Brad Stengel's Magical Musical Orgy of Sound

Urban Hat€monger ? · 10-21-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Stengel

Come to think of it, Sonic Youth remind me alot of The Fall, at least their messy songs, most of which are on this album.

Have you heard the 4 tunna brix EP?

Brad Stengel · 10-21-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

Have you heard the 4 tunna brix EP?

Nope. What is it/where can I get it?

Brad Stengel · 10-21-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fruitonica

Detailed, well written reviews, this list is looking good. I think I might check out Zen Arcade, sounds interesting.

Thanks. Personally, I think 'New Day Rising' is better than 'Zen Arcade', but 'Zen Arcade' is definately still worth picking up. Like I said though, it can take awhile to get used to.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 10-21-2008, 07:09 PM

It's Sonic Youth doing a bunch of Fall covers for a John Peel show. It was released as a semi offical / bootleg.

They're not very good and do neither band any justice , and when Smith found out they were going to record it he apologised saying he was sorry if he was responsible in any way for Sonic Youth existing

If you want to hear it it's pretty easy to find a download of it off google.

Brad Stengel · 10-21-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

It's Sonic Youth doing a bunch of Fall covers for a John Peel show. It was released as a semi offical / bootleg.

They're not very good and do neither band any justice , and when Smith found out they were going to record it he apologised saying he was sorry if he was responsible in any way for Sonic Youth existing

If you want to hear it it's pretty easy to find a download of it off google.

Ha, I'll have to have a listen. Every time I hear about Mark E. Smith talk about a band, its always very witty and negative, I love it.

Brad Stengel · 10-22-2008, 10:45 AM

#27

of Montreal
"The Sunlandic Twins" (2005)

I will never understand why this album seems to be so criminally underappreciated. This, to me, is of Montreal's best pop album, and writing catchy pop songs is what Kevin Barnes does best.

"Requiem for OMM2" was the song that made me purchase this, and it may just be the best pop song Barnes ever wrote, and considering he's wrote such other gems as "Miniature Philosopher", "Penelope", and "Don't Ask Me to Explain", it's a remarkable feat. "I Was Never Young" is okay, but the next section of the album is brilliant. The one-two-three punch of "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" (aka the Outback Steakhouse song), "Forecast Fascist Future", and "So Begins our Alabee" knocks you on your feet before pushing you back down two tracks later with "The Party's Crashing Us". Granted nothing else on the album other than "Oslo In The Summertime" comes close to being as good as these songs, but it doesn't matter. Those six songs make this album my most listened to of Montreal album. As far as their electro-pop output, "Satanic Panic" is overhyped and too long, "Hissing Fuana" comes close but is dogged down by "Grotesque Animal", and I'm just starting to get into "Skeletal Lamping", which I wouldn't put in the same category as the three before it just because its not really a pop album at all.

And yet, this is considered their weakest of thir post-2003 output. Can someone please tell me why? I can't name another of Montreal album that has as many good songs, except maybe "The *** Parade", which hasn't held up nearly as well for me since Barnes' sound on this record is just-better. It baffles me daily, and all I really want is an explanation. If you're reading this and disagree, please tell me why it's inferior to their other albums, because I've never seen a good reason.

And while I'm at it, why did everyone all of a sudden jump on the of Montreal bandwagon when "Hissing Fuana" came out? I want to say because the second half is much more dancable, yet it was praised for it's pop songs. Don't get me wrong, it's the only album that comes close to this one, and I like it alot, I just don't understand how it appealed so much more to people than their other music. Oh well, I'm starting to ramble here, I think I'll just wrap it up.
88/100

Brad Stengel · 10-25-2008, 01:00 PM

#25

Wire
"Chairs Missing"(1978)

Thinking back, I'm fairly positive this was the first album I ever owned that was synth heavy. I milestone record in my case, as I used to be one of those douchebags that liked "Who's Next", but shunned all synthesizer use since I was mostly exposed to bad 80's synth pop. That being said, Wire's large departure here from their first album, "Pink Flag", isn't just in the use of synthesizers. It's a darker atmosphere, a more focused album, and it doesn't sound nearly as ramshackle as their debut. This could have been a completely different band, the only evidence of any "Pink Flag" sound on the noisy "Sand In My Boots".

During 2006, this was my favorite Wire album. WHile that has changed, what has not is the fact that this is a FANTASTIC album. I read an interview somewhere where one of the guys in Wire was saying how they tried to sneak something interesting into each of the songs. That's my favorite thing about it, while the songs stand up on their own, they're peppered with all sorts of experimental ideas. Take "Practice Makes Perfect", a classic post-punk song complete with angular guitars, an aesthetic that goes beyond punk, and these creepy tape loops of people laughing at the end, which make the song for me. Then there's "Outdoor Miner", the pop song of the album (Each Wire album has a great pop song-Pink Flag had 'Mannequin', 154 had 'Map Ref'...) which completely throws the listener off in the middle of a very dark, moody album.

