JohnnyoftheWell
Hugh G. Puddles
Staff

Reviews 369
Soundoffs 76
News Articles 102
Band Edits + Tags 1,292
Album Edits 659

Album Ratings 4420
Objectivity 75%

Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70

Review Comments 60,384

 Lists
04.25.24 REC me glitch/downtempo/IDM04.16.24 All Blonde Redhead songs RANKED ♦
03.28.24 OED Japanese imports RANKED (Q1 2024) ♦03.22.24 Sputnik's Sacred Cows
03.14.24 POP ALIGNMENT03.09.24 Discogs that peak on song #1
03.07.24 new staff + contribs RANKED ♦03.03.24 MARCH of JAZŽŻ ♦
02.16.24 G L I T C H genre tag02.01.24 FEBRUARY of ambi2ent (REC me) ♦
01.01.24 well_2023: "YES" albums (2/2) ♦12.31.23 well_2023: "NO" albums (1/2)
12.27.23 (be)rate my LP 'collection'12.03.23 2023 BNM: cringedex ♦
12.01.23 New users :: REVIEWED ♦11.28.23 Your 5s choices reviewed AGAIN ♦
11.15.23 learn from my WORST REVIEWS ♦11.13.23 Tory stooge music
More »

A Very Interactive RecBank

LET'S START A THING! Rec me something and I'll put it on the list, but in return you have to listen to something here and let me know your thoughts. If enough people chip in, this should grow into something pretty interactive and fun...and if not, it's still a convenient way for me to keep track of albums I plan on jamming ;]
1Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
Zero Comma, Multi-Colored World

Indie that definitely rocks
CHECKED - I loved both the EPs that this follows, but this misses out on on a lot of the atmosphere that made them so compelling. The band are never less than energetic and there's some gems here, but overall slightly disappointing // 3

Check out: Cider to Kimi
2Polyenso
One Big Particular Loop

Indie that broods
CHECKED - Very much a mood album with a lot of those rainy day Radiohead vibes goin' on. A little protracted and some meandering tracks, but the atmosphere is strong here and when it hits, it absolutely hits // 3.5

Check out: Pocket Soul, Always Ending In You
3Soutaisei Riron
Tensei Jingle

Indie pop that shimmers and sparkles
CHECKED - Although their debut is a hard 5, mixed expectations for this one. Definitely impressed, some really tight pop songwriting and fun guitar parts. A little saccharine on the whole, but this band has always had a gift for space and atmosphere in between their pop hooks and they nail it here // 4

Check out: An Around, Ultra Soda
4Otori
I Wanna Be Your Noise

Noise rock/post-punk
CHECKED - Wrote a review for this expanding on these thoughts, but this is basically straightforward fun over postpunk basslines with some fantastic noise guitar // 3.5

Check out: n/a - all tracks same vibe and quality

Sandwich: It was really really great, the last 2 tracks are excellent.
5Blonde Redhead
23

Shoegaze/indie
CHECKED - Pleasantly surprised by this, given that my past experience with BR (Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons) was promising but inconsistent. Excellent songwriting and arrangement, spreads the band's knack for all things haunting and minor key over some really pretty textures // 4

Check out: 23, SW

Sloth: So i listened to Blonde Redhead-23, a couple of times today, at work then cooking dinner, pad thai if you wanted to know, and it is gooood. I'd have it at a 3.7 at the moment, but could easily bump it's way up to a 4. At times it sounds like 2 different bands, the male and female singer are that different. The song "23" is a strong stand out. A great shoegaze, dream pop band.
6Dir En Grey
Arche

Experimental metal / alternative metal
CHECKED - Been meaning to jump into these guys for a while ago, wasn't really sure what to expect but this certainly made an impression. Fantastic writing chops here and frontman Kyo's vocals might just have replaced Patton as far as chameleonic madness is concerned. Still wrapping my head around the sheer length of this thing, but definitely gripped // 4

Check out: Tōsei, Rinkaku
7Xinlisupreme
Tomorrow Never Comes

Noise/shoegaze
CHECKED - Quite a difficult listen, noisey, often uninviting soundscapes. Not as inaccessible as it seems, though; some really engaging tones and textures are floating around here. Needs more listens. Penultimate track is astounding. // 3.5

Check out: Fatal System Opened Umbrella, Goodbye for All
8Maison Book Girl
Yume

Art pop/math-pop (?)
CHECKED - Wish I'd been on top of this when it came out last year! This is really interesting and actually quite special. Maison Book Girl are supposedly an idol group, but their skittery, syncopated take on pop is both complex and clever. This is a LONG album, mainly because of a very generous amount of interludes - some of these are a little much, but the substantial tracks are fantastic // 4

