Ty Listens to "Humanz"

The Gorillaz finally released their newest record last Friday, April 28th. This has been a much anticipated album by many, myself included, and it does not disappoint. It feels so good to hear Damon Albarn's voice again hidden behind his cartoon counterparts.

I've been on the Gorillaz bandwagon since they released their first record back in 2001. I've always bought their new records the day they came out, and "Humanz" was no different. I woke up on Friday, got myself prepared for the day, and when I had a moment to sit down, I got on iTunes and bought and downloaded the record immediately. I then listened to it immediately. I waited until today to review it because I wanted an entire weekend to let myself really get a thorough listen. The wait seemed like forever, so I needed at least three days to really access my feelings on this record. I needed the time to really let the new music sink in.

I loved, as I have already said that the record does not disappoint, what I heard. It is classic Gorillaz music. It is very synth-y, with elements of hip hop, pop, rock and roll, electronic and, to round it all out, some great R&B. I'm not a big fan of interludes on albums, but for "Humanz", the interludes feel needed. This is as close to a concept album, a title given to records that I have stated on this site that I loathe, as it gets nowadays. The interludes are your segues from song to song. They're perfect.

Then, the songs are just tremendous. First off, their is a guest on every song on this record, but that is what the Gorillaz do. They're notorious for their guest lists on all of their records. It is needed since this is a band created by Albarn and a friend of his, so he needs the help from other artists. The names that pepper this record are phenomenal. We get people like Mavis Staples, Grace Jones, Popcaan, Vince Staples, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Anthony Hamilton and Pusha T, to name a few. That is quite the guest list if you ask me. Then, to hear them with the Gorillaz, it was icing on the cake.

The first track of the record, "Ascension" features Vince Staples, and it is a great rap song. It is 99 percent Vince Staples vocals, with the Gorillaz doing the instruments, and it works tremendously. Staples is a great, young rapper, and he is on fire right now. This was a great way to start off the record. The song is bouncy, fun and very dance worthy. Staples is great, as are the Gorillaz. Then, 2 songs later, we get the song "Saturnz Barz" featuring Popcaan. I hadn't heard much from Popcaan, but this song is a great, almost disco type pop/electronic song. Again, it is very dance worthy and this song makes me want to go out and find some more Popcaan to listen to. The very next song, "Momentz" features one of Gorillaz main collaborators, De La Soul, and it is just as great as "Feel Good Inc", or "Superfast Jellyfish". De La Soul and Damon Albarn clearly have a great partnership, and any time Gorillaz releases a record, I want to first hear the song that will feature them. "Momentz" is awesome. It is a wonderful rap song, and it is great for working out. I expected greatness from both De La Soul and Gorillaz, and they, of course, delivered. When I did not think it could get much better, we get "Submission". This song features Keela, and one of my new favorite rappers, even though he's been around forever, I just recently discovered him, Danny Brown. This song is incredible, and it all comes to a glorious end with Danny Brown rapping for 90 seconds straight. Keela and the Gorillaz carry the song, and then Danny Brown comes in and finishes it off with an absolute bang. This was, after one listen, my favorite song.

But, as I dug deeper and listened more and more, I think my favorite track is "Let Me Out". This song has Pusha T just crushing it as the emcee, great vocals from the Gorillaz, and then we get the great Mavis Staples singing the chorus, as well as adding her own verses. This is the perfect Gorillaz song. It blends all their styles into one 4 minute masterpiece. This song is flat out stupendous. To get someone like Mavis Staples is a feat in and of itself, and her singing on this song is a true delight.

The rest of the record I really enjoy as well. I love the hard rocking "Charger" featuring Grace Jones. I enjoy the very odd "Sex Murder Party". "Hallelujah Money" featuring Benjamin Clementine is so sad and depressing, but it is a great song. And the final track, for those of you that did not buy the deluxe edition, "We've Got the Power" featuring Jhenny Beth is a great ending. 

