Lard

Lard, “Forkboy”

Lard, the collaboration between Jello Biafra (as you can clearly hear) and Ministry, usually sounded just like what you might expect that collab to sound like. But Ministry were having fun with it, and were just in full-on raging hardcore mode, and Jello was in fine form, so this album winds up being probably my favorite post-Kennedys Jello record.

People Under the Stairs, “Reflections”

People Under the Stairs hit their fifth album, and at this point, had really reached maturity as artists. They were now confident enough to not just crank out their old-school loop-based beats, but to add in some more compositions like this one. And to be able to write rhymes that can work together with this new style. It’s a nice addition to their toolbox, and as a result, this is probably my second-favorite album from them.

Margo Price, “This Town Gets Around”

This album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, came out in 2016 on Jack White’s label, and is very much a throwback. It wears its inspiration on its sleeve, with Loretta Lynn’s influence heard everywhere in the music and of course the album title’s homage. Trying to live up to Lynn is of course a massive challenge, but Price does well. There’s nothing especially adorned about this album, it’s just very straightforward country, but it’s a lovely record.

Botanist, “Nourishing the Fetus (Mandragora IV)”

This is from the third Botanist album, helpfully labeled IV: Mandragora. There’s a I and a III, I just don’t know what happened to II. Down the memory hole, I guess! The next album is a VI. Who knows?

King Crimson, “I Talk To The Wind”

I didn’t really pay much attention to King Crimson for a long time, mostly because the dude I knew in college who was into King Crimson was way, way too into them. So, I just kind of ignored them, just sort of picking up little bits about them. I think I was surprised by how quiet a bunch of In The Court of the Crimson King was when I finally heard it. It really wasn’t at all what I was picturing. It turns out I was really kind of picturing Discipline, but I didn’t realize it yet.

Hot Chip, “One Pure Thought”

Hot Chip is dance music, basically, with some nice melodies. But while this is perfectly nice, it’s never really clicked with me very much, and I just have the one album from them. I guess the closest thing I listen to regularly is LCD Soundsystem, and it’s not totally clear why I prefer one over the other.

Pond, “Perfect Four”

As always, a quick clarification that this is the rock band from Portland in the mid-90s, not the Australian band in the 2010s. Pond more-or-less arrived fully formed with their first, eponymous album. While their songwriting would get sharper, this album is still chock full of excellent rock. That they should be claimed by the anti-grunge vortex is one of the shames of the 90s.

The Aquabats, “SHOWTIME!”

When the Aquabats got rolling, they always had this kind of corny, cracked Saturday morning cartoon vibe. Like they were making songs for a show-within-a-show on some arch adult animation cartoon. And, of course, given the world we’re in, the show eventually showed up. Now, I haven’t actually seen the show, but I have the soundtrack, and…well, just listen to this. This is Very Aquabats.

clipping., “Back Up”

I’m kind of sitting here thinking about how great it would be to hear somebody rhyming over Kollaps-era Neubauten.

Back to those solid playlists.

High On Fire, “The Sunless Years”

More stoner rock from High On Fire, this time from Luminiferous, the most recent record from the outfit. Although, frankly, there’s not a ton of variation among their records. You pretty much know what you’re getting with them. I guess I’d point to Surrounded By Theives as the best, due mostly to a bitchin’ title and dude with an axe on the cover.