Photograph by Platon

I rarely listen to rap or hip hop or whatever you kids are calling genres these days. These two genres tend to be very beat driven and I am more of a rhythm kind of girl. I still appreciate good rap and hip hop, don't get me wrong. I just don't really seek it out or sit and listen to whole albums.

The Roots might be an exception for me.

I've listened to them a few times in the past. Coworkers have turned on one of their songs, I watch Jimmy Fallon, etc. I remember always enjoying their music and thinking I should listen to them more but I never did.

The other day I was reading an interview with the Roots' drummer, Ahmir Khalib Thompson (or Questlove for short) in one of my favorite magazines, Vanity Fair. (Maybe you've heard of it?) It was a great interview and at the end, he said something really interesting.

"... I think when it scares parents it's doing something right. Frank Zappa scared parents. If it's not scaring parents, then I don't think it's worth anything."

That really intrigued me. Made me think. What's scaring parents right now? Is it scaring me? Is it actually good, then? So many questions.

Then I had to listen to them. So I got on Spotify and listened to their new albums. Guys, it's great. You should all listen to the Roots. They have a fantastic way of melding rock and hip hop. We could all learn something from the Roots.

Here's a fun fact: I sometimes get anxiety at the thought of discussing my favorite albums. It's just hard to convey the effect they have had on me. With that being said, I'm going to talk a little bit about the new Taking Back Sunday album. Their last album was powerful. The energy was electric and palpable, and I was nervous that it was a product of their reunion. Fortunately, this new album is no different. It pulses with loud guitars and heavy drums, but it leaves room for soft reflection.

It is odd to compare it to an album that came out over a decade ago, but "Tell All Your Friends" is undeniably influential. TBS maintains the TAYF energy on Happiness Is... but the themes have changed. This album is filled with a lot more nostalgia and an acceptance of oft-unfortunate events. Don't worry-- TBS has not gone soft. They still do angry really well. Also, the back and forth singing of Adam Lazzarra and John Nolan will always warm my heart in a way that no other pair of singers could. They have a give-and-take that is often only possible between siblings.

I love this album. I shared the videos for "Flicker Fade" and "Stood a Chance" but every song is great. A couple of my favorites include "It Takes More" and "Better Homes and Gardens." "Beat Up Car" calls to mind the Used, which makes sense since they are pretty close with that band.
This album really solidifies the new generation of the band as a music staple. Enjoy.

Here's what I haven't been blogging about. Sorry I've too tired (no, lazy) to post anything this month.

Moses Sumney - Not too much is none about this guy. I randomly came across his music listening to KEXP's online radio. He has one EP called Midd-City Island, and it's probably one the most beautifully crafted groups of songs I've heard this year.



Conor Oberst's new album is coming out next week and I'm more than excited, but the song I'm posting is from his split with Dawes that was released for record store day. The song is "Million Dollar Bill" which is a song by Dawes, but I think Conor Oberst's rendition is much better.



Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillas) released his first solo album, and although I'm not crazy about every song I love the first song (also the title of the album) "Everyday Robots".



One of the best hip hop songs this year was released on Rick Ross' new album. I don't even know what it's called and don't really care. Rick Ross kind of creeps me out. However, the song "Sanctified" featuring Kanye West and Big Sean is near perfect, not because of Ross but because of Kanye and Big Sean. They steal the show on this one.

So my wondrous wife isn't such a huge fan of Conor Oberst unless it's in Desaparecidos form but I'm almost positive she'll enjoy this song. As for me, the title of this post says it all. The album as a whole is magnifique. It seems a lot more optimistic and hopeful than previous catalog. In embarrassing fashion I might have gotten some sniffles while listening to this song at work today. Enjoy.

After four weeks of only being at home on the weekends this fits my day perfectly.

My song of the day is "Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)" by Ages and Ages. I am really, really into it today.