams, “There’s a bomb in my car”. If you asked me right now, as a new Geese fan, what Geese is, that is what I would say. I think my favorite song on the album is most definitely “Taxes”. A beautiful song with an absolutely beautiful lead guitar part, Winter does a great job vocally and lyrically here, and this song is a certified classic for me.

My dad was in a band about 20 years ago. They sang cover songs but also made one complete LP. The lead singer of my dad’s band, Lacy Cod sounds in my opinion just like Eddie Vedder. Even though it may not sound like it after the description I just gave, Eddie Vedder has such a unique voice and I instantly fell in love with it when I listen to “Ten” for the first time this week. Sitting here typing this I cannot believe it has taken me this long to listen to “Ten”. My dad will be extremely disappointed in me for that one. But now that I have listened to it, I fully understand the Pearl Jam hype. I mean every song just has that perfect 90’s grunge sound that is amazing. The album is filled with outstanding performances from head to toe from the Guitar Solo’s, the vocals, the bass, and the rhythm that drummer Dave Krusen brought was next level. Almost every song I listened to the first time through made me just think, “this is awesome”. What were my favorites were “Garden”, “Porch,” and “Once”. This album is quintessential Rock and Roll. What I think should be considered a “blueprint album” What is funny is that every album on the list today is a debut album, but listening to this it blows my mind that is was a debut album. There will 100% be more Pearl Jam on this blog in the future.

The last Rock album on the list is not a new listen for me. I have loved Audioslave for a while and I just recently came back to it for the first time in a while. Safe to say it hit me just as hard, if not harder than I remember it. If you are not aware, Audioslave is made up of the late Chris Cornell, and the band from Rage Against the Machine. Chris Cornell is one of the most legendary rock vocalists ever. Pair that with Rage Against the Machines band, and you 100% have a superband. This album is absolutely breathtakingly awesome. This and Ten I have been listening to all week and just smiling in a state of nirvana. Something I respect so much of this band is how there is only one guitar, but every song still sounds full and you can easily have the ability for Tom Morello to go do solos. It is a testament to how good the rhythm section is. Morello is also nothing short of spectacular. While at HARVARD, of all places, Morello practiced guitar for at least 4 hours a day, he said in an interview once. Thank God he did. His practice paid off tremendously as it led to one of the greatest guitarists of the 90’s and 2000’s. Cornell’s voice lends itself perfectly to long build up songs, such as “The Last Remaining Light”, which is one of my favorites alongside “Gasoline”. This album is amazing. Absolutely breathtaking.