The Best Hip-Hop Records of 2014

The Best Hip-Hop Records of 2014
An excerpt from 2014: A Year In Review
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

If you haven't done so, please check out previous installments of our 2014 year-end best-of coverage:
The Best Albums of 2014
The Best Cassettes of 2014
The Best Reissues of 2014

Its unlikely that there's another year-end rap list like this one, as outside of a few guilty pleasures I have little interest in the popular, hook-driven, thinned-out drivel that passes as "hip-hop" these days. Call me a grumpy curmudgeon if you must, but do so knowing that are very few things that I'm as passionate about as rap music. My approach to hip-hop is like that of a big man holding down the lane on a basketball court: Don't Bring That Weak Shit In Here.

Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike) – Run The Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal)
There's a common misconception that Kim Kardashian and her bare naked cosmetically enhanced buttocks broke the Internet. But that's impossible because the Internet was already broken by Run The Jewels 2. 

On the surface El-P and Killer Mike may seem like an oddball paring. But onstage, like on wax, their interplay is seamless; surely a result of extensive recording and touring together. El-P, for all his titled cap buffoonery takes hip-hop very, very seriously. And Killer Mike, well he just goes hard. One of the things that makes Run The Jewels work so well is the personality that that pair have cultivated as a duo. While their music is tough-as-nails hip-hop, their outwardly appearance is a satirical caricature-like ode to a much more dangerous time in rap music.

Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron (Top Dawg / Interscope)
Oxymoron is the first album out of the TDE/Black Hippy camp since good kid, m.A.A.d city catapulted Kendrick Lamar to stardom. And with its arrival, Schoolboy Q has emerged much in the same way: a conflicted individual whose rhyme scheme and subject matter is as varied as his beat selection.

Apollo Brown & Rass Kass – Blasphemy (Mello Music Group)
If you've heard one Apollo Brown loop you've heard them all. And that's a compliment. Dude is so consistent it should be illegal. Paired with D.I.T.C. legend OC and fellow Detroiter Guilty Simpson, he's made some of the best hip-hop in recent memory. This year he teamed up with veteran Cali emcee Rass Kass and the results are no different. Rass Kass been in the game for a minute—with releases dating back to ’96—and is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence thanks to Blasphemy. The synergy between the two is irrefutable; recalling rap history’s most revered deejay & emcee combos.

Dilated Peoples – Directors of Photography (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Continuing the revitalization that began with 2011's Cats & Dogs on through to Lord Steppington, his Step Brothers collaboration with Alchemist earlier this year, Evidence regroups with fellow emcee Rakaa Iriscience and deejay DJ Babu for the first Dilated Peoples album since 2006. The result harkens back to those early underground backpack days: hard beats, record scratching, and slick dual emcee interplay.

Has Lo & Castle – Live Like You’re Dead (Mello Music Group)
Two relatively unknown emcees coming together to create an album that is rooted in boom-bap but has a fair amount of experimental parts interwoven throughout it. Live Like You're Dead recalls Native Tongues legends like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest but still manages to sound unmistakably current.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata (Madlib Invazion)
Piñata is straight-up gangster rap. Madlib’s beats, which are culled from old-school soul, funk, and Blaxploitation, are the backdrop to Gangsta Gibbs signature misogyny, drug dealing, and pistol play. He’ll give the listener a glimpse of his softer side but he always holds back just enough as to not compromise his rugged ghetto-hardened exterior.

Ratking – So It Goes (XL Recordings)
Ratking is a group of youngsters from NYC made up of rappers Wiki and Hak and producer Sporting Life. They mix an alluring cocktail of post-everything/no-nothing (punk, wave, EDM, graffiti culture, whatever) noise that is strangely and undeniably hip-hop. So It Goes is their debut full-length LP.

Meyhem Lauren & Buckshot – Silk Pyramids (Thrice Great LLC)
Meyhem Lauren, the man responsible for the standout mixtapes Respect the Fly Shit and Mandatory Brunch Meetings, returns with an official album alongside legendary D.I.T.C. beatsmith Buckshot. And as expected from these two New Yorkers the result is straight boom to the bap. Silk Pyramids is the perfect soundtrack for a transit commute through the city, which is a great way to judge a rap record's worth.

Gangsta Boo & Beatking – Underground Cassette Tape Music (mixtape)
In what very well may be the Internet’s greatest achievement to date, Memphis’ legendary Gangsta Boo and Houston’s mostly unknown Beatking join forces to intermingle the best parts of their respective cities’ rap histories. Underground Cassette Tape Music is dark, sinister, hood shit, and a re-energizing shot of down south hip-hop that pays homage to the past in a brand new way.

