Artist: Aesop Rock

Album: The Impossible Kid

Released: April 29, 2016

Label: Rhymesayers

Musicians

• Aesop Rock – Lead Vocals
• DJ Zone – Scratching
• Grimace Federation – Synthesizer, Rhodes, guitar, organ
• James Lynch – Bass Guitar
• Allyson Baker – Guitar
• Carnage the Executioner – Beatboxing

I first heard about Aesop Rock when I was maybe 13 years old. I was just starting to explore music that wasn’t classic rock and metal and hearing hip-hop and rap music that didn’t sound like what was on the radio was pretty refreshing. One of my friends showed me the album None Shall Pass and I was definitely intrigued as I hadn’t really listened to any underground or alternative hip-hop. Between this and Adult Swim’s Definitive Swim compilation I all of a sudden became a hip-hop fan and went on a tangent of listening to more current alternative rappers like Camu Tao, Despot, and El-P and going back in time to dig into classic 90’s artists like Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, and Phi Life Cypher.

In the case of Aesop Rock, he took a little bit of a backseat as I explored these other artists. I didn’t really revisit his music until I saw the release of The Impossible Kid. To my surprise, he had managed to develop and refine his lyricism and flow to an even higher level than his already impressive early 2000s level. On top of that, the beats he was rhyming over had become HUGE. The drums were hard hitting and complex and his sample use was bolstered with the inclusion of a huge array of synth sounds. Since the release of The Impossible Kid he has released a few more albums, continuing to push the boundaries of his sound and continuing to develop as an artist.

Top Tracks:

4: “Dorks”

Often, Aesop Rock’s lyrics go right over my head. I appreciate his ability to artfully combine words but outside of appreciating the complexity of his rhyme schemes and the rhythm he delivers them with, I usually don’t get it. “Dorks” is different though. It is incredibly clever and even sometimes funny. All of the lines that start with “You fuckin’ dorks” make me chuckle every time. That is one of the most goofy but effective insults I can think of. My favorite line on the whole album, from this track is “Party over here, I’ll be over there”. I have never related to a rap song more than that. For an added bit of bonus fun with this song you can jump on lyrics forums and read through a bunch of dorks arguing about what rappers they think Aesop Rock is talking about in this song.

7: “Blood Sandwich”

Some of Aesop Rock’s most hard hitting songs are the ones where he spends a good chunk of the time rapping over melodic sections of the beats that don’t have drums. On this track we make it almost halfway through before we get the big beat drop payoff and it pays off big time. The change up at that point really transforms the mood of this song and brings it into alignment with the sad nostalgia being expressed in the lyrics. Like on “Dorks”, I definitely don’t miss the meaning of the lyrics of this track. They are very obvious by Aesop’s standards but he still paints the picture of his memories with his brother in his normal, chock full of syllables, metaphors and similes.

13: “Defender”

I picked the first two top tracks mostly for the lyrics but this one is all about the BEAT. Of course the lyrics in this song are genius because it's Aesop Rock but this beat is a straight up neck snapper. The drums are super punchy but very much no frills. It is a simple, kick snare pattern with lots of swing and a few faint cymbal hits in the background for texture. Even the melodic elements of this song are fairly simple and repeat on a loop along with the drums. As this strong beat is allowed to ride out on repeat it lets Aesop sit DEEP in the pocket with his lyrical delivery and even further strengthen the groove. If you don’t bob your head when this song comes on, there is a good chance you might suffer from a lack of rhythm.

This Then This Then This is a listening exercise. You are presented with three albums arranged in a specific order where the first and last are not all that similar but the second one contains enough common elements from the others to link them together. It is strongly encouraged that you listen to all three albums in succession (in one sitting if possible) and connect your own dots before reading further to see what common threads brought these all together in my head.

