@Jackho I have officially made plans to listen to the ENTIRE Kanye West discography in a MARATHON with long-lost NG bud Ryanson. Expects reports at some point in the near future.

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ANOTHER WEEKLY SUMMARY THING (let me know if you guys care 0% about this and want me to knock it off)

Haven't been loving work too much lately, and The Mountain Goats gives me that "finding beauty in monotony" vibe, so John Darnielle and Kamasi Washington formed most of the soundtrack to my week. I did do some Bandcamp exploring though, here's some stuff I found:

Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus (UK, 2016, Soul Jazz) Drums like you threw a bouncy ball on the kit, keys creating a cloudy barrier to hold the wandering bass in place. If you like BBNG you should give this a spin.
Highlight tracks: Strings of Light, Joint 17

Letters to Catalonia - Fragmentary (USA, 2017, Emotive Hardcore/Screamo) Listened to their 2015 demo last week on a whim, then suddenly this week they come out with a new EP. Starts with loud feedback noises, then turns into 7 minutes of loud screamy noises. I've heard worse.
Highlight track: Insignificance

Nubya Garcia - Nubya's 5ive (UK, 2017, Jazz) Really enjoyable record. Nubya's sax playing is nice too, she sometimes hangs on these tense short phrases and pulls these low notes out which feel like scratching an itch. "Hold" has some funky tuba in it which I can most definitely dig.
Highlight tracks: Fly Free, Red Sun

Tricot - 3 (Japan, 2017, Math Rock) Was feeling a little weeb-ish today, so I went for an all-girl poppy rock band with fun rhythms. They're labeled math rock but there's nothing too crazy here, mostly just guitar lines that swirl around the barline and sharp breaks.
Highlight tracks: Sukima, Namu

Full list of new listens:

At 10/10/17 06:51 PM, Oolaph wrote: @Jackho I have officially made plans to listen to the ENTIRE Kanye West discography in a MARATHON with long-lost NG bud Ryanson. Expects reports at some point in the near future.

Oh man. I dunno if marathoning music can even work that well for digesting it & I hope I've not overhyped it, but good luck anyway. You'll definitely cringe, you'll probably laugh and if he really wins you over there's a small chance you might cry.

At 10/11/17 03:26 PM, Jackho wrote: Oh man. I dunno if marathoning music can even work that well for digesting it & I hope I've not overhyped it, but good luck anyway. You'll definitely cringe, you'll probably laugh and if he really wins you over there's a small chance you might cry.

I'm used to marathoning discographies, it's become almost a tradition for the two of us to pick an artist and just sit through all their releases in order and comment on them as we progress. You get a really great sense of context for the albums when you do it, very rewarding experience if I do say so myself.

Due to the demand of a massive Pink Floyd fan I know at work, I've been slowly working my way through their discography for the first time in no particular order. What do you guys think of them?

Most of the new stuff I listened to this week was metal thanks to recommendations by @Viper and @HeavenDuff over in the Metal Hell thread. Here's some stuff I had to say about things:

Gary Wilson - You Think You Really Know Me (USA, 1977, Synth Funk) Some tracks are esoteric sound collages with dark tones, the others are "sexy" funk tunes sung by the least sexy voice that delivers lyrics that sound like he may have a few restraining orders filed against him. Sounds like a Tim & Eric sketch.
Highlight tracks: You Were Too Good to Be True, Chromium Bitch

Witch Ripper - Witch Ripper (USA, 2012, Sludge Metal) Concise, to-the-point metal that's thick and satisfying. Like a Snickers bar.
Highlight track: Hydra

Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (USA, 2014, Doom Metal) Trudges along like the band has cinder blocks tied to their wrists. The synth popping in on Ashes was unexpected, but not unwelcome. A fresh change that I think actually took away from the final track since it just returned to the "same old stuff" without building upon the atmosphere Ashes laid before it.
Highlight tracks: Foundations, Ashes

Cynic - Focus (USA, 1993, Progressive Metal/Fusion) Technical prog metal with vocoder, clean chorused guitars, and fretless bass. Sign me up.
Highlight tracks: Celestial Voyage, Sentiment

Quo Vadis - Day Into Night (Canada, 2000, Death Metal) I really like the lead guitar on this record. I didn't love the vocals at first, but they started to grow on me by the end. Drumming is as tight as it gets, and Shores of Ithaka is a perfect example of being ON POINT.
Highlight tracks: Dream, On the Shores of Ithaka

And the full list:

At 10/17/17 04:11 PM, Oolaph wrote: Due to the demand of a massive Pink Floyd fan I know at work, I've been slowly working my way through their discography for the first time in no particular order. What do you guys think of them?

