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Post by nanatod on Aug 17, 2022 15:26:50 GMT -6
Still need to see Dino Jr in concert tho! Probably one of my biggest live music faux pas. Thinking I'll rectify that buy grabbing a ticket today to their tour w/ GBV. only dino jr album I ever had was 1994's without a sound. saw sebadoh at the vic, dino jr mach II at the vic, mascis and the fog at (I think) house of blues, folk implosion at tower on clark, and finally, dino jr original recipe at pofo. sebadoh was terrible live, while folk implosion were pretty great. |
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Post by nanatod on Aug 17, 2022 15:30:14 GMT -6
That said, I do think it's the single greatest EP ever released, so maybe I'll allow myself to rank it that way. los lobos' "and a time to dance" EP respectfully dissents. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 8:30:18 GMT -6
 This is one of my favorite finds from when I was deep diving 80s-90s NYC hip hop a few years back. It's not a perfect album through and through (too many overlong largely instrumental tracks), but its high points are super awesome. "Strong Island" is the big hit (and the only song here above 51,000 plays on Spotify) - and its scronky sax sample lays a perfect foundation the track that first put Long Island on the map (a very arguable claim, as Public Enemy's debut LP dropped in 1987 as well). MCs AJ Rok and B-Luv have a laid-back, EPMD flavored cadence to their verses, and the production feels pretty fresh - especially for its era. On that note, my favorite track is "Stylin Lyrics," whose massive bass (horns?) sounds it was produced by Anna Meredith or some shit. Very cool album, very much worth a listen. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 8:30:37 GMT -6
That said, I do think it's the single greatest EP ever released, so maybe I'll allow myself to rank it that way. los lobos' "and a time to dance" EP respectfully dissents. Never actually listened to Los Lobos before - is this the best place to start? |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 9:04:50 GMT -6
 A perfect album. Listening to this for the first time (maybe like 6 years ago?) was a real eye opening moment for me in regards to what punk could be, and the power of traditional music. Definitely a pretty direct thru-line from that to my later deep dives into pre-revival American folk music and my current obsession with all things Fairport Convention. This album really does have it all. From tin whistle bangers (Sick Bed) to drum heavy stompers (Sally MacLennane), dreary-eyed tales of heartache (A Pair of Brown Eyes), and one of the greatest ballads of all time (The Band Played Waltzing Matilda). This era of the Pogues is on my shortlist of bands I would time travel to see. God bless you, Shane MacGowan. |
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Post by chvrchbarrel on Aug 18, 2022 9:22:54 GMT -6
los lobos' "and a time to dance" EP respectfully dissents. Never actually listened to Los Lobos before - is this the best place to start? oh man you're in for a treat time to dance is good, i like how will the wolf survive and kiko more |
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Post by Tweet on Aug 18, 2022 9:27:39 GMT -6
I saw Los lobos open for Neil young and it was awesome.
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Post by doso on Aug 18, 2022 10:57:03 GMT -6
Never actually listened to Los Lobos before - is this the best place to start? oh man you're in for a treat time to dance is good, i like how will the wolf survive and kiko more Ditto. |
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Post by nanatod on Aug 18, 2022 12:17:04 GMT -6
Never actually listened to Los Lobos before - is this the best place to start? oh man you're in for a treat time to dance is good, i like how will the wolf survive and kiko more how will the wolf survive and kiko didn't exist when I first heard and a time to dance. plus as an EP, it's easier to memorize the whole thing quicker than how will the wolf survive or by the light of the moon. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 13:40:36 GMT -6
 Spent this afternoon listening to some albums I wrote about already (JaMC, Rain Parade, ESG) and am now revisiting this miracle of a record. Man, I listened to this so much in college that it feels weird to hear it now, outside of my dorm room or walking to class in the dead of winter. I wore this album the fuck out. It's the ultimate late night walk record. The ultimate lay in bed and stare at your ceiling record. The ultimate "I think I have depression" record. Probably the best collision of slowcore and dream pop. Dean's falsetto drifts with surprising abandon over seriously underrated bass work by Naomi Yang (see: Snowstorm, especially). The album creates small universe of its own, envelopes you. And when it peaks - usually with a triumphant Dean Wareham guitar solo - it's some of the most beautiful music ever put on record. Obviously, this will be very high on my list. |
