The TV Tropes Album Exchange Club

Given a thorough rundown, these tracks are quite nice, and very good for listening (I might consider adding these to my "Music to Sleep to" Playlist, which is an honor. ) but nothing here really impressed me. 7/10

Hmmm...

I have to agree with Wicked. The leads were laid back without being sloppy, but almost to the point that they were forgettable for me.

The rhythm and the beats behind the leads tended to draw my focus at times.

I think it I'd probably listen to something like this when I want either background noise, or just something to do nothing to. And I'd probably use it to fall asleep to.

edited 20th Sep '10 5:22:45 PM by Solstace

I was kidding with the redcoat comment :/

Well, album finished. This sounded good, but alas, there is far too little diversity for me to think about playing this again. Afro-Cuban jazz or whatever they call it is now burned into my brain. For better or worse. 7/10

All right then...Still not all the way through with Buena Vista Social Club but may as well share my current thoughts...

It's not really my thing. I like the way it sounds. It's rather chill and is proving to be nice as a sort of background soundtrack to my internet adventures, but it isn't truly wowing me. I doubt it's something I'd really listen to again. It's not having that "stuck in my head all god damn day" effect like other things have. None Shall Pass had that effect. Most of the songs on the album did.

I'm not all the through though so I may just run into something about it that I truly adore.

edited 20th Sep '10 6:20:13 PM by Aondeug

Okay, only five tracks in, but it's 3am here in the UK so I'll have to pick it up again tomorrow.

Things I'm liking: Absolutely fantastic trumpet and piano playing. Awesome sense of melody - however often they repeat the same sequences, it doesn't become boring. Also, as other people have said, really relaxing and mood-setting - possibly the kind of thing I'd want to put on at a cocktail party.

Things I'm not-so-liking: Track 3 was incredibly long. Not necessarily boring, but very repetitive and started to drift by without me really registering what was going on. Also, it lacks... hmm, not sure how to put it... drive? Oomph? Spark? I have no idea which, if any, of these words, applies. It's pleasant and relaxing, but it doesn't really ignite anything, or make me feel anything, or energise me. In fact, if anything it makes me feel more lethargic.

Anyway, I shall continue listening tomorrow.

I really like it. Sure, it's nothing groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but what it does, it does well.

edited 20th Sep '10 7:41:20 PM by Zudak

Mind-blowingly relaxing, maybe.

Although, it has piqued my interest in latin/salsa music.

I think the album would stick with me more if I could actually understand what was being said. There seemed to be a lot of feeling in the words.

And that's weird, coming from me, because I rarely listen to music for lyrics, or care about what's being said at all.

Well, this is difficult. I don't really know enough about the style to make value judgments or to know how this group is different from the others. After one listen there were a few tunes that I found enjoyable, and others that were kind of okay. I'm going to have to listen again to tell you which tracks I liked, though.

I just listened through the album. Like others have said, it's good, but not particularly memorable. I love the instruments and the jazz-like backgrounds. It's good music to relax to, it put me in a very calm mood.

I haven't listened all the way through to Buena Vista Social Club (due to my internet fucking up halfway through the Grooveshark playlist), but what I've heard so far I liked. The musicianship is good, and the laid-back atmosphere is very calming; but the songs I heard weren't that memorable, and they dragged on a bit too long. I'll try and listen to the latter half of the album tonight.

I also haven't given my view of None Shall Pass yet, so I'll do that now despite being late to that particular party; I'd heard it before the club started, and it's one of my favourite hip-hop albums. I can't think of much to criticise about it, aside from the detatched feel of the album being ever-so-slightly irritating at times (though that's more to do with Aesop Rock in general than that album specifically).

After another listen: the tracks that I preferred over others.

• De Camino a la Vereda
• Candela
• Murmullo

edited 22nd Sep '10 12:46:05 PM by arks

Firstly, I finished listening to Buena Vista Social Club - my opinion on the album as a whole remains much the same, but I loved the piano solo tracks, Murmullo and Buena Vista Social Club. Pure skill.

Secondly... it's midday over here, that means it's time to choose a new album. YAY!

