Fluxblog 415: 100+ Guided By Voices classics
Plus new songs by Icecoldbishop, Larry June, Chlöe, and Tyler, the Creator
This week’s playlist is 100+ GUIDED BY VOICES SUPER-CLASSICS, a collection of my favorite Robert Pollard songs from across his vast body of work. If you’ve ever been curious about Pollard and GBV this is a terrific place to start – all the major classics and concert staples are there, plus a lot of gems plucked from very obscure corners of the catalog. Also, given that the majority of songs are fairly (or very) short, this playlist is not as long as you might expect it to be given the quantity of material. [Spotify | Apple | YouTube]
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Backwards Hustling
Icecoldbishop “Bad Influences From My Uncle”
“Bad Influences From My Uncle” is the lyrical and musical centerpiece of Icecoldbishop’s Generational Curse, a record focused on being born into a family and culture that offers few good alternatives to falling into the same traps or making the same mistakes as the people who came before you. There’s a lot of Kendrick Lamar influence through it but it’s particularly noticeable on this song, which owes a lot to the cadences and dual structure of “m.A.A.d city.” That said, Icecoldbishop takes this to a very different place and there’s a lot less intellectual remove as the song gets increasingly specific in its details and a powerful sense of both grief and grievance.
Buy it from Amazon.
Larry June & The Alchemist featuring Big Sean “Palisades, CA”
Larry June and Big Sean’s verses in “Palisades, CA” are basically grindset fantasies of gated community oppulance, but set to a track by The Alchemist built on a creeping, kinda queasy bass line that either grounds the lyrics in a more gritty reality or makes the Pacific Palisades seem generally malevolent. That ambiguity elevates the song – it’s not necessarily negating their vision of success, and in any case it makes a case that living that comfortably in a beautiful place comes with a lot of dark elements whether it’s in getting there or in staying there.
Buy it from Amazon.
It’s Worth It For The Silence
Tyler, the Creator “Dogtooth”
Tyler, the Creator is such a compelling rapper and general cultural presence that it can be easy to overlook the elegance of his craft as a songwriter and producer. The instrumental for “Dogtooth” is one of his best compositions, particularly in the way he contrasts a piano part that signals a sensitive vulnerability with a synth lead that’s like getting zapped with a ray that makes you feel instantly relaxed and laid back. He sounds very at ease in this song – comfortable enough to express very earnest desire, and evidently confident in his mind, body, and soul.
Buy it from Amazon.
Chlöe featuring Missy Elliott “Told Ya”
Chlöe is a Beyoncé protégé signed to Beyoncé’s label so it shouldn’t necessarily be surprising that she’d end up making music that owes a lot to Beyoncé, but still it’s kinda amazing how close “Told Ya” gets to sounding like Beyoncé. It’s in the cadences, it’s in the ad libs, it’s in the general vibe and sentiment of the song, and it’s done well enough that I personally prefer this song to a lot of the material on Renaissance. I wouldn’t accuse Chlöe of being original but I am impressed by how closely she emulates such a singular talent, and having Missy Elliott elevates the track and adds a dash of swagger that makes up for a certain ineffable Beyoncé pizzazz that can’t be copied.e
Buy it from Amazon.
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• Alan Hanson explores the Los Angeles of the tragic 20s actress Peg Entwistle, inspired by Lana Del Rey referencing her on “Lust for Life” in his excellent Take Surface Streets blog.
• Grace Robins-Somerville launched her new blog Our Band Could Be Your Wife with thoughts on how the new Boygenius record has been received.