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Post by chvrchbarrel on Aug 18, 2022 13:54:58 GMT -6
oh man you're in for a treat time to dance is good, i like how will the wolf survive and kiko more how will the wolf survive and kiko didn't exist when I first heard and a time to dance. plus as an EP, it's easier to memorize the whole thing quicker than how will the wolf survive or by the light of the moon. oh that's probably because they came out later than the EP i was able to memorize kiko in like 3 days |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 14:22:12 GMT -6
 I like this record plenty, but it falls flat for me in comparison to the rest of their discography. Some of the songs here are among their very best (And She Was! Road to Nowhere!) - but so many of the others fall into mid-tempo, straightforward territory that abandons my favorite aspect of the Talking Heads: how rhythmically interesting they are. Byrne seems to be trying very intentionally to be a melodist here, and it does work. "Perfect World" is a beautiful track. Love the chorus on "Stay Up Late." And the aforementioned songs bookending the album. I just think the band feels uncharacteristically limp. A good album, but not one that I enjoy all the way through enough to spot in the top 100. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 18, 2022 14:55:02 GMT -6
 Now here's an album I'm not totally sure what to do with. It's Daniel Johnston's most famous record - perhaps you've heard it? Perhaps you've seen that photo of Kurt Cobain wearing it on a t-shirt? Perhaps you've heard the story of Daniel giving out his tapes while working at McDonalds? Maybe you saw his fuckin' Supreme collection? This album - and Johnston himself - is deeply ingrained in indie lore. At the core of it though, are the deeply beautiful songs here. They feature his heartbreakingly earnest lyrics, trademark high-pitched croon, and an accompanying sparseness that leaves the whole thing (even if you didn't know his backstory) a vaguely foreboding air. That air makes it a somewhat difficult listen for me, and not one that I do very often. And, as customary with his self-released tapes of the era, it's a pretty spotty record. For every stop-you-in-your-tracks stunner like "Hey Joe" or the Neil Young-esque "Running Water," there are a capella experiments and times where the sparseness is hard to listen to (I Picture Myself With A Guitar). You won't find many records with more personality, though. And when it hits, it hits like a freight train. Keep punching, Daniel. Keep punching. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 20, 2022 9:43:28 GMT -6
 Well I suspected this last week, but I think New Day Rising has officially eclipsed Zen Arcade as my favorite Husker Du record. The positives: this one is decidedly more punk, it's harsh, visceral - and, as alluded to before, I'm a huge sucker for massive albums with conceptual themes (see: 69 Love Songs, TMLT, etc). But I think where I can more easily accept the chaff of those albums because the songs are so tremendous, I've become much more into the New Day Rising songs than the standouts here. Not to say I don't like it - on the contrary, Zen Arcade is a lock for my list, and I wouldn't be surprised if it crept into the 50-60 range or higher. It was a super important record for me when I was 19-20 and first exploring this era of American indie music. It's just interesting to me how time evolves your personal preferences. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 20, 2022 12:15:00 GMT -6
 .  Mobile posting while I ride the train, so no album covers just yet, but spent the afternoon book shopping while listening to two records that will be very high up on my list. — Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight: one of the best jangle-pop / college rock records of all time. Hitchcock & Co. bring hooks for days (Queen of Eyes! Underwater Moonlight! I Wanna Destroy You!!!), tremendous sonic variety (I love the quiet anxious moments of Insanely Jealous), and toss in a healthy dose of surrealist, ear catching lyrics. This record grows on me everytime I hear it, a huge fave. — Feelies - Crazy Rhythms: A lock for my top 10, this album is front to back flawless. Channeling the nervous energy of Devo inward - and producing some of the most exciting, engrossing music I’ve ever heard. So many transcendent moments here: the Frippian tones of Fa Ce La, the scale climbing outro solo of Loveless Love, the straight up guitar heroics of Forces at Work, the double drummer workout and Beatles show-upping on “…Me and My Monkey.” The drums on the whole album are legendary good, bringing unexpected thrills (Fa Ce La) and absurd polyrhythms throughout (Raised Eyebrows! Probably the best moment on the whole record - when the drums, which have been all over the place, settle into a ripping 4/4 beat, the guitar solos peaks, all over-top a triumphant, albeit wordless, shout-along chorus). Fuuuuck this record rips. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 20, 2022 12:52:31 GMT -6
