212
Albums Rated
3.41
Average Rating
19%
Complete
877 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
21
5-Star Albums
3
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
|
5 | 3.57 | +1.43 |
|
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
|
5 | 3.57 | +1.43 |
|
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
|
4 | 2.61 | +1.39 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
|
1 | 2.63 | -1.63 |
|
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
|
2 | 3.54 | -1.54 |
|
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
|
2 | 3.51 | -1.51 |
|
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
|
1 | 2.46 | -1.46 |
|
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
|
Parklife
Blur
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
|
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
|
2 | 3.36 | -1.36 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Fleetwood Mac | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 4 | 4.25 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kraftwerk | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (21)
View Album Wall
1-Star Albums (3)
All Ratings
Small Faces
3/5
unfortunately the best snippet of music is the 40 seconds from the GTA trailer. still some good shit in there, i think Afterglow is my favorite actual song. audiobook narrator is fun but not good for jamming out.
closing argument: she nut on my flake till im gone
Songhoy Blues
3/5
i think i am very simply not a blues guy. favorite song is probably Ai Tchere Bele (slaps), Mali is also lovely and sad. good shit
Lou Reed
3/5
classic. kinda more of a "beat poetry over funky bowie tunes" album than anything else, which it turns out isnt all hits. Perfect Day still whips, favorite song is probably Andy's Chest, or just the outro to Satellite of Love
Bob Dylan
4/5
includes a few too many instruments to count as spoken word poetry. if you dont fuck with lyricism like that there mostly isnt a lot for you, but if you do its really very good. favorite song is maybe Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. I Want You is also very lovely and will probably get listened to the most
The Police
4/5
love reggae rhythms. love police. simple as.
honestly stands on its own without the radio hits. favorite song is probably Does Everyone Stare, maybe No Time This Time. good shit
The Rolling Stones
4/5
good shit. very listenable. still some skips. favorite song is Monkey Man, also Gimme Shelter obviously whips ass
N.W.A.
4/5
surprised by how quality it was for some reason. production was pretty nuts. the top two songs are gonna be classics until the sun explodes, otherwise i think my favorites are Gangsta Gangsta and I Ain't Tha 1. Something 2 Dance 2 is also just really fun, perfect closer
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
at its worst there's middling r&b with that 2000's sentimentality that just feels distractingly corny today, at its best there are some REALLY sick and creative beats that prop up some complete bangers. favorite songs are Put Him Out, Afraid 2 Fly, and Krazy Krush. All I Ever is also pretty lovely.
3.5/5 because i am a sexist
SZA
3/5
i think maybe not my kinda music. production is neat though, vocals are lovely ofc. favorite songs are Prom and Anything
Miles Davis
3/5
this is literally a jazz album
Beatles
5/5
my only real abbey road opinion is that 16 of the songs are window dressing for I Want You (She's So Heavy). this will be posted on the website
Eurythmics
4/5
surprisingly dope. favorite songs are Wrap It Up and The Walk. the nintendo 64 soundfont whips ass
Donovan
3/5
the fact that it's a 1966 record makes it seem particularly cool. mostly contemporary sleepy songs with a couple of bangers. i like Sunshine Superman, but Season of the Witch is just dope
Black Sabbath
5/5
truly this album fucks. i cant divorce the objective rating from the subjective experience of how much this sound rules. Paranoid (title track) is still the goat but even when there's a break in style every song delivers something special. NO SKIPS ON THIS ONE
U2
4/5
sits somewhere in the valley between "bland and inoffensive pop rock" and "exceptionally listenable". the thematic throughline of "war is bad 😔✌️"--from a time when that was cutting edge protest music--feels like like it would age and come off cringey but it's just so earnest and i think a little charming? even outside the hits the album does seem inspired, at least in the pretty strong first half. i adored Sunday Bloody Sunday in high school, and i still dig it, but at this point i think my favorites are Drowning Man, maybe New Year's Day. all in all like a solid 3.50001
The Zutons
4/5
sort of franz ferdinand without the radio play, inject a little bit of instrumental kookiness. i think the only thing its missing is a chart topper or two with big pop appeal, but otherwise it's some really dope indie/alt rock vibes, that dips into a little folk sometimes. very consistent as an album. Zuton Fever is sick as hell as an opener, i also quite like Railroad and Remember Me
Tim Buckley
2/5
somewhere between funky and groovy! even as a fan of both funk and groove, it doesn't really feel like my thing. kind of meanders like a jazz album might but it didn't get me in that flow state; i can differentiate songs but they don't really pop out individually much. still, i quite like Get On Top and Make It Right
Bob Dylan
3/5
bob dylan music is so weird man. great american poetry but really not in a complimentary way. i think the music is good if you're listening to it like you're watching a movie. you've gotta kinda focus on it like you're a guy in the 60's before they invented the gameboy. you've gotta be like a caveman staring into fire and just kinda tune into it and vibe out. i don't think you can just throw it on and i don't think it complements most any other activity besides just listening to it. but there is something *cool* about it. also its very funny to think about 60's foagies dogging on the album for going electric when this is just about the folksiest bullshit i've ever heard.
i think Like a Rolling Stone is the closest to music the album gets, it's really quite good. Tombstone Blues and Ballad of a Thin Man are also dope. Desolation Row bears mentioning because it epitomizes all the above observations: it's long and a little droning and if you zone out for a second you're lost. all the actual *musical* parts of the song are little seasonings on top of bobby singing the neat thing he wrote. but, there IS something cool about it
3.3/5 play it again bobby
Laura Nyro
4/5
every song sounds like you're waking up in bill murray's groundhog day, but instead of learning piano or killing yourself you just vibe out in your room.
really just an album of vocal flexing. the singing is 90% of it which is great because the singing is truly very good. surprised at how lovely the whole experience is. favorite tracks are probably Lucky and Lonely Women. like a 4.49/5
Scott Walker
3/5
vibey and croony lounge music. it does get a little trying eventually but for the most part it's very pleasant. Jackie is pretty sick, perfectly bombastic. i also quite like The Girls And The Dogs
The Rolling Stones
2/5
sympathy for the devil? how about sympathy for me for listening to this frickin album!
i like the opener, and the closing track is nice' but the rest kinda blend together
Mylo
4/5
lofi beats to study/relax to before you die
like a solid 3.6/5
Grizzly Bear
4/5
the kind of folksy bullshit that would be named after a small massachusetts island, but with choral arrangements and vocal harmonies. very very solid, consistent, pretty tight. Two Weeks gets a lot of radioplay but While You Wait For The Others is probably my favorite. honestly just a couple more bangers could wring a fifth star out of it
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
generally vibey. kinda proto-Pavement, cool skateboard music. when the guitar riffs feel samey and the vocals get stale the album gets a little trying, but then some sick sounds come out and it's back to being dope. definitely some golden tracks on there. favorite song is No Bones, maybe Let It Ride if it was like half as long.
solid 3.4/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
these dudes rock.
