CD Reviews

Doomtree | No Kings

Doomtree (2011)

By REYAN ALI | December 6, 2011

3.0 Stars

As of this writing, no one on Last.fm has created a tag for "hyper-paced, ultra-smart, ultra-self-aware, futuristic, planet-hopping indie hip-hop." If such a genre did exist, No Kings damn well better be the first entry in its canon. The latest collaboration from Minneapolis collective Doomtree (MCs P.O.S., Dessa, Cecil Otter, Sims, and Mike Mictlan, plus beat makers Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger) sounds like the gang traveled into space and collectively lost their shit in the stratosphere. The effort is exuberant and sprawling, packed with twisty pieces of electronics and complicated raps. In usual Doomtree form, the MCs favor abstract pontifications and emblematic turns of phrase over fluid narrative, so don't expect to make sense of most of this shit on the first listen. On the upside, the songs justify further replay and analysis just because the group knows how to deliver consistently smart, compelling imagery. The record isn't perfect — "Bolt Cutter" has a grating, needlessly gooey chorus, and the self-congratulatory "Bangarang" is too crass for No Kings's lyrical vibe. But, flaws and all, it's a happy reminder that Doomtree are sincerely devoted to challenging both themselves and their listeners.

Doomtree + Sontiago at SPACE Gallery, November 28
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Trans Am | What Day Is It Tonight? Trans Am Live, 1993 - 2008
Trans Am are distillers of guilty pleasures, mixing fat AOR riffs with sleazy electronic accents and a propulsive attitude typically reserved for arcade soundtracks. What Day Is It Tonight? covers the DC-area band’s 20-year history with high-quality, high-energy live cuts taken from their many tours.
Various Artists | Where the Action Is: Los Angeles Nuggets 1965 - 1968
More than three years in the making, the most recent installment of Rhino's legendary archival garage-rock series offers an amazingly comprehensive excavation of an absurdly fertile scene.
Various Artists | Nippon Girls: Japanese Pop, Beat & Bossa Nova 1966–1970
Girl-group records are great and everything, yet the countless compilations out there were becoming a little hit-or-miss until 2005, when the great Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found box set finally gave this diverse genre a proper taxonomy.
Various Artists | Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010
The notion that regional musical flavors exist independently in American cities is quickly becoming an archaic truism, seeing as how the world really is a stage these days, at least in the digital sense.
Bearstronaut | Broken Handclaps
There's a distinct absence of wildlife or astronauts on Lowell electronica quartet Bearstronaut's latest release.
Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo
Look, I get it: the last thing we need right now is yet another band who can be described as “sun-baked,” “reverb-soaked,” or even just “psychedelic.” But Avi Buffalo (I know! An animal name to boot!) are worth your attention for a few reasons.
Catching up with Doomtree's other six
Doomtree are a true collective, with no single voice dominating.
Dessa and Doomtree spread beyond hip-hop roots
A dash of coincidence provoked Margret Wander's relatively quick entry into Doomtree, the hip-hop crew whose "Wings + Teeth Tour" comes to the Middle East a week from Saturday.
Review: Brandon Flowers | Flamingo
Brandon Flowers has gone on record saying he brought the songs on Flamingo to his fellow bandmates for the next Killers album and was given the brush-off.
Review: Kevin Dunn | No Great Lost: Songs 1979–1985
Casa Nueva Industries (2010)
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