Wu-Tang Clan

“Wu-Massacre”

Key Tracks: “Our Dreams,” “Youngstown Heist”

8.0/10

The Wu is back, or at least part of it. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Method Man collaborate for the most recent Wu-Tang project, “Wu-Massacre.” It’s pretty safe to say that they’ve still got it, and the project is definitely a good addition to the Wu discography. The album is fairly short, with only 12 tracks, two of which are skits, but provides for a great listening experience. The trio is still rocking that Wu-Tang street mentality, as it always has, and from start to finish this album certainly fills the gangster quota.

The album’s production is excellent, with often-sampled beats created by the likes of RZA, Scram Jones and Mathematics. The rapping is impressive, combining hardcore yet articulate lyrics with smooth flow and delivery. The album includes appearances by Sheek Louch, Streetlife, Sun God, Inspectah Deck, Solomon Childs, Trife da God, Bully and even comedian Tracy Morgan. With the exception of Morgan, all these artists contribute heavily to the album’s gangster theme.

All the tracks are pretty great, but “Our Dreams,” which is produced by RZA, and “Youngstown Heist” are two of the better efforts. The former features a smooth, Michael Jackson-sampled beat with quality verses from the entire trio. The latter features Wu-Tang affiliate Trife Da God, D-Block artist Sheek Louch and Bully, and shows the gangster swagger more than any other song on the album, with the rappers representing the streets of New York from start to finish.

The album is quality from beginning to end, with the only downside being that it only runs about 30 minutes. The project shows Wu is still at the forefront of rap, even though it only features a handful of the whole crew. If you’re a fan of the Wu, or just a fan of quality rap music, you owe it to yourself to give this album a listen.

-Ryan Querbach/The Daily

Harlem

“Hippies”

Key Tracks: “Gay Human Bones,” “Friendly Ghost”

7.1/10.0

Harlem — by way of Austin — is the latest lo-fi buzz band to fill the airwaves with its fuzzy inclinations.

It’s just as charming, just as jangly and just as pleasantly vintage as the host of other groups (Girls, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) that have topped the college radio charts.

But sometimes, being just as good as the others just isn’t enough.

“Hippies” is far from bad — in fact it’s pretty refreshing and fun — but after a few listens, a little bit of individualism is left to be longed for. Bland would be strong, but certainly a bit monotonous.

It’s got the same old cobbled, dreary ballads (“Prairie My Heart,” “Three Legged Dog”) and upbeat, bubbly foot tappers (“Friendly Ghost,” “Someday Soon”) as most any other lo-fi release this year, and it’s just as solid as any of them.

And this would actually be OK, but once you catch a glance at Harlem coloring outside the lines, like it does in “Gay Human Bones,” the fact becomes clear the band can do better.

But you can’t fault the group for sounding like its many successful brethren, and just like different pizza places, “Hippies” is just as delicious as any of the others. Harlem is just waiting for that special ingredient.

All in all, “Hippies” hints at a band that will find its own sound with a little time to think and experiment. Until then, Harlem will be just another understated, indie garage act that will do just fine.

Dum Dum Girls

“I Will Be”

Key Tracks: “Jail La La,” “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout”

8.4/10.0

Despite female talent (Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift) dominating the charts the past few years, there have been relatively few girl bands to choose from.

The Donnas’ time has come and go, and the role of burnout poking fun of the pop radio cheerleaders has been left void for quite a while.

But here comes Sub-Pop’s Dum Dum Girls, a clique of delightfully snarling rock chicks with an ear for melodies and eye for style.

Armed with equally awesome names, Dee Dee, Jules, Frankie Rose and Bambi churned out a sturdy, capable record of self-described “blissed-out, buzz saw” rock jams with “I Will Be.”

It narrowly avoids treading on familiar ground by expanding the fuzzy soundscape into a full, tunnel-scoped hall of echoing noise.

Each track haunts along like a heavy-footed ghost, thumping and creaking all the while.

But the tricks are merely dark mascara on a rather beautiful eye; sugary, lush melodies creep beneath each blurred distortion line, especially in the intoxicating “Jail La La” and edgier “Bhang Bhang Burnout.”

Dee Dee’s raspy, seductive coos further deepen the trance, rarely relenting and only dragging you in deeper.

A rather disregarded ending has “I Will Be” nodding off a bit, but that’s fine.

I mean, what else would you expect from the burnout?

-Joshua Boydston/The Daily