Unless your name is Drake, we hope you’re having a great summer!

This episode is coming at you on the Canadian August civic holiday… the middle of the summer for all intents and purposes!

And so here’s where we were circa a week and half ago… our summer jams! Click below… and don’t sleep on the YT playlist, neither!

We’re scorching this audio, fr #bogmonstermusic

Dan’s Notes

Summer Jams

Kamauu – Weidamineh

Brooklyn singer/rapper Kamauu had one of my absolute favorite songs of three years ago in “Mango”, an alt-R&B slow jam which I can only describe as one of the most emotionally mature breakup songs I’ve ever heard. I was excited to see him switch more to more of a grooving hip hop approach in this collaboration with fellow rapper Siimbiie Lakew and cellist Trapcellist. This is some vegan food co-op polycule venn diagram overlap kind of music but in a good way? The way Kamauu weaves between singing and rapping really reminds me of a more patchouli-drenched East Coast version of Anderson Paak. Strings and tablas interweave while the artist assures us he is properly hydrated in the opening verse just so you know what we’re getting into but it’s also perfect music for smoking on hot hazy summer days so onto my list it goes. 

JD Cliffe – Buss Ur Head 

A fist-pumping experiment in crossing of genres streams, with North London emcee Cliffe rapping over a bass driven post-punk/indie rock track. A relatively new artist, the Nigerian-born rapper grew up with one sibling active in the UK grime scene and one who loved pop punk and emo and after years of absorbing these disparate familial influences started experimenting with a cross pollination of both for a sound he jokingly refers to as “grindie” (for grime+Indie) in the interview that accompanies his Colors Studio (popular Germany-based youtube channel focusing on hip hop and R&B music) recording of this single that mixes 00’s danceable indie rhythms, driving post-punk bass riffs and half-rapped half sung vocals. He’s a newer artist with just a few songs available widely via streaming but one I look forward to hearing more from in the future. 

Cadena – BRAT freestyle 

CADENA is the hip hop side project of show favorites ZULU’s guitarist/vocalist Destiny Yusuf, with a couple of pretty solid EP’s (also available on his bandcamp) under his belt over the past five years or so. Charli XCX’s BRAT album has been one of the biggest releases of the summer crossing sunny pop with chemically-fuelled club beats (not to mention its adoption as a vibe by a presidential candidate since I first started these notes so why not drop a killer freestyle over XCX’s “360”? This song was originally just available via his Instagram, but has now been put up on Bandcamp for our enjoyment. 

Mach-Hommy – Sur Le Pont D’Avignon

This is me trying to catch up on a blind spot regarding Mach-Hommy’s solo work after hearing guest verses by the Haitian-American rapper with the everpresent bandanna covering his face on a few Griselda-related artists songs. It’s got a dusty Madlib-esque beat by Conductor Williams and a chorus borrowed from a French folk song and killer rhymes and is a must-listen for any fans of classic grimy NY hip hop, not unlike his fellow Griselda-mates like Westside Gunn and Benny The Butcher. Hommy really is one of the most skilled rappers in the game and I am glad that I am clearing out that previous blind spot regarding his solo work now (especially this year’s “#Richaxxhaitien” album that this track is from. A little bit of classic style boom bap for this list of songs for the summer.

Yuki Chiba – Team Tomodachi

Well, I wrecked my YouTube algorithm again looking into music scenes from other countries again. This time I blame Megan Thee Stallion, or at least the guest emcee on her viral hit “Mamushi”, featuring Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba. I knew the genre was popular Japan but have been pretty unfamiliar with any artists of the genre from that country other than DJ Krush back in the 90’s. Team Tomodachi is Chiba’s most recent hit, and you can tell how popular it is by the sheer number of remixes/freestyle videos featuring seemingly every hip hip artist in Japan jumping on the instrumental all over the internet (I’m partial to the “Dirty Kansai” and “GALS” remixes personally). This total earworm has sent me down a Japanese hip hop rabbit hole lately that I’m sure will creep into a future show but had to find its way onto this list as well. 

Joey Valence And Brae featuring Danny Brown – Packapunch!

