Best New Tracks - Pitchfork: Young Widows: "Kerosene Girl"

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Young Widows: "Kerosene Girl" Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:35 AM PST Front page photo by Jeff Worthen The Kentucky trio Young Widows are plenty experienced: Across only three albums, they've designed a jigsaw of no wave and heavy metal, hardcore and shoegaze, each form scraping at and bleeding into another. That soundclash has never been more compelling than on Easy Pain, their forthcoming fourth LP (out May 13 via Temporary Residence Ltd). The record's lead single, "Kerosene Girl," is a devilish post-punk menace, its splintering and direct beat taunted by an anxious guitar line that scrapes itself into sheets of noise. A tale of prurient obsession turned violent, "Kerosene Girl" is as every bit as addictive as its inspiration. Frontman Evan Patterson holds court like Nick Cave as the band writhes around him, heavy to the point that they always seem to be on the verge of splintering into formless madness. "Kerosene Girl" recasts the basics of rock 'n' roll—drums, guitar, bass and a voice—into a steely anthem bigger than subject or source. Young Widows: "Kerosene Girl" on SoundCloud.

Isaiah Rashad: "RIP Kevin Miller" Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:36 AM PST Isaiah Rashad isn't afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. Kevin Miller, for those unfamiliar with the name, was the younger brother of Percy Miller—aka No Limit boss Master P—and was robbed and killed in the mid-1990s. "RIP Kevin Miller", from Cilvia Demo, borrows the hook from P's 1997 track "Weed & Money" ("Y'all live for bitches and blunts/ We live for weed and money") and within his first eight bars Rashad namedrops Juvenile, Big Boi, and Pimp C. These references help sketch out Rashad's formative years, time spent dreaming about making it out of his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee while listening to Stankonia. Over amber-hued production courtesy of Black Metaphor, Rashad bounces along the track's skittering percussion like a souped-up Impala outfitted with hydraulics. "Used to think my ambition was a scheme, I defy 'em/ You can too, if you get up off your ass, fucking try it," he raps, offering himself as a testament to hard work and dedication. On an album that often examines weightier themes, "RIP Kevin Miller" is akin to one of those mornings where the world doesn't feel as intimidating as it usually does. Isaiah Rashad: "RIP Kevin Miller" on SoundCloud.