Track Review: Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwwdinz - RiFF RAFF

      ALRIGHT GUYS, THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME. This is my, and probably all of our last blog posts. So, I'm going to give you guys a little insight on the foundation of my blog.
      When we were discussing this blog assignment in class, I had the idea in mind since the beginning. My blog would be called Thirty-three and a Third, because that's the rate most records spin

on a record table. I would review music and provide music news weekly for my blog. So, if you've been keeping up with my previous reviews, you'll be well aware that I have reviewed music that is new and music that I am very familiar with, hoping to enlighten my audience and get their "music diversity", if you will, a little more spread out. The main thing I wanted my blog to accomplish is to expose my audience to music they aren't entirely familiar with. 
      Now, I must admit, as previously stated I had plans for this blog. That included record ideas and song ideas that I was going to share and spread to you guys. With this being said, and this particular blog post being my last, I naturally saved the best for last. 
     Before I get into this, I have to clarify that the track I'm reviewing is very, very explicit. Surely some of you are familiar with this track. At least I hope you would be. The track I'm going to review is called Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwwdinz by none other than RiFF RAff. 

This is a truly iconic track that acts as the threshold that sets all music standards.

     Before we get into this, I want to introduce to you some RiFF RAFF history. RiFF RAFF is a rapper that originated in Houston, Texas. When he was just getting into the rap game, he wanted to make

it big. He didn't successfully do this until he was casted onto the MTV reality show, From G's to Gents. Even though he was eliminated on the second episode, the way he dressed and his crazy personality undoubtedly catapulted his career forward. His first release on a major record label was NEON iCON in 2014. This is the record that introduced the track I will be discussing with you today.

     The song starts off with a somewhat minimal beat with snare and high hat backing it. Then, the Neon Icon himself starts his chorus. He is simply explaining through his lyrics how he is "Tiptoeing in my Jordans." This could be interpreted as a metaphor, as Jordans are a shoes that are notable and pricey. Maybe this "tiptoeing" in his "jordans" could represent how he is paranoid of losing his wealth and fame. He is tiptoeing, being careful, in his jordans, his money. Either that or he is legitimately tip toeing in expensive shoes, you can never quite know when it comes to RiFF RAFF.

     His verses and lyrics are comparable to poetry of that of the greatests writers of our time. In his first verse, he has the audacity to call out his haters and establish his ethos when it comes to his wealth and success. His flow is impeccable, lassoing straight into your ear canal and grabbing onto your ear drum with an unforgiving grip. 

     Let's take a minute to talk about the instrumentals. The

An ACTUAL pair of Jordans!

minimalistic aspect of this particular song emphasizes the Neon Icon's verses and voice. It's very easy to listen to what he is saying and effectively comprehend it. It is clear on this track, he wants you to hear what he is saying because it is of utmost importance. I think the instrumentals are absolutely top, because not only are they extremely catchy, but they act as a pedastal on which RiFF RAFF has placed himself to preach his Neon gospel. Another song that has killer instrumentals is called How To Be The Man (This stuff is explicit as well).

     Overall, there are many things this song has done to prove that RiFF RAFF is truly one of the greatest musicians of our time. Just listen to it. This song has made a big impact on me and my music interest as well. If it weren't for this song, I don't think I would appreciate music as much as I do.

Overall, I rate this song a strong 9 to a light 10.

If you want to give it a listen, check out the video below. (remember, the neon icon is not PG, not even PG-13. he abides by no censorship laws and this song is very explicit.)

And, as always, thanks for reading. This has been a really quick semester and I am thankful to have had this class and you guys in class as well. It's been really fun. And, don't take this blog post as serious as the others please <3

Track Review: Mene - Brand New

       So, as you may remember from last week's post, I was nerding out over some new music that was released. Well, last week after that post was released, Brand New dropped a new song, titled Mene. This week, I will be taking the pleasure in reviewing this track that dropped very recently. As you guys probably already know, I'm crazy about Brand New. One of my favorite bands to the end. So let's get started.

Album Art for the Single, Mene

      They played this song live before it was released as a studio version, so I was already familiar with it. However, I have absolutely fallen in love with the newest released. It starts of with a drilling drum track, driving forward with a roll on the snare. This is backed by a three-chord guitar riff. Brand New, as always, does an excellent job of building up intensity. After a few seconds of this roll, they break into the cymbals and the first verse of the song. Jesse Lacey, the frontman, introduces the song with, "How does everything start and end? Come gather now and lay this beast to rest." His poppy vocals continue into the chorus, where he repeats the words, "We don't feel anything," backed by the same driving guitar riffage we saw at the start. This song follows the typical verse-chorus-verse structure, and ends with the repeated vocals.
      Overall, I am in love with this track. For their first music in six year, I am very very impressed. I rate this song a solid 8/10. Super super stoked.
      If you want to give it a listen, check out this music video below.

