road to 3000_wells [complete]
Yikes, the last 900ish ratings have gone quickly. Here's the final round - most of this will be a genre tourism follow-on from my HELP ME list with abrupt moments of 2022 catchup. I expect that will tide me over, but feel free to rec me anything I absolutely must hear before hitting 3000! |
| 1 |  | Bela Fleck
Crossing The Tracks
#2901
Bluegrass
1979
Good stuff. Ace musicianship and lots of striking melodic ideas amidst a few pieces that passed me by. Not quite on par with the David Grisman Quintet for me, but definitely some of the coolest stuff I heard on my bluegrass binge
3.5 |
| 2 |  | Bill Monroe
Kentucky Blue Grass
#2902
Bluegrass
1970
Bill Monroe is the big daddy of original bluegrass and uhhhh yeah I don't think I care as much for original bluegrass sorry
3.0 |
| 3 |  | Bruce Springsteen
Nebraska
#2903
Americana
1982
Deeply haunting atmosphere, fantastic storytelling, perfect voice - never really doubted Bruce Springsteen's talents, but this is special and lives up the rep
4.0 |
| 4 |  | Ink and Dagger
The Fine Art of Original Sin
#2904
Post-hardcore
1998
Mostly rips. Doesn't overstay its welcome, despite a clumsy lategame attempt at electronics.
3.7 |
| 5 |  | Art Bears
Hopes and Fears
#2905
Avant prog/RIO
1978
Fell asleep to this four nights in a row, woke up with a stomach ache and made it the whole way through. Decided I like it a lot - the best bits are iconic and quotable af for such a notoriously thorny album, the less best bits are at least engagingly interesting. Wanna spend much more time with this band in a dedicated capacity.
4.0 |
| 6 |  | Yellow Swans
Drowner Yellow Swans
#2906
Drone / noise
2007
Thank you Kompys please choke me harder.
3.5 |
| 7 |  | Archive
Call To Arms and Angels
#2907
bloated altshit
2022
Was largely underwhelmed by this v overbearing shot at a Magnum Opus. Sounds cheap where it should be epic and awkward where it should be profound. There's a few tracks I like here, but none keep the album as a whole from crumpling under the weight of its many, many parts. Next.
2.5 |
| 8 |  | Brian Eno
Ambient 1: Music For Airports
#2908
AMBIENT
1978
No strong thoughts either way on the bookending pieces, but the middle two are a fucking masterclass and absolutely nail everything I was looking for in the ambient part of my genre trawl. 1/2 is the soundtrack to waiting for real life to start and I adore it and am still lost in it.
4.2 |
| 9 |  | Gospel
The Loser
#2909
Post-hardcore / prog
2022
Already spelt my thoughts out on this in too many words: good comeback, ripping songs, dorky af keys in a lot of places, fuck Tango. Curious to see where it lands in my end of year list.
3.8 |
| 10 |  | Virginia Astley
From Gardens Where We Feel Secure
#2910
Neoclassical new age
1983
Lovely record, but its blend of quaint, pastoral and stately is not so much my vibe. Feels like the kind of thing I'd wake up to after a slightly overlong afternoon nap on a sunny day; strong reality-cushioning material. Fwiw my sister loved this one a lot.
3.5 |
| 11 |  | Masakatsu Takagi
Kagayaki
#2911
Chamber folk / neoclassical new age
2014
More is more! This FIFTY-SIX TRACK 2.5 hr behemoth an album is a mesh of angelic melodies and field recordings both intimate and pastoral. Some of its individual moments are giddy and huge, but the joy to this thing is mostly in how damn easy to get lost in it. It's half a gorgeous sweeping journey and half a tranquil slice of life invocation, often both at the same time. Feels like a wild amplification of all the quaintest, most organic aspects of Haruka Nakamura's sound, and I am very much here for that.
Had heard Takagi before on his Wolf Children OST, but that largely passed me by and I didn't realise he was the same guy. Interesting.