The Voyagers – Rise of the Black Kings (mixtape)
This Connecticut group released once of the year’s best mixtapes to absolutely no fanfare whatsoever. Plug in your headphones, close your eyes, and get transported back in time to an era of hip-hop when everyone was sporting construction boots, baggy jeans, and puffy jackets; and the beats were simplistic and big. This is a lot like Flatbush ZOMBiES but more focus on lyricism and delivery than psychedelic gimmickry. Rise of the Black Kings is on some Pharcyde / Lyricist Lounge / early Wu-type ish. Totally banging.

Timeless Truth – Dominican Diner EP (Timeless Truth)
Oprime39 and Solace, the largely unknown New York City-based duo that makeup Timeless Truth, returned with a new EP. Dominican Diner is a perfect combination of laid-back summer-y hip-hop and traditional New York rap at its most authentic.

Your Old Droog – Self-Titled EP (mixtape)
Amidst a shroud of mystery and speculation this 20-something Russian white guy from Long Island dropped one of the best rap records of the year. And it’s not the best just because he sounds like a younger, hungrier version of a certain legendary rapper (who many people still believe him to be despite there being loads of inarguable evidence to the contrary) but because he’s really fucking good.

HaLo – Mansa Musa (Guest Starring Masta Killa) (Jamla)
Although Wu-Tang's Masta Killa gets a mention in the title he appears on only five tracks. Mansa Musa is ultimately emcee HaLo's big coming out party, as much as it is a vehicle to showcase Jamla Record's production team, The Soul Council. Ka$h, AMP, Eric G 9th all contribute tracks, as does their newest member Nottz. But the brunt of the workload behind the boards is attributed to Khrysis, whose muted bass hits deep and lends the album a sonically cohesive tone.

Adrian Younge & Souls of Mischief – There Is Only Now (Linear Labs / Essential Music)
Producer Adrian Younge's highest profile project to date was last year's Twelve Reasons To Die with Ghostface Killah. Using the momentum from that record he's teamed up with Oakland veterans Souls Of Mischief for another outstanding concept album. There Is Only Now is a fluid stream of storytelling raps. It's largely uninterrupted, save a few interludes by A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who plays a radio DJ who is narrating the developing plots in the story, not unlike Lynn Thigpen in The Warriors.

Mutual Daps – Self-Titled (Megakut / Solidarity)
Heads may remember Luke Sick from Sacred Hoop and more recently Grand Invincible and Grand Killa Con. Mutual Daps, his latest project, is a Bay Area supergroup of sorts with fellow emcee White Mic and producer TC BoneLoc. Mutual Daps takes the listener on an underground rap journey through the Bay, flexing a variety of styles from boom-bap to G-funk and back again. This thing is so chock-full of guest spots that it plays like a Bay Area variety show. Emcees QM, Philo, Lightbulb, Trunk Drank, and Z-Man all get verses. Although TC BoneLoc has the majority of the production credits, DJ Eons One, Brycon, and Sick himself also contribute beats. And DJ Quest and DJ Pause take turns adding cuts to a few tracks. Destined to be criminally underrated, Mutual Daps is underground hip-hop at its finest, courtesy of some cats that have been in the game a long-ass time.

There are a few things that didn't make the cut. Both Wu-Tang Clan and Ghostface Killah put records out but due to their late in the year release dates I was unable to digest them properly. In addition I left deejay and producer-based albums off the list. A-Villa's Carry on the Tradition got a lot of play around HDD HQ though. And I would urge mix fans to find Unearthed, DJ Revolution's mix of the Coalmine Records catalog. As for additional mixtape suggestions, both Ugly Frank's Bobby Hill EP and Da Mafia 6ix's Hear Sum Evil are worthy downloads.


Follow Nathan on Twitter at: @OMG_NOB

The Best Reissues of 2014

The Best Reissues of 2014
By Nathan G. O'Brien

"Sooner or later, everything old is new again."
- Steven King, The Colorado Kid

This will eventually run on Scene Point Blank as part of their year in review feature, but since they are really slow at posting stuff Nathan gave me the go-ahead to put it up here first. (UPDATE: It's been posted here.) If you haven't done so already, please check out our previous installments of 2014 year-end best-of coverage here and here. Stay tuned for punk/HC and rap/hip-hop lists as well. As always we'd love it if you'd leave us some feedback. You can do so by leaving a comment below or emailing me or tweeting Nathan. Thanks!
-BNB

The Bellicose Minds – The Buzz Or Howl Sessions (A389)
Dark, early-‘80s-style goth/post-punk act from Portland, OR. This was originally self-released in a run of 500 dubbed cassettes. A389 picked it up for it’s first-ever 10” vinyl release. The initial masters were completely remastered, which gives a warm deepness to the overall sound. The artwork and layout and artwork was given a full overhaul as well. Sinister, depressing, angular, and catchy as heck.

