When A Boogie With Da Hoodie announced that he was set to release his third studio album, his fans were jubilant. It had been just over a year since we last heard from the Bronx native and in the age of microwaveable music, there was a yearning to hear what new melodies the “Just Like Me” rapper had cooked up. While leaked records delayed the album towards its Valentine’s Day release, they also built anticipation for what was to come.
At face value, Artist 2.0– the sequel to his 2016 breakout mixtape, Artist – gave his fans exactly what they asked for. The man known for his melodic chants and passionate crooning about his love life reverted back to what he knows best and then some. Although recognized as a rapper, that takes a backseat in this latest effort. A boogie never goes more than a few bars in any of the records before his singing takes precedence, exemplified in the emotional ballad “Good Girls Gone Bad,” where he wails about a woman who’s changed as a result of his inconsistencies.
What it lacks for in actual rapping, the album more than makes up for in its infectious choruses. “Right Back,” “Mood Swings,” “Me and My Guitar,” and “DTB 4 Life” are all records that have the propensity to become a mainstay in any playlist. While he doesn’t rap as much as some might have wanted on the album, his guest-features all brought their “A” game. Verses from Dababy, Young Thug, Gunna and Roddy Rich do a good job of balancing out the croon-heavy album, with A Boogie and Roddy Rich’s chemistry being one of the project’s highlights.
Coming into the rap game, A Boogie presented himself as a rapper who would occasionally try his hand at singing. On Artist 2.0, he doubles down on the latter, pushing his own personal boundaries and blurring the lines on what his official title should really be. While the album is enjoyable, it doesn’t always feel like it’s A Boogie at his best and it seems like, to A Boogie, “artist” means less rapping, which inherently is not the case.
Anyone in the mood for ambient, industrial, funk, fuzz and jazz noise? No? Try it; it’s… entertaining. Long time friends, Sal Cataldi (aka Spaghetti Eastern Music) of Hudson Valley and Alaskan playwright, actor and slam poet, Mark Muro, have put together 13 tracks that, for some, redefines what ‘music’ can be, as Vapor Vespers.
Such an eclectic collection of influences and ideas would inevitably create a non-palatable, sonic smorgasbord. But listeners might find that, although it’s a very unique sound, it’s somehow familiar. We have all heard these sounds before: Synthesizers, drums samples, spicy guitar, ethereal drones, deep lyrics – but we don’t always hear them combined in such a balanced way. There are some standalone tracks that are deeply immersive and highly disectable. Others, to be frank, are silly, mindless noise.
Now maybe, as a journalist, it’s an unbiased view because I am here listening to this at a desk, staring at a Google Doc, looking for something deep to uncover about the album. But I cannot seem to fathom a time or a place to listen to this. It’s an underrated part of music and overlooked by musicians. Picking the genre is important, but what is the target audience doing while they’re listening to your music? It’s an important piece to how groups gain popularity. If you’re into experiencing weird things because it’s interesting to gain perspective into creative minds, then go for it. But don’t try to jam out to this on your way to your 9 to 5. Because you’ll likely get a contact high.
As eerie and spacey as everything is, it is melodic and intentional. It’s a sandbox of sound – A confined space with no particular purpose but fun to explore. Credit must be given where credit is due – the musicianship is respectable and impressive. Cataldi and Muro are seasoned musicians with deep and thoughtful ideas, who likely knew exactly what they wanted to produce. As a result, a good portion of these tracks are very good. Plain and simple.
Ambient sounds are the basis of the album. But the quality and which it is made is professional and legitimizes the whole idea. “Timbuktu” gives listeners a taste of what’s to come. We are immersed in what their press release describes as a, “hot trek across the desert in Mali.” The instrumentation is well balanced and comes together to create the sonic illusion of endlessness, despair and waves of heat. The sound is ambient, but it has drive and a groove, making it immersive and mysterious. But what it lacks, is an overall story. We instead get a glimpse, or a picture. One moment in time. Like a painting.
