The Syndicate

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.

I listened again today, this time a version from the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra. It was again agreeable and pleasant, which often seems to be the extent of my reception of classical music. To me there always seems to be something missing at the core which limits its ceiling, though clarifying exactly what that is would be difficult. I struggle to draw any meaningful emotion from it; it rarely makes me feel anything. That's not to say it isn't there, because clearly for many other people the effect is quite the opposite. So it sounds good, I liked it well enough, and I cannot honestly provide it with any greater praise than that.

I listened to Petrushka once the first night it was up here and I remember nothing about it. I rated it 3.5 so it must have been agreeable. I'll listen again before the week is over. My brain is overexerted these days and I struggle to retain anything.

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime / 1988 / Heavy metal/Rock opera / 15 tracks / 59:12

Most people call this album one of the progenitors of progressive metal. I don't agree with that. It was an inspiration perhaps, but not within that genre itself.

speedchuck - Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? / 2017 / Alternative Rock / 10 tracks / 34:25
nutella - Esben and the Witch - A New Nature / 2014 / Post-rock/Darkwave / 8 tracks / 54:28
MovingPictures07 - Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica / 2011 / Electronic/Ambient/Plunderphonics / 10 tracks / 40:57
JaggedJimmyJay - Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime / 1988 / Heavy metal/Rock opera / 15 tracks / 59:12
dunya - Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman / 2005 / Contemporary Folk / 12 tracks / 39:22
Ricochet - Aphrodite's Child - 666 / 1972 / Rock opera/Psychedelic, Fusion / 24 tracks / 77:58
ColinIsCool - Los Campesinos! - No Blues / 2014 / Indie rock/indie pop / 10 tracks / 41:39
G-Man - Explosions In the Sky - The Wilderness / 2016 / Post-Rock / 9 tracks / 46:20

Oh, he refused. Okay, that's fine too. No big deal either way.

We can just have G-Man go first. It's not a big deal.

It's that time again. Open submissions have worked fine lately, so just stick and album in here if you have one.

Rico, I defaulted to the performance you included in your original submission (The Cleveland Orchestra). If you prefer a different one be on display, by all means share it.

Note to all that the Cleveland performance doesn't appear to be on Spotify, but a few others are there.

I was able to give Madvillainy a listen earlier in the week, but I was a bit distracted as it played. It sounded about as it always had before to me: decent, listenable, agreeable, and unspectacular. It could be that it would start to assert itself more with repetition if I can ever find the time for it. I have nothing bad to say about it though.

I haven't heard this album in a while, so it'll be a good opportunity to revisit. I've tended to find it enjoyable, but I haven't grasped the canonical stature it has attained over the last decade-plus.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:36 pm What's wrong with Dream Theater?

To me they represent the worst of a mentality I find loathsome in music: that technical skill is what's most important. I find them to be awesomely skilled players of instruments and generally terrible writers of songs. I consider Images and Words and Scenes from a Memory to be listenable at least. I don't like anything else.

I gave the album a spin and it was generally underwhelming. I kinda figured; this stuff is not for me. It wasn't a terrible experience or anything, and thankfully it was not Dream Theater. I did think the final track was nice though.

2.5 stars

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:01 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2018 1:34 pm That album title is giving me the Dream Theater twitches.

Is that a bad thing? I may have bad taste in music.

I like to make fun of Dream Theater, but no worries.

There are no wrong answers in music tastes. I will definitely give it a listen.

That album title is giving me the Dream Theater twitches.

A bit about this submission:

I think we're presently in a golden age of woman-fronted pop music, and it isn't entirely acknowledged among music enthusiasts given the tendency for some to denigrate pop music -- especially this manner of pop music. The likes of Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift have achieved mega-stardom, and I think it's deserved given their obvious talents for crafting addictive pop hooks, but there are so many more artists of comparable [or in my opinion greater] songwriting talent who don't quite live on that plane. There's another tier of high-popularity without necessarily being a household name featuring the likes of Lana Del Rey and Carly Rae Jepsen, and a more niche tier for musicians like Robyn and the one I have presented: Marina & the Diamonds.

The name can be misleading. This is not a band. This is a solo artist playing on her actual name (Marina Diamandis). This album came at the perfect time for me, having been released in 2010 just after Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster. That latter album played a role in initiating my interest in this genre, particularly because I first hated "Poker Face" and was later forced to reassess when I couldn't deny "Bad Romance". I'd been taken by the sound, and when my friend introduced me to The Family Jewels, it was exactly what I needed to hear to become an enthusiast for music like this.

It's easy to look at this sort of thing and dismiss it as teenage girl drivel, written for a different demographic and useless to most other music explorers. I would have probably dismissed it myself 10 years ago. I have come to recognize though that a real talent is necessary to generate music like this, and that it doesn't come a dime-a-dozen. There is a ton of electropop music out there, and the vast majority of it does not meet this standard. She's awesome.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:41 pm Also, I didn't at all hear the "industrial" bend that Jay mentioned, but maybe that's just me. Sounded more like it was grunge-influenced than anything.

