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votes
What have you been listening to this week?
What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)
Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.
You can make a chart if you use last.fm:
http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/
Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.
山下洋輔トリオ、 大駱駝艦、 ジェラルド大下 – 嵐
Country: Japan
Release Year: 1977
Genres: Free Jazz
Featured Instruments: alto saxophone, clarinet, drums, male vocals, piano, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
My response to the music: Just listen to it. You, too, will probably walk away from the experience tongue-tied.
Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus – Songs of Yearning
Country: UK
Release Year: 2020
Genres: Dark Folk, Neoclassical Darkwave
Featured Instruments: female vocals, spoken word
My response to the music: Sure, it's not raw like their 80s stuff, but that's fine. This is more refined yet no less beautiful. I wonder, though, why they feel it necessary to sing in English, French, Greek, Russian, a Finnish dialect of Swedish, and Latin. A sampling of Europe? Moments of eastern meditation amid rich, full textures.
Ayreon – The Final Experiment
Country: Netherlands
Release Year: 1995
Genres: Progressive Metal, Rock Opera
Featured Instruments: male vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass, drums, hammond organ, mini moog, mellotron, vocoder, harpsichord, piano, alto flute, female vocals
My response to the music: Lucassen's vision starts here, but the narrative itself is in medias res, following the classic Greek model to great effect. The story opens with humans at the end of humanity's timeline sending messages, in the form of visions of the future, into the past to warn humanity of its impending doom. The visions are picked up by Ayreon, a dark-ages bard in the time of Camelot. This Ayreon's third best album, in my opinion, the Medieval Folk Metal perfectly placed.
Colette Magny – Répression sample
Country: France
Release Year: 1972
Genres: Chanson, Jazz
Featured Instruments: alto saxophone, double bass, drums, female vocals, guitar, piano, trumpet
My response to the music: An unrestrained flow of vocals protesting everything from war to social injustice to the illusions the media feeds us to keep us docile. Magny's full, smoky blues vocals stand apart from anything else I've ever heard from a female vocalist in this field.
Tohru Aizawa Quartet – Tachibana, Vol. 1
Country: Japan
Release Year: 1975
Genres: Spiritual Jazz, Modal Jazz
Featured Instruments: piano, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass, drums
My response to the music: This is one of those recordings where the band members cut one album and called it quits. It's refreshing in its eclecticism, not sticking to one sound. Of the five compositions here, two are interpretations of Corea's and Bonfa's works. Discordance gives way to what the casual ear would identify as more "normal" jazz, and the record ends on a strong Latin note. What I really wanted to know, however, was why the album is called Tachibana. "Tachibana" can be a feudal clan name in Japan, or it can be the name of a train station, or it can be, simply, a surname. I was fascinated, hoping the name alluded to something historical, or at the very least referenced a train station nearby where this record was cut. Nope! It's just the surname of the producer, a man who operated a local drive-in theater.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice – Jesus Christ Superstar
Country: UK
Release Year: 1970
Genres: Rock Opera, Rock Musical
Featured Instruments: acoustic guitar, bass guitar, bassoon, clarinet, drums, electric guitar, electric piano, female vocals, flute, guitar, horn, lyra, male vocals, moog synthesizer, organ, piano, positive organ, tenor saxophone, trombone, trumpet
My response to the music: Since I watch the 1973 film every Holy Week, it’s nice to also have the 1970 concept album on vinyl to spin. There are subtle differences between the two. I greatly prefer Herod’s mocking song in the film, for example, more than the one on the record, but almost all the other songs, though different in tiny ways, are neither better nor worse. This rock opera is a family favorite, so when this one came up in this random list project, I saved it until I could spin it for all the kids. The songwriting here is fantastic, and yes, it’s quite kitschy in spots, and I love that, too. Showtunes are my thing, so I take them on their own terms. This album isn’t exactly showtunes, though, with its symphonic prog and art rock elements to it. I love every moment of this album. It’s so beautiful, fun, and immersive. The storytelling is epic and fresh. “Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to problems that upset you.” Wisdom of the ages. The brilliance of this rock opera is how they took the source material and treated it merely as a narrative, drawing from it all its inherent artistic expression as well as its tragedy. The story of Jesus of Nazareth stands strong even when you take religion out of the picture, focusing only on the betrayal of a man by those he thought were his friends. Oh, and Pilate’s first song gives me chills. So powerful in its understatement.
