Dear Wizard Readers, we’re going to start a new format this week.
Well, we’re going to try it out for a while, and if you guys like it, we’ll keep it. But if I start getting flaming bags of dog poo or naked pictures of Ron Paul in my inbox….I’m shuttin’ it down, real quick!
Anyway, so instead of the standard reviews, we’re going to post the note-worthy releases for the week, and open it all for discussion. And if you guys want us to expand a blurb into a review, I’d be happy to oblige.
So, chime in and let us know! (Links included)
September 8, 2009
RAEKWON: ONLY BUILT FOR CUBAN LINX 2 Finally, it’s here! This is long awaited follow-up to Rae’s superb 1995 cut. Drug-dealing, ripping off dealers, scratchin’ and survivin’, and a heart-felt tribute to ODB makes this a hip-hop record worth talking about. Everyone is on their game on the mic (Rae, Method Man, Ghostface Killah) and on the boards (RZA, J Dilla). Feel like hip-hop has been in the gutter for the past few years? Well, grab your gat and your stash (vicariously of course) and let Raekwon restore your faith.
YO LA TENGO- POPULAR SONGS The indie paragons return with their latest LP. “Popular Songs” flexes the bands creative muscles, following up their excellent 2006 release, “I’m Not Afraid Of You, And I Will Beat Your Ass.” The trio keep things fresh for the albums 12 tracks, that closes with on epic note. Though at 15 minutes, you may not listen to it all that often. It’s an album that’s a perfect to ring in the fall.
JAY-Z: THE BLUEPRINT 3 The international rap mogul continues his un-retirement with another strong cut. The HOVA spends most of this record rapping about current music trends, haters, money, and…well, whatever the fuck he wants. Kanye runs the boards for most of the record, so his synth-heavy beats sets the tone for the album. “The Blueprint 3″ features some really strong cuts, but it may leave fans hoping for a true “The Blueprint” old-school hip-hop grind passing on most of it. (It drops on the 9th now, in order to combat an internet leak)
It’s become painfully clear to me what this year’s music trend is.
Last year was marred by the over-use of Auto-Tune, which was somehow popular despite the fact that Eurotrance/dance music has been using it for years now. This year, numerous bands seem to be recreating music they made last decade. First there was Depeche Mode, next was Sonic Youth, and now you can add Wilco to the list.
Appearing on the scene in the mid-nineties with strong jam albums like Being There and A.M., Wilco set a bar for themselves and just continued to raise it. And since the release of their fourth (and greatest) studio album in 2002 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco have been the forerunners for experimental/folk/Americana music. Hell, they’re probably the only band that fits such a concise genre. The following two albums have been radically different in sound making it impossible to pin down where a Wilco album will take you next. Well, that’s not the case here.
Wilco (The Album), ultimately finds Jeff Tweedy and Co. rewinding their song-writing skills back to before 2000. The record starts off on a decent note with “Wilco The Song” and “One Wing” bringing in that comfortable Wilco sound. The fourth track, “Bull Black Nova,” comes on like a shot in the arm (hardy har!). It’s an excellent song that showcases the experimental side that Wilco has had on display this decade. It’s also the one of two tracks where uber-guitarist Nels Cline is even audible on the record. However, the sweet instantly turns to sour with the forgettable single, “You And I.” And from here on, it seems that Jeff Tweedy’s mind just simply fell asleep.
Honestly, the entire second half of the album sounds like retooled tracks from Being There. Tracks 6-10 had me thinking I had slipped into a Timequake. Not to say that these are bad songs. “You Never Know” and “Solitaire” are exceptional songs, just not the kind of Wilco songs I want to hear in 2009. It just makes me think that Jeff Tweedy’s tank has run dry for the time being. It’s too early to say whether or not Wilco have already passed their prime, but I can’t help but heed the warning signs.
Wilco (The Album) is by no means a bad record. It’s just not the record Wilco needed to make.
Moby definitely falls into the category of “love ‘em or hate ‘em.” It’s been this way since the release of the transcendent Play in 1999. Critics were either enthralled with his ability to form genre-busting electronic music, or angered at….well, maybe the same thing. Either way, ever since then, his music has been under tight scrutiny. He seemed to lose a lot of people with the sometimes pretty and other times flat release of Hotel, and his strictly dance album Last Night was largely ignored, despite being an overall strong cut.