Bikini Kill – Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (Bikini Kill)
In 2013 in honor of their 25th anniversary, this influential band released their debut EP on vinyl through their own recently-formed label. This year they continued the trend by putting out this expanded version of their 1993 split with Huggy Bear on vinyl. This includes seven previously unreleased live tracks, as well as updated liner notes and new photos.

“Rebel Girl” still surges forth with all the piss and vinegar that it did back in ’93 and is a reminder of why Kathleen Hannah was the face of riot grrrl. And newly unearthed tracks like “I Busted In Your Chevy Window” and “Girl Soldier” show us why she always will be.

Blank Pages – Self-Titled (Dirt Cult)
This Berlin-based band's 10-song self-titled LP was originally released in Germany in 2013 on Hardware Records. Las Cruces, New Mexico label Dirt Cult, god bless their soul, picked it up for a US release that coincided with the band’s August tour of the West Coast. It’s not as snotty, dumbed-down, or as fast as the Ramones, but their unpretentious approach and melody is similar. They also delve into the dark punk spectrum that’s been picking up traction lately.

Bl’ast! – Expression of Power (Southern Lord)
These Santa Cruz, CA hardcore legends recorded their debut several times before finally emerging from the studio with their cult tour de force The Power of Expression. Two versions have floated around for quite some time but now a third is available for the first time. Titled The Expression of Power, this 3xLP collection brings together the three—all recorded between ’84-’85—as well as a 28 page booklet with photos from the era. It’s a cool snapshot from a burgeoning period of hardcore history. Personally, I like the rawness of demo version, which will come as no surprise to anyone that’s ever read anything I’ve ever written about punk and hardcore.

Death – Leprosy (Relapse)
This is the seminal death metal band’s pioneering second album—originally released in 1988—given the deluxe treatment for a whole new generation. A remastered version of the original album is packaged with a cornucopia of bonus material, including nearly an hour of previously unheard demos and rehearsal material and a 24 page book with updated liner notes and newly-released photos.

Songs such as “Choke On It”, with its complex riffs and shredding solos serves as a reminder that death metal was born out of thrash metal. And actually the same can be said for the album as a whole. It’s a nice snapshot of death metal in its developing stages, expanding from the musical structure of thrash and incorporating more brutal extremities both in lyricism and imagery.

Electric Funeral – Total Funeral (Southern Lord)
This is the entire anthology-to-date of Electric Funeral, the one-man Swedish raw punk project manned by Jocke D-Takt. 53 songs that, to the untrained ear, are nearly indistinguishable from one another. The whole thing clocks in at over an hour and half of music. Although it does come as a double LP (on "blood red" and "beer piss yellow" vinyl) which makes it easy to split into four separate listening sessions if need be.

Frantix – My Dad’s a Fuckin’ Alcoholic (Alternative Tentacles)
These guys tore up the early-‘80s punk scene in Colorado for only a few years before calling it quits. (Eventually they reformed as The Fluid, and were the first non-Seattle band to sign to Sub Pop.) They played skuzzy, fuzzed-out punk rock that was slathered in total creeper vibes. Like Generic-era Flipper meets Rollins-era Black Flag blasting from a tape deck in the parking lot outside the dirt track, while dudes are fighting over who drank the last tall boy Coors banquet beer.

This vinyl rerelease includes everything they ever did—My Dad’s A Fuckin’ Alcoholic 7”, Insane Tunnel demo tape, and Face Reality 7”—in addition to a handful of live recordings. The song “Dancin’ to Punk” sounds like James Murphy fronting Mudhoney awash in KBD slime. So crucial.

Fugazi – First Demo (Dischord)
It’s been over a decade since The Argument, the last full-length proper from this prolific post-hardcore band. Fans longing for new material will have to accept these demo recordings in lieu of that happening anytime soon, or perhaps, ever.

It’s confusing, as this is called First Demo and is said to be recorded in January of 1988. Meanwhile there’s a demo tape that’s been floating around for years called Inner Ear Demo 1987. These may be the same tracks but with Fugazi, nothing is certain. And there’s no extensive liner notes like there normally are with vinyl reissues of this sort.

With the finished versions of these songs already appearing on 13 Songs and Repeater + 3, the existence of “Turn Off Your Guns”, the lone unreleased track isn't likely to appeal to casual fans. But for the hardcores it’s a unique opportunity to hear a band that’s known for their richly-produced studio sound work-shopping these songs out in an unrefined, edgy manner.