unfortunately a little frontloaded. peaks with immigrant song, and the back half is some good rock and roll but it doesn't REALLY get me goin
Kraftwerk
2/5
it feels weird to critique the album? kind of like reviewing classical music, there's this historic sheen on it that separates it from just any other techno record. it's interesting, and kind of funny, and i guess there's *something* cool about it, but judging it on the same metrics as every album i dont know that it's the most routinely listenable. The Model sounds impressively modern, that's probably my favorite.
but yeah daft punk (original 1978 theatrical run colorized) like 2.4/5
Tom Waits
2/5
if the drunken sailor from Drunken Sailor sampled the soundtrack to a point and click pirate adventure game for their beat poetry and ballads about the urban dispossessed of new york city. or like bruce springsteen gargled sand before his recordings. i listened to most of it while i was playing a cowboy game and it kinda fit ngl. favorite song is Hang Down Your Head
George Harrison
4/5
really swell album. has an above average amount of excellent songs. also just too big for its own good, makes for a lot of untrimmed fat i dont need. still settles on a comfortable "really very pretty good". What Is Life is just lovely that's probably my favorite track
ZZ Top
3/5
nice grooves. it's funny to me that La Grange is pretty much the only one where they do the ZZ Top voice but it's the one everyone knows. Master of Sparks is my favorite
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
vaguely musical youtube poop. if you like it, you've correctly identified the transgression of true musical genius. if you don't like it, you're a mainstream sheep with unevolved tastes. if you don't really know and you're just confused, you've fallen into frank zappa's trap and you're exactly where he wants you. checkmate athiests. if he saw me give this 5 stars he would scrunch up his nose in disgust. if he saw me give 3 stars he would spit in my face. if he saw me give 1 star, he would finally nod his head in respect. "that's the point man, or something" frank zappa would say to me.
favorite song is Mother People
4/5
honestly pretty tight. feels like a particular brand of wacky alt rock but before they'd invented most instruments. favorite song is Yes Sir, No Sir
Holger Czukay
3/5
a neat sort of active listening jazz type album. i dont know if it invented sampling or whatever but it's got a nice groove to it. does play a little bit like a movie score
Can
3/5
tone-setting theme music for the hotshot detective to ruminate on the clues he's gathered so far in the big case. but also kind of trouble man. but also kind of a credits-roll whispery jam session. don't hate it! favorite is Moonshake, it's pretty tight as an actual bite-sized song
Amy Winehouse
4/5
sort of adjacent to 24/7 anime hiphop beats to chill and study and game to but with a very classy sheen on it. like, classy trashy. somewhere between "frank sinatra crooning for mobsters" and "fuck me pumps". in a good way. favorite song is Moody's Mood For Love / Teo Licks
Bad Brains
4/5
these dudes rock. some wild sounds and tricks for 1986. i dont usually fuck with hardcore vibes but i fuck with it, and the weird reggae tinged alt rock stuff. favorite song is She's Calling You, maybe Re-Ignition
The Beach Boys
4/5
pretty dope, pretty vibey. didnt know the beach boys fucked like that. favorite song is probably Surf's Up, maybe Long Promised Road
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
just really sweet. slow dance with your wife of thirty years type music. whatever region of my brain still loves rufus wainwright's hallelujah is lovin this one. only places so low because i dont know if ill be going back to it for at least like thirty years. i really like how West Country Girl is an entirely capable cowboy song, but my favorite track is probably People Ain't No Good
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
really swell as far as italian seasoning goes. generally not my kind of sound but they keep it fresh enough that it's a rewarding listen. they do the lyrics, the melodies, the harmonies. even the weird gimmick interludes that can frame a solid album are cool. favorite song is The Dangling Conversation, just real sweet and sad
Simple Minds
5/5
yea i dont care this record fucks
Duke Ellington
3/5
duke ellington introduces his friends for two hours. yes i like jazz now. Skin Deep is mondo cool
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
these dudes rock. between Simple Man and Free Bird this album could pretty reliably help squeeze out a big manly all-american tear
Joan Armatrading
3/5
more like joan imatrading this for another album!
the kind of mellow *tracy chapman fast car* easy-listening that weirdly stressed me out as a kid but in my elder years i've kind of come around on it. among a bunch of albums whose sound blends together a bit i think there are more songs here that stick out than don't. favorite song is Tall In The Saddle or People. like a rock solid 2.6/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
really stellar stuff. it's a big album, which fits a lot of stone cold bangers, but that also means a few skips. favorite is Sir Duke or Pastime Paradise. like a solid 4.49/5
The Sonics
3/5
the album's just so fuckin *cool*, the fact that it's half a century old is crazy. ig they invented screaming and garage bands or whatever. the kind of shit that blows the lid off a baby boomer homecoming dance. favorite song is Do You Love Me. solid 3.49/5, one more banger would put the score over the edge
The Temptations
3/5
great sound but needs a few more killer apps. i like Runaway Child, Running Wild, but Hey Girl is probably my favorite
Morrissey
3/5
good stuff. i don't know that i'd call it exceptional but it made me get why morrissey is well-regarded as a solo artist. just good ol' tunes to throw on. love Now My Heart Is Full
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
its hard to occupy a frame of mind where you havent already heard each of these songs one million times in one thousand different summer blockbusters and car commercials and grocery store aisles but it really is just pretty excellent. i cant come up with any particular criticism that either makes sense or feels right. favorite song at this specific point in time (one of the couple i havent heard before, also just a very cool song) is Oh Daddy
Michael Jackson
5/5
Bad??? sounds pretty good to me!!