Wait For Me finds Moby, alone his bedroom, stripped bare. Under the influence of David Lynch, Moby decided to create the album alone, at home, and pour all of himself into it.
What comes of it?
Wait For Me ends up as probably the most intriguing and important album Moby has put out this millennia. The music is largely ambient and highly personal. It would appear that Moby is in dire need of a hug. Tracks like “Shot In The Back Of The Head” and “Walk With Me” allow the listener to peer into Moby’s soul, which is a sad, but beautiful place to be. Actually, I can’t really limit that statement to those few tracks, the whole album feels like that. It’s not until the fifth track, the Wolf Parade-esque “Mistake” (which is also the first track he sings on) that the mood lifts a little bit….but only a little.
Wait For Me might also try your patience a little bit. The album never really swells up like Play did, minus the beautiful title track “Wait For Me” near the album’s close. The ambient tracks all flow together nicely, but never really change pace. To stress the feel of the album, it’s kind of a downer. Deep within the album, you come across the beautiful “A Seated Night.” However, you’ve heard it before…..earlier in the album. So, it may suffer from some musical anonymity, but it creates the consistent mood that holds Wait For Me together. So, it doesn’t have those musical peaks Moby is known for, but it doesn’t need them. Otherwise, the album just might be downright schizophrenic.
It’s a strong album, that is for certain. However, it might not be for everyone. It’s a emotional cocktail of the string instrumentation found on Hotel, the aural mood and sampled song/dialogue that lifted Play, topped off with a splash of Aphex Twin. But it’s not a cocktail that you have to drink alone to find out, Moby is always there with you. And he makes for some interesting company
You might have a hard time believing how long I’ve been staring at this blank screen. I’ve gone catatonic in an attempt to write a review for Sonic Youth’s 16th studio release, and first on indie-haven Matador Records, The Eternal.
Writing a review for one of my favorite bands has turned out to be tough assignment. On one hand, I want to be fair and weigh in professionally on The Eternal. On the other hand……..I really love Sonic Youth.
Alright, let’s start with this: The press release that came with The Eternal’s first single (the blistering and powerful “Sacred Trickster”) announced that the album was a true successor to SY’s previous album from 2006, Rather Ripped. That is so very true. The experimental spirit behind The Eternal is the same one that haunted every track on Rather Ripped. Fact is, they’ve been musing that experimental side since the release of A Thousand Leaves over a decade ago. But, I feel that with The Eternal they’ve come to perfect it. And this is exemplified all throughout the album with tracks like “Walkin Blue,” “Antenna,” and “Massage The History.”
Another spirit that seems to be all over The Eternal is the Ghost of Sonic Youth Past. Apparently, Thurston Moore and Co. remembered that they made records like Goo in their lifetime. But, instead of just simply re-treading those successful waters, SY decided thrash it all together in a whirlwind of greatness. Sure, “Sacred Trickster” could be confused with a B-Side from the early nineties. But, nearly every song on The Eternal manage to mix both sides of SY together to conjure up a rock album thats unrivaled today. The best examples I can offer up would be “Anti-Orgasm,” “Calming The Snake,” “Poison Arrow,” and “Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn.”
If you want to find a flaw with The Eternal, I suppose that you could argue that maybe it’s not a groundbreaking as previous albums. I would say the mixing of the two sides of Sonic Youth’s musical expertise is a winning and fresh combination. After all is said and done, Sonic Youth have failed to let us down after 16 records now. Like Morrissey did earlier this year, they manage to prove, yet again, why they’re important. And unlike Depeche Mode, they manage to make a “Sonic Youth” record, and still have it be revolutionary.
Well, music blogs and review sites were set on fire yesterday.
No, I didn’t do it.
Grizzly Bear did it.
The release of their third proper LP, Veckatimest, finally came upon us. We were teased with a barely audible leak of the album in mid-March, which set up promise for what sounded like a fantastic record. Well, send that crap to your recycling bin (don’t act like you didn’t “get it off a friend” aka download it yourself!) You’ll need to erase anything you decided about the album, and listen to it properly. Because Grizzly Bear just put themselves in the running for Album of the Year, along with Animal Collective and Dan Deacon.