I've always been a little lazy in the way I've explored the catalog of progressive rock bands. I've yet to actually listen to the entirety of a pretty much any prog rock band, and that is true for bands such as Yes, King Crimson, and also Pink Floyd. So I really like Pink Floyd, but I don't know their entire catalog all too well. I know that Wish You We're Here is one of my all time favorite albums. It's a perfect record, IMO. It's the perfect balance of psychedelia, progressive awesomeness, pop rock, amazing lyrics and vocals, and overall amazing song-writing. Of course, Dark Side of the Moon and Animals are also in my top 3 Pink Floyd records. The Wall and Atom Heart Mother are next.

Most of the new stuff I listened to this week was metal thanks to recommendations by @Viper and @HeavenDuff over in the Metal Hell thread. Here's some stuff I had to say about things:

I'm quite happy that I've been able to help :)

Cynic - Focus (USA, 1993, Progressive Metal/Fusion) Technical prog metal with vocoder, clean chorused guitars, and fretless bass. Sign me up.
Highlight tracks: Celestial Voyage, Sentiment

I saw them live when they were still together. Their live musicians aren't quite as amazing as the main two guys (Masvidal and Reinhart) and their studio bassist (Sean Malone), but the studio recording is perfect.

Quo Vadis - Day Into Night (Canada, 2000, Death Metal) I really like the lead guitar on this record. I didn't love the vocals at first, but they started to grow on me by the end. Drumming is as tight as it gets, and Shores of Ithaka is a perfect example of being ON POINT.
Highlight tracks: Dream, On the Shores of Ithaka

I definitely agree with your pick for On the Shores of Ithaka. I've always been surprised by how little recognition this band, and this album in particular, gets from your average prog death fan. Here in Quebec they were one of the most important bands of the 00's decade. Althoug they were recognized outside of the province, I always thought they deserved more. Oh! And give the track Absolution a few more plays. It might end up on your "highlight tracks" list ;)

And the full list:

I'm quite happy to see that you also have some Bolt Thrower and Electric Wizard in here as well! I'm not the one who recommended Electric Wizard, but I definitely stand by that choice. Dopethrone is one hell of a massive album. There is some iconic badass stoner doom riffing on that thing!

Bolt Thrower is a band I've discovered last year and that I fell in love with instantly. If you look at my last.fm charts for the last 365 days, you're gonna see just how much I've listened to them. That's 1450 plays so far, and the closest band after that is Death with 334 plays XD

At 10/19/17 12:23 AM, HeavenDuff wrote: I've always been a little lazy in the way I've explored the catalog of progressive rock bands. I've yet to actually listen to the entirety of a pretty much any prog rock band, and that is true for bands such as Yes, King Crimson, and also Pink Floyd. So I really like Pink Floyd, but I don't know their entire catalog all too well. I know that Wish You We're Here is one of my all time favorite albums. It's a perfect record, IMO. It's the perfect balance of psychedelia, progressive awesomeness, pop rock, amazing lyrics and vocals, and overall amazing song-writing. Of course, Dark Side of the Moon and Animals are also in my top 3 Pink Floyd records. The Wall and Atom Heart Mother are next.

I haven't gotten too deep into the prog rock world yet either. It'll come though. Wish You Were Here is my fav Floyd album by far from what I've heard. The rest have left me with a "it was enjoyable but I have no real drive to put it on again". The Wall so far has been my least favorite by a pretty big margin, I liked some of the musical ideas but the lyrical themes kept me in a "yeah I get it" state and since they're so prominent it really took away from the record for me.

As for King Crimson, I'd suggest giving the first three records with Adrian Belew a try (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair). They're very "new wave" compared to the earlier records, but still very Fripp and I think they're very fresh sounding. They also include use of the Chapman Stick which is also featured on Cynic's Focus!

I saw them live when they were still together. Their live musicians aren't quite as amazing as the main two guys (Masvidal and Reinhart) and their studio bassist (Sean Malone), but the studio recording is perfect.

What's their later material like compared to this record? I noticed there's quite a gap in time there between records and can only assume some differences in style would occur.

I definitely agree with your pick for On the Shores of Ithaka. I've always been surprised by how little recognition this band, and this album in particular, gets from your average prog death fan. Here in Quebec they were one of the most important bands of the 00's decade. Althoug they were recognized outside of the province, I always thought they deserved more. Oh! And give the track Absolution a few more plays. It might end up on your "highlight tracks" list ;)

Yeah, they definitely stand out to me from of the other death bands I've heard. Put their other records on my to-listen list as well.