if there are skips, as isolated tracks they're still the funkiest shit since sliced bread. favorite track is probably Smooth Criminal even if it's kind of an ancient fav, but Another Part of Me is the best new one for me
The Cure
3/5
some good ol sadboi music. it feels like it ought to be exactly my thing but something about it fundamentally didn't grab me. favorite track is A Forest or At Night
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
oddly delightful. if i had a porch and a rocking chair to listen to this on that might bump it up a full letter grade; until then there's a sort of fiction to it that im having trouble connecting to. the charm wears off a little bit the longer you're hearing the same chords and same harmonies. also it's cool hearing In The Pines like this. favorite track is A Tiny Broken Heart or Kentucky
Various Artists
3/5
actually kind of pog. some completely stellar vocal performances here. but also its christmas music so if homie puts this on, 340 days out of the year im ripping out the aux. favorite is Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus also sounds pretty definitive
Peter Gabriel
4/5
love it. another banger or two could bump up the score easy. In Your Eyes is evergreen but That Voice Again i really really enjoyed. like a 4.49/5
Faust
3/5
two parts artsy jam band rock n roll and one part quirky playful eurojank. the album really *hangs out* sometimes, really stays its welcome. favorite song is maybe Giggy Smile. 3 glizzards out of 5 wizards
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
"mom said you have to let me use my new electric jug in this song too"
i think this is what i thought the rolling stones were supposed to sound like. favorite song is Through The Rhythm, or weirdly Don't Fall Down
Radiohead
5/5
good stuff. feels like every song gives you something to chew on. favorite song is Let Down
Finley Quaye
3/5
a more diverse sound than id expect from a reggae record (i have not listened to many reggae records). favorite song is Even After All or I Need a Lover
CHVRCHES
4/5
the only compelling criticism ive had of chvrches is they sound too much like chvrches. if this is their debut then i can forgive that. favorite track is Gun or Lies or Recover. also really like By the Throat
Television
4/5
never heard of this shit even ever. just pretty awesome. its got strands of ancient altrock dna, tangential to the Talking Heads genome but more like proto-Strokesian, either way love it a lot. the title track is something else; big jumbo 10 minute tracks run the risk of being kinda bloated and indulgent but this one is just a ride start to finish. one more rock solid banger could bump up the score but as is just a very strong 4.49/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
frank sinatra is just *the* genre of lounge music. this is all good stuff but its not christmas music or New York New York or My Way so you cant sing along to it (I've Got You Under My Skin is probably an exception). very pleasant but not all that moving in any particular way, just vibey. Anything Goes is my favorite cuz i like fallout 🤓
Marvin Gaye
3/5
this album makes me want to *make love to my woman* (i am wearing yellow aviators and what one might describe as bellbottoms. the boys have been pulled out of vietnam and smoking is still cool, i think, probably. my dashboard is wood panel and my steering wheel is fur-lined. nixon wept on live television and we all felt kinda bad about it. the big mac costs a nickel and it takes me like a minute to dial a number on my big dumb telephone. life is good) favorite song is Come Get To This
Beatles
4/5
actually kinda whips. i dont know why im surprised it has like universal pop appeal. it really crystalized for me that transition from blues to mainstream rock n roll that never completely clicked for me (see: You Really Got A Hold On Me). i understand how one would develop a mania over these "beatles" fellows. favorite song is probably All I've Got To Do
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
not exactly unpleasant but there were points where i was looking forward to the album ending. i will say though, Stranger on the Shore made me feel like i was watching charlie brown walk down the street by himself on christmas morning but as like a 45 year old divorcee and that gave me a new perspective on the blues that i really appreciate. favorite track is One Who Really Loves You
The Gun Club
3/5
nothing too crazy, but the energy is very exciting. if this was my son and his schoolmates in my garage id say theyre the best school garage band in the world. as much of a mood piece as an hour long blues instrumental might be, just a different mood. favorite song is She's Like Heroin to Me
Beyoncé
3/5
real diversity of sound i wasn't expecting. favorite song is Blow
The Crusaders
4/5
kind of expected it to be 40 minutes of Street Life, for lack of a better term. really flipped my expectations of a jazz album though, a great collection of individualized but complementary boppers. favorite song is Rodeo Drive (High Steppin'), or *maybe* My Lady
Talking Heads
4/5
talking peaks. peaking heads. peaking peaks.
it's got some skips. I Zimbra is a dope opener, but my favorite song is Animals, maybe Cities
The Monks
3/5
quirky and old but the antiwar jarhead vibe gives it a nice mystique, overall pretty cool. Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy is silly but probably my favorite track
Kanye West
5/5
i'm feeling a light to decent 6 on this thing but that's just my opinion
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
probably my favorite jazz record so far. i dont know if its because the songs are more individualized or because it leans more orchestral/big-band but i really really enjoyed it. favorite song is Double-O
The White Stripes
3/5
its actually funny to me that this album was like a tremendous disappointment by the time it finished. its really not bad, i guess i just wanted seven nation army for 40 minutes and didnt get it? Blue Orchid was dope though
Kate Bush
4/5
pretty delightfully weird, just fires my brain in a great way. it's kind of the opposite of the problem i usually have with jazz and blues records: where an album might blend together a bit in terms of sound, and play a bit like a musical mush from beginning to end, this album almost always feels stimulating or *interesting*, and every song is trying something neat. there's a couple of tracks that are reduced to "only technically having rhythm" and drift a little too close to soundscape, but they're not particularly grating. im not usually compelled to go back and listen to an album through again after i rate it but i think this one's an exception. Night Of The Swallow is my favorite track, im also really fond of Pull Out The Pin and Get Out Of My House (except for the donkey sounds they're evidently too interesting and stimulating for me)
Prince
5/5
awesome. i think maybe the first album i ever bought, probably the most easy and comfortable 5 star rating ive thrown up so far. the density of bangers is just crazy. the variety of sounds and vibes that get knocked out of the park is crazy. the title track and closer is crazy (one of those songs that can squeeze a tear outta me with some reliability). I Would Die 4 U is crazy, the Computer Blue breakdown-into-guitar-solo is crazy, When Doves Cry being a number 1 hit single for 5 weeks without a bassline is crazy. Purple Rain though, that's gotta be my favorite
Pretenders
4/5
for the first half it mostly felt like pretty decent 80's background music, perfectly pleasant, but the second half was strong enough to bump it up to really quite enjoyable. favorite song is Mystery Achievement or Kid (Lovers of Today is also great)
Beatles
4/5
another practice in what is now the traditional beatles experience of hearing a bunch of songs that have been culturally inscribed into my dna for decades but im just now hearing for the first time in the context of "huh i guess this is a beatles song". although Drive My Car fucks, i think most of the album's high points are more dreary songs (not in a bad way). generally speaking an album of 2 and a half minute bangers is based. favorite song is unfortunately In My Life or maybe Wait.
like a strong 4.49/5
Bee Gees
3/5
clearly had to tamper down my bee gees expectations going in. this album kind of goes from easy listening to slow listening. there are some really really dope little musical moments that pepper the landscape of "not my kind of thing" and that really has the album treading water scorewise. favorite song is Somebody Stop The Music, it has a certain majesty to it as a big chunky eventful song that i really appreciate.