Those familiar with Grizzly Bear will find the band evolving from where their 2006 album, Yellow House, left off. For all the new Grizzly Bear listeners out there: Welcome! You’ve picked a great album to start on! Veckatimest (yeah, I don’t know how to properly pronounce it either) is Grizzly Bear’s most upbeat album to date. But, fans of the band’s more melancholic atmosphere shouldn’t be scared off at the sound of that. Grizzly Bear have the wonderful ability to create albums that feel like a trip through the woods. A vision quest of meticulously-crafted “chamber pop.” Well, Veckatimest still takes you on that journey, but now it occasionally has some sunny spots along the way!
These “sunny spots” (the blissful “Two Weeks,” “Cheerleader,” “While You Wait For The Others”) are scattered throughout the album with expert pacing. Like I said, Grizzly Bear are very meticulous when it comes to crafting their songs. And yes, I mean song-crafting, not just song-writing. Every song on Veckatimest is filled with acute instrumentation, orchestrated swells and wonderfully brooding atmosphere. This really becomes obvious when the album serves up the one-two punch that is “All We Ask” and “Fine For Now.”
Veckatimest truly is a great record. It’s atmosphere is perfectly sustained throughout. And the musical highs and lows are pulled off with ease. My only issue with the album lies within the second-to-last track “I Live With You.” Not to say that it is a bad song, not by a long shot. I just feel like it’s in the wrong place. My first listen, I had no issue with it, but having gone through record several times, I really feel like it belongs elsewhere. As it stands, it wedged in between the album’s final high (“While You Wait For The Others”) and it’s most beautiful low (“Foreground”). I really feel like putting these two side by side would render the listener utterly be-smitten. So now, my mind anxiously wanders during “I Live With You,” awaiting the album’s angelic close.
So, if you have yet to traverse through Veckatimest, I’m more than happy to send you own your way now. If you’re just getting back from it, I’ll ask you to just sit tight for a second. Let me finish typing this up, I’ll grab my headphones and we’ll take that trip together.
Good luck getting “Two Weeks” out of your head this summer….or year….or lifetime.
Just to get this out of the way, I’m a huge Blur fan.
If you were to ask me, “Chase, who do you think was the greatest UK band of the 90’s?” I would respond, “Blur, hands down.” So, when Blur’s lead guitarist, Graham Coxon, left the group after the stellar alternative freak out album 13, I had abandoned all hope. I took out my frustration on Graham for a few years, cursing his name for taking the band I loved away from me. It wasn’t until 2004’s Happiness In Magazines that I put aside my childish feud and embraced Coxon’s solo work. His solo albums are well-executed blend of folk and Blur-esque garage rock. Which showcases that Blur is as much Damon Albarn as it is Coxon.
But this isn’t about Blur, this is about Coxon’s latest album, the devastatingly beautiful The Spinning Top.
Coxon has stated that The Spinning Top is a concept album that follows a man from birth to death over the album’s 70+ minutes. Coxon does an astonishing job of bringing this man to life. Each song is a progression into a different time in the protagonist’s life. While the lyrics may not clearly display this, the music sure as hell does.
The album starts out on an extremely folk heavy note. “Look Into The Light,” “This House,” and “In The Morning” capture the wonder of being a child brought into a world. This is accomplished by expertly crafted guitar folk that harkens back to Nick Drake. The middle portion of the album mixes the folk in with more garage rock tracks, that sound like possible outtakes from the aforementioned Blur’s 13. This is where the album can get a little long in the tooth. Occasionally, I feel like I’m sitting out a man’s mid-life crisis. A musically forced Parklife, which can cause me to get a little restless.
However, the deep cuts of the album are by far the most interesting. “Tripping Over” is a powerful track that causes me to envision the protagonist passing on. This track is an engrossing number, that leads into the album’s closer “November.” And for maybe the only time in my life, I get to write that the album’s closer actually feels like a close. These two tracks really do draw you into the end of a person’s life. A sonic voyage across the River Styx that is something that I’ve never experienced in an album before.
Graham Coxon. Mission Accomplished.
The Spinning Top is definitely one of the most important albums of 2009. And, it’s certainly the most important album of Graham Coxon’s career. It is a powerful record that is brilliantly crafted, heartfelt, and I dare say…gorgeous. It may be a chore to sit through all the 15 tracks, but the payoff is unlike any other.
Graham, I welcome you with open arms. And it now looks like rest of Blur is here to join in on the group hug.
