From the first Big Black release, Lungs (later collected on The Hammer Party), this was all done entirely by Steve Albini. After this EP, Albini was able to put together an actual band, and the Big Black sound would come together. Despite that, you can still hear Albini’s approach developing on these songs, which read almost New Wave at times.
Hell yeah!
[Read More]We’re in 1964 here, with a well-named song, as this really is quite a stomp. The organ is just fantastic.
I think that more than half of the times in my life that I’ve wound up in some stranger’s car, aimlessly wandering towards or away from a party, either this album or Paul’s Boutique was playing. It’s basically the soundtrack to unfocused teenage ennui to me.
[Read More]There’s a lot to really like on The Crane Wife, especially the epic songs on it, but this song isn’t really one of the highlights. It’s fine, I don’t mind it, but it’s not one of the songs I would seek out.
Meanwhile, here’s a song that I can easily belt out all the lyrics to without even half thinking about it. Prophylaxis is one of the albums I love the most that nobody has really heard of. Is it available on Spotify? Friends, it is not.
[Read More]During the early 90s, parallel to grunge, there was a growing movement of indie pop bands that didn’t make a lot of headway, but were a recognizable subculture. As the 90s went on, a billion of these pillowy soft indie bands popped up. The pressure from all these bands ensured that, eventually, one or more of them would break through (it was Death Cab for Cutie, mostly).
[Read More]Freedom Tower: No Wave Dance Party 2015 was a throwback for the Blues Explosion, bringing back the stripped down sound that they had really moved away from after Now I Got Worry. It’s pretty much just back to two guitars, Jon’s strange yelping/posturing, and of course Russel Simins wrecking it on the drums. What’s nice about it is that it doesn’t really sound like a throwback, it mostly sounds like a lost recording from that time. Which is great!
[Read More]Joe Lally was, of course, bassist for the incomparable Fugazi, and one of the biggest reasons why the bass is one of the instruments I choose to butcher. All of the members of Fugazi have pursued various projects in the wake of Fugazi’s break (I choose to pretend that it’s just a really long pause), with one of the first being Lally making a solo record, There to Here. This is how that album opens, and it sets the tone for what you might hear. It’s fairly experimental in feel, with a lot of differences between songs, and a musical approach that varies from sparse to lush. While there are other post-Fugazi projects I like more (the Evens, the Messthetics), this is still an interesting album.
[Read More]Guest Alec Empire here was a big thing for a hot minute back in, what, 1996 or so. Critics feigned interest in his noisy, overdriven form of techno for a while, but that quickly passed. It lasted long enough for him to pop up in a few places, including on the iffiest track on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School album.
So, if he’s going to wear her to the ball, and he wants her to put on a dress, he…wants to wear a dress? I think that’s what we’re looking at here. Go for it, Dan Vitale! Nobody is going to mind!
[Read More]I really enjoy tom-heavy drum beats like this. Yeah, I wouldn’t want it for every song, but for the occasional tune, bring it on. Also, this song gets in and out in two minutes. Nice work!
I gotta say, you can count your fingers differently and really change the intent of this title by quite a bit! This isn’t the best song from Martha Reeves, when it comes down to it. It’s pretty predictable and a little too syrupy. Not unpleasant, but not great.
[Read More]One of the great things that punk is able to do when it’s on is produce a short song that nevertheless is complete and satisfying. This thing clocks in at 1:40 and you’d hardly notice that it’s not the usual three minute pop song. Lance Hahn was able to pull this off time after time, in way that should shame so many people out there writing rock songs.
[Read More]A repeat today, so you all know what that means. SIX SONGS BABY
Feels like we’ve had this song on here before. (looks) Yeah, we have. I have to fix all the tagging/index stuff around here.
The focus for Neutral Milk Hotel is on In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, but On Avery Island is very good as well. It’s maybe a little more predictable, a little more just pure indie pop, but Jeff Magnum knows what he’s doing here.
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