I always felt that Zaba was the first record in its post-rock style to challenge Alt-J’s dominance in this ill-defined genre. On How to be a Human Being, Glass Animals surpass Alt-J to become, in my mind, one of the most inventive post-rock, alt-electronic groups out there.

How to Be a Human Being begs the question: How does one classify music like this? The pop structures, rock energy, and electronic sounds create a bizarre — but appealing — mix that seems eminently malleable and mineable for a new generation of musicians. How to Be a Human Being is a record of constant imagination.

Even people who don’t like Glass Animals couldn’t accuse them of being unoriginal. Every track on the record sounds different — compare “Pork Soda” to “Take a Slice”, for example. The band rarely, if ever, repeats themselves.

How to Be a Human Being has hints of everything from Justin Timberlake (“Season 2 Episode 3”) to blues rock (“Poplar St.”). It’s one of the most diverse records of the year. It’s a record that’s a result of touring, and all the new life experience that entails.

But at the same time as the band is rapidly — and aggressively — expanding their sound, they’re also doing something unexpected. How to Be a Human Being strips back the production slightly, dressing down the tracks compared to Zaba.

It’s a subtle effect, but it works nonetheless: despite Glass Animals’ continued experimentation, it never feels like they’re anything less than approachable.

To be clear: the production doesn’t sound bad, not even remotely. It’s still a well-made, well-executed record. But the production allows Glass Animals to make experimental, unusual music without ever sacrificing its listen-ability.

All that being said, it’s hard to discuss How to Be a Human Being right now. It’s the musical equivalent of The Empire Strikes Back: a sequel whose language is so different from what came before that it will take time to judge and understand it properly. I imagine we won’t fully understand the magnitude of this record until we can judge it within the full spectrum of Glass Animals’ complete discography.

That’s a good thing. The Empire Strikes Back was panned when it was released, but now many regard it as one of the best films ever made. Clearly, How to Be a Human Being is a tremendous record. It has the all the feelings of a masterpiece. But I don’t know if it’s a masterpiece yet. It’s too early to call it. (If it’s not a masterpiece, then it’s certainly evidence that Glass Animals is capable of making one.)

For the time being, How to Be a Human Being is an impeccable record. It demands your attention, and your repeated listening. And I can’t wait to talk about it a decade from now.

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The results of that Kickstarter campaign are finally here, and they come in the form of and the Anonymous Nobody…, the hip hop trio’s first legitimate record since 2004’s The Grind Date. And boy, is De La Soul back: and the Anonymous Nobody… is one of the year’s most impressive hip hop records. It’s a wide canvas of imaginative ideas and well-written statements that capture De La Soul’s wit and creativity for a new generation of listeners.

When they’re at the top of their game, that’s exactly what and the Anonymous Nobody… does. “Pain”, the first single, has the vibe, lyrical approach, and swagger of vintage De La Soul. It’s the sort of song fans have been waiting ten years for. The following track, the jazzier “Property of Spitkicker.com”, sounds like a twist on their vintage sound. It’s trying to push boundaries and experiment with new sounds — all the things that we loved hearing De La Soul do before.

At other times, it’s easy to wish the tracks were longer than they are. “CBGB’S” is an album highlight, but ninety seconds is much too short for the track. It’s got such a great vintage beat, and it’s a shame to waste it.

But the album is enough to bring the best out of everybody: even Usher has a good track here, contributing an excellent vocal performance to “Greyhounds” that complements the rapping surprisingly well.

Everything comes together in “Exodus”, though, the final track and the song where the title of the record is finally explained. As De La Soul encourages people to chase their passions and their dreams, they sign off at the end as the “nobodies” who became somebodies. It’s an aspirational moment that feels like a reflection on a long, storied, successful career. Their message: if they can do it, anybody can.

We should have guessed that would be the message all along. and the Anonymous Nobody… was crowd-funded. If there was a metaphor for the fundraising process, it’s one of democracy. By contributing to the Kickstarter campaign, we decided as we wanted De La Soul to stick around. We decided we needed more music from them. And true to De La Soul’s point, it could have been anybody.

The music industry is becoming more democratic every day. Decades into their career, De La Soul are still leading the charge.

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Perhaps the lack of ego in Tuns shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, the band’s three members all hail from Halifax — and in Canada, we can’t have egos without repeatedly apologizing for them. Leaving egos out is just easier for Tuns; anything else would be un-patriotic. (If you’re not from Canada, you might think I’m joking. I assure you I’m not.)

Uniting Sloan’s Chris Murphy, The Inbreds’ Mike O’Neil, and Super Friendz’s Matt Murphy, the group largely writes power pop/indie rock that feels like a modern-day throwback to both the ’90s and The Beatles (“Look Who’s Back in Town Again” made me want to listen to Revolver).

But of course, it’s also much more than that. “Back Among Friends” opens the album by stating the obvious: these three guys have known each other for decades now, and it feels good to hang out and jam. Tuns is the definition of a feel-good record. Whether you’re familiar with the members’ other bands or not doesn’t matter — you’re going to have a good time.

