Fluxblog 503 late night rap 2022-2024
Plus new songs by Bassvictim, Alice Phoebe Lou, and Kim Deal
This week’s playlist is 2 IN THE AM: LATE NIGHT RAP 2022-2024, an assortment of mellow alternative hip-hop from the recent past that I made mostly for my own listening pleasure, so you can rest assured it’s extremely good. This one features songs by Earl Sweatshirt, Freddie Gibbs, Billy Woods, Mach-Hommy, Crimeapple, JPEGMAFIA, MIKE, Boldy James, Vince Staples, Curren$y, BigXthaPlug, Chuck Strangers, Westside Gunn, Fly Anakin, Larry June, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Mick Jenkins, Jadasea, and a lot of The Alchemist. It’s perfect for dark winter nights.
[Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube]
OK That’s Actually Kinda Hot
Bassvictim “Air On A G-String”
“Air On A G String” has the spirit of true undiluted early ’00s electroclash, but it doesn’t fully register as a retro thing because the synths and programming are firmly rooted in contemporary electronic pop. In other words, it’s like if Miss Kittin or Chicks On Speed hopped on a Brat remix. The title and lyrical conceit is basically a cheeky, pervy pun on Bach’s “Air On the G String,” and I admire vocalist Maria Manow’s commitment to the bit. She has the perfect deadpan for this sort of song – a vague Eurotrash accent, the universal cool girl affect, in on the trashy joke but also legitimately playful and flirty. You could’ve sold so much American Apparel with this song.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
What I Thought Would Be Forever
Alice Phoebe Lou “Better”
Alice Phoebe Lou is very gifted with writing melodies, which is how I could hear this song many times over the past month or so without really noticing the lyrics at all. Up until just recently the only lyrics I was clocking at all was the opening line: “When you finally arrived at the party on Saturday night.” But I wasn’t picking up the following line, which is a solid self-deprecating joke: “I had been waiting in anticipation, so could you forgive my weird vibe?”
“Better” is a song about the romance resulting from that meet-cute, but after it runs its course. The general tone of the song is warm and nostalgic for the early days of their relationship, but Lou cleverly flips the sentiment “things can only get better and better” through the song. The first time the chorus is sung, it’s about feeling like life could only improve while they’re together. Later on, this optimism comes from being rid of them. She flips back and forth a couple more times, but it always sounds true.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
Just Another Domino Falling On My Face
Kim Deal “Crystal Breath”
Kim Deal’s first solo record mostly sounds like a slightly more eclectic and ambitious version of her most recent music released under the Breeders name, but I get why she chose to make it her first solo album. It’s a matter of framing – instead of it just another Breeders record, Nobody Loves You More is presented with the implication that it’s more personal and uncompromising, and without having to exist in the direct shadow of Pod and Last Splash.
“Crystal Breath” sounds like a wonkier, more industrial variation on The Breeders’ sound. The arrangement makes the song feel like a machine that’s been sitting around in disrepair but is back in working condition after a little tinkering. It’s still a little wobbly and almost sputters out, but it doesn’t spin out or crash. The lyrical sentiment isn’t too far off from that notion, with Deal singing about some vague trauma but coming to a clear conclusion: “Let’s start a new life.”
Buy it from Bandcamp.
LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE
I somewhat arbitrarily chose to see the 9th of 12 LCD Soundsystem shows at the Knockdown Center in Queens because I wanted to see one of the nights with Fcukers opening and I figured a Thursday night would have a cooler audience than a Friday or Saturday. Turns out this was a lucky roll of the dice, as this show included their first performance of “North American Scum” since the “final” show at Madison Square Garden in 2011. (Which I also attended.) Crazy to me that they could go so long without playing one of their top bangers, but I’m so happy I got to see them do it again. People went nuts! Also, Fcukers were a lot of fun live. I get the feeling they’re gonna crush at festivals in the next couple years.
LINKS LINKS LINKS LINKS
• Rembert Browne wrote a big cover story about Tyler, the Creator for Billboard.
• I am not a huge fan of the NPR Tiny Desk series because I feel like it often strips away a lot of an artist’s magic and frankly we need all the mystification we can get these days, but I did enjoy TV on the Radio’s recent appearance on the show.