I'm quite happy to see that you also have some Bolt Thrower and Electric Wizard in here as well! I'm not the one who recommended Electric Wizard, but I definitely stand by that choice. Dopethrone is one hell of a massive album. There is some iconic badass stoner doom riffing on that thing!

Bolt Thrower is a band I've discovered last year and that I fell in love with instantly. If you look at my last.fm charts for the last 365 days, you're gonna see just how much I've listened to them. That's 1450 plays so far, and the closest band after that is Death with 334 plays XD

I definitely enjoyed Bolt Thrower, but I can honestly say I was starting to feel some fatigue after listening to both of those back to back. Almost 1,500 plays in a year is some dedication to that punishing sound, lemme tell ya. I've always seen Dopethrone tossed around and mentioned, but never really gave it a true listen. I enjoyed it but it didn't stick with me too much, might listen to some of their other releases (Viper rec'd Witchcult Today) and come back to it because I definitely feel like there's more to absorb in there.

At 10/19/17 08:18 PM, Oolaph wrote: I haven't gotten too deep into the prog rock world yet either. It'll come though. Wish You Were Here is my fav Floyd album by far from what I've heard. The rest have left me with a "it was enjoyable but I have no real drive to put it on again". The Wall so far has been my least favorite by a pretty big margin, I liked some of the musical ideas but the lyrical themes kept me in a "yeah I get it" state and since they're so prominent it really took away from the record for me.

Yeah, that's the record when Waters really took pretty much all control over the song-writing and theme. It's pretty much his album. I think that when the other guys reformed Pink Floyd they didn't have the right to play any of The Wall live.

As for King Crimson, I'd suggest giving the first three records with Adrian Belew a try (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair). They're very "new wave" compared to the earlier records, but still very Fripp and I think they're very fresh sounding. They also include use of the Chapman Stick which is also featured on Cynic's Focus!

I will! I've tried getting my hands on Three of a Perfect Pair for a while now. I'll give Discipline a listen to. I also want to get In The Wake of Poseidon in a better quality version then the shit I downloaded a few years back.

What's their later material like compared to this record? I noticed there's quite a gap in time there between records and can only assume some differences in style would occur.

They were together for demos and Focus, then splitted up. They reformed to release Traced in Air 14 years later, and it's more of a prog metal record. It's space rock-ish two. They later released an EP titled Carbon-Based Anatomy and an album titled Kindly Bent to Free Us. These two records sees the band drifting further away from metal and into more prog rock territory, still with a very atmosperic and spacey feel.

Now the name of the band is disputed by the two founders of the band. Paul Masvidal wants to keep going with the other musicians, while Reihart wants to put the band to sleep.

I definitely enjoyed Bolt Thrower, but I can honestly say I was starting to feel some fatigue after listening to both of those back to back. Almost 1,500 plays in a year is some dedication to that punishing sound, lemme tell ya. I've always seen Dopethrone tossed around and mentioned, but never really gave it a true listen. I enjoyed it but it didn't stick with me too much, might listen to some of their other releases (Viper rec'd Witchcult Today) and come back to it because I definitely feel like there's more to absorb in there.

Bolt Thrower's style is very unique and recognizable. You have to love their style to be able to listen to their different albums back to back.

As for Electric Wizard, listenning to Witchcult Today is a good idea. Great album. Very 60's psychedelic rock and very bluesy two. Good stuff :)

Might make these updates monthly after this. idk

Took a detour with my metal exploration and ended up close to black metal zone again, I'll be getting back to knocking out those recommendation lists soon. I also took my first dive into the world of Daniel Johnston this week. Not entirely sure what to make of it yet. These recordings are a surreal window into a very personal side of a troubled person, no doubt about it. Will be listening further, but probably at a slow pace. Might also check out the documentary on him before moving onward, I like having context to what I'm listening to.

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Beck - Colors (USA, 2017, Pop) I've always seen Beck as someone that dips his toes in different genres and always keeps his own unique fingerprint on everything, but I feel like this was his greatest effort to "fit in" yet. I wasn't expecting to be blown away from this release after the "Wow" single came out, but I definitely didn't expect to actually be tempted to skip tracks while listening to this.
Highlight tracks: Colors, Dreams

Lugubrum- Da Ware Hond (Belgium, 2007, Prog/Black Metal) Dynamic black metal with saxophone, organs, and a gosh dang TABLA. I'm diggin' it. It's noisy, loose, and exciting.
Highlight track: Movement I

Ruins - Hyderomastgroningem (Japan, 1995, Avant-Garde/Math Rock) Hella-esque chaotic rhythms fronted by one of those most wild voices I've heard in rock singing what is apparently a fictional language created by the band. Tons of fun.
Highlight tracks: Brixon Varromiks, Memories Of Zworrisdeh

