Mongo Nation

Method Man/Redman, Band of Skulls, Eminem, Mr. Lif, more!

By Jeremy Azevedo

Welcome back to another edition of “What I’m Listening To This Month”! No matter how many unsolicited CDs I get in my mailbox every month, I try to at least give each and every one of them a fair shot at a review, no matter how much it may pain me to listen to some of them.

In the interest of saving myself a hell of a lot of work, I’ve condensed all of the reviews for the aforementioned albums to 25 words or less. Not only does this make my job easier, but it also makes the reviews a hell of a lot more fun to read. And it’s a good thing too, because there’s quite a few this month! Some of these you’ll recognize and some you won’t, but I think you’ll be surprised which albums ended up being really great and which ended up getting totally shit on by yours truly. Have a look!

Eminem: Relapse

Five years, Eminem fans waited… This is what they get? More Pee Wee Herman raps over carnival beats, about drugs and his mother? No thanks.

Cage: I Never Knew You E.P.

Brilliant. Remember this EP when everyone else starts biting this five years from now.

Floating Action: Self-Titled

These guys tour and record with Dr. Dog, and you can tell. They sound a lot alike, and grow on you in the same way.

The Grouch & Eligh: Say G&E!

The Grouch needs to pick one group and stick to it. A good album, possibly even great, but never really takes off.

Empire of the Sun: Walking On a Dream

Shameless, hipster pandering bullshit. Walk into any Urban Outfitters and listen for yourselves.

Mr. Lif: I Heard It Today

Mr. Lif is a f**king crybaby. That having been said, “I Heard It Today” is the best complaint record since Dead Prez’s “Let’s Get Free”.

Major Lazer: Gunz Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do

Reggae + Lasers = Awesome. Sounds like a robot raping a zombie with a Gameboy in a ramshackle bar in Jamaica.

Hill Country Revue: Make a Move

Sounds like a band you’d see in at a dive bar in Big Bear, in the middle of the summer, at 2pm.

Caitlin Crosby: Flawz

Is she related to David Crosby? No? Why the f**k did somebody send me this then? Her cover art looks like a lolcat.

Yo Gotti: CM2

It’s time to retire the goddamn gold fronts and tired guns/drugs/bitches wordplay. Is it too late to allow the South to secede already?

Endless Hallway: Autonomy Games

Not great, but not bad. Pretty average in every way. I’m falling asleep even typing this.

Pilot Speed: Wooden Bones

Real men gripe, but never whine. Pilot Speed are not men, but will appeal to college women and their suitors without question.

Johnny Polygon: Group Hug E.P.

Like the Hall & Oates of rap…? Ballady, unusual, vintagey and fun, thanks to the incredibly schizophrenic production by DJ Green Lantern.

Greycoats: Setting Fire to the Great Unknown

Very minimalist, will probably be used most effectively as background music on “The Hills” or something.

Band of Skulls: Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

Lo-Fi indie garage rock great for dancing and/or doing drugs to. Thanks iTunes!

Method Man/Redman: Blackout! 2

Musically, about as creative as the album’s title… Some inspired moments, but it’s just not as evolved as the stuff RZA and Ghostface are doing.

Black Moth Super Rainbow: Eating Us

Whispering into a vocoder doesn’t automatically make you “Psychedelic”, guys.

Kate Voegele: A Fine Mess

Music for women to have their period to. I’d hit it, I guess. Call me!