Does a pretty good job of really feeling like a mix of Clanton’s spacey, hyper-chill sheen and TV Girl’s rhythmic sample-looping. Of course, the trade off is neither are working at full-mast
The best crop of TV Girl record since French Exit, which speaks to the firepower they operated with starting out
Continues the trend of every (non-collab, core LP) TV Girl release being worse than the last, though in truth there isn’t too steep of a decline from Who Really Cares. If you dig their first two records, you’ll inevitably enjoy this for the same reasons, even if the production this time around is noticeably weaker
Much of French Exit’s charm finds its way to Who Really Cares, the sample work this time taking a decidedly hip-hop centric approach. It grows tiresome by the end in a way that French Exit did only in short spurts, but I’d say I’ve warmed up to this one a good deal, mainly on account of the production just being so snappy
Even amidst monotonous vocals and lyrics that range from cheesy to outright problematic at points, TV Girl’s debut rides a sound of futurist-nostalgia so strongly it’s undeniable. Lovers Rock sticks with you permanently upon hearing it, but a lot of the tracks here are impeccably produced. Something of an anomaly
No sophomore slump for Vektor. Shifting things thematically toward the cosmic as opposed to the apocalyptic suits the band’s inherent grandiosity perfectly. Tetrastructural Minds, and I acknowledge the scale of this statement, likely the best Thrash track of at least the last fifteen years- truly a definitive anthem for Vektor
What should be considered one of the most impressive & essential thrash debuts of the century thus far. Vektor's no-holds barred approach to tech-thrash requires no incubation period, with Black Future sounding like the colliding of several planets at once. There's near-nothing in the way of 'lows' here- wall to wall, phenomenal performances, and it's still not Vektor’s best
Doesn't have as many 'wow' moments as Phaedra, aiming for a more cohesive textural experience above all else. It's a natural glove for Tangerine Dream to wear, even if it ever so slightly compromises their sound
Opens with one of the unabashed monoliths of 70s Electronic, nothing short of a portal to a future that’s distant even to us now. The other pieces here carry a similarly resonant and reverent despondence to them- it’s all layers of bitter ice, a million times over
Laser-focused, and sharp, to the point. If it weren’t for The Woods, The Hot Rock would be an easy candidate for SK’s best project
SK's first above-average record, no question about that. I prefer Hot Rock + The Woods for having a bit more variety across the board (especially vocally, which I feel is somewhat lacking here), but sparks of snarling, riotous brilliance are nevertheless sprinkled throughout here in an undeniable way
Off personality alone, Germ Free Adolescents is undoubtedly a classic. Poly Styrene's voice is the beating heart of the mission here, the opening howl of Art-I-Ficial sounding like lightning striking Punkenstein's tomb. I grew decently tired of the record's sound quicker than I anticipated (by the half way point or so), but I imagine this is the type of record that's best consumed in small, 'super-sized' doses
EDIT: 70->93
Pavement’s final record finds them at their softest, and though I initially felt it to be a weaker transition I’ve since come around to finding it to be the natural final lap of their discography. This warmth and depth was at the core of who ‘Pavement’ really are from the get-go anyway
Depending on the day, Pavement’s best. They’ve been way more ‘out there’ and scrappier, but there’s *heaps* of that signature Pavement charm oozing out of every pore here. So many all-time Pavement cuts find their home here. What I’d recommend to any Pavement newcomers
In a lot of ways, the most 'Pavementy' Pavement record- utterly incomprehensible lyrics, nostalgic yet explosive instrumentation, and the feeling that you never know what is going to come next the whole runtime. My current 'hot take' if you could call it that is this is Pavement's worst record- a 90 shall suffice
The fidelity is amped up ten-fold from Slanted, but the slack is not, and I can't imagine any Pavement fan would have it any other way. Malkmus' vocals and lyrics are appropriately 'discordant', obviously, and the instrumentation is on point. Hit the Plane Down is really the only dud here- otherwise, this is Slacker perfection
EDIT 85->94
One of the strongest 90s debuts. Pavement's truly enigmatic style is captured like jagged, distorted lightning in a bottle that sounds like it's constantly about to shatter. The whole thing still keeps that twinge of earnest fuzziness despite this being Pavement at their scuzziest
Art Blakey’s ability to keep things on a constant, never shifting pace is among his greatest talents, Mosaic being excellent proof as such
It’s no Moanin’ sure- but Blakey + The Messengers still deliver a killer hex-tet of Hard Bop pieces that are memorable and as finely-tuned as you’d expect
Even more layered and compact than Nowhere, with a Britpop spunk to the whole thing that makes for Ride's best track (Leave Them All Behind). Still not my preferred flavor of shoe gaze, but it's a fun record
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Recent Review Comments
On Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love
"@Shayden 100% agree, it’s a throwback record done right"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 yeah I def get what you mean. Pac’s cadence and energy is so infectious for me I was able to look past the production being relatively ‘one-note’, even though like you said it is excellent production. That’s an excellent analogy"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 that's a fair critique, I will say flow is not Pac's strongsuit, though a lot of people would probably disagree with that. The production is pretty much perfect here imo but it is definitely uniform across the record so I could see it growing stale if G-Funk adjacent stuff isn't as much your bag"
On David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity]
"@usur_disc350 I’ll admit I’ve not revisited this much at all in the last couple years, but I’ll definitely stand by it having several great cuts beyond the title track"
On usur_disc350's review of McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
"Honestly, really well put. I still have this rated pretty highly but I'd say I feel similarly, there's a sheen over this style of 'indie rap' that's starting to feel like the sheen that's covered a large bulk of indie rock the past decade (post-Mac if you will), it's a sheen of homogenization. Hadn't really put much thought to it until now but I think this absolutely hits the nail on the head, and is probably why despite there being so much 'good' hip-hop nowadays, the bulk of it feels like one big swirl of sameness. Excellent take"
On susquatch - Water Plant
"@Rileone it is yeah but it’s also definitely math rock too"
On Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. - The King & I
"@TheTrillTrolla that’s actually very informative, thank you!"
