For the Record

Published May 4, 2009

The lovely folks at The Indy (namely Dayna) asked me to review some records for their last issue of the season, and I was absolutely thrilled to do it. Through the process I realized that, while I may have more knowledge of "indie music" (whatever that may mean,) I may be a better rap writer? See for yourself. The first album is available for free download, and it be near impossible to land your mitts on a legal copy of the second. Many thanks to the editors at The Indy where you can go to read it, or you can just scroll down.

Dat Kid From Cleveland
Kid Cudi
[G.O.O.D. Music], 2009

Mixtapes are the minor leagues of rap, and few wordsmiths ever get drafted to the big time. Without the budget for big name verses and producers, amateur rappers 'borrow' beats and offer tracks for free download, all in an effort to attract attention (and avoid getting sued for copyrighted infringement). But Kid Cudi's is a different story. With a sophomore effort that confirms his first--A KiD Named CuDi--wasn't a fluke, Cudi has successfully earned his shot at becoming the soundtrack to your next dance party, the next beat to rattle the subs in your trunk.

As for his qualifications, it doesn't hurt to be under the wing of rap's most awesome ego. Kid Cudi is to Kanye as Drake is to Weezy, or Em was to Dre. His forthcoming debut album will be released on Ye's label, but even before his official premiere this summer, he'll already have put together over 30 tracks of a quality uncommon to mixtapes.

On Dat Kid From Cleveland, Cudi navigates the uncomfortably saccharine elements of pop music and appropriates the anthemic from professional hit makers, knowing when to let others take over on the hook (like Cash Money singer-songwriter Kevin Rudolf on "Welcome 2 the World"). "Welcome" strays questionably close to tragic crossover territory, but somehow redeems itself through the bizarre contrast between verse and chorus, proving that the interaction between the two is what makes the song so catchy. Cudi also lets infectiousness do its job on the Lady Gaga-sample-centric "I Poke Her Face," which features verses from Kanye and Common.

The real centerpiece of the album, "Daps & Pounds," is its only truly exclusive track; by now the rest is old news to those with internet wiles. Production by the Jungle Club turns chopped instrument samples into unidentifiable sustains and decays, and a wavering chorus of low drones (think a more sinister West Side Story gang) makes the song feel devious as all hell. Cudi picks up and expands on the mischief by dropping his voice and hushing a relentless flow that almost screams for synchronized snaps on every other beat, all the while maintaining a very modern cool in spite of all its old-school referentiality. If Dat Kid from Cleveland is any indication of what hits may come, Kid Cudi might usurp Lil' Bow Wow's title of most memorable flow to ever come out of Ohio.

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Moon Colony Bloodbath
Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice
[4AD], 2009

Being the music snob that he is, John Darneille knows how to rile up the collectors with his limited-release collaborative EPs. After The Mountain Goats and Kaki King's Black Pear Tree last year, it was only logical that the next album, Moon Colony Bloodbath, be limited to a press of just 1,000 copies. And it's no surprise that it's available solely on vinyl, the first 200 copies of which are green. This time, the grooves are graced by recent Goats tour mate and producer John Vanderslice.

From the moment the hand claps kick in on "Surrounded," it's clear that Moon Colony Bloodbath is more than just a Mountain Goats record with extra flare. Vanderslice, who founded the legendary Tiny Telephone analog studio, not only layers instrumentation to flavor Darnielle's down-strummed acoustic songwriting, but also serves as part-time lead vocalist. This interplay of voices makes for a unique approach to the album's narrative arc, which is best summed up by its title. Following a "loose rock opera/'concept album'" schema (Darnielle's words), Moon Colony Bloodbath centers around an organ-harvesting colony on the moon.

The first tracks are solid irrespective of their shared motifs of space, technology and surgery, but fail to reveal the crux of the story. Old fans will recognize this sort of treatment from Darnielle, who can't help but create fanciful, passionately delivered narratives with just enough personal references to make us wonder how fictional they are. While you might expect such a far-flung aspiration to produce light-hearted results, the album doesn't make any significant departure from the Johns' standard repertoire of felt, intriguing songwriting.

Darnielle's nasal voice and journalistic lyrics serve well to propel the plot, while his frantic strumming conveys the urgency of such an affront to humanity. Vanderslice's contributions are as crucial to the album's achievements, the production introducing a sonic depth that allows for the creation of this extreme fantasy. Similarly, his more soothing (but still dramatic) voice adds a polished yet human element to a vision that might otherwise feel horrific or bizarre.

Darnielle begins as the willing donor, or is at least complacent and eager to escape material life; Vanderslice is his deliverance in the form of a runner with an ambiguous sense of ethics. Darnielle too turns into a "John the Ripper," and goes about collections. Things get a little bit more complicated from there, as the songs grow more cryptic. Darnielle personifies a tree, Vanderslice begs for submission and we conclude with Darnielle's bittersweet escape from the farm, kicking over incubators on his way out.