Sportn' Life Records

​"Unapologetic" isn't just a token adjective writers use to describe Fatal Lucciauno's ruthless verbiage on record, it's a well-earned medallion solidified by the genuine callousness of his steroidal bravado. Nearly five years since the release of his street-savvy debut The Only Forgotten Son, Lucciauno returns with The Message EP, which leads up to his formal sophomore effort Respect (which Gwendolyn has already reviewed here), out the 21st of this month.

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​French Letters
In Tongues
Out now

French Letters is no different than any other spoken-word, hip-hop, jazz infused, avante-guard rock five-piece ... they're all over the place. In a good way, that is. In Tongues destroys any and every genre barrier a record store owner could possibly throw at it, and the result is a 10-song franken-album of emotional-meets-snarky poetry and a big band.

The CD flows staggered and unexpected, which is a fun aural treat. "When it Mattered" starts it off with spoken poetry over a steady, thumping bass. It's short, yet punchy, with enough attitude to radiate through every track. Then, as if the bass never dies out, "West Ashley Crosstown" begins with upstroke, jazz guitar and soft drum rolls.

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membersonly206.bandcamp.com

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Artist: Thaddeus David
Album: Maven
Label: Members Only
Release Date: January 27, 2012

State Of The Artist/Helluvastate representative Thaddeus David (AKA Thadwick Tristen Trevor III) has just released Maven, a sixteen-track grouping of songs that show off his razor-tongued raps as well as ever. There's a fair helping of tasty production on the album's front half as well: name-brands like Kuddie Fresh, Dj Semaj, Ski Team and Jester are represented; all of whom register A-grade performances. The remainder of the album (which you can hear here by the way) is filled in with second hand beats, and internet finds that are surprisingly clean in quality, and provide an apt playground for his various lyrical thoughts, yet they also serve as a reminder of how awesome Thad sounds over his Helluvastate teammate Tay Sean's smokey funk instros. Last year's Adventures in Helluvastate was outstanding, and a genuine chemistry was discovered. Though Thad has proven here that he can handily hold down a full-sized project, having TS (who appears on AIH as Swan Coltrane) to toss the mic to really only makes him better. Their styles are similar enough to make sense, and unique enough to keep things fresh.

To sum things up: Maven finds Thaddeus David rapping quite nicely, and toying with some interesting song ideas; and speaking of interesting songs, I can't wait to hear more Helluvastate.

Check out Thadd's video for "Crown Royal" from Maven after the jump...

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​nonnon
El Socialismo
Out now

Crazy, spastic electronic music isn't for everyone. There's no discernable melody and the progressions are as predictable as the Tea Party. But what El Socialismo lacks in predictability -- or any form of coherency, for that matter -- it makes up with sheer talent.

The beats and drops are powerful and perfectly placed, bouncing and bopping all over the place. This is musical anarchy at it's finest, with a huge middle finger to anyone who likes their music with a 4/4 rock beat, a sing-along chorus and a Diet Coke.

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​Lowlands
The Largest Army
January 18

You know that part in your favorite indie flick when the guy finally gets the girl, and they embrace in a passionate kissing session beneath the falling rain? Lowlands practically wrote the soundtrack. Not literally, of course, but in a folksy, "lull me with your tender words" sort of way.

The Largest Army encompasses the passion and prowess necessary to truly pull off a successful indie-rock album. It's crisp and smooth, with warm vocals and a wave of tension that pulls and pops effortlessly. Tom Rorem has a deeper, shapely voice that stands out in a genre run by guys that almost always sound like they're wearing black glasses and a plaid shirt.

In the standout song, "Pilgrims Progress," Rorem's voice has a Yoni Wolf spark to it, which shines the most when the instruments fall away and he sings over a snare drum with a stick tapping the rim: "I'm a heart without a lover, like a bird without a beak, adding to this conversation, in a language no one speaks."

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nicenate.bandcamp.com

Fact: The wiener dog is well known in hip hop circles as the patron saint of the MPC.