Bastarda – Nigunim
Country: Poland
Release Year: 2020
Genres: Ashkenazi Music, Chamber Music
Featured Instruments: cello, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, male vocals
My response to the music: Only three instruments here: clarinet, contrabass clarinet, and cello. Creating such rich, beautiful music that is for the most part soothing as it dances slowly along, but then come the moments of frightening harshness, when the cello sounds like it's going to break under the strain. Are those slight vocal moments the exhalations of the performers as they throw all that they are into their performance? Actually, I think it's people in the audience sneezing or coughing. Nice. Eventually the actual non-lyric vocals break in with beautiful all-male choral singing. Anyway, this is all very Jewish.
Mary Halvorson – Belladonna
Country: USA
Release Year: 2022
Genres: Chamber Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz, Third Stream
Featured Instruments: cello, guitar, viola, violin
My response to the music: Halvorson's exquisite guitar improvisations set amid the backdrop of a string quartet, this album was released the same day at its sister, Amaryllis, this one, however, revolving around Halvorson's unique musical voice, as opposed to being merely part of an improvisational bunch. Her composition and guitar playing shine here, quite impressive since this is her first time to write for a string quartet. Halvorson conjures out of her instrument the most bizarre tones, almost as if her guitar music is water that she can release as fat droplets on or dirty smears across a warped-mirror soundscape.
Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans
Country: USA
Release Year: 2004
Genres: Indie Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Chamber Folk
Featured Instruments: bass, drums, female vocals, male vocals, banjo, piano, guitar, acoustic guitar
My response to the music: To engage properly with this frighteningly personal, confessional poetry in music form, you must banish distraction, turn on the faerie lights, sit back, and fall into a kind of meditation as Sufjan unfolds a beautiful album of religious imagery. To be alone with you is a profoundly simple truth that cannot be overstated in its importance, for such a state of things has both the advantages of being alone and being in company. "Hallelujah" is such an everliving, ever-renewed word that it never gets old and is of such power that even non-believers have used it to express everything from joy to sexual unity. Look up at the sky and spin around until you're dizzy, and then, like children, fall down laughing.
Dálava – Dálava
Country: USA
Release Year: 2014
Genres: Avant-Folk, Czech Folk Music
Featured Instruments: female vocals, guitar
My response to the music: This album is apparently the Czech version of Child ballads, songs transcribed by an ethnomusicologist over a century ago when he became enamored of a small Moravian farming community near the Carpathians. The tunes are lost but the fairy-tale lyrics are preserved, so this duo has set these songs to the music of their own imagination. Gnarly guitars draw out the light, measured steps of stalking kittens and the wails of ghosts haunting deep valleys.
須磨の嵐 (Suma No Arashi) & Teiji Ito – Suma no arashi
Country: Japan
Release Year: 1970
Genres: Japanese Classical Music
Featured Instruments: drum, flute, koto, male vocals
My response to the music: Three of these four tracks were composed by Sakurai Hideakira, one of the koto players and a member of 須磨の嵐. (I assume Suma refers to the coastal area of Kobe facing Osaka Bay.) Not very stormy, though, this album. Beautiful minimalist traditional koto and shakuhachi music, with Itou Teiji playing the delicate, striking percussion. The vocals on track three are actually quite psychedelic, an unexpected turn.
Sun Ra – Sleeping Beauty
Country: USA
Release Year: 1979
Genres: Jazz Fusion, Spiritual Jazz
Featured Instruments: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, congas, drums, electric bass, electric piano, female vocals, flugelhorn, flute, french horn, male vocals, organ, piano, tenor saxophone, trombone, trumpet, vibraphone
My response to the music: This album is, of course, perfectly named, for it is the companion piece to the flip-side of a night out. This is played after the keys are tossed on the table, after the tie is loosened, after the heavy sighs and the falling into your favorite easy chair. The first track soothes and revitalizes, so when the second song comes along, you smile, realizing you've still got a bit of groove left in you. The pacing of this short album is impeccable. Close your night with this question: Does beauty exist if it is not beheld?