4.2 |
| 12 |  | Popol Vuh
Hosianna Mantra
#2912
Neoclassical new age
1972
Unsure how to frame my thoughts on this one - it's excellent without a doubt. The tones and arrangements are gloriously realised, all clear and sonorous and generally wonderful, and there's a thread of mystery to it that I occasionally find highly striking (in Kyrie esp) but don't think I've fully zeroed in on. Rich album, will get to grips with it properly soon I hope - I don't feel remotely done with it and I've given it more attention than the majority of albums on here so far.
3.9 should hopefully bump |
| 13 |  | Vangelis
Spiral
#2913
Progressive electronic / ambient
1977
Masterful showcase of intricate synth compositions that have aged well and tones that have aged not well (epic analogue synth brass is not the one, sorry). Enjoyed the vocal layering on "Ballad" a lot, and "To the Unknown Man" is just an excellent piece all round. Rest in peace.
3.5 |
| 14 |  | Amethystium
Aphelion
#2914
New age / downtempo
2003
This is basically a gorgeous realisation of the corniest aspects of both the above genres, and I vibe it to an awkward degree. Really solid album, bonus points for being the polar opposite of everything I feel Ghandhi has tried to point me towards in new age.
3.9 |
| 15 |  | Enya
Watermark
#2915
New age
1988
I've heard half these songs several times too many as family gathering muzak as a kid, and there's definitely an uncanny valley effect revisiting some of them now (RIP Orinoco Flow), but I think most of the are strong enough to hold up - anything slow that leans on the strength of Enya's voice is just timelessly good, and Cursum Perficio is an absolute treat. Really enjoyed reading around this record's legacy and influence on folks like Weyes Blood and OPN - even if ends up wayside milestone record for me, at least it's an interesting one.
3.6 |
| 16 |  | Xela
The Dead Sea
#2916
Ambient
2006
This lost me a little at points, but I appreciated its range of sounds. Not sure about revisiting.
3.4 |
| 17 |  | Hiroshi Yoshimura
Music For Nine Post Cards
#2917
Ambient / minimalism / new age
1982
Exactly what I needed to see off my 1/2 obsession - basically 40 minutes of solid and occasionally spellbinding minimalist piano plinking. Was unsure how much staying power it would have at first, but I've found it a super enjoyable record to throw on when I'm not sure what to listen to over the last few days; feels like a firm KEEPer.
4.0 |
| 18 |  | Grouper
Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
#2918
Ambient / folk
2008
Grouper's a frustrating artist for me - she's clearly hugely talented, but nothing I've heard from her so far has caught my ear, and tbqh a lot of the folk stylings on this were an active turn-off. Did not enjoy my first spin at all. My second (with headphones) was better because I liked the first 1.5 songs and then literally fell asleep for the remainder. Further research needed: does the sssssoundscaping and nuance here warrant the dreariness?
2.5 for now |
| 19 |  | Secede
Tryshasla
#2919
Ambient / IDM / Boards of Canada -core
2005
Lovely record - warm atmospheres and wandering soundscapes all round. Gave it a few spins hoping to get a little more lost in it, but it didn't draw me in quite as much as I hoped. Too bad - recommended all the same
3.8 |
| 20 |  | Cave In
Heavy Pendulum
#2920
Stoner/sludge metal
2022
Wasn't sure what to expect from this given my previous experience with Cave In (debut is a slammer, Jupiter is a snoozer), but it blew my socks off on first list. HUGE fucking sound on this, solid heavy writing chops and performances all round. Lyrics and some of the cleans let it down a bit, but overall I was pleasantly surprised at how well this warrants its length. Will jam more Cave In at some point, nice stuff
3.7 |
| 21 |  | Blut Aus Nord
Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses
#2921
Warpy weirdo black metal
2022
I respect the performances here, but 1) this is very much cosmic horror in the sense of ABJECT HORROR and not at all in the sense of patiently developed fear of the unknown and creeping intrigue with glimpses of wtf-was-that (far prefer the subtlety of the latter and think this has been heavily overbilled as such) 2) do not like the drum mix, feels way too clean in the middle of all that psych fuckmurk. Big immersion breaker. Best new metal blah blah blah
3.0 |
| 22 |  | Ethel Cain
Preacher's Daughter
#2922
Slow dream pop americana
2022
Hype record of the moment - it's alright. Worse things have been hyped. Enjoyed it with the benefit of lyric sheets, although I feel these songs are largely stretched too thin to support quite the weight the concept clearly aspires to. The Western Nights miniarc feels the least essential to the concept while American Teenager is an awkward stylistic outlier; I'd probably cut both just to clean it up a little. Took until Hard Times until I started warming up to it, and even then it was touch and go. Will probably revisit soonish.