Thanks for reading.

Music News, News, News: Brand New and Tyler, the Creator new music?!

        This blog post is going to be slightly different than the last few. Not only am I going to inform you of some news of two of my favorite artists, but I am also going to nerd out in the process, so bear with me.

Tyler, the Creator

        First, I am going to explain what is going on with Tyler, the Creator. To effectively do this, I'm going to give you a history of him as an artist. Tyler is a California alternative hip-hop artist. He got his start in his career in his late teens, when he self-released his first mixtape, Bastard. He also formed the rap group known as OFWGKTA, better known as Odd Future. Since he has self-released his debut mixtape, he has released two more records by the names of Goblin and Wolf. 
      Now, about two years after his last released, he has announced a new record by the name of Cherry Bomb. This has left me properly stoked. As a huge fan of Tyler and his music, I am really excited for this release. He has also announced two singles, one being

Cherry Bomb Album Cover

called F*cking Young, and the other being called DEATHCAMP (WARNING: EXPLICIT TRACKS). These tracks seem really hopeful, and as I stated previous, I am excited to listen to his new music. As of now, his record is scheduled to release on April 14th, 2015.
    What is next is what I will really nerd out about. This next topic is concering a band called Brand New, who I have already discussed in a previous blog post. Brand New is a four-man band hailing from Long Island. They have released for records, their last release being called Daisy in 2009. But, more recent times has brought about interesting circumstances and contemplation concerning the band and their new music's whereabouts.
      One thing you should know about Brand New is this: they are a very, very cryptic band. From lyrics that tell vague stories with religious underlying subjects, to ambiguous messages presented through media and music involving them, Brand New never fails to raise proper hype from their fans. They have such a dedicated fan base, but have little to no media interaction. They don't do interviews, they don't regularly update their social media. So how

Add caption

could they have such a crazy fan base? Perhaps this vagueness and little involvement with their fans is a brilliant way to market. They produce brilliant music and are always keeping their fans interested, evem after 6 years without any new music...
      Here recently, some interesting things have happened that have brought back the hype for their upcoming US tour. Without going into immense detail, Brand New has effectively gained the attention of their fans for this upcoming tour. Now, here is where things get exciting.
     At there first show on their tour, they opened with a new song called Don't Feel Anything. This song is great, and gives me high hopes for any material they have coming up in the future. Even though there isn't a study recording available yet, feel free to give it a listen on the video shown below.
     So... yeah. Thanks for giving me the change to nerd out guys. This music means a lot to me and I just had to explain my excitement. Check out the video below btw.

Thanks for reading.

Music-y News: Jay-Z's TIDAL Music Streaming Service

#TIDALforALL

     I'm sure some of you, if you have any affiliation with musicians over social media, were aware of this hashtag or even participated in it over the past couple of days. This hashtag was also paired with a cyan color blue. Various notable artists, including Kanye West, deadmau5, and Coldplay, completely "cyaned" out their profiles by substituting their profile pictures and page headers with this color. So, what does this all mean?

     

#TIDALforALL presented on the cyan color.

     Evidentally, Jay Z is behind this. Essentially, what Tidal is, is a music streaming service, but, as you can see by all of this artist support, it's not just any music streaming service, is it? Of

Jay Z looking fly.

course we all know of Spotify, Pandora, and in some cases Google Play as popular means of streaming music. What is up with the hype behind Tidal? What sets it apart from these examples previously listed?

     Tidal is definately making a notable attempt to set itself apart. But what in specific sets it apart? Well, first of all, Tidal is said to be streaming high-fidelity lossless audio. What this means, essentially, is it is a higher quality than that of the typical mp3 format available on the internet. That artists behind Tidal said they want to strive for an streamable audio quality comparable to that of a CD, but is a CD really a medium in which its quality should be pursued? Why aren't people making an attempt to reach the audio quality of vinyl records or original analog recordings of music straight out of the studio? 

     As I've stated previously, there are many big-name artists backing this service up with, what seems to be, the fullest support of sorts. I mean, if sacrificing your great #musicrockbandselfieprofilepicture for a cyan square for a day represents full support, then by all means they fully support it.

an add for this service

But, with further analysis, it seems that maybe these popular artists could be dropping exclusive media and music on this streaming service. But, even with that being said, what will prevent possibly exclusive tracks on this service from being leaked onto YouTube or other services?

     There has also been a notable backlash towards this service. They have named a somewhat unreasonable price for this "high-fidelity lossless audio" music. As it stands right now, the price for this service MONTHLY is:

a solid $20/mo. 

