In the typical post-Grammy slumber in the music industry, it's always nice to explore music from the past. I'm the type of guy who finds something he likes, obsesses, listens to it until his roommates ban it in the house, and then move on to the next jam. Here's what has been on repeat lately:
Drake - If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
Is it a mixtape? Is it an album? It doesn't matter. Drake seemingly became the only new music that mattered a couple of weeks ago when he dropped this project with zero warning. On first listen, I wasn't impressed with the trap cuts and overconfident rhymes, but it's growing on me. Despite a few remaining stinkers like the lazy "6 Man" and the melodramatic "You & the 6", the production and rapping stands up. Drake and his producer 40 use the same old tricks to make the catchy, sudden transition songs like "Know Yourself". The biggest surprise? I don't even hate the Lil Wayne feature, and think "Used To" is a solid cut.
Korn
I don't believe in having guilty pleasures, but if I did, mine would be KoRn (I also believe my occasional affinity for numetal is possibly the "whitest" thing about me). In all seriousness, KoRn was a big deal in the 90s, as they broke all the rules of what metal was supposed to sound like. I read Brian "Head" Welch's born-again Christian biography when I was in 8th grade, and remember wrestling with the complexity of a man who could play this crazy music and love Jesus. KoRn is still weird, but I'll always have to get a bagpipe fix every couple of months.
Rihanna ft. Kanye West & Paul McCartney - "FourFiveSeconds"
Okay...something Kanye usually makes the list. But, "FourFiveSeconds" does more than just amplify my man crush on Yeezy. The Paul McCartney influence is evident, as the incredibly stripped down track is structured as if The Beatles could have sung it themselves (had they ever used the word "wild'n"). Despite the lack of flash and pazaaz, the raw energy and emotion that both Kanye and Rihanna bring in their performances are goosebump-worthy. Watch the video if you haven't.
The Doors
As I listen to the poetry of Morrison and the instrumentation of Densmore, Krieger, and Manzarek, I kick myself for the past 21 years for thinking I didn't like The Doors. Sure, Jim Morrison was a raging alcoholic, but the man had a warped view of the world, mortality, and rebellion that I jive with. I can say with confidence that my favorite song is "The End" (the opening clip in Apocalypse Now is what made me reconsider the band), but other favorites include "Peace Frog", "L.A. Woman", "Waiting For the Sun", and due to my fascination with the Vietnam War, "The Unknown Soldier". As my current obsession, I recently viewed the movie starring Val Kilmer and I'm reading a book comparing the life of Jim Morrison with the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Most interestingly, I wrote about the mix of chaos and calm in"The End" and how that represents Morrison's living in anticipation of death for a quiz and I got an +A. This listening rut may take a while to get out of, as I think The Doors may be creeping into my Top 10 favorite bands, but that's okay because..."I am the Lizard King. I can do anything."
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