At 3/16/14 03:33 PM, Dr-Worm wrote: Btw, to drum up interest in AotW it might be a good idea to @ mention some people who aren't regulars in this thread but are definitely into music and might be interested in getting involved (I mean, I basically found it by accident). The regulars over on the "Post music, rate the one above" thread in General might be a good place to start.

I was thinking about that, but I thought it might be a bit rude to pester people with reply notifications if they aren't interested. I guess I'll give it a shot next time and see how it goes.

At 3/16/14 02:43 PM, Oolaph wrote: Turns out @Snuff is the man of the week! Different genre, different decade, have fun, blah blah blah.

In that case I reckon I'm going to have to go with Human Hearts by Maritime.

I've only been listening to them since the start of the year but they're already in my top 20 with 1,200 plays so hopefully they have the same effect on some of you guys here.

It's sort of alt/indie rock whatever you want to call it I really don't know but it's one of the best and most addictive albums I've listened to in a very long time from a very under-appreciated band that I think everybody should give a chance.

It's only 34 minutes or so, so not much of a commitment to make.

I hope you all enjoy it.

At 3/18/14 02:32 AM, Sekhem wrote:

At 3/17/14 11:48 AM, Snuff wrote: I hope you all enjoy it.

I certainly did. I've never listened to Maritime before, but it had the bassist of one of my favorite indie rock bands - The Dismemberment Plan. I'm a little disappointed to find out he left before this album, but I'll go listen to Maritime's first two albums later. It's not as good, in terms of lyrics/songwriting, as the Dismemberment Plan, but it's somewhat similar and really amps up the mood with shoegaze-y passages and just atmospheric arrangements. It's really good background music.

I've yet to listen to The Dismemberment Plan though I do plan to. Thoughy I've listened to Cap'n Jazz and The Promise Ring who I like a lot too. It's a nice history all leading up to now with Maritime.

Davey's song writing is fantastic too.

Standout track: Faint of Hearts

Definitely. That and Annihilation Eyes are my two favourites on the album and probably overall. It's a fantastically written and performed song.

I definitely recommend going back to the older albums, We, The Vehicles especially, they have a great discography.

At 3/17/14 11:48 AM, Snuff wrote: I hope you all enjoy it.

Just finished listening to this one so here is my knee-jerk reaction. I haven't listened to this band before, but I'm a big fan of Cap'n Jazz and The Promise Ring so it was cool to find out the connection between them.

Anyways, really enjoyable album! It's all well produced and has some nice songwriting. The different instrumentation was nice as well, the occasional synth/keys really added to the overall sound. Most of the songs were really upbeat and left me in a good mood, especially the instrumental outro on the last track. The whole album is very reminiscent of recent Appleseed Cast albums.

Favorite songs were Out Numbering and Apple of My Irony.

At 3/20/14 09:53 PM, SineRider wrote:

Just finished listening to this one so here is my knee-jerk reaction. I haven't listened to this band before, but I'm a big fan of Cap'n Jazz and The Promise Ring so it was cool to find out the connection between them.

Anyways, really enjoyable album! It's all well produced and has some nice songwriting. The different instrumentation was nice as well, the occasional synth/keys really added to the overall sound. Most of the songs were really upbeat and left me in a good mood, especially the instrumental outro on the last track. The whole album is very reminiscent of recent Appleseed Cast albums.

Favorite songs were Out Numbering and Apple of My Irony.

I'm glad to hear a few of you are enjoying the album. It's definitely the fasted an album has grown on me in a long time.

I agree with the outro too, Apple of my Irony is a fantastic song to have at the end of the album, especially with the instrumental ending too.

I'm a massive fan of Davey's song writing and I would definitely recommend anybody who enjoys Human Hearts go back to look at the older stuff like We, The Vehicles.

This was a really nice listen, though that was expected since I enjoy pretty much anything Bohlen touches. They did a good job of using constantly varying instrumentation without things losing focus or direction, which I really appreciate.

At 3/18/14 02:32 AM, Sekhem wrote: Standout track: Faint of Hearts

I definitely agree with you here, the way the song would build up really set it apart from the rest of the album which for the most part was pretty consistent in dynamics before that.

Even though I enjoyed the album, most of it didn't really stick with me very much, but it might grow on me with more listens. I'll probably give the rest of their discography a try next week. Thanks for the pick, Snuff. I'm not really sure why I didn't listen to this group earlier.