Sainkho – Naked Spirit
Country: Russia
Release Year: 1998
Genres: Tuvan Throat Singing, Avant-Folk
Featured Instruments: conch, drum, duduk, female vocals, igil, kurai, piano, tablas, xomus
My response to the music: This is everything Yoko Ono wishes she had been. The mysterious wailing, screeching vocals are perfect, reaching out to define the spaces around it. It is authentic, beautiful, and frightening... if you stare too long into the naked flame. Take a spirit journey across high, frozen plains where the warm, soft percussion sets your pace and the xomus (jaw harp) leads you like a diviner's wand back home.
The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St.
Country: UK
Release Year: 1972
Genres: Blues Rock, Roots Rock
Featured Instruments: acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, electric guitar, electric piano, electrola, female vocals, harmonica, male vocals, maracas, marimba, organ, pedal steel guitar, piano, tambourine, tenor saxophone, trombone, trumpet, upright bass
My response to the music: My wife is a huge Stones fan … or, rather, there are, like three Stones albums she loves but she kinda shrugs at the rest. When I played this one for her yesterday, she didn’t make a single comment. I find that telling. My super conservative friend, however, loves the Stones and bangs on constantly about how cool Mick Jagger is. He loves most (all?) Stones albums, and I’ve even heard him talk about this one. He’s in the closet. I find that telling, too.
Хвост и Аукцыон – Чайник вина
Country: Russia
Release Year: 1992
Genres: Avant-Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Featured Instruments: acoustic guitar, bass, bass clarinet, cello, drums, duduk, electric guitar, guitar, male vocals, sitar
My response to the music: This first of two excellent collaborations between Aleksey Hvostenko and Auktyon, and I realize I like what Aleksey brings to Auktyon, not vice versa. What I mean is, I like the direction Aleksey's music goes in, and you can hear his freak folk effect on Auktyon's normal rock sound.
Phil Yost – Bent City
Country: USA
Release Year: 1967
Genres: Avant-Garde Jazz
Featured Instruments: bass, electric guitar, flute, maracas, soprano saxophone, tambourine
My response to the music: Back a few years ago there was this kind of arms race among music bloggers as they crate-dug, ripped, and shared their rare and obscure records. I’m pretty sure this was one of those thousands of albums to finally see the light of the internet day. Anyway, we’re all richer for that race, because albums like this have been discovered. So what about the music contained herein: echoing flutes dubbed over themselves, sparse guitars, vocal experimentation, freaky playful saxophones and upright bass. I can’t find the full album on any streaming platform and unfortunately cannot find the centerpiece track (the long and experimental “Vision at 1000 Centigrade”).
Paul Simon – Paul Simon
Country: USA
Release Year: 1972
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Folk Rock
Featured Instruments: bass, bass harmonica, charango, drums, electric piano, flute, guitar, harmonium, male vocals, organ, piano, slide guitar, vibraphone
My response to the music: This album has so many great songs, led by “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”, the two tracks that’ll have you singing them for days afterwards. The lead single lays the blueprint for where Simon will later go with Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, which some critics say is nothing more than an exploitation or appropriation of music beyond America’s borders.
Θανάσης Παπακωνσταντίνου (Thanasis Papakonstantinou) – Αγρύπνια
Country: Greece
Release Year: 2002
Genres: Psychedelic Folk, Greek Folk Music
Featured Instruments: acoustic bass, cello, drums, electric guitar, guitar, lyra, male vocals, spoken word
My response to the music: The melancholy, gypsy-like strings, or the crickets who sing only when Papakonstantinou doesn't, or the dirty, lazy horns, or the straight-up soft rock sounds, or the stripped-down acoustic guitar with a slight post-rock metallic whine in the background...this album mixes psych rock with Greek folk very well without being tryhard about it. It's got an easy, admirable confidence about it.
