Box Car Racer - Box Car Racer (2002) [iTunes Plus]

Box Car Racer – Box Car Racer. Box Car Racer was a short-lived project created by ex-vocalist, Tom DeLonge and reinforced with blink’s, Travis Barker, guitarist, David Kennedy and bassist, Anthony Davis. Taking a long glance at Tom’s work, I feel as if this particular project was aimed at personal issues since most of the production is a lot darker inclined sounding than blink’s stuff. If you despised blink’s sound then there’s a slight possibility this record may interest you. Opening up the album is the highlight track, “I Feel So”, being BCR’s debut single, this track was a true neat melody really if you’re ever trapped in a whirlwind of insecurities. Chorus was plain and smooth but with an addicting dazzling aftertaste that’ll stick to you like pink bubblegum for a while. Another track that caught me ears was, “Cat like Thief”. Rancid’s, Tim Armstrong, excelled super well with the production on this one. It’s always a refresher to hear how different vocalist adapt or sound on certain sound and Tim managed to rip it up. We make way to hear possibly Tom’s best work he has ever created; “Letters to God”. A perfect crafted acoustic track where tom spills his emotions as he pleads and begs God he really does not want to ascend. Lyrics are important on this one and the way the track concludes in a very explosive way is beyond radiant. “My First Punk Song”, pays homage to blink’s earlier works before main stream success. A fast paced silly punk song with comical lyrics that may even be sister songs with blink’s “Happy Holidays, You Bastard”. Skipping along we find a track named, “Sorrow”. This song is my 2^nd favorite track from this self-titled lp. A gloomy life-relating song that accompanied me last year around summer. I think I cried to this track once lmao. idk remember. The closing track labeled as “Instrumental”, defiantly hints Angel & Airwaves (No one knew that at the time) with the space-rock instrumentation. Overall, BCR was a good solid release and a way more maturing sounding album than anything blink has ever released. I would like to give a special thanks to Isaac because he made me revisit this album and he has a nice big...heart! 

Convenient Integrative Moods - Convenient Integrative Moods (2013)

Are your business meetings lacking a bit of pizazz? Are your powerpoints a bit on the boring side? Are the bigwigs at your powerful corporation not taking you seriously? Are you missing the office when you're stuck at home? If you answered yes to all of these questions, look no further. Convenient Integrative Moods is the right choice for you! This efficient corporate tool contains eleven technologically modified "moods" that can perfectly accomodate any office-type setting. These moods have been proven by many business studies to increase efficiency in the workplace.

ＴＲＹ  Ｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｔ Ｉｎｔｅｇｒａｔｉｖｅ Ｍｏｏｄｓ  ＴＯＤＡＹ

haha enough consumerism banter. this album falls into the vaporwave category, but it's kinda in a weird place of it's own. most vaporwave cuts are just slowed down 80's synthpop songs that are chopped up, but this one was actually made with very little samples. most of the album was created entirely with old keyboards and drum machines. a lot of the sounds are kinda cheesy, but thats vaporwave for you. its supposed to have a kitschy sound to it ya know? basically, this is the kind of music that you'd listen to if you were in some sort of waiting room in the 80's/90's or an old corporate training video. this is not gonna be for everyone, but i'll still put it here. it's perfect as background music when you're working on assignments or just to chill out. it also helps if you're into ambient-type music, cause this album does have some similar structures to ambient music. ｊｕｓｔ ｒｉｄｅ ｔｈａｔ ｖａｐｏｒｗａｖｅ ｂｒｏ.（ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°）

Standout Tracks: Positive Feedback Session, Every Accomodation, Structured Nighttime Activities, Working In The Night, Investing In Fine Art

¿¿¿ Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve (2004) [320 Kbps] ???