​Artist: Nice Nate
Album: milo.
Label: self-released
Release: December 28, 2011

Our Clubs Editor Erin Thompson sold me on Seattle producer Nice Nate the second she mentioned that his new album's cover art featured a wiener dog, and I've been staring at it all day. While a wiener dog marquee may set expectations unreasonably high for a record, Nate was able to put forth some interesting material here, and should not be ashamed of his effort. The ten track album, titled milo. takes a plunge into medium-fi beat construction that lands somewhere in the overlap of the Madlib/Baths venn diagram. There are samples present, as well as left-right channel floating, unquantized-sounding drum tracks, and a quick cross-fade cut-out (like Baths uses to death) that makes the beat sound like it's taking a breath. It's good background music that demonstrates mechanical aptitude, although musically, he's still developing.

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​The '80s are very much alive, but in a reverse-lifetime-Twilight Zone sort of way. Feel The Power incorporates all the long hair, leather pants, glam-rock antics of bands your parents listened to on LSD, but with a dash of metal timestamped 2012.

A fun and upbeat mixture of over-the-hill groups now predominately featured on late night television box set commercials with all the technical prowess and emotion of modern metal bands, Blessed by a Broken Heart shine with a touch of something missing from the super-computer that's been churning out the same song over and over on radio stations for the last five years.

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membersonly206.bandcamp.com

​Artist: Hi-Life Soundsystem
Album: Langston Hugh Hefner...Love, Weed & Other Vices
Label: Members Only
Release: January 3rd, 2012

As the title so playfully suggests, Hi-Life Soundsystem's sophomore full-length Langston Hugh Hefner...Love, Weed & Other Vices takes on a number of different personalities: it's the man-about-town on "So Flagrant"; the tender poet on "The Town" (which features Lurrell Low); and the smoked-out chillhard on the three-part studio hot-box "Smoker's Blend" (with hot vocal commodity Isabella Du Graf). There may be more kicking back this time around, but the trio (MCs Khingz and B Flat, producer Crispy) is still fit to bring bounce when they feel it's necessary. Also: interludes! Counting the intro/outro and "Smoker's Blend" trilogy, 9/16 tracks would be considered an interlude by somebody, and, you know what? I'm not mad. With their help, the album feels like a musical channel-surf, and keeps things moving.

Like their self-titled debut, the freely streaming LHHLW&OV (which one assumes is free because of the heavy sprinkling of unlicensed Miller[TM] TV spots) is more suited for party plays than heavy sifting, and as before, it's more than fine. The ever-conscious Khingz can't help but drop in a fleck of social commentary here and there, but for the most part, the Hi-Life crew lives to champion love, weed and other vices.

intothestorm.bandcamp.com

​Seattle-by-way-of-Bellingham metal quartet Into The Storm have a new 12" out called Captains. Here are a few of the thoughts I thought when I listened to it:

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Nicely frosted

​Artist: Sta Hi Brothas
Album: Chrismas Trees
Label: self-released
Release: out now

In the spirit of their F#%K A Valentine EP, Sta Hi Brothas Vitamin D and Maine have crafted a phenomenal collection of tinsel-hating jams that amount to some of the hottest holiday-slandering rap music money can't buy (it's free).

Vita twists some wintery samples into cheer-destroying slappers like only he can, and he and tag-team MC Maine take turns laying into The Season. While there isn't a down moment on the release, a definite highlight comes in the delightfully vicious slew of verses at Mr. Claus' expense on "How To Rob Santa" courtesy of Vita, Maine and [HOW THE LIVING HELL HAD HE NOT LAID DOWN A CHRISTMAS VERSE BEFORE?!] Grynch. Peace to Chuck Brown, but this is officially the best Christmas album I've ever heard.

It's also pertinent to mention that I had a conversation with Vitamin D about the commercial nature of Easter last Spring, and, suffice to say, that bunny better watch his ass.