page 22 the paper november 18, 2009 it shrugs its shoulders.” Easing the acerbity, she repeats these lines to end the record peace- fully, its storm having passed. With this consistent mix of tur- bulence and sweetness, Holy Ghost! sustains a simple rich- ness throughout, seamlessly meandering between folk and soul, fast and slow, and melan- choly and playful.

LIL’ WAYNE No Ceilings by Alex Blalock

“Okay! No ceilings! Moth- er fucker good mornin’! Dick in your mouth while you’re yawnin’, I’m goin’ in!” These opening lines off the track Namaste. We’re back to 33 unreleased tracks by artists of course, the timeless 3/4-4/4 of strings culminate as Laura “Watch My Shoes” set the normal here at the ‘Wax, and (some famous, others not so polyrhythm. This is cultural ap- tests her larynx’s limits by the mood for Lil’ Wayne’s newest because Fearwax had no new much) primarily in the Highlife propriation done right: a blend- chorus. Punctuated pauses dra- mixtape, No Ceilings. Sched- releases, we have a backlog of genre. Highlife is a combination ing of all of the best bits of the matize her voice as it trills up- uled to drop on Halloween, the new material to get to. Yours of traditional African music and popular musical lexicon of the wards, and violins whine with mixtape was leaked on sites truly staked claim to the lead American funk with a distinctly time rolled up into one neat and a guitar riff that seems to tell such as Datpiff and Biggy Jiggy article this time around, re- Afro-Cuban sentimentality. It’s highly enjoyable package that a secret. Having settled down, Mixtapes, giving anxious fans viewing some fantastic African a little more midtempo than the is somehow able to remain dis- the distortion kicks back in with like myself the opportunity to music from the 60’s and 70’s. faster, more aggressive funk of tinctly African. trombones and trumpets in a eu- hear Wayne’s fi rst mixtape in Also, we have reviews of indie Fela Kuti or Orchestre Poly- phonic ruckus. The song reach- over almost two years. An- folksters Laura Stevenson and Rhythmo but still danceable in es an emotional climax as the ticipating greatness after hear- The Cans’ new effort as well every sense. instrumentation explodes with ing singles such as “Wasted,” as recently convicted ‘martian’ The musicianship on this the lyrics and then fades out. “Swag Surfi n,” and “Run This Lil’ Wayne’s newest mixtape. compilation is of the highest Following more gently, the Town” which seemed to go Indie rocker Bradford Cox’s level. The drumming is perfect- title track begins with spectral harder than any of the tracks we fairly awesome solo project At- ly metronomic, the guitar solos slurs that provide the white heard on Lil’ Wayne’s last mix- las Sound is also featured, and are precise and varied, and the noise against which Laura be- tape Da Drought 3 (hailed as the although I haven’t listened to vocal harmonizing is pitch per- gins her solemn prayer: “Oh best mixtape in 2007 by MTV it myself, the album cover fea- fect. On “Bofoo Beye Abowa dear lord, I can feel your claws LAURA STEVENSON AND news), No Ceilings surely deliv- tures Cox shirtless, exposing Den,” St. Peter & The Holy- upon me / scratching sweet- THE CANS ers. Working off of the theme his pretty bad case of Pectum men put together a wonderfully ly, scratching sweetly, in the Holy Ghost! “your beat ain’t safe,” a mes- Excavatum, which is probably calming and lighthearted tune, middle of the night.” She hums by Sarah Madges sage Lil’ Wayne sends to art- indicative of its general weird- and although I am not fl uent in her hymn soulfully with violin ists in the track “Outro,” Wayne ness. Lastly, African globe Akan, I can only surmise that accompaniment, and her voice A self-proclaimed “nervous demonstrates his lyrical genius trotters BLK JKS get the once whatever they are singing about makes glissandos as smooth as brand of soul metal,” Laura Ste- by rapping over beats by Gucci over. Happy reading! is as happy and carefree as the the strings. She pleads, “Make venson and The Cans produce Mane, The Black Eyes Peas, melody. Well, as the old adage it alright,” over and over, al- GHANA SPECIAL much more than sophomoric tit- Lady Gaga, and Jay-Z, to name goes, music is the universal lan- though she sounds less desper- Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds ters about Laura Stevenson and a few. guage, and fl uency is simply a ate than hopeful. A fuzzy guitar & Ghanaian Blues 1968-81 “Her Cans.” Born in Brooklyn But let’s be real here, the matter of allowing oneself to get kicks in with the strings and in 1984, sing- beats Wayne raps over are not by Lenny Raney carried away in it. drums while a er-songwriter what make him great. What Speaking of language, there second vocal- Laura is