ALBUM REVIEW - MU.ZZ.LE

[Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE]

If you've listened to anything from California (now living in Nevada) artist Gonjasufi before you know your in for a treat. His newest album, MU.ZZ.LE, is a slightly experimental electronic/pop/rock record that certainly wont be overstaying it's welcome as its only 25 minutes long. First impressions with this album is the music seems to be moving away from the total experimentation feel of his past work, thus creating a more deliberate, meaningful feeling to his music.

MU.ZZ.LE has an easy going, funky, grungy feel throughout most of the album, as is evident with tracks such as "White Picket Fence", the intro song with muddy, sad sounding vocals that fit just right. Another fitting track is "Feedin' Birds" that sounds like a throwback to an earlier time of music with its low-fi vocals and old school guitar riff. Some songs still have that super experimental vibe with tracks like "Venom" and "Timeout", where the artist was seemingly allowing himself to have a much higher degree of creative freedom to play with sound.

Overall, this album was really impressive, and other than a track or two that felt slightly out of place, this album didn't disappoint and is going to be something I excitedly introduce people to (Then feel bad when they "just don't feel it man"). So if you already like Gonjasufi, the album wont disappoint, and if you've never heard of him before, I recommend giving the embedded song a listen, its my personal favorite.

Hit Tracks

"White Picket Fence"
"The Blame"
"Nickels And Dimes"

TRACK OF THE DAY - SULK

[Trust]

Today I wanted to show you guys a new single edit track by Toronto synth-pop duo Trust. This single edit is a few minutes shorter than the album version but still gives you enough time to get a feel for the LP from which it comes, TRST.


I only planned on showing this one song and leaving it at that, but after listening I'm really liking it and I think ill do a full review of the album TRST in the future, when it releases on Feb. 28.

I want to link the soundcloud embed code, but I have no clue how top do that, so I did some searching and found a youtube link. If anyone knows how to embed soundcloud music into blogger please, let me know.

ALBUM REVIEW - STRANGE WEEKEND

[Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend]

Another Tuesday, another slew of music albums... This time something a little softer, a debut album (my favorite kind) from artist Mauro Remiddi, aka  Porcelain Raft, Strange Weekend.

A quick bit of information before we get into the actual review, why do record labels release albums on Tuesdays? I was curious so I decided to look for myself and it turns out sales figures for albums are released on Mondays, so to give albums the most amount of time to accumulate sales, records are released right after the new sales figures are in.

From the beginning your treated to a slightly dreamy track, "Drifting in and Out" that, like most albums, sets the general tone of the listening experience. Soft vocals and even softer guitars give you a trancey feel and leads into the acoustic centered "Shapeless and gone" One minor complaint I have with this track is the vocals are quite foggy in some parts. "Is it Too Deep For You?" grabs attention with its hip-hip percussion and amazingly crafted soundscape, in fact, one of this albums greatest strengths is its warm, hazy soundscapes and how well they compliment the songs themselves. The vocals go hand in hand with the softness of the tracks and are often thought provoking and emotional.

Overall, Strange Weekend is a great debut album from Mauro Remiddi and does not disappoint. First impressions are important and this album has me ready for more.

108/124

[something new I'm trying out, just a quick list at the end of articles with a list of my personal favorite tracks]

HIT TRACKS

"Is it Too Deep For You"

"Unless You Speak From Your Heart"

"Picture"

MIXTAPE LOOKOUT - TELL YA FRIENDS

[Chip Tha Ripper]

Its a new week, and with that comes new releases. One release I've been particularly looking forward to is the new mixtape by Chip Tha Ripper, and it's finally here! The mixtape features twenty two new songs from the Ohio artist, with guest appearnces from artists such as Kid Cudi, Wale and Bun B. Whats the tracklist like? well, here's an image of it so I don't have to type that out.

Tell Ya Friends is definitely nothing we haven't seen from Chip before, which isn't saying anything negative. Tell Ya Friends really kicks off with "Passin Out Money", and ego booster track with a catchy hook that would seemingly set the tone for the rest of the album if this wasn't a mixtape. I was particularly impressed with "Soothing", "Out Here" and "Ride 4 you" featuring Kid Cudi. This mixtape is hopefully going to set the tone for Chips next album, and if so I'm really looking forward to it.

When looking at a mixtape you can't take the same approach you'd normally take for a full album release. Each track in this mixtape is it's own entity and needs to be singled out and looked at that way. Overall, while some tracks were hit and miss, I had a good time listening and would definitely recommend to any hip-hop fan.

If you want to check the mixtape out for yourself you can grab it HERE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - ROYKSOPP

[Royksopp]

Electronic music duo Royksopp has quite a large following in their native Country of Norway, but the reason they get the artist spotlight today is because they are fairly unknown in North America.

Royksopp started in 1998 and has had just the two same members, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland (a mouthful I know) since it's inception. The duo's music can be described as downbeat electronica with influences from house music and drum and bass (or more recently known as dubstep). they have many accomplishments, including a 2009 Grammy nomination for best remixed recording of the track "The Girl and The Robot". Their most succesfull album to date is Melody A.M. which happens to be their first album.

Of the 4 albums the duo has released, all of them reached #1 on the Norway charts, with Junior reaching 136th in the american charts (and reaching up to 4th in the american electronic charts). It's not hard to see that this small duo from Norway has been somewhat of a breakout hit.

One song i'd like to show you guys is the 2010 track, "The Alcoholic". It starts off with a can opening of all things (maybe in relation to the title?) and then is accompanied by a funky drum and bass line that transfers into an amazing guitar noise with birds in the background.. it really is one of my favorite songs from them. Don't take my word for it though, see for yourself.

