Album(s) of the Week - Discussions Only

[Xamnam]

i'm hurt and we're fighting

[ten15]

[Deleted]

June 12th - 16th


Classic:

Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life

nom'd by Madbird


It's a Wonderful Life is the third studio album by American musical act Sparklehorse, released in August 2001 by record label Capitol/EMI. The album features appearances by Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, John Parish, Nina Persson and Dave Fridmann.

It was the band's most successful album commercially, selling over 63,000 copies.

Released: August 8, 2001
Recorded: 2000–01
Genre: Indie rock, dream pop, slowcore
Length: 61:06
Label: Capitol/EMI
Producer: Mark Linkous Dave Fridmann John Parish

Personnel:

Mark Linkous – Voice (1–7, 9, 10, 12–14), optigan (1, 2, 6, 8, 12, 13), chamberlin (1, 2), sampler (1, 4, 5, 8), guitar (2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12), Wurlitzer piano (2), percussion (2), acoustic guitar (3), Casio keyboard (3), mellotron (4, 13), drum machine (5, 12), Prophet 5 synthesizer (6, 12), drums (8), backwards midget voice (8), Magic Genie organ (9), Moog synthesizer (12, 13), wire recorder (13), baritone guitar (14), e-bow guitar (14)
Dave Fridmann – bass (2, 4, 12), Wurlitzer piano (2, 14), mellotron (2), piano (4, 12), chamberlin (12, 13), glockenspiel (13), vibraphone (14)
Joel Hamilton – Engineer
Polly Jean Harvey – voice (3, 7), electric guitar (3), piano (3), guitar (7)
Sophie Michalitsianos – Voice (6, 10, 12–14), bass (6)
Scott Minor – Drums (2–4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14), orchestron (2), electronic birds (2), electronics (3, 5, 12, 13), Russian satellite (4), chamberlin (4), filtered drums (5), percussion (6, 12), Korg MS-20 keyboard (12), harmonium (14)
John Parish – bass (3), Casio keyboard (3), piano (7)
Nina Persson – voice (2, 5)
Miguel Rodriguez – drums (9)
Bob Rupe – bass (5, 10)
Jane Scarpantoni – cello (5, 10, 14)
Adrian Utley – Dictaphone (2), bass (7), Kitty-Cat guitar (8), fuzzy-ending bass (8)
Tom Waits – voice (8), big seed pod (8), metal things (8), train (8), piano (14)
Joan Wasser – violin (5, 10, 14), Wurlitzer piano (10)
Alan Weatherhead – orchestron (9), mellotron (9), chamberlin (9), lap steel guitar (9)
Margaret White – bass (9), violin (9)
Rex L. White—pedal-steel guitar (12)

Reception:

Metacritic: 81/100
P4K: pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7398-its-a-wonderful-life/
NME: www.nme.com/reviews/album/reviews-nme-5181




New Release

Hater - You Tried

Nom'd by: Timbo/TimA




This is not the same Hater from the 90s, which included members of Soundgarden. This is a Swedish shoegaze/dream pop band's debut album. Released March 10th, 2017.


Reviews:

The Revue: therevue.ca/2017/03/13/hater-you-tried/

[Deleted]

It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite Sparklehorse album by far, though his entire catalog is great. I love that it kind of took so many elements of like Califone and Wilco and layered them in fuzz in certain areas, and changes it up quite a bit from track to track. Some of my favorite tracks by him are on this album like Gold Day, Piano Fire, Apple Bed, and Dog Door. Great album.

[doso]

I generally like the sound of these bands, but found both of these records to be a slog.

Endless Boogie was exactly that. I really enjoyed the first several minutes of the first song, but it's all too much. The songs are too long, they don't go anywhere and making a 90 minute album of this music is nuts.

Pollard probably has a masterpiece in him that he'll never create because he can't/won't allow himself to be edited. Which is too bad. There are a bunch of GBV tunes I like or even love, but I don't have the inclination to sift through the anthology haystack looking for them. Maybe I'll give Alien Lanes a try based on Timbo's reco. Funny album cover for this one.

