Repeater

It is typical for me to write about the heavier side of the music industry, mainly because that produces about 92% of my music intake. Lately however I've become addicted to a few albums from other genres that I think you will thoroughly enjoy. These are 3 albums I've had on repeat for the beginning of spring.

Archfiend by Eksi Ekso

I've always been fond of Eksi Ekso; their first full length Brown Shark, Red Lion put forth a new take on a familiar sound. As far as what that genre is I'm unsure, it walks a line between that raw, emotional element captured so well by The National as well as the catchy, up-beat feel of Minus The Bear. Their follow up entitled Archfiend improves upon that sound and adds another layer to the mix as far as content is concerned. This delightfully crafted record is my favorite work of Eksi Ekso to date. It is musically their most solid release (so far) and follows the story of H.H. Holmes, one of The United State's first convicted Serial Killers from the late 19th century. Covering every corner of Holmes' wrongdoings from his work as a con-artist, to his work as what is essentially a black market cadaver salesmen--selling the body parts and skeletons of his victims to scientists to use for research, Archfiend is as intriguing as it is informative. Put simply, it is a biography put to music. I've listened to this album for years, but something about the feel of it has had me listening to it over and over again throughout the spring. Be sure to give it a test drive if you don't already love it; you can check it out on their Bandcamp page, as well as all of their other releases.

RTJ 3 by Run The Jewels

Should you scroll through some of my other posts you'll become attune to the fact that Hip-Hop isn't exactly my cup of tea; that doesn't mean I'm against it, I just have a hard time relating to it most of the time. With that said, I've been a Jewel Runner since their first single "Banana Clipper" dropped back in 2013. RTJ 1 captured two veterans of hip-hop in their youth as a duo; RTJ 2 encapsulated their maturation as artists and the growth of their dissatisfaction and frustration on social issues. RTJ 3 is something beyond comprehension. I wasn't a big fan at first. The beats felt flat compared to the previous two records, the pace of the album felt slow and tuned down, and from much of what I had read leading up to it's release Killer Mike and El-P were convinced it was their best record. I listened to it probably 15 times when it was released on Christmas and continually disliked it, but at the same time I couldn't stop listening to it. Mike and El were totally right; this is their best record. It flows seamlessly from track to track. The lyrical content is thoughtful, critical, insightful, political and on tracks like "Thursday In The Danger Room" brutally honest and sad. They've outdone themselves once again. The proof is on the album cover, the pistol and fist covered in gold, still wrapped in tape with beast like finger nails. It's a more sophisticated delivery of the same thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. Get the album for free on their website and join the rest of the Jewel Runners in one of the most diverse and welcoming group of fans there can be.

Voids by Minus The Bear

When I was 13 years old I met the likes of an indie-rock group known as Minus The Bear. They've got a unique surf-rock vibe blended with a dance-like synth that many bands have tried to capture but have yet to improve on. They're some of the most talented musicians out there and I've always enjoyed listening to them. Each of their albums has a particular sound of it's own, all of which they seemed to incorporate into Voids. It sounds as though they drew elements from their entire discography to write this album; it feels surprisingly youthful for a group that has been around for 17 years. This may be in part due to their new drummer. At any rate, Voids has become my favorite of their works, especially lyrically. Until now, Minus The Bear was mostly something you would put on if you wanted to get a lady in the sack  (something about their style makes women go crazy. It's a fact, not an opinion.) They moved out of that territory on this album though. Voids is the perfect title for the record. Their is longing, heartache, nostalgia, and love spread across 10 tracks. It's the most I've ever been able to connect to their work on personal level, and they should be proud of what they have accomplished. Pick up a copy via Suicide Squeeze and prepare to be moved.