Julian Lage - Sounding Point (USA, 2009, Jazz) This guy's a child prodigy jazz guitar guru that has a great head on his shoulders. I've listened to a bunch of live stuff from him before, but haven't gone deep into his records. Bela Fleck makes an appearance on a few tracks here, a very pleasant surprise and they play really well together.
Highlight tracks: The Informant, Constructive Rest

also i listened to a prime number of albums this week and now my chart looks wonky aaaaaaaa

At 10/24/17 06:35 PM, Oolaph wrote: Daniel Johnston

Been listening to this guy a good bit after he happened to pop up on autoplay. Pretty good. I had no idea he's been making music since the 80's though, at a guess I'd have thought he was much younger and more contemporary.

@jackho I finally listened to THAT WORRY. RECORD I SEE EVERYONE WAVING AROUND

Great album. Gives me those "i'm still a teenager INSIDE man!" vibes. Super honest and energetic, will definitely be put in the "i wish i had a skateboarding phase" rotation with Weezer, Titus Andronicus, and my endless bucket of emo records. Those group vocals GET YOU GOIN' and the ska influence on Rainbow made me wanna move in a slightly embarrassing way.

At 11/5/17 07:02 PM, Oolaph wrote: @jackho I finally listened to THAT WORRY. RECORD I SEE EVERYONE WAVING AROUND

Such a DAMN good record. It grew on me exponentially with each listen too so don't shelf it yet. It's my #2 most-listened album on last.fm now, I'm almost embarrassed at how quick it shot up there. It's just from the fact it's 17 tracks and that whole medley style toward the end makes it so easy to listen to in one go, I try to throw on I Did Something Weird or Rainbows and end up listening to the whole thing.

So much energy and charisma. He just sums up 'millennial woes' and the cultural zeitgeist so well and in such a dang catchy way. It balances deep introspection with broad cultural observations and manages to deliver a heartfelt message without being a hecky sop about it. IT HITS ALL THE RIGHT SPOTS 4 ME.

Great album. Gives me those "i'm still a teenager INSIDE man!" vibes.

And Jeff should be the guy to provide that considering he's in his mid 30's and barely a millenial at all. It's excellent he's able to make something that sounds so fuckin' effortlessly energetic and relatable, and not getting bogged down in specific politics or trying to create something more "mature." He has that teenage rebel spirit but with a depth and sincerity and nuance you couldn't get from an actual teenager.

Those group vocals GET YOU GOIN' and the ska influence on Rainbow made me wanna move in a slightly embarrassing way.

WE AIN'T GOT NO MONEY, WEEE AIN'T GOT NO MONEY

YEAH YOU GOT ME YOU GOT ME YOU GOT ME YOU GOT ME

Ryanson and I have begun our JOURNEY THROUGH THE DISCOGRAPHY OF KANYE WEST. Listened to his first three albums this weekend, planning to continue in the near future.

The College Dropout - Overall I thought it was pretty enjoyable, but not one of my hip-hop favorites from this initial listen. Most of the beats were fun, but Kanye himself really underwhelmed me. I thought his vocal delivery was unconvincing, and aside from a few standout tracks the subject matter of the lyrics didn't thrill me either. This record had a severe case of "featured artists overshadowing MC" throughout. I felt like the skits took away from the flow of the album, and the rendition of I'll Fly Away that appears early on the record didn't seem to add anything either. I did like the storytelling on the final track, on paper it seems like a really self-indulgent idea but I found it really engaging.
Highlight tracks: Spaceship, Slow Jamz, Through the Wire

Late Registration - Enjoyed this one a good bit more. I feel like the lyrical content had a decent step up, and the inclusion of strings on some of the beats was a welcome addition. The skits on this one worked much better than the previous record, the broke frat boys were fun.
Highlight tracks: Touch the Sky, My Way Home, Roses

Graduation - I honestly don't have much to say about this one. I thought it was fairly bland and uninteresting compared to the other two records. Very forgettable, except that I know I really didn't enjoy Stronger. The beat from a compositional standpoint is an incredibly lazy use of a sample, and it doesn't help that I'm not a Daft Punk fan to begin with. Hopefully this'll be the black sheep for me and I'll jump back on the train with 808s & Heartbreak.

come fight me about my opinions i dare you

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This weekend I also bought a reissue of Slint's Spiderland (+ a ton of other records that i will blab about once they arrive) that came with the Breadcrumb Trail documentary. I had seen it before, but it's nice to have a copy of it to go with the album. Gave Ryanson the download code that came with it and made him listen through it with me after our trilogy marathon. It really does just get better with every listen, if I had a top 5 albums list it'd be in there

MID-NOVEMBER LISTENING UPDATE BECAUSE I'D HAVE TO BREAK A FULL MONTH INTO CHAPTERS

Listened to 41 so far albums this month, made a "bigger is better" collage to show everything.