Check out: Kotoeri_, Yume (the kanji spelling, NOT the English title that also appears on this album)
9Hyakka
Sashitai

Noise rock/punk/post-punk
CHECKED - Fuck me, this is a cool collection of styles. This band make a raw noisey mess out of post-punk and shoegaze-esque arrangements and absolutely let rip when appropriate. Really tight stuff, more people need to check this for sure // 4

Check out: Telephone Number, Single Coil
10Yoshiko Sai
Mikkou

Folk/pop/psychedelic
CHECKED - Another hidden treasure, see my review for more but essentially this is atmospheric bliss // 4

Check out: Haru, Mikkou
11Porcupine Tree
Lightbulb Sun

Progressive rock
TO CHECK - don't know why I never got round to this, about time that changed
12mewithoutYou
It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!

Indie folk
TO CHECK - heard this two or three times, but time to give it some proper attention
13BUCK-TICK
Razzle Dazzle

Post-punk/rock
CHECKED - Lots of retro 80s dance-rock vibes! It's a Buck-Tick album so naturally it's very consistent and really rewards repeat listens, but I still feel it's a little overlong. Great songwriting and a several bangers but a very saturated hour feels slightly overkill // 3.5

Check out Hamushi no Yō ni, Yōgetsu
14Insomnium
Above the Weeping World

Melodeath
TO CHECK - Haven't listened to a straight-up metal album in a long while (not counting the new Children of Bodom); time to change that
15Supercar
Highvision

Electronic/alternative/shoegaze
CHECKED - This is absolutely essential. Incredibly nostalgic, beautifully simple writing and incredible atmospheres. Potential to 5 at some point // 4.5

Check out: Aoharu Youth, Otogo Nation
16Catherine Wheel
Chrome

Shoegaze
TO CHECK - I'm very fussy about shoegaze and am intrigued to see if this clicks or not
17Kinoko Teikoku
Uzu Ni Naru

Shoegaze
TO CHECK - Same as above, this seems more my jam though
18Women
Public Strain

Noise rock
TO CHECK - Heard good things about this
19Coaltar of the Deepers
Submerge

Erm?
TO CHECK - Seems like the kind of thing I'd enjoy, killer review from Fripp got me intrigued
20Kayoko Yoshizawa
屋根裏獣

Art pop
TO CHECK - Fun and cosy pop, need to get into her
21Mazzy Star
She Hangs Brightly

Folk/shoegaze
CHECKED - Wow this is way better than So Tonight That I Might See and almost on the same level as Among My Swan. Songwriting as simple as ever but there's an immediacy and drive here that their other work lacks, very debut-appropriate but it's aged fantastically. Still falls down the same dreary pitfalls as their later albums at points, but for now 3.5 with strong potential to bump
22Soutaisei Riron
Town Age

Indie pop
TO CHECK - Only album from these guys I haven't heard
23Four Stroke Baron
Planet Silver Screen

Prog metal/post-punk
TO CHECK - Seems like the kind of silly I'll dig with more time
24I Hate My Village
I Hate My Village

TO CHECK - "Tribal/Blues explosion, they are an Italian Supergroup apparently, not much on the Web about them in English. Excellent musicianship on this album."
Rec'd by SlothcoreSam
25Giant Haystacks
We Are Being Observed

Punk / post-punk
CHECKED / Rec'd by Papa
Lots of clang and clatter and straightforward punk glory! Pretty direct, right songwriting; I'm not huge on the timbre and sparse production but definitely enjoyed this // 3.5
Top picks: Town of Stone, People Disappear, Cancel My Subscription
26Mission of Burma
Signals, Calls, and Marches

Post-punk/punk
CHECKED / Rec'd by Sandbitch
Excellent stuff, downloaded this after listening. I found the trad punk stuff less appealing but the noiser and more jam-based songs are excellent. It's all pretty tight and fun // 4
27Josh Ritter
The Animal Years

TO CHECK
Rec'd by coach

NorthernSkyline: so it was lovely, maybe a bit too soft on the ear, but i liked it. A hard 3.5 for now.
28The Raincoats
The Raincoats

Post-punk
CHECKED // Rec'd by NorthernSkyline
I love what this album is about but can't quite click with it. They're a colourful, personable band with a lot of character and energy here but something's holding me back from getting into it. They remind me a little of a more boring Velvet Underground, which probably explains a great deal given how VU has a distinct way of making me switch off. Well worth a listen though, might come back to it in a while // 3
29DJ Krush
Krush

TO CHECK
Rec'd by Trifolium
30Kinoco Hotel
Playgirl Dai Makyou

TO CHECK
Rec'd by Uzumaki
31Otori
Digitalized Human Nature

Johnny and Sandbitch's deformed lovechild
This is super cool and super strange damn
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