Institute – Demo (Deranged)
Anarcho-style post-punk weirdness from Austin, TX. This is their acclaimed 2013 demo cassette pressed to vinyl for the first time. It's now available as 12" EP that plays at 45 RPM, which is an increasingly popular format for punk and hardcore these days.

They've since released two more EPs, which show them experimenting with longer, stranger compositions. With this release it's cool to see where that evolved from.

No Fraud – Revolt! 1984 Demos (Six Weeks)
Another unearthed gem of 80s American hardcore punk pressed to vinyl for the first time. These are the first demos from “The longest running punk/hardcore/thrash band in Florida.” There are 17 tracks here of cheap beer-soaked, suntanned skate-punk out of Venice, FL.

In addition to a brief memoir by the band’s lead singer Dan Destructo, there are awesome photos, fliers, and other ephemera from the time period. This includes newspaper clippings, including one about the anti-slam dancing rules put in place at the community center after a No Fraud show and another about a high school graduation party they were advertised to play where 11 kegs of beer were seized in a police raid. (Cops must have shown up early because the invite for the party promised 12 kegs.) There’s also a flier for their “Ramp Jam” show which you can watch all of here and here.

The Best Cassettes of 2014

The Best Cassettes of 2014
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Tuff Gnarl

Continuing our year-end best-of coverage, here's a list of the best cassettes from the past 12 months. It was originally posted on Tuff Gnarl and came with one of Nathan's signature navel-gazing intros, all of which you can read here. 
-BNB

Jävla – Demo 2014 (Flophouse Records & Tapes)
Four-piece teenage outfit from the suburbs of Washington, DC paying tribute to Swedish crust bands. And just to make sure you know we’re on some total juvenile type shit here, the band’s name means “Fuckin’” in Swedish. Standard demo tape packaging, although I really like the artwork (a drawing of a grim reaper helping a wounded soldier) and the aqua blue paper it’s photocopied on. Despite the preconceived notions of Scandi-core, especially given the use of umlauts in the band name, it’s hard to ignore the USHC similarities. Whether or not this was band’s intended outcome, it’s the most obvious aspect of their sound. Shit’s tough, yo. Like tuff tough.

Decades/Failures – 002 (Dead Tank Records)
One-man project out of Richmond, VA. Bone-chilling coldwave, dark synth-punk, and electronic post-punk. Seven lengthy songs (averaging five minutes each) of modern goth at its finest. It’s a really nice professionally-printed package to boot. Infectious dance beats flow seamlessly alongside atmospheric keys and a dejected baritone voice that’s on par with Ian Curtis. And that’s coming from a guy who walked down the aisle to “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”

Deep Creeps – Crown Gall (Self-Released)
Scuzzbucket metalcore-tinged punk from Boise, ID. The bass is downright nasty – just deep and crunched the fuck out. Vocals are tortured and pissed, and reminiscent of ‘90s Midwestern hardcore act Disembodied. This isn’t a demo tape. There are 14 tracks here and they come on a pro-printed purple cassette with a nice multicolored J-card. (I think there’s a vinyl version too.) The majority of the tracks are fairly short. Although a few are fleshed out past three minutes with some subterranean swampbutt fuzz and a guy saying “arrrgh” or “ooogah” a lot.

Padkarosda – Szabadulásom Művészete (Wake Up and Live Records)
Hungarian band that plays a ’80s-influenced style of punk. They use vocal effects and dissonant guitars to push the sound beyond the confines of simple genre tags like ‘raw punk’ or ‘hardcore.’ I’m not real familiar with the old Hungarian bands these guys claim to be influenced by but I hear discernible bits of other international hardcore acts in there; like Italy’s Stinky Rats, Finland’s Riistetyt, and Spain’s Glam. This is a cassette-only version for release in the US. It’s really nice packaging, all done in various shades of purple, which really adds to the aura of the music contained therein. The bass is distorted and subbed to death, which I love, while the drumming is both frantic and on point. But it’s the uniquely atmospheric guitar effects at play here that standout as the band’s defining sound.

Narcoman – Demo (Sorry State Records)
These riffs have been played a million times before but who cares; that’s what we love about this punk stuff, right? Kind of tough vocals but kind of snotty too – a touch of Oi! going on there. Guitars have a ’80s USHC vibe to them. Some pretty awesome drumming that’s distraught and noisy. Overall sound is melodic but in a lip-curling, snarly way. Nice packaging is a plus too – pro-duplicated, purple tape, and stiff screen-printed J-card with lyrics insert. Get pissed to it.