now makes Lil’ Wayne “the best rap- Last semester, I wrote an ar- are several songs featured in ist joins her en- busy being per alive” is his unique approach ticle for the Arts section about Ghana Special that are sung in treaty until the adorable in to music, as well as the similes, the vibrant West African music English. Amongst them include song ends as Long Island. metaphors, and illogical twists scene in the 60’s and 70’s, fea- “Them Go Talk of You” by The softly and mys- Though her and turns which culminate to turing such luminaries as Ni- Cutlass Dance Band, “You Can teriously as it second record form his utterly indescribable geria’s Fela Kuti and Benin’s Go” by The Bokoor Band, and began. release, on lyrics. First time listeners might Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de “I Go Die For You” by Kyer- The last October 20th, be tempted to describe Wayne’s Cotonou. I explained the con- emateng Atwede. It’s a little bit track, “Gather- Holy Ghost!, music as “random,” but I urge cept of polyrhythm and its roots off-putting at fi rst to listen to ing and Leap- might at fi rst those listeners to pay closer at- in the African cultural tradition. English lyrics sung in a thick ing,” compo- glance diverge from the collec- tention to his lyrics (or Lyrics. More pertinent to this review, African accent over distinctly sitionally borrows from both tive, Bomb the Music Industry!, com his songs) and understand however, I also baited the no- African rhythms, but it is im- of those gerunds as it gathers for which she plays keyboard, that yes, what Wayne is saying tion that this renewed interest in portant to note that the offi cial speed and makes leaps. Begin- the liner notes prove otherwise. may be random, but it’s smart. the West African musical output language of Ghana is, in fact, ning with an eerie overdrive Offi cially released November Wayne’s lyrics are creative and of the second half of the 20th English. like the quiet before a storm, an 13th on Mandible Records, intelligent and form verses that century would bear some deli- This is almost a microcosm enlivened guitar starts strum- the new 7” was recorded this make sense in a way no other cious fruit as of the plural- ming, while violins and drums past June by Jeff Rosenstock MC’s ever could. Weezy com- more time and istic leanings assist the vivace march of a sea of BTMI! In fact, “The Cans” mands listeners with the open- resources were of this sort of shanty. Laura’s voice loses its originally consisted primarily of ing lines in his remix of “Run spent scour- music, as this saccharine tinge as it bends air- BTMI! members, though there This Town,” rapping, “Nigga ing the conti- genre wears waves like the heavy wind she are now a few extras who lend a we are so ready for the war. nent. Well, I’m its vast infl u- sings about. At the chorus, the certain orchestral richness to the ‘C-A-R-T-E-R’ / put the beat happy to report ences on its tempo slows so that the guitar’s three songs. in ER / I’m colder than ‘B-R,’ that I was right. sleeve. From pizzicatos highlight her voice’s “Mouthbreather” opens with add another 3 R’s / Watch me The sec- one song to an- ability to weaken without losing Laura’s distorted guitar tickling like D-V-D, V-C-R. Pump to ond in a se- other you may impact. An accordion blends out arpeggios as her girl-next- your chest / I ain’t talkin’ CPR ries of African hear a jazz or- with violins to guide us back door voice swells in sweetness / Ridin’ this track like a mutha compilations gan, waltz time to the up-down strokes of both and volume. The sparse instru- fucking streetcar / New Orleans by Soundway signature, a salsa-tinged piano her voice and guitar as she spits, mentation gradually thickens; coroner/ His name is Frank Records, Ghana Special is a solo, a balls-to-the-wall elec- “We rearrange the streets in our the whisper of cymbals, whistle Minyard. Fuck with me wrong / wonderfully deep collection of tric guitar shred session, and, favor so that as we grow older / of horns, and fi nally the breath you’ll be waking up in his yard.” november 18, 2009 the paper page 23 While rhymes off this track and on the Radio. Ignoring the hype, ATLAS SOUND ping of bells. The same can be they are infi nitely listenable, others such as “Banned From the album sounds exactly like Logos said of bass-driven, waltzy “My whether you’re writing a paper, T.V.” demonstrate Wayne going it wants to, which is often like by Marisa Carroll Halo” and sleepy “Washington sitting on the D train, or drift- harder on the beat, he defi nitely nothing else before it. It has its School.” Cox is adamant in in- ing into dreams. While they are fi nds time to show his sense of own sphere of musical reference The fi rst review I encoun- terviews that he writes