Curtis Amy/Dupree Bolton - Katanga! (USA, 1963, Jazz) Album art made me expect tribal/spiritual "out there" jazz, got some good ol' bop instead. Not a single musician I've heard of before on here, but I might have to explore Curtis Amy's other records after this.
Highlight tracks: Katanga, Native Land

Oregon - Winter Light (USA, 1974, Jazz Fusion) Oboe, bass clarinet, classical/12-string guitar, dulcimer, sitar, & some gosh-dang TABLA. This record's got some good grooves.
Highlight tracks: Margueritte, Tide Pool

Nara Leao - Dez anos depois (Brazil, 1971, Bossa Nova/MPB) Beauitfully crafted Bossa Nova with one of the best voices I've ever heard come out of Brazil. It's intimate, cozy, & relaxing. I'd go out and buy it if the cheapest vinyl on Discogs was less than $80.
Highlight tracks: Samba de uma nota só, Bonita, Fotografia

Bootsy Collins - World Wide Funk (USA, 2017, Funk) Bootsy's still kickin' it and FUNKIN' IT UP. This thing is a blast, way better than I honestly expected it to be. With guest appearances like Buckethead, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Eric Gales, & Mr. Talkbox, it's hard NOT to have fun listening to this.
Highlight tracks: Bass Rigged System, Pusherman, Come Back Bootsy

Also discovered JAPO records, which was a little German jazz label that eventually got bought by ECM. Listened to a couple of releases from them and they all seem to be from fairly unique groups with some solid recordings to offer. Definitely planning on digging deeper into their catalog.

Oh, and here's some of my fav records I bought this month:

At 11/12/17 11:20 PM, Oolaph wrote: come fight me about my opinions i dare you

first of all how dare u

The College Dropout - Kanye himself really underwhelmed me.

Kanye doesn't have the strongest voice but that never really bothers me with anyone. He's talking about stuff he cares about without taking anything too seriously and dropping some seriously quotable lines, that's enough for me. I disagree that he's overshadowed also, without looking at the album the only features I can name off the top of my head are Jay Z and Syleena Johnson, where I could name most if not all of the features on MBDTF and some of the later records (and still don't feel 'Ye is overpowered on those either). Kanye's attitude is what drives the whole thing

I'll Fly Away doesn't really add anything but I always find myself singing along when it comes on. I never thought much about its inclusion to be honest. *shrug*

Last Call is great, I don't often listen to it all the way through but I'm glad it's there, the album's already long enough that is just feels like a bonus. Kanye obviously isn't known for being humble but back then the sort of openness needed to make that track is arguably what put him on the map. It's also kinda neat how the beat stays simple but the samples change to reflect how he feels along the journey. Also "African-American Express."

Highlight tracks: Spaceship, Slow Jamz, Through the Wire

uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh how about All Falls Down, We Don't Care, Jesus Walks, Workout Plan, School Spirit? All Falls Down is an absolute GOAT level rap single - the lyrics, Syleena's voice, it's perfect, and then Jesus Walks has to be up there as potentially the coolest christian song ever recorded. School Spirit isn't that acclaimed but it's always been one of my favourites, particularly for the line I finished school, and I started my own business / They say, 'Oh you graduated?' / Nah, I decided I was finished.

Good shout to Through the Wire though. That was his first single and the one that convinced roc-a-fella to let him make his own album as a rapper and not just a producer. After staying up 'til 3am making beats for someone else he fell asleep at the wheel, was in a near-fatal crash and his jaw had to be reconstructed, Through the Wire was recorded a couple weeks later with his jaw still wired shut (though the album version is a re-recording).

It's not just a great song, but as far as breakout/debut singles go the story behind it is hard to beat. He worked so hard to get taken seriously it almost killed him, and when he got the chance to do a single he doesn't waste any time recovering and instead turns his injury into the whole basis of a dope track. Wearing his weakness on his sleeve like that, turning a disadvantage into a strength kinda defines the album I think, and the whole early-Kanye MO.

Late Registration - Enjoyed this one a good bit more.
Highlight tracks: Touch the Sky, My Way Home, Roses

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

No love for Hey Mama? Possibly his greatest song and one of my all time favourites in general. If that one didn't hit you a lot of his later highlights probably won't land either. I'm not expecting you to like 808's at all at this point. Heard 'em Say was another big favourite of mine when I first started listening to Ye.

Also the strings on Gone are absolute bliss, it's one of my favourite rap songs ever from a production standpoint.