I have been dreading writing anything about last week’s My Bloody Valentine concert, not because it was anything less than awe inspiring, but because I don’t have the verbal aptitude to do the experience any kind of justice. What I’m about to say will come off as cosmic hyperbole to those not in attendance and bland understatement to those who were.
Loveless, as it was to thousands of others, was a touchstone in the development of my musical tastes. Like The Velvet Underground & Nico, Daydream Nation,and Wowee Zowee, it was an album that completely shifted the way I heard music as a kid. Having the opportunity to see MBV live was not something I ever considered to be within the realm of possibility. Kevin Shields seemed like a man way too far lost in personal mythos and perfectionism to ever pick up where he left off with this band. So when it was announced that MBV would be playing a handful of dates in the U.S., including Dallas, I was ecstatic.
While waiting for the show to start, a guy walked over to us and, with a look of clear anxiety, asked just how loud this thing was going to get. We couldn’t tell him for sure, but any time the venue’s staff hands out complementary ear plugs at the door, it’s safe to assume you aren’t at a John Tesh concert. The entire day I had a mixed feeling of genuine terror and fantastical elation.
To be completely honest, I was disappointed when I heard that there were going to be opening acts. MBV are simply too monolithic to give anyone else a fair shot of not sucking by comparison. Josh Pearson, formerly of Denton’s Lift to Experience, did a decent job, despite his obvious nervousness. However, the choice to play a MBV cover was a bit of a head-scratcher.
In the spirit of charity, and since I like his band The Lilys, I’ll keep my thoughts about Kurt Heasely’s set to myself.
Anticipation was ratcheted to an unbelievable level as we waited (and waited) for MBV to take the stage. The Velvet Underground’s narcotic “Ocean” evaporated into the onstage fog and would’ve been the perfect overture for MBV’s entrance, but instead we were forced to wait a few minutes longer.
As per their reputation, the group’s stage presence was entirely swallowed by their massive sound and eyes-on-the-floor mystique, being the very definition of anti-charismatic. MBV have never been showmen/women; they are rock’s equivalent to the obelisk in 2001: A Space Odysey.
The sound at the beginning of the show was certainly rumbling, but as someone who has had his hearing damaged by Sonic Youth, it wasn’t quite to the notorious jet engine levels. However, the decibel range slowly crept up throughout the night, and wearing ear plugs made it easier to distinguish the intricate melodies being frequency fucked onstage. I was almost lulled into believing the infamous “Holocaust” section would be manageable. Almost.
The Palladium is notorious for being one of the least sound-friendly large venues in Dallas, but the reportedly doubled P.A. system seemed to work magnificently. For a band with such a brief but consistently brilliant discography (ok, maybe minus a few really early tracks), there were sure to be a couple songs sadly missing from the setlist, but the territory traversed was impeccable. There were a few murmured complaints about the submerged vocals, but vocals are not the primary ingredient in this sonic stew, so I had no problem with that. I was utterly awestruck by Colm Ó Cíosóig’s drum pummeling. I was even more blown away to experience elements of the songs that are imperceptible when listening on a home system. The sheer volume brought forth countless additional tonal layers. The hypnotic “Soon” could have spiraled into the abyss for an extra twenty minutes and I still would’ve been in a euphoric trance.
All of this lead up to “You Made Me Realize”, the climax for which we had been preparing ourselves. I began to brace myself for the aural ambush around the corner. All of the sudden I was hit with an indescribable wave of very real and very physical sound; we were in the belly of the beast. This is where all words will fail to describe the truly surreal experience of the next fifteen minutes. All sense of time simply evaporated as the crowd was thrust into an intensely hallucinogenic state of consciousness. I traveled through all manner of feelings, beginning with a dopamine rush that eventually ceded to an almost oppressive fear that my body would simply be crushed by the force of the sounds enveloping us. Then I think the entire crowd simply gave themselves over to catatonic bliss. When the coda came crashing back in, it felt as if my body was lifted into the air, the same way your arms float skyward after pressing against a door frame for a few minutes. After the song ended the entire crowd stood dumbstruck before any attempt was made to exit the venue. For a few moments I wasn’t sure my legs still worked.
We stumbled into the night as zombies, our brains feasted upon by one of our planet’s most justifiably exalted rock bands. None of us will ever be the same, and some of us will never hear the same. We had just survived the greatest sound sculpture ever erected.