like a precarious 2.51/5. if i got cut off in traffic while listening to this album one time the smidgen of negative association would be enough to bump it down a full number score
The Zombies
3/5
beatles but american (worse) with a sort of doors-y swagger, beach boys lite harmonies, and this sort of proto-echo-and-the-bunnymen fruity (non-derogatory) alt girl flavour profile thats very fun and weird and attractive. unfortunately i dont think the album ever measures up to the high of Time of the Season. good stuff tho 👍
Fugees
3/5
pretty dope! a lot of these beats have a sort of simmering coolness to them, and i think some of the verses have a little trouble keeping up. even though i knew it was coming the placement/inclusion of Killing Me Softly With His Song felt funny. lauryn hill is very talented. Ready Or Not is still really sick its probably my favorite track
3/5
Elbow
3/5
pretty vibey and refreshing sound. i think by the end of the album it feels like it meanders a little bit (songs range exclusively from 4 and a half minutes to 6 and a half which feels very funny); the couple of times they pick up the pace it's exciting, but they're mostly pretty sleepy. favorite song is Grounds for Divorce
David Bowie
3/5
it's very jingle-jangley and a little *kooky* (this is an oblique reference to the song, "Kooks", included in the album). i don't even have any particular criticism, its just a very neat and rewarding listenthrough. this david bowie guy is pretty good. my favorite song is probably Quicksand, although the beat drop in Oh! You Pretty Things is a great tonesetter, and Andy Warhol is also pretty sick
Dusty Springfield
3/5
really good 60's moodpiece. dusty's definitely got some pipes on her. Mama Said is a great opener. Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa plays vocally like a bit of broadway showtunes and it's very cool. stylistically she gets around, shows about as much range as i think you could in the genre in that decade. Wishin' And Hopin' is probably my favorite
Orbital
3/5
at first i saw the double digit runtime of some of these tracks and threw up a little bit in my mouth but the album ended up really impressing me. it's like an interactive science exhibit of an album; it's at this sort of intersection between jazz and electronica that is the artistry of throwing together disparate sounds and coming out with a delicious sound-goulash. i do think it ends on a low note with the two longest and most soundscapey tracks, which don't really pull enough tricks to justify their runtime. I Wish I Had Duck Feet pulls some cool tricks while being the most digestible but I think Sad But True is my favorite
The Stooges
3/5
there's really nothing wrong with it, but this album simply did move me in any particular way. it did not spark joy. listened twice just to make sure i wasn't missing anything, and the "Iggy Mix" was just barely enough to bump the score; the mixing was fixed up enough to inspire a modicum of headbanging, a smidgen of "sticking it to the man". favorite song is Gimme Danger, i thought it was quite cool
Aretha Franklin
3/5
vibey. groovy. makes sense why Respect was such a crazy cultural touchstone, but if the rest of the album had some more of that energy it'd be better for it. other than that my favorite is probably the title track, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) has got some of that spunk to it
Talk Talk
5/5
really dope stuff. very 80's very synthy. there's maybe one or two skips that blemish an otherwise vibe-dense listening experience, but the album is such that my brain is already making excuses on its behalf like "nah dude you don't get it April 5th is a perfectly positioned slower paced song so the listener can take a breath before getting whisked away by Living in Another World". the I Don't Believe in You breakdown solo outro into Life's What You Make It is a killer combo (thank you gta vice city). favorite song though is probably Time It's Time, really sick vibey outro that doesn't get boring even while it takes its time
Al Green
4/5
a lot of the album isn't lovemaking music but like "gently sway in the kitchen with your ex-wife of 20 years" music which is nice. the rest of it is just some solidly funky good stuff. the title track is too iconic to treat fairly, otherwise my favorite is It Ain't No Fun to Me
Supergrass
4/5
honestly fuck yeah. it's got this scott pilgrim sex bob-omb garage punk fuzz with a little more british tweed to it. there's a decent level of pop appeal throughout, and they mix things up enough to not get dull. I'd Like to Know is a stellar opener, but Time is probably my favorite track
Muddy Waters
2/5
i don't know what itch i need to have for live blues to scratch it but right now i don't got it. Tiger In Your Tank is a pretty catchy tune
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
probably the first capital R reggae record ive sunk my teeth into. very cool type of sound, gets to be uniquely bouncey and playful, and just really *slow* but not in any sort of bad way. some of these songs just straight up lower my heart rate the beats are so relaxing. i think if i had a rocking chair and a porch where i could smoke a doobskie without an ounce of paranoia it would probably multiply my enjoyment. favorite song is So Jah S'eh, maybe Revolution
Machito
4/5
luxurious. big energy. it's very cinematic, very "mr. incredible approaches volcano island in private jet, looks to camera and says 'uh its go time'". occupies a musical niche that it fills out completely, just a multicultural big band potluck. if you described the album to me i think i'd have the same concerns as with other instrumental albums where the whole runtime becomes a sort of unidentifiable music mush, but most every track here has personality to it. i dont know if it's quite as majestic and bombastic as i think it is or there's some weird 20th century nostalgia trip going on, but it really does feel like something special. favorite track is Conversation
Iron Maiden
5/5
fuck these dudes rock. consistently so dope across its runtime, mixes up their sound just enough, might be the best workout album that's come up by some margin. Run To The Hills still whips so much ass, but Hallowed Be Thy Name probably hoists the album up a whole number score by itself
The KLF
2/5
a little bit kooky and hard to place. electronic i guess? there are some sounds and songs i vibed with. then No More Tears comes in with its mahoyney noyney 10 minute doodle bob monologue lookin ass and truly takes the tiny little breezey bit of wind that WAS in my sails straight out of my sails. if i liked the album i'd say it consistently surprised me and kept me on my toes, but instead i'll just say that it lacked focus. i guess it was technically amusing; at its absolute highest points it sounded like the *insert coin* menu music for an arcade racing machine. favorite song is 3AM Eternal
The Cure
4/5
kind of interesting. i'd written myself off as "not really a The Cure fan" but this one brought me back for sure. there were definitely times where the album annoyed me a little bit, but by and large there were enough cool sounds and cool moments to more than justify any negatives. it's a big chunky album of big chunky songs, and it drags, but when it's dragging in one of those cool moments it's sick, and you get a nine minute song that doesn't feel like it at all. Plainsong is a great opener, but Disintegration really got stuck in my head that's gotta be my favorite. like a soft 4
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
i *like* the music. the music is good. it's got a vibe. it just feels like there's so little that's exceptional about it. give me one or two more Poledo's to break things up and I'll be a happy man. favorite song is Kracked or Sludgefeast. really like a soft 3
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
pretty dope. didn't realize so many classics were on their debut album. the highs are *so* high, but the album's on the longer side and there's a good amount of fluff. I like Hey Joe just a bit more than Purple Haze, Are You Experienced? is also very cool. soft 4
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
i have listened to this before. i think their previous album is closer to *straight masterpiece* but i still have a lot of love for this one. the dance songs are very dancey, the sad songs are very sad, the vibey songs are very vibey. the worst thing i can say about it is it's a little self-indulgent (long synthy art pieces, ending with 6 minutes of twinkly space sounds and piano. also i might still think "emotional haircut" is stupid). lyrics generally aren't the biggest thing to me on an album but i'm fond of a whole lot of lines here. favorite song is the title track "american dream", i think the lyrics on top of the waltzy rhythm just get me emotional. soft 5
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
