Baltimore Rapper JPEGMAFIA came on the scene back in 2016 touting a very specific sound. Full of clicks and beeps and fuzzy ambience, his debut Black Ben Carson is one of the most abrasive pieces of music I’ve ever heard. His 2018 album Veteran is no less brutal in its sonic assault. A 47 minuteContinue reading “JPEGMAFIA’s Homecoming — is anything but a — Dissappointment”
Author Archives: Ned Kuczmynda
AFK’s Vanquish is an Industrial Trap Banger
The track ends the way the listener feels, gasping for breath collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Critical Optimist Presents…Industry Herb!
I’ve been doing Critical Optimist for a couple years now and I’ve loved it every step of the way, don’t get me wrong. It does get lonely though. That’s why my collaborator Laney Kuczmynda and I are launching Industry Herb. A podcast about the inside trends and goings on in today’s entertainment industry. Our desireContinue reading “Critical Optimist Presents…Industry Herb!”
Venom Prison: The Feminist Sledgehammer Deathcore Didn’t Know It Needed
Metal vocalist Larissa Stupar moved to Wales in 2014, where she met Ash Gray. The two hit it off and decided to form a band, they both had been members of other outfits before but had slightly different plans for this band. They took the name “Venom Prison” and recruited two more members to createContinue reading “Venom Prison: The Feminist Sledgehammer Deathcore Didn’t Know It Needed”
The Dead Don’t Die
With its metahumor, tiny budget, and head-scratching ending — not to mention a cast that is stacked like pancakes — this film is clearly shooting for the “cult-classic” label.
Denzel Curry: Coming out of the ZUU
Last year Denzel Curry put out an album that seemed sonically and conceptually to be his magnum opus, or at least intended so. “TA1300” or “Taboo” discusses paranoia, fear, hatred, and a whole host of truly dark things that are seen as “taboo” in the rap game. This was a bold project that pushed CurryContinue reading “Denzel Curry: Coming out of the ZUU”
Blockbusters in the Post-Avengers Cinemascape
Maybe in ten years, we’ll get to see “revisionist superhero movies” but for now, the genre that catapulted from kitschy nerd-bait to the most popular in the world is going to take a break.
Post Hardcore is Thriving in 2019
The recent slump in popular rock has been good for punk, specifically the many different brands of post-hardcore –from the harsh and melodic, to the new breed that throws genre tradition to the wind. Here are three excellent post-hardcore albums from THIS YEAR.
Weezer’s Black Album: The Importance of Artistic Integrity
Weezer has gained newfound success with their recent run of covers. Too bad their own songs pale in comparison.
G.O.O.D. Music’s G.R.E.A.T. Summer
This spring Kanye West did a great job making pretty much everyone mad through a relentless barrage of nonsense tweets, political opinions, and poopidy-scooping. He then followed this by producing in quick succession five excellent albums that each clock in at about a half-hour and feature some truly inventive production along with some talented vocalsContinue reading “G.O.O.D. Music’s G.R.E.A.T. Summer”
