Today is the first Tuesday of the month, which means it’s time once again for your monthly dose of album releases. There are many artists’ projects to watch for this month, and there are even a handful of live performances happening at the local venues in Nashville to be excited for.
First, I want to talk about Ryan Hemsworth. No, he’s not one of the pretty Hemsworths, and he doesn’t have a man-bun like Chris, but he does, however, write a mean song. Hemsworth got his start writing popular remixes to the likes of Ja Rule, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. If you follow Hemsworth’s Bandcamp page, though, you’ll be able to see a distinct shift in his production style from the early grimier sounds of “cover yr shame” and “We Deserve This” to the more refined Clams Casino-inspired tracks he’s produced more recently, like “Colour & Movement,” taken from Hemsworth’s 2012 effort “Last Words.” Hemsworth’s third full-length LP will be titled “Alone for the First Time,” and it is slated for a Tuesday, Nov. 4 release. Oh hey, that’s today. That’s fun. Also, Hemsworth will be performing at famed Nashville venue Exit/In on Saturday, Nov. 8, alongside Meth Dad and Coach as part of Hemsworth’s “Sucker for Punishment” tour.
Personally, I ended up falling off of the Odd Future bandwagon around the time I watched this interview [NSFW: Language] and saw how much of an attention seeker Tyler, the Creator, leader of the Southern California rap collective in question, is. But even with his immature nature, Tyler managed to surround himself with an incredibly talented group of rappers, specifically Domo Genesis.
Domo Genesis, or Dominique Cole to the government, has been a member of the group since 2009 and has shown himself to be an incredibly valuable asset to the group. His earlier material is characterized by clumsier vocals and much less serious topics specifically shown through the track, “Smokemon,” which chronicles Cole’s hunt for all the different strains of marijuana in the style of the Pokémon theme song and also in the track, “Dreams,” which features production from Tyler, the Creator himself. Cole’s more recent material has shifted from these lackadaisical attempts, and he’s begun to show that he isn’t there to play around, in the tracks “Sam (Is Dead),” “Oldie” and “Rusty.” Just to be clear, these tracks were only featuring a verse from Cole; the songs weren’t entirely written by him, but these excellent guest verses turned heads and began to catch the eyes of a myriad of artists across the rap landscape, from The Alchemist and Madlib to the Dilated Peoples and Prodigy. Cole has become less tied to his Odd Future mates and is earning more respect as a solo artist. This is shown specifically in his guest features on the recent Freddie Gibbs and Madlib track “Piñata,” from their critically acclaimed album, “Cocaine Piñata,” and the not-as-recent Step Brothers track “Byron G” from their album “Lord Steppington.” Domo Genesis’s “Under the Influence 2” is set to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Hey, that’s today, too.
Other notable releases this month come from Deerhoof with “La Isla Bonita” on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Foo Fighters with “Sonic Highways” on Monday, Nov. 10, One Direction with “Four” on Monday, Nov. 17, Tyga with “The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty” on Tuesday, Nov. 18, Big K.R.I.T. with “Cadillactica” on Tuesday, Nov. 11 and Parkay Quarts — originally of Parquet Courts — with “Content Nausea” on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
In live music, Death From Above 1979, Young Jeezy and Interpol are playing Marathon Music Works on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 10 and 11, respectively. Slipknot will play the Bridgestone Arena on Friday, Nov. 21, The New Pornographers and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will play the Cannery Ballroom on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and All Them Witches will play 3rd and Lindsley on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Have a fantastic Tuesday.