At 3/21/14 06:17 PM, Oolaph wrote:

I definitely agree with you here, the way the song would build up really set it apart from the rest of the album which for the most part was pretty consistent in dynamics before that.

It's definitely one of their all time best songs in my opinion, and as you say it definitely stands out from the rest.

Even though I enjoyed the album, most of it didn't really stick with me very much, but it might grow on me with more listens. I'll probably give the rest of their discography a try next week. Thanks for the pick, Snuff. I'm not really sure why I didn't listen to this group earlier.

I found that at first. I was first recommended them in December but the album didn't really stick, though I gave it a few more goes in January and now I'd definitely class them as one of my favourite bands.

The album kind of reminded me of acts like Wild Nothing or other shoegazy type stuff with the guitars but the vocals were a lot more engaging than shoegaze or dreampop vocals usually are. It was a bit same-y for some stretches it feels a little long listening from beginning to end but overall it's a better version of some of the more mainstream alt rock acts.

Gave the Maritime album a few listens throughout the week. I thought it was pretty good, straightforward indie rock, so pleasant and unassuming that it occasionally threatens to be boring but mostly avoids that trap. The back half is definitely better and more interesting than the earlier songs, and I agree with the rest of you that "Faint of Hearts" is the big standout of the album. "Apple of My Irony" is a good song but god is that title atrocious.

And I didn't realize the band had a such a strong pedigree until I looked them up after listening. Members of Cap'n Jazz (which I love, though they don't seem to be much of an influence here), The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. Whoa.

Also I spent a while trying to figure out where I'd heard this music before, until I realized "It's Casual" was used as the theme song of sorts for A.V. Undercover for a couple years. So that's cool I guess.

At 3/23/14 02:31 AM, Dr-Worm wrote: Gave the Maritime album a few listens throughout the week. I thought it was pretty good, straightforward indie rock, so pleasant and unassuming that it occasionally threatens to be boring but mostly avoids that trap. The back half is definitely better and more interesting than the earlier songs, and I agree with the rest of you that "Faint of Hearts" is the big standout of the album. "Apple of My Irony" is a good song but god is that title atrocious.

Strangely enough I think it's a fantastic album title and a brilliant song on top of it. Considering it's all about grow older and never having enough time I'd say it's quite fitting too. But obviously it's down to opinion.

Also I spent a while trying to figure out where I'd heard this music before, until I realized "It's Casual" was used as the theme song of sorts for A.V. Undercover for a couple years. So that's cool I guess.

I've just watched through a couple, looks like they had Someone Has To Die as the opening music for some of the older ones as well which is pretty cool. This seems like a cool concept, I'll probably watch through a lot of them.

The randomiser has selected @Sekhem to choose this week's album! In order to keep things fresh, the record you pick should be from a different genre and decade than last week's, but I'm sure you know that already.

and now a bunch of @ mentions including some people that don't regularly come to this thread but should definitely participate because they're cool dudes

@Dr-Worm
@Dromedary
@Gobblemeister
@Innermike
@Jay
@JaY11
@Jester
@Makeshift
@Natick
@Otto
@Ryanson
@Sekhem
@Sense-Offender
@Sinerider
@Slint
@Snuff
@TehSlapHappy
@Viper

At 3/24/14 05:34 PM, Sekhem wrote:

This week's album: DIMENSION INTRUSION by FUSE

This kind of music is quite literally the polar opposite of what you might call 'my kind of music', so I found it pretty difficult to find parts that I enjoyed or that even interested me.

That's not to say it's a bad album by any means, it's just unfortunately something that doesn't really appeal to me at all. At 76 minutes it was pretty tough to get through as well, but there's not really too much point in me writing a review of something I can't really appreciate.

I imagine everyone else here will enjoy this much more than I did.

so essentially don't listen to me

I don't have a Last.fm, but I will check if I can listen to this Fuse album anywhere since Oolaph got me here.

At 3/26/14 07:35 PM, Sense-Offender wrote: I don't have a Last.fm, but I will check if I can listen to this Fuse album anywhere since Oolaph got me here.

You don't have to have a Last.fm account to participate in the album of the week thing, we just do it in here because this club was pretty much dead and it seemed better than starting a whole new one.

Just listened to Dimension Intrusion, and I enjoyed it for the most part. Hawtin did a wonderful job of creating an atmospheric and engaging soundscape on every track of this record. The straight forward, constantly bumping rhythm of the tracks gives the whole album a very fluid and consistent vibe. I did feel like the album was lacking in melody, though. I can't think of a single progression or pattern that stuck with me or interested me at all, but in a way I guess that only adds to the 'spaced out' vibe the album has.