Wiener Philharmoniker / Wiener Singverein / Herbert von Karajan / Anna Tomowa-Sintow / Helga Müller-Molinari / Vinson Cole / Paata Burchuladze – Requiem
Country: Austria
Release Year: 1987
Genres: Classical Period, Choral, Requiem, Christian Liturgical Music
Featured Instruments: female vocals, male vocals, basset horn, bassoon, trumpet, alto trombone, tenor trombone, bass trombone, timpani, drums, violin, viola, cello, double bass, organ
My response to the music: Imagine you have a fire and an unknown amount of fuel. What do you do? Do you throw all the fuel on the fire and let it go up in a glorious blaze, or do you eke it out and keep a warm but safe fire burning for a long time? Now imagine that you know exactly how much fuel you have, and you can burn it how you like, creating blazes when necessary, and letting the fire die down when appropriate. Is that ability anything short of magic?
Mutual Benefit – Love’s Crushing Diamond
Country: USA
Release Year: 2013
Genres: Chamber Folk, Indie Folk
Featured Instruments: bass, drums, electric guitar, female vocals, male vocals, violin
My response to the music: If you've ever spent a day on the river, this album is what that day feels like. I grew up on the Mississippi, sailing and swimming and fishing. Lazy summer days where the only agenda is to have a good time. Have a nice day without reference to anything outside your experience. Drift along and enjoy life, and in the drifting, learn something about yourself. Learn that you weren't meant to be afraid. Embrace the beautiful lack of memory of the river.
Les Ondes d'Amazonie – First drafts to Seketi: Ollie meets Saramaka #1
Country: French Guiana
Release Year: 2020
Genres: Caribbean Music
Featured Instruments: female vocals, spoken word
My response to the music: This is a lovely little find, tucked away in the corner of Bandcamp, a page dedicated not so much to a music group but rather a community and the concept the participants want to explore across the borders where traditional Seketi music meets modern production (including synths and beats). Female vocals chant and sing, giving voice to another local area of the Amazon.
Univers Zéro – Ceux du dehors
Country: Belgium
Release Year: 1982
Genres: Rock in Opposition
Featured Instruments: bassoon, cello, cymbals, drums, electric bass, english horn, glockenspiel, harmonium, hurdy gurdy, male vocals, mellotron, oboe, organ, piano, viola, violin
My response to the music: I am convinced the more I hear its magic that the bassoon is a summoning agent, much like incense, and if put in the hands of a master, the fragrance is an undeniable lure.
Tamia & Pierre Favre – De la nuit... le jour
Country: France, Switzerland
Release Year: 1988
Genres: Avant-Folk
Featured Instruments: female vocals
My response to the music: This recording is everything that exists between solo voice and percussion. Step into that space, and see what you can find. It is fertile soil, but it is cultivated by whatever you, the listener, bring with you.
Débile Menthol – Émile au jardin patrologique sample
Country: Switzerland
Release Year: 1982
Genres: Avant-Prog, Rock in Opposition, Zolo
Featured Instruments: bass, clarinet, drums, female vocals, guitar, keyboard, male vocals, saxophone, violin
My response to the music: Zany is the first word that comes to mind. The only word, really. And I dig zany. It’s mostly instrumental zaniness here, but when there are male vocals, they, too, are pretty zany. Side A bounces and hops. Side B pushes further, a more experimental and meandering sound, not bouncing in place on one leg. The gnomes take over.
Keith Jarrett – The Survivors' Suite
Country: USA
Release Year: 1977
Genres: ECM Style Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz
Featured Instruments: bass, bass recorder, celeste, drums, osi drum, piano, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
My response to the music: Frightening, beautiful, mysterious. The beginning is a jazz belly-dance that whirls its way into a wistful dream. The conclusion is you waking up from that and hearing a thousand things in your hectic life clamoring for your attention.
Yes – Close to the Edge
Country: UK
Release Year: 1972
Genres: Symphonic Prog, Progressive Rock
Featured Instruments: bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, male vocals
My response to the music: Such a perfect, beautiful, creative, and progressive album that you’ll feel like you’re tripping even when you aren’t. This album turns your mind inside out. The first track, “Close to the Edge”, in its four part composition, might just be the greatest prog rock composition ever penned.
Thanks to you, I now how multiple tabs open, will check quite a lot of what you've mentioned, especially jazz stuff. All details are really useful. Thanks!
Glad to be of service!
Interesting... bookmarked for future use haha
Cool. I'll post these every week, since my listening schedule is a strict format.