Ill end with a link to royksopps own blog so you can check them out if you like what you hear.

http://royksopp.com/

ALBUM PREVIEW - WZRD

[Kid Cudi & Dot Da Genius]

Alternative Hip-Hop artist Kid Cudi and newcomer Dot Da Genius are set to release the bands first album, titled WZRD on Feb. 28, after falling short of the previous release date, Jan. 30th 2012.

The track list was recently released though to make up for it, so have a look.

1. The Arrival
2. High Off Life
3. The Dream Time Machine
4. Love Hard
5. Live & Learn
6. Brake
7. Teleport 2 Me, Jamie feat. Desire
8. Where Did You Sleep Last Night
9. Efflictim
10. The Upper Room

From what weve seen of songs that have been released already, "Teleport 2 me, Jamie" and "Brake" the album seems to be going in a similar direction weve seen before with Kid Cudi (Which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The question here is what will Dot Da Genius bring to the mix and how will his presence effect the album?

Heres one of the released singles, "brake".

Check Eight Plates in the future for the full review!

ARTIST LOOKOUT - JOHNNY POLYGON

[Johnny Polygon]

With every new year comes new music, new opportunities, and the chance for new artists to take some of the spotlight for themselves. The problem is figuring out exactly which artists are going to make it big next, a task that isn't easy as the music industry can be very unpredictable with today's plugged in generation. Who might gain some fans this year? well there are a lot of artists to look at, but id like to concentrate on a particular hip-hop artist whom I feel just might have the tools to create a name for himself, and that's the man from Oklahoma, Johnny Polygon.

Johnny may not be the biggest name right now, but hes not without his accomplishments, he's featured in Nas' "Black President", and had one of his own songs, "Price on Your Head" featured in Rockstars GTA4 (an achievement in its own right). MTV aired one of his videos on their regular lineup in 2010, "The Riot Song", which is probably his greatest stab at the mainstream arena. He is also cosigned to Kid Cudi and 2dopeboyz, among others.

With songs like "Price on your head", "Kids Broken Hearted" and the backing of a few big names in the industry, Johnny Polygon is a great candidate to make it big in 2012.

ALBUM REVIEW - EVOLVE OR BE EXTINCT

[Wiley - Evolve or be Extinct]

I wasn't sure what to expect from todays album, but needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by Wileys newest entry into the UK hip/hop scene. The album draws you in immediately with a powerful synth which is then accompanied by fast, hard hitting lyricism and leads to a catchy hook that had me humming "welcome to zion" as soon as I got up. It's this confident, catchy sound that leaves you ready for more, and more is exactly what you get with the next two pop-infused tracks, "link up" and "boom blast" which continue the momentum built up from the start of the album.

The next few tracks in Evolve or be Extinct leave you wondering where exactly the direction is headed, with "wierdo", A spacey anthem to the craziness of Wiley and "scar", a track that shares a slight, almost nagging resemblance to Deltron 3030. A review of this album wouldn't be right without a mentioning of "Can I Have a Taxi Please?", a song that has Wiley making fake calls to a taxi service while doing different voices and I must admit this track had me smiling throughout.

While Evolve or be Extinct has a lot to offer, it's not without its faults. "I'm skankin" felt a tad repetitive and "Miss You" sounded like just another r&b radio song. Overall I really enjoyed Wileys newest offering and look forward to his ever-evolving style of music.

4/5

ALBUM REVIEW - A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIX

[Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix]

The third release from UK group Bombay Bicycle Club has the band returning to the electric guitar after their second album, "flaws" featured a softer, acoustic sound. The album starts with an easy going, light sounding noise slightly reminiscent of brighter songs from bands such as Tokyo Police Club or even Coldplay to a lesser extent (don't hate me for writing that). The clean sounding production lends itself well to the style of music the band seems to be reaching for.

The bands greatest work on the album would have to be "Shuffle" with its catchy, light hearted keys and clear vocals, it's the song that encompasses the feel of the album and helps tie it all together. Another notable song from the album, "Lights Out, Words Gone" features a funky, soft sounding chorus.

At the end of the day, Bombay Bicycle Club has released three albums in three years, and you cant help but wonder if a focus on quality of releases over quantity would really help this band break out of their shell and find their true sound.

3.0/5

ALBUM REVIEW - AMERICA GIVE UP

[America Give Up - Howler]

Howlers first full length album, "America give up" starts off with an old school guitar riff that quickly sets the tone for the rest of the song, as well as most of the album. The second song, "back to the grave" continues the low, messy guitar noise straight up to "America" Which then becomes a little clearer for the rest of the album. The fifth song, "Too Much Blood" features a great guitar build up that really comes together in the end of the song, this is when the album really seems to find itself in my opinion. Midway into the album, "told You Once" rejuvenates the listener into the final stretch of the album, with "black lagoon" finishing off quite strong.

One song in particular that i'd like to look into is "Pythagorean Fearem". It starts off with a fast, dark riff which explodes into a full, beach boy rock noise after the lead have vocals kicked in. This song (well, the whole album but this song in particular) really take me back to an earlier time of alt/indie rock, and is really reminiscent of the beach. Around 1:30 the riffs drop for a bit and the sound is very basic and catchy, it's definitely one of my favourites from this 8 song album.

One thing this album seems to be suffering from in the industries eyes is the similarity in sound between it and the strokes. Yes the album does sound similar, but is it enough to detract from enjoying the album? I find the more I listen, the less I see the similarities, or they don't bother me as much at least. Overall, "America Give Up" has a simple, catchy noise and is definitely worth a listen or two.

3.5/5