The same thing befalls tracks like “In the Lap of the Drooling Buddah” and “Maisey Hot and Humid“. The music is tasty and enticing but listeners feel trapped in one space. Nothing new is leanred. There is no sense of direction, a feat well executed because we never feel bored or lost, just without a goal. If that’s something you’re after, then the album the rest of the album will be a huge hit for you.
The part that might throw people, is the spoken word aspect of their music. This style is often criticized, confusing or non-digestible to some. The song “Bottomless Seafood Surprise,” for example, tells the strangely erotic story of a woman who works a normal life but in an effort to shake things up, she cooks a fish her neighbor bought her one July instead the Lean Cuisne she normally eats. Then the fish starts to talk and says, “You and me. We are different. We are the same.” ..To some, this might have a deeper meaning, to others, it’s a distracting and comical story.
Side note, if that speaks to you, then take a listen to “The Meat Clever and the Butterfly” – A song where a Bernie Sanders sounding man talks about how amazing his penis. He describes it as, “an amazing creature with little bird wings, a golden crested head, streamlined with dorsal fins, independent suspension, and driver side airbags.”
As radical as these lyrics are, it is appropriate for the genre. Nothing else would fit. It’s just a very unorthodox thing to drink in, which will likely spoil the album for some. Even if you think it might knock it, just give it a try because you’ll at least get a chuckle out of it. The style Cataldi and Muro have created is well executed, but might be more palatable when sprinkled throughout other mainstream styles of music, rather than dousing listeners with avant garde strangeness for the sake of being strange. Those who are interested can find the album on major streaming services like Spotify and Bandcamp.
Key Tracks: Timbuktu, The Meat Clever and the Butterfly, In the Lap of the Drooling Buddah.
Hailing from Westchester is a four-piece indie rock group called Back From Nothing. And they are bursting onto the scene with their brand new album Someone Say Something.
The first track, “Rabbit Hole,” kicks off the album with an anticipating guitar and drum build that blossoms into a nostalgic punk-rock sound. Looking to accommodate the rock-driven sound are the raw vocals that tie the whole package together. As the track progresses, it opens up into an electrifying guitar solo that brings the energy to an all time high, ultimately leading to you shredding on your air guitar. The end of “Rabbit Hole” smoothly blends into the beginning of the next track to keep the party going with “Zombie Man,” a lighter song but one that still matches the energy of Someone Say Something.
Digging deeper into the album, you’ll find “New Logic” that is dominated by the drums and is the ultimate head-bobber on this album. This track was written, recorded, and mixed in the band’s home studio. They later went on to make a music video for the track that really showcases how fun and interactive their shows are. It’s a total “in your face” track that takes influence from indie rock bands ranging back to the ’90s.
Someone Say Something is the band’s album that refines their sound as a whole, and pioneers a new sound that combines punk and indie together in an even mix. If you ever went to Vans Warped Tour, this band is the one that would be jumping around on stage and playing a captivating show. Back From Nothing has proven themselves to be a great fit for performances ranging from festivals to packed house shows, and they are thrilled to show the world their new music.
Follow Back From Nothing on their social media pages for new music and updates!
Key Tracks: Rabbit Hole, New Logic, Zombie Man, Good Thing Going
Late in the summer of 2018, The Wood Brothers were putting the final touches on their new workshop, The Studio Nashville. After it was fully wired for sound, they decided to break in this new space by testing the energy, atmosphere and sound of each room. These initial jam sessions would lay the framework for Kingdom In My Mind when the band listened back to their performances and realized that there was something special to the recordings. It wasn’t until they took these newly recorded improvisations and began to construct verses and choruses that their creative prowess took a new leap.