Not better than the newest LDR though, which I feel was the not-super-high bar it had to clear.
3.0 |
| 23 |  | Porcupine Tree
The Incident
#2923
Prog (metal)
2009
Figured I'd finally give this one a pass since there's a new album coming up. It ain't bad, but I had my fill of metal Porc Tree years ago. The 55-min song cycle is actually a welcome departure from the increasingly weighty songwriting style of their other 00s metal albums, but I'd like it a whole lot more with a few more substantial ideas at play.
3.2 |
| 24 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Omnium Gatherum
#2924
everything and the kitchen psych
2022
This record is a mountain! Why! In classic King Gizz style, over half the content here is because-we-can generative material from their crusty ol' formula (ft. whichever genres fit the novelty bill), but the highs are high and I like it more than most of what I've heard from them. Opener in especially is a baller and v much warrants the length. The rap songs are passable, the metal ones are fuckin funny and the goblin song is... actually pretty fun!
3.0 |
| 25 |  | Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp a Butterfly
#2925
hip-hop
2015
listening diary:
attempt #1 (late march 2015): wow is this hip-hop music? maybe i like this opener. actually wait the whole album isn't on youtube, nevermind brb
*buys a freshly released copy of Holy Vacants instead and spends 7 years breathing and losing money*
attempt #2 (mid may 2022): oh damn there's a new kendrick lamar record, better hear the old kendrick lamar record ha ha! [...] oh ~FUCK~ there are a lot of words on this, who would have thought. i don't get it. it sounds distinctly like something better experienced not with an ear infection
attempt #3 onward (better-late-than-never may 2022): yeah shock horror this fucks
4.1 |
| 26 |  | Michael Jackson
Thriller
#2926
R&B/pop
1982
I listened to Michael Jackson - Thriller. It was an undertaking and I undertook it. It was weird, mainly because I've heard half the album fifty billion times and the other half not at all. It was also not weird because it quite straightforwardly slaps and everything about the second half is watertight and immensely CLASSIC, but like in the good way as well as the boring way, and I will probably have to bump it
but
huge minus points for everything about that Paul McCartney song. Jfc, would love-that-it-exists as a b-side but they actually made that bollocks the first single? Pah
Also, sorry gang, but the narration in the otherwise fab t/t does not hold up much better
4.0 |
| 27 |  | Prince
Purple Rain
#2927
Glam rock (let's be real here) / pop-funk R&B-rock
1984
Huh yes? Most of this is good-great and some of it is toweringly fantastic and the difference between these two puts a ceiling on my vibes on it as an album but yes good. GREAT!
3.7 |
| 28 |  | Marvin Gaye
What's Going On
#2928
Soul
1971
GOOD VIBES
4.0 |
| 29 |  | Soichi Terada
Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks
#2929
DnB
2011
Soichi Terada is cool. Avagantamos is fab and recommended me a 2+ hr video game soundtrack made by Soichi Terada. I listened to it. It is a cool soundtrack. I should have been playing a video game.
