Moving Mountains

ORIGIN informis infinitas inhumanitas

2012-01-02T16:35:00.002-05:00

all you need to know: awesomely produced mega-heavy hyper-technical death metal band with moments incredible enough to make your soul shiver like the pulse of a bowstring. 2002.

LONG FIN KILLIE houdini

2012-01-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

omg. my new obsession. experimental/post-rock/-punk/chamber pop (!!!) from scotland. completely genius. the closest comparison is early-ish cerberus shoal, but not even they sound much like this. a totally original and brilliant release. think talk talk mixed with xiu xiu and you're getting there. highest recommendation! 1995.

THE PARADISE MOTEL left over life to kill

2012-01-02T16:28:00.003-05:00

fantastic dream pop/slowcore from australia. female vox. hints of tindersticks and post-rock. under-the-radar and awesome. 1997.

TOLEDO BEND kinship

2012-01-02T16:25:00.004-05:00

no download link, but a link to stream their debut album from bandcamp:

http://toledobendmusic.bandcamp.com/

super-awesome indie folk/alt-country sorta group. rad guitar playing, lots of violin, male/female vocals & harmonies. surprisingly polished and coherent for a debut. really, really great!

sorry for the broken pictures

2012-01-02T16:23:00.001-05:00

note to self: don't hotlink that shit

also, sorry for never posting. i always forget about this :(

also, does anyone even read this? seriously.

ALEXISONFIRE old crows/young cardinals

2011-10-13T16:11:00.003-04:00

the swansong from the revered canadian post-hardcore group. i think this is their best work. many of the songs have a punk bent to them, and a lot of the lyrics are about sticking it to the man, etc. and dallas green has the voice of an angel (but you knew that already). awesome shit, and one of my favorite albums to drive to. 2009.

LETLIVE fake history

2011-10-13T16:07:00.002-04:00

really sweet post-hardcore from l.a. definitely recommended. 2010.

KETIL BJORNSTAD & DAVID DARLING the river

2011-10-13T15:53:00.002-04:00

piano/cello minimalism. remarkably gorgeous tunes. on the ecm label, so as always the sound is pristine. one of the most beautiful records you'll ever come across. 1997.

FORENSICS things to do when you should be dead anyway

2011-06-02T05:43:00.002-04:00

epic shit that falls somewhere in between early isis and perhaps something like a day in black and white. in fact, a quick glimpse at the related artists will tell you what kind of music this band plays: pageninetynine, zozobra, old man gloom, and burning airlines, among others.

lots of really cool sludgy parts intertwined with some gorgeous post-rockesque moments of clarity. really, really impressive album. 2004.

TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO being there

2011-06-02T05:40:00.002-04:00

beautiful jazz trio music from one of the finest groups playing today. as with all ecm releases, the production is just absolutely gorgeous, perfectly complimenting the subtle playing of this trio. lush, perfect jazz music. so so good. 2007.

AMOEBA SPLIT dance of the goodbyes

2011-06-02T05:37:00.002-04:00

awesome and underknown prog/jazz-rock group from spain. wonderful female vocals anchor these sublime prog-rock jams. total throwback to stuff like the soft machine, et al, but this sounds so totally fresh. one of the best prog albums of the last few years. recommended. 2010.

ABIGAIL WASHBURN and the sparrow quartet

2011-06-02T05:32:00.004-04:00

brilliant bluegrass/americana from this amazing quartet, featuring bela fleck, ben sollee, and casey driessen. of course the playing is top-notch, but what makes this release top-shelf material is washburn's voice and lyrics, and the groups ability to deftly create haunting atmospheres. definitely one of the best bluegrass releases i've come across, and a very lovely new favorite artist of mine. 2008.

DESSA a badly broken code

2011-01-22T03:10:00.003-05:00

maybe the best album of 2010? midwest hip-hop from the female star of minneapolis' doomtree collective. this chick is smart, sexy, introspective, and can simply spit fire. what makes her so special is her unique combination of lyrical ability (pretty much all of her lyrics are amazing), rapping ability (the smoothest, most wicked flow i've ever heard from a woman), and songwriting ability (awesome hip-hop songs with sung choruses! btw, her singing voice is really pretty, too). but what puts this album over-the-top is the production. super clean, smooth, with lots of really cool flourishes everywhere, compliments of doomtree's own lazerbeak. you should check out every major release from the people in this group, but this is probably the best album from any of them. 2010.

WEAKLING dead as dreams

2011-01-22T03:03:00.002-05:00

this album should need no introduction. it's the best black metal album ever (by far). it's one of the best metal albums ever released. if you don't have it yet, you should be ashamed. but those those of you that are not yet familiar with this brilliant masterwork, i'll share a snippet from the boys at aquarius records:

Ghastly, anguished vocals and bloodchilling keyboards combine with dual trebly buzzsaw guitars and inhuman trance inducing drumming to create an atmosphere of utter grinding grimness. Weakling draws upon 90's black metal in the Norwegian tradition (especially the raw and primitive likes of Darkthrone, Burzum and Immortal) and then creates uniquely fucked song structures of epic length (20 minutes per, in some cases).
And, like the best music, Weakling also transcends genre. In some ways, 'Dead as Dreams' possesses elements that can be considered akin to the avant garde, experimental creations of the Swans, Skullflower, Steve Reich, or even Yoko Ono. Imagine an extensive, utterly mesmerizing Hermann Nitsch piece, composed for black metal band.
It's a suffocating soundscape of riffing and drone. Subterranean satanic art rock that equals metal. Nihilistic, depressive and never ending.

2000.

SPIRITUALIZED ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space

2011-01-22T03:00:00.002-05:00

one of the best albums ever. infinitely recommended for fans of talk talk, radiohead, cerberus shoal, stereolab, and anything of a similar ilk. completely essential. 1997.

