Shifty's Monthly Album Overview List: June Strikes Back :')

Hey remember when when I personally challenged June to come up with some good music? Well, June came through and embarrassed me. Shifty: 0, June: 1. Shifty is still feeling like a proud dad right now, cause I think that it's my fault that the music in June was so good. You're welcome. Shifty also feels like personally attacking months of the year isn't really a great idea, because months take those attacks seriously. This is a list of the bands that put out some really good music in June. The albums that I #liked get one seal of approval and the albums that I #likedliked get two seals of approval. This month's seal of approval is particularly fantastic.

#KissFromASeal

#thingsiliked

Bully- Feels Like
-Some of them rocks and rolls that your parents talk about. When I listen to this album, it FEELS LIKE (I rarely feel) this album is a good album.
#ISeeWhatIDidThere
#;)

Girlpool- Before the World Was Big
-This album really pulls me in. It feels really small, and it just makes me smile (I rarely smile). It kind of feels like the bass and the guitar are kinda dueling each other or something. And the dual vocals are just fantastic. Very sweet and syrupy.
#OneHundredOneMillionBillionTrillionTimes

Sun Kil Moon- Universal Themes
-Mark Kozelek comes through with another wonderful and personal album. He threw in some electric guitar, Steve Shelley on the drums, and some extra shouty lyrics and in the end it really worked out. Most of the songs are over 7 minutes, and it really takes a focused listen in order to catch all of the lyrics and themes of the album. In the end I enjoyed this album a lot, but not as much as Benji or the first half of Among the Leaves (which is his best work in my opinion).
#IfYouAreLookingForFantasticLyricsThenThisIsYourAlbum

Thundercat- The Beyond/ Where the Giants Roam
-The whole Brainfeeder crew has been on point lately. Flying Lotus's album last year, Kamasi Washington's album earlier this year, and they handled a lot of the instrumentation on To Pimp a Butterfly as well. Thundercat is striking while the fire is hot, and he delivers a quality ep.
#ForAllOfThemLostSouls

Wavves x Cloud Nothings- No Life For Me
-Oh hey look, two of my favorite bands made a collaborative album. Is any good? Yes it is son. Yes it is. Also, I like how both bands kind of went back to their roots for this. I was kind of expecting it to be a lot more influenced by Cloud Nothings' recent output, but this is a pleasant surprise.
#YesLifeForMe


               

#thingsilikedliked

Czarface- Every Hero Needs a Villain
-Czarface is a collaboration Wu Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck and the duo of 7L & Esoteric. This is the second album made by the trio, and this one does exactly what it's predecessor(Czarface) didn't. It is actually good. It's production is like a mix between RZA and MF DOOM production. It's got some of the best punchlines of the year (I rarely laugh) and a really great cast of features. DOOM's verse is his best in a long time.......... and it's villainous as can be. This is seriously like my favorite Inspectah Deck release ever.
#ForVillainsOnly

Jamie XX- In Colour
-This is a fantastic electronic album that is very varied. Jamie blends a lot of different components and it ends up being like a mix between house music and garage music. Jamie goes all the way in. So far, this is my favorite electronic album this year. Lately I've been asking myself, "What makes a good album?" The answer for me, I guess is that it's gotta have bangers. Oh boy does this album have bangers. All 11 of the songs on this album are bangers. So naturally, this album is gonna be #likedliked.
#NoAcousticInstrumentsUsed
#IOnceAccidentallyDownloadedALumineersSong
#IHadToThrowAwayMyWholeComputerJustToBeSafe

Vince Staples- Summertime '06
-This is a great album. A lot of people complain that Vince has a kind of monotone voice. I don't really think that takes away from how great he is. This album has fantastic production and the beats really play to Vince's strengths. It's very catchy and it also has a lot of substance. I'm not sure why he separated the album and made it a double album. Back in my day, 60 minutes of music didn't warrant a double album......
#NorfNorfForDays
#SummerInPain