3.4 |
| 30 |  | Orbital
Orbital
#2930
Acid techno
1991
Cool very-much-a-debut debut. Roughly 1/3 awesome 2/3 a bit of a traipse. Don't think it's aged particularly well. Long fuckin album.
3.3 |
| 31 |  | Orbital
Orbital 2
#2931
Techno
1993
Now this is more like it! Solid tunes all round, great stuff, fantastic highlights, lovely mix of clean and mechanical trifoliumcore ("Planet of the Shapes"), edgy tension ("Remind") and just all-round melodic goodness ("Halcyon And On And On"). Exactly what I wanted from a well-rounded techno record
4.0 |
| 32 |  | Dream Dolphin
A Great Mother and a Shadow
#2932
Breakbeat / trance / techno
1998
wtf
Dream Dolphin has been one of my favourite discoveries this year. She dropped like 16 albums between 1996-2000 and I've loved that most of them are relatively cohesive exercises within whichever style (covers everything from acid techno to heavy breaks to ambient new age)
This is her first record that just sounds like a slapdash pressing of whatever material she had on hand. The good bits are very very good, but the sequencing is fucked beyond belief. Many of these songs (some of which are previously released, albeit bangers) do not vibe great alongside one another. Opening trio is particularly egregious. Still a decent record, but absolutely inconceivable as a starting point
3.4 |
| 33 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
#2933
junzy alt metal
2010
First four tracks are an inexcusable showcase of everything unattractive about Deftones. Rest is a passable showing of them doing Deftones things. Next.
2.5 |
| 34 |  | David Bowie
Station to Station
#2934
art rock post soul COCAINE
1976
I love this a lot. I put it off because I thought it would be wonderful, but then I put it off so long that I became scared it would be wonderful enough. I was wrong and right, in the right order. Fantastic album, 6-for-6. Love. Adore all songs. Golden Years took a while, but it is there. Word On A Wing is wonderful, more people talk about it!
4.5 |
| 35 |  | David Bowie
Lodger
#1935
new wave neurotic travel diary
1979
this, on the other hand, is good but not quite magical. lots of strong songs, but not much that transports me the same way as Station to Station. eh. fair.
3.5 |
| 36 |  | Saidan
Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal
#2936
barnburning cheesefest BLACK METUL
2022
thank you garas, this is a fucking fun album. exactly what i want from fun metal in the year 2022. cleansed that smelly blut aus nord alb from my ears. took me back to better times. YOW!!!!
4.0 |
| 37 |  | The Streets
Original Pirate Material
#2937
garage/hiphop
2002
i was born in the wrong generation/county/star sign you've got the wrong geezer
3.5 |
| 38 |  | Dream Dolphin
光合成 (Kougousei)
#2938
acid whateverhouse
1997
Dream Dolphin never misses oh wait fuck. an excusable blip, probably an important early part of her transition into breakbeat hardcore ehhh
2.5 |
| 39 |  | Todd Edwards
Prima Edizione
#2939
garage
1999
I did a very long sudoku puzzle with this on and it was not fun thanks I will be here all day
3.0 |
| 40 |  | Autechre
Amber
#2940
IDM/techno
1994
I heard this a while ago and it was boring and I forgot about it
I heard this the other day and it was boring and I have forgotten about it
Incunabula is better zzzzz
3.0 |
| 41 |  | Ishome
Confession
#2941
future garage
2013
oh yes oh yes this is my alien world liminal urbanspace self-noirOST. excellent sounds, excellent songwriting. fast grower. recommend.
3.9 |
| 42 |  | Otoboke Beaver
SUPER CHAMPON
#2942
hardcore punk
2022
Faster and tighter and somehow not quite as good as the first one, but still a boatload of fun. Bangers all round SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP so many gr8 lines SHUTUP
3.8 |
| 43 |  | Blue Planet Corporation
Blue Planet
#2943
goa trance / psytrance
1999
Excellent stuff, clean sound crisp vibes expansive cyberpalace I am there. Spacious but not relaxing. Accessible. Enjoy.
