In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish little one-off reviews that would have previously (and arbitrarily) been deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a fun lil' summertime single. Written by: The Administrator There's something special about a song released on January 1st--a cold and snowy day at the Sleeping Village, as I recall--that wholeheartedly embodies a feel-good beach bop aesthetic. SoCal rapper Mr. Lil One's new single, featuring Ari Duarte, hits the nail on the head when it comes to summertime vibes. "To The Sky" evokes sunshine, the sound of surf on sandy beaches, the smell of sunscreen and drinks with little umbrellas. Flip flops, frolicking, warm skin. The beat is smooth and bright, providing a little surfy sun-soaked bounce. Everything here is crisp and warm and clean. Borderline lovey-dovey. Complimenting the light mood, Mr. Lil One's lyrics are playfully unabashed, overtly sexual, and occasionally sweet. His flow is refreshingly straightforward and casual. Ari Duarte's chorus feels classic in a way that is more timeless than old-school per se, and her delivery on the last verse is leisurely and comfortable, like a lazy afternoon after a morning in the sun. Clocking in under three minutes, the song is short and sweet--nothing more than it needs to be. I dunno about your particular locale, but it is cold and dark 'round these particular parts, and tracks like "To The Sky" are a welcome addition to the playlist. Check it out below! Mr. Lil Uno (feat Ari Duarte) - To The Sky was released Jan. 1st, 2024
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Written by: The Administrator
As a pseudo-mediaeval scribe raised off the grid, I wasn't exactly allowed video games at home as a child. However, if I saw Epilogue's artwork gracing a PlayStation disc at a friend's house, I would have, without a doubt, been suitably enraptured. Look at those colors! The implied sense of movement and perhaps, if you use your imagination, even a little chaotic violence! The allure is strong. Judging the book by its cover aside, I am familiar with 18 Slashes' game. 2023's excellent Jawnnobyl was a dark synthwave masterclass as far as I'm concerned, and ended up taking the crown as my favorite electronic album of the year. Created as the soundtrack for a game that does not exist, and admittedly operating at a much higher bitrate, every 18 Slashes release is nevertheless imbued with an endearing nostalgia. Stefan Schneider has found a delicate balance between explosively frenetic fun and a specific yearning for the irreplicable childlike glee associated with experiencing a new game for the very first time. Anyways, this was originally going to be published as a mini-review, but I have far too much to say. Let's blow away the word count parameters and just go for it, shall we? ON THE HORIZON: Madame Frankenstein - The Eyes Of The Mountain Are Mine (Brazilian Stoner Doom)1/3/2024
Written by: The Administrator
Given our newfound sense of productivity here at our humble slumbering township, it is high time, methinks, to bring back a frequently forgotten Sleeping Village feature. That's right, dear reader. It's time once more for On The Horizon. Not a review per se, nor an album announcement, but rather a third secret thing that lurks awkwardly betwixt the two. Today, we gaze towards what appears to be the second full length from Brazilian stoned doomsters Madame Frankenstein. I heard (and quite enjoyed) their debut album released last year, which served as a collection of loose singles and EPs dropped throughout 2023. The bluntly entitled Doom brought a familiar fuzzy approach alongside some thin and filtered vocals that served well to exemplify the detached psychedelic vibe. The general aesthetic presented in their cover artwork across the album and singles was quite nice as well. Doom demonstrated some notable promise in a subgenre that has no shortage of fresh blood, but regrettably seemed to have missed the press circuit--I was a little surprised to see so few folks in the stoner doom scene talking about Madame Frankenstein. In any case, February of this year will see the release of a new six track project entitled The Eyes Of The Mountain Are Mine. I'm hopeful for a little more deserved fanfare this time around.
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of one of Hus Kingpin's many, many 2023 releases.