Velvet Cacoon – Genevieve. Velvet Cacoon, was a mysterious black metal band based off of the city of Portland, Oregon. Consisting of 2 members: Josh (SGL) & Angela (LVG), VC have convincingly created a particular sound by blending in traditional black metal with genres such as ambience and shoegaze all together to establish a lavish product. Their band name derives from their abuse of dextromethorphan and from a local catacomb they would frequently visit for tranquility and to simply write music. Not much is known about their origins or their introduction to their musical careers. They have claimed to have a drummer (SKV) who passed away from tumbling off of the Cascade Mountains. In addition, VC also coined their special instrument called the diesel-harp, which was some sort of diesel powered guitar that had been amplified and recorded in several underwater aquariums to create music for their discography. With bundles of early demos in the late 90s that never saw the light, and heavy influences of ELF (Earth Liberation Front) and the band being asexual with having no interest in procreation, the question remained… WHO WAS THIS BAND??? Anyway, Genevieve is a modern day hidden jewel in the black metal genre. This is VC’s 1^st actual release to the market and the public and it was released through the record label, Full Moon Productions. The album begins bold with the introductory powerful track called, “1”. A calculated drum machine makes its way accompanied by foggy shoegaze flavored riffs to already create a dominant start for the album. The vocals then make their way to hype up the track even more. Josh stated that the vocals aren’t meant to tell a narrative, as they’re more inclined solely for sound purposes. Another highlight is around the middle of the track, the atmosphere immediately shifts and you’re then taken underwater where the track for a minute sounds like a dark drone/ambient track. After the minute, you’re then taken up ashore with the reoccurring haze drowning you. A really nice crafty effect indeed. The 3^rd track called, “Avalon Polo” hints more of the ocean. A familiar sound emerges with a lighter and brighter sound than the introduction track as it slowly devours you down. The ending of this track deals with soft guitar strings without the mist and the sea. The following track is a song that I didn’t digest well when I first heard it, but later has become one of my favorites. The track is called, “Laudanum”. A very compelling crafted track that is tagged along with noisy loud guitar riffs and with emotional and lucrative high vocals that will knock you off. The track picks up well when the strings switch gear and you hear the addition of soft piano keys being added to the raw loudness potential the track presents. A very tragic ambient piece concludes the track that’ll make you weep or will leave you frozen for a minute or so. As we make our way through the end of the lp, “Fauna & Flora” is a more brutal eerie track that I personally fell in love with at 1^st listen. So dark, crispy and ethereal that it’s hauntingly beautiful and it certainly adds replay value to the song. The self-titled album track, “Genevieve” also kills and delivers a smooth harmonic production. I love the rhythm of this track and how glossy these guys can make black metal sound. The closing track of the album is, “Bete Noir”. A long 18 minute ocean influenced ambient piece that you can use for driving or simply just to zone out and storm thoughts. In conclusion, repetition is a heavy notable key in this album. This album is not an easy one to digest at first listen but will be damn well rewarding if you do come back to re-listen. Aftermath is the early demos were never real to begin with, the band was releasing plagiarized works from different bands and profiting off of them as well. VC practically were trolling around in the black metal genre. Lmao. The audience are now questioning who really released the album, "Genevieve" or if this album is even a legitimate album. Furthermore, people are also releasing their music via name Velvet Cacoon to expose their music too lolol. 

Purchase? : Amazon / iTunes 

Beach House - Beach House (2006)

You have two ears and a heart, right? So use them and listen to this gem! Beach House. Man oh man. Beach House is a dream pop band that only has two wonderfully talented members: Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. On this album, (and the rest of them) Victoria takes care of the vocals/organ/keyboard/drum programming and Alex is in charge of the guitars/additional keyboards/drum programming/backup vocals. Basically, these two spilt the duties pretty evenly. Anyways, this is their debut album and arguably their best one too. It has a dreamy feel to it, especially since Victoria's vocals sound like she recorded the songs while she was sleepy/just woken up. Her voice is a little on the low side, but she croons so beautifully. Like she can probably sing anyone to sleep in a matter of seconds. The production on here is soaked in reverb and has a sort of "openness" to it. One of the funniest but most accurate ways I've heard someone describe the way the album sounds came from my brother-in-law. He said, "It kind of sounds like churchy-type music made by indie people.". Besides that "churchy" sound, the album kinda sounds like a series of somewhat haunting lullabies. Not in a bad way though. The songs just sort of have this kinda creepy vibe to them. Or even like a longing-type vibe. Something you'd play for someone you've missed. Idk. There's honestly no bad tracks on this album. It's pretty fucking good from start to finish. This is probably best to listen to while on a long trip somewhere, a cold winter day, or when you just wanna lounge around with your significant other. So just kick back, relax, and drift away....