In Volume 1 of this series, we explore how Holy Hive’s self-titled Album ties together Midlake’s The Courage of Others with El Michels Affair’s Adult Themes. As a self described “Folk Soul” band and artist on Leon Michels’ Big Crown Records, it is no surprise Holy Hive is able to bridge the gap between these two incredible albums.

The Courage of Others ➪ Holy Hive

Vocals

• Both Tim Smith of Midlake and Paul Spring of Holy Hive come from a folk music background and it is evident in the way they deliver their vocals. The lines of their songs are delivered in an impactful yet subdued manner à la Simon and Garfunkel.  Many of the vocal melodies lean heavily on returning to a single note or remaining there for extended phrases. This also plays well into the overall dreamy quality of both albums. Some of the most obvious examples of Holy Hive’s vocals mirroring The Courage of Others are “Ain’t That the Way”, “Deadly Valentine”, “A Wind Rose”, and “Great Chains”.

Rhythmic Elements

• As mentioned in the above section, these two albums often evoke dreamlike feelings. One of the most important factors in this are the rhythmic structures of many of the songs. If you were to listen to Midlake’s “Children of the Ground” directly into Holy Hive’s “Deadly Valentine” you may just inadvertently slip into a trance. Both songs have an incredibly cyclical and hypnotic style where many layers build on top of and then recede from a repeating guitar part. Song structures like this are heavily prevalent in other tracks like Midlake’s “The Courage of Others” and “Small Mountain” and Holy Hive’s “Ain’t That the Way” and “Golden Crown”.

Instrument Selection

• One last standout similarity between these two albums is the instruments included and how they are combined. On a majority of tracks there is a blend of both acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments and electric guitars. To further the folksy and mythical sound of these albums some more non-traditional rock instruments like flutes, recorders, and harpsichords fill out the lush productions.

Holy Hive ➪ Adult Themes

Soul/Hip Hop Flavor

• A constant thought I had when first listening to either of these albums was “somebody should sample this!”. El Michels affair has some deep connections to hip-hop and soul through projects with members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Leon Michels’ association with Daptone Records and Soul Fire. Being that Holy Hive is on the same label, Big Crown (co-founded by Leon Michels), as El Michels Affair undoubtedly has some influence on them having that same built for hip-hop beats sound. I think my favorite example of tracks I am dying to hear get chopped up by RZA or The Alchemist are “Cythia’s Meditation” from Holy Hive and “A Swift Nap” or “Hipps” from Adult Themes.

Cinematic Vibe

• Every track on these albums definitely suggests a certain mood and either album would be right at home as the backing track for a quirky, indie art film. This is obviously intentional on Adult Themes as El Michels Affair is described as a “Cinematic Soul” group. This is very apparent on the opening tracks of both albums, Holy Hive’s “Color it Easy” and Adult Themes’ “Enfant”. In either instance, all that follows perfectly meets the expectations set out by these introductory songs: you are about to get some beautifully melodic and expressive songs held together by a strong rhythm section.

The Definitive Connection

Holy Hive’s “Brooklyn Ferry” is what I think is the strongest link between The Courage of Others and Adult Themes. This track opens up with a stunning, traditional folk vocal section that seamlessly slips into a super groovy soul section across only three words: “face to face”. From there it weaves in and out of the two vocal styles while pulling other folk elements, like a soft flute/recorder (I can't tell the difference...maybe it is even a Mellotron) backing melody. All of this sits on top of a funky drum rhythm and buttery bass line.

