fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Votes in the red zones must be counted again. Also, all circumstances must be checked. Especially in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Philly.
By: Jiska Hachmer
Tags: Election, Discrimination, Biden, Trump, Crime

Votes in the red zones must be counted again. Also, all circumstances must be checked. Especially in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Philly.

“Trump demanded early this morning that the votes of Black Americans in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Philly not be counted.Now he is pushing to make sure Black Americans in Atlanta not have their votes counted. Like segregationists of the past, he fears the power of their votes.” ( Scarborough, 2020).

This means, that forever we will work on these crimes, solving the crimes, and after all is solved, and sorted out, we will continue the work, forever, to forever protect all people from these criminals, and criminals like them. As criminals wait until the investigations are over, we forever investigate to let them vanish. The ombudscycle never stops. That also means, forever fair earning, as the ombudscycles are forever fair income.

Tribunals

Also, for the judges in crime with Trump, and Trump himself, there must be a tribunal made, because of the violations, he lost right away with sovereignty. Loss of sovereignty happens the next moment one violates human rights.

We have no right to watch criminals do crimes, so we must act.

Do not be soft with the Dark Triad.
Just Checking In
By: Quite Great Pr
Tags: Empowerment, Disability, Discrimination, Disability Rights, Mental Health

Introduction to our Mental Health & Disabilities Series

Chloe Mogg, one of the writers here at Quite Great hosts our new segment for our YouTube channel ‘Just Checking In’. A series that talks about the importance of raising awareness for mental health and invisible disabilities. We decided it was best to get this out there now, as after all, the coronavirus pandemic isn’t the only pandemic that’s going on.

Our first video discusses chronic illnesses, mental health issues, the coronavirus pandemic, lockdown and discrimination in the industry. ’Just Checking In’ is a helping hand as such and something that will hopefully raise more awareness for these conditions. We want this new segment to be something that gives artists in the industry who suffer with mental health problems and disabilities that platform that they deserve. We are human at the end of the day, and you can do anything if you put your mind to it. We’ll be covering many different pointers including some advice videos, interviews from people in the industry and hearing their story, to a lot more too.

Watch our new series below.
The Professional Gambler
By: Faisal Amjad
Tags: Malcolm X, Racism, Discrimination, Institutional Racism, Gambling

Photo by Keenan Constance on Unsplash

There’s a great analogy at the start of Malcolm X’s biography.

In it, he talks of the law of averages and probability.

If you were playing cards, blackjack or roulette or doing any kind of gambling, and one person was winning all the time, every single time eventually you would say they’re cheating. That they’re dealing from the bottom of the deck. They’re playing the system.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

And it’s the same with if someone loses every single time. You would say eventually this doesn’t seem right, this game must be rigged. In a game of chance, surely you’d win here and there — even if overall you lose your money.

Even if they’re a professional gambler with years of experience, playing against an amateur. Sure, the extra skill and experience will count for something and ensure they minimise their risk and make better decisions but even they wouldn’t expect to win every single time.

Life doesn’t or shouldn’t work like that.

Even casinos themselves, whilst the saying goes ’The house always wins in the end’ — and they admittedly bias each game with a ‘house edge’ so they are likely to gain the longer someone plays at the table, do incur losses from time to time.

Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash

He compares this to white folk — how is it they’ve engineered life in such a way, where they’re winning all the time, literally and that black people, are constantly losing at this game of life.

Is it just luck? Is it just science?

Or is it engineered?

When you watch documentaries like ‘13th’ on Netflix you begin to see that ‘freedom’ is an illusion.

This little analogy is simple but profound in explaining institutional and systemic discrimination, the impact of colonisation and the whitewashing of history on those we may consider as not being ‘privileged’ today.
My Top 50 Albums of 2020
By: Joe Boothby
Tags: Album Review, Albums Of The Year, Best Music, 2020 Music, Music

Now with my gushing over that album out of the way, we can take things back to the here and now; the end of 2020. The fact that I went from a year where I was able to place all of the records I’ve reviewed together in one article, to a year where even picking 50 good albums was no easy task, should speak volumes of how much I’ve grown as a writer, as well as how much of a phenomenal year (at least musically) it has been.

To save this article from being one that swamps the reader, I hope to address the albums in more and more detail as I progress.

I should also mention some disclaimers;

. I have only allowed one record per artist. But if an artist is on a collaborative project alongside another, it can still be permitted

. I decided to allow both albums and mixtapes that I’ve reviewed (If you want to take a look at my favourite EPs, you can do so here)

. Some albums from my Last Minute Reviews Week article have been included

. There are a few December releases that didn’t make it in time to be considered (namely Kid Cudi’s newest album)

.There is one album on the list that I had reviewed via Indie Top 39 and not Medium

.While I would’ve most certainly considered Backxwash’s God Has Nothing To Do With This Please Leave Him Out Of It, the album has since been taken down from various platforms, so I wasn’t sure if it would be right to have include it on the list.

. I obviously haven’t reviewed every single album that’s been released this year, so there is a chance that I might’ve missed a favourite of yours
Love in the time of Covid-19.
By: Rob Brookman
Tags: Run The Jewels, Album Review, 2020, Albums Of The Year

Love in the time of Covid-19.

