Last Album you listened through

@Master Inferno: So, I listened to that Toby Driver solo album a few days ago...

Long story short, you accidentally made me a Kayo Dot fan. Congratulations, and thank you.

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

Wow, honestly wasn't expecting a response like that, but I'm glad you enjoy it. If you haven't already, check out maudlin of the Well as well (you can stream/download their last album here); you may also like Toby Driver's other project Tartar Lamb, which is less rock-based (first album is guitar/violin/horn/percussion, second uses basically the same instrumentation as Kayo Dot).

Most recent listen for me was Reverend Bizarre's III: So Long Suckers, their final full-length. A two-disc, 130-minute beast of DOOM. I prefer the second disc, which in my opinion has less tendency to drag on, my favorite tracks being "Caesar Forever" and (especially) "Anywhere Out of This World", which is an excellent ending (not counting the short ambient outro track) to the album.

edited 12th May '12 11:18:30 AM by MasterInferno

Somehow you know that the time is right.

Danke schön!

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

Dub Housing by Pere Ubu. There are times where I am genuinely convinced Pere Ubu are the greatest rock band to ever exist.

yeah man lowercase

John Lennon - Imagine. I have... mixed feelings about the title track lyrically, but this is a pretty good album that's nicely balanced between gentle ballads and more strident, pissed-off-sounding material. It is awful weird that both that infamous Paul Mc Cartney Take That! ("How Do You Sleep?") and a truly silly love song ("Oh Yoko") are on the same album though, and with only one song separating the two no less.

Red Red Meat - Bunny Gets Paid. I wanna give this another few listens, because I definitely like the overall hazy, slow-motion, roots-rock-on-drugs vibe but no individual songs stand out save "Chain Chain Chain". I also am sort of reminded of early REM, but mostly just because of Perishing Indie Voice and Word Salad Lyrics. As I said, "Chain Chain Chain" is the catchiest song, but even that's basically all "mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble chain chain chain, chain chain chain".

edited 12th May '12 6:21:38 PM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

Paul Mc Cartney - Tug Of War. This feels more consistent than Flowers In The Dirt, but to me it just doesn't have anything as instantly memorable as "My Brave Face". On the plus side, George Martin's production is pretty nice and the occasional bouts of Genre Roulette are more successful - "What's That You're Doing" (synth-heavy funk featuring Stevie Wonder) and "Get It" (50's rockabilly shuffle featuring Carl Perkins) are particularly fun. Oh, and turns out I don't exactly hate "Ebony And Ivory", I just find it pretty silly and Clueless Aesop-ish.

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind. Heh, I almost typed "Third Eye Bland". Anyway, they're headlining a free show near me and I felt like checking this album out via grooveshark and it's actually pretty decent. I kinda forgot about the fact that at the time I was hearing about half of this album on the radio all the time, since nowadays people mainly know "Semi-Charmed Life" and "Jumper". Maybe next time I see it in a thrift shop (which seems to be fairly often), I'll take it home.

Orbital - Middle Of Nowhere. See the album exchange thread.

edited 14th May '12 10:17:56 AM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

Rammstein — "Herzeleid"

This album does one thing (well, mostly) but does it very well. One of my favs.

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Let's see...

• Big Blood - Old Time Primitives

• James Holden's Balance 005 mix

• Machinedrum - Room(s) Extended

All of which are fantastic and on repeat.

edited 14th May '12 1:07:04 AM by NilAdmirari

Today:

Black Sabbath - Reunion. Better than I expected - Ozzy's vocals are a bit weaker, but otherwise they managed to have the trademark sound completely down 20 years after the last album that had this lineup. I also like that they included some lesser known cuts like "Spiral Architect" and even "Dirty Women". The two studio tracks are decent but sound a little more like solo Ozzy Osbourne than Black Sabbath to me - I do like the verse riff in "Selling My Soul" and the faster part of "Psycho Man" though.

Stone Temple Pilots - Purple. One of very few albums I enjoy that could be called Post-Grunge. Catchy, fairly heavy, and even a bit creative arrangement-wise. I'd heard this album before, but never had a physical copy, so until scanning the liner notes I had no idea Paul Leary from Butthole Surfers played the ending solo of "Lounge Fly". Which is sort of weird because I've also heard that Gibby Haynes used to call them "Stoned Pimple Toilets".

