SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

#1151

tried a few times but can't get through this one

#1152

I was happy to give Fetish Bones a go tonight, because it's something very different. I didn't entirely follow the thing, but I don't care. It was a nice diversion, and I appreciate the vocal political expression -- it comes with passion by default. 3 stars.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1153

Caught up.
Songs From the Big Chair - 4.0 - good stuff
Fetish Bones - 3.0 - very powerful/compelling lyrics/poetry, interesting production and variety of sound

#1154

Ok folks, I shall assist Jay from now on in managing this club.

We currently have exactly five new eligible submissions, three of which are carry-overs from the previous poll, lol. It's quite clear, under such circumstances, that there is no need to create a poll for them and that we'll just progress with the order in which these have been submitted (or resubmitted) this week. If I did actually miss any previous recommendation, let me know.

Still, if I can get at least two more by Merkan bedtime tonight, we could battle it out after all. [mention]MovingPictures07[/mention], [mention]insertnamehere[/mention], [mention]Quin[/mention], [mention]Golden[/mention], [mention]sprityo[/mention], please note that you are currently eligible to submit a new album. [mention]Boomslang[/mention], mate, we haven't heard from you in ages.

Also, keep that feedback on Moor Mother coming. It's a 30-minute short, but dense capsule of crazy and dark, so it should definitely get some impression out of you.

Lastly, I'm more of a Monday person when it comes to switching into a new week. Would anyone have any objections to this minor change?

#1155

Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On / 2011 / Freak Folk / 10 Tracks / 39:28

For spooky Halloween times, preferably.

#1156

Ricochet wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:52 pm Ok folks, I shall assist Jay from now on in managing this club.

We currently have exactly five new eligible submissions, three of which are carry-overs from the previous poll, lol. It's quite clear, under such circumstances, that there is no need to create a poll for them and that we'll just progress with the order in which these have been submitted (or resubmitted) this week. If I did actually miss any previous recommendation, let me know.

Still, if I can get at least two more by Merkan bedtime tonight, we could battle it out after all. @MovingPictures07, @insertnamehere, @Quin, @Golden, @sprityo, please note that you are currently eligible to submit a new album. @Boomslang, mate, we haven't heard from you in ages.

Also, keep that feedback on Moor Mother coming. It's a 30-minute short, but dense capsule of crazy and dark, so it should definitely get some impression out of you.

Lastly, I'm more of a Monday person when it comes to switching into a new week. Would anyone have any objections to this minor change?

I submitted an album earlier but I've been super busy so you don't have to add me to this poll

#1157

Good of you to remind me. Ratatat going in.

Seems like we'll have a poll, after all. I'll put it tomorrow morning, so there's still time for people to suggest a few more.

Or invite other people to join in and suggest a few more.

Or invite other people to invite other people to join in and suggest a few more.

#1158

Let me think of one and suggest it, sorry Rico! Thanks for the mention.

I also realize I'm not as behind as I thought I was! I'll get to Fetish Bones sometime this weekend.

Lastly, a Monday start would work just fine for me.

#1159

[mention]birdwithteeth11[/mention] and [mention]NewTraditionalist[/mention] might be interested in this too.

#1160

I'll nominate Leucocyte by Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

RYM
Youtube

#1161

Full list of submissions for SAWs 26-30:

G-Man - A Flock of Seagulls - A Flock of Seagulls / 1982 / Synth-pop, New Wave / 11 tracks / 41:06 / available on YouTube

insertnamehere - Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On / 2011 / Freak Folk / 10 Tracks / 39:28 / available on ?

MovingPictures07 - Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Leucocyte / 2008 / Avant-Garde Jazz / 10 tracks / 74:38 / available on YouTube

nutella - Woodkid - The Golden Age / 2013 / Orchestral pop / 14 tracks / 49:39 / available on YouTube

Ricochet - Phoenix - Mugur de fluier / 1974 / Progressive folk / 14 tracks / 45:56 / available on YouTube and Spotify

speedchuck - That Handsome Devil - A City Dressed in Dynamite / Alternative Rock / 12/15? tracks / (41:42) / available on YouTube

sprityo - Ratatat - Classics / 2006 / Alternative indie rock / 10 tracks / 39:01 / available on YouTube

triceratopzeuhl - Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt / 1969 / Country/folk / 10 tracks / 34:33 / available on YouTube and Spotify

#1162

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:09 pm I'll nominate Leucocyte by Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

RYM
Youtube

shiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeet

That's gonna take some real mental preparation. I don't recall speaking too much about it in the open. The only E.S.T. album I flexed my reviewing muscles for was 301 and it was mostly because I disapproved of it as a release, so I had something to rant about.