pretty cool. it's got this early 2000's hit flavor to it where i feel like i should've heard some of these songs on the radio a hundred times. it's impressive how much they nail their niche but that niche isn't the spiciest or most exciting brand of rock. like maybe this would've blown my mind in '91? still, generally pleasant vibes, even if it doesn't move me particularly. although Is This Music? is a really sick riff, few more of those in the album and we'd be cookin. *strong* 3
The Smiths
4/5
i believe i've listened to this one before, but it didn't leave a big mark on me. hearing it again there's a lot to like. the baseline for the album is pretty cool and fun to listen to (there's not *really* any standout skips), but i think it's missing some absolute bangers to really bring it together. the opener is great, and Death of a Disco Dancer is very dope. soft 4
The Byrds
3/5
maybe i was just having a bad day but i think it's pretty unremarkable. like B-grade Vietnam period piece ambience. not unenjoyable, and there are a couple of really neat songs to help tide you along. the Hey Joe cover was sick
Mekons
3/5
properly weird, in a good way. its got this folksy punksy dropkick murphies appeal but its british people cosplaying the american south. i might have mekon fever? favorite song is Hard to Be Human Again
Elton John
5/5
surprisingly delightful. pretty long but still packed to the gills with great stuff. maybe no skips? the hits are great and half of the non-hits are confusing because it feels like they should be hits. i dont really know what it means but i want to say "wonderfully composed"? favorite song is The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934). just an easy fiver
Fatboy Slim
3/5
definitely a jammer, couple of stone cold classics in here. i think the genre maybe doesn't lend itself to filling out a whole album. favorite song is Acid 8000. strong 3
Talvin Singh
3/5
it didn't start strong but it really grew on me. just like, multiculturalist Indian breakbeat. kinda sick. favorite song is Butterfly
Daft Punk
2/5
Da Funk is insane. i like Phoenix. Around the World has grown on me. most of the other 80% of the album (standard release) is generically rhythmic fluff
Fleet Foxes
4/5
generally speaking i am put off by music that sounds like it takes place by a campfire, within earshot of a log cabin, or in or around a mountain. for some reason this is good shit though. maybe i dont get enough folk exposure so this mainstream appalachian affectation feels authentic to me? i think the album is missing some kind of wow factor or big standout moments for me to really adore it but as is it's a consistent and special vibe for mostly the whole runtime. I've heard Blue Ridge Mountains a hundred times and it's still great but He Doesn't Know Why was surprisingly lovely
Frank Black
4/5
this album really fucks around, reaches a lot of corners of the alt rock sphere. worst thing i can say about it is that it doesn't spend a lot of time developing most of its wacky ideas, and at the same time it runs a little long with a decent amount of fluff. but there's enough pretty dope nuggets of music scattered around that the whole thing was pretty enjoyable. soft 4
Duran Duran
4/5
it's kinda funny, beyond the couple of culturally suffused meme songs, that jangly processed sound is a factory for some really great tunes. if you squint it seems like there's something formulaic about it, but shit the formula is just real enjoyable and fun throughout. i listened through a couple times, and i think it might be lacking one or two real slammers that i'll have on repeat for hours, but other than that it's rock solid. favorite song is probably My Own Way; The Chaffeur is also a very neat closer. strong 4
System Of A Down
4/5
it's nothing if not stimulating. has a certain whimsy to it. i cant tell if i do actually like this genre or the vocal performance is just so wacky and infectious it makes the album hopelessly likeable. i think Sugar has to be my favorite but Soil is also super sick
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
the premise of listening to an album a day makes this big jumbo set out to be really obnoxious. not rushing through it and just taking it a few songs at a time, it wasn't as much of a chore as i thought it'd be. still a chore though. overall it's just a whole lot of lovely tunes about love on top of a jazz orchestra. i left with a lot of great songs--could probably cut it down to a strong 3 star twelve track album--but that's still only like 20% of the collection. but yeah important piece of american canon or whatever. i was having the most fun when they were picking up the pace a little bit, or sampling other genres, like Just Another Rhumba or The Real American Folk Song. favorite song is probably He Loves And She Loves
Scott Walker
4/5
nah this album fucks. ive decided scott walker is cool and based actually. like scott 2 but weirder and fresher, without really any songs that dont do *something* neat. shout out to the bloodborne choir putting in work. favorite song is The Old Man's Back Again or The World's Strongest Man
Wild Beasts
4/5
a wonderful time, scratches my brain in just the right way. its got this proto alt-j wispiness over some wacky but simple rhythms, really comes together. theres a couple of skips but whats left is pretty unique and very enjoyable. favorite song is Through The Iron Gate, or Hooting & Howling
Marty Robbins
3/5
just some root-tootin cowboy music. maybe it lacks some of the cinema that i'm used to in the genre, but there's something pleasantly elvis about all the crooning. Big Iron is evergreen, i also quite liked The Master's Call
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
very poppy. feels weirdly ahead of its time, with this 90's-2000's cheesiness to it. still very catchy stuff though. favorite song is Living in Paradise (love the bloopy keyboard), also love The Beat
Doves
2/5
didn't really grab me. kind of stumbles toeing the line between sleepy and contemplative. all the energy of a medical drama midseason finale, has like 5 distinct songs that play like almost-impactful too-long meandering outros and none of them are the outro. creed without the crunch. maybe i just wasnt in the mood for this kinda music? N.Y. had some magic to it, and i liked Pounding
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
yea i dont know. didnt like it. felt like every catchy bit was diffused by something weird or goofy. plays like a gta radio station without the songs, only the host insterstitials and weird parody ad breaks. best sounding thing was Double Dutch
Beatles
4/5
didnt think itd be so weird. always another interesting sound around the corner. not a ton of skips for a double album. favorite song is Rocky Raccoon
Moby Grape
3/5
expected another timely beatles clone, but honestly a very pleasant time that keeps it fresh. lacks some standout tracks, and it takes some trying to stream a listenable version of the album, but there's some good shit in there, def worth the time. favorite song is Omaha
Ray Price
2/5
nice mood piece. the same sounds and rhythms got old pretty quick. maybe if i was having a different day id have enjoyed it more, but as is it gets grating after a few songs. favorite was Let Me Talk to You
Nina Simone
3/5
really impressive! she nails the slow mournful misery sound, but the album spreads out a little from there. gives her room to really flex her vocal chops. just one or two more solid songs would bump up the score i think. favorite song is either Why Keep On Breaking My Heart or Either Way I Lose. really strong 3
Living Colour
4/5
fuck these dudes rock. incessantly gnarly and/or groovy tunes, just some good old fashioned rock n roll. my guitar hero bias might be showing, but there just arent really many skips at all, even the low points string you along with a sick riff or a nasty drum fill. every ingredient of the 4 piece band sounds so fuckin tight. Cult of Personality is electric, but Open Letter (To a Landlord) i think is my favorite. very strong 4
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
didn't really do anything for me. i dont know why, i can sometimes get down with some slow and sleepy shit, but this album didn't feel very inspired. maybe just the day i was having. favorite song was Sweet Jane
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
tearing into this album without having heard a single one of the songs before felt like christmas morning. favorite track is Into The Light, Monitor is also dope, and Voodoo Dolly is a very cool outro. one or two more definite bangers would bump it up to a perfect score easy. very strong 4
Bob Dylan
4/5
my favorite of bobby's albums so far. really captures that weird mellowed sadness (maybe not sadness? but like, blues). i still maintain that this kinda music sucks for background listening which is how i do most of my listening. still though, definitely something special. A Hard Rain's A-Gonma Fall is the only song I'd heard before and i still love it to pieces, but Talkin' World War III Blues really grabbed me for some reason
Frank Zappa
3/5
good shit frank. feels like the invention of the genre agnostic jam band performance. very neat. favorite song is Son Of Mr. Green Genes
R.E.M.