Yesterday:

Various - Dazed And Confused Soundtrack. I reach for this a lot when I decide I want a "classic rock" fix but don't feel like any specific artist. Notable for having three songs I like by bands I otherwise mostly don't like that much - Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone", Kiss' "Rock N Roll All Night" and Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" (though that last one was That One Level for me in Guitar Hero World Tour)

Phantom Planet - The Guest. About what I expected from "California" - somewhat slightly cheesy but catchy, summery indie pop. To me the one misstep is "Turn Smile Shift Repeat", which sort of feels like a failed attempt to mimic OK Computer. Maybe that one will grow on me though.

edited 18th May '12 12:20:37 AM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

Lightbulb Sun by Porcupine Tree. Definitely not for me: sterile stadium prog with little character or depth, imo.

yeah man lowercase

I don’t get the PTree fanboy rapture either. They're so bland!

Last listened to: Pierce Arrow: Pity the Rich. It’s like someone at Columbia said, “try as hard as you can to sound like the Eagles or we drop you!” That said, I really like some of the songs here, like “Mony, Sail.”

Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883!

The Amps - Pacer. This was the project Kim Deal started while The Breeders were on hiatus, and they're basically a punkier, more lo-fi version of The Breeders. In fact, "Hoverin" from this album was apparently a re-recorded Breeders B-Side, The Breeders eventually put their own version of "Full On Idle" on an album, and when I saw The Breeders live I remember them doing at least a couple Amps songs. Anyway, this is a pretty cool record that not a lot of people aside from major fans seem to know about.

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath are the kind of band where I won't listen to them for years and then I'll suddenly have something remind me of how cool they were and make me obsessed all over again.

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

Thanks to AHM for turning me onto Sufjan Stevens. I found his soft and breathy singing voice off putting for a while, but now I'm really growing fond of his work.

Stand-Out Tracks:

Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

Chicago

Casmir Pulaski Day

The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!

John Wayne Gacy Junior (More for his singing than his writing here)

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois

And those aren't even the Long Titles

edited 24th May '12 11:20:15 AM by Ryuhza

the color today

Tomahawk - self-titled. I want to give this a better, undistracted listen later, but I like this record. When I first got it I was mainly into the heavier moments like "God Hates A Coward" and "Laredo", but now I like some of the more creepily atmospheric stuff too.

The Amps - Pacer. Again.

Bad Brains - self-titled. I forgot how short this album is, especially when you get impatient during the first reggae number and skip right to "The Big Take Over".

Descendents - Two Things At Once.

Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

• Above & Beyond - Group Therapy

A pretty serviceable Trance album. "Alchemy" and "Sun and Moon" have to be my favorite tracks off the album.

• The Glitch Mob - Drink The Sea

I like the relaxed feeling this album has, even though it's too lethargic at times. "A Dream Within A Dream" and "Fortune Days" are my favorite tracks.

edited 25th May '12 10:11:06 AM by Phyi

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (the first one, not the one that's technically untitled). Weird how just last year I had sort of decided I was permanently sick of this band.

TheBeatles - A Hard Day's Night. Probably my favorite "early" Beatles.

Nine Inch Nails - Broken. This was my favorite NIN album when I was new to them because it's short, fast, and angry. It does hold up pretty well.

Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction. Just because I wanted to get one more short album in before I had to get ready to leave.

edited 31st May '12 1:09:40 PM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

• Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible. Hadn't given this one a spin in a while. Bit long and repetitive, but aside from that one of the hookiest and most consistent hard rock records you could imagine.
• Laurel Halo - Quarantine. Interesting stuff for the first few tracks— cloudy electronic music with vocals that have absolutely no studio adornment, which is odd to hear. The back half gets less interesting as they start applying effects and cutting up the voice but also has better songs so it's a mixed bag. Good overall, though.
• Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Still one of my five or so favorite albums. Didn't get a lot new out of it this time, but it's still just as good as ever and I'm not sure it's possible for me to "get" it more than I already do.
• Curren$y - The Stoned Immaculate. Hoping for a "Scottie Pippen"/"Michael Knight"-level track here, but no such luck. Ah well, it's all pretty good anyway. The bonus tracks are better than a good bit of the album and should have been included properly.

http://www.last.fm/user/TRILLHOUSE_

• The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio. Glad this came out pretty good instead of hokey and exploitative. They can still make a song with a great chorus like "Spring Vacation", does my heart good. Back half is boring, though.
• Lil B - Trapped In Based World. Pretty standard Lil B tape a.k.a. great but there's not much here to recommend over his other stuff. I got it because of the four (!!!) Lil B releases that I've missed from 2012 this one was the shortest.
• Clams Casino - FACT 258. Listening to Lil B got me in the mood for the greatest hip-hop producer of modern times (who made his name producing tracks for Lil B, in case you were confused what the connection was). FACT magazine hosts weekly mixes by D Js and he shows off the kind of stuff he likes here. Great beginning and ending but the middle drags.
• Battles - FACT 325. Wanted to get another FACT mix, got one by a (quite amazing) rock band for a change. In start contrast to Clams' mix, the strongest part of this mix is the chill, moody, midtempo section in the middle. Great for reading, I think.

