Benny Cassette - Entertain Us - Francois

Bangers and Mash, Francois, Music, Music for Thought, The Aftermath Music

C’mon Now, Entertain Us

That there exists a subset of rap specializing in angst speaks to how far the premier musical movement of the last 30 years has come. Think about this for a second, angst rap. Well, alright, more like pop-rap than the genuine item.

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Speaking broadly, angst rap (shouts to Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi for popularizing the genre), is a close cousin to what Yung Lean, the King of the Sad Boys and his ilk begot. Now, listening to Benny Cassette’s “Entertain Us,” we see how much the hip-hop playing field has openend.

Delivered at a pace familiar to Top Forty rap listeners, with Millennial self-preservation at the receiving end of his criticism, Cassette riles his social discomfort along his smooth sing-talk delivery, taking aim at the male and female archetypes of the iPhone commentariat alike:

“Fuck yo twitta/Fuck yo Snapchat/ Fuck yo Instagram/ There’s so much bullshit happening I’m losing who I am,” goes the refrain.

Though an enjoyable song, we see angst for what it’s worth. Lamenting without the suggestion of change is just complaining from a cozy distance. He chants: “We’re so bored/Come and entertain us.” Is he really? Yet, “Entertain Us” is still an effective song for what it references and immediately brings to mind.

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Cassette’s banner ad of a song borrows its title from what, at least in my K-Rock uprbringing as the pinnacle of angst rock. Nirvana’s “Smells Like Tenn Spirit,” where Cassette paraphrases Kurt Cobain’s laconic grunge anthem for today’s audience: the social media addicted Millenials; brandishing today’s youthful gripes: superficiality, lack of real conversation, disconnectedness from the corporeal; all packaged to refract the best qualities of today’s dominant sound: rap music.

Come and entertain us
You can’t really blame us
It all feels shallow…

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Bangers and Mash, elgringo, Playlists, The Aftermath Music

Songs for Anticipation

A lot has happened since my last post. I graduated from college. I drove across the country. I spent 4 months rowing vacationers down the whitewater of the Snake River. I explored the West. I drove a ton of miles.

I look back on all those hours behind the wheel and I miss it. Not because I like driving, but because I was always heading towards something sweet – a Montana weekend for the books with flowebro, a fly fishing trip in Yellowstone, the red rock of Utah, or simply my daily commute to the whitewater – I was always driving to exciting experiences and strange adventures.

Now the newest Aftermath member to join the 9-5 world, I’m severely missing those drives of anticipation and getting in the zone to some jams. (Most often Thomas Jack Tropical House sets). We can all agree there is nothing better to put you in the mood to send it than music. So whether you’re on your way to the slopes, the surf, or South Africa, I hope this playlist gets you stoked for the destination ahead.

Head towards something sweet.

Chayed Out, Live Music, The Aftermath Music

Outside Lands 2015 – A Brief Recap

This year I showed up to Outside Lands with a healthy dose of expectations. Last year’s eclectic lineup was next level stuff and Golden Gate Park’s laid back, isolated atmosphere lent itself to the prized staples of any successful and debauchery-filled festival – beer, dancing and people urinating as far as the eye can see.

“Kendrick better play Money Trees” (he opened with it). “ODESZA better light up GG Park” (they were electric). Luckily for me, the majority of my expectations were fulfilled at Outside Lands 2015. But anyone who has forked over a hefty lump sum for a festival, knows that this isn’t always the case…

But the true, genuine joy of going to a festival, is stumbling on the diamonds in the rough. And no one exemplified this more than Caribou – a group led by 36 year old Canadian mathematician/composer/drummer/producer who has a knack for creating cerebral brain candy. Showcasing a developing and purposefully ambiguous genre that the British media has labeled, “shoe-gazing”, Caribou took the crowd to another level.

I like taking mental ideas apart and playing around with them. That’s what appeals to me about what I’ve spent my life doing.”