aqxsl
Brain Emo
Sorry for the way late response people (had an terribly busy week); but rest assured I have been listening to your recommendations. The albums have had some time to sink in, so no bullshit here.
Lez do this (beware, incoming wall of text; more coming soon):
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming:
Rating 4/10
This is case-in-point, the Pitchfork-brand electronic that I just can't get into. I'm sorry to say this man, I felt like this album was mostly derivative and unoriginal; pretty much a culmination of many electronic, indie, and post-rock cliches.
Likes:
Favorite song = New Map (especially the ending)
1) Some of the melodies are just great; totally exciting and uplifiting
2) Although overused, love the 80's electro vibe.
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = Raconte-Moi Une Histoire
1) Don't know if you listen to much post-rock, but several songs in this album (Intro, Wait, My Tears Are Becoming a Sea, Year One One UFO) remind me of a trend that kind of ruined the genre for me. The trend being, every band feels the need to cram an "epically beautiful" build-up/climax into every song. Since this became the norm, post-rock has hit rock bottom after a delluge of formulaic and substanceless melodrama. In this vein, "Wait" would have been good had they not gone overboard with the ending.
2) Several filler tracks (1+min interludes, Echoes of Mine,...) and song structures/melodies used over and over again (could of sworn Steve McQueen and Claudia Lewis were the same song, maybe intentional?).
3) This may sound pretty bitchy, but I have beef with artists that use samples of "kid talk" without purpose (ie Raconte-Moi Une Histoire). First I heard this was with Boards of Canada in Music Has The Right to Children and ever since seems like "pop-oriented" tronic artists have a collective hard-on for basing throwaway songs around samples of children speaking (Four Tet's No More Mosquitos comes to mind, ugh).
David Maxim Micic - Bilo 2.0
Rating 6.5/10
In terms of djent, this is pretty damn good; but I have to admit Demensa, I not huge on the genre. I've expressed this before, but I think a lot of metal bands (especially djent bands) exchange technicality for substance, hence you get boring-ass bands like Behold...The Arctopus; but when the technical and substance combine, then its typically amazing. I think this album leans towards the combo, but its not quite there.
Likes:
Favorite song = Electric Fields
1) Disgustingly good shredding in some songs (Rise and Shine, Strange Night)
2) Really liked the electronics in the first two tracks; Electric Fields is unique because of it. Reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack, which kicks a$$
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = Mbinguni Amina
1) Several aimless or directionless riffs/melodies (the piano in Strange Night was driving me nuts)
Grendel - Timewave: Zero
Rating 7.5/10
You are playing to my cyberpunk sensibilities here and I like that. EBM is a guily pleasure of mine, since from my dabbling, maybe 5% of it isn't shit. More often than not, I'm cringing at the vocals/lyrics, but occasionally I really get into it if the bleak cyberpunk vibe is there (an example being Pattern Recognition from Headscan). Aside from one or two songs, the vibe is there my friend.
Likes:
Favorite song = Timewave Zero
1) Cyberpunk as fuck (especially moments in Timewave Zero and Wheels in Motion)
2) Love the glitched-out robo vocals
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = EPR // EDP, Neon City Nights
1) Had some brief moments of EBM terribleness, but for the most part, it was pure enjoyment
2) Didn't like the cheesy epic moments (ie Rise, Neon City Nights and Fall)
3) The female vocals in Deep Water were standard and subpar
Quick question, you ever hear Access To Arasaka? I'd consider this man to be the non-ebm pinnacle of cyberpunk vibe-ry, check it out:
[video=youtube;8QsQxigk620]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QsQxigk620[/video]
Got any more cyberpunk stuff for me?
Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards
Rating 7/10
Good call! This is a prog album I've had for many years but neglected to listen to. Overall, it was so much like Deep Purple that I just couldn't help but find it derivative. The surprising shame of prog imo is the tendency for bands to copy the sounds of "progenitor prog artists", completely defeating the idea of progressive music (so many Genesis clones & don't get me started on "progressive metal"); I think Uriah Heep "influences" are pretty conspicuous in this album. Heep's Salisbury is much > this, you agree?
Likes:
Favorite song = Paradise/The Spell
1) Seems like the epic always makes the album for more "obscure" prog records; this was a good epic.
2) Love the fantasy concept
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = All My Life
1) All but three songs were kind of boring (Traveler in Time, Rainbow Demon, Paradise/The Spell); songs with a none-too-exciting Deep Purple riff repeated over-and-over with bland vocals. Made everything feel kind of sterile and safe, you know?