Written by: The Administrator
The tree has, alas, been discarded. The strands of light coiled in storage. The stockings haphazardly--carelessly, even--crammed in a drawer. Despite a distinct lack of holiday decor 'round these parts, I'm not ready to let go of that alleged magical Christmas spirit quite yet. Hence today's spotlight on Holiday Hus 2: Cocaine Christmas. This seasonally appropriate soundtrack, courtesy of the ridiculously prolific Hus Kingpin, provides a short and sweet lingering taste of the most wonderful--scratch that--worst time of year. Featuring no features and seven tracks across a delightfully brisk eight minutes, this project shows Hus Kingpin's characteristically confident raps over some tastefully dusty, chilly, and occasionally eerie instrumentals. Hus eschews hooks and classic song structure in favor of quick coke rap snapshots, giving the whole affair a laissez-faire and airy feel that contrasts wonderfully with the subject matter. It's a fun juxtaposition, and he plays into the implicit humor of the contrast--the entertainment factor is high. Had I heard this prior to publishing my EPs of the year list, it would most certainly have made the cut. I've had this on repeat for the past few days, and it has yet to grow stale. If forced to pick, my favorite tracks herein are the debonair yet somber "Fireplace" and the calmly menacing narrative of "Snow White." With that said, every song here, including the intro and outro, are absolutely worth your while if you enjoy--casually or otherwise--the allure of underground hip hop. Despite already dropping two (!) additional projects since this EP was released, Hus has another new LP coming in just a few weeks. Before the next in a looooong line of quality releases arrives, I recommend checking out this one out. Listen below and find it here! Hus Kingpin - Holiday Hus 2: Cocaine Christmas was released Dec. 15th, 2023.
In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. Here's a mini-review of a debut death metal single.
Written by: The Administrator
It is always an honor to be present at a band's genesis. Here we sit, witnessing the birth of death metal quartet Slaughtersun's very first single. Despite the debut status, "Fall of the Firmament" feels like the product of an experienced crew, which only stands to reason given the roster. Both founder Ben Karas of Windfaerer and Cody McCorry play in prog rock band Thank You Scientist, while Jason Quinones of Tombstoner and Justin Hillman of Cranial Damage provide cred of the more overtly brutal variety. Slaughtersun plays energetic and otherwise adrenalized death metal. On "Fall of the Firmament," the drums are lively and driven. The riffs are barreling in an off-kilter sense, belligerent by means of crisp ferocity if not crushing heft. The solo lends a little squirmy electric energy. The aggressive and snarling vocals hit a nice balance--they are coated in the requisite grit and rubble, but the lyrics remain largely decipherable. The urgent delivery is interrupted for a brief moment wherein a filtered spoken word piles on the old-school melodrama, which was initially a little jarring but upon revisitation fits the mood quite well. After a quick foray into more mid-paced waters, the track closes out with some borderline vertigo-inducing aggression. All told? "Fall of the Firmament" serves as a strong introduction to a band that is undoubtably worth keeping an eye on this year. Give 'ema follow! Slaughtersun - Fall of the Firmament was released Dec. 29, 2023. Find it here!
Slaughtersun can be found:
Official website
Written by: The Administrator
Yes. I can confirm that the rumors are true. We inksplattered inhabitants of the Sleeping Village's drafty scriptorium are, indeed, a bunch of big nerds. If a band backs their conceptual premise and presence with a lil' academic garnish, my interest is piqued. Enter Sublation. Great music aside, this Philly duo--who are responsible for 2022's outstanding The Path to Beldam--has the distinction of making death metal that feels clever. While many bands that choose to explain the thematic undercurrents of their work often feel like they are overcompensating, the ideas that inform Sublation's work are truly thought-provoking. Beyond that, the conceptual structure feels integrated and essential to the music itself. It doesn't get much better than that. If you are one of the (glorious, godlike, exceptionally well-read) few who checked out my list o' favorite 2023 EPs, you're likely already aware of my overall thoughts on the appropriately entitled On The Advancement of Decay. In interest of leveling the playing field, here's my conclusion in advance: I really like this project. It is clever, it is unique, it presents a cohesive voice. The individual songs are highly enjoyable on their own merits. The lyrics are some of the best in the business. Above all, this release is immaculately crafted--it is more than apparent how much care went into the final product.
Written by: The Administrator
While compiling my list of 23 favorite hip hop albums of the year 2023--a task which has been significantly more difficult than initially anticipated, due exclusively to figuring out how the fuck to narrow it down--I realized that a variety of tracks were going to slip through the year end list cracks. Thus: a playlist containing 50 of my favorite rap songs of 2023. These are the tracks that I inevitably hit repeat on, the tracks that pumped me up, the tracks that made me return to an artist or project time and time again. This is an unranked list--everything here is fire and most certainly worth your while. Check it out below!
