A goliath, monolithic piece that seriously rivals The Creator Has A Master Plan in terms of sheer, unadulterated euphoria and 'oneness'. Spiritually rejuvenating
Starts out positively brilliantly with the two halves of the Sanders coin (the peaceful sublime, then the erratic enlightenment). The rest isn’t *quite* as memorable, but still a flow state
All things considered, does a dandy-fine job stacking up against Karma, employing a similar approach of spiritual-enlightenment-o-holy, while still feeling like its own set of compositions. Whereas Karma rotates around the first piece and features the second as a complimentary, almost epilogue of sorts, both pieces here are similar in length, giving more of a 'part 1 and 2' feel. It works- Sanders will always be the undisputed king of Spiritual Jazz in my eyes (sorry Coltrane...)
Has the sardonic wit and ominously bleak overtones of Pure Comedy, but the sheerly vibrant and bombastic production of Mahashmashana- one of FJM’s best tracks in many years, I say that with Mahashmashana having become my favorite record of his
Like every Low Roar project, this record has a gorgeous sonic palette that never falters the entire runtime. Even though I felt considerably less 'drawn in' here than I did on, say, 0 or their debut, I still find this to be a delicately produced and essential component of Karazija's legacy
Low Roar’s eponymous debut demonstrates above all else Ryan Karazija’s ability to pull the listener in with quiet- almost imperceptible- assertiveness. The lush but almost barren at points instrumentation lends itself to delicately gorgeous backdrops in which Karazija’s inherently captivating vocals take hold. Not Low Roar’s best, but certainly the one to initially invite you into their world
Agalloch's opus to many, and even if I prefer The Mantle I can't deny there's a fervor here that makes for some of the strongest Black Metal tracks of the century thus far. Falling Snow and Fire Above, Ice Below are anthemic yet sonically challenging- it's that 'anthemic' approach that really make Agalloch stand out as an oblong sphere in a sea of chiseled rock, i.e. Black Metal on the whole in the year 2006
It’s grandiose, reverent, ethereal- but never afraid to sound snarling, like an ancient tree revealing its hidden underside is petrified and covered in maggots, rot, and death. A Black Metal record that blends together a whole litany of other sounds (both metal-adjacent and otherwise)- as of right now, my favorite Black Metal record
Though I do marginally prefer a slightly less bombastic-OPN, Garden Of Delete still features some of his best and most abrasive work. The whole experience keeps you on the edge of your seat with its glitched-out synths and at-times falsely alluring atmosphere, only to totally disjoint things on a whim
OPN steps into the realm of sleek electronics, swapping out the samples that underpin his works in Replica for the construction of a. virtual bedroom. There's a breathiness to these cuts that feels solemn, but also intensely relaxing, nearly comforting
Sonically feels like a preamble to Replica, though with a noticeably harsher approach- just the opening crackle gives that away. Not OPN’s best but still a great slice of electronic/ambient know-how
The opener is incredible- one of the most impassioned, scalding, and foreboding punk tracks of the last decade and sets up the album to be a modern punk classic.
And then the rest of the runtime feels often like the opener done over with a slightly different coat of paint/guitar work. Normally I’m pretty down to boogie with Post-Punk in this vein, but something about IDLES’ presentation just misses the mark for me personally
Noticeably ‘weirder’ than I was expecting, as I went in anticipating some pretty by the books New Wave. That said- several tracks that are just unmemorable, plus perhaps the worst David Byrne impression of its time (you know what I’m referring to)
One of the more peaceful City Pop albums of the early 80s, which usually go for a maximalist approach in terms of instrumentation and approach. That’s not to say this isn’t full of vibrancy- Matsushita’s vocals (opting for English) are among the best of his contemporaries in City Pop, never sounding cheesy and instead adding tremendous clarity to the rich, gorgeous instrumentation. Serene
Significantly ‘chiller’ than I was at all expecting, in a positive way. Some really atmospheric and vast pop, even though the holistic experience was a bit sonically one-dimensional
Excellent performances and rowdiness across the board, just grows a few shades too monotonous for me by the end. Prefer Cowboys
It’s certainly rough around the edges, but these are cowboys after all- from Hell, damnit! If you don’t grit your teeth while listening here, readjust your hat (and your attitude while you’re at it) and try again
No way I can pick the superior between this and Feed Me Weird Things. Feed Me feels more dynamically impressive, while this is absolutely locked in to a groove- the Jazz elements just ooze out of every pore here
Stunningly spacious and feels incredibly ‘breathed-into’- IDM that feels bursting with life and dynamic potency while still delivering killer beats. IDM essential and likely my new third fav of the genre behind BOC & Twin
Heads Will Roll exists forevermore in the minds of any Gen Z’er, though I personally prefer Fever to Tell track-by-track
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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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