"Humanz" is like a great meal. It starts out wonderful, you digest the first half, you want more, the middle of the record is great, and then the dessert that is the last 1/3 of the record that kind of slows down a bit and lets you stew in the great music. I am a fan of Gorillaz, and in my mind, they can do no wrong. The 6 year wait seemed like 60, but the work they did, and the people they got to be on this record, was worth the wait. "Humanz" is a great record, and it makes me that much more excited to see them in September in Kansas City. The Gorillaz are great, and "Humanz" is too. I highly recommend this record.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. With the Gorillaz having released new music, how long before Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld get back in the game.

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Ty Listens to the Shins "Heartworms"

Almost 3 weeks ago The Shins released their newest record "Heartworms". I've put off a review until now because I really wanted to give it a good amount of listens.

I'm a Shins fan. I, like most people, first heard of them when they were heavily featured in trailers and on the soundtrack to the movie "Garden State". By the way, that movie does not hold up well. It is melodrama at its worst. Anyway, that is where my love for the Shins began. I know there are people that knew of them well before, but for the most of us, the "Garden State" soundtrack was our entryway into their music.

I loved what I heard from the band. I had never heard pop/alternative music that sounded like the Shins. It was sad and slow, almost folksy, but then they'd play something very upbeat and fun. I liked the change of pace that it brought to the pop/alternative genre. I also really enjoy James Mercer. I have heard and read a lot of stories about how he is a total pain in the ass to work and play music with, but the end result, for the most part, is very good.

After seeing "Garden State" I of course went out and bought "Oh, Inverted World". I loved it too. It had that blend I mentioned earlier that I like, and the record as a whole is very good. One day when I get back to my greatest American band debate, the Shins will be one of the first bands I write about.

After "Oh, Inverted World", I got to listen to "Cutes Too Narrow". It sounded a lot like "Oh, Inverted World", but had a bit more pep in its step. It was fun and more and more people began to become Shins fans. I listened to this record on repeat. After that record was when the stories of working with Mercer became more and more prevalent. He always seemed to be switching and or firing band members because he personally did not like them.

It didn't seem to matter because when the Shins released their next record, "Wincing the Night Away", it was the best they have ever sounded, in my opinion. I saw them live while touring this record. This was the most rock and roll they sounded, and it hit me right where I needed to be hit. The song "Sea Legs" off that record is my favorite Shins song by a quarter mile. Richard Swift was part of the band during this record and tour, and he made them sound so god damn good.

This was when my fandom for the Shins was at its peak. Mercer broke off and did some great work with bands like Modest Mouse and some other indie alternative groups, but his best non Shins stuff was when he teamed up with Danger Mouse and they formed Broken Bells. This was where Mercer started to take more chances with vocals and try new things with instruments. Broken Bells is incredible. That is another band I will bring up during greatest American band stuff.

In between the 2 Broken Bells records, the Shins released another album, "Port of Morrow", and I loved it because it sounded like Broken Bells as a full band. That record really came and went with a whimper though, which was surprising to me.

So, when I heard they were releasing a new record this year, my interest was piqued. Having listened to "Heartworms" multiple times now, I come away feeling full, but not satisfied. The record is good. It sounds like newer Shins, which is my favorite style of Shins, but it all sounds too familiar. The stuff he does with Danger Mouse and Broken Bells I thought would influence this record, and while there are hints of it here and there, it is not on as much as it should be. The music is great. James Mercer is great. The band is very good. But, it all just kind of sounds similar to "Wincing the Night Away" and "Port of Morrow". That is not a bad thing, I have mentioned how much I like both of those records, I just wanted the band to try something different.

The Black Keys and yes they are my favorite band, and I won't say bad things about them, at least try and make their music sound different on each record. They always try something new. Same can be said for other bands I like with multiple albums like Run the Jewels, Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino. I mean, look at what Childish Gambino did on his last album. It is a total departure, and that album rules. Even a band like RTJ, who are straight forward rap, take lots of chances doing different things on each of their three records.

