This is definitely my favorite Swans LP at the moment, and the only real competition is "To Be Kind". The band's 1991 outing in gothic post-punk, "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity", is unsurprisingly a major favorite of mine. How couldn't it be? One of my favorite bands of all time swerve into a new artistic direction; one that just so happens to involve some of my favorite sounds in music. It just feels tailor-made for my own personal enjoyment. Of course, this means ... read more

Often criticized for failing to tread any remarkably boundary-pushing ground, "The Burning World" is ironically quite the experimental LP--for Swans, at least. When it's compared to the rest of the gothic country genre, then sure, I could understand why someone would find "The Burning World" to be a bit underwhelming. However, take a step back and re-inspect the Swans discography. Look at the albums that came before it. Exactly where in the crushing darkness of ... read more

Out of nowhere, New York band Swans ditch their industrial no wave roots in favor of going full post-punk...and it works. It's still uncompromisably dark, but in a more fully-realized way, with a more emphasized focus on atmosphere and immersive songwriting. This is also the band's first experiment in gothic rock, which is a sound that they would dabble in throughout the 90's (as well as informing their more country-oriented works through the form of gothic country). For as long as this album ... read more

As a whole, "Holy Money" is better than both "Cop" and "Greed", because it more consistently succeeds in areas where both of those albums falter. This record is even heavier than Swans' past work, albeit in a much different way--it drives the band even further into full industrial territory, leaving it in a scattered hellzone of crushing, apocalyptic soundscapes. It also helps that the songwriting is just slightly better in my opinion. Still not quite as great as ... read more

Released in the same year as the similarly-packaged "Holy Money", 1986's "Greed" is pretty much on the same level as its predecessor, "Cop". The one factor that sets this above the last record, though, is its tracklist--not only is it more consistent, but the tone of the album is constantly shifting, making for a more interesting listening experience.

pros:
- varied
- consistent
- well-performed

cons:
- inaccessible

"Cop" is just as noisy and heavy as its predecessor, "Filth", although it unfortunately lacks the interesting compositions and consistently brutal tracklist that made that record so great. It's not particularly bad noise rock and it's better than some of this band's other early albums, but "Filth" is hands-down far better.

pros:
- hard-hitting
- well-written

cons:
- not as interesting as "Filth"

American experimental band Swans released their 1983 debut album, "Filth", on Neutral, a record label founded by totalist noise rock genius Glenn Branca. It makes sense that his label would be the one to release the debut of such a famously noisy band, especially one that would go on to exceed the post-rock heights of Branca's career later on in the 2010's. While Swans are now often looked at as predominately post-rock or post-punk, their roots sprouted in the disgusting sludge of the ... read more

"Этажи" falls under a type of coldwave that's always intrigued me. Despite its immense popularity within the music community and online circles in general, it still maintains a palpable atmosphere of mystery. This is absolutely aided by the language barrier present, since I'm a native English speaker and the lyrics on this album are sung entirely in Russian. I don't know for sure what they're saying, but the grooves, the tones...this music is universal, wordless. As many people ... read more

"After Hours" is Canadian R&B star The Weeknd's best project to date. It's nothing too revolutionary for the artist, yet it experiments enough with his formula to be completely unique within his discography. The song structures are also the most progressive they've been since 2013's "Kiss Land", and the experience as a whole is incomparable to the recycled pop-R&B tropes The Weeknd has been regurgitating for a decade.

pros:
- great, cohesive package
- ... read more

In my opinion, this is one of the best electro house/disco revival albums ever. Much better than the vastly overrated discography of fellow Paris natives Daft Punk, too. I appreciate the concise tracklist--every second is put to use perfectly, culminating in a refined dance record that stands out from the crowd.