HARVESTER hemåt

2011-01-22T02:48:00.002-05:00

incredible swedish psych-rock. you might this band from their other incarnations: international harvester; träd, gräs & stenar; and pärson sound. this isn't quite on the level of either the international harvester or pärson sound release, but it is a perfect example of the sort of "raga rock" these guys were doing back in the late 60s, early 70s. i'd say it's a must-have for fans of the genre. 1969.

TIM BERNE fulton street maul

2011-01-22T02:36:00.004-05:00

tim berne (sax), bill frisell (guitar), hank roberts (cello), alex cline (percussion). awesome avant-jazz that never veers off into no-man's-land, and always seems to keep a nice, groovy jazz base. 1986.

COURSE OF EMPIRE course of empire

2010-08-19T14:17:00.002-04:00

course of empire were a relatively obscure group from dallas, tx in the early 90s. their debut had some success, and was picked up by zoo entertainment (who at one point tool was also signed to). it didn't sell too well, and neither did their follow-up, so the band was dropped. they released one more album on another label in '98, and then faded away from the music scene. interestly, the band no longer recieves compensation from their records, because they are all out-of-print. luckily for us, they have all their material hosted on their website, free to download. lucky us. but why should you waste your time on this album, among all the other countless free ones out there?

'cuz it's fucking awesome. CoE play with a sorta 90s alt metal sound, but they bring in some distinct industrial influences into play to give them a unique sound. they have a great vocalist, really cool lyrics, and they incorporate a lot of cool ideas into their sound that other 90s bands did not (like the near-7 minute closing track that consists solely of birds in the background and an eno-esque guitar playing a beautiful requiem for the world). it's kinda hard to describe their sound without sounding ridiculous, so i'll stop. just give a listen to a total lost gem from twenty years past! 1990.

SLOWDIVE pygmalion

2010-08-19T14:06:00.003-04:00

the 3rd and final album from this british group. call it shoegaze, call it dream pop, call it ambient, call it whatever you'd like, but the operative word here is BEAUTIFUL. dreamy and otherworldly, dripping with atmosphere, pygmalion is one of the most original and interesting pieces of art to come out in the last 20 years. for fans of talk talk and my bloody valentine (of course, even though slowdive is like 231 times better than mbv, whatever). anyway, brilliant masterpiece here. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION. 1995. FLAC.

CRYPTOPSY none so vile

2010-08-19T14:03:00.003-04:00

brutal technical death metal from one of the original leaders of the style. this album is worth it for the drumming alone, which is absolutely retarded awesome. the rest of this rocks, too. 1996. FLAC.

JUNIOR WELLS hoodoo blues man

2010-08-19T13:50:00.003-04:00

simply put the best blues album i've ever heard. popping with energy, this is electric/chicago blues at its finest. totally recommended! 1965. FLAC.

STEREOLAB emperor tomato ketchup

2010-08-19T13:46:00.002-04:00

The typical (and extremely unique) Stereolab hallmarks are all here. The sweetly delivered, (Socialist) French lyrics, the steady rhythms, and the amazing array of synths and musical textures. You can hear the Silver Apples, Young Marble Giants, Neu!, Suicide, Francoise Hardy, but also the distinctly Stereolab. So...the ketchup's great, hop in!

amazing experimentalkrautpostrock! one of the grooviest albums i own, and indeed a favorite. highly recommended! 1996. FLAC.

JORGE BEN a tábua de esmeralda

2010-08-19T13:41:00.003-04:00

A Tábua de Esmeralda (together with Jorge Ben's 1976 album África Brasil) could be said to represent the creative culmination of his astonishing '70s. The music that Ben recorded during this period had tremendous influence on Brazilian musicians at that time and to a great extent helped to ignite the creative explosion that took place in the Brazilian samba rock and samba soul scenes during the '70s. The sound on this particular album is very simple, with the songs being driven by Ben's characteristic acoustic guitar playing together with a bass guitar and percussion. Floating in the background on several tracks are also some nice string arrangements and a double bass. The melodies are magnificently crafted, managing to be catchy and free-flowing without ever feeling banal or predictable. One of many great songs on this album is the upbeat opening track, "Os Alquimistas Estão Chegando," with its funny lyrics about alchemists. Other especially fine moments are the space-themed "Errare Humanum Est," "Zumbi," with its Africa-inspired lyrics, "Cinco Minutos," and "Magnolia." A Tábua de Esmeralda belongs in the record collection of any fan of Ben's music and is also a great starting point for someone who wants an introduction to his work.

awesome, enchanting album. definitely recommended, especially for those with a taste for more exotic sounds. 1974. FLAC.

WILLIAM PARKER the peach orchard

2010-08-19T13:36:00.004-04:00

Highly diverse in its compositional parameters, this double-CD reveres jazz's colorful history as much as it soars to new heights of improvisational glory, all while unfolding from the beautiful compositions sketched by bassist William Parker.

a jazz cornerstone of the last few decades. 1998. FLAC.

FAUST iv

2010-07-27T13:41:00.002-04:00

duh. one of the krautrock touchstones, and for a reason. if you don't have this, you suck and need to remedy that real quick. 1974.

THIS HEAT deceit

2010-07-27T13:31:00.002-04:00

So this is what forward thinking music is all about. The very spirit you can hear flowing in and out of these songs is equaled by only the most groundbreaking and thoughtful bands. What a clusterfuck of noise, chaos, atonal melody, pulsating tribal rythym, chords that cut across your face like freshly sharpened blades, sounds whizzing in and out, abrupt changes, a message as dark as that ominous record cover...this band was in total control of what they were doing and what they wanted this mass of angst to sound like. So unbelievably essential in an industry (and blog) that probably uses that word to much. Though made in a different time, it sounds as fresh and urgent as any band still trying to push the proverbial envelope. You need this.

1981.

