As I've posted before, I love the Hype Machine and use it constantly.
I also don't post about music much, which is funny, considering.
So I thought I'd experiment with a new feature: HypeFilter
If in the course of listening to the Hype Machine, a couple of tracks jump out at me in one day, I'll post about 'em. And we'll see if that's entertaining for anybody.
I've never been a huge Kanye fan, but this song is really catchy and melodic, plus it has a good story. It's been all over Hype Machine for a few days, and it gets stuck in my head very easily. Musically it makes me think of this passage from the recent Rick Rubin NYT Magazine article (that link should get you through the pay wall) about Rubin's first project, with a 16 year old LL Cool J:
Rubin did not release the track right away - he tightened up the structure, editing the rhymes so they more closely resembled verses in a song. The result is a spare, clean sound, rather than the endless repetitions of most early rap.(page 7) Obviously I know nothing, but Homecoming feels more traditionally structured than other Kanye songs (I do also like Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Instrumental) though, and that's nothing but repetition.)
No idea who these guys are, but they're all over Hype Machine suddenly and I've been enjoying this track in particular. Last time I mentioned an artist in that way (almost exactly), it was Lily Allen, so maybe they're about to blow up.
This particular piece is quite bizarre, with many changes of pace despite a constant beat. The falsetto last two words of each line of the chorus, alternating with some kind of whip-crack screaming is a really cool effect. I'd almost call it a musical cross-over if I were gonna make a basketball analogy.
Rilo Kiley came up in conversation recently, and suddenly they're all over Hype Machine- both were caused by their tour, but to me it was like the Internet reading my mind.
Very simple track, again catchy, some good weird stuff happens in the middle, which always scores points with me. Another strong story song, definitely a theme for what I'm liking right now.
Hmm...
Three songs feels about right, so I'll stop. Also the next couple I
would nominate I didn't find out about through Hype Machine, so they
wouldn't fit the spirit of this post very well.
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