4.0 |
| 44 |  | Say Sue Me
The Last Thing Left
#2944
Dream pop / surf rock
2022
Damn, this is a major step up for Say Sue Me (aka the most static live act I ever did see). Their surf rock is now involved throughout their songwriting as well as their aesthetic and they are so much the better for it. Cute tracks with great hooks all round, catchiest most lovable most replayable summer record of the year so far - just a pity about that weak ending :[
3.8 |
| 45 |  | Zach Bryan
American Heartbreak
#2945
mainstream country
2022
it is long
it is dull
i will never listen to it again
next
2.5 |
| 46 |  | Makthaverskan
II
#2946
Indie / post-punk / dream pop
2013
Enjoyed their album from last yr quite a bit, so I peeped this on a whim. It's nice, probably a tad more energetic, but I think they had found their sound at this point without cutting out Songs of nearly the same magnetism or definition. Still nice !
3.5 |
| 47 |  | Hallucinogen
Twisted
#2947
Goa trance / Psytrance
1995
Yeah this fucking thing melted my brains superbased try it
4.3 |
| 48 |  | Caribou
Up in Flames (as Manitoba)
#2948
INDIETRONICA / folktronica
2003
went in expecting to love this, but it did NOT spark JOY! bad floral shirt music.
2.8 |
| 49 |  | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
#2949
fucky jangle indie pop
2009
this style is sometimes my hipster trashfetish comfort food, and this was one of those times. the album is ok. Young Adult Friction gud song
3.0 |
| 50 |  | Flume
Palaces
#2950
glitch pop electro pop wonky pop
2022
Was expecting great things of this, and it is kinda very cool! Sometimes! Kinda. A lot of the pop tracks underwhelm me and Flume's production, while v cool, doesn't exactly follow the most exciting developments. Except when it does. Get U is cool! love Go! like a few of these, tbh it has grown on me and I might bump, but mmmyeah.
3.0 |
| 51 |  | ZOMBIE-CHANG
STRESS de STRESS
#2951
annoying indie pop
2022
don't call me
i love ZOMBIE-CHANG she is a good meme artist and sometimes makes good music. this does not happen often on this album and idc.
don't FUCKING call me
3.0 |
| 52 |  | Alcest
Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde
#2952
smashingpumpkins-core luminary blackgaze
2007
Heard this months back and forgot to rate, oops. Probably my fav of the four Alcest albums I've heard. It is nice. Should relisten soon.
3.7 |
| 53 |  | Kairi Yagi
水気を謳う (Mizuke o utau)
#2953
J-pop
2022
This is sometimes cute and sometimes boring and has a couple of good tracks that I have already mostly forgotten whoops. Closer bops qtly
3.0 |
| 54 |  | Trudge
No More Motivation
#2954
Techno / house / trance
2022
Couldn't quite get into this, but appreciated its spread of ideas. Lots of different styles at play here - nothing drops the ball, but there's very little I feel like returning to after a couple of initiation spins. Hmmm.
3.3 |
| 55 |  | D'Angelo
Black Messiah
#2955
Soul / funk
2014
Big time love on first listen. What a treat. What a fantastic range of tracks. Smmmmmmyes. Love the prod and arrangements - the whole thing feels so murky and defocalised that whenever you latch on to D'Angelo's deeply d e l i c i o u s vocal hooks, it really feels like you've earned it. I have a bad habit of making it two thirds of the way through and then switching to something else or running out of time or Things. Have not yet diagnosed this.
4.2 |
| 56 |  | Death
Scream Bloody Gore
#2956
DEATH METAL
1987
So I went back in time to touch base with the origins of DEATH METAL, and it turns out it's okay after all. Will do Possessed next or whatever.
3.5 |
| 57 |  | Bowery Electric
Bowery Electric
#2957
Shoegaze
1995
Already reviewed this, but basically Bowery Electric's expansive puregaze is awesome and pretty accessible for this arm of the genre. V much recommended.