LADDIO BOLOCKO the life and times of

2010-07-27T13:28:00.002-04:00

well, might as well just re-port what AQ says about it:

NYC's Laddio Bolocko were borne of the ashes of classic early 90s post-rock. Formed in 1996 by members of Dazzling Killmen, Mars Volta, Panicsville, Craw and Chalk, they began as the next logical step for hardcore bands wanting just a bit more to chew on than shards of metallic noise and haphazard speed-beat. However, where most musicians with the cumulative pedigree of this quartet would either be playing straight jazz or make a nice livings as mercenary session men, LB channeled their muso energies into a tightly wound ball of steel rods.

As a group, they effortlessly converged at the service of drive and trance, occasionally jutting out unpredictably into harsher realms. Live, they were a powerhouse (perhaps drummer Blake Fleming learned a few things during his tenure with Zeni Geva), and though their recorded history is brief, it demonstrates a remarkable range of expression, precision and raw power. I've read comparisons to This Heat, Can and Albert Ayler, and while dropping names is usually a quick, cheap way to avoid describing music, in this case I think it really does pay tribute to the quality of their stuff. In short, Laddio Bolocko were fucking awesome.

And now, they're gone. Sorry, you missed them. The guys are still playing (Fleming and Marcus DeGrazia in Electric Turn to Me; Drew St. Ivany and Ben Armstrong in The Psychic Paramount), but if you want to see LB now, you'll have to check out the video clip for "As If By Remote" on Life & Times of Laddio Bolocko. This two-disc set collects the entire recorded legacy of a band that might very well have become the premiere representatives of the noise/prog/kraut/jazz legacy as put forth by the aforementioned legends, and host of others currently receiving mega props (Flying Luttenbachers, Lightning Bolt, Ruins).

The first disc of Life & Times contains 1997's Strange Warmings of Laddio Bolocko, and is the more rambunctious of the two. "Goat Lips" opens on a pseudo-fanfare of guitar and drums, sun-beaming riffs reaching toward the sky like a bizarro universe prog band that didn't realize they were supposed to insert a keyboard solo in the middle of all that commotion. Before things get too stagnant-- and they never do; one of LB's strengths was they were able to play repetitive music that didn't seem redundant-- they launch a kinetic, jackhammer groove that might fit well on a new Boredoms CD if it was just a tad less funky. They change again, playing an emergency-siren guitar riff while Fleming slams anything in sight. It's a beautiful sound, and they're just getting started.

"Call Me Jesus" and "Nurser" emphasize the pure noise aspects of LB's sound, though still with enough a sense of pulse as to grant them post-rock membership on a technicality. Again, though they tend to hit a beat and stick with it, the small details-- DeGrazia's horn interjections in the right speaker, or the vaguely King Crimson-esque "chorus" blasts-- make very little go a long way. This pays major dividends on the unthinkably massive "Y Toros", which finds a few hundred ways to play the same three notes during its 34-minute tour. In much the same way This Heat played with rhythm on "Repeat", LB very rarely let a phrase go by the same way twice. Furthermore, they take almost ten minutes to climax; that may sound gratuitous, and I'm sure some folks are going to run screaming from the room during parts of the second half of the piece, but if extended foreplay with a messy peak is your game, this band wants to love you.

The second disc collects 1998's In Real Time and 1999's As If By Remote, documenting the band's considerable growth over its short lifespan. "As If By Remote" is exotic drone, full of disparate sound-bites, jungle bounce and a Middle Eastern guitar riff that leaves a dreamy haze over the entire tune-- a state perfected on the practically untouchable "The Going Gong". "A Passing State of Well-Being" serves up the sunny organ chords, similar to the vibe of the first tune on the other disc, but adds flute and a metronomic funk beat to transform what would be run-of-the-mill Chicago post-rock into muscular psychedelia. Similarly, "Laddio's Money (Death of A Popsong)" takes two chords and half a riff to construct what should be the world's most inept attempt at a Ted Nugent song into avant-garage greatness.

Obviously, if instrumental freak-outs of any variety aren't your bag, Laddio Bolocko might induce migraines. Yet this is rarely "noisy" music: where their would-be peers are going for the loudest and fastest riffs imaginable, pushing boundaries of sound into thresholds of pain, LB seemed to have been heading in a more textured direction. It's too bad we won't get to hear where they might have ended up, because bands that can craft delicate stones as well as rocky rave-ups aren't terribly common. In any case, Life & Times comes very recommended for those in need of a jam.

2005.

PARSON SOUND parson sound

2010-07-27T13:24:00.003-04:00

an all-time classic in the kraut/psych style. "Ooooh boy. This one is a monster. A big, scary Scandinavian, doomy, drone-happy monster. Insanely stunning for the time it was recorded (1966-68) and equally perplexing that virtually no one got to hear this until this very decade. I can't say enough good things about these sessions and this band. It's a shame they didn't stick together for the long run but I'm fucking elated with what we've got and I'm betting you will be too."

much to enjoy here. 2001.

HOMESICK FOR SPACE ...please continue

2010-05-20T15:05:00.002-04:00

the sophomore album from the brilliant, underknown band homesick for space. not available to purchase ANYWHERE (and initially only available via the band's myspace). no artwork, no label, but the best album of 2007. amazing band from NYC, mixing sounds of radiohead, jeff buckley, and mogwai into a kaleidoscope of sounds and textures. amazing lyrics, too. THIS IS LITERALLY THE MOST UNDERHEARD ALBUM EVER.

ANDROMEDA MEGA EXPRESS ORCHESTRA take off!

2010-05-16T17:46:00.002-04:00

really cool third-stream/big band jazz album from this collective out of germany. really fun and listenable! recommended. 2009.

YNDI HALDA enjoy eternal bliss

2010-05-16T17:34:00.002-04:00

probably the best post-rock album not released by a band called godspeed or explosions. totally brilliant stuff here, blending the style styles of post-rock together seamlessly, replete with all the epicness and beauty you would expect from such a release. exhilarating and intense. this album changed my life a little bit when i first heard it, and it's equally as impressive years later. pretty much perfect. 2006.

