One of the coolest things about music is that it can be so personal. You can take so much meaning from a track, can vibe a sound, get lost in a record and what can be so significant to you can mean literally nothing to someone else. The people responsible for making this music gain our love and admiration or our harshest criticism.
Here at Classless Kids we have discussed a few artists that we support wholeheartedly. Some of these artists are polarizing figures in music, whether it be a change they’ve made, a style they refuse to conform to, or just their sound, but whatever the reason, we are all in.
Rick's Pick: ILoveMakonnen Keenan's Pick: Flume Pat's Pick: Against Me!
ILoveMakonnen
This 25 year old burst onto the scene a while back with a little help of OVO and current king of the world Drake. "Tuesday" was and still is a huge track, the ultimate drug dealer's anthem that even a 20 something teacher can "turn up" to. The world officially took notice once Drake jumped on the remix, but this has paved the way to stardom for the young rapper. His Drink More Water series of mixtapes allow him to explore the psychedelic side of hip hop (also the drugs definitely help) and carve out an intriguingly different sound with his very unique delivery: a sloppy balance of singing and rapping that is so off it is almost always on. Beyond his music Makonnen seems like an facisinating man, and nothing had me more interested in learning more and hearing more of his music than this little feature Noisey put together.
Is Makonnen the future of hip hop? Who knows, but in a genre where cookie-cutter production, recycled lyrics and the same tired sounds are often celebrated he is a refreshing change and I can honestly say I am excited to see what he does next.
Flume
The first track I heard was a remix of Lorde’s Tennis Court. I’m not a huge fan of Lorde so anyone who is capable of taking one of her tunes and making it 10 times better to the point where I actually enjoy it has some talent. Flume took a radio-safe track and turned it in to something unique.
The moment I went from a casual listener to an actual fan was the first time I heard The Mixtape. I’m part of a generation that was raised by the internet which means I have a 30 second attention span. It speaks volumes when an artist can create something that I want to listen to from start to finish without getting bored and searching for the next track. The Mixtape is pretty much the perfect playlist. There’s enough variety to keep me hooked, combined with the perfect consistency so it makes sense as a singular unit. It’s a treat from start to finish and the perfect Flume starter-pack.
Flume consistently puts out hits. His remixes are always on point but it’s the originals that really set him apart from the rest. He’s reliable in the sense that I’ve come to expect a banger whenever he releases a track but every tune is unique enough that I don’t get bored which is a basically a miracle when it comes to electronic music.
Flume has no fear when it comes to collaborations. He takes on everyone from Ghostface Killah to Chet Faker. Some have said that’s his biggest flaw but I consider it a complete triumph. His beats and production are strong enough to take on any vocalist and compliment them perfectly. The melodies stick in your head just as much as the lyrics do because he is that good. The Flume/Chet Faker EP, Lockjaw, is the best example of his ability to mesh perfectly with a skilled vocalist. There’s no denying that Chet Faker’s vocals are amazing but Flume is strong enough to compliment him and create a true partnership. One doesn’t outshine the other and that’s a rarity.
As good as he is with collabs, Flume can hold his own when he’s putting on a solo show. I’ve seen him in the flesh and can say with absolute certainty that despite having no live vocals he can command a crowd for more than the length of an entire set. His show was easily the most fun I had at Osheaga and would pay copious bills to see him again.
Against Me!
Many people have believed for years that punk is dead, yet many bands continue to release album after album proving this theory wrong. Against Me! which has been a staple in my music collection since I fell in love with punk rock, with their anarchy-punk themes and folk rock vibe, continue to remind me of just what the genre is about. Punk Rock is nothing but musical freedom, playing and saying whatever you feel. Just being honest. Laura Jane Grace took that to heart, taking a big step into complete honesty when she revealed that she is a transgender woman. She followed this news up with one of the best punk rock albums of 2014, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, and many would argue Against Me!’s best album.