Joy Division's, "Unknown Pleasures" seems to be agreed upon by most as the official influence on gothy post-punk, but this album came a year before it, and explores the same dark sound, albeit in a different way. "Chairs Missing" can be gloomy, yes, but the great thing about Wire is that gloom isn't the only thing you can hear on this album, theres a whole range of emotions, which is what kept "Chairs Missing" in my CD player so often. This is a classic album, and ought to be sought out by any fan of post-punk, Joy Division, Goth Rock, or any music fan in general.
89/100

Brad Stengel · 10-27-2008, 03:51 PM

#24

Neutral Milk Hotel
"On Avery Island"(1996)

Is there any song on the planet more fun to sing along to than "Song Against Sex"? Is there any activity more fun than asking sixteen year old scene girls to hang out, and take them racing through the center of town in your 1991 Oldsmobile going 60mph blasting this album and screaming along as she looks at you completely horrified, destroying any possible chance of hooking up?

The answer is no.

Jeff Mangum's first album has a terrific cover, one of those covers that completely visually explains the sounds hidden inside. A black and white photograph of a carnival, painted over in some places, the band's name scawled on the top. "Avery Island" is often described as a surreal carnival, and that's the best way to put it. There's lots of variety in the rides, some are slow, spooky, and let you gaze at the beauty surrounding you, some are quick, fun, and leave you confused and sick at the end.

Most people are more familiar with Mangum's follow up, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea", and I'll admit, I prefer his second album much more. But that's not to say this isn't brilliant. The same dreamlike surreal lyrics are here, the memorable melodies, and Mangum's fetish for marching band-like horn sections, are all contained, albeit in a much messier less coherent way. The best way to describe it is, "Aeroplane" is better as an album-but "Avery Island" has better single songs. You have "Song Againt Sex", "Where You'll Find Me Now", and the unmatchable, "Naomi". "Naomi" has always been my favorite song from this album, and in fact it was someone commenting that it sounded like a Pixies song around the time I got this album that made me go and buy "Surfer Rosa".

By no means do I think someone unfamiliar with Neutral Milk Hotel should get this album-get "Aeroplane". However, if you love Aeroplane as I do, this is a fantastic, and more fun Neutral Milk Hotel album, even if it isn't as emotionally heart wrenching. And although I've made this mistake this entire review, it's good to think of this album as not a predessecor of wonderful things to come, but just a great album on its own merits, because that's what it is.
89/100

Piss Me Off · 10-28-2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Stengel

Is there any song on the planet more fun to sing along to than "Song Against Sex"? Is there any activity more fun than asking sixteen year old scene girls to hang out, and take them racing through the center of town in your 1991 Oldsmobile going 60mph blasting this album and screaming along as she looks at you completely horrified, destroying any possible chance of hooking up?

The answer is no.

Haha, brilliant. It's little things like this that make these threads great.

Piss Me Off · 10-26-2008, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

It's Sonic Youth doing a bunch of Fall covers for a John Peel show. It was released as a semi offical / bootleg.

They're not very good and do neither band any justice , and when Smith found out they were going to record it he apologised saying he was sorry if he was responsible in any way for Sonic Youth existing

If you want to hear it it's pretty easy to find a download of it off google.

I heard it before i ever heard the Fall and it put me off ever listening to them for about a year, he has a point

Great thread by the way, some brilliant albums.

10-21-2008, 07:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,626	It's Sonic Youth doing a bunch of Fall covers for a John Peel show. It was released as a semi offical / bootleg. They're not very good and do neither band any justice , and when Smith found out they were going to record it he apologised saying he was sorry if he was responsible in any way for Sonic Youth existing If you want to hear it it's pretty easy to find a download of it off google. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

