Staff..................Music Reviews

R E V I E W S

The Counterfactuals (Live Review)

By Ian Mercer

The Counterfactuals didn’t quite pack the house at J. Grundy’s Reub ‘N’ Stein for their new single’s release show last Saturday, but they certainly brought an absolutely stellar set to the stage. I gave the band’s debut LP Minimally Decent People a pretty middle-of-the-road review in a previous issue of NoFi, but I’m pleased to say that any lingering reservations I held for the band’s musical value have since been erased by the quality of this live show. Dan Groll (frontman/primary composer/lyricist/heart-throb) has a voice that had always been my favorite part of The Counterfactual’s sound, and its strength was more apparent than ever during this two-hour set. His expressive and solid vibrato gives many of the pieces an extra dimension, and his impressive range is rock solid. Seriously, observe for yourself by listening to their new single “Might As Well Join.” It’s might be hard to believe, but Groll’s concluding proclamation of “The blood! / THE BLAHH-UDDD!!!” didn’t crack one bit, to great effect, during the live show.

The secret weapon of the show was definitely Jason Decker’s guitar and synthesizer arsenal. He folds rich and unexpected harmonies underneath the more standard sounds coming from the rest of the band. One unexpected highlight was during the new track “Oh My Child,” where multi-instrumentalist Mike Fuerstein’s rich saxophone tone was treated with an ever-changing gradient of reverb. It was almost as if the saxophone was coming in and out of aural focus throughout the piece’s duration. Decker’s keyboard parts could certainly have been a bit higher in the mix at times, but other than that, his contributions to the band’s live sound are invaluable in that they offer the tracks a valuable boost from their studio counterparts.

I wasn’t able to stay until the very end of the (admittedly lengthy) set, but I still feel completely confident when I wholeheartedly endorse The Counterfactuals’ live show. It’s a real pleasure to hear these songs come alive in person, especially when the crowd consists mostly of Carleton students. Be sure to check out thecounterfactuals.com, or maybe hit up their Bandcamp or Facebook pages. A new album will be out this year, and you aren’t going to want to miss it (or the great live shows that’ll come with it).

Drake - If You’re Reading This It’s Too LateBy Ben Wedin

In the 2013 music video for “No New Friends,” there’s a scene where Drake is sitting in a massive bubble bath, getting a chest massage and holding a bottle of champagne. It felt a little strange at the time: Drake was still proffering the image of a sensitive kid who followed his own path and turned into a rap star. On If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake is no longer a star; he’s a legend...he’s the legend. He’s rap’s supervillain, looking down from the top of the mountain, disappointed by the competition. An appropriate scene for a song like “10 Bands” would be Drake lighting a Bugatti on fire just to try and spice things up for a night. The album has all the flavors of Drake we’re familiar with: wistful Drake, swaggering Drake, thoughtful Drake. He also seems to have found a host of producers who operate well in his aesthetic: sad pianos and bells, spaced-out samples that are probably reversed, trap hi-hats, and booty-dropping bass. This might suggest the album would end up boring, but Drake’s new persona as an aggressive kingpin is alluring and fresh: “I mean besides Ricky Ross, Aubrey the biggest boss here.” The entire album is similarly full of one-liners that reward multiple listens, which are paired with distinctive melodic and rhythmic riffs that showcase Drake as also one of the most technically gifted rappers around.

The similar instrumentals and subject matter across the 17 tracks may make the album feel a little bloated at times. Drake is not stepping out of his comfort zone much, except for maybe a song like PARTYNEXTDOOR-featuring “Preach,” which samples the Henry Krinkle house track “Stay.” This general repetition and lack of cohesion may be explained by the fact that this was originally planned as a free Gangsta Grillz mixtape. But the zone that he occupies is still fly as hell, and it feels so good. As Kanye said in a recent interview, at the end of the day, “it works.” If there was any dispute (at least on the commercial side) of who is the current king of rap, let If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late serve as Drake’s coronation ceremony. 4

O F M U S I C

Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth By Francisco Castro

What better way to introduce 2015 than with Lupe Fiasco’s January release, Tetsuo & Youth? Personally speaking, this is the best project Lupe could’ve put out at this point in his career. With uncompromisingly deep lines and a delivery that is becoming unique to the game, Tetsuo & Youth is a well thought-out piece of work. T&Y is broken down into seasons, beginning with “Summer’s” optimistic beats and the killer nine-minute “Murals” that showcases Lupe’s innate talent for rapid-fire delivery. “Dots and Lines” was also a personal favorite. With its easy, almost ironic vibe, Lupe narrates his struggle to finally break free from Atlantic Records. “Fall” offers a more somber tone that features lovely vocals by Nikki Jean. “Prisoner 1 & 2” touches on certain issues regarding the prison system and racial profiling. The “Winter” section of T&Y sounds, not surprisingly, cold and features some of Lupe’s most thought-provoking lines. “They.Resurect.Over.Now” samples some Mike Shinoda-style beats and somehow infuses intergalactic lyrics with themes of passion and drugs. The nine-minute “Chopper,” brings out some raw verses. The hook, “Filet mignon with my food stamps / Car cosigned by my mama / Medical card from Obama / Background check for a chopper / Filet mignon with my food stamps,” suggests a tour around Lupe’s youth in Chicago. “Spring” is represented by only a single track at the very end of the album, a track that alludes to the initial “Summer” section with violin chords and sounds of children playing. (I am curious why he chose to leave “Spring” as a sort of ambiguous section.) However, if you listen to the album in reverse, the “Spring” section may be considered “Winter” and so forth, which completely changes the direction of the entire work. Overall, I am very excited for the kind of stage T&Y has set this year in hip-hop. Many of these tracks are over seven minutes, almost asking not to be played on the radio despite their greatness. The entire work offers a critique of the hip-hop industry with numerous references to Lupe’s release from Atlantic Records. But that’s not to say you can’t bump T&Y. DJ Dahi produced well-thought-out beats, sampling sounds from across the musical spectrum. It has been awhile since I’ve come across something as well written and produced as this new work, and while I am optimistic that we have yet to see Lupe at his best best, this will certainly be one for the books. Rating: 4.2 Lupes out of 5 Fiascos

Thee Satisfaction - EarthEE

By Katie Williams

On February 24th, Seattle based female rap duo THEESatisfaction released their second album, EarthEE. After seeing them live in Seattle two years ago, I was pretty excited about this release. EarthEE is much more futuristic and experimental than their first, with Cat and Stas’ vocals gliding over synth-heavy tracks. “Post Black Anyway” is incredibly hypnotic with its echoing vocals and subtle jazz sections. This album really showcases the duo’s vocal range, with blending harmonies in “I Read You” and alternating raps in “Fetch/ Catch.” The album ends with the title track, incorporating elements from the rest of the album in one cohesive summary. THEESatisfaction’s two albums are almost too different to compare, though still unified by the vibe of the vocals. The background music is just so different. Personally, I am much more drawn to the warmth and brassiness of THEESatisfaction’s first album awE naturalE. That said, I’m definitely impressed with THEESatisfaction’s new direction. However, I think the first album is necessary to hear first because it gives context of the duo’s background and sets the stage for their more experimental work. If you’re new to THEESatisfaction, I would say 1) put this magazine down now and listen to them! and 2) start with awE naturalE.