Father John Misty

Review: Father John Misty’s Fear Fun

Father John Misty: Fear FunFather John Misty: Fear Fun (Sub Pop, 5/1/12)

“Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings”

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Everyone who wants to see a man rip his arm off and beat himself with it, line up here. It’s opening day for Joshua Tillman’s new act, and he promises some violence as part of the transformation from J. Tillman as Sad-Bastard Acoustic Folk Singer to J. Tillman as Father John Misty, a new moniker for a new style and new album, Fear Fun.

Aesop Rock

Video: Aesop Rock’s “Zero Dark Thirty”

Aesop Rock: SkelethonAesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)

Indie-rap icon Aesop Rock is releasing his first solo album in five years, Skelethon, on July 10. The followup LP to None Shall Pass features full production by Aesop as well as a small clan of contributors, including Allyson Baker of Dirty Ghosts, Kimya Dawson, and the other members of Hail Mary Mallon.

The video for “Zero Dark Thirty,” the first track released off his forthcoming album, shows a stoic, subdued Aesop reclined against a wall while time-lapse murals are painted and painted over behind him. Though the concept may be straightforward, the effect leaves a lasting impression.

Bill Brown: Dreamwhip #14

Zine Scene: Bill Brown’s Dreamwhip

Bill Brown: Dream WhipBill Brown: Dreamwhip (Microcosm)

Most of us don’t feel like we have time to drive around or see the world. We have commitments, responsibilities — what we see as our lives, basically. We think of ourselves as stationary individuals, and traveling is something that we do for a week or two, maybe, when we’re not too busy or when we’ve been planning this for months in advance. Thinking of a life in non-stationary terms involves a huge shift in our frame of reference in order to even imagine the possibility. And yet there are others, for whom driving and drifting is life. Travel is almost a compulsion; being grounded takes on a new meaning in the context of highways, and living is defined as something else entirely.

Blockhead

Review: Blockhead’s Interludes After Midnight

Blockhead: Interludes After MidnightBlockhead: Interludes After Midnight (Ninja Tune)

“Never Forget Your Token”

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Now five albums into his solo output, Tony “Blockhead” Simon is still more known as a hip-hop producer to the stars — well, perhaps the underground stars, producing for notables such as Del, Murs, and Aesop Rock. But ever since being asked to create a fully instrumental album, Simon has proven just as interesting on his own, offering down-tempo, sample-heavy, and (mostly) rhyme-free rap tracks (all while increasing brand awareness).