Random number generator says... 10. That's the newest album on our list, hrdcrnwo's recommendation Red-Eyed Soul by World/Inferno Friendship Society.

Grooveshark link.

Whole album on Myspace.

Enjoy. You has till Sunday. Go go go!

Okay, after hearing the first track, I was thinking "well, this is delightfully quirky. Should be a fun listen" However, after that, the album fell flat, and it wasn't until around track 9 that I started enjoying it again. Nine and ten were good, then it took a dive again, and 12 and 13 were good. The last two were kinda blah. In other words, I'm fairly ambivalent about this album.

I took notes as a listened. Like a mini-liveblog.

Track one is catchy as heck.

Track two: Holy carp accordion. I'm hooked.

Track three: Okay, so the horns are gonna be on every track. No complaints here. Don't care much for the guy's voice, though.

Track four: Time for jaunty piano pounding!

Track five: Did these guys used to be a ska band? I think I hear some third-wave influence here.

Track six: Were any of you guys around when [AOD] was active? Remember those times he turned himself Up To Eleven? The album so far is like the musical equivalent of that. Or like, a musical Sugar Bowl that's less than an inch thick, holding back a core of white-hot RAEG.

Track seven: Well, this is slightly less manic. A nice break. Wait, it gets manic later.

Ska-punk meets baroque pop, that's what this reminds me of.

Track eight: More of the same, with organs.

Track nine: The songs are all starting to run together.

Track ten: Hey, an actually slower song. No, not really.

Track eleven: This is different. Well, the same thing played on fewer instruments. Short, too.

Track twelve:

Track thirteen: I'm drowning in the punk here.

Track fourteen: Is that East European folk I'm hearing? Nice!

Track fifteen: Just punk? ...Nope. Cool song, though.

In conclusion: You know, on paper, this seems like the sort of music that should be right up my alley, but I'm really ambivalent about the execution. I'll need to give this another listen.

Were any of you guys around when [AOD] was active? Remember those times he turned himself Up To Eleven? The album so far is like the musical equivalent of that. Or like, a musical Sugar Bowl that's less than an inch thick, holding back a core of white-hot RAEG.

Really? I might need to pay closer attention to the lyrics this time around...

Okay, I'm sorry, I got through three songs. I can. not. stand. this person's voice, the album would've been fine if they had a different singer, but no. Terrible. 0.5/10

I thought it was actually pretty good, though I wasn't paying terribly much attention to it. Would've liked it better if it was a little more punk-like, but you can't have everything I guess.

AND that just gave me an idea for an album. Though I'd like to repeat I don't listen to music by the album and thus haven't listened to this whole thing myself, I nominate Billy Talent by Billy Talent for least original album name ever.

Will try to get it all up as soon as possible; unfortunately for arks will probably be getting it up by means of Grooveshark before I get it up any other way.

EDIT:Grooveshark playlist up.

EDIT 2:Here is the closest I could find to the entire album in a playlist on youtube. When I feel less lazy I'll find the missing two songs.

edited 24th Sep '10 6:12:17 PM by BlackHumor

My verdict on Red-Eyed Soul: it was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed it quite a bit, though the vocals took a lot of getting used to. I can't remember many of the specific songs, though, so I'll need to listen to it again to get a clear picture of the highlights.

T-H-R-E-A-D-B-U-M-P

-*Is bumped*- Huh? Wha? Ah! Shite! Didn't listen to the album, I've been super duper busy... >_<. Well anyway, I'll do that today, and also it's time to pick a new album! YAY!

Random number generator says 2. That's Giraffes? Giraffes! - More Skin With Milk-Mouth, as picked by Zudak.

Super Happy Bandcamp Link Fun Times!

I am not buying an album for the sake of this club.

They only have five songs for listening there, is the album longer?

edited 27th Sep '10 12:55:32 PM by SpainSun

You can just listen to the tracks for free on that site, you only have to pay to download them. And yes, there's only 5 tracks, but two of them are almost 10 minutes long...

As he says. You can listen to the whole thing for free there.