The Syndicate

Since I was home sick today, I decided to try and catch up on the last two albums we listened to for this.

Perlman's album was delightful. I enjoyed the Tchaikovsky pieces more than the Mendelssohn pieces but I'm also more familiar with Tchaikovsky's style. I suspect I have a bias there. So far my rating for it is a high B+.

Young the Giant needs another listen for me to finalize my thoughts on it. I thought I could do back-to-back listens but I grew a little fidgety and restless from sitting at the computer for so long. I want to make sure I give this one a fair shake. For now it's a B- due to all the extra big-sound production flourishes. For whatever reason, I'm on a kick lately of craving music that can be repeated live with only the instruments and minimal help from effects.

This week I listened to Aphrodite’s Child again, so of course my boss walked in while “Infinity” was in full swing. We need to bring SAW back in 2019.

Back into this! I’ve been busy at work and at home, so I’ve listened to various old haunts and Miles Davis. I revisited the thread I haven’t reviewed yet. Still forming opinions but here are my quick thoughts:

Time’s End has some good stuff but I feel like it reaches for uplifting-majestic so often that the vibe grows stale at times. I hear some Hans Zimmer influence here and there.

Perlman is good. I still prefer Tchaikovsky to Mendolssohn.

Home of the Strange is very indie but it has bigger aspirations that running in second-gear indie-land. Some songs had a unique Coldplay/Black Keys fusion sound. The slower, softer stuff didn’t do that much for me but work isn’t always a place that’s conducive to appreciating slower, softer stuff.

M Plus 7 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:49 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:54 am That feeling when you call a co-worker into your office to discuss something important and you realize partway through your conversation that Aphrodite's Child's "Infinity" is playing on your speakers.

OMG now that’s amazing.

I successfully muted my speakers before things got too orgasmic, thank you very much.

The blend of two composers' work is interesting here. There's a noticeable difference between the two. I find myself more absorbed in the Tchaikovsky portion.

Seven tracks. Two three-track concertos and a standalone piece. It's kind of like cherry-picking for the instrument (violin in this case). Is Perlman playing or conducting in these pieces? Maybe Golden the Coward can help us out there. If playing, it's easy to judge. I don't know how to judge classical music based on the composer though (unless it's a familiar piece to me and I pick up on something out of the ordinary).

I found this week's album on Spotify.

That feeling when you call a co-worker into your office to discuss something important and you realize partway through your conversation that Aphrodite's Child's "Infinity" is playing on your speakers.

Golden wrote: ↑Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:46 pm G-Man submitted tubthumping

Yep.

I still have to circle back around for Time's End. Here's the rest.

Van Lear Rose Rating: 4.38 out of 5 (A)



Emotion Rating: 3.33 out of 5 (B)



Lanquidity Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (B)

After checking the submission history, it looks to me like the order for the next round is as follows:


Golden: Itzhak Perlman - Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos / 2003 / Classical / 7 tracks / 75:55 / Available via Golden's reconstructed playlist (click spoiler tag)

Sprityo: Young the Giant - Home of the Strange / 2016 / indie rock / 11 tracks / 39:50 / Available on YouTube and Spotify

ColinIsCool: Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle / 1973 / pop/rock, singer/songwriter, jazz rock / 7 tracks / Spotify and YouTube

Nutella: The Books - Thought for Food / 2002 / aleatoric/folktronica/sound collage / 12 tracks / 38:31 / available on spotify, youtube and bandcamp

G-Man: Chumbawamba - Tubthumper / 1997 / anarcho-punk/dance-pop / 12 tracks / 58:49 / available on YouTube and Spotify

JaggedJimmyJay: There Will Be Fireworks - The Dark, Dark Bright - 2013 / Indie rock / 12 tracks / 48:26 / YouTube and Spotify

Speedchuck: Alan Parson's Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination / 1976 / Progressive Rock / 11 tracks (on youtube) / 42:38 / available on Youtube

M Plus 7: M Plus 7 - Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out / 2000 / Indie Rock/Dream Pop / 13 tracks / 77:15 / Available on Youtube and Spotify


I think Sprityo wrote down the name of a song, not an album, so I included him based on the album the song is from. We can tuck any other submissions into the mix if they come in.

