Deadshirt Is Listening… Throwing Up The Horns, Throwing ‘Bows, Taco Bell Joyriding

Deadshirt Is Listening… Bringing you a rundown of our staff and guest contributors’ favorite new tracks released in the past week after they’ve had the weekend to blast them in their cars, in a club, alone in their rooms, etc.

Dominic Griffin is throwing ‘bows to…

“Tight (Featuring Lakutis & Mr. Muthafuckin’ Exquire)”
Kool AD
Word OK
Rap/Hip Hop

When Das Racist broke up initially, the Outkast paradigm seemed to be in full effect, with Heems releasing sturdy, well worn material in the same mold as the duo’s work, a la Big Boi, while Kool AD dedicated his work to constant, potentially frustrating experimentation, like 3000. His latest mixtape/free album/whatever-the-hell might be his best yet, shockingly maintaining a consistent, listenable tone, cultivating cohesive production and some clever rhymes that pack a more palpable punch than his usual Dadaist ramblings. Mishka cohorts Lakutis and Exquire join him on “Tight,” an edgy and spacey cypher about nothing. The rappers three take turns turning vulgar phrases into complex ruminations on existence, but mostly it’s perfect music to stand on a corner with your friends doing the crew mob dance from the “Scenario (Remix)” video. Exquire steals the show, spitting about “drinking Everclear in Castle Greyskull” but the real star is Chaz Budnick, aka Toro y Moi, whose latest toe dip into the rap production pool yields exciting results. His choice instrumentation adds a layer of claustrophobic tension to the proceedings, particularly the deliciously paranoid stabs of the song’s hook, which is nothing more than AD emphatically saying “Tight” over and over.

Julian Ames is throwing up the horns to…

“Heavy Weight
Wolfmother
New Crown
Hard Rock

Just a few weeks ago, fellow Deadshirter Mike Pfeiffer and I were wondering what had happened to the band Wolfmother. Things had gone quiet in terms of new music after the release of their 2009 album, Cosmic Egg, so we figured that maybe they’d broken up or something. As it turns out though, it’s the exact opposite — the band is alive and well, and on Sunday, without much fanfare, they released New Crown, a brand new full-length album. Wolfmother have always been a hard rocking band, but the material on New Crown has them crossing into classic metal territory. This is true especially on heavy weight “Heavy Weight,” where lead singer Andrew Stockdale’s wails are reminiscent of those from the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy himself. I’ve always been one to emphasize the hook of a song over all else, so although this song’s lyrics don’t really say much of anything, the chorus is perfect for festival-goers to sing along to. The whole album is worth a listen, especially if you like great guitar riffs, pounding drums, a high-pitched screaming frontman, and a weird, out-of-place yet still great punk song. New Crown is out now and can be purchased off of Wolfmother’s Bandcamp.

Mike Pfeiffer is Taco Bell joyriding to…

“Big Stars
Perfect Pussy
Say Yes To Love
Indie Punk

First off, Perfect Pussy is a rising-star buzz band and “Big Stars” is a great song, but somehow I failed to realize that maybe putting those phrases together with the word “Video” and googling them to find you guys a link was a little naive, but “Big Stars” made me feel naive again. High School Mike Pfeiffer spent a lot of afternoons commandeering friends’ car stereos to blast third-hand mix CD’s full of Le Tigre and Bikini Kill and while I’m sure lead singer Meredith Graves is sick of getting compared to Kathleen Hanna, the Perfect Pussy sound (again, Do Not Google) owes a lot to the clang-guitar and twangy brat voice Hanna pioneered. This is the track that really stood out from their newest album Say Yes To Love, a post-punk/hardcore/indie release that clocks in at just about the length of a Frasier album and comes from a genre that usually leaves me really flat. “Big Stars” captured me immediately, though. The pummeling guitar manages a certain dreamy sweetness when paired with the keening synth that reinforces the hardcore spirit of tearing something down with the medium and then building it back up with the message. You’ve got two minutes, listen to Big Stars and roll your windows down.

That’s it for us this week – what have you been listening to? Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page!

Post By Deadshirt Staff (691 Posts)

Deadshirt's writing staff is dedicated to bringing you thoughtful and entertaining media commentary. We're mostly indentured, which means we can pass the savings on to you!

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