On Doofy's review of The The - Infected
"I prefer Soul Mining a shade, but I’ll agree that this record should be considered as far closer in quality than most. Nearly everything that makes Soul Mining so excellent is found here too, excellent production and songwriting especially"
On Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
"@HomeSession3 holy shit what a story! Thank you for sharing, that certainly sounds like one of those life-defining moments, for you and Roach. Live Jazz may be the definitive form of live performing for the reasons you said- it makes the frail jolt to life"
On My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe
"@Trazyn I hate saying ‘annoying’ bc that’s reductive, there are def moments where the lyricism along with the vocal style felt really contrived and grating to me though. Overall it’s certainly not an ‘annoying’ album, just nothing particularly new for Windmill. I would say I’m annoyed with the windmill scene in general nowadays"
On Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
"@Litebill931 thank you much! I have to stop myself from over-writing a lot of the time lol"
On π©πππππππΆππ's review of Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
"First review of this project that’s really made me want to check it out- seriously excellent write-up"
On XTC - Drums and Wires
"@sher12308 you’re totally right! Major goof on my part, I’ll edit that, appreciate the call-out"
On King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
"@yusukeYYH thank you so much! His music is this really intriguing blend of abstract and extremely vivid"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 yeah for sure! I appreciate the compliment! Jeff Buckley is a perfect example of why 90s rock really shouldn’t be funneled into those two ‘categories’ I listed because he blends so many styles and sounds (a major reason why Grace is one of the most majestic albums of all time). I’m the same as you in that there’s very little I truly dislike that I listen to- it makes it a lot easier to be encouraged to check out more stuff! Let me know when you’ve got those reviews typed out, I’d love to check em out!"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"Sorry for the long winded answer, hope that helps! If you need help finding some specific bands lmk too and I can try and throw you some based on what you currently rock with π€"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"The other main strain in my mind is Slacker Rock (the kind I tend to prefer a bit). This is your Pavements, Built to Spills, Weezers, etc. This style of rock tended to ‘look forward’ whereas grunge took influence from a lot of its contemporaries in many ways.
In terms of what I’d do for a deep dive now- honestly, I’d determine which strain you like more and start with the big bands before digging deeper, maybe even trying out some of the influences/ similar bands. For instance, if you really fw Weezer I’d recommend other Geek/Wacky Rock bands like Cake or Grandaddy. Same goes for, say, AIC- you could check out other alternative metal bands for instance."
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 for sure! I went on a pretty big 90s rock binge a couple years back and it’s definitely a vast canyon. This is a wildly simplified answer, but imo there are two *main* streams of 90s rock. The first is what most people think of , being Grunge. These are your Nirvanas and Pearl Jams and basically what the average person will probably think of when they think of ‘90s rock’- and it’s great! Grunge pulls a lot from heavier influences depending on the band, such as Punk and Noise Rock for Nirvana or even Metal with bands like Alice In Chains."
On The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
"@Zubb autism + long commutes to work goes a long way lmao"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you so much! It’s become something of a passion of mine for sure. The kind words go a long way, I’d love to have my own site or something one day"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne no I’m not, it’s funny you ask because in high school I had plans to maybe become a writer but it never panned out"
On Johnny Blue Skies - Mutiny After Midnight
"Unless you find a rip somewhere or dish out thirty bucks it’s impossible for the time being unfortunately, it is an absolute blast of a record though no doubt, one of his best easily"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you much! I have fun with them lol"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby that does look interesting, I’ll try and get to it later today, thanks again for all the recs! You’re the Zappa guy so it’s been helpful as a total Zappa novice"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby honestly, having sampled a handful of tracks from his studio records to follow from here I think I’m going to bow out for the time being on his discography, I’d prefer to end it on a high note. Someday I’ll eventually go the whole distance but I think I’d honestly just get burned out going through a series of just messy subpar records tbh"
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