Music

Tim Heidecker, of “Tim and Eric” fame, made another record. It’s probably not the kind of record you think it is. Or is it?

We love Canadian-American sonic siren Wolkoff at ION for too many reasons to count, but today's is her occasional hit-making collabs with The Hood Internet. Together, they have released a new single today (that's got a free download in it, for all you DJs and other people who still like to own files rather than stream) and it's their best work yet. RIYL artists like MØ, "Me & Mine" has all the elements of a hit song in 2016; from the finger snapping beat, to the arpeggiated synth cadence.

Music came on, I started groovin’, simple as that. I was getting Phoenix vibes (which is never a bad thing, in my simple mind) till the in-tune male singer “busted” out the lyric, “you came all over me”… Oooookay. Then it just kinda got, I dunno, bland. Bits and pieces of the Bee Gees and Chromeo sprinkled my ears with non-offensiveness here and there and, go figure, after listening to this sweet little baby on repeat for an hour, I found myself boppin’ outta the shower.

Coloring Book dropped today. And it's not Acid Rap.

Since Chance The Rapper exploded onto the Midwestern rap scene, he has been no stranger to experimentation. Acid Rap was weird, grimy, fast, and danceable. Surf, an album he made as part of the collective Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment was slow, uplifting, jazzy, and above all, happy.

 Subtle toms bubble up underneath a wobbly, discordant guitar line into a claustrophobic verse where two singers, in a monotone delivery, list off an index of hot button topics, including the disparity of wealth and gender divisions. It’s all very compelling and just when you think you’ve gotten the idea, the band opens up and delivers a wonderful bit of half time escape.

 Calgary's Ultrviolence have a specific sound, and it's not one you haven't heard before. The dangerous "D" word in music criticism is "derivative" and it's thrown around so much that its usage has become exactly its meaning. Ultraviolence may have baritone vocals, and they may have a dark guitar sound not unlike the forefathers of post-punk, but it's unlikely that anyone would call what they are doing unoriginal. There is an earnest, yet bleak sound to their music, and perhaps their personalities.

Haitian-born Montrealer Kaytranada released his long-awaited, much-anticipated debut album 99.9% today, and it's perfect timing, really, since we need something amazing to stream all weekend long. His weaving of hip hop, soul, R&B and pop is addictive, and guest vocalists like Vic Mensa, Craig David and Anderson .Paak are gravy.

We can't always premiere white-hot contemporary videos at ION. Sometimes we have to remember the past, because it's peculiar. It's funny how pop music ages. Songs our parents would roll their eyes to in the 70s are often enjoyed by today's younger generation, while the music they considered "boss" at the time, is often cringeworthy to revisit. It'll happen to you too.

Not all pop singers are plucked from a lineup of willing fresh faces, stuccoed with media training, PG-13'ed into a milquetoast mannequin and set adrift on the unforgiving astral plains of temporary fame. Some pop stars rise through the ranks of the backbenches, supporting the system, waiting for their one shot.