I guess I am kind of just a lukewarm fan of this new Shins album. I really like the first track, but after that, it all just kind of blends together. The record is fine, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to hear something a bit different from a band that I have become a very big fan of. I still recommend the record for fans. I mean, it's a Shins record and it sounds like one. That being said, maybe on their next record Mercer will try some more falsetto singing and the band will take some far out chances as far as instrumentation.

I'd give "Heartworms" a B-, but it could have easily been an A. There is always the next record.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes to feel full after music. Sometimes he wants to be full of steak and brussels sprouts and not just day old pizza (which is still pretty good). This record was day old pizza.

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Ty Listens to Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!"

Last Friday, December 2nd, Childish Gambino released his third album, "Awaken, My Love!".

I adore this record.

For those that do not know, Childish Gambino is Donald Glover's alter rap ego. Glover is an actor, comedian, creator, writer, director, and rapper. He is one of the most talented performers working today. I became aware of his rapping about 7 years ago. He was deep in his run on "Community", and I had heard rumblings that he was going to put out a record, and had some mixtapes that were floating around the internet. I was intrigued. I first thought it was going to be jokey rap, a la The Lonely Island, but I could not have been more wrong. I listened to some of the mixtapes and tracks he released before his first album, and they were very good.

When he released his debut album, "Camp", I was blown away. This was a full-fledged rap record. It was not jokey or goofy in any way. It was a straight up rap album, and it was good. Glover proved that he was a very good, sometimes great, rapper. I loved this first album. I was surprised, but in a very good way.

Then, a few years later, he released his second record, "Because the Internet". This was a departure from "Camp", but I found myself enjoying it just as much, just in a different way. "Because the Internet" showed Glover taking more, spacier chances. The record had longer instrumentals, which I like. Glover also talked primarily about how social media, and other things that are on the internet, are more problematic than they are good. I thought it was a very good second step. He showed his fans that he could do something different, but still be easy to digest. The guest list on "Because the Internet" was made great simply by putting Chance the Rapper on some tracks.

Glover took a long time away from music after "Because the Internet". "Community" was done, but he was acting and developing his phenomenal new show, "Atlanta". He had other things on his mind, and those other things were all great. I missed his music, but the stuff he was doing made it not as bad as I thought it would.

Pretty much right after the first season of "Atlanta" had its season finale, which I cannot say enough great things about, it is the best new show on TV, Glover announced he had a new record coming out. I was stoked. I listened to the early release of some of the songs, and I was even more intrigued. It sounded way different than anything else he had done previously. The songs were not rap songs, but more so in the funk genre. Needless to say, I purchased the album the morning it came out, and I have listened to it almost as much as I have listened to the new Tribe record.

"Awaken, My Love!" is tremendous. Like I said, it is so much different from his other stuff. The opening track has a 2-minute instrumental intro, with very little singing, and then Glover comes in and basically sings a rock song. It is wonderful. Glover, who I will refer to as Gambino for the rest of this piece, proves that he can sing, as well as rap. I love his vocals on this track. "Have Some Love" is a straight up Parliament song. George Clinton himself probably wishes he wrote this track. It is so, so good. The song is so funky and groovy, and Gambino sounds like Clinton, and the band sounds like Parliament. We get another great funk song, "Boogieman". The song has a creepy groove, and Gambino sings it with almost a Dracula-ish voice. It is tremendous. The album only gets better from there. Some other notable tracks are "Redbone", "California" and "Stand Tall". "Redbone" is probably the best song on the whole record. It is the best put together, it sonically sounds the best, the lyrics are great and poignant and Gambino is perfect on this song. It is the true standout on an album filled with great songs. "California" is a weird, groovy, funky and, at times, Gambino's first "silly" song. The lyrics talk about a lady that wants to move to California, and Gambino tells of all the ills that could come her way if she does. The beat and the instrumentation are awesome. The closing track, "Standing Tall", is a perfect ending to this new Gambino sound. The lyrics, instruments, sound, everything about this song are perfect. "Standing Tall" closes out the record excellently. 