My own personalised algorithm.... wow~~!!
Saying 'I listened to Paul's Boutique 3 times and very little else' is likely very boring, but i suppose it's the truth.
Been listening to a lot of folk/bluegrass lately. I'll go through a list of bands with my most played song from each.
Trampled by Turtles
The Dead South
The Devil Makes Three
Colter Wall
Whiskey Shivers
.357 String Band
And for a bit different in there The Cherry Cokes makes it onto that list as well.
The Dead South found its way into my Google "Highly Suspect, Coheed and Cambria, Ghost, Volbeat, IRONTOM, Glass Animals" radio station and amidst all my thumbs ups to the folksy stuff, the list has been populated with the rest of these bands as well. I'll add Poor Mans Poison, Black Pistol Fire, and Amigo the Devil to your great folksy list, too.
Tldr: this
Man, thanks for these suggestions - I'm typically a heavy/prog metal fan, but I'm really jamming to some bluegrass today :)
.357 string band and colter wall are excellent, still working my way through the rest of the list
Funny you should mention that. There's a lot of overlap between the genres and I myself am a huge prog/symphonic/heavy metal fan who was turned onto bluegrass by a friend who is also huge into metal. For the prog specifically it's easy to see the transition as the use of different instruments in what we hear most of the time makes for some more unique sounds. And the banjo fiddle combinations can be really awesome with the right people using it. Shredding a banjo like an electric guitar is also incredibly difficult and I have huge respect for those doing it.
Jumping back in here to say thanks again for these recommendations, I've been jamming to .357 all week along with the new King Gizzard album Petrodragonic Apocalypse
Hell yeah, I've been loving the new Gizzard album as well.
I've been listening to Jason Isbell's new release - Weathervanes
Great album so far. His lyricism is top notch.
It's been rainy in my area and it put me into a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds mood. Been jumping between "Your Funeral... My Trial", "Let Love In", "The Boatman's Call", and "No More Shall We Part".
I've been listening to the new Queens of the Stone age album this morning https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZTDmH94OLjeNaOvT7Ngwk?si=Yb0Vxn4hRY2flMhQEAlDyg
I'm enjoying it but I have to admit the songs are blurring together for the most part. I feel like I need to listen to some of them in between other bands music to properly appreciate them.
Enjoyed dipping my toe into this over my morning coffee. I didn't hate it but agree with the sentiment, they’re undistinguishable from one another. Nothing really jumps out to me in the same way The Arcs latest album did, for example. Entirely different bands but it’s the first that sprang to mind.
Will re listen again once I’m less tired, but they’re one of my favourite bands so I think the bar is set quite high.
Just discovered The Arcs because of your comment.
Thank you!
Enjoy, their latest album is killer.
I was a casual Metallica fan starting around the "And Justice For All" era, and continuing for the following 10 years or so, but had mostly forgotten they exist over the past 20 years. However, my son recently became interested in their music (following a somewhat bizarre route through the music landscape that began with a school performance of the Beatles), and inspired me to revisit some of their previous work.
So now, in the year 2023, I am enjoying "Kill em All", "Ride the Lightning", and wondering why I never really checked these albums out years ago!
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard just released their second thrash styled album, if you like that old 'tallica give it a shot!
I do a college radio show once a week. Forgot about some Metallica, thanks.
https://www.last.fm/user/burntcookie90/listening-report/week
went deep into some old stoner rock with Red Fang and Whores. New KGatLW has taken the end of the week by storm though
A lot of Amon Amarth!
I am trying to curate a metal playlist of all bangers all the time and have been making my way through my favourite bands, adding one song per album to that playlist. So I gotta give every album a lot of spins in order to find my way to the one song I want to pick for the playlist!
What are some other bands on your list? Ensiferum, Unleashed, Arch Enemy, and Kings of Asgard are a few names that come to mind when I think of Amon Amarth.
I am also curious of what other bands they have on that list or what they are thinking of putting it on. For me since they have Amarth on that list, they might have In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and Soilwork (maybe their older works), maybe Heaven Shall Burn. And maybe also Be'lakor.
