Altar of Plagues, “Feather and Bone”

Altar of Plauges didn’t last very long, producing three albums, but the last two of those are masterpieces of metal. Fusing black metal with post-rock aesthetics, rooted in a willingness to let a song stretch out and breathe, I’d actually recommend the third Altar of Plagues album (Teethed Glory and Injury) to someone who wanted to give uncompromising black metal an honest try. However, I actually think their second record (Mammal, which gives us today’s track) is slightly better. It’s just a lot to take in, with only four tracks, the shortest of which is 8:17. But if you have the patience, and meet it on its terms, it’s brilliant stuff.

Palace Brothers, “You Will Miss Me When I Burn”

A repeat, but remains a lovely tune.

Fuck The Facts, “Shadows Collide”

Long running Canadian grindcore artists Fuck the Facts cranked out Desire Will Rot in 2015, producing an album that is interesting not just because of the stretches of blast fury, but thanks to the interludes in-between. I find grindcore more interesting when it provides those moments of contrast, it helps the crazy tempos stand out even more.

Ulthar, “Through Downward Dynasties”

Periodically, I kind of take a step back and really try and focus on some of the stuff I listen to, and this is utterly ridiculous. Why do I like any death metal? This is bonkers!

The Beautiful South, “You Keep It All In”

The first Beautiful South record is the peak that the band hasn’t ever really approached since. The later records were certainly pleasant enough, and it’s all nice to listen to, but there’s enough of an edge to the songwriting on the first record that it stands out from the rest. That mix of sweet and sour is an important dynamic, and they manage it at times later on, but never as consistently.

The Beatles, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, blog goes on!

The Du-Rites, “Bite It”

A thing that must be a delight about being an instrumental funk band is coming up with song titles. “Bite It”, that’s outstanding!

Eagles of Death Metal, “Secret Plans”

Heart On finds the Eagles of Death Metal not exactly taking things seriously, but taking things more seriously than the previous records. The previous albums sounded totally like tongue-in-cheek satires, albeit well-executed ones. This one feels more like it’s a genuine love letter to glam rock than it is a send-up of it. I’m not sure I like it better, though.

Superchunk, “Mower”

Unlike with OutKast, I have a lot of trouble picking my favorite Superchunk album. No Pocky For Kitty was the first album I bought, and it’s top notch, and it’s a sentimental pick. Here’s Where The String Come In has Superchunk at their best blend of their energy and more mature songwriting, and it’s a fantastic record. And then there’s On The Mouth, today’s album, which is just rock solid back-to-front. I think it’s probably my most frequent pick, but I really do swap around quite a bit.

Mombu, “Orichas”

Mombu!!! [honking intesifies]

Bedhead, “The Unpredictable Landlord”

You know, a thing I do very little here is look at the lyrics of songs. That’s largely because I don’t really pay any attention to them. I like that they’re there, and I even learn to sing along to songs, but I don’t really pay any attention to what they’re saying mostly. Is lyrics blindness a thing?

Russian Circles, “Kohokia”

So, whatever! Let’s lose the lyrics! Thanks, Russian Circles! This song is about…uh, [googles Kohokia] a Russian Circles song.

Glorior Belli, “The Great Southern Darkness”

Glorior Belli are a black metal band out of France, but they fuse in a lot of other things to their sound. Like, for instance, the opening of this is really kind of a Soundgarden song. But, I’m not sure it all works. Like, when they pivot to the metal vocals here, it seems really forced. This album doesn’t really do it for me.

Whiskeytown, “16 Days”

Ryan Adams’ first foray into country, the first Whiskeytown record is alt-country only in the sense that it wasn’t made for pop-country radio. Other than that, it’s a country record in every sense. It’s a pretty good record, but I don’t find it as compelling as other alt-country acts, so it doesn’t get played very often.

The Du-Rites, “The Mean Machine”

Among the many reasons to love the Du-Rites is that they produce a steady stream of singles, which all consistently smoke. This is the a-side to one of those 7"s, and come on, that’s tasty.

The Orb, “Blue Room [Edit]”

The Orb’s U.F.Orb was a big hit for ambient house, which is still a relative measure, but still. Like all electronic albums that got big, there were a host of remix singles and things that were put out. This comes from one of those singles, and is a tidy 3:12 mix of the song. This same single includes a 40:00 mix of the song, in case you wanted more. You can simulate it by playing this track thirteen times in a row.

Neutral Milk Hotel, “Song Against Sex”

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is a record that sort of became a shibboleth among indie dorks, the sort of thing you had to pledge allegience to in order to fit in among certain crowds. Or make fun of, to piss off those indie dorks. But mostly, people don’t talk about the first Neutral Milk Hotel record, On Avery Island, which to my ears is pretty comparable. Sure, the second album is better, but I don’t think it’s so MUCH better to explain the different reputations.