Willis Earl Beal "Coming Through" ft. Cat Power

When I saw Willis Earl Beal in person outside of his concert, I asked him to get my friend on the guest list because the show was sold out. He obliged. I remember thinking I was speaking to a character from a movie--there was no way someone could look like that and actually be that cool in real life. Turns out one dude can.

Here is the new joint with Cat Power.

King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon

I have been anxiously awaiting the full-length release from British crooner King Krule since I heard "Out Getting Ribs" back when I was still in college (!).

6 Feet Beneath the Moon is a good introduction to the ginger with the most soul on the planet. His British-Elvis-on-Promethezine voice is the clear stand out--arcing, dipping, stretching and longing for better times, whether describing the dullness of the every day or the manic moments of heartache. His clean electric guitar serves as a perfect foil, piercing the synthetic stillness of each track like wood being chopped in a December morning. There is a real beauty in the simplicity of each King Krule composition--he has a real way of making the negative space of a track operate like an instrument--but it also can make the LP seem slightly too long.

There is a delicate balance between creating a "sound" for a record (or a career) that is unique and making sure to not have each track lost in the mire. For this record, the drums are the x factor, with the best cuts serving up the most interesting percussion. "Foreign 2" is a personal favorite.

While culling a few redundancies would really serve 6 Feet Beneath the Moon well,  in the grand scheme of things, it is a petty criticism. This record is a solid debut from an artist with great potential.

Gunplay "Bible on the Dash"

Since hearing Hemsworth throw this down in his Pitchfork set, I've listened to it at least once a day.

Kings of Leon "Wait for Me"

Kings of Leon are looking to make the world forget about the backlash and thus create the backlash to the backlash, completing the hype cycle with this newest record.

Teengirl Fantasy "Dancing in Slow Motion"

Re-visited this jam and I am pretty sure it is the best slow jam of the last five years  the last decade 

all time.

Seriously.

Yuck "Middle Sea"

A new Yuck album is coming out in October, which brings me immense joy and allows me to scratch off another request from my 2013 wish list.

Warren Zevon "Play it All Night Long"

There ain't much to country livin'

Sweat, piss, jizz and blood