B More Melo

Spiderland is one of my favorites. I'm enjoying your tastes man.

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dac

The "I miss you!" 's at the end of Good Morning Captain are probably the best thing ever. And Morcheeba is the shizz.

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LoathsomePete

Finally my first metal review!!!
Through Silver in Blood is one of the very earliest examples of the emerging “Post-Metal” or “Metal-Gaze” genre. Not only that, it begins to mark the departure from Neurosis’ previous sounds, going for more of an atmospheric and eccentric style not found on their earlier work. Through Silver in Blood is also their highest regarded albums and easily one of the finest crafted metal albums of the ‘90’s.

Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till do a great job playing off each other, adding to the other’s tone with their own undertone and overall creating a real sense of teamwork. They really worked hard defining themselves over the years, starting off as a hardcore punk band and slowly evolving into one of the progenitors of an entire genre.

One of the trademarks of the genre is the increased length of the album, so it’s not the type of album you put on and intently listen to for every minute. Clocking in at around 72 minutes, it’s an album that sets an ambience, yet can instantly suck you back in with a scream or balls tightingly guitar riff.

Post-Metal albums can be kind of hard to critique just because of their designation. Much like with Trip-Hop they’re designed to be a kind of background piece, enjoyable, but not requiring your full attention. Neurosis made a bold effort on this album in kick-starting the genre, but as you will find in later reviews, some of the newer bands have done a far better job refining it so it becomes more than just background music.

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Bulldog

Great call on Morcheeba (although I'm more of a Big Calm fanboy myself), and Failure seem pretty interesting from what I've heard about them (if only for that cover alone).

Haven't been keeping up with this thread lately, which is a shame as it's one of my favourites doing the rounds at the moment. Keep up the good work eh.

LoathsomePete

It is quite rare to find an album that really seems to speak directly to you in each song. Scottish hip hop duo dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip seamlessly achieved this difficult goal in their 2008 debut album, Angles.

A wide array of subject matter ranging from the trials and tribulations of relationships to a poem told from the point of view of God. The last track on the album, "Waiting for the Beat to Kick In...", is one of those tracks where you need to pay close attention because if you don't then the messages of the song will be completely lost and those messages can be quite helpful if you're an adolescent.

Angles is actually quite full of messages, some more apparent in some songs than others. Tracks like "Angles" and "Magician's Assistant" are easily the most depressing but hold the two most important messages on the album, that being to always look at all sides of a conflict before you make your own opinion and that suicide affects more people than just yourself, respectfully.

Depending on how open minded to British hip-hop will definitely be a factor on whether or not you find the album appealing. Scroobius Pip is Scottish and his accent does hold pretty thick into his rapping. He does also use some terminology that you may not be familiar with, but it's never anything complex or completely important to the song. dan le sac also shows off his impressive beat making skills by utilizing a wide array of styles ranging from noise rock to glitch hop. He also samples some well known tracks in such a way that nearly makes them seem like his own.

Despite all these compliments, the album is not without its faults. It seems to be a little inconsistent at times. The songs that are really good stand out and about four of them seem more like filler than anything else. Scroobius Pip can come off as a little preachy at times, specifically on the first single, "Thou Shalt Always Kill" which I find is pretty detrimental to the album as a whole. No album is perfect, and a debut is rarely without its faults, in fact I'd rather a debut have faults because it gives the band something to work towards on future albums rather than trying to make the life breathing lightning strike again.

Angles seemed to pinch a nerve with some reviewers, particular the ass cunts at Pitchfork Media, but in all honesty complaining about a Pitchfork Media score is kind of like begrudging a dog for licking its balls. They're going to do what they're going to do and unfortunately a legion of kids hang on every word of theirs like it was the word of God. My guess it was a section in "Thou Shalt Always Kill" where Scroobius Pip lists off about 15 bands that are always on top 100 lists as "just a band". Regardless, I wouldn't waste my time guessing why a snake just bit me and I'm not going to waste my time wondering why Pitchfork Media would give an intelligent album such a low score.

If you are after some intelligent hip hop with a legion of good messages and some awesome beats, then I would definitely say give this album a chance.

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Alfred

I must be one of the only people in the world who can't enjoy (or doesn't understand) Spiderland. I get its influence on post-rock, but it's so dated and boring and does absolutely nothing for me.

Maybe I'm just missing the point?

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LoathsomePete

I think Spiderland is one of those albums that you can't go into expecting it to sound similar to the albums that it's inspired over the years. When I first listened to it I wasn't that enthralled by it, but after I gave it a second spin with headphones while laying down something just kind of clicked with me and I was hanging on McMahan's every word and really getting caught up in the narrative. It seems like you've already made up your mind on the album but again, this list isn't necessarily a list of the "101 best albums according to me", just 101 albums that I really like.