After 6 or 7 fully listened through times, "Awaken, My Love!", reminds me of a mix between Parliament, Saul Williams and Andre 3000, from "The Love Below". This album is an incredible departure from what we, the fans, have come to expect from Childish Gambino. I truly do not know of any single performer/artist that is doing the wonderful, challenging and different things that Childish Gambino/Donald Glover is doing right now, and "Awaken, My Love!", is one of the best things he has done in a year that has seen him do some great things. This album is one of the good things to happen in 2016. I hope Childish Gambino continues to push the envelope and try new and odd things as a musician. But, with that being said, go out and buy this album right now, it is awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He feels like we lost a lot of great musicians in 2016, but we have gained some great music in the last part of the year. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty Listens to A Tribe Called Quest "We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service"

When we really needed it most, A Tribe Called Quest released their final album. They had recorded some stuff before the late, great Phife Dawg passed away, and with the terribleness that was last week, this record was a much needed breath of fresh air from one of America's greatest bands. I was so, so excited to listen to this record on Friday morning. I woke up, ate some breakfast, then bought the album. I went to do some work with my kids, so the moment we got in the car I figured I could listen with them. Sure, ATCQ uses foul language, but it's not as bad as some may think. But, I also have a very impressionable 4 year old, and a 1 year old that is like a parrot. So, after the first song, I decided it would be better to wait and listen on my own.

The wait was very, very hard, Finally, I got some alone time in the afternoon, went for a drive while my folks watched the kids, and cranked "We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service". I was absolutely blown away. It was like going back in time. The band was all there and they all sounded great. The record is very Q-Tip heavy, as expected, but that is a very good thing. And Phife Dawg's verses, my god I wish he were still alive. He sounds so god damn good on this album. He picked up right where ATCQ left off. He is just as gruff and great as he ever was. Every time I listen to the record now, it makes me miss him that much more. He was such an important voice in hip hop, and for me personally. I love Phife Dawg. He is one hundred percent on my Mount Rushmore of rappers, probably only behind the Notorious B.I.G. His verses on the first 2 tracks of the record are absolute highlights for me. He was incredible.

That's not to say that Q-Tip isn't rocking the mic as well. Q-Tip sounds as silky smooth as fans should expect. But, this time around, he has a slight anger in his voice. I really like this. It seems like his time away as a solo artist has hardened him, in the best possible way. He is wonderful on the album.

Ali Shaheed Mohammed is doing his great DJ work as usual, and chipping in a verse here and there. I do not think there is another artist that is more underappreciated than Ali Shaheed Mohammed. He is an incredible beat maker/producer/DJ/rapper. He is truly a jack of all trades, and a very important part of ATCQ. Jarobi even shows up saying a few things on some tracks. It was just so great to have the group back together and sounding as fresh as they did when they first exploded on the scene.

Then, the guest list on this album is awesome. Busta Rhymes makes a triumphant return to rap music. He sounds incredible on this record. He is rapping fast, furiously and with a purpose. It was a rebirth of sorts for him. He was great on "SNL" with them this past week too. I hope this leads to some new Busta Rhymes music on the horizon. Kendrick Lamar is there, and he is great, proving that he is the best rapper currently in the game. He is awesome, and he also sounds grateful to be included on this record. He knows the history of rap, and he respects that ATCQ is one of the greats, and one of his biggest influences, and it shows. Lamar is an incredibly gifted rapper. Jack White, who I'm not a fan of, does some excellent guitar work on a few of the songs. He does not sing, which I think is a good thing, but his guitar really works with the tracks that he is featured on. It reminds me a lot of the Blakroc thing that the Black Keys did with a bunch of rappers, Q-Tip being one of them, a few years back.

This record is astounding. It is one of the better albums to come out in a long time. I can already tell you now that it will be on my "Best Of" lists for 2016. I have not stopped listening to the album since I bought it. I have talked to friends, young and old, and they all agree that it is great. I'm so pleased that we got one more thing from ATCQ. It stinks that Phife passed away, but we will forever have his music, and this lasting impression, on this record, is a great way to honor his memory.

