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MH-260 Her Space Holiday - XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival  Putting some space between himself and the computer that has provided the basis for so much of his recent work, Marc Bianchi has taken the last two years to focus on what got him into music in the first place, writing connective songs and working out the layers of sound he hears in his head. The results are a new persona, XOXO, Panda, and the reinforcement of the feelings of personal and artistic freedom that drive his music. Loose and carefree arrangements of guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, shakers, glockenspiel, and drums lay the foundation for vocal storytelling sing-a-longs. XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival is a brilliant calling card for Her Space Holiday’s newly awakened alter-ego, and a watershed moment in his growth as a songwriter and performer. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Guitar pop songs that are as charming as they are simple - Rolling Stone / That he can switch up styles so frequently and make solid records says something special about Bianchi - Pop Matters / Melodies have that wonderful undefinable quality that makes you want to hear them over and over... Killer indie pop cuts - Babysue |
| The poetry slam format has had a peculiar impact on hip-hop music. Couching rap lyrics as poetry helped to legitimize the genre in academic circles, paid homage to pioneers like The Last Poets and Nikki Giovanni and provided an important podium for talented artists who didn’t fit the mold of mainstream hip-hop culture. It’s tough to deny the electricity of seeing a poet captivate a live audience with a fast, fresh flow. The downside is that it’s often difficult to capture that energy on record. That disparity is evident throughout Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, the third album from the ponderously named, slam-influenced rapper K-The-I??? Boasting densely layered, polysyllabic lyricism and a rapid-fire flow that brings to mind KRS-ONE in full-on “teacher” mode, K-The-I??? is unquestionably a skilled MC. He has a poet’s ear for wordplay, packing his streams of consciousness with clever internal rhymes, surreal imagery and unexpected verbal twists. (“Life is what you make of it, you idiot / Cry me a river bank / Empty tank polluted / With devil sticks to the chest / Rest in peace / Isolated / You’re tempting me to intrude the interlude”). It’s a deft delivery that rewards close listening. ...The apocalyptic visions of “Marathon Man” roll along with an eerie creep and ominous vocal samples, while “Sabbath Faster” (“We distorted those fighter jets / Minor threats / Look at the architect through the eyes of prophet before I forget”) rides a burbling electronic beat that almost verges on danceable. A well-chosen roster of underground guest rappers (Busdriver is probably the biggest name here) lends muscle and provides some welcome departures from K-The-I???’s steady staccato. As hip-hop albums go, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow has plenty going for it, but it works best as an advertisement for K-The-I???’s reputedly exceptional performances. - Made Loud |
