Undertow is awesome, but it's not as complex as the others. It's kind of like Opiate, just straight alternative metal, not as progressive as Ænima or Lateralus. I like the bass playing on Undertow and Opiate a lot though. I pretty much like all of Tool's album's equally, for different reasons. They never really just do the same thing exactly, they get more intricate with every album it seems, so the new one that they're about to release either this year or next will have the bar set pretty high.

Any ways, "H." is one of my all time favorite records.

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Lovesliescrushing - Xuvetyn

Why I haven't got round to checking this band out sooner is beyond me, but anyway, I finally gave Xuvetyn a listent, and I wasn't disappointed. The songs - or ethereal soundscapes, to be more accurate - are haunting and beguiling, whilst the fluidity of it all conjures the most serene moments in the Cocteau Twins and MBV discographies. Fans of ambient/dream pop should definitely look into this, if you haven't already.

^

Their debut Bloweyelashwish is pretty good ass well. If you want the more accessible side of that sound check out Scott Cortez's other band Astrobrite (their debut Crush is worth checking out).

Nice to see Scott Cortez getting love here, I'm a big fan of Astrobrite and definately think they're a very underrated band.

Yeah I know and like Astrobrite, which is partly why it's strange that it's taken me so long to look into Lovesliescrushing. Gotta say I prefer Xuvetyn to anything else I've heard from Cortez thus far.

Agreed. STAR is pretty good as well, but I definitely prefer Astrobrite and lovesliescrushing. The guy knows his way around some shoegazing.

Now I feel like listening to them.

It's been a while since I've listened to that one, so I'll check that out soon. Usually I go for Bloweyelashwish, but I don't think I ever really gave Xuvetyn a fair shake.

I've got Devastator by Star (think that's all they've done, isn't it?) and again, I enjoy it. The guy has definitely come out with some decent shoegazey releases. I think what distinguishes the Lovesliescrushing work I've heard so far from his noise pop stuff is the fact that, to me at least, both Astrobrite and Star are a little formulaic. They stick within the lines and consequently you kind of know what you're going to get. Nothing wrong with that if you're a fan of the sounds - as I am - but Xuvetyn was more engrossing in that it managed to surprise me quite regularly.

I definitely agree. That's the problem with a lot of shoegaze... bands end up relying on the hazy atmosphere for all the emotional pull. It's a shame because I think shoegaze really has the potential for much much more. Lovesliescrushing is a great listen because he is trying to take it to those places. I like that he also has Astrobrite just to prove he has the chops... It really is some well written and catchy shoegaze.

Been getting into a load of recent hip-hop

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Danny Brown - XXX

The guy's got a weird voice but I like it

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Clams Casino - Instrumental Mixtape

Some of the best instrumental hip-hop I've heard in a while

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Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

Reall great, love the production

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