pros:
- catchy
- groovy
- well-produced

cons:
- can be repetitive

Welcome to 2017. The year 2016 has just come to a close, a year that was dominated by edgy humor, irreverence, and crass behavior being displayed by all. YouTube is in a comedic state of disarray, with some of the most prominent figures of the past few months being inflammatory characters like LeafyIsHere, GradeAUnderA, iDubbbzTV, and...of course...TVFilthyFrank. Directly quoting the About section of the latter's YouTube channel, "Filthy Frank is the embodiment of everything a person ... read more

It's hard to follow up a groundbreaking album such as James Blake's debut, but with "Overgrown", Blake conjures up a worthy successor to one of the best albums of the 2010's. A slightly more colorful take on his trademark sound, "Overgrown" is soulful, textured, and sonically varied, making for a great listen.

pros:
- great follow-up to debut
- varied

cons:
- some may be turned off by slight shifts in sound

The 2011 self-titled debut from London-born artist James Blake is one of the most significant albums of the decade. It's incredibly intimate, and the listening experience itself is quite personal. It's dripping with personality and Blake's defined aesthetic, complete with minimalist electronic arrangements and deconstructed R&B songwriting.

pros:
- atmospheric
- very well produced
- influential

cons:
- not for everybody

For what it's worth, it's good at what it sets out to do. If you want relentlessly fun, danceable jams, "Homework" has got your back. Personally though, I'm not listening to this record in the context of some insane French rave; I'm alone in my room, and the admittedly slick grooves on this thing aren't enough to make an entire record great. And at over 73 minutes long? No way. The music may be pretty good, but there's no way I'm gonna love something this repetitive that lasts this ... read more

I'm kind of mixed on this recent revival of psychedelic garage rock. A lot of it just seems like really mediocre background music for weird stoners who eat Funyuns and wear these (https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-ir45ne2d76/images/stencil/1024x1024/attribute_rule_images/3894_source_1583190717.jpg ), but it's yielded some good bands and artists--I think King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have released some good stuff over the years, and I do enjoy Ty Segall's music too--yet so much of it is ... read more

Their longest studio album since "Hail to the Thief", clocking in at over fifty-two minutes, "A Moon Shaped Pool" is a Radiohead album unlike any other. It's composed mainly of very fragile chamber pop compositions, aided by beautiful ambient and progressive electronic. Very few art rock-dominated moments remain, yet it still ranks among the best of the band's efforts. By stripping back their complex sound, the only thing they have left to hone in on is the atmosphere of the ... read more

I don't usually comment on live performances, so I'll make this one quick. In short, this album brings the otherwise decent "The King of Limbs" to life, bringing a much-needed sense of energy and intimacy to the experience.

pros:
- more authentic-sounding
- more energetic

cons:
- it's actually pretty much better than the studio version in every way so no cons

While definitely an odd, admirable effort on Radiohead's part, "The King of Limbs" doesn't really pan out to be quite as great as its predecessors. In all fairness, following up an album like "In Rainbows" is no easy feat, so I understand why they may have felt the need to go in a completely different direction. This record is likely the most deeply electronic thing they'd put out since "Kid A", thoroughly doused in IDM and post-industrial with healthy doses of ... read more

On their 2007 surprise victory "In Rainbows", the British band that originally found success by dwelling on miserable loneliness, alienation, and crushing depression explore the beautiful warmth of the bittersweet. Needless to say, it's a hit. The band travel through spacey dream pop atmospheres and transcendental electronica, flipping "Kid A" on its head and turning it into something entirely new. From the psychedelic soundscapes to the groovy krautrock rhythms to the ... read more

"Hail to the Thief" stands as the longest album ever released under the Radiohead name, disregarding any live albums, bootlegs, and compilations (looking at you, MINIDISCS). As a complete album experience, it's actually a little overwhelming--in a good way, of course. 2+2=5 sums this up pretty well, starting with your typical lowkey Yorkisms that you'd expect from a Radiohead song before erupting into a noisy, punk-esque rager. While the abnormally extensive length does make room for ... read more