CYNIC traced in air

2010-05-16T17:31:00.002-04:00

the follow-up to the brilliant and highly influential focus. i think this album sort of flew under the radar because no one was sure if the band could capture the magic of the debut 16 years after the fact. well, they did, and this album is just as brilliant and their first work.one of the best metal albums of the decade, probably. don't overlook! 2008.

THE INNOCENCE MISSION birds of my neighborhood

2010-05-16T17:27:00.003-04:00

lovely folk music. smooth and relaxing with lovely female vocals. makes me feel fuzzy inside. delicate and simple. :-) 1999.

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND a thousand shark's teeth

2010-05-16T17:23:00.001-04:00

the female jeff buckley. if you don't like this, the world is broken. 2008.

TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS shake the sheets

2010-01-25T11:26:00.003-05:00

awesome, super-catchy indie rock/power pop from ted leo and his crew. very fun stuff. if the opening track "me & mia" doesn't make you feel alive, then you suck and you should not read this blog or listen to music. 2004.

THE COUP genocide & juice

2010-01-06T16:04:00.004-05:00

politally conscious hip-hop from oakland. one of my favorite hip-hop albums of the early 90s! great lyrics and lots of cool, funky beats. intelligent, clever stuff. if you like your hip-hop that way, you gotta get this. sort of a lost classic of the 90s west coast scene. 1994.

LYE BY MISTAKE fea jur

2010-01-06T15:44:00.002-05:00

probably the best metal album released last year. aynone familiar with their first album, 2006's arrangements for fulminating vective, knows the penchant this band has for technical, progressive, experimental metalcore. with fea jur, they toss aside quite a bit of their -core tendencies and focus a lot on their ridiculous chops and instrumental interplay, sounding almost like some amazingtechnical jazz-fusion/-rock group, like arcana (only heavier, intense, and even more technical!). i'd even go so far as to say that this album sounds like some amazing mixture of gordian knot (the atmosphere and songwriting, while having a top-notch prog/fusion aesthetic) and yowie (super-tight, super-technical muscianship). this album is a trip, and one of the best i've heard in this style of music. 2009.

DISILLUSION back to times of splendor

2010-01-06T15:37:00.003-05:00

progressive metal from germany. lots of relatively unique elements to the genre. they have a sound all their own. epic and essential to any fan of this style of music, especially opeth (whom they do not really sound like, but frequently draw comparisons to). their follow-up, gloria, is vastly different (but equally as awesome), going into experimental electro-rock territory (a la ulver, kind of). awesome shit regardless. 2004.

AGALLOCH the mantle

2010-01-06T15:28:00.002-05:00

one of the finest metal albums around. if you're into metal, you probably already have this, but i thought i'd post it just in case. atmospheric folk/black metal with post-rock leanings from the orgeon group. perfect from beginning to end. less gybe-influenced than their (almost as good) follow-up, ashes within the grain. 8 years later one can see how influential this album is on certain bands and sub-gengres. an epic masterpiece. 2002.

OSTROVA ostrova

2010-01-06T15:21:00.002-05:00

really awesome, epic post-metal/screamo from spain. kinda like envy mixed with buried inside. riyl those bands, circle takes the square, any european screamo, or any post-metal. nice ep. 2009.

THE STORM PICTURESQUE hours

2009-11-28T14:51:00.002-05:00

amazingly epic progressive metalcore! 2009.

ABSCISE discography

2009-11-28T14:41:00.001-05:00

this is an unoffical collection of known recordings from abscise, louisville's finest ever metal/hardcore band. they incorporated elements from swedish metal, hardcore, punk, etc to create what i consider to be the finest music ever in the straight-up metalcore genre. i knew at least a dozen people who lived and died with this band. the music is so passionate, with pretty acoustic moments in the forefront and heartfelt screams in the backdrop. they use awesome breakdowns, wicked song structures, and some seriously excellent multi-vocal parts (sometimes also using gang vocals). this is so good, and i love this band...i wish they still made music. i saw their last show and videotaped it (i think the cheese metal band 3 Inches Of Blood opened, actually), and it was one of my favorite concerts moments ever. this collection includes 5 songs from their first demo (some seriously epic shit, all multi-part songs with some fantastic metal chops while never sacrificing the overall aesthetic and totally great songwriting) and 4 songs from their next demo (not as epic, shorter songs, more focus on breakdowns, still kicks tons of ass). RECOMMENDED FOR METAL FANS. this band's music should not disappear just because they did! i must spread this around...must be heard...must not fade.

(members of the band went on to be in breather resist, a semi-well-known hardcore band.) 2001-2002.

ANDREW HILL black fire

2009-11-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

Exceedingly catchy and tricky at the same time. Especially Roy Haynes' and Andrew's polyrhyrhmic interplay satisfies my sophisticated needs to the fullest, while Joe Henderson adds some smoothe beauty which keeps me melting into the sofa.

not too avantgarde yet and clearly structured, but very ingenious and varied inside that moving structure as well. And Roy Haynes' drumming is not of this world, honestly.

1964.

VIRUS the black flux

2009-11-22T11:17:00.003-05:00

music from the future. the label describes this album as a mix of tortoise, slayer, and the residents. you must be sold, right? 2008.

THE EVPATORIA REPORT maar

2009-11-22T11:11:00.003-05:00

much like godspeed's yanqui u.x.o, maar feels a bit underwhelming at first. it doesn't have those huge, epic climaxes. it seems more stripped-down. to an untrained ear, it might almost sound like a lazy record. but it's not. like the aforementioned GYBE album, maar still packs all the emotional power of the bands' previous works, only now they are stretched-out and maybe a bit hazier--lots of hills, fewer mountains to climb. all 4 tracks are very lengthy, but all flow together extremely well (even the in-song transitions are stellar and unnoticeable) to create one of those few albums that really must be listened to as its own entity in able to get the satisfaction that the artists intended. don't put this album away after one quick listen. it needs time to expand into what it really is - a full, lush record with copious amounts of emotional weight. a borderline masterpiece. 2008.