A love letter to 90’s “alternative rap” and early 00’s video game/snotty Sum 41 skate punk aesthetics, I have been been loving these guys two albums recently and this song featuring Danny Brown captures their whole vibe perfectly, like an alternate reality Beastie Boys/Cypress Hill collaboration between Valence and Brae’s shouts enthusiastic delivery and Brown’s high pitched nasal rhymes. Their whole deal is very much a conscious pastiche, but a loving one with great care taken in presenting it and goddamned if they’re not really good at what they do. A little bit of “Check Your Head”, a little bit Cypress Hill or Funkdoobiest, and a truckload of Jolt Cola’s worth of energy and charisma equals Joey Valence and Brae and I’ve been loving every second of their music. 

Beton Arme – L’Union C’Est La Force

Montreal street punks recently on tour with show favorites Home Front whose name translates to “reinforced concrete”, newly signed to the great La Vida Es Un Mus Discos after a couple of EPs released on smaller labels. As Operation Ivy once said “there’s nothing wrong with another unity song” and these scrappy québécois oí boys have brought us one en Francais with a catchy whoa-oh singalong chorus. Have I mentioned that I do love a whoa-oh singalong chorus? They are definitely of the “wearing boots and braces to the function”  kind of guys and for sure will be bringing the catchy riffs and passionate choruses with them (and probably lots of beer as well, unless they just drink all of yours instead. Tabernak c’est good punk rock hostie!

Weird Al Yankovic – Polkamania 

You do not know what a boon to my mental health this was. I have been a fan of Weird Al Yankovic since childhood, and this first recording from old Weird in just about a decade may on the surface just seem like another one of his trademark polka medleys of popular hits of the day, but on a spiritual level represents a four minute dose of pure joy in audio form. Billie Eillish, Miley Cyrus, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, WAP (yes, the Cardi B/Megan The Stallion song) and even Taylor Swift get the polka treatment, with some well placed vaudeville-esque sound-effect work taking the place of some of the less family-friendly lyrics and just nothing but happiness and love maaaaaannn. I dunno, it’s been a bit of an eventful summer that can be a bit hard on the head and sometimes something like a new Weird Al song can really hit the spot st times like that, you know?

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

What do I even need to say about this song? You’ve probably already heard it recently *somewhere* within the last couple of days and it’s been hovering around the top of the charts for like the whole summer. The final killing blow (for now?) of his series of systematic and thorough complete verbal assassinations of another artists’, he’ll another human’s character I think I’ve heard on record? Plus it’s probably the most straight up catchy thing Lamar has ever released. It’s been discussed to death already I know but there is no way any list like this could NOT have Not Like Us on there, you know? Plus having the legendary South Central community organizer Tommy The Clown and his dance students in the video was pretty awesome too. Also worth seeking out is the live video of Kendrick’s recent “The Pop Out” live show where he played the song through at least six times or more, never losing it’s impact once. 

Chappell Roan – HOT TO GO

Until the green wave of BRAT summer washed over the pop culture landscape it looked like this Missouri-based synth popper’s campy angsty 2022 LP Diary Of Midwest Princess was going to creep up on top of the ultra-competitive “pop girly”mountain after years of toil on the sidelines, including backing up her long time friend and collaborator Olivia Rodrigo. This is one I’ve absorbed mainly via my partner who is a huge fan of hers and has been playing “…Princess” on repeat for most of this year but ear worms will ear worm and I’ve found myself humming along as well, even though a middle-aged dude like myself is most likely furthest thing possible from her target demo, but between the catchy songs and her distinct visual presentation that draws heavily from the more clownish end of drag aesthetics mixed with trashy John Waters camp it’s hard to not take notice so on the summer jam list it goes. Also, I can’t not mention that my original introduction to the music is Chappell Roan was via English Teacher turned professional  wrestler “The Anxious Millennial Cowboy” Hangman Adam Page and his public Spotify playlists during the past few years. 

Miscellaney

Matt’s Notes

It’s the dogged dog days!

It’s the days I’m back in Western Canada, sniffing the air for smoke… contemptuous of Drake… getting ready to put down new personal and professional roots again… ready to go another six or eight weeks without seeing my kids…

Rejuvenating summery-like while there’s still time!

These singles have been living in my brain. I wake up humming along with Samiam, and contemptuous of Drake. It’s that kind of summer. It’s a bonfire of the schadenfreude.

