Top 4 of April 13-19, 2014

By: Abbie Doyle, Copy Editor

1. Z - SZA

By Travis Boswell, Contributor

Being wrong about an artist is great sometimes. I thought SZA had shown all of her cards in S as a fusion of trap music and R&B, but this album is completely different. What could have been an average album in anyone else's hands is elevated by SZA's hypnotic voice and lyrics that get so specific or personal that they're utterly charming. The shoutout to Pepper Ann cemented my love for the album pretty quickly. There's one more album left in this EP series, which is only going to make the wait feel even longer. I'm fine with keeping Z on repeat until then.

2. Make My Head Sing... - Jessica Lea Mayfield

By Cortney Willis, Copy Editor

Make My Head Sing... is a fantastic album for many reasons. One: It features a songstress who embodies strong female characters from fiction while existing as an actual living person. Two: An amazing amount of growth is seen in Mayfield--she proves she's not a one-trick (or rather one-note) pony. Three: Amazing pedal effects that not only make the listener's head sing, but also spin. Mayfield's vocals are at their finest. With the album, the young artist instills faith in her fans that she's here to stay.

3. Kanye West does something for someone other than himself?

Okay, I’m probably being too harsh on Kanye, but the dude just seems self-righteous and selfish. However, the rapper/producer has been working with Common in order to create jobs and opportunity for youths in Chicago. Common’s organization, Common Ground Foundation, has paired up with West’s Donda’s House as well as the Chicago Urban League to create year-round jobs and opportunities, as well as putting on an annual music festival to raise funds and awareness. Details weren’t given on how exactly these jobs are going to be created, but hey, kudos to West and Common. Now we just wait to see how it progresses.

4. Jack White is, surprise, acting crazy

Record Store Day returned to the lives of vinyl lovers this Saturday, and Jack White decided to go buck-wild for the annual event. He decided to record, press and sell a 7-inch record for RSD on RSD. Okay, so the record is only two tracks and features a band, but that’s still fucking crazy. The A-side is a song to be released on White’s upcoming album, and the B-side was a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Power of My Love.” The 45s were ready for sale within four hours. White broke the Guinness World Record for hauling ass in terms of creating and selling a record. I knew the guy was impressive, but damn. Talk about raising the bar.

May 17 Album Releases

I’ve always felt that May is a good month for album releases. Maybe it’s the feeling of listening to new music right as school is winding down, or maybe it’s because music tends to be more exciting as the weather gets warmer. Whatever the case, May 17 does not disappoint.

First, we have the hotly anticipated Rome album from super-producer Danger Mouse and composer Daniele Luppi, which will be released via Capitol. Those two brought together a handful of retired Italian musicians that worked on some of the most influential westerns from the '50s and '60s. After that they added Jack White and Norah Jones’s vocals to the mix, creating an all-new kind of spaghetti-western soundtrack. Personally, I think anything Danger Mouse touches is gold, so I definitely trust this to be a fantastic album.

Next we have Scottish group Glasvegas releasing its sophomore effort, EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ on Columbia. I adore the band’s self-titled debut, and I’m hoping for more of the same colossal-sounding rock from the group. European reviews have been pretty favorable and Pitchfork hates it. Both of those are to be expected. If the album is as good as the first, I suppose I can forgive Glasvegas’s caps lock obsession.

Kidz Bop Sings Monster Ballads. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by a bunch of pre-adolescents? Yes please!

Moby will release his tenth album, Destroyed, on Mute. I’ve never really listened to Moby, but know his material. From what I can tell from reviews, this wouldn’t be one to start with, as it’s probably going to be more of an album for the obsessive Moby followers of the world.

Either way, ten albums is an impressive feat. There aren’t too many musicians out there who have made it that far, but now we can say that Moby is one of them. Gotta give props to one of the most successful names in electronic rock.

One of the albums I’m most excited for is Let’s Wrestle’s second record, Nursing Home, which will be released on Merge. I first heard of this British group when Cage The Elephant covered the spectacularly-titled “My Arms Don’t Bend That Way, Damn It!” in an acoustic performance for Rolling Stone. While Nursing Home doesn’t have any song with quite the same instantly incredible title, I’m sure it will offer some of the same raw power as the first. Plus, there is a song called “There’s A Rockstar In My Room,” which reminds me of the title of a children’s picture book or something.

There are, of course, plenty of other releases to sink your teeth into this week, including Mercury Rev, Miracle Fortress, and Ben Harper (who was last seen working with Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur in Fistful of Mercy).

So get out there and pick up some new music. It’s springtime, which in my mind means that your brain is yearning for something fresh.

--Chris Dobstaff, News Editor