THE NATIONAL LIGHTS the dead will walk, dear

2009-10-01T16:50:00.003-04:00

this album has really gotten into my brain over the last week or so. at first listen, it may just sound like another pretty (indie?) folk album. but the melodies and harmonies are so haunting that you'll revisit it again and again, each time becoming more engrossed by the various musical layers, the lyrics about death and rape (seriously! and set against such beautiful tunes..), and, again, those lucious male/female harmonies employed on nearly every track. this is a true gem of an album, and one that if enough people heard, i think would be considered a classic album of the genre (sorta like that bon iver album caught on last year). actually, i highly recommend this if you like bon iver or the mountain goats. 2007.

OLD 97'S too far to care

2009-10-01T16:44:00.002-04:00

the best album from my latest obsession. the old 97's are an alt-country/rock band with an amazing sense of melody and featuring the genius lyrics of rhett miller.

"This is my favorite Old 97's album, and it ranks with the very best of the so-called alt-country genre. In fact, I'm not so sure that this album qualifies as alt-country, since the "country" dimension has been so thoroughly supplanted by surf-punk guitars, rolling drums, and lyrics about urban life. This album is everything rock and roll ought to be--it's fun and loud, and it rewards multiple listens. There's not a single dud on this album, but my favorites are "Timebomb," "Barrier Reef," "Just Like California," and the scorching collaboration with Exene Cervenka, "4 Leaf Clover.""

it is one of my all-time favorite albums. highly, highly recommended. 1997.

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE how it feels to be something on

2009-08-27T15:31:00.002-04:00

i'll save my last post for the day for an album that i've always loved, but has recently become one of those "top [insert number]" albums for me. this is one of those records that has its own very special feeling and atmosphere about it that you can't get anywhere else (like talk talk, for instance, has a monopoly on pretty much an entire genre of music that only they have played). sure, other bands have combined a midwestern emo aesthetic with indie rock. but no one has ever done it like this, or done it this well. the lyrics are absurdly awesome; the guitar and basswork are so perfect, as is the drumming; and, of course, jeremy enigk's vocal performance is one of my all-time favorites.

here, SDRE go off and just transcend whatever genre they were in before. much like radiohead did with ok computer, and talk talk* did with spirit of eden, they just create an entity unto itself. i consider this an essential masterwork, and i hope everyone in the world one day hears it and loves it. 1998.

* - apologies for bringing up talk talk twice in a post about SDRE, as they really have nothing in common aside from being totally fucking awesome

KOENJIHYAKKEI angher shisspa

2009-08-27T15:27:00.002-04:00

outstanding japanese avant-prog/zeuhl. can't really say that much more about it, as it sorta defies words. unlike pretty much anything you may have heard before (and that's coming from a huge magma fan!). 2005.

WILCO summerteeth

2009-08-27T15:25:00.003-04:00

my favorite album from the seminal chicago group. here they start branching out from their alt-country origins. lots of great pop sensibility and sonic experimentation. pretty much a perfect album. 1999.

MONO hymn to the immortal world

2009-08-27T15:22:00.002-04:00

cuz it's mono, so it's automatically great. epic, orchestral post-rock from the japanese masters. 2009.

ULVER teachings in silence

2009-06-16T14:39:00.002-04:00

compilation of the silencing the singing and silence teaches you how to sing EPs (both released in 2001). this is haunting, dramatic glitch/dark ambient work, a particular sound here that the band never really touched on again (there are traces of it in lyckantropen themes and shadows of the sun). these EPs are quite overlooked, and the last 3 tracks (from the silence teaches ep) are especially wonderful. 2002.

ULVER lyckantropen themes

2009-06-16T14:35:00.002-04:00

glitch/dark ambient/electronic music from the norwegian group. this is my personal favorite ulver recording; it possesses an incredible atmosphere that i've never really encountered in any other music. very dark and austere, sorta like watching a film noir or listening to tim hecker, but somehow more personal. when the piano bit comes in on the 7th track my soul is lifted to places it has never been before. give it a shot, as i doubt you've heard anything like this before. 2002.

GHASTLY CITY SLEEP ghastly city sleep

2009-06-16T14:27:00.002-04:00

one of the prettiest albums i've ever heard. shoegazey post-rocky sorta stuff, but never really getting into the whole mogwai sound. connections to city of caterpillar, majority rule, gregor samsa, and pageninetynine, so you know it's gotta be good. highly recommended.

"it sounds like parachuting into the arctic."

2007.

NEIL YOUNG on the beach

2009-05-05T16:06:00.002-04:00

perhaps less acclaimed than the aforeposted NY album, but perhaps more important (and better).

Wow, Neil's flipped out and joined "the family" or something. You might think it could only get better from there, but you'd be wrong. This ain't for rainbows and unicorns here baby, better leave that to T. Rex or somebody, this here is like Alice in Chains in 1974 and I couldn't possibly love it any more than I do.

This album was reportedly made under the influence of honey slides, a rather noxious combination of honey and marijuana invented by fiddle player Rusty Kershaw who played on the album. Apparently this stuff would really put it on you, and the pace and tempo of the album would certainly confirm those rumors, not to mention the fact that they were cooked up at a rate of a reported pound a week. Yeah, that explains a lot.

The songs themselves range from the singular up-tempo "Walk On," through a trilogy of "blues" titled tunes and some other ditties you've probably never heard on Sesame Street I'm betting. They cover a variety of subjects from disillusionment to relationship disintegration and other happy subjects along those lines.

If you are a Neil fan and don't own this go get it now. If you are new to Neil, you better wait on this one. This one here is a different beast entirely than those pretty records like After the Gold Rush and Harvest. This one here is creepy man, be prepared. It's also one of the absolute best in my collection.

essential. 1974.

