As fun as it is to complain about “music these days,” and how it’s all been downhill since The Chronic or something came out, it’s even MORE fun to listen to — wait for it — good music. Every Tuesday, a.k.a. Music Release Day, we’ll highlight five albums worth (legally) downloading or driving to the local Best Buy (lolz) for.
Today, we’ve got Diiv, Ty Segall Band, XV, and more
Slaughterhouse by Ty Segall Band
Such an apt album title. Ty Segall and his band, well, slaughter their instruments — everything is played at top volume, with the drums barreling into the fuzzed-out, shredding guitars. It sounds like it was recorded in an abandoned silo, hundreds of miles from civilization, by a bunch of long-haired freaks who love nothing more than getting into fights, not because they have to, but because they want to taste the blood dripping from their tongues.
The “F*CK YEAH” at the end of “Wave Goodbye” is well deserved.
Oshin by Diiv
Think a more uptempo Beach House, with each quivering song building towards an explosive finale, but with a bit of a jagged, post-punk tilt. You’re going to be hearing a lot about these guys this summer.
Worship by A Place to Bury Strangers
Noise rock sung with the same deadpan expression as the Jesus and Mary Chain.
Popular Culture by XV
This mixtape came out last week, but it slipped under my radar until a few days ago. The thing that drew me in was the album cover, which shows Doc Brown, the Joker, a Gremlin, and Walter White, among others, sitting on the Simpsons’ couch, but what made me stay was XV’s smooth rapping and the album’s killer, hook-heavy production. The only thing I don’t like Popular Culture is that I didn’t start listening to it last week.
Days Go By the Offspring
This is just an excuse to link to the video for “Cruising California (Bumpin’ in My Trunk)” again.
It might be my favorite least favorite thing ever.