3/5
this album makes It's The End Of The World sound annoying. otherwise i like it! i only have a vague awareness of R.E.M., but the record still didn't really measure up to the R.E.M. highs i was aware of. the lyricism was cool and some of the tunes were catchy. favorite song is probably Lightnin' Hopkins
Funkadelic
3/5
i like the funk. i like the groove. the song format makes it hard to me to get invested i think. its good shit though. goes on forever but maybe in like a cool meditative way. the title track is probably my favorite
X-Ray Spex
4/5
pretty lit. they put in the time for rah rah original flavor punk and still get a little whacky. very enjoyable. favorite song is either Plastic Bag or The Day the World Turned Day-Glo
Guided By Voices
3/5
very fun. an album of 2000's MTV intros. maybe all songs should be 90 seconds long. snoring sample goes hard. favorite song is Motor Away
Janis Joplin
3/5
good stuff. little bit of funk, little bit of blues. favorite song is Half Moon, but Move Over is a stellar opener
The Velvet Underground
3/5
love the banana album. im surprised that i got so annoyed at haunting violins. highs and lows that average out to pretty good. favorite song is I'm Waiting For The Man, but i do love Heroin
MC Solaar
3/5
some cool sounds and chill vibes. i dont know that french rap goes hard but it does sound lovely. favorite song is Caroline
Skunk Anansie
4/5
definitely fresh. these dudes rock for sure, but it weirdly goes from like evanescence to nickelback to bon jovi and back again. the incidental breakbeat spots really finish off the vibe of myspace-flavored goulash, and at least on the first listenthrough you're not really given an opportunity to get bored of it. the vocal delivery is definitely cool, but do i like it? really not sure. any more listening i might get annoyed but as is it's just sufficiently stimulating. my favorite song is Secretly or Tracy's Flaw
U2
3/5
a little corny, a little samey. pleasant listening though. all the hits sound pretty good with fresh ears. im sure if i heard One in concert in a glossy pre 9/11 world i'd think i was witnessing the second coming, and that peace and love had finally conquered all. favorite song is Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
listened through twice just to make sure. why did i enjoy the first elvis costello album but find this one so annoying? like the vocals lost their charm and the rhythms turned generic. almost every chorus made my eye twitch. a couple of fun sounds but ultimately i did look forward to it ending. favorite song is Two Little Hitlers, had a good vibe. least favorite song is Green Shirt or Sunday's Best
Jungle Brothers
4/5
just like, spectacularly cool from the first track. there's some mid sprinkled throughout what is a hefty album, but overall it's good flows, sick beats, cool samples. favorite song is Tribe Vibes or What "U" Waitin' "4"
The xx
2/5
thought i would love it. didnt really at all. a product of that saccharine avicii-adjacent 2010's moment, except im not nostalgic for it because i didnt hear any of these songs in grade school so it doesnt really do anything for me. kind of youtube rewind-coded. honestly a similar level of energy/cringe for me as your 2010's hey ho stomp claps. favorite song is On Hold
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
it's got this real infectious and pervasive american romanticism that i get pretty attached to. it's wrapped in a flag, scrappy and cool and stained with motor oil, grody and hypocritical, a little pathetic and so proud. i think all the played-out hits still hit, the sleeper hits hit, and the skips are still solid. I'm On Fire is really lovely, might be worth a star on its own
Dion
3/5
i like dion! but maybe i only like doowop dion. runaround sue dion! the dion with a lust for life. this is more divorced dad dion. still, there's definitely some charm to it. favorite song is "In and out of the Shadows"
Röyksopp
4/5
sorta proto lofi newgrounds chillhop, sorta weirdly dope korean mmo soundtrack. pretty much every track does something to spice up what could otherwise be generic vibey rhythms. greatly enjoyed it, i dont even really have any specific critique that keeps it from a perfect score other than the fact that i might be a bigot that doesnt believe this is real music. maybe it gets a little self-indulgent on the back end. favorite track is Röyksopp's Night Out
Ramones
3/5
feels like they gave Blitzkrieg Bop 14 verses. favorite song is Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World. soft 3
The Divine Comedy
3/5
a little kooky. often has the vocal delivery of like, nerdcore parody music? generally charming though, and has some bops for sure. favorite song is In & Out of Paris & London
Robert Wyatt
3/5
weird in a way i can appreciate. there are enough cool sounds and vibes, but a lot of the eccentricities on the back half don't really pay off. Sea Song is lit. very soft 3
Christina Aguilera
3/5
its aight. grew on me then ungrew on me as the album went on. i respect it for infecting the culture with two or three hits that will get radioplay until long after im dead. favorite song is probably Infatuation
Soundgarden
5/5
fuck this fuckin rules. shit
The Band
3/5
that rousing Wings type of easy listening, but less poppy more proper 'merican folksy rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd with a little less crunch. slows down and lags a fair bit in the middle, but if i heard this when i was 10 years old id be wearing cowboy boots right now. favorite song is Across The Great Divide or King Harvest (Has Surely Come). strong 3
Leonard Cohen
3/5
really just poetry and imagery read with gravelly-voiced gravitas. there's a simplicity to the backing tracks that's neat. subtle. i like it a lot. favorite song is Steer Your Way
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
funky as all hell. although the highs are high i dont think theyre 100% consistent. still very impressive. favorite song is Somebody's Watching You. soft 4
The Youngbloods
3/5
just about enjoyable. maybe cool 70's rock is saturated for me right now but it wasn't a standout. the keyboard jam sessions were a bit excessive. favorite song is Smug or Sham
3/5
feels like u2 at their most floaty, wispy, 'With Or Without You'-y. not bad! low points get balanced out by some jammers. favorite song is Exit
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
some nice soul, some nice funk. slow start but it finishes real strong. maybe one more banger would bump the score up. favorite song is Yearnin' Learnin'. strong 3
Fats Domino
2/5
not so bad. got a little bored by the end, just nudged the score down. favorite song was So Long
The Pharcyde
4/5
pretty tight as far as 90's rap goes. kind of unserious, but it's quality for sure. favorite song is Officer or Return Of The B-Boy, but Passin' Me By is also classic
Fatboy Slim
3/5
pretty lit. my favorite fatboy slim setup so far. the bangers are a little basic but they're still bangers. Everybody Needs A 303 had a neat progression, and the main riff in Santa Cruz is really tight, hard to pick a favorite between them. strong 3
Snoop Dogg
3/5
i do understand the reverance. west coast classic. dr. dre's production is great, snoop dogg's rapping is good. honestly not a standout for me, but nice to throw on. favorite song is Gz and Hustlas
Donald Fagen
4/5
hall n oates style easy listening. sort of american city pop. a pleasant vibe-fest, really catchy stuff. favorite song is probably I.G.Y.