Graduation - I honestly don't have much to say about this one.

I don't love Graduation but I enjoy listening through it at this point. Good Morning, Champion, I Wonder (other than that one line - "somethin' in your blouse got me feelin so arous'd"), Good Life, Flashing Lights, Everything I Am are all solid tracks imo, though none of them would make the list of my favourite Kanye songs.

I enjoy Stronger as well when I listen to the album though it's nothing impressive. I think that's still his biggest single which is a shame, before I got into 'Ye I'd wrote him off as kinda shit based on that song and I remember pointing to it as an example of why sampling is bullshit before I realized how many great songs make use of it. I can appreciate it as a pop single and the obsessive perfectionism behind it, but it wouldn't be anywhere near my Kanye best-of list either. "There's a thousand yous and only one of me" is a dope line though.

Brockhampton really hadn't impressed me much so far, but I am god damn ADDICTED to their new track. Fire doesn't even describe this shit, it's crack cocaine.

BROCKHAMPTON - BOOGIE

At 12/14/17 04:17 PM, Jackho wrote: Brockhampton really hadn't impressed me much so far, but I am god damn ADDICTED to their new track. Fire doesn't even describe this shit, it's crack cocaine.

BROCKHAMPTON - BOOGIE

I haven't really listened to Brockhampton outside of a few tracks, but what I've heard has been pretty fun. Maybe I should dive in and do a FULL TRILOGY MARATHON sometime soon.

Also I'd do another big "new listens" post that nobody reads but it would be extra irrelevant and boring because I've been almost exclusively listening to obscure emotive hardcore bands, which has greatly influenced my recent vinyl purchases.

At 12/15/17 10:29 PM, Oolaph wrote: I haven't really listened to Brockhampton outside of a few tracks, but what I've heard has been pretty fun. Maybe I should dive in and do a FULL TRILOGY MARATHON sometime soon.

Boogie is by far the best song they've come out with imo. I like a good few of their songs (Gold in particular) but none of the records have blown me away as a whole.

My absolute favourite track from the whole group is actually from one of Kevin's solo albums.

Kevin Abstract - Empty

I'd do another "new listens" post but it would be extra irrelevant and boring because I've been almost exclusively listening to obscure emotive hardcore bands

BUT THAT'S THE MOST RELEVANT GENRE OF ALL

HAVEN'T MADE A STUPIDLY BIG POST IN A LITTLE WHILE SO GUESS IT'S TIME TO RAMBLE ABOUT THINGS

- I did do that Brockhampton trilogy marathon a few weeks ago, had a lot of fun. They have a great mix of personalities and while i honestly didn't listen too deep to a lot of the lyrics, their performances alone kept me 100% engaged throughout. My only "complaint" is that the soft pop tunes felt really underdeveloped and lazy, I think they could've put a little more time and effort into crafting those a bit deeper, but within the context of the tracklists they served their purposes well enough. These albums are still my go-to when I'm in a hip-hop mood, so that's saying something I guess. also SATURATION II > I > III

- Jeff Rosenstock came out with another record: POST-. I've given it a handful of listens now, while a lot of the tracks are STRONG, I think it's a little uneven compared to Worry and We Cool?. It hasn't gotten into my SOUL yet, but it might work its way in there.

- Been relistening to Wayne Shorter's discography (including the Miles Davis records he played on and Weather Report) while I read his biography, and even though I already loved his work, I've gone back and re-rated some of his albums higher. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite jazz personalities and composers.

- Fighting Wayne on the way to the top is John Mclaughlin, though. After reading about In a Silent Way in the biography and relistening to it, I got a real itch for the ol' Mahavishnu. Bought 5 records of his within the span of two weeks and I've been watching a bunch of live footage too. Love this guy.

- Julian Casablancas & The Voidz came out with some new singles from their upcoming record. I loved Tyranny, and I'm absolutely hyped for this new album. The single Leave it in My Dreams sounded very similar to The Strokes' last EP (which i also enjoyed), and I was a little worried that they were going a bit softer and dropping some of that dissonant, rough around the edges sound that they flaunted before, but then THAT HARMONIZED GUITAR LINE came in sounding outside as fuck, and I felt at home again. QYURRYUS is a synthy hit that eased any worry that they were dropping their "warped '80s nostalgia" sound. We got dark vibes, wobbly bass synth, and a rippin' vocoder. Loving it.

- Phil Elverum announced a follow-up album to A Crow Looked at Me and has released a song (maybe more by now) off of it, but I haven't given it any ear time yet. I pre-ordered the vinyl and I'm going to hold out on any previews so I can sit down and cry to it in one nice 44-minute block.