NEKO CASE fox confessor brings the flood

2009-05-05T15:59:00.003-04:00

neko case, known mostly for her work with the new pornographers, also releases fantastic alt-country/singer-songwriter material under her own name. her most prominent asset (aside from her gorgeous red locks) is her mesmerizing voice, and it's on full display here:

If Neko Case isn't the reigning queen if alt. country, I don't know who is. Employing The Sadies, Calexico, and Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Neko's self-produced fourth solo album is a certain ambiance shift from her last traditional covers laden release The Tigers Have Spoken, despite maintaining the animal imagery. Fox Confessor rides a heavier dark and sombre vibe with Case's lyrics apparently waking up from the disillusionment of the Hollywood propagated notion of some rewardingly presented all encompassing love that's crammed down our throats from a young age (though I don't understand how anyone could believe Jennifer Lopez is even capable of loving anyone besides herself). While legions of accountants and secretaries flock to the banal, unchallenging likes of Jack Johnson, Case wraps her singer-songwriter roots folk vocals and vision around country, twisting it to accept everything from moody psychedelic rock to eloquent orch-pop. The brilliant symphony of a household’s mental downfall, "Dirty Knife" exhibits all the best qualities of where she’s at now. Move aside, Wilco. It's Neko's turn now.

2006.

WHISKEYTOWN stranger's almanac

2009-05-05T15:50:00.002-04:00

a brilliant alt-country album from ryan adams and co. the sound is less ryan adams than his solo stuff (imagine that), but the quality is extremely high. this band was fucking phenomenal, and this is possibly their best work. ranks way up there with the best of the genre. originally released in 1997, this is the deluxe edition from 2008 with copious amounts of (excellent) bonus tracks.

CEASE UPON THE CAPITOL cease upon the capitol

2009-03-28T00:51:00.003-04:00

extremely passionate and intense screamo with a post-rock influence. there are a lot of bands doing this sort of thing now, but this is certainly among the best. it's strangely really catchy to me, too - when i pop it in, i usually don't take it out for a few days. for fans of daitro, envy, orchid, jerome's dream, etc. 2006.

BOTCH we are the romans

2009-03-28T00:42:00.002-04:00

THE definitive mathcore album. this monster will bludgeon you over the head. it's like if converge slowed down for a while. technical, dissonant madness. like dillinger? converge? all those other bands that ripped off those two? well, this band arguably started that shit, and they pretty much perfected it. and, interestingly, some of the lads in this group went on to form seattle indie/math rockers minus the bear. 1999.

SIGUR RÓS ( )

2009-03-28T00:37:00.002-04:00

you probably have it, but i can't live without it, so neither should you. to me, it's the icelandic group's best album. 8 intensely beautiful tracks: the first four more on the low-key side, showcasing their penchant for making slow, drawn-out beauty. the last four tracks, though, are as brooding and intense and any music i've ever encountered (listen to the last piece on full volume and get mindfucked!). essential masterpiece, blahblahblah, etc. 2002.

PELICAN march into the sea

2009-03-28T00:33:00.002-04:00

2 track ep from the chicago group. i know this band has their detractors ("they're boring" or "that guy can't fucking drum to save his life", etc), but there is no denying that they can make some very powerful music when they want to. and this is them at their best. the twenty minute title track appears on 2007's the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw, but in edited form. and to be honest, it's much better here in it's original version, and it works better for me outside of the context of that album. the second track is a throwaway jk broadrick remix of "angel tears", but this is sooooo worth it for the first song. truly the epitome of EPIC. 2005.

JAKOB solace

2009-03-28T00:30:00.003-04:00

the third album from one of the most overlooked post-rock bands. think explosions in the sky if they took a bit more time and listened to more ambient music.

"Instrumental, slow and intense music made by the NZ trio Jakob. The music is built upon minimal rythms, delicate melodies and dilated echoings that develop into majestic and incredibly intense walls of sound. Amazing."

it's great. they need to make a new album. 2006.

HÜSKER DÜ zen arcade

2009-03-28T00:24:00.002-04:00

duh. the seminal post-hardcore (?) masterpiece. if you don't have this, you need it asap. sounds brand new, even though it's getting close to being 30 years old. another classic album for all music fans. 1984.

ARVO PÄRT alina

2009-03-28T00:18:00.002-04:00

possibly the most beautiful, fragile album ever recorded. minimalist classical from one of the masters. one note says one million things. totally essential in every single way. "an album for thinkers and one for lovers of beautiful music." 1999.

ELEND a world in their screams

2009-03-16T11:09:00.003-04:00

amazing, ethereal, atmospheric, dark ambient/neoclassical music from france. this is another one of their masterpieces. 2007.

ALEXISONFIRE watch out!

2009-03-16T10:56:00.002-04:00

one of the great post-hardcore albums of the new century. passionate, yet refined, pushing itself to the brink but never dismantling. dallas green's vocal melodies are something to behold--this album has one of the greatest vocal performances i've ever heard. these songs are so full of energy! if you can listen to the opening track "accidents" without cranking up the volume and opening all the windows then you do not have a pulse. the rest of the album is fantastic, too. one of my favorite, most listened to albums ever. 2004.

BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME between the buried & me

2009-03-16T10:49:00.002-04:00

progressive metalcore from the masters. this is their first album, and as such it's a bit on the "rough around the edges" side, but that's why it's my favorite album of theirs. i think people like to give this album a bunch of flack because "colors is just so amazing!!!", but this thing fucking started it, baby. no one sounded like this when it came out, and when i heard it back when it came out, i was just flabbergasted by what i was hearing! there are a few bands that have tried to emulate the sound of this record, but no one can do it. awesome breakdowns, badass thrash riffs, iron maiden harmonies, grindcore blastbeats, piano breaks, lounge jazz, three-part harmonies - it's all hear, folks, with btbam at their roughest and best. 2002.