Thank you Tribe, we needed you guys now more than ever. Go buy this record people, you will not be disappointed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Go check out his argument for A Tribe Called Quest being the Greatest American Band. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Listens to Frank Ocean's "Blonde"

It finally happened. After what seemed to be years, I think it was two or three total, Frank Ocean finally released his follow up to the wonderful "Channel Orange". I was scouring Twitter the other night, and I saw that some of the people I follow were posting pictures and talking about the new Frank Ocean record. I immediately went to iTunes, in hopes that it would be available for purchase, and not only listenable to through Apple Music, and much to my pleasure, it was right there, the first record in fact, available to buy and download immediately. I did just that, and listened to it the moment it finished downloading. What I heard for the next hour was exceptional. Frank Ocean is a very, very good musician and very much a perfectionist. The album is called "Blonde", and it is so, so good.

"Blonde" was well worth the wait. I was growing frustrated, hearing stories from many different outlets that his second album was going to come out any day. I started to dismiss pretty much everything I heard. I thought Frank Ocean might have been a one album guy. I figured he would go out on a very high note. But, he did not do that. He delivered an excellent record that, I feel, everyone who likes music needs to buy. It is so different and is perfectly Frank Ocean.

What I liked about "Channel Orange" was expanded on so much on "Blonde". Ocean is like a throw back R&B singer who mixes modern hip hop with his music. He does that so well on "Blonde". I have heard some people say that it sounds a bit "disorganized", or "unfinished", but I say to them, go listen to "Channel Orange", it is the same thing. Ocean does things like changing the beat mid song, or cutting a song without a real outro, or throwing in short little songs or segues that some people may not like, or dismiss as not real music. I couldn't disagree more. This is what modern music has become, and when you can make it very good and commercial, you must be doing something right.

The album starts off great, the middle is weird, but awesome, and the last three tracks are epic. I love the opener to the record, "Nikes". The song finds Ocean using a very high voice and singing some great lyrics. He also transitions into a bit of hip hop during the song with equal accomplishment. The chorus, and intro, are very singable. I adore this song. "Pink and White" is another great early track song. He gets very high, and the instrumentation is epic. There is loud squealing from both Ocean and his guitar at the end, and it is great. The interlude that comes next is a great message, possibly from Ocean's mother, that is poignant and important. He then goes into "Solo" which is a great song. It is about being alone and lonely and it is incredible. Later, near the middle of the record, we get a "Solo (reprise)" song, and it features Andre 3000. His verse is absolutely phenomenal. It is reminiscent of something off of "The Love Below". And only someone like Frank Ocean could call up Andre 3000 and get him to do a verse on his new record. They are both similar type of musicians, but 3000 has been more focused on acting lately. He proves on this track that he still has it. "White Ferrari" and "Siegfried" are great songs near the end of the record. "White Ferrari" is a perfect hip hop/R&B song. It sounds like if R Kelly was a legit artist. Ocean is so much better than R Kelly. "Siegfried" is a good song, with some very important lyrics. The song tells a story, and it is a very good and very important story. The closer to the whole record, "Futura Free", is my favorite song on the whole album. It is excellent. Ocean does a bit more rapping, which I really like, on this song. The beat is excellent, the groove is wonderful, Ocean is fantastic and it is a very good way to close out the album. The song is over 9 minutes long, but the last 3 minutes are people answering random questions. The 5 or 6 minutes of "Futura Free" that are an actual song is tremendous.

Look, I know we had to wait a very long time for this record. I know some people may be complaining about the "disorganization" of the record. I know some people may not get it. But, two or three years from now, everyone will look back at "Blonde" as being one of the best records of all of 2016. Compared to some of the crap that is on the radio, i.e., Meghan Trainor, Britney Spears, Flo Rida, I could go on and on and on, we should be thankful that a good, real musician is putting out very good, very real music. "Blonde" is excellent, and totally worth any music lovers time. Go buy it now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He listens to all of his music on an old school 160 GB iPod. Hear him talk all about it on the X Millennial Man. Make sure you also follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.