[Deleted]

Jun 13, 2017 9:52:13 GMT -6 doso said:

I generally like the sound of these bands, but found both of these records to be a slog.

Endless Boogie was exactly that. I really enjoyed the first several minutes of the first song, but it's all too much. The songs are too long, they don't go anywhere and making a 90 minute album of this music is nuts.

Pollard probably has a masterpiece in him that he'll never create because he can't/won't allow himself to be edited. Which is too bad. There are a bunch of GBV tunes I like or even love, but I don't have the inclination to sift through the anthology haystack looking for them. Maybe I'll give Alien Lanes a try based on Timbo's reco. Funny album cover for this one.

alien lanes is the only one I go back to on a regular basis. Bee Thousand has a strong lo-fi sound which I still enjoy, but if you want brisk rockin jams, with some fuzz on them, Alien Lanes is your best bet. 

[ten15]

I really enjoyed It's a Wonderful Life. It had been a really long time since I listened to it - possibly before I saw Sparklehorse open for R.E.M. in, what, 2003? Yikes.

Anyhow, it is a very solid album. Love, love, love, "The King of Nails" - I love the harmonizing and adore all of the fuzziness. And the line "I shook my eyes and killed a cock when the sun came knocking". Other highlights include "Piano Fire", "Gold Day" and "Dog Door".

Will revisit the rest of the discography sometime soon. I'd thank madbird for the nomination, but he will never see it, so whatever.

Now, on to Hater.

[ten15]

Really enjoyed "You Tried". The opening jangle riff of "Carpet" reminded me of "Open" by The Cure. So, they were off to a great start. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the vocals, but I quickly warmed up to them. Some very sunny pop songs. I like how there always seems to be some little surprise in each song: the few stutter stops in "Mental Haven", the chugging bassline of "Had It All", the oddly familiar sound of the beginning of "Cry Later" that I just can't place. It's kinda funny that they named the album after "You Tried". It seems out of sync with the rest of the album when it comes to tone. And, it was my least favorite track.

Would certainly have not noticed this release without the recommendation, so kudos to Timbo.

[Deleted]

Glad you liked it. It definitely has that Cure feel to me. Very post-punky type of feel.

[andrewvb]

the hater album was good. i accidentally listened to it like three times because it's short and i didn't realize spotify would just repeat lol

i like the sound a lot, a few songs stuck out but it was mostly just good to have on while working. i feel like i listened to this band when the album came out but i can't remember. i'd check them out live sometime for sure.

[andrewvb]

really liked the sparklehorse album too. im only lightly familiar with the discog, so it was nice to dig into this one. will hoepfully give another listen tomorrow too.

[mookie]

I have to applaud Timbo at this point, I think he is the only boarder who I associate a band "sound" with him... I pretty much had a feeling of what Hater would sound like before I heard it, and I was right.

It was good for the most part, but I really don't know that I'll keep going back to it. Just kind of all blurred together towards the end I guess.

[doso]

Jun 15, 2017 14:33:25 GMT -6 andrewvb said:

the hater album was good. i accidentally listened to it like three times because it's short and i didn't realize spotify would just repeat lol

LOL exact same thing happened when I was listening to the Hater record yesterday.

I really enjoyed it; reminded me a lot of Galaxie 500. Good songwriting and a great sound. I would make them a high priority at a fest and would be inclined to go see one of their shows at a club. (Have they toured the U.S.? I'm not finding much from them online.) Anyway, I think I might be coming back to this album. Thanks for the reco.

I used to own the Sparklehorse record on CD, so I expected to find it in my digital music library, but it wasn't there. As I listened to it for the first time in many years, I remembered why: I get bored pretty easily with it. I think they fit into the category of Bands I Kinda Wish I Liked But Just Don't. Oh well. 

[doso]

Jun 15, 2017 13:00:33 GMT -6 ten15 said:

the oddly familiar sound of the beginning of "Cry Later" that I just can't place.

I had an moment of instant recognition with this song, too; it reminded me of the opening from "Hold On, Hold On" by Neko Case. Honestly, probably a bunch of other songs, too, given that the simple guitar arpeggiation is not an uncommon intro.