Tuns is also the definition of a summer record: jangly indie with catchy choruses prevails. “Mind over Matter” and “Lonely Life” both have these fantastic, radio-ready choruses that carry all the sunshine and joy of long summer drives down the highway (and a clear ’90s influence). “Mind Your Manners” is the song that feels most reminiscent of some of Sloan’s work, with a verse that has all the propulsive energy that band is known for.

At the end of the day, Tuns feels like a bunch of friends having a good time. It feels like a record they always wanted to make — yet it sounds very different from the rest of their respective catalogues.

It’s clear that Tuns is a record that can only be made with the benefit of age and experience. This isn’t a record these men could have made when they first met, no matter how hard they tried. While their music is still as youthful and energetic as always, it leaves behind the issues of youth and strives for the earnest sincerity that comes with time.

Tuns is an excellent debut. It shirks ego in every way. It clears new creative ground for the gentlemen involved. But most importantly, it’s filled with great, catchy music. For lovers of pop-tinged rock, Tuns’ debut record is the perfect way to close out the summer.

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If you don’t know Watsky, you might remember seeing him perform in season six of HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry for his slam poetry. He also became popular for a YouTube video in 2010 called “Pale kid raps fast” (which is no longer available), which got him the attention of Verizon, who asked him to appear in a commercial to promote a new product with a speed rap. Not only did Watsky decline, he felt it was such an insult to his artistic integrity that he made another video making fun of Verizon.

That attitude — an attitude of passion and artistry — seeps into his hip hop. x Infinity finds Watsky calling us to be more real with each other.

That attitude is evident in hard-hitting tracks like the anti-Trump (and anti-Clinton) “Pink Lemonade”, or the emotionally involving “Stick to Your Guns” — a protest song about gun violence, news networks, and politics. “Hit me with your truth,” Watsky raps, almost pleadingly, on the song. It’s an observation of the lack of honesty from reporters and politicians, but it’s also a cry asking us to get better at this.

If you want to hear his speed rapping, Watsky unleashes it on the virtuosic “Don’t Be Nice”, which he uses to joke about hot moms and seriously tell people that he doesn’t have time for “fake friends”.

Throughout x Infinity, which features as many bangers as it does pop-infused moments of quiet beauty, Watsky continues to plead with us to be more honest and vulnerable with each other. He leads by example on songs liked “Talking to Myself”, when he opens up about his personal struggles.

It can be hard to hear his messages through his rapping, though: Watsky’s ability is second-to-none, and five albums in, he’s only getting better. Without a doubt, he’s one of the most skilled rappers in the world right now. His thoughtful lyrics are almost a bonus.

Whether he’s speed rapping or cleverly finding ways to adjust his intonation to match the instrumentation surrounding him, every track has moments that are worth discussing. On the previously mentioned “Don’t Be Nice”, he plays with his sample and raps against it, creating lines and verses off the sampled words “Don’t” and “Don’t Be” in an astonishing display of prowess and technical mastery.

x Infinity is the album that could elevate Watsky to household name. But he’s already got the attention of hip hop fans everywhere. With x Infinity, he continues perfecting his craft.

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The coverage stopped because Frank Ocean released Blonde — his real new album that weekend. He released Blonde independently; Endless fulfilled his contract with Universal Music.

Endless became a footnote in Blonde’s reviews and analysis.

Blonde soared to number one on the Billboard 200, and made Frank Ocean over a million dollars in one week. Consequently, Universal Music lost what could amount to millions of dollars on Endless as Blonde stole all of its thunder.

Sounds like the makings of a great courtroom drama, right?

Universal Music technically has every right to sue Frank Ocean. Most label contracts have a stipulation saying that artists can’t release a new album after their contract expires without waiting for a pre-determined period of time. That means Universal could sue Frank for releasing Blonde so soon. (Although this Billboard article suggests that Universal isn’t considering suing him).

That same Billboard article, though, makes it sound like a shame that this is happening. Perhaps as a result of Frank’s actions, Universal will no longer allow exclusives tied to any streaming services. Take it with a grain of salt, but apparently the first streamed exclusive on the cutting board was a new Gwen Stefani record.) Universal Music, the world’s biggest record label, is once again at odds with Apple Music (and Tidal, and Spotify).

This Isn’t About Labels

Of course, the issue is more complicated than that.

Frank Ocean wasn’t the first artist to have major success with an independently-released, exclusively-streamed record. Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book climbed to number eight on the Billboard 200 this year. It was one of the most successful independent music releases of all time.

These aren’t situations where Apple was just paying for things. There’s intimate creative involvement from the Apple side, down to actually directing videos. Labels are rarely involved.

Drake has also climbed to number one as a streaming exclusive this year with Views . That record is still one of the most-streamed albums on Apple Music, months after its release.