Written by: The Administrator
Another year, another batch of outstanding EPs! I personally have a strong affinity for releases of the short, concise, and otherwise succinct persuasion, and so my weekly listening is often informed by what new EPs have dropped. The following includes those that made a significant impact and stuck around in my rotation. This list--although perhaps a term such as "loose collection" or "heap" would be a better choice--has not been trimmed or edited to meet a specific quantity. I just kept adding stuff until I hit 23 entries, which felt like an appropriate number, and so here we are. Like last year's extravaganza, this list features a bunch of different genres but is not sorted by genre. My year is defined by eclectic listening habits, and while my albums lists will be divided into hip hop and metal for sake of reading convenience, no such editorial courtesy is reflected here. And lastly, this is utterly unranked. If something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended. Without further ado, let's dive in! This year, in an attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're trying something new and novel around these parts. Namely, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. In that spirit, here's a mini-review of a dreamy single worth checking out. Written by: The Administrator If there's a single constant here at ye olde Sleeping Village, it is that I will inevitably devour anything that spawns from the creative universe of Richmond's own Jason Roberts. Besides being the mastermind behind Breaths--a band that I enjoy quite a bit, as evidenced by our multiple track premieres over the years--Jason has since started a new band with a pitch that is frankly tantalizing: "somei blend shoegaze and dream pop elements with doom and sludge metal in a way that is accessible and refreshing." I'm pleased to report that said concoction of genres is, indeed, as accessible and refreshing as promised. somei have two tracks available, with today's single in question being my favorite of the two by an admittedly narrow margin. "barbarella (melt away)" brings some doomy yet unconfrontational weight in the riff department alongside a now-trademark vocal levity, both of which serve to cast a dreamy haze--or perhaps glow--over the track as a whole. Whereas most bands that dabble in the realm of doom and sludge tend to feel intrinsically earthbound, somei leans into the ethereal, evoking the feeling of floating through cloudy skies in a hot air balloon. Outside of overtly shoegaze-y projects such a Slowdive, the closest point of comparison I have might be something like Hum, if they traded a certain sense of grounded stoicism for a more blatantly delicate tone. Despite the gentle vocal delivery, there's a uniquely somber vibe at play, like I'm sipping the nectar of melancholia. In terms of the track itself, the chorus is hooky as hell, and the track ramps up the heavy riffage towards the end for an outro that leans into the heft. While not typically one who watches music videos, the video for this particular track does reflect that doleful tone quite well through striking use of purples and yellows. I highly recommend watching/listening, the video truly does elevate the experience. While I do wish somei had more tracks available at this point, I'll certainly be giving this track (and its companion b-side, the excellent "Shaken") some quality time in rotation. Find it on bandcamp here!
Written by: The Administrator
Ah, nu-metal. Occasionally umlauted, frequently maligned. My own affair with nu-metal was lustful but exceedingly brief. The tail end of the genre's heyday represented the first time I got to introduce music to my dad rather than the other way around. While my fascination with the seemingly unmatchable aggression of Slipknot or outspoken edge and jubilant oddity of System of a Down didn't exactly translate, we did spend several months exploring and enjoying Korn's discography together. That phase passed pretty quickly in favor of my era of angsty grunge revivalism, and nu-metal ceased to have any impact in my life or listening patterns beyond the occasional nostalgia trip. For myself, and, I can only imagine, many others, it was high time for something new that could capture the same swagger and violence and unbridled magic. And thus, the prolific Garry Brents' announcement of a forthcoming nu-metal project felt like a harbinger: a nu wave of nu-metal was inevitable. Quickly, some background. If you're unfamiliar, please note that Garry has made quite the name for himself over the past few years by benefit of a collection of monikers including Gonemage, Sallow Moth, Homeskin, and Cara Neir. Besides a common creative driving force, these projects share a certain unwillingness to abide by genre convention. Instead, his work seemed to attack expectations, using familiar sounds and motifs but subjecting them to a distinct subversion. Also of note is frequency, as Garry releases new music at a pace that is frankly intimidating. Multiple projects, multiple releases, one remarkably consistent ethos. This is all to say that I fully trust Garry to deliver good shit. This debut album from Memorrhage blew away all my expectations. Sorry to spoil, but this is one of my favorite albums of the year, full stop. Let's jumpdafuck into it, shall we? |
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