10-22-2008, 10:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	#27 of Montreal "The Sunlandic Twins" (2005) I will never understand why this album seems to be so criminally underappreciated. This, to me, is of Montreal's best pop album, and writing catchy pop songs is what Kevin Barnes does best. "Requiem for OMM2" was the song that made me purchase this, and it may just be the best pop song Barnes ever wrote, and considering he's wrote such other gems as "Miniature Philosopher", "Penelope", and "Don't Ask Me to Explain", it's a remarkable feat. "I Was Never Young" is okay, but the next section of the album is brilliant. The one-two-three punch of "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" (aka the Outback Steakhouse song), "Forecast Fascist Future", and "So Begins our Alabee" knocks you on your feet before pushing you back down two tracks later with "The Party's Crashing Us". Granted nothing else on the album other than "Oslo In The Summertime" comes close to being as good as these songs, but it doesn't matter. Those six songs make this album my most listened to of Montreal album. As far as their electro-pop output, "Satanic Panic" is overhyped and too long, "Hissing Fuana" comes close but is dogged down by "Grotesque Animal", and I'm just starting to get into "Skeletal Lamping", which I wouldn't put in the same category as the three before it just because its not really a pop album at all. And yet, this is considered their weakest of thir post-2003 output. Can someone please tell me why? I can't name another of Montreal album that has as many good songs, except maybe "The *** Parade", which hasn't held up nearly as well for me since Barnes' sound on this record is just-better. It baffles me daily, and all I really want is an explanation. If you're reading this and disagree, please tell me why it's inferior to their other albums, because I've never seen a good reason. And while I'm at it, why did everyone all of a sudden jump on the of Montreal bandwagon when "Hissing Fuana" came out? I want to say because the second half is much more dancable, yet it was praised for it's pop songs. Don't get me wrong, it's the only album that comes close to this one, and I like it alot, I just don't understand how it appealed so much more to people than their other music. Oh well, I'm starting to ramble here, I think I'll just wrap it up. 88/100 __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo Last edited by Brad Stengel; 10-25-2008 at 01:04 PM.

10-25-2008, 01:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	#25 Wire "Chairs Missing"(1978) Thinking back, I'm fairly positive this was the first album I ever owned that was synth heavy. I milestone record in my case, as I used to be one of those douchebags that liked "Who's Next", but shunned all synthesizer use since I was mostly exposed to bad 80's synth pop. That being said, Wire's large departure here from their first album, "Pink Flag", isn't just in the use of synthesizers. It's a darker atmosphere, a more focused album, and it doesn't sound nearly as ramshackle as their debut. This could have been a completely different band, the only evidence of any "Pink Flag" sound on the noisy "Sand In My Boots". During 2006, this was my favorite Wire album. WHile that has changed, what has not is the fact that this is a FANTASTIC album. I read an interview somewhere where one of the guys in Wire was saying how they tried to sneak something interesting into each of the songs. That's my favorite thing about it, while the songs stand up on their own, they're peppered with all sorts of experimental ideas. Take "Practice Makes Perfect", a classic post-punk song complete with angular guitars, an aesthetic that goes beyond punk, and these creepy tape loops of people laughing at the end, which make the song for me. Then there's "Outdoor Miner", the pop song of the album (Each Wire album has a great pop song-Pink Flag had 'Mannequin', 154 had 'Map Ref'...) which completely throws the listener off in the middle of a very dark, moody album. Joy Division's, "Unknown Pleasures" seems to be agreed upon by most as the official influence on gothy post-punk, but this album came a year before it, and explores the same dark sound, albeit in a different way. "Chairs Missing" can be gloomy, yes, but the great thing about Wire is that gloom isn't the only thing you can hear on this album, theres a whole range of emotions, which is what kept "Chairs Missing" in my CD player so often. This is a classic album, and ought to be sought out by any fan of post-punk, Joy Division, Goth Rock, or any music fan in general. 89/100 __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo

10-27-2008, 03:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	#24 Neutral Milk Hotel "On Avery Island"(1996) Is there any song on the planet more fun to sing along to than "Song Against Sex"? Is there any activity more fun than asking sixteen year old scene girls to hang out, and take them racing through the center of town in your 1991 Oldsmobile going 60mph blasting this album and screaming along as she looks at you completely horrified, destroying any possible chance of hooking up? The answer is no. Jeff Mangum's first album has a terrific cover, one of those covers that completely visually explains the sounds hidden inside. A black and white photograph of a carnival, painted over in some places, the band's name scawled on the top. "Avery Island" is often described as a surreal carnival, and that's the best way to put it. There's lots of variety in the rides, some are slow, spooky, and let you gaze at the beauty surrounding you, some are quick, fun, and leave you confused and sick at the end. Most people are more familiar with Mangum's follow up, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea", and I'll admit, I prefer his second album much more. But that's not to say this isn't brilliant. The same dreamlike surreal lyrics are here, the memorable melodies, and Mangum's fetish for marching band-like horn sections, are all contained, albeit in a much messier less coherent way. The best way to describe it is, "Aeroplane" is better as an album-but "Avery Island" has better single songs. You have "Song Againt Sex", "Where You'll Find Me Now", and the unmatchable, "Naomi". "Naomi" has always been my favorite song from this album, and in fact it was someone commenting that it sounded like a Pixies song around the time I got this album that made me go and buy "Surfer Rosa". By no means do I think someone unfamiliar with Neutral Milk Hotel should get this album-get "Aeroplane". However, if you love Aeroplane as I do, this is a fantastic, and more fun Neutral Milk Hotel album, even if it isn't as emotionally heart wrenching. And although I've made this mistake this entire review, it's good to think of this album as not a predessecor of wonderful things to come, but just a great album on its own merits, because that's what it is. 89/100 __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo Last edited by Brad Stengel; 10-28-2008 at 07:30 AM.

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