The first of two utterly seismic leaps Talk Talk takes. Not as artistically profound as the records that would follow, but nevertheless proof that the band were capable of making some of the most prolific music of their time
If their debut is Talk Talk doing what all their peers were doing, this is Talk Talk *starting* to really stake it out on their own feet. A lot of the tracks here still rely on rather typical ‘New Waveisms’, but it’s still good fun- of course, the title track is enigmatic of, and early proof of, the idea that Talk Talk would ascend to potentially the most transformative heights any New Wave band would ever reach
Talk Talk sounding like just about any milquetoast New Wave band, sounding juvenile before they’d age by decades in the span of a few short years
After a few albums of furthering experimentation with various degrees of success, Frog are back with a true return to the home-spun quality that made Count Bateman one of the best Alt-Country records of the century thus far. Warm and wacky, the two things Frog should be above anything else if you ask me
A superbly beautiful collection of vintage, at-the-source Vocal Jazz. The best version of Strange Fruit ever recorded is found here, plus other golden oldies too- a voice that never tires, only grows more crimson every year
It’s quite a bit of fun and inoffensive- occasionally even really well-crafted and of the essence Bedroom Pop- but ultimately a tad vapid. Reminds me of Dijon, just less truthfully ‘soulful’
Rougher around the edges than Kite String, but a lot of times it honestly works in the record’s favor. Not as concise as the aforementioned but to some this may be even more authentic
A metal whirlwind- the sound of a manic breakdown spiraling deeper and deeper for an hour. Some of the strongest, most impressive vocal performances of the sub-genre, both before and since- not to mention dynamically kaleidoscopic. The best Sludge Metal record of all time
Like tuning into a radio frequency of a time long since passed- but that’s the thing, right? Back in 1958 when this released, I can’t imagine anybody that heard it thought it sounded ‘old’. I mean, they probably didn’t know what to think, given how little Electronic music even existed as an idea by this point. Reactions probably ranged from mild bemusement, to disgust, to ambivalence- or maybe, for some, sheer fascination at the landscapes this record conjures near ... read more
Likely the Brownest thing there ever was before Boognish could properly gestate just a few years later- it does sound like a shitstorm indeed (they are named aptly hm)
A tremendous improvement over DD’s debut, bringing some absolute earworm firepower with their already palatable sound. It results in some of New Wave’s most immediate- yet still technically savvy- cuts
Incredible opener- incredibly muted remainder, ‘muted’ being one of the last adjectives New Wave should really hold
Some individual moments breeze by a bit too lackadaisically, but overall this is some sublime, slick, and straight-shooting fusion that’s totally in line with contemporaries such as Weather Report
Some highly twinkling and ‘nostalgia’-infused dream pop. Don’t let the language barrier be as such and instead let the beautiful instrumentation wash over you
Even with some strange vocal mixing, this still rounds out Kyuss’ nighttime stoner trilogy very nicely, plus features a top 5 Kyuss cut (El Rodeo)
The moment Kyuss truly enter their own. Sabbathesque In their sound while prioritizing a delectable groove above all else, this is the moment that would first send Kyuss (and Josh Homme) to stoner stardom
Trailblazing in every sense of the word for Electronic Music, but it wears its age so prominently it’s primarily respectable for its legacy as opposed to Its merit
So much passion, clearly- just so, so little to really say. Went in hoping for this to improve on Stick Season but I left wishing I was listening to it instead
It’s in your face energy packed to the brim, bursting to the seams- just lets off the gas so little you’re left feeling a tad nauseous by the end
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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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