Have you listened to Argus by Wishbone Ash? I feel like it's really similar but far more interesting.
Mark Lanegan - Whiskey For The Holy Ghost
Rating 6.75/10
Whoa, this is pretty far from the stuff I generally like, but I went in with an open mind. Musically, I wasn't a fan of the grungy-blues sound; but lyrically it was pretty potent to say the least. I'm torn since some tracks were either fantastic or really bad; no in-between. Might have to listen again, this album could having growing potential, but I'm not sure...
Likes:
Favorite song = Borracho, the most emotionally powerful track imo
1) Good lyrical content. The vocals range from really great (gritty and Tom Waits-y) to annoying (kind of Pearl Jam-ly)
2) Some tracks are very good, like Riding the Nightingale, Beggar's Blues, Borracho, The River Rise.
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = El Sol
1) Boring, sappy songs that fit the profile of your standard blues-rock fare (House a Home, El Sol, Dead On You, ...); these REALLY brought down the listening experience
2) The album art is dumb
Big Black - Songs About Fucking:
Rating 8.5/10
The lofi noiseness immediately sucked me in, and for the most part it was a bitching listen. I was absolutely cranking this on my sound system; can't really imagine listening to it any other way than crushingly loud. The whole experience makes me want to see them live fur sher; and I'll likely put the album in my rotation. Unfortunately I can't comment so much on individual tracks cuz I couldn't find the mp3s
Likes:
Favorite song = the one where his vocals sound like indecipherable screams filtered through a megaphone (around midway through the album, might be Ergot)
1) The fuking immense cavernous reverb on everything sounded so good. Adds much to the abrasiveness and power of the experience; dear lord those drums are heavy.
2) Super raw; felt like I was at a live show.
3) For what it's worth, the only band I can think of that has a similar sound is Butthole Surfers; this is better tho
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = The Model; never liked Kraftwerk and this cover is nothing special
1) Some tracks were hit or miss (Bad Penny, both covers, two more with names I don't know)
Overall, really liked it but it's not amongst the greatest things I've heard
Tool - Lateralus
Rating 7/10
You know, Tool is pretty good, but hardly obscure. I've already heard this album, heck we've all heard this album; so I'm not going to go into it. I will say tho, probably one of, if not the only, decent music to see airtime on popular "hard rock" radio stations (at least where I'm at).
Lez do this (beware, incoming wall of text; more coming soon):
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming:
Rating 4/10
This is case-in-point, the Pitchfork-brand electronic that I just can't get into. I'm sorry to say this man, I felt like this album was mostly derivative and unoriginal; pretty much a culmination of many electronic, indie, and post-rock cliches.
Likes:
Favorite song = New Map (especially the ending)
1) Some of the melodies are just great; totally exciting and uplifiting
2) Although overused, love the 80's electro vibe.
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = Raconte-Moi Une Histoire
1) Don't know if you listen to much post-rock, but several songs in this album (Intro, Wait, My Tears Are Becoming a Sea, Year One One UFO) remind me of a trend that kind of ruined the genre for me. The trend being, every band feels the need to cram an "epically beautiful" build-up/climax into every song. Since this became the norm, post-rock has hit rock bottom after a delluge of formulaic and substanceless melodrama. In this vein, "Wait" would have been good had they not gone overboard with the ending.
2) Several filler tracks (1+min interludes, Echoes of Mine,...) and song structures/melodies used over and over again (could of sworn Steve McQueen and Claudia Lewis were the same song, maybe intentional?).
3) This may sound pretty bitchy, but I have beef with artists that use samples of "kid talk" without purpose (ie Raconte-Moi Une Histoire). First I heard this was with Boards of Canada in Music Has The Right to Children and ever since seems like "pop-oriented" tronic artists have a collective hard-on for basing throwaway songs around samples of children speaking (Four Tet's No More Mosquitos comes to mind, ugh).
David Maxim Micic - Bilo 2.0
Rating 6.5/10
In terms of djent, this is pretty damn good; but I have to admit Demensa, I not huge on the genre. I've expressed this before, but I think a lot of metal bands (especially djent bands) exchange technicality for substance, hence you get boring-ass bands like Behold...The Arctopus; but when the technical and substance combine, then its typically amazing. I think this album leans towards the combo, but its not quite there.
