Weekly Rotation 4/28
Juicy J
There are few artists in the game that can deliver exceptional features time and time again. Believe it or not, Juicy J is one of them ones. That polished trap tone which he developed with Three 6 Mafia will never go out of style. Back in 2013, you could hear it on Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse”, a performance that took it to a whole nother level of badass. Or Juicy’s ruggedly smooth verse on A$AP Rocky’s “Wavybone” that matched his 90s counterpart, UGK’s verse.
To this day, a Juicy J feature still feeds families. Most recently, he kicked down the door on the opening verse of Cordae’s “Never See It” and led the hook on Wiz Khalifa’s “My Influence” off the new Kush and OJ 2. And how could I forget? Juicy’s 2012 hit “Bandz a Make Her Dance” became the unofficial Washington Capitals locker room anthem this year. No wonder they finished with the second best record in the NHL.
Alan Parsons Project
Unpopular opinion, you should keep price stickers on records after you buy them. On top of seeing Alan Parsons’ Eye in the Sky in our home record collection, in all its teal and mystical beauty, I also noticed a little pink sticker attached: “Sale Price $3.00”. Listen to this album one time through, and you will quickly realize its intrinsic value is much beyond what it says on the sticker.
While the synthy, sparkly style of Alan Parsons isn’t for everyone, I encourage everyone to stick with it. Songs from this album can have some dramatic tempo/mood changes, oscillating from sweet to slightly sinister on a moment’s notice. The effect: an inviting, spiritual arrangement of layered production that was ahead of its time. Just what you would expect from the sound engineer behind Abbey Road and Dark Side of The Moon.
Hotel Ugly
When it comes to Indie music, I feel like everyone has their few carefully selected, distinct favorites. This would be instead of all Indie fans clinging on to a single star or two, as it tends to happen with other genres. My assumption being that most Indie sounds the same, but each artist has their own small tweaks with production or vocal delivery that make them stand out just above the masses.
Now, off my soapbox and on to the music. Hotel Ugly fits in that Malcom Todd/Steve Lacy Male Indie realm, a style I much prefer over the whiny feel of artists like MJ Lenderman. The similarities between this Male Indie trinity of mine are clear: deep and moody hooks, wobbly guitars, and a hefty serving of falsetto. Hotel Ugly possesses all these attributes and mixes in some unrelated song titles to keep listeners guessing. Songs like “Shut Up My Mom’s Calling” and “I Think I Left The Stove On” will put you in a lofi trance. Another favorite of mine is “Is There Free Breakfast Here?” with its cute little flute melody that appears in the middle of the song. I’m glad he brings attention to this hotel dilemma because in my opinion, free breakfast should be served at any hotel. No matter if its the Motel 6 or the JW Marriot.