Deee-Lite
3/5
i just about liked it. Smile On was my favorite, Groove Is in the Heart was also obviously pretty tight. soft 3
Sheryl Crow
3/5
not my style but it won me over. i think hearing All I Wanna Do makes me angry. favorite song is Run, Baby, Run
Talking Heads
5/5
never actually listened through before. the energy is unreal. favorite song is Listening Wind
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
i really really dig the peppers. theres a fair bit of chaff but the highs are exceptional. at its worst is kinda grody and creepy, a little goofy, maybe creatively vacant if you want to be mean, but in spite of it all it gets you moving. favorite song is probably the title track Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but Under the Bridge is a prime karaoke banger
Pearl Jam
4/5
kind of rocks my socks off. not really any skips, one or two more complete bangers would net a perfect score easy. Black is incredible. strong 4
DJ Shadow
3/5
my expectations were pretty low for an instrumental album. it was enjoyable though, i was never too bored. favorite song is Organ Donor, or maybe Mutual Slump. soft 3
Janelle Monáe
5/5
i have listened before, love this album to death. there's something very dorky and weird about it, while still having some absurd pop appeal, especially on the first half. it's entirely stimulating and interesting. very theater kid energy. Faster is my favorite track
Stan Getz
3/5
lovely bossa nova. doesn't place higher because i think it's ultimately stellar background music, but it is a treat for the ears. favorite is Samba Dees Days. strong 3
Sigur Rós
3/5
holy shit this album feels like it's 3 hours long. for some reason supplementing my post rock with icelandic vocals is not what i want. still though, generally a positive vibey experience. 10 minutes of scenic droning lends itself to a few of those bright little contrasting spots of intensity or cool little musical moments that i just eat up. i think my favorite is probably Ny batterí
Sade
3/5
smooth. vibey. not too many songs stuck out. Smooth Operator is evergreen but my fav has gotta be When Am I Going to Make a Living. strong 3
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
wasn't hyped but there are some straight beautiful songs in this bad boy. favorite song is the title track, or El Condor Pasa (If I Could). strong 4
Eels
2/5
i was delighted from the first song cause it's such a 90's time capsule, but by song two i realized this music doesn't activate a single neuron in my brain. My Beloved Monster was in shrek thats pretty cool
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
have listened before. a little overrated i think, still love it to death. hits all the emotional beats and it's a hell of a dance record. All My Friends is a stunner
Laibach
3/5
weird, but absolutely an unexpected delight. there's this flavor of like, hypey old jrpg boss battle OST with interjections of throaty german that really does something. favorite is Geburt Einer Nation or the title track. strong 3
Big Star
3/5
there's something a little underwhelming about it, but there's some cool sounds and fun ideas. favorite song is Thank You Friends or O, Dana. solid 3
Kings of Leon
4/5
ive been trying to get into country for 26 years. im still not into country but this feels like something of a compromise. i might accidentally love kings of leon. favorite song is Milk or Taper Jean Girl
Pink Floyd
4/5
being aware of the culture of and around this album i had every intention of being too cool for it but it is just pretty dope. i've always had a weakness for the concept album and this one stays interesting for almost the whole feature-length runtime. it's packed with so many little breakdowns and triumphs it seems silly to get too specific. that being said i think there isn't a song i'm inclined to pick out and listen to a dozen times so it doesn't feel too perfect. Empty Spaces into Young Lust is pretty sick. strong 4
The Adverts
4/5
short and pretty simple but completely rocks. favorite song is Newboys. very soft 4
Led Zeppelin
4/5
definitely rocks. i never appreciated how unique the sound is. i don't wanna speculate on the blueprint or legacy or whatever, but that droning valhalla ass guitar vibe as a evocative template for the whole "vikings slaying dragons while rock music plays" aesthetic is super sick. favorite song is Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
doesn't have carry that american cultural suffusion of Rumours, but that also gave it a delightful angle of "a bunch of fleetwood mac i havent heard before". what's funny is how almost every song (on a *big* ol' album) has something to offer. lots of cool sounds and ideas bouncing around. favorite song is probably Sara or The Ledge but i have a great love for the kookiness of the title track Tusk
Kraftwerk
1/5
dominated by a 23 minute opening title track that plays like a chibi robo loading screen. every three minutes when the chorus comes in with "fahn fahn fahn off the autobahn" i wanted to clasp my hands in prayer and wish for just *something* to happen musically speaking. surely young german couples in the 70's were popping this shit on to occupy their toddlers like primeval baby shark. not since frank zappa has a song just kind of made me mad. by and large the other half of the album didn't change that impression. the weird lovely little moment in Morgenspaziergang made me happy if only by contrast
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
thought it'd be weirder. not a lot stuck out. it sounded dope, but probably won't revisit. favorite song is Pride. soft 3
FKA twigs
4/5
pretty sick. the interplay between lovely spacey vocals and wacky spacey synths brings out a very cool sound. i think it just about has the stamina to fill out an album, although maybe it starts to drag a bit by the end. favorite song is Two Weeks or Video Girl. soft 4
Johnny Cash
4/5
very fun as like a live concept album. it turns out there's nothing more bluesy than rotting away in prison, and every little live callout or interstitial that reminds you of that is pretty delightful. also just some jolly straight-shooting blues. favorite song is 25 Minutes To Go. very soft 4
The Stooges
4/5
kind of badass in a way im struggling to articulate. punk as hell. maybe the iggy pop vocals just carry it? but the sound does get around in a neat way. favorite song is maybe Ann, but We Will Fall as a big overblown 10 minute intermission somehow didn't put me off. strong 4
Miles Davis
2/5
i had a good time listening but like 10 minutes after the fact i couldn't recall a single individual moment from the entire record. if i got strapped to a clockwork orange machine and forced to just listen and not think about anything else as i stared through unblinking eyes at a bass visualizer for about 40 minutes, i would probably walk away thinking "this is good and cool and important" but as it is im just not that guy. my favorite song was technically It's About That Time
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
hearing Take Me Out again made me google the band and then look at the wikipedia entry for post-punk revival like "ah yes this is the shit that i like". i dont know enough to speculate on originality but it really does sound like a template for catchy alt rock grown-in-a-lab choruses. there are skips that still fill out that template well and are only really skips placed next to other just absurdly snappy songs. maybe it's not my favorite but The Dark of the Matinée fascinates me; it's the laziest execution of "boring verse build-up, ecstatic chorus payoff, repeat 3 times" with virtually no surprises, but that payoff is so fuckin sick i can never get mad at it. soft 5
Spiritualized
3/5
pretty dope. didn't stick with me particularly. favorite song is If I Were with Her Now, really brings a dab of funk to the whole spacey vibey thing, also love Shine a Light
Heaven 17
4/5
very pleasant surprise. sort of a proto lcd soundsystem vibe in some spots, kinda kooky synthpop stuff, new order with a little more bite. favorite song is Song With No Name
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
havent listened through since maybe highschool. god damn what a record. i like hearing it described as a concept album about trying to get laid in a sheffield nightclub, and apparently that energy's terrific, really makes you feel like a waifish british lad. i love Mardy Bum, but A Certain Romance is such a stellar closer