Thrusting into My Eardrums

**BREAKING NEWS: NEW MUSIC TO NOW DEBUT ON FRIDAYS** Now to Doctor McNinja With His Nearly Unintellig Expose.

**WARNING: THESE ARE THE RAMBLINGS OF A VERY DISTURBED AND DERANGED MAN WHO IS TRYING HIS HARDEST TO EXPLAIN THAT MUSIC RELEASES HAVE OFFICIALLY MOVED TO FRIDAY'S INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD TUESDAY. PROCEED IF YOU DO NOT VALUE YOUR SANITY**

Since forever ago, people have loved listening to music. A little bit after that, we started putting that music on CDs so that we could hear it more than once. I think that was a pretty good decision. Now I don't get so bored when I'm driving around in my 2003 Chevy Malibu (photo enclosed below).

Yeah, that's right. I'm rolling with 2003 Chevy Malibu money. *actual 2003 chevy malibu experience may vary.

But there is a problem with recording music and putting it down on CDs.  It costs more than just playing the music out loud. They're easy to break and sometimes people steal them. I'm told the stealing part has something to do with computers, but every time someone brings up computers I call them a nerd and punch them in the face, and then they wont explain it to me anymore.

CDs are also really cool, too. Like that thing I told you about my bitchin' 2003 Chevy Malibu. Naturally, I started to build a pretty big CD collection. Like at least 4 or 5 of them. I've got Roy Orbison's "Greatest Hits" (all the cool kids are listening to it these days), The Best of Queen, The soundtrack to Captain Philips, and two copies of Owl City's "Ocean Eyes." My first copy broke after putting Firefly on repeat too many times.

I would have even more CDs, maybe even 7 or 8, but I can never figure out when new music comes out. I tried to go to Von's Records to see when that new Owl City album comes out, but this nerd named Tyler said he was going to look it up on the computer, and then I punched him and it turned into this whole thing where they escorted me out and told me I was drunk even though I only had like four beers. Anyway, after that mess, I heard some guy called Shifty talking about a blog post he just wrote. He was too far to punch, but he was talking about how new music is coming out on Friday's now. Apparently people were pirating CDs too much, so now the big record execs are putting out all music at the same time worldwide.

Pirating is a really confusing thing, I thought it was all guys with beards and peg legs and scurvy and wooden ships. But now a days, ships are metal and they don't shoot cannonballs anymore. Lame, right. But people still pirate. Especially in Somalia. Stealing CDs  must be pretty much most of their economy, because people are alway talking about them pirating. At least that's what Captain Philips told me. I really like that movie. The pirate guy was all "Hey guys, look! I'm Captain Philips." And then Captain Philips was like, "Nuh uh, I'm the oldest so I get to be Captain Philips! And then those Navy guys shot that pirate guy.

That's what would happen if you try to steal CDs. So instead you should go to Von's and try not to punch any of those nerds in the face. Make sure you pick up that new Owl City CD. I'm hoping it's Firefly for 12 tracks. I broke my repeat button in my 2003 Chevy Malibu, so that would make it so much easier for me. Oh, and tell them what you think about Captain Philips, my bitchin' 2003 Chevy Malibu, Owl City, and piracy.

Loves and Kisses,

Doctor McNinja

Music Comes Out On Friday's Now!!!!!!!!!

I know this is a strange request, but we want you to forget everything that you know about new music releases and music distribution. We're serious just forget it all. You'll thank us later. You don't even need that stuff any more.

Nowadays new music is gonna come out on Friday instead of Tuesday. I know it's crazy, but it's happening. Starting this month, new music will be physically released on Friday. That means that new music will come out on FRIDAY, JULY 10TH this week. This is just something that the music industry came up with so that every country released physical albums on the same day. This was not our decision. We cannot give you new music on Tuesday, not even if you ask for it real nice like.

In a couple of months, we will probably forget that new music even came out on Tuesday. We'll get through these changes together. Ask real nice like, and we might even hold your hand.  :)

-Love,
The Staff at Von's Records