Artist: The Byrds

Album: Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Released: August 30, 1968

Label: Columbia

Artist: The Byrds

Album: “Sweetheart of the Rodeo”

Released: August 30, 1968

Label: Columbia

Band Members

• Roger McGuinn - acoustic guitar, banjo, vocals
• Chris Hillman - electric bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar, vocals
• Gram Parsons - acoustic guitar, piano, organ, vocals
• Kevin Kelley - drums

Additional Personnel

• Lloyd Green – pedal steel guitar
• JayDee Maness – pedal steel guitar
• Clarence White - electric guitar
• John Hartford - banjo, fiddle, acoustic guitar
• Roy Husky - double bass
• Earl P. Ball - piano
• Barry Goldberg - piano

Growing up, there were very few times when I had an appreciation for country or folk music. Sometime in high school that began changing when I started doing deeper dives into artists I enjoyed and their influences. Artists like Jack White had me going down rabbit holes of delta blues and American roots music. I would follow those bread crumbs forwards in time taking me down roads that passed Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan and then going back and finding the exits I missed that introduced me to Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, and the nearly infinite styles of jazz. But, the one thing that solidified my now love for country and western music was the soundtrack to the movie Easy Rider.

Without going on too much of a rant on how much I love Easy Rider and it’s soundtrack (because I am supposed to be telling you about an entirely different album but definitely go watch that movie if you haven’t seen it) songs like Fraternity of Man’s “Don’t Bogart Me”, The Holy Modal Rounders’ “If You Want to be a Bird” and The Byrds’ “Wasn’t Born to Follow” had me questioning why I had waited so long to check out old school country music. I didn’t know much about the Byrds other than “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” so I committed to seeing what they were all about.

I started where all good information seeking journeys start, Wikipedia. I saw that the one constant member of the band was founding member Roger McGuinn. I had only seen that name in one other place before then and that was as the artist that sings “The Ballad of Easy Rider”. That pretty much hooked me in for a full examination of The Byrds. The next thing that grabbed my attention was reading about how when Gram Parsons joined the band he started pushing them to try out a little more country and a little less psychedelic elements in their songs. Parsons' influence was what ultimately led to the recording of Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Though most sources list this album as “country rock”, it is a whole lot more country than anything else. More songs than not have some very Bakersfield pedal steel guitars or more Appalachian style instruments like fiddles and banjos. The vast majority of tracks are either covers of classic country songs or country reimaginings of other popular songs. Despite a lack of original material, The Byrds capture an authentic and quintessentially country sound on this album.

Top Tracks:

3: “The Christian Life”

I would definitely say taking on a Louvin Brothers song is a BOLD move but The Byrds manage to maintain the original spirit of the track while giving it a little more rugged and peppy feel. The Byrds are one of the few groups from the psychedelic sixties that can do the harmonies on this track any justice. They mostly manage that by doing it in their style and not trying to do the impossible task of sounding like Charles and Ira Louvin.

4: “You Don’t Miss Your Water”

Sticking with the theme of this album, The Byrds put their own spin on another already incredible song. In this instance, the original is a soul song from William Bell. This is far and away my favorite song on this album and one of my favorite country songs period. It has all the stuff you’d want to hear when you are looking for classic country music. There is a bouncy honky tonk piano, a waltzy backbeat, some high lonesome vocals, and a velvety pedal steel guitar part (played by JayDee Maness, the guy who plays pedal steel on all three of my “Top Tracks”). It all comes together into a masterclass in, let me say it one more time, COUNTRY MUSIC.

5: “You’re Still on My Mind”Like “The Christian Life” The Byrds rework this well known and often covered song and give it the Sweetheart treatment. Luke McDaniel’s original work is sped up and filled out with all of the ingredients that make the rest of this album so iconic sounding. The main thing that puts this song above others is that the lyrics are incredibly stereotypically country and I love it. It is just a song about being heartbroken and getting drunk and there isn’t anything much more country music than that.

Artist: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol

Album: Grease Beast

Released: July 25, 2019

Label: Earthbound Audio and Media

Band Members:

• Leo Lydon - Vocals/Guitar
• Sean St. Germain - Drums
• Aaron Metzdorf - Bass/backing vocals

When is a metal band not a metal band but it is also definitely a metal band? I don’t know but, Grease Beast is fucking heavy and it rocks. Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol frontman, Leo Lydon, takes fuzzy, hard driving, rock riffs and plays them on a guitar suitable for a Slipknot cover band. This lands them in some murky lands, genre-wise but that is the main reason this EP rules. At only 4 tracks long, the journey is over way too soon but, luckily for anyone reading this now, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol released a full length album in 2020, “Burger Babes...From Outer Space!” and it kicks just as much ass as this.