Likes:
Favorite song = Electric Fields
1) Disgustingly good shredding in some songs (Rise and Shine, Strange Night)
2) Really liked the electronics in the first two tracks; Electric Fields is unique because of it. Reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack, which kicks a$$
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = Mbinguni Amina
1) Several aimless or directionless riffs/melodies (the piano in Strange Night was driving me nuts)
Grendel - Timewave: Zero
Rating 7.5/10
You are playing to my cyberpunk sensibilities here and I like that. EBM is a guily pleasure of mine, since from my dabbling, maybe 5% of it isn't shit. More often than not, I'm cringing at the vocals/lyrics, but occasionally I really get into it if the bleak cyberpunk vibe is there (an example being Pattern Recognition from Headscan). Aside from one or two songs, the vibe is there my friend.
Likes:
Favorite song = Timewave Zero
1) Cyberpunk as fuck (especially moments in Timewave Zero and Wheels in Motion)
2) Love the glitched-out robo vocals
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = EPR // EDP, Neon City Nights
1) Had some brief moments of EBM terribleness, but for the most part, it was pure enjoyment
2) Didn't like the cheesy epic moments (ie Rise, Neon City Nights and Fall)
3) The female vocals in Deep Water were standard and subpar
Quick question, you ever hear Access To Arasaka? I'd consider this man to be the non-ebm pinnacle of cyberpunk vibe-ry, check it out:
[video=youtube;8QsQxigk620]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QsQxigk620[/video]
Got any more cyberpunk stuff for me?
Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards
Rating 7/10
Good call! This is a prog album I've had for many years but neglected to listen to. Overall, it was so much like Deep Purple that I just couldn't help but find it derivative. The surprising shame of prog imo is the tendency for bands to copy the sounds of "progenitor prog artists", completely defeating the idea of progressive music (so many Genesis clones & don't get me started on "progressive metal"); I think Uriah Heep "influences" are pretty conspicuous in this album. Heep's Salisbury is much > this, you agree?
Likes:
Favorite song = Paradise/The Spell
1) Seems like the epic always makes the album for more "obscure" prog records; this was a good epic.
2) Love the fantasy concept
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = All My Life
1) All but three songs were kind of boring (Traveler in Time, Rainbow Demon, Paradise/The Spell); songs with a none-too-exciting Deep Purple riff repeated over-and-over with bland vocals. Made everything feel kind of sterile and safe, you know?
Have you listened to Argus by Wishbone Ash? I feel like it's really similar but far more interesting.
Mark Lanegan - Whiskey For The Holy Ghost
Rating 6.75/10
Whoa, this is pretty far from the stuff I generally like, but I went in with an open mind. Musically, I wasn't a fan of the grungy-blues sound; but lyrically it was pretty potent to say the least. I'm torn since some tracks were either fantastic or really bad; no in-between. Might have to listen again, this album could having growing potential, but I'm not sure...
Likes:
Favorite song = Borracho, the most emotionally powerful track imo
1) Good lyrical content. The vocals range from really great (gritty and Tom Waits-y) to annoying (kind of Pearl Jam-ly)
2) Some tracks are very good, like Riding the Nightingale, Beggar's Blues, Borracho, The River Rise.
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = El Sol
1) Boring, sappy songs that fit the profile of your standard blues-rock fare (House a Home, El Sol, Dead On You, ...); these REALLY brought down the listening experience
2) The album art is dumb
Big Black - Songs About Fucking:
Rating 8.5/10
The lofi noiseness immediately sucked me in, and for the most part it was a bitching listen. I was absolutely cranking this on my sound system; can't really imagine listening to it any other way than crushingly loud. The whole experience makes me want to see them live fur sher; and I'll likely put the album in my rotation. Unfortunately I can't comment so much on individual tracks cuz I couldn't find the mp3s
Likes:
Favorite song = the one where his vocals sound like indecipherable screams filtered through a megaphone (around midway through the album, might be Ergot)
1) The fuking immense cavernous reverb on everything sounded so good. Adds much to the abrasiveness and power of the experience; dear lord those drums are heavy.
2) Super raw; felt like I was at a live show.
3) For what it's worth, the only band I can think of that has a similar sound is Butthole Surfers; this is better tho
Dislikes:
Least favorite song = The Model; never liked Kraftwerk and this cover is nothing special
1) Some tracks were hit or miss (Bad Penny, both covers, two more with names I don't know)
Overall, really liked it but it's not amongst the greatest things I've heard
Tool - Lateralus
Rating 7/10
You know, Tool is pretty good, but hardly obscure. I've already heard this album, heck we've all heard this album; so I'm not going to go into it. I will say tho, probably one of, if not the only, decent music to see airtime on popular "hard rock" radio stations (at least where I'm at).