songs anything but upbeat, there is humor. My favorite example is points, but an attempt at com- tered of Atlas Sound’s second distinctly for Atlas Sound or defi nitely something romantic an analogy he uses in “Wasted,” parison would certainly result studio album, Logos, was this Deerhunter, but these tracks re- about the songs—there is a sen- explaining, “Your fl ow never in mentions of Radiohead, The update from my friend’s Tum- inforce critics who say the two suality in their ambience. Sim- wet like Grand- Mars Volta, and blr feed: “‘Shelia’ by Atlas projects are basically the same. ply put, if my friend actually ma pussy / I’m other alt rock Sound will be the processional Their argument falls apart, uses “Shelia” in her wedding, I always good demigods; I at my wedding.” Fans of Atlas however, with tracks like “She- will be fully supportive. like Grandma would contend Sound—better known as the lia,” “Kid Klimax,” and “Lo- cookies.” that it more ac- side project of Bradford Cox of gos,” which return to the weird- While the curately sounds Deerhunter — buy into the band ness that defi ne the album’s future has be- just as big and for this taste of ambient roman- early tracks. I imagine Cox re- come some- daring as those ticism. Cox molds soundscapes cording these songs in a trance what ambigu- groups, but using tape loops, organ chords, on a spaceship or some other ous for Wayne not like them and endless drum manipulation. absurd combination of moods due to his in content. The result is a soundtrack to the and locations. The best part of guilty plea The ambitious moments, as best defi ned by the Logos’s ambient tracks is that on charges of illegal weapon four youths from Soweto — Arcade Fire, “between the click possession, fans remain hope- the epicenter of the Apartheid of the light and the start of the the paper’s ill-legal download list ful that he will still release his resistance movement 17 years dream.” “rock” album entitled Tha Cart- ago—reach out to styles as di- The album opens in familiar er IV on December 15th. This verse as ska, shoegaze, Krau- territory for Cox with the song FOUR TET - “LOVE CRY” album, along with the fi rst ever trock, and jazz. The undisputed “The Light That Failed.” Quiet, http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden Young Money record, are both best song, “Banna Ba Modimo,” with a maraca emitting the most Idiosyncratic electronaut Four Tet is an acquired taste, that much scheduled to drop in early De- characterizes the whole album’s staccato sounds, the song wan- everybody can agree on. Probably not even his most ardent fans cember and will hopefully dis- swaying grandiosity. Tshepang ders through tenderly plucked fell in love at fi rst listen. However, he is a specialist at slowly tract media attention from Lil’ Ramoba’s jittering beats lay the guitar chords and Cox’s whis- boring a hole straight through initial reservations and fi nding Wayne’s legal troubles and fo- framework for warped guitars pers of “We would never, would a permanent spot in your heart. His new single, “Love Cry,” is cus it back to his music. Yet all and absurd levels of roaring we never?” It’s an eerie opening absolutely no exception. This song subtlely hints at acid house, things considered, Lil’ Wayne feedback. The Arabic-tinged from a band known for eeriness, dubstep, and traditional African percussion as it nocturnally rolls remains optimistic for the future horn sections and the weird- along through its nine minute duration. It would be perfect night of his career, expressing this add a bombast ness is only driving music if it didn’t entirely zone you out. confi dence in an interlude on No and theatrical- amplifi ed with Ceilings in which he urges his ity that is al- the following listeners, “I would love for you most silly until “An Orchid.” to look up into the building and all the energy Though lack- THEM CROOKED VULTURES - “MIND understand that there is no ceil- is stolen by a ing in sub- ERASER, NO CHASER” ings / there’s only the sky, and meandering stance lyrically, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcLc-Wgu8C8 the sky’s the limit.” midsection that both songs set So, in case you’ve been living under a rock, Josh Homme (Queens nearly loses it- a profoundly of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), and John self in the haze. sad landscape Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) have recorded an album together. The The epic for the rest of newest single, “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” is some seriously heavy qualities con- the album. shit, with walls upon walls of guitars, snarls, and other various tinue for the rest of the eight It is surprising, then, that the badassery. Yes, please. tracks, towering layers