edited 2nd Jun '12 11:02:07 AM by Trillhouse

http://www.last.fm/user/TRILLHOUSE_

Various - No Alternative. This was a 1993 AIDS benefit album that you now primarily see in thrift stores or wherever cheap used CD bins can still be found - Nirvana's "Verse Chorus Verse" and Pavement's "Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence" were originally released on it. Overall it's a pretty decent time capsule of early 90's American Alternative Rock: Some of the bigger name contributions are kind of a let down, but there are pretty good songs by bands I've never heard of, so it evens out. Surprisingly good: Soul Asylum doing 'Sexual Healing'. Unlistenably awful: The Goo Goo Dolls doing "Bitch"

edited 2nd Jun '12 10:29:50 PM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

• Nero - Welcome Reality

Mood whiplash is the best way to describe this album. It has a strong beginning with "2808" and "Doomsday". Then it sort of slowly weavers between soft songs and poppy dance music. The album felt like it had a lot of false endings, and it sort of wore on me. It's not a bad album, but its definitely in the 'meh' area. "Fugue State" and "Doomsday" are my favorite tracks on this album.

edited 2nd Jun '12 5:04:07 PM by Phyi

The Axis of Perdition — Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara (The Red God). Was my introduction to the band several years ago and probably the best introduction to them overall (though you can only get it digitally now, it being out of print). Essentially Industrial Metal with noisy passages, programmed drums, and occasional voice samples from Silent Hill 3. All of their albums are concept albums based in a fictional setting of the band's creation, and the SH games are one of the setting's main influences. They usually get classified as Black Metal, though repeated listens have led me to conclude that the vocals and guitar tone are about the only BM elements they have; the riffing style is a lot different. The climax of this EP's final song is one of the most intense and terrifying I've ever heard on any album.

Somehow you know that the time is right.

Not the most recent one I listened to, but I listened to Yma Sumac’s Inca Taqui last night and was quite struck by it. It was the third of her 10" albums released in the US in the 1950s (there had been some 78s released in Argentina before that) and I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between this and her famous Voice of the Xtabay (with which it’s usually bundled on 12" vinyl and CD, my Capitol CD of VotX also contains the entirety of IT as bonus tracks).

Yma is frequently criticized for being “inauthentic,” which I can sort of hear, even if I think the “Amy Camus from Brooklyn, NY” story is a total fabrication (not like her own “Incan princess” story stands up to any more scrutiny). I really don’t think “authenticity” is really the point of an Yma Sumac album, though, the point is mating that phenomenal voice to suitable music, and it generally helps if the music is somewhat bizarre to highlight it. No, Les Baxter’s Disney-fied “jungle movie soundtrack” arrangements on VotX aren’t anything close to authentic, and have far more to do with Hollywood than any Peruvian traditions. But Yma’s voice cuts through the arrangements in a way that makes them seem compelling, just check out “Ataypura” if you don’t believe me.

And yet...Moisés Vivanco’s stripped-down arrangements on IT show that her voice can shine in a more intimate setting, too. There’s some light orchestrations here, moments where woodwinds and soft brass creep in, but a lot of this album is comprised of just a couple of backing singers and Vivanco’s flamenco-style guitar for support. I’d heard this before but I hadn’t really heard it, if you know what I mean. It feels like Yma’s most emotional and personal album and I think it may actually be her best.

Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883!

Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher. This is pretty amazing. I was given this by someone who said some of my own music reminded me of Prefuse 73, and I guess there is an overall vibe that's similar. In that sense, it kind of inspires me and makes me feel like I'll never do anything this good.

John Lydon - The Best Of British £1 Notes. As I said in the recently acquired music thread, this is sort of an odd "best of" that covers Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd, a couple of one-off collaborations and his solo stuff. It actually works pretty well together, since the whole point of the thing seems to be demonstrating that he's done some pretty diverse material - PiL alone went from noisy Post-Punk to slick, catchy New Wave and everywhere in between, so when you throw in The Sex Pistols, a couple electronic-based solo tracks, and songs with Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield, you get something that's pretty all-over-the-place. that Leftfield track is awesome, by the way, and I ought to check out Leftism sometime.

edited 6th Jun '12 5:23:44 PM by MikeK

Earth is the only planet inhabitable by Nicolas Cage.

I've heard a good chunk of that John Lydon compilation. It is imperfect, yet also glorious.

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

it's Thwise, i forgot the password to that account

Liars - WIXIW. Highly anticipated but disappointing on first listen. I'm slowly warming up to it now, it's no longer the homogenous synth pop imitation I mistook it for.