I hadn't heard of Be'lakor before. Just listened to Hidden Window, Valence, and The Smoke of Many Fires. I like it. They've got some great riffs and I like the keyboards.
Pretty much anyone with Napalm Records, it's a good bet I'll like them. Sometimes when I want to find some new music, I'll just go look up who's signed with Napalm or Metal Blade.
Every other post on the melodic death metal subreddit seemed to be about them or praising them in some way. Sorry if this to be snarky to you.
I've been listening to a ton but one standout for me has been Cold Heart - Elton John & Dua Lipa. Heard it for the first time from Elton John's concert and I think it's such a fun take on an old classic.
I absolutely love this song. It's in regular rotation for me! And Dua Lipa was the perfect choice to work with Sir Elton.
This last week I've been listening to:
O Monolith by UK post-punk band Squid. I was very hyped about this album before it came out, I didn't listen to any of the songs released before the full album came out so as to enjoy it in its entirety when it finally did. I am only lukewarm on the album right now, tbh, even though it really does do so many things very well. It is a very interesting evolution of their sound and expands upon their previous album without relying on it, something very hard and "brave" for a band to do when just putting out their sophomore album. In that regard I will compare it to BCNR's two albums, both going from a post-Punk to Post-punk if that makes sense lol. Unfortunately, while the musicianship is off the charts, where O Monolith falls flat for me is in its memorability. Nothing in particular on the album stands out and grabs your attention. I've listened to it through multiple times now, and while it has grown on me since my first listen, it doubt I will ever be singing along to it in my car or thinking much about it in a few weeks.
The tried and true music I've been listening to, music I rotate back to all the time, have been:
Pavement Wowee Zowee is my favorite album of theirs, but I have mostly just listened to them on shuffle lately since I love it all.
Cymbals Eat Guitars LOSE is my favorite album of theirs, but again I mostly listen to them on shuffle lately for the same reason.
I have an ongoing chat with someone from England and he sent me the Squid song Houseplants this week. I love it.
Great song!! Unfortunately they don't play it anymore, Squid says they don't feel connected to it in their current era.
Have you checked out any of the other post-punk British bands like Black Midi or Black Country New Road? Along with Squid that's the trifecta.
I'll be doin that now, thanks for the nudge!
Edit to add that I love these, not one of these bands is fucking around ! They have a production value that just wasn't available a long time ago. Their musicianship is off the charts!
One song by Black Midi , Marlene Dietrich, made me think of a band in Atlanta. Smoke was playing all the local spots in the early 1990's and I went whenever I could. The lead , Benjamin Smoke, sang torch songs and original songs that were deep and melancholy. He did this in make up and 1940s dresses. The band was superb , playing also for The Jody Grind and Deacon Lunchbox.
This scene suffered a mostly fatal blow between a nasty car wreck with fatalities and a heroin od later. I feel lucky to have seen them play.
Anyway!
Really spectacular suggestions,you made my week!
For some reason the vocalist reminds me of Sultans of Ping FC (eg Where's me jumper ) but I don't know why.
This is why I come here, tku
Edit to add after watching the video that was absolutely spot on! I love it, the palpable snark , also I wish I could've seen them live!
Finally, a Squid listener on Tildes. I don't think OM will ever be a singing album, closest I can think of is the opener.
Funny how CEG are sampled in an album I love also.
Which album is that?? CEG are criminally underrated imo
Their last one, Pretty Years.
Oh no sorry I was wondering who sampled CEG?
Oh.
Panda Rosa, all throughout his album Burned Car Highway Light Volcanic.
I've been listening to a lot of Tame Impala and Glass Animals, ever since I tried psychedelics my music taste has taken a drastic turn into this genre (psychedelic rock?). Very much enjoying it.
Glass Animals, huh? Interesting... which project or songs by em?
Their cover of "Solar Power" by Lorde is so much better than the original, IMO (it's a Spotify Single but I bet you could find it on YouTube). "I Just Wanna Dance" is also quite good. "Heat Waves" from their newer album Dreamland is quite popular. And "Gooey" and "Black Mambo" from their 2014 album ZABA hold a special place in my music-lovin' heart.
I love their sophomore songs more. But I should check out ZABA.
Also interesting. I've stopped listening to Spotify Singles cause I hate exclusive shit.