2020, the year in which a pandemic seemed to be cribbing straight from Camus’ “The Plague” and an increasingly unhinged president rage-tweeted lines that sounded like bowdlerized passages from “King Lear.”

Few of my picks here address Covid explicitly — most were in the can well before the outbreak. But more at least touch on the political and social pestilence that fueled the actual, biological pestilence. Which might have something do with that fact that a few of the oldsters here cranked out their best work in years (or decades, in the case of X).

These albums will endure in my listening rotation. But to 2020 itself, begone.
These days, paranoid is the new black.
By: Rob Brookman
Tags: 2019, Album Review, The Paranoid Style, Albums Of The Year

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Fuck Tom Brady.
By: Rob Brookman
Tags: Best Albums 2018, Parquet Courts, 2018, Album Review

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
My Favorite Albums of 2020
By: Thomas Jenkins
Tags: Album Review, 2020, Culture, Songs, Music

1. Touché Amore — Lament

Many years, there are 2–3 albums that all have roughly equal chances of winning the top spot on my list. This year, as December approached, I quickly became aware that wasn’t the case. Lament is far and away my favorite album of 2020.

To truly understand why Lament is such a good album, I think its helpful to give some context to what came immediately before it: Stage Four, released in 2016. Stage Four is about vocalist Jeremy Bolm’s mother, her fight with cancer, and his experience of losing her. It’s passionate, beautifully-written, and probably the saddest album I’ve ever listened to.

So if Stage Four was an album about a devastating personal experience, Lament is an album about what comes next. There’s still grief and pain in Bolm’s lyrics — emotions also clearly telegraphed in his vocal delivery — but there’s also a sense of greater maturity and acceptance as well. With age comes wisdom.

Perhaps nowhere is this sense of maturity and acceptance more evident than in “Limelight” (which features Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull). The song (as best as I can tell) is about a dying relationship, but it’s delivered with a sense of “let’s enjoy this while it lasts” rather than despair. At the album’s anthemic conclusion, Bolm and Hull trade lines like “Let’s embrace the twilight, while burning out the limelight” several times in what is one of the most powerful moments in music I experienced this year.

Other excellent songs include “Reminders,” which NPR featured as one of their favorite songs from earlier in the year, as well as “Savoring,” or “A Forcecast.” In truth though, there are no weak songs on this album. Each one has some interesting turn of phrase, guitar riff, or bridge with incredible vocals.

This year has been a difficult one to live through, though I’ve had it so much better than many. I think, with that in mind, one could make a really powerful argument that the best music to listen to would be songs that are light-hearted or playful. But with all due respect to that line of thinking, I think years like 2020 call for music like Lament — raw, passionate, with dashes of both hope and despair.

In January of 2020, I never would have expected that an album Lament would end up as my favorite collection of songs, but I’m much the better for it. Touché Amore is a fantastic band with songs that will stick with me for a while.
Last Minute Album Reviews — 2020 Edition
By: Joe Boothby
Tags: Album Review, New Music, 2020 Music, Music, Music Review

We have finally arrived at one of the most interesting parts of my musical year, in which I revisit some of the albums that I overlooked in the year, but have garnered enough praise from other sources, or have remained enigmatic enough for me to give them a proper shot.

Nevertheless, I can walk out of 2020 being extremely proud of how many reviews I have actually written this year. I would estimate it to be twice as many as last year’s reviewed albums, so here’s that unwarranted moment for me to give myself a pat on the back.

Going through this process of revisiting albums for the last couple of years, has allowed me to discover some fantastic albums that might’ve otherwise slipped under my radar for good. Going through a similar thing last year, doing so allowed me to listen to some pretty phenomenal projects. in last year’s case, these namely included Michael Kiwanuka’s KIWANUKA, and Dorian Electra’s Flamboyant.

But fast forward to the closing month of this rather bleak in (in nearly every respect, save musically), and we have seven final pieces that garnered my attention at the very last minute. Unlike previous years, I will be putting all of these miniature album reviews in one article, as opposed to seven separate articles for each day of the week. However, I will still be covering these albums day-by-day, and will be adding to this one post daily, on behalf of each album.

So without any further ado, let’s conclude my reviews of 2020 with these final seven.
Review: Disturbed-Evolution, 2018 (7th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Metal, Album Review, Lyrics, Music

Must Listens-Hold On To Memories, Saviour Of Nothing, The Best Ones Lie

Are You Ready 4/10 Sounds like a discount older Disturbed song No More 4/10 A less than catchy track about regaining once lost independence back from an over lording figure A Reason To Fight 5/10 Slow paced song here attempting to give hope to people on the edge seeking a “reason to fight” In Another Time 5/10 Not very captivating chorus, verses were slightly more enthralling Stronger On Your Own 8/10 This song is about coming to the realization in facing terrible situations by yourself, you grow stronger Hold Onto Memories 10/10 A slower acoustic track I enjoyed is about making the most of everyday, and our memories can provide a happy place Saviour Of Nothing 9/10 This song depicts one who comes full circle and we all can justify ourselves to be right, but are we really? killer solo here too Watch You Burn 8/10 Acoustic track here illustrating the trap of being a good person some fall into where one is taken advantage of and when one is in need, very seldom will people reciprocate The Best Ones Lie 9/10 This one is most reminiscent of vintage Disturbed, conveying a lack of trust for anything anymore Already Gone 3/10