Sem Hastro – Demo 2014 (Flophouse Records & Tapes)
Crucial and potent hardcore punk out of Washington DC, with a dude from Brazil on vocals. Aside from one song, which is sung in English, I would guess the lyrics are in Spanish…or Portuguese…or Italian. I’m sorry if that sounds really dipshit-white-boy of me but I just don’t know. Now that we’ve established I’m an idiot I’d like to move on. The J-card is two-sided red paper with drawings on one side and a dope band photo on the other. Sore throat vocals and mid-to-face-paced riffing reminds me a bit of early ‘90s Casualties. You know, back when they were less street-punk-y and actually kind of, ah, good. Now I feel bad about that comparison because these guys are much, much better. Porcodio’s Nessun Posto Per Me 7” would also be an accurate frame of reference I suppose. Basically I’m totally into it.

Tied Down – Demo +2 (Self-Released)
No apologies youth crew/Youth of Today copycat act out of Buffalo, NY. The J-card has a high-contrast black and white photo of the singer wearing an X letterman’s jacket and a Chain of Strength hoodie, so you know exactly what you’re in for. Windmills, lawn mowers, gorillas, pile-ons; all that shit – bring it on. All jokes aside, this is some killer stuff. It’s a re-release of their 2012 demo plus two new songs. I prefer sXe hardcore that has a raw, punk edge to it, and these guys totally nail it.

Wriggle – Demo (Sorry State Records)
I really like this. Fast, dirty and angry hardcore. There are bits of longer, raucous art-damage interjected but you kind of have to be paying attention to catch ‘em. Fitting that they’re named Wriggle because that’s what it makes me do – wriggle around in equal parts disgust and delight. As with many of the acts on Sorry State, they’re from North Carolina. Final track closes out with a dope breakdown part. The J-card is kind of flimsy and miscut but whatever; it’s punk so it doesn’t matter.

1/4 Dead – Demo 2014 (Subsidence Studios & Recordings)
Noisy, freakout hardcore that’s unpredictable and groovy at the same time. Shayne of Hostile Records and Stabbing Brains fanzine plays in this band (although I’m not sure which instrument) along with three other people. It’s probably safe to assume they are from New Jersey then too. The vocals are really airy, like they were recorded at the opposite end of a long hallway for maximum fuck-your-head-up-with-resonance effect. The J-card and lyrics insert is DIY as all heck – black and white photocopied on normal paper. The whole thing makes me feel dirty and uncomfortable. Like trying to sleep in a truck stop motel room that used to be a meth lab.

Fucking – Live Hardcore Fucking (Self-Released)
This band is called Fucking. Their tape is named Live Hardcore Fucking. And they’re from Minneapolis, the punk capital of the world. Do I have to say anything else? Oh, what’s that…you want me to say something else? OK, well, ah… Oh, I know, they’re called Fucking. Let’s see, what else… Well, their tape is named Live Hardcore Fucking. And, uhm, there was one other thing… Oh yeah, they’re from Minneapolis, the punk capital of the world. Alright, that should about do it.

The Best Albums of 2014

Hey there ponx, punx, punks, ballers, dirtbags, freaks, geeks, normies, and subculture photographers. How's it going? No, seriously, how's it going? Leave us a comment or send me an email or Tweet at Nathan or whatever and let us know how you're doing. We hope you've had an incredible Holiday season, and that the new year will be off to an even incredible-er start. (PS-I basically just copy 'n' pasted this from last year but we are genuinely interested in what you've been up to and wish you nothing but the best.) 

This marks the first of our 2014 year-end best-of coverage. In the coming days you can expect best-of lists covering punk/HC, rap/hip-hop, reissues, and cassettes. If you've been around here for a while now you know this is primarily stuff Nathan has written for other outlets that we just re-post here. As well, we'll be tossing in some random odds 'n' ends of notable things from the past 12 months. So please stay tuned for all of that. In the meantime, here's a collective list of our 25 favorite full-length albums from 2014.

Love,
Uncle BNB

1. Watery Love – Decorative Feeding (In The Red)
Much like fellow Pennsylvanians Pissed Jeans, Watery Love play loud, heavy punk that's driven by an unsettling vocalist (formerly of Clockcleaner) who screams the type of scathing admonitions that dig their way deep into your brain matter and set up shop. On "Face The Door" Richie Charles repeats the line, "unlike you dickheads, I welcome death" so many times that by the end of the song you're like, "yeah me too!"

2. Run The Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike) – Run The Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal)
There's a common misconception that Kim Kardasian and her bare naked cosmetically enhanced buttocks broke the Internet. But that's impossible because the Internet was already broken by Run The Jewels 2. El-P, for all his titled cap buffoonery takes hip-hop very, very seriously. And Killer Mike, well he just goes hard. One of the things that makes Run The Jewels work so well is the personality that that pair have cultivated as a duo. While their music is tough-as-nails hip-hop, their outwardly appearance is a satirical caricature-like ode to a much more dangerous time in rap music.