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101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

LoathsomePete

It’s quite easy to look at the album art, the artist’s name, the album title, and a few of the song titles and come to the conclusion that this is nothing more than your typical indie band who focus on self-depreciation in order to come off as different from their Pitchfork Media baby counterparts who happily lap up the praises those sites give out. Well you’re not exactly wrong to think that, the album is definitely an album that focuses on self-depreciation and the anxieties in life, however it’s executed in a manner where it actually seems genuine, like listening to that friend who is always beating up on himself, but doing it in such a way that you’re convinced he’s not going to kill himself or become a serial killer. In fact the song “Overreacting” touches on the thoughts of suicide and how life doesn’t always need to be taken so seriously, that by choosing to kill yourself you are being misguided by minor failures and that nobody is perfect.

I was introduced to Brad Sucks sometime in mid 2007 from a friend of an ex girlfriend of mine who had actually gotten into the film school I was denied access to. He had created a music video for “Making Me Nervous” which he entered into a contest to be used as an official music video. While the video failed to make it that far, it did prompt me to further investigate this musician and I was quite happy to learn that he is from Canada. I found the CD online, grabbed it and just sucked it up like a sponge. Every song on the album minus the second one seemed to relate to me in a very compelling way. Even the album title, I Don’t Know What I’m Doing was a recurring thought as I toiled away at work while attempting to keep food in my stomach and a roof over my head. It is quite rare for someone who was that young at the time (19 if I’m not mistaken) to really find an album that truly speaks to them and that they can really relate to without feeling melodramatic.

It’s unfortunate that Brad Sucks has never really taken off, even in Canada he is still a relatively unknown artist, perhaps it’s the less than flattering band name. Strip away the band name and there really is some catchy indie rock tunes with a great mix of acoustic, electronic, and distorted effects to make it seem grander than on first look. Brad Sucks is one of the few bands that have really taken advantage of the Free Culture movement and releases music for free on his website following the Jonathan Coulton method of letting fans choose their price. Brad also waives the rights to his songs so they essentially become public domain which garnishes him a lot of free publicity from fan made music videos, remixes, and blogs.

Perhaps the most ironic thing about the album is that the perceived faults actually help strengthen the album when taken into consideration. It’s incredibly short and none of the songs feel fully fleshed out, but at the same time the album doesn’t outstay its welcome and is something than can grab a listener’s attention for the full 40 minutes, ensuring that the song messages will likely be absorbed. Brad definitely takes his vocals from Beck, almost to the point where they could be indistinguishable for someone not totally familiar with Beck’s music, however if you enjoy Beck’s vocals then there’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy Brad’s.

Brad Sucks holds a very special place in my heart and while I don’t expect everyone to enjoy his music, I have to say that I’m a pretty big fan of his. It’s not often that albums really speak to me on a personal level but when they do it’s a very special thing because it almost makes you feel like the album was written especially for you. You may like it, you may not. If you’re a fan of indie rock and in particular Beck, then it definitely raises the odds.

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music_phantom13

Well now that it has LoathsomePete's approval I pretty much have to check this out. Keep 'em coming! I expect this thread to remain one of the most interesting around these parts, you have great taste and listen to a lot of stuff I've never heard.

LoathsomePete

I won't lie and say that I'm a long time fan of My Bloody Valentine. While I was always aware of who they were and what genre of music they played, I always steered clear of their music in fear of catching the gay. Not only that but the little elitist sitting on my shoulder would always tell me that because they're so widely regarded then they must suck. Well never has that little cocksucker ever been so wrong because Loveless is a shining aural masterpiece and just proves that sometimes the majority can be totally right.

Loveless is quite possibly one of the most captivating dreamy sounding albums that feels like it was recorded after months of sleep deprivation until all the members of the band went into a catatonic state. Vocalist Kevin Shields even sounds like he's drifting off into a deep slumber in his lyrics which are practically incomprehensible, yet the lyrics come secondary to the amazingly deep and layered sound the rest of the band creates. This is probably due to the rumored £250,000 spent on recording the album, a figure that nearly bankrupted Creation Records.

Even as epic as the album is it is by no means perfect. There are a few songs that do not have that same polished feel to them and sound like pre Daydream Nation Sonic Youth. Now depending on if you like noise music could affect your opinion on these tracks. I also felt that the album ended rather abruptly and anticlimactically. The final track "Soon" is quite a lovely track, but it just doesn't provide that feeling of closure most final tracks are suppose to invoke. These are really just nitpicky minor complaints and they do not overall affect my feelings on the album.

There is no denying the massive impact Loveless has had on the alternative music scene since it was released. Many of the more popular '90's alt. rock bands have cited this album as a primary influence and the Smashing Pumpkins went so far as to hire Alan Moulder to help produce their magnum opus Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Their acclaim is not undeserving because they managed to do one of those rare things and that is to create new guitar sounds for a more populist audience. I am absolutely convinced some obscure band was doing the exact same thing at around the same time, yet it was My Bloody Valentine to bring the concept of swirling guitar sounds, waves of deeply layered fuzz, and only a vague idea of what Kevin Shields is saying to a wide audience. Loveless has become an album that I use to disprove similar close-minded individuals like my former self and has also become an album I can throw on whenever I feel the need to escape into a dreamy pseudo world without the need of intoxicants. It may be a new addition to my music archive but it has rectified some misconceptions I've had about popular albums and alternative music in a short amount of time, and thus is eligible to be put on my list.

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101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too