So in short, while I do appreciate what was done on this album I doubt I'll be coming back to it any time soon. Thanks for the pick, it gave me an opportunity to get a taste of '90s techno which is something I haven't given nearly enough of a chance.

I actually really liked Dimension Instrusion

I don't know if 'challenging' is the right word for it since to me it's just techno music it's not that crazy but each track stands out in its own way but there's a really strong aesthetic consistent throughout; It's very ENTERING THE NEW FRONTIER!!!! in that sense but not in a campy way and I think it's actually really cool. I feel like this album stands out to me in the way albums like Ape of Naples or No Way Down do in that it's got such a unique feel to it that I know I won't get the same out of any other album.

Most def going to be coming back to this one I think

hellooo, haven't been on this site in 4 years...how is everyone?

any way my last fm http://www.last.fm/user/LOLIMKEWL
haven't had my scrobbler on lately but ive been looking for new music

as of late ive been listening to godspeed you black emperor, Lil B, King crimson, and hank williams.

At 3/30/14 01:13 AM, LOLIMKEWL wrote:

as of late ive been listening to godspeed you black emperor, Lil B, King crimson, and hank williams.

Your musical compatibility with LOLIMKEWL is SUPER
Music you have in common includes Lil B, Between the Buried and Me, Brand New, Andrew Jackson Jihad and Deafheaven.

Other than your username I imagine we're going to be friends.

that last fm profile pic....thank you based god!

Your musical compatibility with LOLIMKEWL is SUPER
Music you have in common includes Lil B, Between the Buried and Me, Death Grips, Queens of the Stone Age and Danny Brown.

Your musical compatibility with LOLIMKEWL is Low
Music you have in common includes MF DOOM, Neutral Milk Hotel, Madvillain, Death Grips and Dead Kennedys.

obviously you need to get some better taste B)

Also this week's picker is @Gobblemeister, our first person to get a second turn! Different genre, different decade, gotta keep it fresh yo etc.

At 3/31/14 06:35 PM, Oolaph wrote:

Your musical compatibility with LOLIMKEWL is Low
Music you have in common includes MF DOOM, Neutral Milk Hotel, Madvillain, Death Grips and Dead Kennedys.

obviously you need to get some better taste B)

Also this week's picker is @Gobblemeister, our first person to get a second turn! Different genre, different decade, gotta keep it fresh yo etc.

Neat

This week i've picked Tracy Chapman's self titled debut

Hope you all like it!

Yo, my last fm is: http://www.last.fm/user/kirbijackson7

As you can probably tell, Biffy Clyro are my favourite band.. I listen to pretty much anything though. I'll be checking out Tracy Chapman's self titled now.

So I listened to the Tracy Chapman album and I thought it was pretty cool. The instrumentation can be a little bland and at times makes the album teeter on the edge of sounding like something you could buy at Starbucks, but the album has two big saving graces that make things much more interesting. First of all, there's the acute social consciousness of Chapman's lyrics. Throughout the album she deftly tackles issues of race and class in a way that's direct without being preachy (except I guess for "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution," but there that's kind of the point seeing as it's an old-school anthemic protest song, and a pretty good one at that). Second, obviously, there's Chapman's unique and powerful low singing voice. It reminds me a little of the more recent work of Mavis Staples.

So even though "Fast Car" is the catchier, more obvious standout track, I think the highlight of the album for me might be the spare "Behind the Wall," which takes full advantage of both aspects I talked about and strips everything else away entirely, to great, haunting effect.

Listened to Tracy Chapman's self-titled today. I've heard plenty of songs from this record before, but hearing them all together on the album really gives them a whole new weight and feeling. Her lyrics across the entire album feel very sincere, you can tell that she's truly trying to convey a message with these songs and does so very convincingly with her unique and memorable voice. This is an album for getting up early in the morning and sombrely drinking coffee to.

At 4/5/14 08:19 PM, Dr-Worm wrote: So even though "Fast Car" is the catchier, more obvious standout track, I think the highlight of the album for me might be the spare "Behind the Wall," which takes full advantage of both aspects I talked about and strips everything else away entirely, to great, haunting effect.

