Categories
GUEST EDITOR

From The Desk Of The Foxymorons: Kanye West And “808s & Heartbreak”

David Dewese and Jerry James, the friends that make records as the Foxymorons, met at church camp when they were in high school. They discovered they had an affinity for noisy, primitive rock bands. Since they both played rudimentary guitar, they thought about starting a band. Eventually, the duo honed its chops and began writing and recording. Although they’d never played live, their debut album, Calcutta, got stellar reviews in Pitchfork and Paste. As soon as it was out, Dewese moved to Nashville to play in an alt-country band. James stayed in Texas. They’ve maintained a long-distance collaboration ever since. New LP Fake Yoga has elements drawn from country and pop music, including Beach Boys-flavored harmonies, but the album is dominated by their distorted, almost metallic guitar work. James and Dewese will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on them.

KanyeWest

Dewese: Kanye West. We all have our opinions. I, for one, am a vocal Kanye apologist. Love him or hate him, he’s a forward-thinking, trendsetting artist who continually pushes the boundaries of music, fashion and design, all while keeping one hand reserved for stirring the pot. Kanye’s occasional snide comments and headline-grabbing remarks are easily forgiven because that’s really what I want from a rock star: confidence, charisma and disruption. Plus, I think he’s America’s greatest (accidental) comedian.

That’s why my favorite album is his most unconventional and unexpected: 808s & Heartbreak. My man was emo and he just needed to sing! (Who could have known?) Upon its release, those songs and Auto-Tune-as-instrument production were exactly what I needed. The dude was passionately spilling his guts and fearlessly exploring the limits of his vocal range, all in the public eye, while also experimenting with, and foreshadowing, his future minimal production styles. Dark, depressing, and creepy, 808s & Heartbreak holds up even better today now that global taste has caught up to his vision. No matter your opinion on Kanye West, he’s an artist worth paying attention to as he’s often ahead of the curve whether you bother to acknowledge it or not.

“Seems like street lights, glowing, happen to be
Just like moments, passing, in front of me
So I hopped in the cab and I paid my fare
See I know my destination, but I’m just not there
All the street lights, glowing, happen to be
Just like moments, passing, in front of me
So I hopped in the cab and I paid my fare
See I know my destination, but I’m just not there”

—Excerpt from “Streetlights”

Video after the jump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5GrK73PDeg