That’s the motivation/courage I needed to write a review of the 12th full-length release from Depeche Mode, Sounds of the Universe. It’s not to say that I’m afraid that Dave Gahan is reading this right now, sharpening his knives. Nor is it because this album is so bad that I have to be buzzed (maybe tipsy) to begrudgingly write a review for it.
I’m drinking because I’m afraid of what I’ll say by the time the last period is entered.
Truth is, I’ve been going back and forth on this album since the day it first graced my headphones. Some days it’s like Gahan, Eigner and Gore wrote this album for me. Other days, it feels like they’re asleep at the wheel, and I’m the doomed passenger.
For the record, I’m a midpoint Depeche Mode fan: from 1984’s Some Great Reward to 1990’s Violator. Yeah, I’m all about it. So when I heard Sounds of the Universe’s single, “Wrong,” my spidey senses were tingling. A song that reverberated a “Stripped” era of songwriting. So if you’re like me, breathe easy. Sounds of the Universe follows with that classic Depeche Mode song-craft……..which is a blessing and a curse.
I mean, fact is, Sounds of the Universe sounds exactly like you figured a Depeche Mode album would. The opener, “In Chains,” is heart stopping. Other songs ( “Wrong,” “Hole To Feed,” “In Sympathy,” “Come Back”) call back to the Music for the Masses that I love to blast from my speakers.
However, the new side of Depeche that occasionally creeps out on the album ( “Fragile Tension,” “Spacewalker,” “Perfect,” “Jezebel”) simply just fall flat. In fact, “Jezebel” kind of makes me wince when I hear it. Apologies to Gore, who sings on the track, but the song is just simply unappealing.
So, therein lies the issue. Depeche Mode can still sound like Depeche Mode, yet can offer really nothing new to the people. I’m grateful that Gahan is still out there, making music that I’m happy to think dark thoughts about. But at the same time, I’m kind of disappointed that in 2009, they can’t stretch the boundaries like they used to.
Ultimately, Sounds of the Universe has something to offer for everyone, especially Depeche Mode fans. However, you may be disappointed that it won’t lead you to new heights.
Hercules and Love Affair were the primary attention-wrestlers from the DFA stable in 2008, releasing what was easily one of the year’s most lovable and lovingly crafted records. “Blind” was perhaps THE disco throwback single of the year, and a tough track for anyone to challenge. Had the critical confetti tossed (or, if you prefer, cocaine sneezed Woody Allen-style) for that song not completely obscured everyone’s vision so quickly, more people might’ve noticed that other big DFA 12″: The Juan MacLean’s unstoppable “Happy House”.
As good as “Blind” was, “Happy House” might’ve actually been even better. It was an endorphin-mainlining twelve-plus minutes of blast-off bliss. Taking the euphoric insistence of golden age house, fusing it with Nancy Whang’s ebullient vocals, and then giving you an MDMA rainbow high five, “Happy House” is the perfect example of an artist-defining moment the way “Born Slippy” was for Underworld or, more recently, the way “Losing My Edge” was for LCD Soundsystem. (I know some might argue that “Give Me Every Little Thing” already did this trick for The MacLean five years ago, but…no. Not on this level.)
Herein lies what has been John MacLean’s biggest challenge since the debut LP: how does one get out from under James Murphy’s shadow? LCD have certainly been on the receiving end of more relative critical and commercial adulation, but The Juan MacLean have never been far behind. Less Than Human was, in many ways, a more consistent record than LCD Soundsystem, but it was also less genre-inclusive, lacking Murphy’s knack for fusing together two dozen disparate musical influences into one cohesive booty mover. Less Than Human required a deeper appreciation of straight-up dance music, while Murphy held his bear arms open for all kinds of niche dwellers. And lots of people who don’t know how to dance at all. He even wrote Beatle-biting ballads.
Four years have passed since Human, hipster-ironic(?) appreciation of all things rave has presumably already reached its’ apex (again?), Balearic disco has been on an upswing, LCD Soundsystem released a great follow-up, and The Juan MacLean finally have a new album. The question in my mind leading up to this release was: “Can John MacLean sustain the quality of ‘Happy House’ across an entire LP’s worth of grooves?” The simplified answer is “no”, but it’s also not an entirely transparent answer.
“The Simple Life” is a staggeringly good opener, coming across the speakers like the cynical, darkened reply to the wistful bounce of “Happy House”. The disco elasticity is tautly pulled over a nearly nine minute expanse that feels like perpetual lift-off. It also reminds me of the much-missed Out Hud at their most focused.