Are you kidding me?

    Personally, I find this extremely unreasonable. I care a lot about music, and in turn I care a lot about audio quality. However, I can pay $5/mo for Spotify as a college student and get neato burrito features (such as being able to switch from mobile to pc speakers by the click of a button) AND decent audio quality. So, why should I pay an extra $15 a month for improved audio that may not even be that noticable, especially since I'm using these uni laptop speakers anyway?

    I'm not sure how this service will compete effectively with Spotify. In my opinion, all it has going for it is all of this artist support and #hashtag publicity. I don't see this service going beyond what other services in place, such as Spotify, have already accomplished.

          So... what do you think? Are you excited for Tidal? Is it really forALL? Will you be purchasing a membership? Let me know any opinions you have in the comments below. 

    oh yeah and if you want to see if you can spot the different between audio qualities, check out this link.

Thanks for reading.

Weekly Music News: Week of March 15th, 2015

               This week, Thirty-three and a Third will take a different turn, away from the typical track/album review that has been posted weekly for the past month or so. This week, music news will be discussed and brought to attention. While big updates may be missed or some thing may not be brought to attention, I will do my best to inform you of some stuff you may not be aware of and hopefully introduce you to artists new to you :^)

To Pimp a Butterfly Album Cover

      This week has been a good week in terms of rap/hip-hop releases. Predominately, West-Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar released a brand new full length, To Pimp a Butterfly. This is his third studio release. While I may not be incredibly familiar with Kendrick and his work, this album has kick up some attention. It is being critically acclaimed, being praised for its creativity and fresh feel. Give some of Kendrick's music a listen here if you please (WARNING: EXPLICIT). Once I listen to it in its entirety, I may review it in the future. 
     Now, I'm going to discuss some further updates in the hip-hop industry this week. The group I'm going to discuss has stirred up some controversy with some of their releases and their experimentally eccentric style of music. Before I continue, I'm going to warn you, this group is weird as hell. They don't perform traditional music. The group I'm speaking of is experimental hip-hop group known as Death Grips. Despite their controversy and crazy music style, they have a very, very loyal following. The band performs on frantic electronic beats backed by energetic drumming

MC Ride, frontman of Death Grips

and absolutely howling and aggressive vocals. To me, this band is the purest representation of aggression. 
     The band went on a hiatus without some music they promised, and now the music is finally being released. Scheduled to be released on March 31st, Jenny Death, the second part of one of their previous records, is finally coming to the fans. If you are brave (or have an open mind to music especially), click here to give Death Grips a listen (WARNING: EXPLICIT). 
     In other news, some controversy has risen from what seems to be cases in which contemporary music rips off music from the past, and when I say rip off, I mean directly copies it. What has been in the news recently is the controversy behind Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines and its similarities to Marvin Gaye's Got to Give it Up. The Gaye family has sued Robin Thicke, bringing more popularity to Marvin's music. It seems things like this are happening more and more lately. Is this meerly coincidence, or a blatant rip-off? Watch the video below, and you decide. 

        Occurences like this make me wonder: will the world ever run out of original music? Will things like this happen more and more frequently due to the fact that music in the world is only growing, and in turn new sounds are getting harder and harder to come by? Tell me what you think by leaving a comment below. Do you have any other music news or suggestions to my blog? Leave a comment below. I know most of you guys treat comments as an assignment, but I would love to hear your voice and opinion.

Thanks for reading.

      

Track Review: Disorder, Joy Division

       Taking a turn from last week's blog post, we're going  back in time, back to perhaps the birth of early early post-punk. This week, we're going to have another track review, this track being the legendary Joy Division's Disorder.
       Before I get into this review, I am going to define the term "post-punk". As stated by a reliable source, post-punk is "a more experimental and arty form of punk." It was formed in the late 70s and laid down the original pavement for early alternative rock.

Joy Division's Members

      Joy Division was an English rock band formed in 1976 by singer Ian Curtis, bassist Peter Hook, drummer Stephen Morris, and guitarist, Bernard Sumner. They released their first record, Unknown Pleasures. Unknown Pleasures also happens to be the record that holds the track I'm going to be reviewing, Disorder.

Unknown Pleasures

     Disorder is the opening track on this record. It opens with a poppy-sounding drum track, inviting you to dance essentially. Then, an even poppier bass riff starts, practically shoving you onto the dance floor. The shrill guitar riff follows, leading into Curtis's haunting vocals. The song acts as a literal guide to this records, Curtis's lyrics literally explaining, "I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand."
    From this point on, you're introduced to the record. The track continues with the shrill and twangy guitar solos and melodies. The

Ian Curtis

bass riff pounds along, adding to the dance-y feel of the track itself.
    The song progresses, getting more and more intense with time. Curtis's vocals meet a gradual crescendo, getting louder and more chaotic with the track. The guitars get sloppy, but it's a good sloppy. Then, the track ends with a chant from Curtis and a gradual decrescendo.
    I personally think this track is awesome. It shows good progression and is an awesome opener to an awesome record. Listen to the track, and if you enjoy it then listen to the whole record. Below, I'll attach a link to the whole record. It's the first track, so give it a listen. If you like it, continue, if not, cuss me out in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading.

