411

Philip Cochran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, “Malcolm X”

This is from a compilation called Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power - Underground Jazz, Street Funk & the Roots of Rap 1968-79, and, well…it’s pretty much that. I’m afraid I’m extra unqualified to talk about this album, but it’s outstanding.

They Might Be Giants, “Nanobots”

I always like it when TMBG build a chorus out of two distinct vocals lines like this. And the arrangement is lovely on this song, the horns adding a richness that really helps it stand out. Nanobots has too many only OK tunes for to be top-tier, but it’s still a good album. I’m going to create an album ranking for them one of these days. Multiple albums have been released since I started doing this!

Here’s today’s list.

Destroyer, “Mad Foxes”

Your Blues is maybe the most Bowie of Destroyer’s albums, which is really saying something. I feel like I’ve made that comparison before. (looks) Hey, I haven’t! Anyway, this is very Bowie-ish. BOOM FRESH INSIGHT

411, “The Naked Face”

“Samiam or 411” would be a challenging game at times. It’s also a game that, like, four people are qualified to play.

Floor, “West”

Listen to how huge those guitars are, they wound like the inside of an industrial machine. And then they all lay out and let the drummer have some? Bliss! It’s a move that so many bands have pulled, and it’s because it works. If I were in a band, I’d have everybody get out and let the dummer have plenty! In fact, maybe we should just have the drummer! Hell yes just drums.

Today’s tunes.

Death Cab For Cutie, “No Joy In Mudville”

This song comes to us from We Have The Plans And We’re Voting Yes, which I think is the first album I picked up from Death Cab. And…hang on, I stopped paying attention there for a bit. Hey, it’s the next song!

Nine Inch Nails, “The Warning”

Year Zero represented a return to form for Nine Inch Nails. The Fragile had restless experimentation, but the quality was uneven. With Teeth was better constructed, but also felt kind of paint-by-numbers at times. The artist that had made The Downward Spiral seemed to be gone, but Year Zero proved that that was emphatically not true. There are even times that I think it’s Trent Reznor’s best record. Paranoid and angry, the whole thing hangs together extremely well.