P.S.: "cyber fox" and I have agreed that this truly is Beach House's best album. See for yourself.

Standout Tracks: Saltwater, Tokyo Witch, Master Of None, Childhood, Lovelier Girl

t.A.T.u. - 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002/2012) [iTunes Plus]

(*Russian art cover)

(t.A.T.u. – 200 KM/H In the Wrong Lane (10th Anniversary Edition)

t.A.T.u. – 200 km/h in the wrong Lane. NAS NE DAGONIAT!! Russian duo consisting of Julia Volkova & Lena Katina, gained astonishing world success with the release of their sophomore album, 200km/h in the wrong Lane. With an also prosperous Russian debut album, t.A.T.u. where now on a difficult mission to chase the gold worldwide, manufacturing an English album after their following accomplishments with their 1^st release, 200 po Vstrechnoy. 200 km/h in the wrong lane, calls attention to such topics as love, desire, disobedience etc. and also dismantled many conflictful barriers that society has in terms of sexuality. Since mostly all of the tracks were translated into English from their previous album, the production on this album I feel was a huge upgrade comparing it to their past album. This one is topped off with more energetic rock, synth-pop and even some electronic elements. Like in Russia, “All the Things She Said” was a huge success in the US. With a catchy chorus like that, it damn well deserves to be my next ringtone for my cellular device. The release of the video gained heavy attention around the globe when both members exchanged lips on national television. This hadn’t been done and was mimicked by legendary pop artist, Madonna years later. “Not Gonna Get Us”, is the second track on this album.The song clarifies an undeniable love not comprehended by peers and foreigners. The track also has a euro-dance feel blended with dark guitar bass lines. “Show Me Love”, is again another hypnotic banger with a nice memorable chorus and very emotional vocals that were conveyed by both Julia & Lena. Around the middle of the record, a familiar track called “How Soon Is Now”, makes its way and stands out from the rest of the glossy tracks. It appears to be a cover of The Smiths – How soon Is Now, and is certainly not bad as I expected it to be with all of the covers that the song has. Malchik Gay, translated to “Gay Boy”, is a dope track about a girl who shows affections towards a sweet, tender gay boy who is unfortunately to their luck is already committed to another boy. This version is refined and is a little more pop and slower sounded while the Russian version from the previous album I enjoy better since it's produced with a more uplifting feel and way faster beat. Coming to an end, this album sadly was t.A.T.u’s only important record out of their homeland. Julia later became pregnant which lead fans to heavily question if the pop duo were really lesbians or not. Turns out it was all marketing strategies organized by their record label to boost sales. Nonetheless, this duo will never be duplicated for the heavy impact they contributed in terms of pop, image, and of course rebellion. Give this record a spin plz! I promise you it'll be worth it!! 

Purchase: iTunes / Amazon

The Radio Dept. - Lesser Matters (2003)

This is my 2nd favorite album of all time. Just sayin'. Alright, lets get into it. The Radio Dept. is a pretty special dream pop band hailing from Sweden. And trust me when I say that the Swedes definitely are ahead of the music game. These guys specifically. Lesser Matters is their debut album that they released back in '03 to pretty good acclaim. It found it's way in a couple of top 10 lists and shit. I barely discovered this in late 2015 and it instantly grew on me. I can honestly say that it's one of the best contructed albums that exists tbh. I honestly have this on repeat way more than I should have. It's the perfect mixture of dream pop and shoegaze. Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson are really talented musicians/songwriters. In my opinion, they belong on the same list as Lennon/McCartney and Morrissey/Marr. Sonically, Lesser Matters is a wonderful mesh of distorted guitars & synths with a hybrid of live and programmed drums. Like most shoegaze songs, they can get pretty loud but there are a good amount that are mellow & relaxing. Almost every song is wrapped in a very warm and inviting fuzz with splashes of reverb here & there. Lyrically, it also shines and shows you how much of a top-tier album this truly is. Everything from depression, failed relationships, intimacy issues, nostalgia, happiness, and gay experiences is covered beautifully on here. Like if I wanted to, I can actually do a track-by-track analysis but that would take too much space haha. Just trust me when I say this album is the bee's-knees. Whether it's for a long drive at any hour of the day, something to lay on the floor and listen to, or just to have as nice background music, this album is pretty much perfect for any occasion. That being said, this album has definitely left its mark on me and I truly believe everyone else can benefit from it.