4.0 |
| 58 |  | Dance Gavin Dance
Afterburner
#2958
Post-burnout jankcore
2020
this was never good, and it has not aged well.
2.0 |
| 59 |  | Biteki Keikaku
BITEKI
#2959
J-pop, indie pop
2022
Indigo la End guy makes shiny girly popbops and they are mostly good. Nice surprise from this yr.
3.5 |
| 60 |  | Sly and The Family Stone
There's A Riot Goin' On
#2960
Funk
1971
Went into this off the back of Black Messiah, expecting it to be nifty and gritty and infectious as dirt. It is definitely the first two, but I'm not feeling the latter. Gonna leave it be for now, to be returned to in a few months/yrs.
3.5 |
| 61 |  | System of a Down
Toxicity
#2961
Nu-metal
2001
Realised I'd never jammed a SOAD record from end to end. This album explained why. Great bits are great, the rest is not awful but at the same time does not need to exist in my memory. Decent record, good band ig.
3.5 |
| 62 |  | One Minute Silence
Buy Now...Saved Later
#2962
Nu-metal
2000
Kompys proved their nu-metal cred by rec'ing me a better nu-metal record than Toxicity. It is good. Maybe too long and a little hit or miss, but the hits are big and I enjoyed the unpredictability throughout.
3.6 |
| 63 |  | Curtis Mayfield
Superfly
#2963
Funk / soul
1972
Opener is probably GOATed, but this shit is too smooth for me. Or is it? Probably at the top of my pile of recent jams to revisit
tentatively temporary 3.5 |
| 64 |  | Joyce Manor
40 oz. to Fresno
#2964
pop punk
2022
mediocre as all fuck mid20s boydisaster music. too short because there aren't enough good ideas or hooks, too long because there aren't enough good ideas or hooks.
2.5 |
| 65 |  | Vansire
The Modern Western World
#2965
Dream pop / hip hop / indie
2022
Vaguely cool record, mainly off the back of a couple of standout tracks (thanx Aseul, thanx French lady). Otherwise a patchwork of bland indie schmeh that ends up a million times less engaging than that diversity of genre tags would have you think.
3.0 |
| 66 |  | Asian Glow
Stalled Flutes, means
#2966
Emo / lofi / postrock
2022
I haven't worked out how to review this yet, no way am i gonna blurb it. Standout record of this year, probably the best I've heard from anyone in this web of artists (you know the one)
3.9 minimum |
| 67 |  | Parannoul
White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around
#2967
Emo / shoegaze
2022
these are outtakes from a 3.5 album they are a 3
3.0 |
| 68 |  | sonhos tomam conta
maladaptive daydreaming
#2968
Emo / shoegaze / blackgaze
2022
I am a maladaptive daydreamer and oh boi did my attention wander on this
3.0 |
| 69 |  | Dir En Grey
The Insulated World
#2969
progressive metalcore-kei jank
2018
Checked this as an obligatory rite of passage before hearing the new one. First 5 tracks are a gauntlet of junzy shite; last three are v good; production is bollocks; awkward career hiccough
somewhat generous 3.0 |
| 70 |  | Shearwater
The Great Awakening
#2970
""""""Artsy"""""" atmospheric indie
2022
Relatively slow grower (and I did sink a fair bit of time into this for Mysterious Reasons), but I think it was worth it. Very strong senses of space and mood, excellent sequencing, strong delicate/dramatic vocal stylings. Some real Under Milk Wood energy here, I think. Third track is indietronica-adjacent excellence. Best Sowingcore of the year.