Disturbed despite becoming a progressively lighter band with each album is still releasing some good music, though I would say they’ve switched genres completely now

6.5/10
“Oh Wonder” is perfect for study vibes
By: Christian Evans
Tags: Oh Wonder, Album Review, Alternative, Study Vibes, Music

“Oh Wonder” is the name of a very widely successful London based alt-pop duo consisting of a couple, Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht. They have played sold-out shows in a multitude of arenas and concert venues from New York City to London and even Paris. They started to really gain popularity in America after they were featured in the song “The Way Life Goes” by hip hop artist Lil Uzi Vert on his third studio album Luv Is Rage 2. This weekend, “Oh Wonder” released its third studio album . The album is your classic softcore-pop experience, perfect for those study vibes I know fellow students seem to be looking forever for. The album is marketed on Apple Music as “gentle electro-pop to stir the soul,” which is as accurate a description for this album you’ll find out there. No One Else Can Wear Your Crown is a total of 15 songs that add up to 48 minutes of listening although, the last five songs are different versions of some of the first 10 songs on the album.

Throughout the entire album, you are continually graced with the duet of Anthony and Josephine blissfully, almost talking softly to you throughout the album. The first song on the album, “Dust,” features a piano brushed over with an ever so light electro-pop melody in the background, with words of encouragement to help you power through whatever it is that you are doing. The third song on the album, “Better Now,” was performed live before No One Else Can Wear Your Crown was released at an intimate show “Oh Wonder” did in London. The song is about a person who has been hospitalized, and the duo expresses their well-wishes and hopes for the person to get better.

The fifth song on the album, “In and Out of Love,” features a solemn melody that feels reminiscent of a song by the band “Bastille.” It’s easily one of the most memorable songs of the album as Josephine and Anthony highlight feelings about each other being the others’ “the one” and what they would do if they had not met each other.

For the final song on the album, “Nebraska,” Anthony and Josephine explain the song like this, “Seven years of being a couple in a band is a pretty crazy concept for a relationship. It’s rare that we spend more than a few hours apart from each other, and that intensity was something we unknowingly challenged when we wrote this song. Ironically, we have never been to Nebraska.” The song features a hushed, soft melody, which is perfect background music to fuel that study vibe.

Overall on a scale of one to five, with five being the best, I give No One Else Can Wear Your Crown a solid three. It’s a great album, but overall, it just doesn’t have that “pop-out” song or unique sound that makes it stand out from other albums in the softcore genre. Maybe if I was British, they would get a four.
Review: Panic! At The Disco-Pray For The Wicked, 2018 (6th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Album Review, Lyrics, Music, Pop

Must Listens-Say Amen, Hey Look Ma I Made It, High Hopes, Roaring 20s

(F**k A) Silver Lining 7/10 This one is very catchy, This song is conveys the notion that nothing supersedes the almighty dollar so there is no need to search for the bright side, its irrelevant, to him at least Say Amen 10/10 Catchy chorus, About enjoying yourself on the weekend Hey Look Ma, I Made It 9/10 This song is extremely catchy, I enjoy the chorus, the verses reveal it is basically about selling your soul in exchange for success in a positive light however High Hopes 10/10 This track Is my favorite off the album because it’s not just catchy, it is about believing in yourself, and reaching for the stars. Roaring 20s 8/10 This track is reminiscent of vintage Panic! At The Disco, I appreciate the music behind the vocals on this one sound that of the 1920’s Dancing Is Not A Crime 5/10 Another mainstream hit attempt, though this one didn’t hit it’s mark personally One Of The Drunks 4/10 Less than impressive song, chorus, verses and all The Overpass 2/10 Another disappointing track all around personally King Of The Clouds 3/10 Another track I didn’t find especially noteworthy Old Fashioned 4/10 I appreciate the sentiment here to remember youthful days before things jaded everything, but musically this didn’t enthrall me Dying In LA 2/10 This one’s chorus makes me cringe, very slow song about, you guessed it, dying in LA

5.8/10
Review: Atreyu-In Our Wake, 2018 (7th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Album, Rock, Album Review, Metal, Music

Must Listens-In Our Wake, Paper Castle, No Control, Superhero

In Our Wake 9/10 catchy chorus, faced paced, though not all that heavy compared to earlier Atreyu works, this one depicts how emotions can cause us as humans to step on each other, right or wrong, usually wrong, nice solo on this one as well House Of Gold 8/10 This song describes when someone special waiting for you makes a house upgrade to a home, early on it seems it is fatherhood, later on it seems it is a lover but in reality it’s however it connects to you The Time Is Now 3/10 The verses and chorus, both on this track didn’t keep me captivated, the sentiment of the song is that of a rebirth, burning the old and turning a new leaf for one’s self Nothing Will Ever Change 3/10 I didn’t find this track all that captivating or catchy either, sadly Blind, Deaf, and Dumb 9/10 The verses could’ve been catchier, the chorus is catchy enough to restore this song for me. This song calls out the ignorance is bliss mentality many people prefer nowadays Terrified 1/10 Really did not like this one, a slow, and not very captivating track, both chorus and verses Safety Pin 1/10 Another all around unimpressive track here, sad to say Into The Open 2/10 addressed to a selfish hypocrite, aggressive like vintage Atreyu, though sadly, again unimpressive Paper Castle 9/10 This track is about the end of a relationship, with a much catchier chorus/verses No Control 10/10 This song illustrates someone who struggles with keeping their thoughts to themselves and the consequences it costs this type of person, a great and fitting guitar solo on this track as well Anger Left Behind 8/10 This song illustrates that if you let your anger out on people, that’s all they will remember about you when you’re gone and nobody wants that Superhero Feat M. Shadows, (Avenged Sevenfold) Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) 10/10 This track is an extension of care for someone, that they can call upon you and you will be there for them, awesome solo on this one as well