CAT POWER you are free

2009-03-16T10:43:00.002-04:00

the best album from the lovely chan marshall. this actually has some of my favorite songs ever, the absolutely heartbreaking masterpieces that are "good woman" and "maybe not". marshall has never sounded better than she does here. she knows when to rock and when to be pensive, and this album is a nice balancing act between her more muscular tunes and her most low-key work. recommended for all folk/singer-songwriter fans! 2003.

DINOSAUR JR bug

2009-03-09T15:26:00.002-04:00

another indie rock classic, this one from j mascis, lou barlow, & murph. i can't decide if this is my second or third favorite dino jr album (green mind is my favorite, actually, followed by either this or the seminal you're living all over me). guitar screeches, slacker vocals, rumbling bass and drums...they got the sound right. get it. 1988.

CITY & COLOUR bring me your love

2009-03-09T15:15:00.003-04:00

probably my favorite album ever! the songwriting and arrangements are perfect, the instrumentation is perfect, the lyrics are perfect, dallas green's voice is perfect. so many beautiful moments, so many great songs. i can't begin to describe how this album makes me feel and how much i love it. a masterpiece of acoustic-based music, plain and simple. 2008.

BUILT TO SPILL perfect from now on

2009-03-09T15:10:00.003-04:00

the indie rock classic. everything built to spill has done is great, and this is perhaps their finest work. doug martsch writes really weird but incredibly catchy and melodic guitar parts. every song is a gem of guitar-driven indie rock madness! essential. 1997.

AAVIKKO history of muysic

2009-02-11T15:03:00.002-05:00

here's an obscure treat. aavikko is a swedish band that plays quirky synth based music. lo-fi (like, recorded to cassette lo-fi) instrumental electronic disco/mumba/surf rock with a yamaha pss home organ, along with drums, guitar, and bass. the sound quality isn't bad at all, especially for being recorded analog. there are tons of cool melodies and grooves. it kinda sounds like videogame music, but surprisingly it's not cheesy or lame. check it out! compilation of some non album material. 2003.

CONVERGE no heroes

2009-01-29T15:52:00.003-05:00

just as good as jane doe. if you don't love this you are a fucking pussy. 2006.

RAY LAMONTAGNE til the sun turns black

2009-01-29T15:45:00.002-05:00

brooding singer/songwriter//folk with some soul influences. love the dude's voice. this is his best album to date. he gets a lot of hype, and this album shows why. "barfly" features the gorgeous and wonderful rachael yamagata. "empty" is one of my favorite songs ever. 2006.

MAXIMILLIAN COLBY discography

2009-01-29T15:18:00.003-05:00

"Maximillian Colby was an art rock band birthed in the early 1990s. They combined the intensity and attitude of hardcore punk with the beauty and weightlessness of noise harnessed by shoegazer. Never reaching much popularity outside Harrisonburg, Virginia, they were local heroes nonetheless, establishing a unique sound only recognized years later by bands like City of Caterpillar, A Day in Black and White, Circle Takes the Square and Envy; with their artsy song structures, stop-start dynamics, and minimal use of vocals, in this case, shouting. The band never released a true full length or lp, only a few eps, splits, and compilation features. Unfortunately, Maximillian Colby’s exceptional expression of art was cut dramatically short with the sudden death of bassist, Bob Baynor, in 1995. Following their demise, the three remaining members went on to form, most notably, Sleepytime Trio, as well as Supine to Sit, Bats and Mice, and Rah Bras. A discography of their sixteen recorded songs can be found on Lovitt Records."

"It's an ironic shame that all of thee truly innovative bands who tried to move emo into a realm that meant "progressive hardcore punk with poetic (non-political) lyrics" broke up before their influence could permeate deeply. Thus, thee new millenium is left with thee emo that every middle schooler thinks of instead of pure mind-redefiners such as Max Colby.

This was not simple music with a sappy message; there is technicality 'n' rawness in spades throughout this Lovitt-crammed-full Discography. How many acts of ANY kind were genius enough to not only sample Steve Reich's Come Out but also to structure their trademark song "New Jello" in thee same manner as that man's serious compositions? To me this puts Max Colby at thee crossroads between Trout Mask Replica & Madvillainy. These genres like "emo" perhaps should not be too confining because there is too much on here to be viewed as just another overlooked punk group. Their dynamics change more than post rockers with their structured yet insanely mobile songs. In fact, Max Colby are thee forgotten predecessors of that scene, taking Slint 'n' infusing it with punk's immediacy, showing thee direction that both post rock 'n' emo could have gone (AND SHOULD have, dad'bus'it!)."

sometimes a bit on the "plodding" side, but always full of passion. fans of the aforementioned bands need this. 2002 compilation from splits/eps from as early as 1994.

GROUPER dragging a dead deer up a hill

2009-01-22T20:14:00.003-05:00

if cocteau twins' classic albums were boiled down to their spectral essence: those amazing vocals, the simple guitar work, the use of the studio. take that, go to a cave, plug in your record player, hit the needle, crank the volume, and then just let the sounds reverberate all around you. this is a beautiful and evocative ambient/folk album from the brilliant liz harris.

Transmissions from the other side made by a troupe of somnambulistic ghosts.

FIONA APPLE extraordinary machine

2009-01-22T20:12:00.002-05:00

her best album. full of life. this album reminds me of laying in bed with my girlfriend - the warm blankets covering our legs, my hand on her soft, warm stomach, the sunlight pouring through the open window, fiona's voice permeating the sun-drenched early springtime breeze.

2005.

POISON THE WELL the opposite of december

2009-01-22T20:06:00.003-05:00

i can't even tell you how many time i listened to this album back in high school. i got really into hardcore/screamo/metalcore music, and this became an alltime classic to me and many of my friends at the time, and for good reason. this is one of those albums that defines an entire underground musical movement. this, along with anything converge ever did, is perhaps THE album as far as late 90s metalcore is concerned. this was the album that everyone loved and that every band tried to imitate. but no one did it like this.