The title track initially seems a bit slight and too heavy-handed in its’ Murphy-isms. After a few listens the charms shine through and I realized how fun it is to hear a synth part seemingly stolen from the sound bank of Rick Wright, circa “Wish You Were Here”, placed into a dance track.
“One Day” is a fantastic male/female tug-of-war that features some of the best cheesy fake strings you are likely to hear this year. This is like “Don’t You Want Me” if The Human League were into writing straight-up house bangers. However, when it abruptly cuts off at just past the four minute mark you’re left with the realization that The Juan MacLean’s best tunes are owed the decency of being stretched to the breaking point in the same way that New Order’s 12″ mixes nearly always bested their truncated album counterparts.
The Juan MacLean are at their best when they give the compositions room to breathe, which isn’t always possible within the context of a ten track album. So the minor quibbles I have with this record actually have little to do with the songs themselves, but with the very format they are presented in; a problem which has always been the bane of a genre that sounds best when pressed onto one side of a 12″ slab of vinyl. In the end, MacLean has still somehow managed to make an excellent full-length album, one that will warrant countless spins from anyone willing to give their bodies to dance music.
In 2007, Dan Deacon released his first proper studio LP, the oddly-named Spiderman of the Rings. Listening to that album is best envisioned like a trip to Toon Town. But in Deacon’s Toon Town, there is no maniacal Judge Doom. So, instead of fearing death by “The Dip,” all the toons just took copious amounts of ecstasy and held raves in Toon Square.
Sounds like fun.
It is.
So, Deacon took two years and a lot of studio time to record his follow-up, Bromst. A meticulously-crafted electronic odyssey that feels slightly more grown up. But only slightly.
Bromst begins with the slow-build up entitled “Build Voice.” Well played, sir! “Build Voice” sets the standard for the rest of the album: intricately layered cuts that continue to swell for the next 4-6 minutes. Every track is like a countdown to ignition, with a payoff that takes you to another world.
Deacon’s music evokes this child-like splendor. The album’s cover is dead on: a lone tent in the woods, filled with this warm glow for it’s inhabitants. Bromst sounds cute and blissful (“Of The Mountains,” “Woof Woof”) most of the time, but it can also be a deeply intricate brain-feast (“Slow With Horns/Run For Your Life,” “Get Older,” “Snookered.”)
Yeah, I’m gushing over this record, but it is well-deserved. Deacon built off the good foundation he laid with Spiderman of the Rings and made a fantastic record. His song-writing has matured, and he hits on every track. It’s infectious, good-natured and, overall, completely danceable. It’s a great contender for Record of the Year.
So pack your friends inside that happy little tent, and let Bromst take you on a fantastic voyage.
You bring the flashlights and Skittles. I’ll bring Benny the Cab for transportation.
Silence in Architecture is a blog about transient gumbo recipes (and salsa!).
It is written by three guys who pretend to know what women look like. We love country music, football, pork, and America.
The artwork used to create this blog's header was created by Chris Piercy, so don't front.
Finally, it’s here! This is long awaited follow-up to Rae’s superb 1995 cut. Drug-dealing, ripping off dealers, scratchin’ and survivin’, and a heart-felt tribute to ODB makes this a hip-hop record worth talking about. Everyone is on their game on the mic (Rae, Method Man, Ghostface Killah) and on the boards (RZA, J Dilla). Feel like hip-hop has been in the gutter for the past few years? Well, grab your gat and your stash (vicariously of course) and let Raekwon restore your faith.
The indie paragons return with their latest LP. “Popular Songs” flexes the bands creative muscles, following up their excellent 2006 release, “I’m Not Afraid Of You, And I Will Beat Your Ass.” The trio keep things fresh for the albums 12 tracks, that closes with on epic note. Though at 15 minutes, you may not listen to it all that often. It’s an album that’s a perfect to ring in the fall.
The international rap mogul continues his un-retirement with another strong cut. The HOVA spends most of this record rapping about current music trends, haters, money, and…well, whatever the fuck he wants. Kanye runs the boards for most of the record, so his synth-heavy beats sets the tone for the album. “The Blueprint 3″ features some really strong cuts, but it may leave fans hoping for a true “The Blueprint” old-school hip-hop grind passing on most of it. (It drops on the 9th now, in order to combat an internet leak)