6/10
Album Review: ‘When I Have Fears’
By: If Ever You Re Listening
Tags: Irish Music, Album Review, Murder Capital, Punk, Music

Album Review: ‘When I Have Fears’

“When I Have Fears” album cover | Source: Human Season Records

Ireland has been called the new home of punk by some publications in the past few years. Murder Capital, along with Fontaines D.C. and Silverback are the bands that are leading the charge. Murder Capital, unlike the other two, takes on a more aggressive interpretation of post punk. Think Joy Division, but in even bleaker waters. “When I Have Fears” is one of the most captivating post-punk projects to come out of 2019.

From dense instrumentation to visceral emotion, the production on here is top-notch and unforgivably nerve-jerking. The band leaves little room to breath on the more intense cuts like “Feeling Fades” and “For Everything.” From the tangled-up guitars on the entrance of “For Everything” to the jam session gone awry on “Feeling Fades” James McGovern has barely enough space to make his presence felt. On the more mellow tracks, like “Slowdance I” and “Don’t Cling to Life” James’ existential dread hits closer to home. The proper mixture of emotive vocals and compacted instrumentation isn’t made as much as it should, but the overall message of the album becomes clear after a couple listens.
Review: Five Finger Death Punch-And Justice For None, 2018 (7th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Album Review, Lyrics, Metal, Music

Must Listens-Blue On Black, I Refuse, When The Season’s Change, Gone Away

Trouble 6/10 This song describes the feeling that negativity is inescapable Fake 3/10 Chorus is not catchy really at all, personally, and the verses aren’t all that impressive either Top Of The World 7/10 This song depicts the truth that success does not bring happiness by any means and the grass is not necessarily greener Sham Pain 8/10 This one is a sarcastic take on the same sentiment as the previous track, the assumption that a nicer life guarantees happiness Blue On Black 10/10 This song illustrates the sadness and depression following the death of a loved one (salt on a wound) the blues subsequently following the blacks (funeral attire) Fire In The Hole 3/10 Really didn’t like this chorus, nor the verses on this one, sadly I Refuse 10/10 This slower song illustrates a lonely road some feel they walk, great acoustic solo, too It Doesn’t Matter 6/10 I enjoyed the verses, reminiscent of vintage FFDP, but another not so catchy chorus tanked this one down for me When The Season’s Change 10/10 This song describes a dedication to someone that whenever they need you no matter what you can be found Stuck In My Ways 6/10 Another slow track, however, much less captivating song this time around Rock Bottom 8/10 Another less than impressive chorus it pains me to say, I enjoyed the verses and the solo very much, though which saved this song Gone Away (The Offspring Cover) 9/10 This song is about the struggles associated with losing a loved one too soon, missing them every single day Bloody 8/10 This slower track depicts feeling torn up about a breakup Will The Sun Ever Rise? 3/10 slower track, illustrating depression Bad Seed 5/10 Heavy vintage FFDP, but in a less impressive version, sadly Save Your Breath 5/10 Captivating verses, and the chorus was alright, not very impressive compared to themselves

6.7/10
Terrace Martin Lays 2020 to Rest: Village Days Album Review
By: Brandon Johnson
Tags: Jazz, Album Review, Terrace Martin, Music, Christmas Music

Village Days — A Terrace Martin Project

The 2020 holiday season is getting upstaged. Twinkling light displays and planned gift exchanges feel secondary to the blossoming glimmer of hope that accompanied the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines. This holiday season is less a celebration and more a sigh of relief that after 200-plus days of quarantining, Animal Crossing excursions and Zoom meetings, normal life — or a new normal — is just around the corner.

As such, typical holiday music doesn’t sound right. There’s no place for strolling through the mall, bopping along to Mariah Carey or Frank Sinatra while shopping, or listening to Michael Buble while you wait to be seated at a restaurant. It all feels insular, like the jingle bells have been hollowed out and left to rot.

In lieu of the traditional sounds of Christmas, Terrace Martin dropped the fittingly introspective Village Days, a seven-track EP that is part spoken word, part g-funk reorchestration, and part Christmas album, The Los Angeles composer’s saxophone ties it all together, sealing the project with a handful of complementary features that help Martin usher out 2020 in the still of the night.

In contrast to July’s Dinner Party, which kept a healthy tempo thanks to percussive nudges from 9th Wonder, Village Days is calmer fare. “The Voice of King Nipsey’’ eulogizes the Crenshaw artist through a haunting piano and sax tribute that is equally fitting for laying 2020 to rest. “Money Up,” which features Berkeley’s Rexx Life Rajj, deploys a squeaky guitar that drops the pretense of a highly polished project. Though Martin is no stranger to fine-tuned music, the raw energy of Village Days — the untempered percussion or the subtle, organic pauses during spoken word sections — keeps the album grounded in the realism that governed the rest of the 21st Century’s 20th year.