Looking for a screamometalcore album that could exceed the barriers of time? Gotta be very pure, a shot penetrating skull, a suicide pain inducer, a suffering liberator...i think this is it.

1999.

TOWNES VAN ZANDT townes van zandt

2009-01-17T14:59:00.003-05:00

the classic from singer/songwriter//country artist van zandt.

sometimes i don`t know where this dirty road is taking me
sometimes i can`t even see the reason why
i guess i keep on gamblin
lots of booze and lots of ramblin
it`s easier than just a waitin round to die

1969.

CERBERUS SHOAL homb

2009-01-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

the first masterpiece from the boston-based cerberus shoal. experimental post-kraut? they sound like no other band i've ever heard. their sound is so distinct, and they make it work without sounding at all contrived. middle eastern scales, horns, guitars, epic structures. kinda like if godspeed ditched the anarchocapitalist stuff, got baked, and uncovered every lost krautrock classic. highly, highly, highly recommended. 1999.

P.O.S. audition

2009-01-17T14:49:00.003-05:00

one of my all time, top 5 hiphop albums. the dude has amazing delivery and awesome lyrical skill. the production rocks. (sidenote: p.o.s. is kinda the ringleader of the spectacular doomtree hiphop collective, based in minneapolis). if you like hiphop (especially that of the midwestern variety), this is a MUST HAVE. if you're kinda new to hiphop and are looking for something to get your jump started, this is a great record to go with. 2006.

NADJA truth becomes death

2009-01-17T14:46:00.004-05:00

ambient drone doom. very powerful stuff.

"The ultimate guide to guitar distortion and apocalyptic post-modern soundscapes"

masterpiece. 2005.

THE FALL OF TROY phantom on the horizon

2009-01-17T14:41:00.003-05:00

the mathrock/posthardcore darlings go all prog on us, and the results are totally awesome. personally, i thought manipulator was okay, but i preferred their earlier work. i thought they were getting a bit stale, so i didn't have high expectations for this. but goddamn if they dont pull off shit like the 10minute opening track! in fact, i'd say it's the best thing they've ever released! this is really so very good. i think fans of the mars volta will eat this up. whatev, just get it, it fucking rocks, man. 2008.

BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE blach earth

2009-01-17T14:36:00.004-05:00

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark and sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. jazz played at 8 bpm.

Like taking a walk through a dark, foggy alley, the collar of your trenchcoat up, your hat dripping rain in front of your stern face.

if lustmord or raison d'etre made a jazz album. incredible. 2002.

THE NATIONAL alligator

2009-01-17T14:32:00.004-05:00

atmospheric indie rock. has this distinct feel to it that i can't quite put my finger on. nostalgic. "daughters of the soho riots", "the geese of beverly road", "mr november", and "secret meeting" are great (the first two being PERFECT and some of my favorite songs ever). the rest of the album is solid. get it for those songs if nothing else. 2005.

THE POSTMAN SYNDROME terraforming

2009-01-17T14:28:00.004-05:00

Can't thing of much to describes this, except that:

A) its amazing
B) various parts of the album remind me of Tool, Opeth, Neurosis, King Crimson, and maybe a bit of jazz or math rock like Don Caballero or something.

possibly my favourite album ever.

original and unparalleled modern progressive rock. 2002.

CONVERGE when forever comes crashing

2009-01-17T14:25:00.003-05:00

Alright, Jane Doe has its place in the cannon of hardcore, but When Forever Comes Crashing certainly rests next to it. To me this album screams with an even darker passion than anything else Converge has done. It's blood on ancient stone walls, in grimey alleys and forgotten graveyards. It's gothic without eyeliner, it's heart-wrenching without tight pants. It's fucking amazing.

yeah, it's great. 1998.

YOUNG WIDOWS old wounds

2009-01-13T00:19:00.003-05:00

completely bitchin' noise rock/post-hardcore from louisville. produced by the legendary kurt ballou (it sounds MONSTROUS!). this will rock your fucking face right off your skull. 2008.

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE stand!

2009-01-13T00:17:00.002-05:00

the funk/soul classic. not hard to see why this is considered one of the all-time great albums. every track is killer. 1969.

SONNY SHARROCK ask the ages

2009-01-13T00:15:00.003-05:00

definitely the heaviest jazz album i've ever heard (save brotzmann's free jazz experiments). another all-time classic. the guitar playing here is fucking insane. 1991.

MEREDITH MONK dolmen music

2009-01-13T00:13:00.004-05:00

stirringly beautiful classical/vocal compositions. the epitome of pure human musical expression. essential. 1981.

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK rip, rig, panic

2009-01-13T00:10:00.003-05:00

features kirk, jaki byard, richard davis, and elvin jones (what a line-up!). one of the best jazz albums ever. 1965.

ELEND winds devouring men

2009-01-13T00:06:00.003-05:00

"Elend have said in every review I've read from them that they're interested in portraying violence in music. Though noticeably calmed down this time around, their goal is still underlining their work, only in a different way when compared to the past. The experience is a lot more indirect. This is dusty, jaded, sad, airy, elegant, pondering and allegorical symphonic music combined with effects and processed noise, used in a cinematic fashion, conceptually based on a long-ass poem (written by one of the composers) of which only parts are sung off. No shouting or screaming. Just oceans of restlessness and... erosion.

It's very emotional and the musical ideas are clever. This album is only the first part of a whole trilogy which is linked together both musically and lyrically. The series gets darker and more extreme each passing."

dark ambient/neoclassical. unlike anything you've ever heard. 2003.

RAISON D'ÊTRE in sadness, silence, and solitude

2009-01-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

superb dark ambient. 1997.

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2008-12-11T21:10:00.001-05:00