Top Tracks:

2: “Gravedigger”

This track starts off with one of the very few mellow points on the whole EP. It doesn’t last for long as the rest of the band joins in to beef up the sludgy intro guitar riff. For about the first 3:00 of this song you are teetering on the edge of a heavy breakdown. Every change up between different riffs and little fills feels like it's about to go off. Then, finally it pays off BIG TIME and you get sent out on a seriously brutal last minute of jam.

3: “Grease Beast”All three band members on the title track of this EP are in peak form but it is the drums that really steal the show. The way Sean St. Germain switches from playing super straight to synching up with the rhythm of the bass and guitar makes this song full of groove. He also punches up the song with some big, slow, Bill Ward-esque rolls and Bonham-flavored fills and cymbal work (especially to close out the song).

Artist: I Know Leopard

Album: Love is a Landmine

Released: April 5, 2019

Label: Ivy League Records

Band Members:

• Luke O'Loughlin - Vocals, Keyboards
• Rosie Fitzgerald - Bass, Backing Vocals
• Jennifer McCullagh - Violin, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
• Todd Andrews - Guitar

I don’t remember the first time I heard Sydney, Australia’s I Know Leopard but, unsurprisingly, it was in their home country where they really burrowed into my brain. My partner and I were sitting by a pool waiting for our ferry back to the mainland after a day of snorkeling and hiking on Fitzroy Island. Luckily for us, the bartender at the swim up bar had pretty excellent taste in music. After a few tracks, a song came on and when the chorus hit I caught myself humming and singing along. I didn’t know how I knew the song and I definitely couldn’t have named the band. A quick search of the few lyrics I knew told me that the song was the title track of this album. I couldn’t get the song out of my head and this album became the soundtrack for nearly all of the long drives for the rest of our two weeks in Australia.

Since then, I have listened to this album front to back countless times. Love is a Landmine is packed with retro, soft-rock grooves. All of the tracks are cleanly produced and packaged in a way that lets every layer and tiny detail shine through. Each playthrough exposes new little moments hiding in between huge synthesizers, punchy drums, and silky vocal melodies.

TOP TRACKS

1: “Landmine”

“Landmine” definitively sets the tone of this album opening with sweeping strings that abruptly cut into a thumping bass and drums combo that walk you into the song. Right out of the gate, Luke O'Loughlin drops my personal favorite lyric of the entire album: “I can't even look at you without the burn that turns my insides black and blue”. This song also uses the most rad synthesizer sound on the whole album that leads into and mimics the bass line in the chorus sections of the song. It adds an awesome texture to this section to help it contrast the softness in the verses.      

2: “Everything Goes With You”

One of this track’s greatest strengths is the way it balances the straight ahead groove of the verses with the swaying, floaty choruses. I attribute this to the synergy between incredibly tight drum sounds and super buttery bass lines that shine through both sections. This is put on full display during the break at 1:50 -  2:15  where we are treated to a call and response between the two that builds into the final verse section.

3: “Heather”

This is undoubtedly the most in your face song on the album. It is a complete JAM that utilizes the quiet chorus/loud verse template with perfection. When the first “HEATHER!” hits it is a head-banging moment every time. On top of that, this track is full of the same lush, layered instrumentation that the rest of the album is built on.  

8: “1991”

This song is just straight up FUN. It has that sound and vibe that is nostalgic to everyone no matter what generation you come from. If you can listen to this song without dancing you should get yourself checked out. As is standard on this album, it has killer grooves built around the rhythm section, beautiful vocal melodies and a soaring synth lead.