3.7 |
| 71 |  | Dir En Grey
Phalaris
#2971
Progressive metal / true death metal
2022
Thoughts on the new Dir en Grey so far:
- It is better than The Insulated World [1234576]
- The production is still not quite there [1234]
- Album has a really excellent start, but somewhat falls off after "13"
- "Eddie" is extremely fucking fun and their best heavy track since Arche, probably
- I will revisit it because it's fun, but am not expecting it to grow into something amazing
- This band's best days are behind them [12345] but that ain't such a bad thing [123]
3.5 |
| 72 |  | Perfume Genius
Ugly Season
#2972
postbaroque modern classixal / art pop
2022
Perfume Genius makes a good floatyartsy album you can dance to, aka Perfume Genius makes a good??? album???
3.9 |
| 73 |  | Perfume Genius
Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
#2973
indie pop
2020
Perfume Genius makes a very?//? medicore???? album!!!!
2.7 |
| 74 |  | Minako Yoshida
Monsters in Town
#2974
City pop / funk
1981
Fun city pop album. MONSTER STOMP has huge bass. Nice.
3.5 |
| 75 |  | Magrudergrind
Magrudergrind
#2975
Grind
2009
GRIND BINGE: Begin. This mostly rips, samples overstay their welcome especially towards the latter end, but it is okay. Props for yellow art.
3.7 |
| 76 |  | Pig Destroyer
Terrifyer
#2976
Grind
2004
Had heard this before, but
it might be the best album of all time.
4.3 |
| 77 |  | Takafumi Matsubara
Strange, Beautiful And Fast
#2977
Grind
2019
Need to come back to this one - v creative spread of ideas, liked what it was going for a lot but it got a little washed out in the scheme of The Grind Binge. Good stuff!
3.6 |
| 78 |  | Discordance Axis
The Inalienable Dreamless
#2978
Grind
2000
First listen (3 yrs previous): m e h
Second listen: it is okay why is this gatekept
Third listen: ...but actually
Fourth listen: ...I DO have a soul and WHY is it LEAVING ME
Fifth listen: {?}
4.0 |
| 79 |  | GridLink
Amber Gray
#2979
Grind
2008
Drum prod lets this down, but it's otherwise a fun blast
3.4 |
| 80 |  | Cutting Pink With Knives
Populuxxe
#2980
Grind / cybergrind / scenetrash
2007
mort wtf
2.0 |
| 81 |  | Graf Orlock
Destination Time Yesterday
#2981
Grind
2006
Samples on this are fire! Grind is sometimes good and sometimes ok!
3.1 |
| 82 |  | Brutal Truth
Need to Control
#2982
Grind
1994
Oh fuck yes. Production on this is fantastic, performances are big brutal, spread of ideas is delicious. Doominess of the opener threw me for a loop, and I LOVED it! Never would have expected a 45 min grind album, but I guess these guys are alltime greats for a reason huh
GRIND BINGE: over
4.1 |
| 83 |  | James Ferraro
Live at Primavera Sound 2012
#2983
Ambient trance
2012
Takes a while to find its feet, but the second half of this is a treat. More fauxmongolian chants on this level of goodness plz
3.5 |
| 84 |  | Smams
UD1
#2984
Breakcore
2022
No strong feelings about the prod on this, but I do q like the range of places Smams goes with it. Good stuff
3.5 |
| 85 |  | Machine Girl
MRK90 Mix vol. 1
#2985
Breakbeat hardcore
2022
This was a baptism of **fire**. First Machine Girl, and it definitely took a shortish while to warm up to, but damn if this isn't a fantastically structured and repeatedly engaging mix. Last chunk in particularly goes hard as nails, awesome stuff.
3.9 |
| 86 |  | Hybrid (UK)
Wide Angle
#2986
Breaks
1999
HOT TAKE the Julee Cruise songs on this are largely not among the best, but this does not matter because it's one super solid track after another and I've been throwing it on a ton. Feels like a real keeper, CHEERS TRIFOLIUM!!!
4.1 |
| 87 |  | Machine Girl
WLFGRL
#2987
Breakbeat hardcore / footwork
2014
This didn't wow me quite as much as I hoped/expected off the back of MRK90 VOL 1, but it's solid stuff all round. Machine Girl in general is an artist I feel I'm going to be more *interested in* than *firmly on board with*, but I like them enough that this does not feel like an issue - WLFGRL defs captures that attitude in its most not-unflattering form. Good record.