The intro and outro are the project’s most diverse songs. The former, “Neighborhood,” sets the final seconds from Ty Dolla $ign’s “Juice” to a track detailing the ills of Martin’s hometown stomping grounds before dialing in the drum set to support a downtempo synth and vocal cut. The latter is Martin and Alex Isley’s rendition of Robert Wells and Mel Tormé’s “Christmas Song,” swapping the harmonious string sections for a keyboard and sax track that leaves the album off on a hopeful note.

Village Days isn’t driven by the lovestruck cohesion of 3ChordFold. And it’s unlike Velvet Portraits, which was as much a musical playground for Martin as it was for the names in his seemingly unending Rolodex. Village Days is a return to a simpler time, when artists made Christmas covers and people weren’t governed by the existential crisis presented by an airborne virus. Village Days is an exhale, signaling that no matter how bad things are, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.
Review: Blink-182-Nine, 2019 (9th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Album Review, Lyrics, Punk, Music

Must Listens-The First Time, Runaway, Pin The Grenade

The First Time 9/10 Vintage Blink-182 reminiscing various first experiences Happy Days 5/10 Inspirational track promoting resilience and not giving up despite hurdles and chronic problems in life, not very appealing or catchy, sadly Heaven 5/10 This song represent guilt and regret while feeling so far from a purer version of ones self Darkside 8/10 This song is the sentiment of following someone down a darker path because you are invested in this person, even at a sacrifice of yourself Blame It On My Youth 6/10 The chorus was not captivating to me at all, however I enjoyed hearing this one as it is similar to an origin story as to how these men ended up choosing the path of making music Runaway 8/10 This song illustrates the contradictory actions displayed by people who’ve been hurt, to push away those they specifically wish they didn’t Black Rain 4/10 This one is a sad track associated with feeling alone after a breakup I Really Wish I Hated You 8/10 Related again to feelings after a breakup, specifically when you still have love for them Pin The Grenade 8/10 A catchy track illustrating not wanting to let go of someone who’s let go of you No Heart To Speak Of 5/10 Another sad one related to being broken up with On Some Emo Shit 2/10 Hungover You 4/10 …….So this is a breakup album Remember To Forget Me 5/10

7/10
Spoon never fail
By: Burt Glass
Tags: 2017, Spoon, Album Review, Albums Of The Year

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Review: Slipknot-We Are Not Your Kind, 2019 (6th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Album Review, Lyrics, Metal, Music

in Tell It Like It Was
Don’t Ignore Gilt’s “Ignore What’s Missing”
By: Indigo Hope Finamore
Tags: Florida, DIY, Rock, Album Review, Music Review

A blanket of sound swaddles the sadness that sits curled up in the corner of our consciousness. Nothing really envelops angst like a thick bass, a wall of guitars, and a languid, sulky voice waxing and waning through soft whispers and guttural screams. So often, “guitar music” made after the early 2000s lacks so much of the soul that seemed to permeate those earlier, angrier releases. More unfortunately still, many of the bands that spearheaded gazey emo-punk have histories that taint the blue-colored lens of nostalgia that we so often view the music of our adolescence through. As soon as “Ignore What’s Missing” — the title and initial track — surged through my headphones, I was greeted with something familiar and altogether new.

There’s a loud magic in angsty music. Self described as “sad/angrycore”, Gilt is a brooding four-piece consisting of members Nico (bass/vox), Ash (drums), Tristan (guitar/vox), and Tyler (guitar/keys/vox). “Ignore What’s Missing” is Gilt’s first LP, and it truly is a remarkable album. Expert, vintage-tinged production pairs with excellent contrasting arrangements to capture that washy, confrontational late 90s-early 2000s post-hardcore sound while never succumbing to outright imitation. One can hear influences like Touche Amore, mewithoutYou, and Cursive in Gilt’s music but it doesn’t feel like a re-hashing of the material — it’s fresh and enthusiastic.

One of my favorite things that Gilt does throughout the album is the way that they contrast their use of vocals and instrumental sections. There’s a perfect balance of screaming and singing, and the vocal tradeoff between Nico, Tristan, and Tyler keeps the vocal pallette unique and crisp. Every time I listened through the album, I found a new tidbit that sparked my interest. The ebb and flow of layering in the arrangement in each song is genuinely masterful. For example, the manic, thrashy outro of “Children of Animals” drops into a sharp lone guitar line whose shadow glitters directly into a lilting intro to “Blue Ink Pen.” I tend to harp on songs all living in the same space on albums. “Ignore What’s Missing” is like a house — each song is like a different room with its own decor and personality — all the songs live under the same roof and create a consistent, yet never repetitive, sonic environment.

In all, “Ignore What’s Missing” is a strong, thoroughly enjoyable album. It balances nostalgia and honesty, embraces the wall of sound with delicious moments of minimalist vulnerability, and completes the picture with beautiful lyricism. If you’re a fan of heavier music and don’t already listen to Gilt, then you need to add their music to your rotation, STAT. I’m excited to see how Gilt grows and thrilled to have new angsty music to indulge my sadness in.