I can definitely get behind that. The other stand-out track for me was Mountain O' Things, the instrumentation on that was well put together and really helped break up the fairly run-of-the-mill and samey instrumentals that the album has one pretty much every other track.

Since @Dr-Worm was the only other one to participate, I guess that makes him this week's picker! You know how it goes, and pick somethin' good for us.

At 4/7/14 05:32 PM, Oolaph wrote: Since @Dr-Worm was the only other one to participate, I guess that makes him this week's picker! You know how it goes, and pick somethin' good for us.

Woo! This was actually pretty difficult because so many of the things I would have picked are from the same decade as last week's, but I guess this week (unless you guys are cooler than I thought and have all listened to it already, in which case I have some backups) we'll listen to:

Big Star - #1 Record (1972)

Big Star, sadly unappreciated during the band's brief lifetime but now rightfully revered by a large cult audience, is pretty much indisputably the best power pop band of all time. Shepherded by the creative forces of Chris Bell and Alex Chilton, the band's songs are alternately suffused with both youthful pop exuberance and an undercurrent of yearning and melancholy. They may not have the universal recognition and acclaim of some other bands' albums, but #1 Record and Radio City (and, okay @Slint, maybe Third) are true pop masterpieces that deserve to be held up there with the best of the best. To quote The Replacements, "I never travel far without a little Big Star."

And even if you're not familiar with the band's music there's a good chance you'll recognize one of the songs on this album from somewhere else...

At 4/7/14 09:57 PM, Dr-Worm wrote: Big Star - #1 Record (1972)

8/10 album. I TOLD YOU THIRD IS BETTER. Next time you're going to get it nerd.

Anyway, this album is really good, you guys should definitely listen to it. Thirteen gives me massive feels.

Other highlights for me are Feel, Don't Lie To Me and When My Baby's Beside Me.

My first contact with Big Star was with Third I think, so that might have something to do with it. It sounded so different from that era, since I expected another band jacking off with guitars while singing in a relatively high pitched voice. Instead what I got was excellent songwritting and good lyrics. THANK YOU BASED CHILTON.

At 4/7/14 10:11 PM, Slint wrote: 8/10 album. I TOLD YOU THIRD IS BETTER. Next time you're going to get it nerd.

FWIW I almost picked The Frogs' It's Only Right and Natural, so you guys should consider yourselves lucky.

Anyway, this album is really good, you guys should definitely listen to it. Thirteen gives me massive feels.

Yeah man. "If it's so, well let me know / if it's no, well I can go." Oof, right in the memory.

Chris Bell's You and Your Sister (with Chilton on backing vocals!) might be even more heartbreaking.

Other highlights for me are Feel, Don't Lie To Me and When My Baby's Beside Me.

The highlights for me are everything that isn't "The India Song." But especially "Thirteen," "Ballad of El Goodo," and "Feel."

Though clearly the all-time best Big Star track (and really one of the best pop songs of, like, the 20th century) is September Gurls. Actually I waffle back and forth on liking Radio City better than #1 Record overall, I just picked the latter because I think it's a better introduction to the band, plus it's the only album with the full original lineup.

At 4/8/14 02:20 AM, Dr-Worm wrote: FWIW I almost picked The Frogs' It's Only Right and Natural, so you guys should consider yourselves lucky.

Jesus christ dr. worm.

Anyway, this album is really good, you guys should definitely listen to it. Thirteen gives me massive feels.

Yeah man. "If it's so, well let me know / if it's no, well I can go." Oof, right in the memory.

For me it's the WON'T YOU LET ME WALK YOU HOME FROM SCHOOL. Not because I actually did that, but that time of innocence and discovery and first love is like a punch in the gut.

Chris Bell's You and Your Sister (with Chilton on backing vocals!) might be even more heartbreaking.

When I come back I'll definitely listen to this.

The highlights for me are everything that isn't "The India Song." But especially "Thirteen," "Ballad of El Goodo," and "Feel."

Oh man that song. I do like it, but everytime it came up I had to check my iPod to see what it was, it felt so out of place.

Though clearly the all-time best Big Star track (and really one of the best pop songs of, like, the 20th century) is September Gurls.

As much as I love September Gurls and Radio City, my favourite Big Star song is probably Kizza Me for how fun and well written it is, or Big Black Car, for being one of the saddest songs I've heard and being really good. Or You Get What You Deserve.
By the way, you know of any tabs of You Get What You Deserve? I always wanted to learn that song, but I'm terrible at picking up by hear.