Track Review: Brand New - Limousine

      Yo yo yo. As sort of a refresher from the usual and weekly album reviews I've provided, this week a track review will be presented to you. Coming to ya loud and proud, the track I'll be review is Brand New's Limousine.

Brand New's debut, Your Favorite Weapon

      Now, before I begin the review, I would like to provide a little history. Brand New is an alternative rock band that was formed in 2000 by frontman Jesse Lacey, bassist Garrett Tierney, and drummer Brian Lane. This band has an interesting history, however. Beginning as an angsty pop-punk band with their debut record, Your Favorite Weapon, their sound quickly evolved and matured. Just two years after their first record debuted, Brand New released their second record, Deja Entendu.
      Deja Entendu brought on an extremely different sound, while still maintaining a somewhat punk sound. They took on a more emo approach with their music, addressing confessional lyrics and instrumentals. To see just exactly how their sound evolved, try listening to this track off of Your Favorite Weapon, and then this track off of Deja Entendu.
      FAST FORWARD THREE YEARS... and we Brand New released perhaps their most popular record to date, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. This record presented an even more matured sound in comparison to the two previous records. Addressing darker, more personal themes in the lyrics, this album was a total curve ball to the fans. However, as stated before, it is perhaps their most renowned album thus far. Many consider it an alternative classic, providing haunting instrumentals and vocals paired with dark themes. 

Frontman, Jesse Lacey.

      Limousine is the 5th track on the record, running approximately 8 minutes long. I chose this track for many reasons, but the main reason is the back story behind it. So, strap in, because this is truly an emotional rollercoaster.
      The song was written in response to a tragedy that occurred on July 2nd, 2005 at Long Island, coincidentally the same city Brand New originated in. On this day, a wedding occurred, and was a day filled with celebration and rejoice. After everything was said and done however, a few of the family members headed home in a limousine. Then, tradegy strikes in the form of a drunk driver. On the way home, the limousine was struck head-on by a drunk driver. The driver's blood alcohol level was three times higher than the legal limit, according the this article detailing the event. The story only gets more horrific.
      The driver was killed on impact, and the family was extremely injured. They quickly realized that the two flower girls, five-year-old Grace and seven-year-old Katie, were trapped inside of the wreckage. As Katie's mother was searching for her in the twisted metal of what the limousine had become, she made a horrific discovery; Katie was decapitated by her seatbelt. Katie's mother left the wreckage with her severed head in hand, too numb to properly react. This event was truly a tragedy, and it is nearly sickening. The drunk driver was charged with second-degree murder.
      
      The track begins with barebone vocals and an acoustic guitar. The lyrics address the event of the wedding and accident.

The Devil and God are
Raging Inside Me

"K, it's your ride. 

Get your petals out and lay them in the aisle. Pretend your garden grows and it's your day to wed.

We found you man. He's drinking up, he's all-american.

And he'll drive.

He's volunteered with grace to end your life."

      
      The name "K" is in reference to Katie. The verse continues, as harmonization with vocals and instrumentals become more complex. Then, after a few more lines, the song bursts with a guitar's screech into a louder verse, the drums joining along. The vocals become chaotic and passionate, the guitar doing just the same. Then, as the track progresses, the instrumentals become quieter and vocals more longing. Then Jesse begins with the lyrics, "Well, I love you so much, but do me a favor baby don't reply, cuz I can dish it out, but I can't take it."
      These lyrics continue with repetition as the intensity of the track builds and builds. The drums start hitting harder, and Jesse's vocals go up an octave. The guitars become more and more chaotic. The track seems to lose control of itself as it progresses. It continues, getting louder and louder, until the vocals cease and they're followed by screaming guitar and a leading drum track. Then, the track becomes quiet, and it fades.

       There is a lot to say about Limousine. The story behind it is hard hitting enough, but when you add that aspect to the passionate instrumentals and lyrics you only get hit harder and harder. It follows the perfect dynamic progression in my opinion. They keep you entertained and wanting more and more. Overall, this is a very hard hitting and emotional track, and I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to listen to either familiar music or perhaps unfamiliar music. Below is an online stream of the track. Feel free to listen and perhaps comment your opinion on the song or the story behind it.

                         Thanks for reading.