 — Yo La Tengo - President Yo La Tengo: YLT was primarily a 90s-and beyond band, but they put out three records at the end of the 80s. This one is by far their best of the early period - up until Painful dropped in 1993. It’s a noisy opus, screaming and squealing through 7 tracks (including two versions of The Evil Men Do - check out the second one, it’s a 10 minute rager and one of Ira’s best recorded examples of the ferocity of their live sound). Barnaby, Hardly Working is the biggest highlight, though. The first time they perfected their drearily grand, intense sound. Also - don’t miss the Dead reference on Drug Test! This isn’t like a career peak for YLT, it’s probably my 6th or 7th favorite of their records, but they’re such a good band that even that should be enough to crack my 80s list. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 20, 2022 15:42:44 GMT -6
 In town this weekend for a bachelor party and went to the MCA this morning to see the Nick Cave (not that Nick Cave) exhibit. Exhibit was wonderful - MCA really doesn’t miss. And I listened to Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s new age classic, Keyboard Fantasies, while I walked around. 10/10 experience - would recommend |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 7:58:38 GMT -6
 It's not the best Prince album, IMO, but it's the one I probably listen to the most. When You Were Mine is obviously a top-5 Prince song, maybe even top-3 some days. I wanna also shout-out how perfect "Do It All Night" is - three and a half minutes of perfect 80s funk with some of my favorite bass playing ever. I'm obsessed with the little inflections and bends he puts at the end of his phrases, completely elevating the track. Uptown and Partyup also work out this formula of infectious funk-pop rave-ups, and I also think "Gotta Broken Heart Again" is an underrated mini-track emulating Golden Age 50s-60s RnB. I fucking love this album. It's barely 30 minutes overall and there's not a wasted second. These days, it's my second favorite Prince record. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 9:04:18 GMT -6
 Fuck. There's gonna be so much Prince in my top 30. This one has got to be another lock, idk. For starters, 1999 is the best Prince song. Full stop. Honestly, it may be the best song of the 80s, but "Teenage Riot" and "Bastards of Young" are incredibly stiff competition. I want to also highlight the other non-massive songs on this album. Like Dirty Mind, it's anchored by relentless funk tracks, but they feel worlds apart - despite being released two years later. The bright melody-driving synths have been traded in for darker, club-inspired tones. Basslines don't pop so much as they propel. Check out "Let's Pretend We're Married" for a tell-tale example of this. You can here some Moroder on here, you can hear some Kraftwerk on here (Automatic). But Prince is doing it all better than them, and he's incorporating all these ideas into his own thing. That brightness, weirdness, and - obviously - horniness of Dirty Mind is still there. This is a Prince album, after all. But now the songs are sttrreettcchhiinngg out. 4 of the 11 tracks here surpass the 7 minute mark, with three of those running north of 8. Some times this really works for me. Right now, for instance, I'm really feeling it. But sometimes I do get tired by the end of its 70 minutes. For that reason, it's probably my third favorite Prince record, but - damn - it's feeling like a real toss-up rn. This was a fun-ass relisten. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 9:48:39 GMT -6
Fuck. There's gonna be so much Prince in my top 30. This one has got to be another lock, idk. For starters, 1999 is the best Prince song. Full stop. Honestly, it may be the best song of the 80s, but "Teenage Riot" and "Bastards of Young" are incredibly stiff competition. I want to also highlight the other non-massive songs on this album. Like Dirty Mind, it's anchored by relentless funk tracks, but they feel worlds apart - despite being released two years later. The bright melody-driving synths have been traded in for darker, club-inspired tones. Basslines don't pop so much as they propel. Check out "Let's Pretend We're Married" for a tell-tale example of this. You can here some Moroder on here, you can hear some Kraftwerk on here (Automatic). But Prince is doing it all better than them, and he's incorporating all these ideas into his own thing. That brightness, weirdness, and - obviously - horniness of Dirty Mind is still there. This is a Prince album, after all. But now the songs are sttrreettcchhiinngg out. 4 of the 11 tracks here surpass the 7 minute mark, with three of those running north of 8. Some times this really works for me. Right now, for instance, I'm really feeling it. But sometimes I do get tired by the end of its 70 minutes. For that reason, it's probably my third favorite Prince record, but - damn - it's feeling like a real toss-up rn. This was a fun-ass relisten. Lmaooo holy shit I'd forgotten how incredibly horny "International Lover" is |