I'm feeling cheeky this go around...


Chumbawamba - Tubthumper / 1997 / anarcho-punk/dance-pop / 12 tracks / 58:49 / available on YouTube and Spotify

Lanquidity was pretty easy to digest. I've been going through Miles Davis' discography again, so my mind is open to jazz right now. Oddly enough, I feel like the first and last tracks are the weakest. Maybe there's room for the closer to grow on me (what with the Doors-esque keyboard), so we'll see.

I need a few more runs through Time's End.

For now though...







*looks around the office*



*sees that he's the only one in the building*



Time sort out a few final track scores for Carly Rae Jepsen.

I can see MP’s point to a degree. Jazz and its roots of ragtime and blues are the closest thing America has to a classical genre of its own. It’s skillful but unique (or at least was at the time) to America. It was looked down upon by the old-rich elites but grew in popularity and cultural standing. If not for rock and roll, jazz might be more commonplace now but it was completely overshadowed and drowned out by the amplified guitar-driven sounds of the 50s. I think it had actually been surpassed by big band in the 40s first though.

To this day, I have never owned a video game console, unless you count these bad boys...

So I'm probably going to just relate the music to what influences I think I hear.

Help me understand Time's End. Is it the actual soundtrack to a video game? Is it original music that someone came up with to fit a video game? Or is it some kind of pet project that turned a simpler video game soundtrack into a full orchestral suite?

It's pretty music, I'll give you that, but I can't find a foothold on what I'm listening to.

You know what might be funny? If we set aside one submission phase and had everyone submit an album that they think is bad and that everyone will probably agree is bad. I need to fill in the lower end of my list.

I should be caught up by the end of the week. I'm not sure what to throw in the hat next. I feel guilty that four out of my top five SAW albums so far are my own submissions.

nutella wrote: ↑Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:43 am lol looks like g meant to reply to the picture telephone thread

^This

Quin is. At least that who I sent a picture to.

M Plus 7 wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 11:00 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 5:44 pm I haven’t been able to listen to this one at work because girl pop is one of a few genres that will draw stares and questions from my co-workers. I never gave more thoughts on Loretta Lynn either, so I guess this means I am in catch-up mode again.

Lmao, I'm just imagining you listening to stuff I've nominated at work now, like dataplex.

Surely you didn't do that.

Haha! No, dataplex got two listens at home with the headphones on. Most of the others I have. Anything too non-musical or poppy had to wait until I got home.

nutella wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 10:57 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 5:44 pm I haven’t been able to listen to this one at work because girl pop is one of a few genres that will draw stares and questions from my co-workers. I never gave more thoughts on Loretta Lynn either, so I guess this means I am in catch-up mode again.

I mean....you...there's .... you own headphones, no??? In what kind of workplace do your coworkers know what you are listening to?? Sounds nightmarish.

My headphones are at home. I can't imagine wearing them during work hours. To me, that would be weird.

I work for a small business. There's three of us in the office most days, and I'm back the hall. People can only hear my music when they walk by my office and/or come in. My one co-worker is a real sourpuss and the one boss is a bit of a meathead when it comes to music. His office is across the hall from mine, so I tread lightly when he's here.

I haven’t been able to listen to this one at work because girl pop is one of a few genres that will draw stares and questions from my co-workers. I never gave more thoughts on Loretta Lynn either, so I guess this means I am in catch-up mode again.

M Plus 7 wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 4:11 pm Loretta Lynn, on the other hand, ehhhhhhh... I'm sorry, I really tried to find merit in this thing, but it's really not my cup of tea. Still better than a lot of country, but I'm not a fan of Jack White, so the collaboration was the opposite of thrilling to me. Not exactly enjoyable but not awful either. A decent 2.0, I guess.

You would give Metacritic's third-highest rated album of all time a 2. But that's why we love you, dude.