I've been listening to a somewhat obscure band out of St. Louis, MO, named Ludo. I don't have Spotify anymore, and YouTube is frustrating for me to use, but they're a fun band. Indie rock with a lot of Halloweeny lyrics? Sign me UP.
Recently re-discovered "Love Me Dead" and I enjoy it every time it plays. I have no idea where I originally heard it.
If you're in the area they do a thing at the Pageant called HalLUDOween. Hella fun.
I am not, sadly! I would love to go sometime.
Tennis System - Autophobia
Drain - Living Proof
Knocked Loose - Deep in the Willow / Everything is Quiet Now
Hoth - Astral Necromancy
Burial Hordes - Ruins
Brilliant Behemoth - 2023 Demo
Phobophilic - Enveloping Absurdity
Just saw Drain and Drug Church on Wednesday! Awesome show.
Led Zeppelin IV
A stone cold classic.
My wife and I started watching this show called Trying on Apple TV+. The tracks on the show are from a band called Bear’s Den.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/trying-season-3-apple-tv-original-series-soundtrack/1631178953
Mostly Lawrence and Christian Nodal. Also "VAGABUNDO" by Sebastian Yatra, "Borderline" by Tove Lo, "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey, and some Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Here's the up-to-date collage
Love Christian! 'AYAYAY!' is an album I can't stop going back to!
DUDE thank you! It's such a solid album. I was roped in by his version of Anoche Me Enamoré, but Amor Tóxico and the others are so so good. And now I'm loving Quédate, Un Cumbión Dolido, and a lot of his collabs — like La Siguiente w/ Kany Garcia is GOLD.
Bastille finally Re realesed their Cover of "No Angels" on Spotify so I've been listening to that the last couple days. Can't wait to see them live!
Spotify put two songs in my discover weekly last week that have been in my head since.
A lot of eurodance/makina/happy hardcore
"Only You" by Good Bytes
"Heaven is a Place on Earth (Remix)" by Nanna Makina
"24-7" by Antisocial
This week has mostly been stuff by Julian Lage.
Interpol and The strokes have been on my rotation all month. The album The New Abnormal from The Strokes is my favorite album by them. As far as interpol Our love to Admire is probably my top album for them but both bands have a great discography.
My 7day 3x3 grid from tapmusic
These are pretty usual on my list
These might swap around:
Also I usually listen some System of a down, Korn, Gorillaz, Bring me the horizon (Don't really enjoy early albums but like a lot Post Human: survival horror EP) among others.
Used to only some eurobeat (Initial D soundtrack albums) at one point.
The new album by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, 'PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation'...yes that's the complete and official title of the album and oh my is it such a perfect blend of heavy metal, odd time signatures, and a bit of psychedelic
Other than Thrice always being in my rotation, one of the users on Kbin posted the story about his band finally getting around to finishing their debut album after so many years.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lVXQ1QUdNjuQ2xTUtf2mz
Annabelle and Feeling the Pain are my two favorites so far.
I have been listening to a range of things this week.
During the day (usually the drive home from work or around town running errands) has been Devuldriver and Deadmau5. At home, been a lot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (usually when feeding my 3 month old and getting him to sleep and the just chill listening to them on shuffle.
The sun is shining here in the UK, which means only one thing to me…
Beach Diggin’!
Early this week it was GEL, a NJ hardcore band that was is on tour with Drain. Today I've been going between Killer Mike's "Michael", the new King Gizzard, and the QOTSA record. I think the KGATLW album is the best release of this week, tho.
Jon Hopkins - Immunity has basically been on repeat all week. And recently I picked up Deafhavens latest album Infinafe Granite, which is also a banger!
This week KEXP in Seattle posted Sleaford Mods on their youtube channel and it was pretty much instant love for me. The all of it.
I've missed their entire career somehow only now finding them.
I have no idea how to describe a genre for them, but it would start as simple synth and scalding, poetic lyrics from the mouth of a very tough but cool / kind looking guy.
His partner dances for just the joy of it in the background. They make it work like fire!
I finally set up Finamp on my phone to listen to all of the music I have on my PC when I'm out and about.
