[Syndrome] Music

I really like the direction Tyler is headed. Instead of being the outrageous, violent, "HE SAID WHAT?", rapper he's progressing and honing his music. It's becoming more personal. We have a reason to believe that he is this tortured individual. A few of his past songs have captured this feeling, Bastard and Nightmare come to mind, but a lot of his other songs seem to attempt to replicate these feelings and they come up short. Maybe it's just hard to take him seriously because he's just so god damn goofy. 

IFHY forces you to take him seriously, even though he's wearing a cartoon-action figure mask. It symbolizes the way he covers up his real feelings. He puts on this goofy, kind of creepy mask to shock people and make them laugh. But he is human and he does have emotions, and his lyrics convey that.

This songs narrative, and from what I've heard, all of wolf's narrative revolves around this dual personality. In the video for Domo 23 for example, the actual song Domo 23 plays  first followed by the video for Bimmer. Domo 23 is this braggadocious banger where Tyler talks about getting his dick sucked by European models (some of whom swallowed) and the extravagant reality his fame has brought them. Then, Bimmer comes on and Tyler completely changes into this smitten 20 year old. He compares the girl he's after to his BMW and how much he genuinely likes her.

It's this duality that I find really interesting about this album. Many rappers communicate their inner struggles and differences. In fact it's almost become mandatory for a rapper to read out his diary to the world to be noticed. Tyler does everything in his power to cover up his own feelings. He attempts to burn this diary, or at least cover it all up with white out. Yet, they still sneak through to the listener who is actually paying attention.

Death. Grips. Get on this band wagon now. It may be on fire, careening wildly down a mountain, with a pit of spikes waiting at the bottom, driven by a certifiable madman, or what have you, but this is the band wagon to be on. 

Death Grips are creating their own music their way. I haven't heard anything like this in my life. I've heard it be compared to a Waka Flocka Flame that was actually scary and not just a big teddy bear. But I don't think any comparison will do these guys justice. 

Their music is so masterfully crafted, and powerful, and just BIG. Not to mention incredibly catchy. I've been hooked on all three of their albums for about a month now, and they are rapidly becoming some of my favorite artists of all time. I don't think I have any bigger regret in life than on Saturday March 16 when I didn't even try to go see them at SXSW. I should have snuck in, no barged my way in with a battering ram to see them. Nothing could've diminished the awesomeness that could have been. 

I heard the original song by Christopher Owens a few months ago. I liked the simple but sweet guitar, and I thought the lyrics were especially potent. In many of Christopher Owens interviews he talks about how much songwriting is important to him and I think "Oh My Love" proves that he has been working to develop this.

However his vocals still lack power for me. I think his high pitched, almost, whiny voice works for a lot of the music that he has been putting out but like he mentions this is a country song and his voice doesn't work well with this.

Enter Mara Connor. I ran across this video a few days ago and was blown away by how much better she makes this song. By slowing down the tempo and adding her bluesy voice, this song gained a whole new energy. It has so much more soul and power in this rendition. Even though it's just a girl and her guitar, the emotion evoked makes it feel like a full band is playing.