Last Week in Music , 6/20/21

Last Week in Music , 6/20/21 - 6/26/21

July 02, 2021

A reminder of what we do:

Each week I listen to tons of music from various artists, cached from a variety of sources. I compile things I think are worth mentioning, things I have enough of a comment on and present them to you here. I always encourage you to check out these releases for yourself to get your own feel for how you'll enjoy them and I want to know what you are listening to. First though, check out some of the releases from last week and my takes on them.

Albums

Backxwash - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

For whatever reason last years Backxwash project just did not work for me. It was mostly the same ideas, metal-hip-hop hybrid of songwriting and production, honest lyricism about coming up queer, the mistreatment of women, it’s all there. On this record though it just works for me, like really works.

Beartooth - Below (Red Bull Records)

Seeing a lot of people be won over by Beartooth after all these years with the release of this album and it really has left me scratching my head. Below is a fine release but it’s far from the band's best, in fact, it’s pretty par the course. It’s that same blend of hard rock and metalcore that every single record from Aggressive on has been and plays it so safely.

Scale the Summit - Subjects

New record from instrumental band Scale the Summit in which they feature a different guest vocalist for leads on every track. It’s a cool project but due to the very nature of it it’s a bit of a mixed back in terms of the quality of each song. “Don’t Mind Me” with Garrett Garfeld and “Land of Nod” with Courtney LaPlante stuck out to me especially.

Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (Columbia Records)

Tyler has released a sort of surprise record in the past week. Last week we included “LUMBERJACK” the first single from here, in our list of tracks. The record is sort of a mix between all his previous works and shows a huge amount of progress both in themes and musically. This could very well be a top album of the year contender for a lot of people.

EPs

beabadoobee - Our Extended Play (Dirty Hit)

Bea Kristi as well as Matty Healy and George Daniel of the 1975 team up on this four track release perfect for the beginning of summer. I really enjoyed her album from last year, Fake it Flowers, though I was late to the party. the first single here, “Last Day on Earth,” was good but it’s production had me a bit worried as the vocals sounded really buried to me. The whole EP is a nice mix though of some of that old sound and new ones to come.

Other Releases

Pure Noise Lo-Fi

If you like Fearless’ Punk Goes… series but also the Lo-Fi Beats to Study To playlist, this may just be the perfect compilation for you. Several Lo-Fi artists cover some big names in Pure Noise Records bands and somehow it works perfectly. Turning even a Knocked Loose song into something you can relax to is no small accomplishment.

Tracks

3OH!3 - VAMPIRE’S DIET (feat. Bert McCracken, Photo Finish Records)

Was pretty excited to see these names come together due to the output from both last year on. The instrumentation is simple but it’s fine, the chorus is fun and catchy but that’s sort of where the good stuff ends. Lyrics are just so weird and phoned in on this one and it’s almost like we’re taking a page from Ronnie Radke’s book and ripping off “I’m Not a Vampire,” which, not really a book you wanna take from in terms of quality. That and why are we referencing all these old vocalists? It feels forced in. Bert’s verse also just doesn’t even flow; it almost feels like he’s reading a passage from the first page of a horror short story and just singing to it. I wouldn’t call the track bad but certainly not a very good one either.

Between the Buried and Me - Fix the Error (Sumerian Records)

Between the Buried and Me have released their first single off the forthcoming Colors II. Colors, released on Victory Records in 2007 was a hour long song presented in the form of a record so it’ll be interesting to see a take on a sequel all these years later.

Real Friends - Nervous Wreck / Storyteller (Pure Noise Records)

Following Dan Lampton’s departure from the band in February of 2020, Real Friends are back on Pure Noise and with Cody Muraro formerly of Youth Fountain. Both songs are still very much in the Real Friends style and it’s exciting to have the band back.

Other Tracks

Against the Current - again&again (feat. guardian, Fueled by Ramen)

I Met a Yeti - Opulence (feat. pulses.)