The title pretty much nails what this post is going to be about, as a matter of fact, it nails it 100%.

Linkin Park - Living Things
     I’m a huge LP fan and have no qualms about saying so. Their last album A Thousand Suns was different but great. I loved the emphasis on the electronic elements and how much Shinoda was rapping again. Well they’ve announced that June 26th they’ll be dropping their 5th studio album and I’m impatiently waiting for that date! I love the first single “Burn It Down”, and from what’s being said about the style of the album I’ll love the rest. June is going to be a busy month for me and music.

Aesop Rock - Skelethon
     Aes Rizzle’s last album None Shall Pass was one of my favorites by him and he hasn’t done anything solo since. The side project Hail Mary Mallon was dope so I’m hoping Skelethon follows suit. This album will be a step in a different musical direction for AR though as he’s producing the entire album. Usually he does some beats and then gets others from homies like Blockhead, or El-P (who also has a new album dropping soon). But judging by the first single “Zero Dark Thirty” this won’t be a problem cause the song is dope! I don’t know the exact date off the top of my head but I know this also comes out in June so I’m keeping my eyes peeled.

The Ghost Inside - Get What You Give
     New. Ghost. Inside. Almost enough said, haha. I’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity for new TGI, and now it’s coming. I feel like this was announced forever ago and I’ve been trying to be patient but damn. Their first two are super solid albums so I hope this keeps the momentum going. I can’t wait to see them on Warped this year. The new TGI also drops in June (told you it was busy).

     So that’s my big three for right now but there’s rumor of more dope artists dropping new material this year. I’ve heard that there will be new Cecil Otter and new P.O.S in the Fall. For Today has a new album coming out soon (they’ll also be on Warped). Big K.R.I.T’s debut is supposed to drop and who knows who else. I’m sure there will be more but right now the first half of the year is going hard!

On a side note, here is some stuff I’ve been stuck on lately while waiting for the new stuff: Linkin Park - Any Album, letlive. - Fake History, La Dispute - Wildlife, Emmure - Slave To The Game, The Story So Far, Every Time I Die - Ex Lives, and more. Listen to good music.

ZN

Some music that I’ve been digging lately:

Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
     I’ve never been a huge ETID fan but their new album is great. They bring the heat in typical fashion but also expand upon their sound. The Southern Metalcore/Hardcore with brutal breakdowns, tons of riffage, face-melting solos and Keith Buckley’s sarcastic intelligence are all here in full effect. But take the usual equation, slow it down and add more clean vocals than previous efforts and you have Ex Lives. The Buffalo boys build upon their strengths while venturing outside the box just a bit.

I See Stars - Digital Renegade
     Love them or hate them (not to be a stereotypical jerk but most of the young, Hot Topic crowd loves them and most of the “hardcore” crowd hates them) but I See Stars is back with their 3rd album. And to the dismay of some of my friends I like (not love.. yet anyways) them. Maybe it’s a guilty pleasure, or maybe it’s my love for heavy breakdowns, vicious vocals, with some Electronica/Dubstep sprinkled throughout. I haven’t figured it out yet, but their new album is good. It’s catchy, it’s heavy, it’s fun, it’s mean. I dig it.

Big K.R.I.T - 4eva N A Day
     Mainstream Hip Hop at it’s best. No joke, Krizzle has made me love Southern Rap again. While most of his contemporaries are busy following more trends than they set, K.R.I.T sticks to what he knows: beats, rhymes, Mississippi. He’sput out 3 mixtapes in the last 3 years and all of them are better than your favorite rapper’s studio release. Want to hear dope beats, and hear about some Country Shit? Check out K.R.I.T.

Stick To Your Guns - Diamond
      I just got this one today but the newest release from the OC Hardcore gurus is a strong one. Following their positive point of views, and the ideas set up on their last stellar release The Hope Division, STYG brings down the house while building up the hope. It’s got a bit more melody to it, but it’s not overdone or fake sounding like some bands. The clean vox mesh well with the louder stuff and add to the power of the lyrics. STYG leaves it all on the floor and tackle issues ranging from self esteem to bigotry stemming from religious zealots. One of my favorite bands making music, STYG didn’t disappoint.

Stuff I want to hear or that I’m waiting for:
— Your Demise - The Golden Age
— Balance and Composure - Acoustic 7”
— Big K.R.I.T - Live From The Underground
* Handguns is working on a full length, Linkin Park is working on a new album, and supposedly Outkast is going to have one out this year. Let’s hope so!

Word!
Zach

The new Every Time I Die album is streaming online. I listened to it three times back to back to back. It’s good.

It comes out Tuesday.

     I’m listening to some new music and I find it very hard to find anything to listen to after listening to La Dispute’s “King Park”. The song is a masterpiece. I don’t use that word very often when referring to music, but this song deserves and earns it. The lyrics tell a story that develops and flows perfectly. The plot has a beginning, middle, and end, that are executed and timed well while the delivery of the lyrics rises and falls with the development of the story and music. The story told is engaging and true to current times/emotions of urban/suburban life. The song pulls you in with the words and delivery, keeps you in with the music and raw emotion, and sends you off with an ending that is arguably one of the most perfect I’ve ever heard. You connect on multiple levels with the narrator and the characters of the song, and when the resolution does come there’s electric intensity, guilt driven angst, and (in my case) tears.

“King Park” is one of those songs that sparks your mind, and fills your chest with energy that you want to release by screaming along with the final words. It’s been around for less than a year and I would easily put this song in my top 5 ALL time. Easily.

Thank you La Dispute, for a truly wonderful and masterful work. You guys did an incredible job. Thanks for the beautiful song, and for the inspiration.

Always,
Zach