- Caught up on King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard's 5 albums they released in 2017. I had listened to Microtonal Flying Banana when it was released, but didn't keep up with their stuff after that until last week. Enjoyed all the records, and each one felt pretty unique without feeling like empty gimmicks which is a pretty great feat considering the speed they were put out at. Flying Banana remains my favorite, and the soundscapes on Murder of the Universe were great too. I should go back and listen to their earlier stuff too at some point.

- THROW ME SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, GUYS. Share a favorite of yours that I've been missing out on, or force me to listen to something shitty that I might like because I'm not picky and probably have shit taste to begin with. My backlog is almost down to 60 artists, practically empty at this point.

also i've filled up a second cube and will apparently have to put my christmas movie collection back in storage to make room for the records i have in the mail

At 1/29/18 11:42 AM, Oolaph wrote: - I did do that Brockhampton trilogy marathon a few weeks ago, had a lot of fun.

Fly as a jet, boy u better treat me w/ respec

They've also got a debut full length album/mixtape/whatever released before Saturation, if you want more. I haven't listened to it yet either.

- THROW ME SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, GUYS. Share a favorite of yours that I've been missing out on, or force me to listen to something shitty that I might like because I'm not picky and probably have shit taste to begin with. My backlog is almost down to 60 artists, practically empty at this point.

RUN THE JEWELS TRILOGY with Killer Mike's 'RAP Music' as an optional prologue. Ronald Reagan was an actor, not at all a factor.

Also Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition

Also Joyce Manor's self titled if you haven' heard it

So theneedledrop re-reviewed Kanye's The Life of Pablo and upped his score from 6/10 to 8/10, and now considers it one of his favourite albums of 2016 and the best thing Kanye has done in the last decade. In all his years of reviewing that's something he's never done before, but he cites all the updates and changes to the album as changing his mind so it is a special case.

Pablo is the one Kanye record that I agreed with TND's score on, it really underwhelmed me, but the original release mix is the only one I'd heard & video this got me all excited to re-listen and hear a whole new record.

My verdict: Eh. The changes are honestly pretty minor. I think he's using the updates as an excuse when in reality his opinion just did a straight up 180, which is fine, but it's disingenuous to act like the updates changed the album that much. He also calls Saint Pablo one of the best tracks, when at release he said it has the worst lyrics on the album.

I guess I do appreciate the album a little more now. I dismissed a lot of the tracklist as being just limp pop-rap, but it is more experimental and risky than I initially gave it credit for, and I do like the subtle tug-of-war layout where songs alternate between Kanye's desire to be a good christian and family man, and his struggle with egotism, paranoia, vices and mental illness. It's not the lazy unfinished record that I remember it as, but I still don't enjoy most of the tracks at all.

Considering Dark Fantasy, Yeezus and Pablo all had similar mediocre review scores from Anthony I'm baffled that TLOP is the one he thought deserved a re-review. Keep on being wrong u fuckin music melon.

At 1/30/18 04:07 PM, Jackho wrote: RUN THE JEWELS TRILOGY with Killer Mike's 'RAP Music' as an optional prologue. Ronald Reagan was an actor, not at all a factor.

Another HIP-HOP TRILOGY MARATHON was had. Loud & crazy. Tons o' fun, but outside of a few tracks nothing really stuck with me too well. Will listen to Killer Mike eventually.

Also Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition

LOVE his vocal style, and Pneumonia & Dancing in the Water really got me groovin'. Most of the beats were pretty underwhelming but that HOT SPIT saved it for me. The features on here didn't really add much flavor either. Will probably jump into his other stuff + give this another spin sometime soon just to hear more of his voice.

Also Joyce Manor's self titled if you haven' heard it

Listened to this as well as Never Hungover Again. As an EMO AFICIONADO these guys didn't really wow me but I liked 'em enough to put another LP of theirs on right after so good enough I guess. Maybe I should re-listen.

At 2/11/18 09:09 AM, goofried wrote: Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth

Really liked this record. Quiet, quaint, sorta cute but at the same time a little haunting. This shit is BARE BONES and I love it, such a stripped back and minimal soundscape made for a really refreshing listening experience. The synth interludes almost feel like a post-punk version of dungeon synth.

Terminal Cheesecake - Herbal Space Flight

The PEDALING ROMP of a jam you linked didn't send me to another world, but their sound really intrigued me so I jumped into their record Angels in Pigtails and that was a good listen. They're loud and chaotic but it wasn't fatiguing.

Drop Nineteens - Kick The Tragedy

Been a little while since I listened to shoegaze-y stuff, so this felt good. After this track I just went ahead and listened to the full album. Most of the tracks blend together but I guess that goes with the genre.

