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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014
PAGE 7A
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5 UPCOMING ALBUMS
Music to look forward to, from hip-hop to indie rock
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
RYAN WRIGHT
@RyanWrightUDK
Right now is an exciting time in music; there are many highly anticipated projects being released over the next few months. Here are five albums that should be on your radar.
KANYE WEST - TBA
Each of Kanye West's six solo albums have gone platinum. That being said, there's a lot of hype surrounding Mr. West's seventh solo effort. The hype caused a track entitled "All Day" to top the Billboard Trending 140 chart, and the song hasn't even been released yet. There's usually little to no information regarding a Kanye West album until right before the release, and this is no different. No official release date has been set, but it's expected to be released within the next few months.
CHARLI XCX - SUCKER
Fresh off a huge feature on Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," Charli XCX is set to release her third studio album, "Sucker," on Oct. 21. Charli XCX has often been categorized goth-pop and is regularly compared to '80s legend Siouxsie Sioux. Two singles have already been released off the album: "Boom Clap," which was featured on the soundtrack for "The Fault In Our Stars," and "Break the Rules." Both can be found in the iTunes store.
ALT-J - THIS IS ALL YOURS
ALT-7 - THIS IS ALL YOURS
English english rock band Alt-1) is set to release the follow-up to its debut album, "An Awesome Wave,"
on Sept. 22. The debut album was good, but a bit underwhelming because sometimes the heavy instrumentation overshadowed the lyrics. Judging from the three singles that have been released, "Hunger of the Pine," "Left Hand Free" and "Every Other Freckle," the album should be a treat.
FRANK OCEAN - TBA
During the summer of 2012, Frank Ocean released his critically acclaimed debut album, "Channel Orange." Since then, we haven't heard much from him. The album is often considered one of the best R&B albums in years. It won "Best Urban Contemporary Album" at the 2013 Grammys where he earned six nominations. The album was also certified gold in January 2013. Similar to Kanye's newest project, little is known about the album. This past April, Ocean took to Tumblr and hinted the album was nearly finished.
FLYING LOTUS – YOU'RE DEAD!
Flying Lotus is one of the most diverse producers in music right now, as he makes a wide variety of music ranging from hip-hop to electronic. His experimental style has set him apart among his peers.
"You're Dead!" is his fifth solo album and is set for release Oct.
7. Flying Lotus' solo side project called "Captain Murphy" has new music coming soon also.
FLYING LOTUS - YOU'RE DEAD!
Edited by Alyssa Scott
Meyers' Emmy act outshined by guests
ASSOCIATED PRESS
How'd Seth Meyers do in his debut as host of the Emmys? So far, the critics seem to think the "Late Night" comedian was not at all bad, especially considering the degree of difficulty he faced.
First up, there was a fact that the show, which usually lands on a Sunday in late September, was scheduled for a Monday night in August — hardly an auspicious time slot — thanks to conflicts with the VMAs and "Sunday Night Football." But perhaps even more problematic was the feeling of deja vu that plagued the night, when so many awards went to previous winners rather than exciting newcomers such as "Orange is the New Black" and "True Detective."
The L.A. Times' Mary McNamara called Meyers "great," noting that his monologue, full of industry jokes about the broadcast- versus-cable rift and this year's rampant category- fudging, provided "insight into the wonderful roiling madness that is television today."
Less effusive, but still positive, was Slate's Willa
Paskin. Meyers provided a "steady hand and reliable charm," she said, even if he "is not a huge personality, and his opening monologue was a little understated."
Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times had similarly lukewarm praise for Meyers, saying he "was charming, but he didn't take many risks, and overall, the ceremony was a brisk, rather tame event."
Others seemed to think that Meyers was reliable and efficient but allowed others do to the heavy comedic lifting.
["Meyers was] affable and steady and kept the banter light and upbeat."
"The only real standout bit came not from Meyers, but from Billy Eichner. The big musical number? Again, not Meyers — that one went to Weird Al Yankovic," wrote Margaret Lyons at Vulture.
The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman observed that Meyers was upstaged by other late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, but said that he was "affable and steady and kept the banter light and upbeat" on "one hell of a weird, head-scratching awards show."
Meyers had his out-and-out detractors too. Writing for the New Yorker, Sarah Larson said Meyers "seems to embody the obsolescence of the (late-night) genre. He was a fine fake newsman on "Weekend Update," but as a person — a real host, a presence — he seems to have little at stake other than his own success or failure, as measured by the success of his jokes. You don't feel any passion, personality, or vulnerability."
Daniel D'Addario at Salon docked Meyers, who referred to his friends Amy Poehler and Tina Fey by first names only, for "lean(ing) heavily on his ('Saturday Night Live') comrades, a group whose amiability began, years ago, to curdle into cool-kids'-clubbiness."
TIM GOODMAN
The Hollywood Reporter