3. The Murder City Devils – The White Ghost Has Blood on Its Hands Again (Murder City Devils)
Off-stage Spencer Moody is a quiet, awkward if not unassuming man. But when he takes center stage for The Murder City Devils he transforms into a rascally, howling maniac. On this album, the Seattle-based band's first full-length since 2000, he's more hoarse-throated and irate than ever before. The White Ghost, in all it's eerie, emotive garage punk glory, is quintessential Murder City Devils.

4. Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron (Top Dawg Ent. / Interscope)
Oxymoron is the first album out of the TDE/Black Hippy camp since good kid, m.A.A.d city catapulted Kendrick Lamar to stardom. And with its arrival, Schoolboy Q has emerged much in the same way: a conflicted individual whose rhyme scheme and subject matter is as varied as his beat selection.

5. Padkarosda – Szabadulásom Művészete (Wake Up And Live)
Hungarian band that plays a ’80s-influenced style of punk. They use vocal effects and dissonant guitars to push the sound beyond the confines of simple genre tags like ‘raw punk’ or ‘hardcore.’ I’m not real familiar with the old Hungarian bands these guys claim to be influenced by but I hear discernible bits of other international hardcore acts in there; like Italy’s Stinky Rats, Finland’s Riistetyt, and Spain’s Glam. This is a cassette-only version for release in the US. It’s really nice packaging, all done in various shades of purple, which really adds to the aura of the music contained therein. The bass is distorted and subbed to death, which I love, while the drumming is both frantic and on point. But it’s the uniquely atmospheric guitar effects at play here that standout as the band’s defining sound.

6. Apollo Brown & Rass Kass – Blasphemy (Mello Music Group)
If you've heard one Apollo Brown loop you've heard them all. And that's a compliment. Dude is so consistent it should be illegal. Paired with D.I.T.C. legend OC and fellow Detroiter Guilty Simpson, he's made some of the best hip-hop in recent memory. This year he teamed up with veteran Cali emcee Rass Kass and the results are no different. Rass Kass been in the game for a minute—with releases dating back to ’96—and is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence thanks to Blasphemy. The synergy between the two is irrefutable; recalling rap history’s most revered deejay & emcee combos.

7. Dark Blue – Pure Reality (Jade Tree)
This Philadelphian trio traverse in the dark-punk/post-punk/gothic style that's risen in popularity in the last few years. John Sharkey III nails the Ian Curtis/Andrew Eldritch harrowing baritone style in a way that will make you forget a band like Interpol ever existed.

So if I understand this right, this dude John moved his family from Philly all the way across the world to Australia where he worked as a night watchman on a college campus. It was cool kinda cool. After two years he moved them back to Philly where he hates his neighborhood and his life, which is not cool. Somewhere in the midst of all of this he wrote this really fabulous album about it.

8. Dilated Peoples – Directors of Photography (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Continuing the revitalization that began with 2011's Cats & Dogs on through to Lord Steppington, his Step Brothers collaboration with Alchemist earlier this year, Evidence regroups with fellow emcee Rakaa Iriscience and deejay DJ Babu for the first Dilated Peoples album since 2006. The result hearkens back to those early underground backpack days: hard beats, record scratching, and slick dual emcee interplay.

9. White Lung – Deep Fantasy (Domino)
Word is singer Mish Way doesn't like when you compare her band to a certain other now-defunct PNW-based band, which is weird because it's pretty much undeniable and usually meant as a compliment of the highest regard.

If there's one album from this year who's songs I walk around humming even when it's not on it's been this one. This is this Vancouver punk’s third and most spirited album to date. Chock full of anthemic melodies and pulse-manipulating guitar work that sticks with you long after the tone arm has returned to its resting position.

10. Has-Lo & Castle – Live Like You're Dead (Mello Music Group)
Two relatively unknown emcees coming together to create an album that is rooted in boom-bap but has a fair amount of experimental parts interwoven throughout it. Live Like You're Dead recalls Native Tongues legends like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest in a way that sounds unmistakably current.

11. Ex-Cult – Midnight Passenger (Goner)
Like the majority of the bands on this list, this Memphis crew—led by Chris Shaw of Vile Nation on vocals—understand that the best punk is a result of mashing a whole bunch of styles together to create something uniquely original. They take Krautrock, post-punk, psych, anarcho-punk and whole bunch of other stuff and throw it all in a blender. Then they pour it in a turkey baster, jam it in your ear, and force it deep into the recesses of your brain. You’re totally fucked but you feel kind of tough. Like a lanky punk walking down the street in the dead of winter, smoking a cigarette and wearing an open leather jacket with no shirt underneath.

12. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata (Madlib Invazion)
Piñata is straight-up gangster rap. Madlib’s beats, which are culled from old-school soul, funk, and blaxploitation, are the backdrop to Gangsta Gibbs signature misogyny, drug dealing, and pistol play. He’ll give the listener a glimpse of his softer side but he always holds back just enough as to not compromise his rugged ghetto-hardened exterior.

13. Lumpy & The Dumpers – Collection (Space Ritual)
These St. Louis dirtbags have had a prolific couple of years. Thanks to a handful of slimy demos and singles and noteworthy live shows they've caught the attention of purest-of-heart punks and taste-making culture vulture media conglomerates alike.

This LP brings together all of their recorded material to date, including the Total Punk 7", which features the punk song of the year, “Gnats in the Pisser." It's hard for me to continue talking about this band without using the F word multiple times a sentence, so I'll fucking quit right the fuck now.

14. Ratking – So It Goes (HXC / XL)
Ratking is a group of youngsters from NYC made up of rappers Wiki and Hak and producer Sporting Life. They mix an alluring cocktail of post-everything/no-nothing (punk, wave, EDM, graffiti culture, whatever) noise that is strangely and undeniably hip-hop. So It Goes is their debut full-length LP.

15. Boston Strangler – Fire (Boston Strangler)
One of the more anticipated albums of the year that nobody knew about. And by nobody I mean me, until I heard about it on Twitter, at which point I began anticipating it being sold out everywhere.

All the angry, punishing hardcore mosh from Primitive is still intact, but they've expanded their sound  somewhat. These songs are more melodic (think Blood For Blood) and there's even a touch of Oi! in there, which is likely the result of being from the same area as legendary groups like The Bruisers. This is tough guy stuff but not in a shoving-kids-in-lockers-y way.

Good luck finding this one. Maybe sell plasma or something so you can pay collector scum prices on Discogs.

16. Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild – Silk Pyramids (Thrice Great LLC)
Meyhem Lauren, the man responsible for the standout mixtapes Respect the Fly Shit and Mandatory Brunch Meetings, returns with an official album alongside legendary D.I.T.C. beatsmith Buckshot. And as expected from these two New Yorkers the result is straight boom to the bap. Silk Pyramids is the perfect soundtrack for a transit commute through the city, which is a great way to judge a rap record's worth.

17. The Estranged – Self Titled LP (Sabotage)
The Estranged’s members are associated with crusty hardcore acts like Hellshock, From Ashes Rise, Lebenden Toten, and Remains of the Day so it might come as a surprise that they play post-punk, death-rock, and other subgenres that require hyphenated descriptors that sounds textured, un-cold, and, well, fun.

18. Iron Hand – Injected Fear (Safety Meeting)
D-beat hardcore that swims in the Scandinavian / Portland epic crust end of the pool; in the instrumentation at least. The vocals lend it some tough-guy-metal-core vibes, but not in a way that conjures up images of varsity logos, sXe calf tattoos, and Nike Cortez’s. Nike Cortez’s are dope though.

19. Eastlink – Self Titled (In The Red)
Featuring members of Total Control, UV Race and other Melbourne acts, these guys bring fuzzed-out, droning punk weirdness to the forefront and then slather it in laborious riffs and monochromatic dual vocals for maximum LSD brain burn.

20. Creative Adult – Psychic Mess (Run For Cover)
Moody, reverb-heavy post-punk/post-hardcore with flourishes of goth and garage rock. Underneath everything lays a pulsing rhythm that allows them to hop in and out of genres while maintaining a cohesive tone.

21. Nots – We Are Nots (Goner)
I'm kind of sick of the term "weird punk" because punk by nature is supposed to be weird. That being said, Nots is weird punk (i.e., they have a keyboard player). Also, I predict Nots will blow up and become a band that's not supposed to be cool to punks anymore. And oh boy will that ever be a shame for those silly punks.

22. Brain F≠ – Empty Set (Grave Mistake / Sorry State)
Angst-y, bouncy punk rock. Melodic male-female vocal tradeoff gives it a sense of charm that’s hard to ignore. Close your eyes and let the fuzzy basslines, driving drums, and spirited guitar transport you to some damp basement party in 1993. Also, the cocaine guy just showed up.

