Anything On Your Mind?
Well, I’m a bit adrift now. The whole yearly review thing was good for about 40 of these things, and now I have to actually tackle a different subject for this intro bit. I suppose I don’t really need to write anything substantial here, but I think it’s nice to have something before jumping in to the albums. I think doing some deep dives on bands, labels, maybe some genres might be fun. I did that Fugazi record ranking, a Melvins taxonomy, a separate deep-dive on the Melvins’ discography, and I’m sure others like those. So expect those kinds of subjects here, I suppose?
I guess there will be the occasional entry where I’m just kind of vamping in this space, the odd bit of aimless typing, the waste of time before we get to the albums stuff. Uh…
What Are You Listening To, Josh?
A sampling of albums that I’m playing regularly, whether older ones or newer ones. Just the things that I think are worth highlighting, and maybe you’d enjoy.
Wilco (The Album), Wilco
Alas, no proper trifecta (band, album, and song with the same name) on this, thanks to the parentheticals on the album and song. Close, though.
I go around in circles about my favorite Wilco album. Depending on the particular day, I might pick any of Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or Sky Blue Sky as my favorite record. It kind of depends on if I’m feeling more country, pop, noisy pop, or classic rock-y (respectively). Wilco (The Album) doesn’t ever really crack that rotation, it can’t quite compare with those four, but if I’m in a Summerteeth kind of mood, this album rises up. I think it’s probably the closest record to that one in their discography. I also think that after this record, things drop off a fair bit. It’s not that there aren’t things I like from their later records (and Cruel Country is a standout), but I also think that the records after this all blur together a bit to me. Which songs are on Ode To Joy or Schmilco or Cousin? Who knows? Certainly not me! (I know which songs are on Star Wars, that’s the one I don’t like.)
Pay Attention, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
It’s kind of funny - I was already a huge Bosstones fan long before they broke big, thanks to hearing “Where Did You Go” on 120 Minutes and jumping in from there. And so, when Let’s Face It got huge (driven by “The Impression That I Get”), I was excited to see one of my favorites make the big time. But after that record, the popular culture moved on quickly, both from the Bosstones and from ska generally. I’ve told that story plenty here, don’t worry, I won’t recap. But what is funny is that I also moved on from the Bosstones, even though I was a long-time fan. There’s no real reason to that. I still listened to ska, I still listened to the older albums. It’s just that by 2000, when Pay Attention was released to total indifference from the wider culture, I just maybe felt like I didn’t need more Bosstones. By way of contrast, fellow long-running Boston ska band Bim Skala Bim also released a record in 2000, Krinkle, and I think that album rules, it’s one of my favorites from them. So it really was a Bosstones thing.
I didn’t even pick up this record until, I think, 2005, when I bought it along with the one after it, A Jackknife To A Swan. And both of those records are pretty good! As good as their peak records? Well, no. But solid, and as good as Let’s Face It, I think. It’s kind of a shame that I didn’t pick it up and enjoy it at the time, and it’s also a shame that everybody else moved on so fast and just decided to turn the band with the dancer into a punchline.
Without A Sound, Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. already had an impressive legacy based on their 80s and 90s records, featuring some of the finest albums of the rock underground and a ton of influence on where music headed. Even if you kind of consider the Lou Barlow years as a different band, both iterations ripped. When the band released Hand It Over in 1997 and called it quits, their legacy was basically secure. But then Dinosaur Jr. pulled one of the most surprising revivals: not only did J. Mascis come back, but the full original lineup with Barlow and Murph came back. And the resulting albums are great! And they stuck together! It genuinely feels like a miracle for them to come back and be this good. At some point, you have to start thinking about where Dinosaur Jr. ranks among the best rock bands ever.
So, yeah, I’m listening to 1994’s Without a Sound a lot recently. I dunno, man, I’m sometimes a creature of habit. College casts a long shadow. Also, these were all pretty big bands I wrote about today. Ah well.
Let’s Talk New Releases
Records come out every week, and there’s no way to stay on top of them. This isn’t a comprehensive look at everything, just a few things that have caught my ears out of recent releases. Any impressions here are very early!
Pourquoi Ce Disque?, Doppler
According to the little bio on their label’s site, Doppler was a “defining act of the 1990s underground scene in France”. I have no idea about that, I’d never heard of them. But I’m also not exactly an expert on the French underground anything. Anyway, the band got back together, they made this record, and it smokes. Lithe, agile noise rock that is absolutely right up my alley. I’m going to see if I can track down the other two earlier LPs from them. [looks on Discogs, finds two copies of their first album with shipping costs of 80 Euro] Well fuck. [spends 30 seconds looking on Bandcamp] Hell yeah, brother.
The Terrifying Power of Bombardment, Kinetic Orbital Strike
Just pure power from this Philly hardcore act. Barking and pummeling. As subtle as a thrown battery. Sometimes, you want a blunt instrument.
Seongun, Yankee Bastard
No, this album doesn’t sound the same! You sound the same! This entry is over!
Five Random Songs
Yes, it’s the “classic” five random songs format. It’s been told before on this blog many times, but basically, on an old forum, people would post the last five songs their shuffle pulled up. I liked it, so I made it into a blog. And now, here we are.
“He’s An Oddball”, The Lewis Sisters
This is a Motown single from 1965, and without looking anything up, you gotta figure this was influenced by Bond themes? They were up to movie 4 by 1965, after all, including Goldfinger.
“Where Are They?”, Buck-o-Nine
This is the first track of the 1999 album from Buck-o-Nine, their fourth record and the last one that I have. Apparently they kept going, Discogs lists five more records from them including a 2025 release. So, huh. It turns out culture keeps moving when you stop watching it? Generally, they were a very good-natured ska-punk band, who got a little slower and poppier with each record. I think this album kind of crossed away from being interesting to me which is why I stopped paying much attention. I do like the earlier records and still do play them occasionally
(NB: I found a live version of the song, oh well.)
“Don’t Turn Out The Lights”, Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel made about a zillion basically identical records throughout the late 80s and 90s, centered on Ben Weasel’s snotty lyrics and delivery and the band’s utterly shameless Ramones worship. That’s maybe a little unfair, because the records can’t be identical as I actually have opinions on which ones are better than the others. Specifically, this one (their first for Lookout, 1991’s My Brain Hurts) and 1993’s Anthem For A New Tomorrow are the records that I think stand out. I guess as a better quality of Ramones knockoff?
“I’m A Coward”, They Might Be Giants
This is one of the songs from their Dial-a-Song revival that graduated to Glean, and it’s one of the better tunes on that record. I like the kind of lush, lounge-y vibes in the tune.
“Everybody Loves You”, Cop Shoot Cop
Actually, Cop Shoot Cop wouldn’t be a bad idea for a deep dive.
Josh, What Are You Doing Here?
I’m just writing about music. A structure like this blog helps me get my thoughts out, and it’s a way for me to explore my own music collection through various lenses. My sincere hope is that some folks out there find some new music they love. That’s all I’m up to. Sincere thanks to everybody who sends me feedback, with news that they’ve found a new favorite especially fun for me. There’s no monetization, no metrics, no ads, no promos, no nothing. Just some static web pages, some links, and my scribbling. If you want to support it, just shoot me a note! Thanks for reading.
Some Better Places To Learn About Music
Check these folks out, you’ll learn more for sure. In no particular order: To The Teeth, Wolf’s Week/Plague Rages, The Devil’s Mouth, Burning Ambulance, Lamniformes Cuneiform, Hex Records, See/Saw, Starkweather, Treble Magazine, The Quietus, Stereogum.