That only lasted through the first few tracks. From there it settled into a more standard alternative/post-grunge niche.

I've finished the album now. While it didn't quite sustain the fun that was the first couple of tracks, it was still worthwhile. It may sound a bit dated, but I always thought that criticism is absurd anyway. For the most part I dig it and will hand it 3.5 stars.

I'm only a couple of tracks into it now, but so far I am having a ton of fun. The heavy riffing is almost industrial in sound, and it works really well. I am reminded a lot of Shihad, a primarily '90s/'00s (still active) alt-rock outfit from New Zealand who specialized in that industrial flair.

Good call

*flickers lights on and off a few times*

I thought the album was neat. It started a bit sluggish for me, but I'd say from about the 2nd-4th quartile it improved. It is rhythmic and engaging in such a way that the foot is going to tap and the head is going to bob with or without one's direct encouragement. I cannot say whether my being barely competent with the language made it a better or worse experience.

3.5 stars

Ricochet wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:15 pm I object to the queue change. I am to be last.

That's fine if you prefer it.

I ordered the next queue based upon when each individual's most recent album was presented, and then flipped dunya and Rico so the latter has more time to choose a preferred version.

dunya - Pescado Rabioso - Pescado 2 / 1973 / Psychedelic Rock / 18 tracks / 73:40
G-Man- Local H / Pack Up The Cats / 1998 / Rock / 15 tracks / 47:38
JaggedJimmyJay - Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels / 2010 / Electropop / 13 tracks / 46:22
speedchuck - Universal Migrator Pt I: The Dream Sequencer - Ayreon / 2000 / Rock Opera / 11 Tracks / 70:14
MovingPictures07 - Madvillain - Madvillainy / 2004 / Abstract Hip Hop / 22 tracks / 46:13
Ricochet - Igor Stravinsky - Petrushka / 1910-11 / Classical, Ballet Music / 4 tracks / parts / 34:58

JaggedJimmyJay - Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels / 2010 / Electropop / 13 tracks / 46:22

Also, let's get those new submissions. I'm going to just call it another open submission period with no poll.

I may have hated it, but it's still a unique listening experience. I'd recommend it to people who I think have a taste for that sort of stuff.

I would encourage y'all to give it a chance.

I've finished dataplex.

That was unpleasant. Indeed, I have never struggled so much to finish a piece of music in my life. It was physically painful in the realest sense -- not because it sounded bad, but because it hurt. I can on some level respect what the artist was going for, because I am pretty sure that's the intent. He pushed the boundaries of the sound spectrum audible to the human ear and created sensations that others have not. That's fine. I didn't enjoy this though and I don't know that it's necessary to pound at it for 55 minutes when the same novelty can be achieved in 5. I don't even need to say that in terms of composition it was nigh pointless.

I gave it 1 star. The only thing preventing a lower grade is my understanding that the artist achieved what he set out to achieve. I'm going to go squeeze my head between two pillows for a few hours.

I'm halfway through it.

And, well... Ouch.

I listened earlier today and thought it was pretty good. The best brand of prog, in my opinion, is the one which embraces accessibility without also compromising the core sounds associated with the genre. Kansas seems solid in that role. 3.5 stars.

RIP SAW

I'm listening to TGRS again tonight, and it's very pleasant. I wish I could offer more substantive or interesting feedback than that, but it's honestly all I've got. This is the sort of thing I'd be glad to play while I am busy with something, as it'd probably help me to maintain some focus, but beyond that I am not sure I'd listen much more. It's a good album though and I appreciate the submission nutella.

I listened just now and it was enjoyable. I was focused on a task I was doing and it made good music to accompany that, though I ended up losing attention on the sound about halfway through it. I'll need to listen again to get a more proper take. I did like it though and would start it at 3 stars.

Sorry I forgot to update this. Getting on it.

Best part of Feathergun is definitely the final outro.

I'm giving Rishloo another spin today. While the Tool parallel holds, there is one advantage they enjoy here: the vocalist is much less irritating than Maynard James Keenan.

I think we should give Rishloo another week. It was interrupted by the holidays.

I got a listen in today of Feathergun. The music definitely recalls Tool, in a less abrasive and complex way. I thought it was a nice enough sound, though it didn't really make an impact. It was background material while I worked on other things and it served in that role adequately.

I'm pleased that y'all have enjoyed the album so far. Thanks for giving it a listen!

A Piece of Strange is one of my favorite albums in hip hop, perhaps as high as the top two or three. I'm glad to be able to bring it to SAW to continue the recent trend toward diversifying the set here after the likes of Drake and even the Charlie Brown jazz album. This album is very much aligned in the conscious, political portion of the hip hop spectrum, and though it does at times embrace the harsh lyrical nature that some people struggle with -- it's a necessary component of the passions being expressed here in my opinion. Moreover, alongside Outkast these guys are the best evidence I know of that hip hop music need not be perceived as a battle of the American coasts. These are southerners, and they're fantastic.