AudioFrost’s Staff Picks: March 2015

Posted by Jordan Williams on April 11, 2015 · Leave a Comment 

The March edition of our monthly series, “Staff Picks,” which highlights our authors’ favorite songs released that month. Get updated below and see you in May!

Tim: “Institutionalized” – Kendrick Lamar

Sandwiched between the towering “King Kunta” and sultry “These Walls” in To Pimp A Butterfly, “Institutionalized,” the third track on Kendrick Lamar’s newest album paints a vivid description of the separation that’s grown between him and his past, but the intractable connection he still has to it. The song begins with a hushed beat and possibly the same personified conscious found in “Swimming Pools (Drank),” now shamefully admitting that it can’t let go of its roots. Bilal and Anna Wise follow this by harshly delivering a verse in first-person, describing what someone in this mindset would do if they were the POTUS.

“Institutionalized” then jumps into its remaining bulk with Snoop Dogg sleekly ‘Zooming’ a handful of times a la “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa, eventually describing recent events Kendrick has experienced breaking up his two verses that explain different aspects of what becoming a celebrity is like for someone who rises from a dimly lit place. Bilal also comes back to sing the hook as Kendrick’s grandma, crudely advising that “Shit don’t change until you get up and wash yo’ ass.” The instrumentals are incredibly paired with the vocals, consisting of an elementary hip-hop drum set, a smooth keyboard, a humming bass, an occasional somber violin, and a clarinet that may or may not have time traveled out of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” While “Institutionalized” has currently impressed me more than any other track on To Pimp a Butterfly, it’s a standout track amongst an album that is as equally detailed and crafted.

Stream To Pimp A Butterfly on Spotify here.

Jordan: “Mortal Man” – Kendrick Lamar

The outro to Kendrick Lamar’s album was one of the more powerful outros I’ve heard in recent memory. In it, Lamar questions his fans’ true support for him and his music before incorporating an intimate interview with Tupac. In one of the most humble states I’ve heard from the Compton native, Lamar humanizes himself while simultaneously bringing the audience closer toward him. The main line, “when shit hit the fan, are you still a fan?” makes each listener retrospective without alienating them, creating a productive, thought provoking record.

The song then goes into an a capella poem about respect presumably within the Black community in Compton and the United States as a whole. Subsequently, it shed light on a topic that reminded me of pro-black music in the ‘90s except using modern terminology and references that make it relevant to today. Finally, Kendrick interviews Tupac Shakur, using an unreleased interview from Shakur’s archive. The interview, which bridges the gap between Kendrick’s inspiration and Shakur’s influence, makes it seem as if Kendrick is picking up where Shakur left off. Before its conclusion, Lamar explains the title of the album, To Pimp A Butterfly, through a friend’s poem and all of a sudden you feel the impact of the entire album at once. “Mortal Man” is not only one of the better outros on an album I’ve heard but one of the better songs I’ve heard.

Stream To Pimp A Butterfly on Spotify here.

 

Aleksis: “Funk With Me” – Snails feat. Big Gigantic

It’s been quite awhile since we heard something filthy in electronic music. Something that makes you just wanna throw down, hard. There’s a certain group doing that, among them is Snails. Snails iconic “vomitstep” is obviously unique with the name itself, but he tweaks the hell out of synths then blends them with a dirty bass line.

With his vomitstep movement, he collaborates with Big Gigantic, which together they release “Funk With Me.” The track is fairly short, but it gives off the funky feel that Big G always does. The track also gives Snails his taste with a filthy drop. You’ll know when it happens.

While attending Ultra last weekend, I got the chance to hear “Funk With Me” live when I was watching Big Gigantic perform. Needless to say, the crowd went absolutely wild. It’s one thing to just hear a song through your speakers or headphones, but to hear it live and witness the craziness around you when it starts being played, you know you’ve hit something special.

 

Yakov: “Let It Happen” – Tame Impala

The 2015 streak of strong music releases continued in March. One of the songs that stands out: Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen’.

Tame Impala, the psychedelic indie rock outfit hailing from Australia, released their acclaimed album Lonerism in 2012. Let It Happen marks the start of a new album cycle… And what a beginning it is.

The song is a musical journey structured like a piece of theatre. It is organized into separate acts that are all joined by a hypnotizing motif. The vocals seamlessly embed themselves into the intergalactic or mushroom induced landscape. The percussion is always noticeable but never disconcerting: never taking the listener out of the trance created by the melody.The lyrics are ominous. Kevin Parker’s cautionary message about the storm that’s coming is particularly haunting. The listener begins to feel trapped in the drowning and spiralling sounds… But can’t help to enjoy it, in a Stockholm syndrome type of way.

The song has undoubtedly piqued interest and stirred hype for Impalas third studio album.

 

Mike: “B.A.S. Freestyle” – Fabolous

Without a time machine, Fabolous is about as close to the 90’s as it gets these days. In November, Fab’s 37th birthday party was hosted in NYC and featured a full-blown 90’s theme, including everything from Coogi Sweaters to Motorola flip-phones. You can catch the Brooklyn native rocking some large gold frames, chains and watches, as well as some Mitchell&Ness almost on a daily basis as he attempts to bring back the “Golden Age.” His Instagrams often feature a breakdown of his outfits, down to the year of release on all of his OG apparel and kicks which is almost always followed by the hashtag #90sFlow or #YoungOG. He’s collaborated with Reebok and Packer Shoes on a pair of Ewing 33’s. C’mon, the man even released an album on Christmas Day 2k14 with his hashtag-inspired title, “Young OG.”

Fab’s 90’s movement has been in FULL effect the past 6 weeks since he’s started his “Freestyle Fridays” series, which involves a different classic instrumental with each installment.

Filed under Staff Picks · Tagged with Big Gigantic, Fabolous, Kendrick Lamar, Snails, Tame Impala