they really don't make white boys with sauce like this any more...
Joey Valence & Brae is like if 80s era Beastie Boys were transposed into the modern day and were immediately given a crash course on internet pop culture of the last two decades, and it works to a hilariously exceptional level.

favorite tracks \\ PACKAPUNCH, NO HANDS, LIKE A PUNK, THE BADDEST, DOUGHBOY, JOHN CENA, OMINTRIX
least favorite track // WHERE U FROM

make 'em say "wow" like my name is Leeroy, ... read more

although Pinkerton would go on to (undeservedly, if we're speaking fairly) haunt the rest of the band's catalog like a ghastly lovesick specter, the reappraisal of Weezer's 1996 Madame Butterfly-inspired sophomore left turn is wholeheartedly deserved, with Rivers Cuomo's self-aware explosion of embarrassingly emotional vulnerability and indescribable loneliness culminating into a daring one of a kind masterpiece.

favorite tracks \\ Tired of Sex, Getchoo, No Other One, Why ... read more

the eternally overshadowed black sheep of the Jackson dynasty, Jermaine Jackson, proves that he had what it took to stand firmly as a pop hitmaker of his own making with his 1984 self-titled outing filled with catchy new wave-influenced jams and impeccable collaborations.

favorite tracks \\ Dynamite [77], Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming (Too Good to Be True) [80], Escape From the Planet of the Ant Men [75], Do What You Do [82], Take Good Care of My Heart [85], Some Things Are Private [74], Oh ... read more

the emotional, eccentric, and mesmerizing JOBA finally returns to the centerstage after two silent years since the break-up of BROCKHAMPTON as simply Russell Boring, his self-titled debut studio album... and a gorgeous left turn into poignant and whimsical 70s golden age-tinged art rock. the best project to come out of the BH house post 2022.

favorite tracks \\ Ghost, Embryo, American Fever, Emerald Eyes, Lonestar, Doormat, People Need People, Gospel of the Moon
least favorite tracks // ... read more

it ain't that bad.

favorite tracks \\ Can I Kick It, Time Machine, DeLorean, I Love You Forever
least favorite tracks // Pretty Young Girl, Baby, Lemon Drop, I'm Probably Gonna Rock Your World

back to the future where everyone's been dead for a long, long time...

nobody does masterful melancholy synth-pop like the Weeknd, and the first single to his final odyssey is no exception.

if K Dot doesn't perform Bitch I'm in the Club at the Super Bowl, i ain't watching...

favorite tracks \\ Best Rapper Under 25, Bitch I'm in the Club, West Coast Wu Tang, Phone Home, Misunderstood
least favorite tracks // Take Off Your Pants, Play With Fire, Friend of Mine, Famous Pipe Game

i'm bout to get these hoes single, AND THIS IS MY SINGLE!

her sophomore album with the Scene, Selena Gomez's A Year Without Rain is a surprisingly fresh and enjoyable synthpop record that feels like it is destined to be rediscovered and easily appeal to nostalgic early-2010s kids, with its short and sugary sweet runtime containing nothing but danceable radio and club-ready bops.

favorite tracks \\ Round & Round, A Year Without Rain, Off the Chain, Ghost of You, Love Like There's No Tomorrow, A Year Without Rain (EK's Future ... read more

the WHAT ep ?

THE RESURRECTION OF LINKIN PARK BEGINS NOW.

the second chapter of the Weeknd's final saga finds Abel Tesfaye in emotional and (story-wise) literal purgatory after falling victim to his lowest and deprived depths in the After Hours of Vegas, as he is forced to reflect upon his horrid love lives in a genuine longing and a futile desire to fix the mistakes of his past. but ultimately, in order to move on from his pain, Abel comes to the realization that he must learn to accept his errors, and try to begin to forgive himself, despite ... read more

unearthed by the internet after being lost in the collective conscious for sixteen years, Panchiko's debut D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L is anything but its title implies. instead, Panchiko offers a breezing short and sweet collection of melancholic and destitute shoegaze would-be classics that proves that their crystal clear talent wasn't meant to rot for all time.

favorite tracks \\ D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L, Stabilisers for Big Boys, Laputa, ... read more

the dearly melancholic and wistful soundtrack to KyoAni's 2018 adaptation of Violet Evergarden is an deeply chiming and moving essential element to the equally as astonishing characters, writing, and animation. what Evan Call has done with his heart-rending compositions is essentially what Violet herself learns to perform for her troubled clients as an Auto Memory Doll, as they translate these poignant, tender, and raw emotions into visceral and beautiful tangible mediums.

favorite tracks ... read more

the late and legendary King of Pop's final studio album during his lifetime, Invincible was another shot at a grand statement piece for Michael Jackson, aimed to be his awe-inspiring and domineering comeback along the lines of previous albums such as Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous, with a near four year recording period and a jaw dropping production cost of 30-40 million, making Invincible the most expensive album ever made in recorded history. it's just unfortunate that, either due to ... read more

BROCKHAMPTON's second major label offering sees the downtrodden boyband unit after the emotionally explosive and angry "iridescence" ultimately searching for forlorn peace and unity, as they spill their feelings like never before within the Friday Therapy session that GINGER constructs with its twelve songs. by the end of the record, even though the band still can't find the answers to their newfound struggles and hardships, they end up emerging with their brotherhood still ... read more

ten years ago, a young and yearning in-house producer for G.O.O.D. Music going under the performing name of Travis $cott took some quintessential steps in his path to becoming a raging and flaming trap superstar by releasing his prequel to his first full-length album and second mixtape, DAYS BEFORE RODEO. now on its aluminum anniversary, the project that set the tone for Travis' career has landed on streaming services to long-awaited praise, and for a damn reason, as the feisty yet dark ... read more

the first album release by hololive's infamous vtuber Mori Calliope is, not surprisingly, a mess. while the producers and guests across the nine original tracks do a more than competent job at matching the streamer's vibrant, bombastic, and edgy aesthetic, that cannot be said for Mori herself. while she has a fine singing voice, and honestly impressive on the fly switching between english and japanese lyrics, she does not put her skills in the best light on this album with lyrics and ... read more

at the edge of the universe, the one and only offspring of ミラクルミュージカル / Miracle Musical resides by its lonesome.
it is preternatural, it is nocturnal, it is mystifying.
cluttered, confused, and unsystematic to its musical confines.
yet in its wispy and fragile beauty, it's bewitching to the senses.
the sea drifts, the moon glows, and the lullabies of Hawaii lure a listener into a haunting sense of comfort.
maybe you feel like you're flying, but you're truly ... read more

on Jesus Is King, Kanye attempts to write an album that for once isn't really about himself, but more in service to God and his own redemption. Ye would later go on to craft a better version of the gospel-influenced hip-hop on here, but revisiting this after the sobering Vultures installments, it's clear that we were too harsh on this project.

favorite tacks \\ Selah, Follow God, God Is, Hands On, Use This Gospel
least favorite tracks \\ Closed On Sunday, Water

cut out all the ... read more

the Native Tongues are well and alive, it just took eighteen years. A Tribe Called Quest's final studio album evolves the intelligent, forward, and progressive jazz rap of their 90s discography into the turbulent modern day seamlessly, as Q-Tip and Phife Dawg's biting yet colorful social commentary and messages of hope and unity translate extremely well within the landscape of today. even after nearly two decades, the brotherhood that both created and nearly ended Tribe is still ... read more