I'd forgotten a lot of older albums I had on there and selected a couple at random:
I have an eclectic taste, what can I say.
Looking at my play history I have listened to a variety of songs from the following bands:
Mindelss Self Indulgence
Jack Off Jill
Uncle Outrage
Dog Fashin Disco
Tub Ring
Creature Feature
Ouija Macc
Korn
Gorillaz
Reel Big Fish
Bloodhound Gang
Bubblegum Octopus
Infant Sorrow(Get Him To The Greek Soundtrack)
I recently stumbled across Macroblank. They're "barberbeats" or whatever. Chill, echo-y and hip is how I would describe them. Put it on low and leave it on your desk as you work or some such.
https://youtu.be/S0sNMDZBoO0
I've been listening to Takashi Yoshimatsu's piano concerto 'Memo Flora' this week and been amazed by it. I don't usually listen to minimalistic music or to a lot of contemporary art music in general, but somehow this piece has managed to catch my attention. I especially recommend listening to the third movement and appreciating the impressionism in general.
I've been listening to Future Funk Squad this week and found it's really good for getting moving in the morning. It's got hard hitting rapid bass beats that I love, and angry vocals.
Can't stop playing Bellavue by THE BOBBY LEES. Probably the best recommendation I've ever gotton from spotify.
Deco by Tom Trago is a really great chill electronic album I've been listening to a lot this week. Also I found a Beatles bootleg called "It's Not Too Bad" that's fascinating, it's the evolution of "Strawberry Fields Forever" starting with the home demos to the final product.
Don't laugh, but Avril Lavigne. "Losing grip" is an insanely good song. And it sounds great on vinyl.
The new Sigur Ros album is overwhelmingly beautiful. They've gone up a level. Stunning.
A lot of old instrumentals. Super soothing for some reason.
After a '90s themed show, I've been listening to a lot of Real McCoy. Run Away and Another Night particularly have been on repeat a lot. My dad would listen to a lot of '90s dance music in the car growing up so I've been really nostalgic for it since hearing it again.
Patrick Sweaney - Them Shoes
I just discovered this and the song has been stuck in my head all week. Really low key aggressive blues/rock riff. I'm not normally into this, but the vibes are great
I spent a lot of time re-visiting Xiu Xiu's Ignore Grief this weekend. I listened to it when it first released earlier this year and really enjoyed it, but this album is more of a soundscape than a collection of songs. I had to put it in the try again later pile, as it's not what I was in the mood for even though I appreciated what it was doing. Honestly, I think it's my favourite thing they've ever done now that I've had a chance to listen a few more times.
Did the same thing with Kali Malone's new project, Does Spring Hide Its Joy. I find I tend to listen to this kind of really passive, reflective type of stuff far more in the summer. I'll just go lay down in a field, close my eyes, and think about what's going on in my life. Next thing you know, 3 hours has passed.
Here are a couple of mine:
Flamethrower by King gizzard and the Lizard Wizard- I think this is my favorite off their new program metal record. Every band member is on fire on this track and it sounds great. If you’re a metal fan, give this record a spin!
Animal by Shining - I think this was a recommendation I received on some social media site, when I asked for suggestions on how to get into harsher metal vocals. I’ve really dug this song and the whole record and it definitely has opened me up to some harsher sounding vocals.
The Smoke by Amorphis - the exact kind of melodic metal that scratches an itch for me. I need to explore more of these guy’s discography as the person who suggested this song to me said it was hard to pick just one track to recommend. I’ve got some listening to do!
Same thing as every other week.
Super Simple Songs. A YouTube channel with various nursery rhymes. Think Cocomelon bur a lot more addictive.
Highlights so far are Down by the Bay, There's a Monster in my Tummy and one about a tree on a hill with green grass growing all around.
If you have kids I implore you to avoid these songs at all costs! You will hear nothing else.
While going through Eurovision withdrawal I came across a thread lamenting Ireland's performance lately and suggesting alternative entries like Cruachan, so I started listening to see what they were like. Quite liking them so far, especially The Marching Song of Fiach MacHugh.
I’ve had the two new Blackbraid singles (can you call a thirteen-minute song a single?) on near-constant repeat for the last couple of weeks.
Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon
The Spirit Returns