=== NEW RELEASE REACTIONS BELOW ===

-With Room Inside the World being released I decided to stop ignoring OUGHT and ooooooooooooooooooooo I've been listening to them pretty much non-stop for the last week.

-Jazz guitar child prodigy JULIAN LAGE released his new album Modern Lore, big disappointment coming off of his earlier records. These compositions feel so half-baked compared to the songs he has played in the past. Maybe they play better live, but these recordings are not thrilling me.

-Jazzy post-rocky Japanesey band JIZUE came out with Story. Another lacking release IMHOYGCAWMBIASP (in my honest opinion you guys can't argue with me because it's a subjective preference!!!). They mostly retreaded the same compositional ideas they ran through on Novel and Journal, even to the point of using the same chord voicings in the same key and simply changing the order of the chord changes. I still love their sound so I don't dislike it, and hey if Iron Maiden can successfully use the same VI-VII-i progression for 30 years I guess I can forgive Jizue for staying in their comfort zone on a record.

-I submitted the second of 2 ratings on SZYMON MIKA's 2016 album Unseen, a pretty standard guitar-led trio album but he has a nice ear & touch.

-For some reason i decided to give TYLER THE CREATOR's Flower Boy a listen. huuuuuuuuuuuuge improvement from his previous releases. A lot more varied and creative than I was expecting. Not a MASTERPIECE 10/10, but I actually enjoyed this a good bit. I was surprised to hear him singing on these tracks, but I think it's p cool that he's giving it a shot. Obviously he's not the best singer on a technical level, but it works well for the tracks.

At 2/18/18 03:26 PM, Oolaph wrote:

At 1/30/18 04:07 PM, Jackho wrote: RUN THE JEWELS TRILOGY

Another HIP-HOP TRILOGY MARATHON was had. Loud & crazy. Tons o' fun, but outside of a few tracks nothing really stuck with me too well.

Runnin' the Jewels of the game, whippin' the mix is like chickens of caine

I find these guys infinitely re-listenable. I think they're already #3 or #4 on last.fm on my all time top listened after discovering them probably only about 6 months back. I listened to the first half of RTJ3 every day for like 3 months straight. Talk To Me, Legend Has It and Call Ticketron are like the perfect trio, and Thieves, 2100, Thursday etc. can still give me chills. Though I don't think there's a bad track across all three records (other than Blockbuster Night pt. 2 which is thankfully just a bonus track exclusive to itunes).

I have a real hard time deciding which of the three I like more. I don't know anyone else in the rap game who's this consistently brilliant. Close Your Eyes I think might also have the most infectious beat I've ever heard. From the interviews I've seen they both seem like interesting, genuine bois as well who don't take themselves too seriously.

Also Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition

LOVE his vocal style, and Pneumonia & Dancing in the Water really got me groovin'.

I had a hypestroke first time I heard Dance in the Water. Same when Danny comes on Hey Kids on RTJ3.

Most of the beats were pretty underwhelming

oof, lies! Them beats are hecking wild on that whole record

Also Joyce Manor's self titled if you haven' heard it

Listened to this as well as Never Hungover Again. As an EMO AFICIONADO these guys didn't really wow me but I liked 'em enough to put another LP of theirs on right after so good enough I guess. Maybe I should re-listen.

Of All Thing I Will Soon Grow Tired is my second fav release of theirs after their self titled even though it's only like 12 dang minutes long. Everything after that hasn't really clicked yet. I'd have categorized S/T slightly closer to punk than to emo though, I got the impression their later releases lean much heavier into the emo influence, so if that's what you're after you might like those more.

Even their S/T took a little while to grow on me, I thought it was just alright at first but the super short length made it appealing to stick on between other records and before I knew it I'm reflexively yelling along with every lyric and wishing every song was twice as long.

WHEN YOU AAAACHE THROUGH THE DAYS, CAUSE YOU'LL NEVER MEND YOUUUR WAYS.

I cannot get enough of that guitar riff on Famous Friend also.

(pic is Killer Mike & El P - fuckboys know the combination ain't healthy)

what's the best Brockhampton track and why is it QUEER?

WATCHA LIP, BAYBE

trick question BOOGIE is still the actual best track no lie jus faxxx

BUMP. POST YOUR LAST 7 DAYS.

At 10/16/18 04:47 PM, sumidiotdude wrote: BUMP. POST YOUR LAST 7 DAYS.

Here's a 30 day instead. Same as it ever was.

Three Cheers for Disappointment is an excellent album and everyone should listen to it.

It has been about a year since I was here. Just recently got back into it. What did I miss?

happy holidays last.fm crew

Haven't listened to a lot of music in the past week