While this may be a new path for the band, the members are no stranger to experimentation. The Wood Brothers came to be after Oliver Wood sat in with his brother Chris’ band, Medeski, Martin and Wood, in the early 2000’s and Jano Rix may be best known for creating the ‘shuitar’ – an acoustic guitar with a twist of percussion. In the past, the band would write large batches of songs and try to capture them all at once, but their new studio offered them so much more. “We weren’t performing songs,” explains Oliver. “We were just improvising and letting the music dictate everything. Normally when you’re recording, you’re thinking about your parts and your performances, but with these sessions, we were just reacting to each other and having fun in the moment.”
The Wood Brothers’ 7th album starts with “Alabaster,” a gem that could easily be mistaken for a classic MMW song if it weren’t for Oliver’s jazzy vocals over the track. The funky keys and effervescent bass really highlight the energy of their new space . “Little Bit Sweet” has the honor of featuring the first notes recorded in their studio, which was the impetus for Kingdom In My Mind. This track features beautiful harmonies that rise with the bouncy beat that Jano lays down. In “Jitterbug Love,” Chris Wood’s voice is perfect for this little ditty as Oliver slides up and down his acoustic guitar. It’s near impossible to listen to this track without tapping your feet and singing along to the chorus: “I’m crazy for you. I’m crazy for you!”
“Cry Over Nothing” is the only song that was developed and composed outside of the new studio, but it invokes the spirit of The Band, especially as Rix plays his soaring organ while simultaneously keeping beat. The most “rocking” song of the album comes in the form of “Don’t Think About My Death.” This track is a mesmerizing mix of dirty electric guitar and Rix’s ever-present but simplistic percussion. Continuing the jump between genres are “Little Bit Broken,” which combines funky tones with a pure gospel feeling that will undoubtedly speak to everyone who listens, and “The One I Love,” a Zydeco track that is sure to get folks on their feet at any upcoming Wood Brothers performance.
“Little Blue” continues this gem of an album with its funky, bluesy tones while “A Dream’s A Dream” takes things in a filthy direction. And I mean that in the best way possible. This is my favorite track on the album and it’s definitely the one I replayed the most this past week. “Satisfied” is the last full track on the album and Oliver’s vocals paint a tale of optimism and hope while Chris’ harmonica hauntingly floats over Jano’s solid beat. This powerful song really sums up the themes and feelings that are highlighted throughout this beautiful album. No album is complete without a proper reprise and this is no exception as” Little Blue (Reprise)” is a delightful cherry on top of this beautiful cake of an album.
The Wood Brothers will be in NYC on January 30 and 31, Rochester on February 5 and Albany on February 8.
Key Tracks: A Dream’s A Dream, Alabaster, Jitterbug Love
The album can be ordered and more information on tour dates is available at the band’s website.
New York native and country artist, Mike DeAngelis, is thrilled to release his new album, Songs from the Shelter, a culmination of tracks written over decades of his music career. This album was blossomed in the late 90s when Mike connected with former band member of “Nightshift,” Ace Parkhurst, after being introduced to Ace while he was running sound for a local band.
Mike had envisioned a solo project after playing in a band for a while, and the duo joined forces to often record at Ace’s studio nicknamed “The Bombshelter.” Mike and Ace would sing on each other’s songs and were eventually able to pull these tracks off the shelf, polish them up, and produce the crystal-clear record meant for road trips down a long-winding road, Songs from the Shelter. Some of the tracks are old, and some are new, and they are ecstatic to share them with the world.
The record starts off with “Welcome Me Home” opening with smoothly picked acoustic guitar, and the lyrics introduce a story of Mike traveling hours down the highway at night with nothing but the open road, eagerly waiting to arrive home. Mike and Ace come together and produce such a diverse sound with tracks such as “Old Letter” and “Guessing Game.” Every track on this album has a specific purpose and each tell a story of its own. Songs from the Shelter is a unique glimpse into the artist’s rich history, which has lasted more than twenty years and from the looks of this album, there’s no end in sight.
Mike DeAngelis has an incredible demonstrated musical history, and his music serves as a staple of the last few decades for this dedicated group of musicians.
Key Tracks: Welcome Me Home, Fool In The Moon, and Guessing Game