Anyway, I can understand the accent and twang being a hindrance. It wasn't for me at the time because I was exploring Appalachian bluegrass when this album came my way. I was a huge White Stripes fanboy at the time, so that was a bonus for checking Van Lear Rose out.

The opening title track is beautiful to me. It's the kind of sweetheart tale that I, as a father, want to relay to my daughters. If they remember me even half as fondly as Lynn relays her father's love for her mother, then I will have done my job right. I love the layers to the music on this one. That lap steel guitar in the background is lush.

Portland, Oregon is wild because almost the first whole minute of the song is an intro largely unrelated to the rest of the song. It's like an extended shot luring you through a smoke-filled honky-tonk before getting to the band and the song's principal characters. The song is a little weird if you think about it in terms of a 71-year-old and a 27-year-old singing about getting drunk and having what sure sounds like a one-night stand. There's enough Jack in this song (musically) to blue those country lines (or at least what I know of country). This song rocks hard for me.

The third song is more standard country ballad. It's a somber tune about life troubles. It's nice but I'll admit that it doesn't do a whole lot for me outside of sounding nice. My wife and I have, thankfully, never had communication issues to the point that this song resonates with me.

More song commentary tomorrow.

My introduction to Van Lear Rose:

Country music is not normally my thing. My father only started getting into it as he was mellowing out from his rock roots as I entered college, so I was pretty set in my young and ignorant ways by that point. Early into my sophomore year of college, Johnny Cash died. I worked in the college library at the time and the circulations director made a big fuss about it. His latest album, American IV: The Man Comes Around, was making a big splash at the time, so I checked it out, fell in love with it, and began exploring his catalog.

Thanks to opening myself up to the purer style of older country music then, I was open to exploring Loretta Lynn's 2004 oddball experiment, Van Lear Rose. I say oddball in a good way, because her collaboration with Jack White (then of The White Stripes) is such a weird pairing but it is oh so satisfying.

In 2001, The White Stripes dedicated their breakthrough album, White Blood Cells, to Loretta Lynn. Curious as to why a strange little garage rock duo would dedicate an album to her, Lynn invited them to her home, where they talked music. Lynn was impressed by Jack White's knowledge of older folk, Americana, bluegrass, and country music and she invited him to produce her next album.

Rather than bring in a bunch of country music royalty to make guest appearances on the album and use the best songwriters and session players that Nashville had on tap, White brought in a group of garage rockers and Lynn did all the songwriting for only the second time in her career. Lynn even plays acoustic guitar on many of the tracks.

The end result is an album that blurs the lines between rock and country, yet retains the kind of stylistic and emotional authenticity that is hard to find anymore. Lynn wrote from her life experiences- tender memories from her childhood, her rocky 50-year marriage, reflections on love and life, and the simple things that she tried to hold onto throughout her career.

Loretta Lynn was 71 years old when she recorded this album and yet she sounds more alive than than some artists half her age. I'll comment on individual tracks throughout the week. I hope this post doesn't over-hype this album for you. The lower your expectations, the more I think you'll be blown away.

Replica 3.13 out of 5 (B-)


666 4 out of 5 (A-)


Rhythm, Chord & Melody 3.44 out of 5

Think we should leave this album open for another week? No one has commented on it. Perhaps more time is necessary.

I finally gave this album a listen today. I enjoyed it. Relating it to what I know, I'd say it is in the same general vein as Ben Folds Five's more mature tunes, but with an expanded sonic palette due to the extra instruments. It may lack a little something in variety but the quality of the music is consistent. A little jazz, a little pop, and lyrical styling that walks a very fine line between contemplative and melancholy.

That makes the order this time around:

Nutella
G-Man
JaggedJimmyJay
Speedchuck
M Plus 7

So....

So which album is next? I have no idea how Jimmy orders the submissions.

Also, since 666 is the final album in the current queue, here's my pick for the next batch:



Loretta Lynn
Van Lear Rose
2004
Country
13 tracks
38:30
Available on YouTube and Spotify

First, I looked up the band and discovered that one of the members was Vangelis, he of the Chariots of Fire theme.