[Xamnam]

Hater is the sort of band that I will never remember to listen to regularly, but I'll always entirely enjoy whenever I hear. Another act I'd love to see at a festival, reminds me of a more lively Alvvays. Really dug the end of Common Way, and I wish they would have stayed in that space for longer. I should revise their ranking in my AotY list, seems way too low at the moment.

As per usual, thank you for the recommendation.

[Deleted]

Hater's from Sweden, so I doubt we'll see them in the US any time soon. Still though, I dig the album, with Cry Later and Mental Haven being my favorite tracks. It won't win any awards, but for being a brisk listen, it can easily fit into your day to day. Glad everyone didn't hate it.

[teekoh]

The Hater album was really pleasant. I didn't have anything really stand out to me, but since it's such a short album that makes it a good candidate for repeat listens. I would absolutely check out other stuff from them.

I'm in the middle of the Sparklehorse album now and I'm loving it. It's my first listen to any of Linkous' material.

[Deleted]

Urge Overkill - Saturation

nom'd by Mookie

Released: June 8, 1993
Recorded: December 17, 1992–January 9, 1993
Genre: Alternative rock
Length: 70:01
Label: Geffen
Producer: Butcher Bros., Andy Kravitz

Saturation is the fourth album by American alternative rock group Urge Overkill, released in 1993 and produced by the Butcher Bros. Saturation was Urge Overkill's debut on Geffen Records, and a deliberate attempt at a hit record. The label released "Sister Havana" and "Positive Bleeding" as singles in the U.S. and Europe. "Sister Havana" charted highly on both the modern rock and mainstream rock charts, peaking at #6 and #10, respectively, while "Positive Bleeding" became a minor rock radio hit.

Saturation is also notable for the fact that Nash Kato – rather than King Roeser, the band's usual de facto lead vocalist – sings lead on almost the entire album. The two would split frontman duties on their next album Exit the Dragon and their 2011 comeback Rock & Roll Submarine.

At the start of "Nite and Grey", a piece of dialogue by McGarrett from Hawaii Five-O is played before the music starts.[10] The quote is from Season 5, Episode 6, titled "Fools Die Twice".

The graphic art for the album cover is an artistic depiction of the Houston, Texas city skyline.

reviews:

Q: 3/5
Rolling Stone: 3.5/5
AllMusic: 5/5
Chicago Sun-Times: 4/4
Entertainment Weekly: B+

Personnel:

Nash Kato – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
Eddie "King" Roeser – bass, guitars, vocals (lead: tracks 4, 8, & 11; co-lead: track 2)
Blackie Onassis – drums, lead vocals (track 9)



New Release



Timber Timbre - Sincerely, Future Pollution

nom'd by ua

Sincerely, Future Pollution is the sixth studio album by Canadian band Timber Timbre, released on April 7, 2017, on City Slang Records. In January 2017, the band released the first single from the album: "Sewer Blues". The second single, "Velvet Gloves & Spit", was released on February 15, 2017.

Reviews:

Metacritic: 78/100
Allmusic: 3.5/5

[ten15]

Saturation is by far my favorite Urge Overkill album. And, to be honest, it is the only one that I listen to on a fairly regular basis. I have a soft spot for it as it reminds me of my Wicker Park days. Americruiser is fine, but I think that the production of Saturation is what makes it so great. Moving away from the fuzzy sound that Albini gave them early on made them stand out. Early albums just sounded too much like everyone else. Also, Nash as lead vocalist for some of the songs provides good contrast. "Sister Havana" was the "hit" off this album, but I really prefer "Positive Bleeding" and, my favorite Urge song "Back on Me."

The first half of the album is a lot stronger than the latter part, but I really like "Dropout" which Blackie sings and has a bit of a Pavement vibe to me, and "Erica Kane" - with its crazy guitars and the way Nash says the name "Erica".

Could definitely do without the gimmicky "hidden track" at the end of Heaven 90210, or without the whole track if I am being honest. The hidden track is funky, but certainly not worth waiting 20 minutes or searching for it.