Standout Tracks: The whole album.

My Personal Favorites: Too Soon, Where Damage Isn't Already Done, Keen On Boys, It's Been Eight Years, 1995

Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings (1954)

Get ready to cry, cause this album will hit you in the honey nut feelios. I was a little late discovering what is now my favorite male jazz vocalist, but better late than never. And yeah, I know what I said is pretty controversial cause goddamned Ol' Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra) is supposed to be the best, but oh well. Frank Sinatra is still pretty good, but Chet's 10x better. Anyways, Chet Baker's voice is really heavenly & soothing to the ears. It's super smooth, like really expensive satin bedsheets you feel me? A little higher pitched than most male jazz vocalists, he was sorta received with mixed reviews at first, then people realized that he was fucking great. Like many other jazz albums, every song on here is actually a famous jazz standard. All the songs are just done in Chet Baker's "Cool Jazz" style. "Cool Jazz" is basically really mellow & laid back. Imagine the kind of music you'd listen to while sitting on a luxurious recliner, located in a study, while slowly sipping on aged whiskey. Or maybe you just want to lay in bed and have a quick lil cry to some beautiful-ass music. Drums are very soft & usually piano and bass are more prominent. Chet's also an accomplished trumpeter, so you'll also hear his smooth buttery trumpet glaze over some songs here and there. Most of the songs are about love. Either the loss of love, or a blossoming love. I'might sure most of you are familiar with the '30s - '50s obsession with love songs haha. When all is said and done though, this truly is a fantastic album that is a great starting point for those who aren't into jazz. Let Chet grace you with his dreamy voice.

Standout Tracks: My Ideal, I Get Along Without You Very Well, It's Always You, Like Someone In Love, I Fall In Love Too Easily

IC3PEAK - SUBSTANCES EP (2014) [320 kbps]

IC3PEAK, hailing from the cold luscious lands of Moscow Russia, have caught my attention a full year ago. 2 young individuals (Nick & Nastya) have created and established distinctive sounds that should have already guaranteed them a spot in terms of recognition, art & talent. Well at least here in the u.s. people are still sleeping lol. Anyways, Substances EP, landed on my radar when I was heavily in search of Russian witch house. Witch house, is something that is no longer alive here in the states. Russia however, is keeping the torch lit and creating a great scene for past previous years (example: VV17CHØU7) Not knowing much of the prosperous artists/groups residing from Russia, I went along with a humble mind to check out the powerful collective duo and was rewarded with much more than I generally expected. The small EP contains only 5 tracks sadly. However, these tracks are buried with hard hitting trap flavored instrumentals, delicious vibrant vocals, and even some raver influenced production. Despite the record being short, almost all tracks stand out and have much to dialogue about and consume on. The way the track, “ETHER” builds up and drops almost leaves you shook and surprised in a whirlwind of emotions. Furthermore, Nastya adds delicate vocals to create a flawless masterpiece. “Quartz”, adds a mix of empathy and grief with those mighty horns that place way around the middle of the track. “I’ll be Found”, is the longest track from the EP. This track is more coordinated to a mild raver sound and a very comforting track to bop around and dance to. “Gummy”, is the concluding track of the ep and is heavily more referenced on nastya’s vocals and has much more of a slower warm feel to it. To wrap it up, Substances EP is a banger record that I’d say is very rough and frail but also very elegant and exquisite in terms of craft.

Side note: if you liked the EP and you're into fast pasced tracks or gabber, plz check out their release,  “より多くの愛".Most of their notable work was well remixed for the skotoboynya party and for the scene. This stuff will get you moving real fast!!1

Purchase: Bandcamp / iTunes