Repeat after me: THEY NOT LIKE US, THEY NOT LIKE US!

Now pass the 0% Heineken…

Not Like Us (Kendrick)

This summer I’ve lost all perspective.

When the Apple Wrap comes out in November or thereabouts, I’m going to see analytics to the effect of MULTIPLE DAYS LEADING INTO WEEKS listening to nothing but Not Like Us.

It’s the catchiest shit in the world. That bass! Those strings!

Everything I dig about Kendrick… the writing… the flawless technical delivery… the personal history… the spiritual journalism… the swagger… the blazing intellect… humor jumping from every bar… educational as a motherfucker…

I’m a guy whose on his third hotel room and second city of walking around yelling:

FUCK EM ALL AND THEY MAMA

BEAT YO ASS AND HIDE THE BIBLE IF GOD WATCHIN

CERTIFIED LOVER BOY? CERTIFIED PEDOPHILE

YOU BETTER NOT EVER GO TO CELL BLOCK ONE

THEY NOT LIKE US, THEY NOT LIKE US

I’ve listened to this track 1000% more than I’ve listened to any other rap track ever. On the other hand I’ve yet to intentionally listen to a track by the 69 God. I say intentionally because there’s no escaping the Degrassi Cornball from Toronna. I probably watched the visual he did with Future, Khalid, and Bieber for the freak show value two or three times. Times have changed.

ANYWAY

LONG LIVE KENDRICK. HE DESERVES ALL THE AWARDS AND ACCOLADES THIS YEAR.

México (Samiam)

This time three months ago, I was still living in Saint John, New Brunswick, doing e-learning for a security company, and thinking that’s how it was going to go for the foreseeable while.

Subsequently, I was laid off… turned forty-six… recorded around a dozen interviews for this podcast and the education show… sold all my records… lost or replaced almost all possessions I owned whatsoever… got a new job… flew out to BC… visited my kids… and moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta.

I’ve been grabbing singles as a life preserver, basically!

I enjoyed… and continue to enjoy… Samiam’s excellent record Stowaway from last year!

People may recall that I spoke with Colin, their drummer, a couple of months back… and it remains one of my favorite chats of the series so far! I nearly went to Vancouver to see them play a few days ago… but elected to land in Fort Mac early… out of some notion of professional and parental and financial responsibility, somehow…

I’ve listened to this single on repeat for days… again, the Apple Rewind will tell the tale… much like their Stowaway single “Crystallized” was the song I listened to more than any other for 2023… if everybody listened to Samiam as much as I do… I think the world would legitimately be an excellent place!

In a parallel timeline in the Bog Monster Musical Multiverse (BMMM), their track 80 West from Trips is blazing through the Billboard Hot 100 and every other goddamned thing!

First Rodeo (Jon Snodgrass)

I’ve had Jon’s brilliant new LP on repeat since I landed in Western Canada around three weeks ago… produced by Bill Stevenson and recorded at Blasting Room, Bill also plays drums on this record… which is part of why the whole thing slaps so hard!

Jon is one of these dudes who’s been around forever! His Instagram says his dates this year are his twenty-fifth anniversary shows! He’s one of these dudes who has been flying somewhat lower on the radar than many of his contemporaries… I dug into this album at the recommendation of David from Rad Owl during our conversation for this show a month or two ago!

I’m walking up and down the one main street in this oil sands town… I’ve wandered among the dust and the human despair of downtown Kamloops, BC… I’ve watched the gorgeous women playing beach volleyball on the paths of Kelowna…

Somehow my life and my family’s lives are inextricably bound to this wild region of big skies, pickup trucks, and people with ideas that couldn’t belong anywhere else!

I’m running back West whether I want to or not… to anyone who said I’m not that bright… they were right!

There’s nothing wrong with your first rodeo! You’ll do great! Or you won’t!

For my McMoney, this is one of the best punk releases of the year!

Growl (Rad Owl)

When I started following Rad Owl on Instagram, it was on the basis of some cool images on their account… or maybe I tagged the Replacements or the Descendents and they followed me first…

Whatever the origin story, my interview with drummer David was another highlight for the podcast in a spring and summer full of them!