Sean Glass wrote an incredibly eye-opening post about how Apple Music exclusives actually work (he worked at Apple, so he would know). It turns out that Apple has an active creative involvement in every exclusive they have a hand in. The key quote is this: “These aren’t situations where Apple was just paying for things. There’s intimate creative involvement from the Apple side, down to actually directing videos. Labels are rarely involved.”

In these cases, Apple is actually acting as creative producer for the singles, albums, and videos. Glass suggests that Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video (among countless others over the past decade) wouldn’t exist were it not for Apple’s creative involvement, support, and financial backing.

Frank Ocean isn’t the first to independently release an album to mass success. Chance the Rapper, who has always been unsigned, had similar success earlier this year.

This is a shift in the way music is produced. Traditionally, labels fund the projects as money-makers for everybody involved. But that’s changing. Physical album sales are still declining. The money musicians make from merch and touring has become more integral to their income. The album is becoming a portfolio piece for both the streaming companies, like Apple, and the musicians who use albums to sell tickets to shows.

The album is becoming a portfolio piece for both the streaming companies, like Apple, and the musicians who want to sell tickets to shows.

This isn’t a bad thing. Although it’s a giant shift in the way artists make music, it’s more in line with our “music on demand” culture now. Streaming companies make music a service instead of a product, much like Netflix and HBO are in the “storytelling as a service” business.

As artists realize they don’t need the record labels anymore, and streaming companies look for ways to differentiate themselves, an exclusive album becomes more important for everybody involved.

This isn’t about labels. This is about creative freedom.

Music and Television

The television metaphor is apt. Imagine Universal Music, Sony, et. al as conventional networks like ABC and NBC. The conventional networks are concerned with marketability and number-one hits, so their creative involvement places limits on an artist’s creative expression.

Now think of Apple Music and Tidal as HBO and Netflix. Their goal is to create platforms where people want to be, largely thanks to compelling and creative stories that are well-told. Similarly, Apple Music and Tidal want to create platforms where people want to be, largely thanks to compelling and creative music that is well-made and smartly-produced.

Apple Music and Tidal don’t want to limit creative expression; they want to encourage it. Again, similarly to Netflix and HBO, these companies are interested in paying artists whatever it takes to get the highest-quality, most creative work they can come up with.

The channels we listen to music on are changing. Naturally, the distribution and production process is too.

Back to Frank Ocean. Frank Ocean doesn’t need Universal Music. Chance the Rapper doesn’t need a label. For that matter, neither does Drake, Kanye, or Gwen Stefani. Beyoncé certainly doesn’t need one.

So why bother with them?

Think of Apple Music and Tidal as HBO and Netflix.

Frank Ocean has Universal Music in a bit of a panic, as he probably should. The labels originally existed to help distribute and market music. Now that there are more financially interesting and creatively stimulating ways for artists to do that, they don’t need the labels like they used to.

This should have the labels running scared. Their entire business model has an expiration date. Hot tip: Whenever you hear somebody complain about how there are too many “streaming exclusives” on social media or in the news, find out if that person has a relationship with traditional music media or labels. They usually do.

The bottom line? Timed streaming exclusives are good for musicians, which makes them great for us as music lovers.

Frank Ocean and Blonde aren’t the final nail in Universal Music’s coffin. Neither is the inevitable Taylor Swift exclusive. When Adele about-faces and releases her new music as an exclusive digital one day, that’s when the labels are completely dead.

Frank Ocean, along with Chance, Drake, and Kanye, have proved that any musician can do it without a traditional label. And one day, they all will.

The post This Is How Frank Ocean & Streaming Will Save Music appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

On “Oh No” and “Man of the Moment”, Milbourn really lets it rip. Massive choruses, big hooks, and yes, crazed howling, dominate these songs. They’re fantastic.

On other tracks, like “Daisy” and “Darlin’”, the band’s tender side is revealed. “Daisy” sees them turn a quieter song into a giant anthem, and “Darlin’” sees them exploring a tender blues sound. The whole EP is pure rock and roll from start to finish. It’s refreshing to hear rock music this good.

In 2012, Goodbye June released their first record. They won a big-time award in 2014 that earned them attention at Interscope, where they signed earlier this year. This EP is their first since then, and like the sophomore album that will soon follow, it’s been purposefully focused on old-school, straight-forward rock and roll.

I could have told you that without reading the press release. Suffice it to say: they nailed it.

The title track, which is the last track on the EP, is a blues rock track with a massive chorus and a great hook. The songwriting is impeccable, too: There’s a huge, guitar-filled chorus that leads directly back into the verse, which gets more intricately layered the second time around. The song continually builds on itself.

Goodbye June knows what they’re doing here: this is intricate, quality songwriting. All the parts work together.

Danger in the Morning is one of the most promising EPs I’ve heard all year, and I’m looking forward to the eventual sophomore release (and major-label debut) from Goodbye June. If this EP is a sign of what’s to come, we’re all in for a treat.

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