Second, the concept of this album is an adaptation of the Book of Revelation. I spent a whole semester of college studying Revelation and eschatology in general.

Third, this was pretty amazing. Not only amazing in light of #2 but also in that the oddball, chaotic nature of the album at times really fits the chaos running through my head/life right now.

Petrushka 4.06 out of 5 (A-)


No Blues 3.38 out of 5 (B)


A New Nature 3.13 out of 5 (B-)


Fisherman's Woman 3.5 out of 5 (B)


The Wilderness 4.03 out of 5 (A-)


Operation: Mindcrime 3.17 out of 5 (B-)


How Did We Get So Dark 3.81 out of 5 (B+)

Replica was nice and easy to listen to but my first spin didn't leave me feeling a whole lot. It came, it wafted to and fro, got a little strange at times, and faded away. It seems like it may be a challenge to isolate individual tracks without staring at my computer screen due to the overlap/sudden change.

This kind of music reminds me a little of this guy I was friends with in college. In his free time he creates his own instruments. I don't know that he does much with sampling but the overall mood and vibe seems to fit the kind stuff he does.

Okay, so tracks 1 and 3 sound a lot like Here Comes the Zoo-era Local H. The rest of it sounds more like a hybrid of Queens of the Stone Age and Muse, which has its moments but the second half of the album loses some steam. Pretty good variety overall though. I'm going to listen to their first album now and see if I agree about it being better.

My first thoughts on Royal Blood:

Wow, do these guys sound like Local H. The bass-imitating-guitar setup makes the sound a little deeper and sludgier, which I dig. The drums sound a lot like those of Local H's second drummer (the four albums that come after Pack Up the Cats). Royal Blood's style seems more varied, however, and the singer has much better range and ability than Scott Lucas's shouty approach.

Thanks speedchuck. It may just be that I equate Queensryche's sound with the hair band era in general and what it represented. It's an easy/lazy association to make. I'll try to focus more on the story but concept albums are generally hit or miss with me because I don't normally focus on lyrics as much as others.

I'm on the opposite side of the fence regarding the vocals. On a number of tracks, I thought to myself "man this song would rock more if Axl Rose was the singer."

Not to hold us back or anything, but I just got through my second spin of Operation: Mindcrime. Perhaps its my musical biases (an/or those I inherited from my father) but I'm not hearing anything that wows me. For those who rate this album highly, what should I focus on when I give it another spin? Is their any particular instrument virtuosity I may catch with my headphones on?

It's not my brand of metal, so most of it comes through as more or less standard hair-band era big sound that still plays ad nauseam on some rock stations. Am I missing something or is this album perhaps just not for me?

My first listen of Operation: Mindcrime was lukewarm. It starts out sounding like non-holiday TSO and, through my passive listening, it didn't seem to change its style much. I was pretty hardcore focused on payroll this afternoon, so not much else was allowed to seep into my brain. We'll see what the next listen yields.

Man, I haven't listened to a Queensrÿche song in years. My dad wasn't in to that kind of music when I was sitting in the back seat of the car, listening to whatever he thought was good stuff.

I need one or two more listens of the last two albums and then I'll dump five ratings at once.

[mention]speedchuck[/mention] I think Explosions in the Sky has an emotional connection for me because of the way their music was used in both the movie and TV show for Friday Night Lights. It usually played over moments that were everyday life and/or something sweet or emotional. Most of their music sounds to me like something that could play over audioless home videos.

[mention]JaggedJimmyJay[/mention] I think I understand what you mean by the music not seeming to go anywhere. It’s a criticism the band has gotten on their last two albums- they made pretty, cinematic music for the sake of making pretty, cinematic music. I will agree that The Wilderness lacks the kind of trajectory/ musical journey that their best work contains. It does at least mark a new direction for the band, as they added a few new elements.

Okay, introduction time!

I was introduced to the music of Explosions in the Sky by the inclusion of their music in the film and TV show Friday Night Lights. When I went searching for more of their music, I found this YouTube video and I was hooked:



If you watched and liked that video, I recommend you also watch the artsy film Koyaanisqatsi, from which all of the footage was lifted.