of instru- album’s third track is perhaps mentation upon themselves to its most upbeat. “Walkabout” reach a loud mélange, which has is a collaboration between Cox been written off as pretentious and Animal Collective’s Noah BEYONCÉ & LADY GAGA - “VIDEO experimenting for its own sake Lennox (Panda Bear). The song but is more subtly haunting than sounds like a cut track from PHONE” BLK JKS just plain weird. I would almost Merriweather Post Pavilion, a http://www.last.fm/music/Beyoncé/_/Video+Phone After Robots have grown tired of the sound sort of tambourine-driven com- The two most important female solo artists of the moment com- by Will Yates if they had decided to throw in panion to “Also Frightened.” ing together for anything is surely a momentous occasion. We another opus for the last track, Lennox’s naïve musings, “What will let your imaginations run from there, but those of you whose When sometimes it seems but instead they pull out the did you want to see? What aren’t so vivid, do not fret, these two don’t leave much to it. PS: all music avenues have been ex- electricity and hit with the emo- did you want to be when you This is confi rmed as Beyoncé’s next single and she and GaGa hausted, BLK JKS is undoubt- tional “Tselane.” Its plinking grew up?” contrast starkly with already have already fi lmed a video. We’re not exactly sure what edly a band that is completely piano and acoustic strumming the sad cynicism that weave we’d like to see more: Beyoncé sleeping with skeletons or Lady incomparable in genre or style reminisces of “No Surprises,” throughout the rest of Logos. GaGa doing the “Single Ladies” dance. Obviously, we’re cross- to any other, past or present, for while Lindani Buthelezi recites This contrast makes it diffi cult ing our fi ngers for both. better or worse. They approach arrhythmic Zulu verses with to declare “Walkabout” one of their craft with an intensity that powerful effect. The sum total Logos’s best tracks, but “Walk- shows from of After Robots about” is defi nitely one of Lo- SOLANGE KNOWLES - “STILLNESS IS start to fi nish, is a grungy gos’s best tracks. It is also one pervading this haze mixed of the cheeriest of pop songs in THE MOVE” (DIRTY PROJECTORS COV- album with an with irresistible either musician’s catalogue. ER) excitement all emotion and The other collaboration on http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/solange_covers_dirty- its own. ornamentation. Logos is “Quick Canal,” which projectors_100771.html This is the BLK JKS Cox recorded with Stereolab’s band’s fi rst real We at the paper would really like to know what Mama Knowles’s have not mere- Laetitia Sadier. Like “Walk- diet was during her pregnancy, because her daughters are seven work, mixing ly met the about,” the song is dominated a hazy afro-fu- kinds of fi re. The lesser known of the two, baby sis Solange, re- hype, but ex- by the guest artist’s aesthetic. cently covered the Dirty Projector’s hit “Stillness is the Move” turism with alt ceeded it, dis- More so than on “Walkabout,” rock and epic over a reworked version of Dr. Dre’s beat from the song “Xplo- playing one of the song does gradually incor- sion.” It captures all of the head nodding crossover appeal of the orchestration; after languishing the most hugely creative and fo- porate Cox’s la-di-das, tambou- in obscurity, at least in America, original but adds an extra layer of soul that makes the song just as cused works in recent memory. rines, and drum machines, mo- good, possibly better, than the original. for 6 years in their native South mentum building throughout its Africa, they started to catch the almost nine minutes. attention of stateside artists and While “Quick Canal” and performed to acclaim at a few “Walkabout” move away from MILLIONYOUNG - “YOUTHLESS” smaller festivals. They fi nally the Atlas Sound of the past, http://www.myspace.com/millionyoungmusic captured the sound of their bi- “Criminals” brings me back Happy music gets an unfair rap. Sometimes we just want to twee zarre passions in Illinois this to Deerhunter’s Microcastle. the fuck out and revel in the beauty of it all, but no, being hard is January in the home of Secret With its basic drum kit and un- in. Well, new blood MillionYoung makes it easy to do just that. Machines singer Brandon Cur- touched vocals, its one of the Sunny guitars and airy vocals elicit the beach, swimming trunks, tis. The hype since then has most straightforward songs on and falling in love, so head over to his MySpace and snap your been thundering and at times Logos; the closest it comes to fi ngers, smile unabashedly, and think about not being in the drea- misleading, resulting in the wackiness is the distinct tap- over-reported comparison to TV ry Bronx this absurdly rainy November.