Pick Your Poison: Monday 6-17-13

What a weekend for Kanye West. I’m not the sort of person that soaks up gossip and reports it to people like it’s news, but when you had as crazy of a weekend as Kanye did, it’s basically reported everywhere. First, in advance of its Tuesday release date, Kanye’s new album Yeezus leaked, and people freaked out. Prior to it leaking, nobody had heard a single proper studio version of any of the songs set to appear on the album. In fact, the track listing wasn’t even officially revealed until last week. It was a project shrouded in mystery, only truly gaining interest and traction because Kanye kept performing songs from it in various live settings, be it at a festival show or on Saturday Night Live. Then there were video projections at cities all around the world that showed different Kanye videos and played different songs depending on the location and such. That happened again over the weekend in addition to the album leaking. Some musicians say that each new album or new song is like a brand new baby birthed into this world, and you want to love and protect it until the day you die. Funny then that the day after his album leaks, Kim Kardashian has her baby. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Kanye is the father of that baby. There’s been no word on a name yet, but most everyone suspects it’s going to start with the letter “K”. Personally I think that at least part of that baby girl’s name is going to be Donda, as a tribute to Kanye’s somewhat recently deceased mother. Needless to say, Father’s Day on Sunday held extra special meaning for Kanye West. He probably went out and bought himself a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug, upon observing that it was clearly intended for him. So yeah, I wish him all the luck in the world with fatherhood and I suppose with his music career. The guy may be completely full of himself and the farthest thing from a good father and role model, but he’s got undeniable talent, which I guess…makes it okay to overlook his faults? I don’t know. Let’s just get to today’s Pick Your Poison. I’m happy to recommend tracks from BEACH, Brian Irving, Esmerine, Irontom, Junior Astronomers, Kitty, Kyle Andrews and The Mallard. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Bendik, Dornik, M.I.A., Schoolboy Q (ft. Kendrick Lamar) and Soft Metals.