David is an incredibly thoughtful, intelligent guy… FOR A DRUMMER…

*Drum roll…

But, real talk, our conversation the other month was wide-ranging and clocked in at something like an hour-and-a-half… which is basically a double episode of sorts! And it could have been longer!

Every song on their new LP Rage Gracefully is blasted from the heaviest pop punk you could want… following Propagandhi, the Descendents, Samiam… along with Twin cities heroes The Replacements and Hüsker Dü… along with all the rad terrain thereabouts… they also lean into heavy metal and thrash… particularly Iron Maiden… in terms of leaning on the groove… with Motörhead… and Thin Lizzy… and Sabbath… and all that other fun, scuzzy 70’s and 80’s hard rock never far from reach…

At one point in our convo, David mentioned that everybody in Rad Owl contributes their talents and resources to the band, above and beyond musically… these guys are pros… they’ve been around… they’re lifers in this music… and it comes through in the songs, performance, and how they’re putting the record out!

Growl is just a great, fun barebones punk jam with serious metal and hard rock swagger. In times such as these, these tumultuous-as-fuck 2024 summer times… it’s exactly what the bartender ordered!

Bad Town (Op Ivy)

Another track from my sojourn through Kamloops, BC!

After an utterly disastrous beginning to a personal trip there…

Let’s just say… in this city my career hit a half-decade of turbulence… my marriage reached the end of its track… I was unemployed for 16 months…

And besides the personal aspects… Kamloops, like no other city I’ve experienced… seems utterly powerless to do anything about significant numbers of homeless throughout downtown… many in acute drug and mental health crises…

It’s among the HOTTEST cities in Canada… and every summer I’m there… you wait anxiously for wildfire smoke, or the lack thereof…

It’s dusty… it’s dry… it almost never rains… there is some absolutely unique and breathtaking nature… and Indigenous and First Nations histories and culture… existing in parallel to an utterly stagnant downtown and North Shore…

And so, to keep my spirits up, I blasted the Op Ivy… give me some enlightened formative ska kicks… give me a band from the late eighties that could’ve been anybody’s band…

This LP lands for me just as hard as it did when I heard it for the first time at age eighteen! And for my McMoney it has one of the best saxophone parts in the whole of punk music!

Positive fucking vibes to the rescue, basically!

Henceforth & Furthermore…

The Jesus Lizard... have been back for awhile now, reuniting periodically… but with Alexis Feels Sick and Hide and Seek as singles… they’ve released their first new music in more than twenty-five years… in advance of a new record “Rack” coming out in the fall… and they haven’t lost a (weird, shambling) step!

Ultrabomb… is an international punk supergroup, featuring Greg Norton (Husker Du), Finny McConnell (The Mahones) and Jamie Oliver (UK Subs). Their latest album Dying to Smile is out now! It sounds like all the good 80’s punk and hardcore… which is appropriate, giving the gentlemen’s histories and lineage!

The Hard Quartet… is a brand new band featuring Stephen Malkmus! Pavement are so rad that I will listen to this and enjoy the hell out of it pretty much no matter what!

Northcote… I feel slightly weird and bad about Northcote! Matt Goud is a terrific singer and songwriter! He’s a millennial… born in 1985, as per Wikipedia. His record Hope is Made of Steel is one of my favorite Canadian post-hardcore things ever… I’ve written about him and talked about him variously on this show… I tried reaching out to him about interviewing for our podcast twice… the first time he ignored me… the next time, a year later, he initially seemed positive… and then he blocked me! He’s sensitive I guess! Matt… younger man… I’m sorry? No hard feelings, pal! Anyway, Hope is Made of Steel is terrific, and I’ve been listening to it a bunch here in Fort Mac!

Chuck Ragan is touring South America with Hot Water Music behind their excellent new LP Vows… I’ve been listening to his 2009 solo LP Gold Country on repeat here in Fort Mac… particularly when out in the massive nature all around here! All of Chuck’s solo and folk and acoustic music is highly rad… and that’s good enough for rock n’ roll!

Unless your name is Drake, we hope you enjoyed this! See you later in the dog days, dogs!

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Filed under: Uncategorized - @ August 6, 2024 2:39 am