You can find Gilt’s music, merch, and socials here: https://linktr.ee/gilt

Listen to “Ignore What’s Missing” NOW: https://open.spotify.com/album/5q6rXudjELevNNnGEWMpDQ?si=Jwr4s2GhShm7POSFkQw-yg
Wednesdays — Ryan Adams. Ryan Adams’ Wednesdays is a completely…
By: Connor Hettinger
Tags: Music, Album Review

Ryan Adams’ Wednesdays is a completely unexpected return to form, featuring some of his best songwriting since his solo debut.

The first song on this record took me by surprise. It sounds exactly, and I mean exactly, like Neil Young. If somebody had played it for me two weeks ago and told me it was a Harvest Moon outtake I’d have believed them. The song serves as a much-needed addressing of the personal issues and abuse allegations that have plagued Adams for the past two years, and although it’s kind of an awkward listen, it’s a fitting opening track to his first full-length since the New York Times article broke.

The rest of the album after that is a fantastic listen. It’s a return to the understated stripped-down and acoustic Ashes &Fire sound, and it features some of the best melancholy songwriting and melodies he’s ever done. “When You Cross Over” may be one of my all-time favorite Ryan Adams songs now; it’s good to hear him singing about Carolina over an acoustic guitar again. “Poison & Pain” sounds straight off of Heartbreaker and is one of the most well-written and touching songs I’ve heard him put out in years. The title track is similarly a beautiful acoustic song that’s just flat-out really well written, there's not really another way to put it. “The band played the safety dance as I cried in the taxi alone.” “Birmingham” is the loudest track on the album, and it’s triumphant. It starts out with a lone acoustic riff before the full band kicks in with Adams exclaiming lines like “I wish I was a painter” and “Remember me standing there holding out my hand in a broken-down hotel in Birmingham.”

Ryan Adams has his issues, but this is one of the strongest records he’s ever put out. Hopefully he continues this trend with the other albums he claims to be releasing this upcoming year.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever proves college rock not dead
By: Burt Glass
Tags: 2018, Album Review, Rolling Blackouts Cf, Albums Of The Year

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Review: Papa Roach-Who Do You Trust? 2019 (10th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Metal, Album Review, Lyrics, Music

Must Listens- Renegade Music, Who Do You Trust? Elevate, Come Around

The Ending 8/10 This song depicts the feeling when you have a hunch about someone and that feeling grows until you inevitably fulfill the prophecy you were afraid of and it is over Renegade Music 10/10 This song is a call to arms for the frustrated oppressed ones in any fashion, a siren call of true freedom of choice, kind of thing Not The Only One 7/10 Not the expected vibe from Papa Roach, that being said it was very enjoyable nonetheless, this one’s an extension of feelings to show people struggling who feel alone that, indeed they aren’t Who Do You Trust? 9/10 I really enjoyed this one firstly on sentiment, this song characterizes the two faced nature of Americans, who on average are not trustworthy and betray and mislead like second nature, sadly, Rage Against The Machine vibes on this one with a dash of funk Elevate 8/10 Verses are rap, and this whole track brings another different vibe, about rising above when one feels surrounded by negatives Come Around 10/10 Slower track, uplifting, illustrating that it’s always darkest before the dawn and to hang in there, and that those who know the feeling are not alone Feel Like Home 6/10 This song illustrates the feeling late in a relationship one feels when they realize they aren’t happy anymore with that person Problems 6/10 Slower song depicts someone fighting with an overload of negative feelings they can’t seem to be able to escape Top Of The World 7/10 An inspirational song suggesting people trust themselves, be happy and not let anyone make you feel different Maniac 5/10 Slow song illustrating a downward spiral, not overly impressive Better Than Life 6/10 This song conveys that when you’re in love you feel everything more so than ever, and the difficultly adapting to the finding enjoyment elsewhere when you’re alone again

7.4/10
Plastic Bouquet — Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams
By: Connor Hettinger
Tags: Music, Album Review

Everything Marlon Willaims does is fantastic, and his recent collaboration with Saskatchewan folk duo Kacy & Clayton is no exception.

The first thing to notice about this record, and what I think really holds it together, is Clayton Linthicum’s guitar work. His electric guitar tone is just barely fuzzy enough to add a real punch to pretty traditional folk songs, and it’s in stark contrast to Kacy Anderson’s high — pitched voice. The record’s opener “Isn’t It” immediately hits you over the head with a slightly math-rock-sounding guitar lick ending in a low note that sets the tone for the rest of the song. Linthicum gets a small guitar solo right after the first verse ending in the same lick: a spectacular start to a spectacular album.

Linthicum takes a back seat on some songs here, but this is when Kacy Anderson and Marlon Williams’ melodies really shine. “Your Mind’s Walking Out” is a beautiful duet that sounds like it could be straight off a classic 60s folk record. “Old Fashioned Man” is a stunning tune with Anderson and Williams alternating some of their strongest verses. “I’m Gonna Break It” starts with the line “I’ve been waiting for the rain to come down on me and justify my mood”, which has to be one of my favorite lines of the year.

“Arahura” is probably the highlight of the record, with some of Linthicum’s best guitar lines overlaying each other, and Williams taking over the main vocals with Anderson backing him up. It’s a dark and brooding song, sounding relatively similar to Willaims’ last album, “Make Way For Love”, but the guitar work and backup vocals added by Kacy & Clayton add a dimension to the sound that I didn’t even know it needed.