Elliott Smith
3/5
just not my thing, but maybe i was in the right mood at the right time cause i loved it. kind of a lofi vibefest but also evokes a lot of poppy 90's sound at times. it does get sleepier by the end but still an enjoyable time. favorite song is Ballad Of Big Nothing or 2:45 AM
The Rolling Stones
3/5
the rolling stones are a blues band. honestly pretty swell tho. favorite song is Tell Me, belongs in some 80's movie's emotional climax. soft 3
JAY Z
4/5
extremely capable rap album. favorite song is Blueprint (Momma Loves Me). happy mothers day
The Smiths
5/5
i have listened to this album a bunch. i think it's the smiths at their best. very dense with songs that are just weird and cool and stupid and beautiful. i have something lovely to say about pretty much every track. favorite song is I Know It's Over
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
pretty groovy, pretty funky, wrapped up in some pop appeal. enjoyable, but no song really blew my mind. favorite song is I Built This Garden For Us. soft 3
LTJ Bukem
3/5
very annoying to track down and listen to in one piece, otherwise vibey dnb. i do literally like it, but im clearly a little dnb racist because by the end i could barely tell one song apart from the previous one. Western (Conrad Remix) brought some vocals into the mix and it's kind of funny how it made it like a hundred times more dope, probably brought the score up on its own. very soft 3
Tim Buckley
2/5
lowered my heartrate. wasn't strictly annoying. otherwise not for me. Gypsy Woman was pretty cool, felt a little like marimba led zeppelin for a minute, probably hoists up a star on its own
The xx
3/5
thought id grow out of it but nah Intro still whips ass. it seems like the xx sound is defined by those snappy echoey guitar rhythms and i do enjoy them, but it does feel like most of the vibiness around that isn't as compelling. there's exceptions obviously, Heart Skipped A Beat has this wacky super sick production to it (probably my favorite track). as a whole though the album hits. other favorite is maybe Islands. very strong 3
Pere Ubu
3/5
sort of like if the pixies didn't commit to making good music. there's a wackiness to it i really enjoy. high highs and low lows average out to pretty good. favorites are Modern Dance and Humor Me
Deep Purple
3/5
pretty cool. chill dad rock. sort of act 1 of a guitar hero game vibe, medium difficulty. i think i have a weakness for the overwrought 10 minute long epic because Child in Time ruled. strong 3
Steely Dan
3/5
there's something just a tiny bit boring and yacht-rocky and golden oldie about the vocal delivery, but a lot of the instrumentation is pretty sick actually. very busy and fun sound. favorite song is either I Got The News or of course Peg. very strong 3
T. Rex
4/5
came in with no expectations and was honestly thrilled. some modern, interesting sounds in here, sprinkled on a sundae of solid rock n roll. there's a couple of skips but it's mostly consistent jams. favorite song is Metal Guru or Rabbit Fighter. soft 4
Pink Floyd
2/5
spectacularly failed to grab me. i dont really know how anybody was like "yes more of this fuck yeah". i liked Lucifer Sam
Fairport Convention
3/5
weird folksy jefferson airplane vibe. i did enjoy it though. Cajun Woman was my favorite song. soft 3
Blur
2/5
kind of didnt like it, and i dont know why because it feels like it oughta be my type of album. ran a little long. theres just so much of damon albarn's voice and it made me appreciate the entire gorillaz discography less. it's like he's showing me all his cool 2000's pop rock toys and every single one makes me cross my arms and shake my head and say "no thank you." Girls & Boys is really a load-bearing tune when it comes to the score, besides that i liked Clover Over Dover a lot. the rest of the album has been already entirely forgotten, except for the measurable elevation of my cortisol levels from being mildly annoyed for most of its duration, which has doubtless taken precious seconds off my life moreso than the established 52 minutes of the album
Solange
4/5
an audibly pretty album. the sound gets around a little, and it's exceptionally vibey overall. solange is a very good singer. Cranes in the Sky brings up a star on its own. soft 4
Eagles
3/5
the title track whips so much ass, i'm so tired of it and yet will never get tired of it, just evergreen. the lyrics, the solo, the themes and such. makes most of the rest of the album feel mid by comparison. i also liked Victim of Love a lot. i think one or two bangers would bring the score up but as it is the one song does just hard carry, if you take out Hotel California you're taking out the heart and soul and bones of the entire record and just leaving some pretty good rock n roll. strong 3
Gorillaz
3/5
i'm probably unfairly reading into it with historical hindsight, but i swear there is something that feels exciting about it. fresh and weird, like the development of new ideas that they're just trying out and haven't really been nailed down yet. it feels like a clearly *cool* record by a guy that really likes music. it runs a little long and there aren't a lot of crazy standout hits, but the baseline sound is dope. Clint Eastwood is tough to beat, but the favorite might be Starshine. strong 3
Nirvana
3/5
very live, very cool. very angsty. very baggy blue jean flannel. i like it! really does just make kurt cobain seem like a cool dude. favorite song is Where Did You Sleep Last Night
John Grant
4/5
the album like 90% revolves around its turn-of-the-century vocal stylings, which are sort of trapped somewhere between Fountains of Wayne and Cake, flat and predictable but still sort of campy? feels entirely behind its own time. the harmonies and vocal effects used here get close to droning pretty often, a sound i generally attach to more capable youtube parody music. the lyrics have this element of high school poetry fundamentals, and the pop culture references feel a little funny (weird). that being said, maybe it was well-timed because there was something completely charming about it, to the point that even an average score feels dishonest. favorite song is Chicken Bones or Queen of Denmark, or the one with the slurs
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
5/5
some rock n roll bangers that ive never ever heard, sounds like james gunn bait in a great way. gnarly guitar soloes aplenty, short and sweet, really just got me in a jolly mood from minute one. it's kind of fuckin gross sometimes, in a way that i don't like, but i don't not like it? i just chalk it up to glam rock set dressing. like wanting to sing along to "ain't nothin' like a gang bang" just because it's so catchy is weird. honestly though every single song did something cool and different that had me clapping my little hands in delight like a perfectly satisfied toddler. this shit hits
The Velvet Underground
3/5
soft and flighty, does some cool stuff. some of lyricism is neat, maybe would appreciate some active listening. The Murder Mystery was kind of annoying, favorite song is either After Hours or I'm Set Free. solid 3
Eminem
3/5
this slim shady fellow seems pretty rude. favorite song is Rock Bottom. strong 3
The Pogues
3/5
a fun diversion. weirdly travels from irish into like, pirate and cowboy aesthetics, not even attaching those themes to rock or country or whatever that's just the genre. campy and has like the opposite of pop appeal but it's not unpleasant. favorite song is A Pair of Brown Eyes
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
i just about like it as a whole, a lot of it blends together but it's really got some gems stuffed in there. Cherub Rock is a real trip, Disarm sneaks up on you. favorite might be Luna? soft 4
Dusty Springfield
3/5
dusty's back baby. lovely little album, very transportive. Son of a Preacher Man is such an obvious hit, The Windmills of Your Mind might edge out the favorite spot though. strong 3
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
literally jazz. i have a soft spot for the ol 3 piece band, it's some good stuff. Jade Visions was my favorite, i feel like it had the most *intent* as a song rather than being a nice little jam session. but maybe i just dont know shit about jazz