Deafheaven - New Bermuda

Ah man, this is just, like, so lush. That was probably the Welshest sentence I've ever written to describe music, but I feel like it is somewhat entirely justified in this instance; you tend to hear the term "nice" black metal bandied about to describe acts such as Alcest, but I don't usually rate those types of acts. However, Deafheaven for some reason seem to be an exception for me. This band have managed to follow up the ethereal Sunbather with something even more profound, expansive and all-encompassing than before; heaps of washing atmospheres and glittering passages of light mash head on with elements of blasting brutality, throat shredding vocals and soaring leads. Or, you could just write it off as hipster black metal, if you like.

Can't wait to catch these guys live in a few weeks; if this material is anything to go by then the live show is bound to be intense as fuck. Favourite track: "Baby Blue".

Death Grips - Exmilitary

Exmilitary is the debut mixtape/record/whatever from seminal noise-meets-rap maniacs Death Grips. I can't believe this thing is five years old, especially considering I've been planning on reviewing it since I started this website! But yeah - I don't think the hip hop world was prepared for Death Grips, and neither were the legions of fans from outside of that sphere; would-be converts sidling on over due to this group, and this mixtape.

I first came across this on Jay Randall's Grindcore Karaoke website as a free download, and was instantly hooked on the super-weird, trashy mash up of noise electronics and hip hop music. To me it sounded like ODB meets Merzbow at a Scorn show, and this was before the gimmicks and the controversy; all you had in regards to Death Grips was this puzzling record sleeve, and bangers like "Guillotine", "Takyon (Death Yon)", "5d" leading to "Through the Walls" and "Blood Creepin".

An iconic and essential piece of modern hip hop, if you've not already heard it.

Deafheaven - Sunbather

It's easy to write off a band like Deafheaven as pure hipster fodder, but looking past that probably media-perpetuated stereotype (I'm contributing in my own little way by even mentioning it) you will find an extremely talented band with really awesome music. Sunbather opens up to me sounding like the bastard lovechild of post rock and black metal, with "Dream House" punishing you not only in the feels with the melody, but in the face with the brutality.

And the album continues in this vein. It is a perplexing marriage of styles, granted, but sticking with it if you find it a bit weird at first will reward you handsomely. The title track brings those soaring guitars from the opening moments back in again, and all is well with the world. Well, with my world. For now. The guitar sound is almost depthless; distorted yet possessing a clarity required for those sailing melodies. Closer "The Peacan Tree" opens with a riff nodding towards more traditional black metal, which is only cemented further with the use of flat-out blastbeating on the drums.

Seriously give this a go if metal has been tiring you lately, or if you like your black metal with a little artsy twist.

Lorde - Pure Heroine

It's not that often that I usually listen to shit like this, but I burned this album when it first came out and it's just one of those things that's been stuck in my car since. My stereo broke a few months ago when I tried to spin a leaked copy of Swans' To Be Kind (that's what I get for pirating music, folks!*) but when my car went in recently to get a new starter motor all the electronics were reset, and it freed the stuck Swans disc, allowing me to return to my awful car listening. I found this Lorde album lodged conspicuously behind a copy of Dr. Dre's 2001, and all the memories and mediocre pop music came flooding back. The mirth!

*I bought the 2xLP, and have nearly every other Swans record in existence, before you fucking judge me for doing illegals ;)

Most of you probably know Lorde for being a silly out-spoken 17-year-old who talks a lot of shit about stuff that she actually doesn't know anything about (kinda like me, only I'm 25). Take away her daftly over-opinionated, sensationalist media-baiting crap, and she's a fairly talented girl with, no doubt, a long future in music ahead of her. Pure Heroine is a fairly minimal pop record, led entirely by Lorde's unusual vocal. It kinda sounds like if Lana Del Ray got her head outta her arse, stopped trying to sing like a man, and employed Gary Numan to do all her backing tracks.

As is normally always the case with up-and-coming artists signed to major labels, one can't help but speculate how different this would sound without massive boardroom pressure and a most-likely retardedly huge production budget. And for that reason, the link below is of a live performance from Lorde, which I believe does her more justice than any of the tracks on this record. All in all, it's not a bad CD, as far as mass produced pop goes, but it could be a lot worse. Favourite tracks: "Tennis Court", "Glory & Gore", "White Teeth Teens".

Check out the super-hipster on keyboards for extra lulz.