3.6 |
| 88 |  | Junko Yagami
Communication
#2988
City pop
1985
Oh yes oh yes. City pop has mostly been good-not-great for me, but this has a ton of solid tracks I'll come back to. "Kashimiya no Hohoemi" in particular is a certified stunner, peep this.
3.9 |
| 89 |  | Shpongle
Are You Shpongled?
#2989
Psytrance
1998
I am hereby Shpongled. This has a lot of empty space and a limited amount that I'll revisit outside of the STELLAR combo of Behind Closed Eyelids/Divine Moments of Truth, but its production is masterful and I vibe the space cadet psyboi palette more than I'm comfortable with
3.5 |
| 90 |  | Machine Girl
Gemini
#2990
Breakbeat hardcore / footwork
2015
pretty much a dedicated showcase of all the parts of WLFGRL I was less keen on. least favourite Machine Girl, but it ain't bad.
3.0 |
| 91 |  | Adramelch
Irae Melanox
#2991
Progressive metal / power metal
1998
Yup I do not vibe with the genres in question, but this is pretty great for what it is. Decent songwriting, the opposite of overproduced and a smattering of good riffs yes plz
3.5 |
| 92 |  | Machine Girl
...BECAUSE I'M YOUNG ARROGANT AND HATE EVERYTHING
#2992
Digital hardcore
2017
fuckin same
3.5 |
| 93 |  | Coheed and Cambria
Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind
#2993
"progressive" pop butts
2022
i now think i understand where longtime coheed haters have been coming from. they are still wrong, but this album makes me feel worse about everything.
2.0 |
| 94 |  | Hatis Noit
Aura
#2994
Powerful voice shit
2022
Hatis Noit is awesome and her voice is huge and her merging of trad styles is fantastic and I love that this has been advertised as an art pop album by some lmao. 2022 gem.
3.9 or 4.0 idk |
| 95 |  | NAYEON
IM NAYEON
#2995
K-POP
2022
Album of the year can't wait to finish it
5.0 |
| 96 |  | 16 Horsepower
Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
#2996
Gothic country
1996
Absolutely delicious palette, badass hexen *Christian??* shit right here. Creepy country = good country. Will say that its kitsch hit me hardest on first listen and hasn't quite matched up across repeats, but this is still a damn good record
4.0 |
| 97 |  | Guy Clark
Old No. 1
#2997
Country
1975
The boi is a talented songwriter and has a decent voice, but this record unfortunately did not hold my attention over any of the several tries I gave it.
3.2 |
| 98 |  | Machine Girl
RePorpoised Phantasies
#2998
Breakbeat hardcore
2020
Short burst of Machine Girl at their catchiest and boppiest yes please! Really solid EP, bangers all round.
3.7 |
| 99 |  | Art Bears
Winter Songs
#2999
RIO
1979
Neither as challenging nor as impressive as Hopes and Fears imo, but it also contains potentially the greatest song ever made so lenience is order
RATS AND MONKEYS CROWD THE CITY AS IT CRUMBLES INTO
RUIN
WALLS ARE LOOSENING, TRUE, BUT GATES ARE
BLOCKED!
instant classic
3.5 |
| 100 |  | Shpongle
Tales of the Inexpressible
#3000
Psybient
2001
...and so for lucky #3000, we have an iconic and satisfying and occasionally utterly fantastic and never-awful record that is big and milestoneable and I will hopefully return to and definitely remember. It is good. It is also disappointing because I thought it might be a personal gamechanger, but I'm a few years too late for that - some of these tracks are a *little* busy for what it goes for and some are a *little* overdrawn, but the last two full trax are visions and I love how it flows throughout. Definitely the worthy departure-followup from Twisted I was hoping for, LOVELY!
4.0 |
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