This is one of the most unique albums I’ve heard all year. It’s one of those albums where you can listen to the entire thing front to back with not a single bad song. Marlon Williams remains one of the most consistent young artists in independent music today, and Kacy & Clayton are definitely a group to keep an eye on.
Review: Five Finger Death Punch-F8, 2020 (8th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Album, Rock, Album Review, Lyrics, Music

Must Listens-Full Circle, Leave It All Behind You, To Be Alone

Inside Out 8/10 In this song the lyrics depict a situation where somebody feels betrayed/abandoned for being themselves Full Circle 10/10 This song depicts how one can feel as though they’ve had enough and feel trying to be good is pointless Living The Dream 9/10 This song lyrically illustrates humanities dystopian tendencies to falsely represent ourselves and conform to something without thought A Little Bit Off 8/10 Acoustic comparatively slower paced song conveying the feeling of waking up on the “wrong side of the bed” depressed, unmotivated and aggravated Bottom Of The Top 9/10 This song describes not being accepted socially and resisting gauging yourself based on your support/opposition To Be Alone 10/10 This song describes the type of person who burns all their bridges and hurts those who care for them until they don’t anymore Mother May I 9/10 This song is about accepting yourself and focusing on what you can change rather than expecting anyone to help you because more often than not, they won’t Darkness Settles In 6/10 This song Illustrates the ones fighting with depression, isolation, and feeling powerless to stop how they feel This Is War 10/10 Vintage FFDP, aggressive, crazy solo, headbanger, from a “fight fire with fire” perspective Leave It All Behind You 9/10 This song conveys frustrations as a person trying to help another who is dealing with addiction and path to self-destruction Scar Tissue 7/10 This song depicts the feeling when there is no love left in a relationship and you’re ready to move on when the other is still fighting to save it Brighter Side Of Grey 9/10 This song describes someone facing death giving his last wishes to his loved ones saying he will always be there in their hearts and waiting for them on the other side

7.9/10
Mina Caputo Takes You On A Beautiful Journey With Her Latest Album, The Mones
By: Rob Janicke
Tags: Mina Caputo, Album, Album Review, New Music, Music

Photo Credit: Michael Anthony Alago

There’s something about the feeling music provides that’s more important than how it sounds. Of course, they go hand in hand to a degree, but the stuff inside your soul that connects you to what you hear is the stuff that’s truly important.

On the latest solo release by Life of Agony frontwoman Mina Caputo, The Mones delivers that feeling your soul longs for when digesting music.

The Mones, released on November 12, 2020, is a record that could exist anywhere in time yet feels perfect for this specific year because living through a pandemic, who couldn’t use a journey to escape to?

With lyrics written by Mina, and music by Mina, Andy Kravitz (who co-produced the record with Mina), and Rob Mastrianni, The Mones is an eclectic, 12 track trip that takes the listener to places both familiar and brand new. Songs like the acoustic ballad (and lead track) “California” reimagine elements of Led Zeppelin III while “G.L.O.M.S.” provides a frenetic, “I’m Afraid of Americans”, David Bowie vibe.

“Phyllis” sounds like something off of Mina’s previous solo effort, Love Hard, as she reminisces about the beauty of past days. In what is a departure from the rest of the record, “TV Babies” is a slightly chaotic and dark, spoken word piece that will lull you into a dream-like trance if you let it..and you should.

As I mentioned earlier, Mina Caputo has the innate ability to provide feeling and atmosphere to her music that too many artists fail to do. Songs like the aforementioned “California” and the somber “All the Wild Horses”, are dripping with atmosphere and clutch your soul like a long embrace.

One of the consistencies in Mina’s solo work is her fearlessness towards being inconsistent. The songs on The Mones do not follow any formula or style. The song “She” has an experimental DNA which reminds me of “Sleight of Hand” off of Binaural by Pearl Jam with its texture, low end, and pulse. It’s one of my favorite tracks. The very next track, “Single Leaf”, features a raspy-voiced Caputo over a jazz/lounge vibe that transports you to an outdoor dinner party with your favorite poets.

The most inherently fun song is the album closer, “Brand New Skin”, which seems to bring out Mina’s inner Bob Dylan. With its upbeat tempo and rhythm, alongside Caputo’s whimsical yet meaningful delivery, it’s the perfect cast-off to the journey that is The Mones.

Power, energy, and purpose don’t always have to come from big drums, loud guitars and screaming vocals. Mina Caputo is a 30 plus year veteran of the hard rock scene with her band Life of Agony and she knows how to bring it with volume and fury. What’s so impressive about her solo work and specifically The Mones though, is that Mina still delivers that power, energy, and purpose but in ways that don’t require tons of volume. It’s a record for the soul and it’s bound to make you feel!
Review: Ozzy Osbourne-Ordinary Man, 2020 (12th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, Album Review, Metal, Music

Must Listens-Straight to Hell, Ordinary Man, Eat Me, Take What You Want

1. Straight To Hell 10/10

Vintage Ozzy, killer solo, dark lyrics as we have come to expect

2. All My Life 8/10

Reflecting on his life in his elder years, he illustrates having conversations with his younger asking if anything would change throughout his life

