Cheap Thrills - November and December 2022
This month: abstract hip hop, ambient techno, hardcore punk, and more!
I'm a bit late on this one due to various life circumstances, so Thanksgiving has already come and gone. Nonetheless, we can still show our appreciation for all of those underground artists who bless us with awesome name-your-price music. Show these folks some love by buying their music and/or merch!
The most recent metal edition of Cheap Thrills is still a work in progress, but my year-end list for Invisible Oranges will be coming soon!
R.A.P. Ferreira - 5 to the Eye with Stars
Act fast, because I'm not sure how long this one will be "name your price"!
The rapper formerly known Milo delivers yet another classy, sassy, and kind of smart-assy sermon for all the poets out there, set against a lush backdrop of jazzy instrumentals. Mr. Ferreira's "talk no jutsu" is as sharp and witty as ever, and while his idiosyncratic lyricism and delivery won't be for everyone, fans of Saul Williams, Open Mike Eagle, and Aesop Rock will find plenty to love on 5 to the Eye with Stars.
Skee Mask - A
Earlier this month, someone in a Discord server shared links to a few Skee Mask albums, and I was immediately hooked by the mix of glitchy beats and ambient synth work. I then found some of Skee Mask's B-side compilations on Bandcamp, which are conveniently available as name-your-price downloads. On A, which was released back in March, the eclectic German producer is offering a bit of everything. There are ambient soundscapes like "TSC0024", which unfolds like Ghosts I-IV era Nine Inch Nails composing for a Blade Runner soundtrack. Then, songs like "BFIB" and "Msynth Patterns" bring the heavier percussion in the form of punchy kick drums and snappy snares. Don't think that these are "just" assorted album leftovers—consider this a free taste from a producer worth following.
Rockets Red Glare - Rockets Red Glare
You don't hear this type of math rock anymore. That's not to say that I'm completely done with American Football worship and wanky tapping licks, but I do have a soft spot for this older take on the genre in which hypnotic layers of syncopation are mounted in a post-hardcore frame. The 2002 self-titled album from this Toronto band is still a punk record at heart, buzzing with barely restrained angst even when the songs are at their most sedate and serene. Rockets Red Glare knew how to build up to a worthwhile crescendo, and each track tells a unique musical story through its chiming arpeggios, bursts of overdriven guitar, and head-nodding drum and bass grooves. Math doesn't have to be difficult to be interesting.
Birds in Row - Gris Klein
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Birds in Row a decade ago. I was trawling through assorted emo videos on YouTube (a rainy-day pastime that I maintain to this day) when I came across a video of the band playing a basement show. Blown away by the energy and intimacy of the performance, I immediately tracked down a copy of their (then) recently released compilation LP, and the rest was history.
In 2022, Birds in Row is still releasing fist-pumping anthemic hardcore that makes you want to get up and move. On Gris Klein, the band has further embraced their post-punk influences, but there's still plenty of bite in these tracks. Take "Noah" for instance, with its gentle bassline and chanted vocals that all suddenly explode into the first of several cathartic choruses, or the delightful guitar noise of "Trompe L'oeil" and "Rodin", warped by layers of effects. Even if the album contains some of the most accessible tracks in their discography, this French trio is still capable of making a wonderful racket.
The Sawtooth Grin - Good.
My initial interest in The Sawtooth Grin's latest LP—the first in almost 20 years—was primarily due to the cover art, which was drawn by infamous mangaka Shintaro Kago (nearly all of his work is NSFW, so consider yourself warned). Railroads, small animals, and pills spill out of a small child's cranium in a scene of cartoonish mayhem, and I can't think of a more apt illustration for the barely controlled chaos that lies in wait on this album.
The Sawtooth Grin's compositional calculus could reasonably be compared to that of The Dillinger Escape Plan, with perhaps a dash of Blood Brothers tossed in there for good measure. Flailing, frantic drumming and the jangly tangles of guitar are juxtaposed with jazzy noodling and some oddly catchy refrains here and there (at least by mathcore standards), and while Good is not necessarily an easy listen, it is by all accounts an entertaining thrill ride. Just keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times.