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Post by zircona1 on Aug 22, 2022 10:17:12 GMT -6
For starters, 1999 is the best Prince song. I disagree. Little Red Corvette > 1999 |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 10:33:05 GMT -6
For starters, 1999 is the best Prince song. I disagree. Little Red Corvette > 1999 It's a good one, no doubt. I just am enamored with (and increasingly relate to) the "Everything is Fucked but we're gonna enjoy ourselves in the ashes" mentality of 1999. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 11:05:14 GMT -6
 Pretending that Purple Rain isn't the best Prince album is just lying to yourself. It's like saying that IV isn't the best Led Zep album. Sure, you've heard it a million times. Sure, other ones may sound fresher by comparison - may be more in your current wheelhouse. I've been there. I've thought that (about LZ II and 1999, respectively). But reset your brain. Lock yourself into the mindset of hearing it for the first time. It's undeniable. Other albums may have songs you and I like more, but no Prince album was as finely crafted, as perfectly executed as his most famous. These songs popped like his biggest hits, and could stretch out like his other funk odysseys (check out the 10-minute live take on "Baby, I'm A Star" from Syracuse 1985). And good lord, the hits were Hits. There's something very rare and satisfying in seeing an artist culminate their artistic vision and actually have the public react in kind. But that level of ubiquity can sometimes make me take Greatness for granted. Like, we've all heard "Black Dog" a million times. But daaaamn did that shit steamroll you when you first heard it. I feel the same way about "Let's Go Crazy." Every single second of that song is breath-taking... but it can lose its luster over time if you're not careful. Reset your brain. Imagine dropping the needle on this back in the day. Or pressing play on a cassette. Idk - I'll defer to other's expertise here. Let this shit take you away - it's a masterpiece. |
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Post by nanatod on Aug 22, 2022 11:25:33 GMT -6
IV isn't the best Led Zep album, monastery.
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 11:38:10 GMT -6
IV isn't the best Led Zep album, monastery. Sorry, what? Can't hear you? Got this on super loud and can't figure out how to turn it down |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 11:40:28 GMT -6
Another conclusive metric... How many times is Sandy Denny featured on each Led Zep album?
LZ I: 0
LZ II: 0
LZ III: 0
LZ IV: 1
Houses of the Holy: 0
Physical Graffiti: 0
Presence: 0
In Through the Out Door: 0
The choice is clear
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 12:29:18 GMT -6
 Anyways, I think my reviews are getting a little overlong (tho in my defense, I have very little to do at work). So, in lieu of another wall of text, here's a quick top 5 for Prince's most fascinating and sonically diverse 80s album. 1. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (his best guitar solo?) 2. Starfish and Coffee 3. Play in the Sunshine 4. Hot Thing 5. U Got The Look |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 13:15:04 GMT -6
 One of the best debut albums of the 80s, I'd say The Best, but I'm scared of waking the GnR hive again. Emma and I listen to this a lot on road trips, and she loves how half of Stipe's lyrics are unintelligible but they fit the music so well that you don't even notice. On this listen today I was really taken in by Mike Mills' piano playing during "Shaking Through," which is probably my favorite track on the album. A lovely way to spend 40 minutes of your day. |
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Post by nanatod on Aug 22, 2022 14:25:15 GMT -6
I vote for Coda. (I do like tangerine, trampled under foot, night flight, boogie w/ stu, and of course, hot dog, as well). |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Aug 22, 2022 14:30:54 GMT -6
 Today's listens have gotten less and less funky and now I think I've reached the least funky album of the 80s - Young Marble Giant's Colossal Youth. This is one of those "How tf did they hit on that sound so early?" records that tend to transcend time periods. With the hushed vocals, oblique lyrics, sparse, echoey guitar, and ample negative space - this would've been right at home in, say, 2010. Instead, Rough Trade put it out in 1980, which is wild to me. The easy and obvious comparison is The xx. This basically set the template for them on a spartan level. For me, I really really like this record, but I don't think I love it. I prefer to digest it more on a track-by-track level, throwing on my faves semi-regularly and adding them to playlists. That said, I would be remiss to leave it off my final 100, so it will certainly make the list. A truly unique artifact. |
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