As I said, this album is sort of a soundtrack to a really fun time in my life, but I feel like it still holds up. Riot Fest needs to get these guys to reunite. Next year will be the 25th anniversary of this album....

[andrewvb]

Jun 20, 2017 10:37:20 GMT -6 ten15 said:

As I said, this album is sort of a soundtrack to a really fun time in my life, but I feel like it still holds up. Riot Fest needs to get these guys to reunite. Next year will be the 25th anniversary of this album....

they played riot in the pre-outdoor days so definitely could happen. 

[Deleted]

I didn't mind Saturation. It felt like an early Nick Cave meets grunge type of record. I agree with ten15 though, it kind of blends together in the second half of the record.

[teekoh]

The Urge Overkill really did nothing for me. It sounds very dated and from a time period I'm not terribly fond of. I had thought that Albini's production might give it something for me to latch on to and appreciate, but I mostly felt it was distracting.

It was kind of interesting to hear the ideas that would show up for other bands later in the '90s (QOTSA, Foos). Other than a few moments, though, it was not at all an enjoyable listen.

Sry.

[ten15]

Jun 20, 2017 14:05:01 GMT -6 teekoh said:

The Urge Overkill really did nothing for me. It sounds very dated and from a time period I'm not terribly fond of. I had thought that Albini's production might give it something for me to latch on to and appreciate, but I mostly felt it was distracting.

It was kind of interesting to hear the ideas that would show up for other bands later in the '90s (QOTSA, Foos). Other than a few moments, though, it was not at all an enjoyable listen.

Sry.

Bummer. 

By the way, Butcher Bros. produced this album, Albini produced 2 of their earlier ones.  I think Butch Vig produced the other. 

[teekoh]

Gotcha. Good to know. I didn't think it sounded like him. I might check out one of the earlier ones for comparison's sake.

I appreciated the rec cuz I had never listened to them and always figured I should.

[mookie]

Pretty much agree with 1015 on this one obviously. Urge broke out right at the same time as the Pumpkins and Liz Phair, and I honestly believe this album is one of the best rock albums ever made by a Chicago band. Funny that 1015 also brought up the 25th anniversary, that was one reason I nominated this, I didn't realize this one is almost 25 years old already. That is frightening.

I absolutely love the guitars on this album, especially on Sister Havana. One of the legends regarding this album is whether or not Nash and Eddie actually played the music on the album, if they hired a bunch of studio players to do it. Having seen them live a few times, especially around the time of the release, I think that's actually a realistic possibility. But "Stalker," "Bottle of Fur," and definitely "Erica Kane" are the standouts here.

I'm glad people are at least giving it a chance, I wasn't sure how many people besides us old folks have actually listened to this one.

[Deleted]

I had never listened to Urge Overkill before this. Like Teekoh, I found it was "dated" in that it was obvious the era it was from. I appreciated the nostalgic nature of it though; probably because I am more fond of that era than he is. "Erica Kane" was by far my favorite song on the album. Don't know if I will revisit it but I enjoyed it.

[Xamnam]

I'm trying to get through this Timbre Timbre album, but it's a slog. Slow, directionless, kind of hopeless, It's like a depressed Kevin Morby. The first song was the only one lively enough to hold my attention. Sorry, but this was a big miss for me personally.

[ten15]

I have tried to listen to the Timber Timbre album twice, and the second time I kind of speed listened to it. I just cannot get into it. The singer usually seems disinterested and the music is basic and boring. Kinda reminds me of Steely Dan if the guys from Steely Dan took a fistful of downers and hired a sleepy Mark Knopfler to sing. The opening of the title track was pretty interesting, but then half way through they lost me. ZZzzzzz.

Fuckin' Canadians.

[teekoh]

I really liked early Timber Timbre, but I haven't listened to this one yet. I wasn't a huge fan of Creep On Creepin' On and y'all don't have me too optimistic for this one.

[doso]

Getting to Timbre Timbre and UO today, but just wanted to give a shout-out to whomever nominated the Hater record. I've gone back to it twice this week. Dig.