Probably the most truly definitive Ska Punk record, especially for ‘03. Rosenstock would marginally outdo it a few years later with them Arrogant S.O.B’s, but the core of Ska Punk in the 2000s absolutely lies here
Refined to crystallized form. The Blue Nile come through with a near-definitive example of Sophisti-Pop during the sound’s heyday- a collection of sheerly beautiful + contemplative Pop tracks
If the whole tracklist were as snazzy and immediate as the first two tracks + Stay, this would easily be in leagues with Hats for unfettered Sophisti-Pop classic of the 80s. As it stands now, it’s merely *almost* an unfettered Sophisti-Pop classic of the 80s
A holistic set of vibrant, deeply-felt Afro-Jazz sketches that all feel like interpolations of a connected idea
Even with having a strong candidate for TON’s worst ever non-interlude cut (I Love Goils), Life Is Killing Me nevertheless still shines through with an array of utterly searing pieces. I Don’t Wanna Be Me is so much quicker and sharper than your average TON track, its immediacy a large part of what makes it the band’s best moment if you ask me. Certainly an incredible record
TON go apocalyptic, for cataclysmically phenomenal results. Either a mighty, defiant second or third for the band, but when it’s hundos, what does it really matter. Certainly the most depressive TON release, but in the grief there’s fireworks no doubt
TON leap headfirst into the ethereal, and the result is one of the strongest showings of alternative metal in the 90s. Heavy, dissonant, bizarre, twinkling- so many adjectives that seem disjointed or even contradicting, but it all comes together tremendously
An oddball album amidst its depressive themes, what with the total freakazoid interludes and the at times at-odds production. And yet- it clicks into place nearly every time Steele and co branch off into the unknown. Steele’s truly one of a kind baritone and the band’s ethereal, almost Proto-Deftones instrumentation at points makes even the silliest of moments feel important (could still do without the interludes).
An album of silliness and great stature, the perfect encapsulation ... read more
Kind of like The Avalanches’ debut with a twee-ish spin, or a feverish amount of ecstasy- up to you. A total burst of vibrant energy from start to energy- one of the most blisteringly optimistic records I’ve heard in some time
It’s schlocky, bordering on a point of near parody at points- yet it’s all in such good, silly fun you can’t help but have a good time amidst feelings of near overwhelming ‘quirkiness’
Infected holds many of the infatuating qualities of Soul Mining that make this style of New Wave so intoxicatingly enjoyable. It’s not quite as airtight as the aforementioned, but still has plenty of excellent cuts with sharp songwriting- closer in quality than many would have you believe
Unlike the vast majority of New Wave by ‘83, which, more than anything, tended to focus on sheer maximalist groove, Matt Johnson’s debut under The The prioritized plaintiveness in its production. There’s an airiness to many of these tracks that helps let the utterly phenomenal production on display breathe in… and out. It’s unusual and to many may even read as ‘plodding’- I think it’s one of the best debuts of the 80s
Considerably more subdued and reflective than the chaotic cover would suggest, but still has heaps of Jazz-Fusion bravado underpinning the whole experience. Likely the best record from one of the 70s finest Jazz supergroups- Havona is one of the definitive moments of 70s Jazz, period
If You Leave attempts to land emotional gut-punches several times, but even at the record’s most impactful (Youth), something about the vocals and production leaves the whole thing sounding ham-fisted most of all
Truly the Goliath to your average Death Metal band’s David. Not ever to be casually listened to, but that’s the point for fuck’s sake. Sheerly captivating in spite of the track’s length and among Gorguts’ most impressive feats to date
Gorguts somehow don’t miss a single step after their 12-year hiatus, coming through with what in many ways may be their magnum opus. The screeching, discordant sounds of encroaching death that act as Gorguts’ M.O. certainly make up Colored Sands’ DNA- this time, however, there’s a grandiosity to the endeavor that is breath-taking as well as soul-snatching
Sandwiched between Gorguts’ two best records, yet still has the technical pizzazz and relentlessness that makes Gorguts so singular
Gorguts’ defining record, and goes toe-to-toe with some of Death’s best- that is a colossal feat. Not compromising for a second while also hooking you in on account of just how… distorted, the whole thing sounds. Incredibly technically impressive in every dimension, while pushing Death Metal as far as it could be taken (disregarding Sound of Perseverance here…) in the year 1998.
Definitely a major improvement on Gorguts’ debut, as the band’s core identity as tech-death trailblazers starts to really come to fruition here (before erupting in glory with Obscura). Condemned to Obscurity in particular is the sound of Gorguts emerging from Hell on a crimson black chariot
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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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