23. Teledrome – Self Titled (FDH / P.Trash)
How many hardcore bands screaming about “until the day we die” can you take, am I right? When some super ’80s style digi-punk comes along, it gives my eardrums a boner and my actual boner a hard-on. Dark, moody, and synth-heavy one man gig out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

24. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I'm Your Mind Fuzz (Heavenly / Castle Face / Flightless)
I'm not exactly sure what it is that I like about this so much. Maybe because it reminds me of watching the original Woodstock movie with my dad. Or maybe because it reminds me of driving to Woodstock '94 with my dad. Or maybe because it reminds me of getting really high my freshman year of college and listening to my friend Matt's Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cassettes in the dorms. Especially the one that had the song "Woodstock" on it. I wanna call this hippie shit, or, maybe, hipster shit, but it's not totally either. Kind of like a combo of both but with punk tendencies and awash in psychedelic burnout vibes galore. In short, I'm not at all surprised that this came out on Castle Face. I'm only surprised that I like it.

25. Merchandise / Destruction Unit / Milk Music – USA '13 (540 Records)
A three-way vinyl split commemorating the tour these bands did together back in 2013. Merchandise and Destruction Unit both contribute two songs, while Milk Music goes the extra mile and does three. I think this marks the third release that "Thrashing Into the Unknown" is on. Honestly could do without the Merchandise songs on any other day but they work really well here alongside Destruction Unit's psychedelic sunburn and Milk Music's guitar-for-guitar's-sake Mascis/nu-grunge vibes. Some heavy drone and groove throughout the whole thing here. Listening to this reminds me of reading Nuts! fanzine, however that works.  

So, what do you think? Any glaring omissions?  Are we full of shit?  We want to know. Let's hammer this out, ya'll!  Also, we were serious before; we do really want to know how you're doing. Comment below, Tweet, or email.  Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Scene Report: Run The Jewels, Ratking live at The Fine Line

Run The Jewels, Ratking live; The Fine Line Music Cafe; Minneapolis, MN; 11/20/14
By Nathan G. O'Brien for Scene Point Blank

Earlier this week I attended an artist’s talk/writer’s workshop-type thing here in Minneapolis. Kevin Bowe, who’s toured with Paul Westerberg, recorded as a member of the Replacements, produced the Meat Puppets, and written award winning songs for people that can’t write them themselves, was interviewing Jon Bream, the lead music critic for the Star Tribune. Bream has been writing about music since 1974, so he’s pretty much seen, listened to, written, and read it all.
 
In a rather leading manner Bowe asked Bream about his approach to writing concert reviews, following up his question by stating, “I don’t want to hear about how many beers the reviewer drank; I want to know if the show was good.”

Bream said that even though he doesn’t write that way, mostly because he works for a daily, that he thinks it’s totally legitimate to interject oneself into the story. “An event review is ultimately about the experience of the person who’s writing about it.” Said Bream. “If the reviewer drank four whiskey Cokes it is likely going to affect their experience. Why choose to ignore that?”

I had six beers tonight.

By the time I arrived at the Fine Line I was already three beers deep. I had a Fat Tire Amber Ale and a Fixed Gear American Red at home prior to leaving. I also had can of Hamm’s which I mainlined in two ginormous chugs in the parking lot behind the venue. Upon entering I stopped to take in the scene for a moment, opened my arms wide, and declared vociferously, “HIP-HOP!” A few people looked at me sideways, and a few others raised their drinks in agreement. It felt good to be out, as up until very recently I’d been sidelined for nearly four months as the result of a ruptured achilles tendon. I quickly made my way to the bar and got myself a Summit Saga IPA.

...Read entire review here, including fancy set list, beer count, and things like that.

Nathan's Zine Review II

Nathan's Zine Review: 99mm, Jerk Store, Throat Culture
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Tuff Gnarl

“You! Hands on the hood! Now!”

That’s Police Officer no. 1. He has just exited his squad car with one hand on his gun and the other pointing a firm finger in my direction. This comes just moments after he had driven said squad car across an opposing lane and up onto the curb directly in front of me where it has screeched to a stop just inches before crushing my legs.

“Sir…whoa…wha…what’s going on?” And then, “Ouch, that hurts!”

That’s me. I have just had my hands cuffed behind me and they are now being aggressively pushed up towards my shoulder blades. He’s pushing well beyond my allowed range of motion and into what I think must surely be ligament-damaging territory.

He asks me what I was doing in the train yards. I reply quickly, “Taking photographs.” But that’s only half of the truth.  ...Read entire article, including zine reviews here.

Get Dead By Living Fanzine OUT NOW~!

HOTDOGDAYZ//GET DEAD BY LIVING//FANZINE

Half-size, 20 pages, photocopied, full-color. Graffiti, beer, food, and other shit that kills you.

Only five copies in existence. Get them from Nathan at: @OMG_NOB