Anyway, Explosions in the Sky started out like a number of other post-rock bands, with music that had a more somber tone to it but they transitioned into a more melodic, almost cinematic style of instrumental rock. Several of their albums contain music that is of such quality and beauty that it makes me feel like my life is being wasted in such a repetitive, largely clerical job when there is beauty in the world to be explored and an impact to be made with my life that isn't being realized or fulfilled yet.

The Wilderness does not follow that pattern from prior albums. For me, this album feels more direct, less lofty, and leaves me feeling upbeat. I consider this album an improvement over their 2011 album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care because the band changes things up a little. There are more tracks than any of their previous non-soundtrack studio albums, there's just one track over seven minutes long, and they incorporate some new elements to their sound. It's the sound of growth. You may not hear it if this is your first time encountering this band but that's no big deal.

This isn't my favorite Explosions in the Sky album (that goes to 2007's All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone) but it got me through a rough patch earlier this year. I was very frustrated with work and needed to listen to uplifting music to help lighten my mood and carry me through the day. I listened to this album probably twice a day for two or three weeks straight. I nominated it for this slate of albums around the time when the worst of my frustrations subsided, so it was an emotional choice for me. It's a solid album and I hope you all find it at least somewhat enjoyable.

Rico reviews! All is right in this thread again. I'll try to catch up on everything this week. I've been listening, just not finalizing.

I'll post some final thoughts on Petrushka tonight after one more listen with my headphones on.

As for Los Campesinos!, it's got a pretty standard 21st century indie pop/rock vibe. I missed immersing myself in this sound by about six months. I caught The Strokes when they were brand new and sort of pulled back from the emerging indie pop/rock sound when pop stations started picking up bands like The Killers and Modest Mouse. I hear plenty of that arty/performance-minded influence here.

That doesn't mean I disliked it though. I was biased against anything too poppy or emo back then, and the indie rock/pop sound always veered dangerously close to those lines. I've warmed up to the craftsmanship of the genre over time. A few of the songs had guitar and vocal layering combos that reminded me of Billy Corgan's work during the Zwan experiment, which is a welcome sound to my ears.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 2:59 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:09 am Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

I will do as you ask, but if you change your mind before the new batch starts then please lemme know. It's no hassle whatsoever to include it (I don't care if the queue gets a smidge longer), and nearly every submission I have given has been the spur-of-the-moment sort.

Alright, keep my pick on the list. I've probably been overthinking each of my picks so far but that's just me. It's not like anyone is judging others here based on the albums they nominate.

Okay, I may have judged MP a little bit for his last, tinnitus-inflaming album. Sue me.

Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

S~V~S wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:55 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:13 pm I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

Do you know the story? It's not a happy ending. Will listen to it tonight.

I read through the plot last night. I'll have to listen to it again with the story in mind. Or perhaps there's a video of a live performance on YouTube.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

I listened to a recording of Petrushka by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra on Spotify yesterday. It was one of the few I could find that was just the ballet we're listening to this week. Given its brevity, it seems to get lumped into compilation albums.

Anyway, it's beautiful. I'll check around for other versions this week. I think I'll also read up on the story content itself to see if I can imagine the actions in my head while listening to the music.

This is going to get a high score from me.

dunya wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:43 pm I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:00 pm [quote=dunya post_id=415096 time=<a href="tel:1519681404">1519681404</a> user_id=446]
I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

Well I think nutella would take up the slot now, then you, then G-Man. :P

But regardless, I don't think anyone would mind G-Man going first.
[/quote]

nutella wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:08 pm I'm cool with G going first! More people should submitttt

No. No. No. I don’t need any special treatment. We don’t want to set a ‘birthday week’ precedent. I will wait my turn per the current queue setup.

Daww, speedchuck beat me to it. I was going to submit first to have my album played the week of my birthday. Oh well. First come, first served!



Explosions In the Sky
The Wilderness
2016
Post-Rock
9 tracks
46:20
Available on YouTube & Spotify