3. Goodbye 6/10

This song is almost a lyrical sign off as Ozzy says goodbye to his fans and the world in this song

4. Ordinary Man Feat Elton John 10/10

Both Elton and Ozzy convey the message that they gave their lives to music and providing abstract interpretations of the human condition for the world and they hope they aren’t just forgotten after they die

5. Under The Graveyard 10/10

Discussing how whoever you are we all will die in relation with the sentiment of cherishing the time we have alive

6. Eat Me 10/10

A lyrical cannibalistic interpretation of the ‘dog eat dog’ nature of the depressed and sad

7. Today Is The End 8/10

Discussing the feeling of impending doom and anxiety associated with waiting on the reaper

8. Scary Little Green Men 9/10

A lyrical metaphor for building rage and attempting restraint, even for those who ask for it

9. Holy For Tonight 4/10

10. It’s A Raid Feat Post Malone 7/10 A Blend of Post Malone integrating to a faster paced, rocking, Ozzy style song

11. Take What You Want Feat Post Malone 9/10 Opposite of the last song here, Ozzy is in a Post Malone type of song, surprisingly this one is much preferable personally

I implore you to listen to a song off of the first Black Sabbath album released in 1970, even if somehow that doesn’t peel your banana, it is absolutely remarkable when you realize Ozzy’s voice is equally talented from being 22 to 72 with this year’s release.

8.2/10
Review: ACDC-Power Up, 2020 (17th Album)
By: Tristian T. Browne
Tags: Acdc, Álbum, Album Review, Rock And Roll, Music

Must Listens-Realize, Rejection, Kick You When You’re Down, Code Red

November 11, 2020

Realize 10/10 (all around vintage ACDC) Rejection 9/10 (great chorus, catchy riff, killer solo) Shot in the Dark 10/10 (all around vintage ACDC) Through the Mists of Time 4/10 (decent but unimpressive) Kick You When You’re Down 9/10 (great chorus, catchy riff, no solo) Witch’s Spell 6/10 (decent chorus, no solo) Demon Fire 9/10 (funky riff, killer solo) Wild Reputation 7/10 (decent unimpressive, great solo) No Man’s Land 4/10 (all around unimpressive) System’s Down 8/10 (okay chorus, catchy riff, killer solo) Money Shot 6/10 (decent chorus, catchy riff) Code Red 10/10 (funky riff, great verses/chorus)

7.6/10
SCOTTIE DIABLO’s FAVORITE SONGS + ALBUMS — 2020 🔊
By: Scottie Diablo
Tags: Year End Lists, Album Review, Reading, Songs, Music

— ALBUMS —

(in no particular order)

BAXTER DURY “THE NIGHT CHANCERS” → stream

PURL “RENOVATIO” → stream

LOW CUT CONNIE “PRIVATE LIVES” → stream

HOLY FUCK “DELETER” → stream

TIMBO “BRAND NEW FEELING” → stream

KNIFE FOR AN EYE “DAMNATION ROCK ’N’ ROLL → stream

HARALD LASSEN “HUMAN SAMLING” → stream

GREG FOAT “SYMPHONIE PACIFIQUE” → stream

KEITH RICHARDS & THE X-PENSIVE WINOS “LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM” → stream

SNOOKS EAGLAN “THE IMPERIAL RECORDINGS” → stream

FELBM “TAPE 4” → stream

JUNGLE FIRE “JUNGLE FIRE” → stream

HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS “USE ME” → stream

IDLES “ULTRA MONO” → stream

THE MAVERICKS “EN ESPANOL” → stream

WANDERWELLE “A STATE OF DECREPITUDE” → stream

W. CRYDERMAN “GRANDE MASTERPIECE” → stream

OBNOX “SAVAGE RAYGUN” → stream

SUSO SAIZ, SUZANNE KRAFT “BETWEEN NO THINGS” → stream

THIS IS SKY “XXY” → stream

EPIC45 “WE WERE NEVER HERE” → stream

CORY WONG, JON BATISTE “MEDITATIONS” → stream

FRANK ENE “NO LONGER” → stream

CHRISTIAN KJELLVANDER, TONBRUKET “DOOM COUNTRY” → stream

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS “MADE OF RAIN” → stream

RAYMOND RICHARDS “THE LOST ART OF WANDERING” → stream

SAM DOORES “SAM DOORES” → stream

LINKWOOD, GREG FOAT “LINKWOOD & FOAT” → stream

GIGI MASIN “CALYPSO” → stream

PHIL SEYMOUR “IF YOU DONT WANT MY LOVE” → stream

ISREAL NASH “TOPAZ” → stream

JON MCKIEL “BOBBY JOE HOPE” → stream

WILLIAM CASHION “POSTCARD MUSIC” → stream

JOGGING HOUSE “BE” → stream

THE TENDER THINGS “HOW YOU MAKE A FOOL” → stream

CHET BAKER “CHET IN PARIS” → stream

BILL FRISELL “VALENTINE” → stream

JONATHAN TYLER “EP” → stream

ALAN POWER “SONGS TO BREAK AMERICA” → stream

MOTHERFUCKIN’ MOTHERFUCKERS “DANCE MOTHERFUCKER” → stream

EDDIE CRISS GROUP “UNDERTAKER” → stream