#1163

Spoiler: show

links to my album submission

#1164

Mkay, time to vote.

#1165

I finally got around to Toehider.

I imagine in the late 70s some music aficionados would balk at the seemingly oxymoronic label "progressive punk," but it exists, and What Kind of Creature Am I? fits.

For me to appreciate punk anything, the musicianship and composition has to win me over from the usually grating guitar tone. The band that springs to mind that does this the best was The Mars Volta (though I admittedly hated their sound the first few times I ever heard them- it wasn't until I just went ahead and bought a few albums and listened to everything in context that they became my favorite band of this subgenre).

The standout element of the opening track is the bass work- no question. Otherwise the track is a little too peppy for my taste. "Whatever Makes you Feel Superior" is certainly catchy enough, though the guitar solo sounds more like a technical exercise. "The Thing With Me" strikes me as more of a parody than anything.

By the middle of the album, I grow desperate for a respite. "Spoilt for Choice" offers that, but it feels so strange on this album. For one, it sounds like a band in the 80s with a hit single to please the record company. It sounds like a completely different band. Very pleasant listen all the same.

The highlights of the album are "Under the Future, We Bury the Past," which really caught my ear, and "Meet the Sloth," which is by far the most satisfying song offered. It is adventurous and so similar to a favorite epic piece of mine by a band called Ritual, "A Dangerous Journey."

It really should have ended there. The acoustic conclusion is magical.

I cannot understand the creative thinking that decided tacking "Geese Lycan" on the end was the best way to end the album. No thanks.

I would say the first half is good for those who are really into the style and get their kicks on technical showmanship, but I don't fall into either of those categories (so 2/5). The second half (until that final wtf), is brilliant, and would score either a 4 or 5 out of 5.

I'll be revisiting what I like for sure. 3/5

#1166

I forgot about my policy of not voting for albums I already know and voted for Leucocyte

Only heard Cantafabule from Phoenix but I liked it I actually have all 3 of theirs lol

#1167

More votes welcomed and required. 24 hours (give or take, I have school starting tomorrow morning).

#1168

#1169

Totally forgot to respond to this. I've been briefly looking over this thread so far and and am definitely interested in participating in this. Thanks [mention]MovingPictures07[/mention]!

I've voted for the only album in the list that I have heard. So I have some work cut out for me here.

#1170

Welcome, BWT!

#1171

Oh, what's this? What madness...

#1172

Spoiler: show

So in the background.

#1173

#1174

Mkay, seeing as though sprityo's Ratatat made it into our next cycle and was a retroactive submission without a proper re-entry (until sprityo reminded me of it, that is), I think the fair thing to do is count them anyway in the order they were initially submitted. So we'll go Van Zandt - Ratatat - Phoenix - A Flock of Seagulls - E.S.T.

Thank you for the submissions that didn't make the cut, we look forward to very likely hearing them during the next cycle.

Week 26: Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt

Submitted by [mention]triceratopzeuhl[/mention]

Available on YouTube and Spotify

#1175

Thanks for being large and in charge, Rico. It's been a long time since I first listened to TVZ, so this'll be a good refresher.

#1176

My bad for missing the poll guys! I was "in the zone" working all weekend and didn't really wander elsewhere on the interwebs.

Just watched your reviews, Rico, loving them still as always! I generally agreed with you on these two, though I like Songs from the Big Chair more than you do enough to give it a 3.5.

I also listened to Moor Mother earlier this morning and would give it a 2.5. It was more intriguing than enjoyable for me, though there were occasional moments I thought it could turn into something pretty cool (I also agree with Rico that there's some Shabazz Palaces influence in there and I LOVE them), but the rapping was too spoken wordy for me to get into a groove and the samples/music itself were often too dissonant. It was pretty tough to get through as well. Really neat stuff from an artistic perspective, and pretty unique despite moments where I thought I was listening to dalek + Death Grips collab in terms of the beats, but I don't think I'd ever revisit it.

#1177

Also listened to TVZ today. It's an album I'm familiar with, but don't spin very often. Probably heard it 5 times or so before today. It's nonetheless really dang good and a worthy exception to the "I don't like country unless it's bluegrass" outlook I generally can have. A strong 3.5 stars.

#1178

unfortunately youtube quality here isn't great, still a short but sweet favourite of mine

#1179

guess I could say a little more than that

I think the reason this album (and to a lesser degree Our Mother The Mountain) stands out to me from TVZ's admittedly solid discography is it's simplicity - stripped down instrumentation, straightforward lyrics (mostly songs he wrote earlier on), at it's core back to the fundamentals of music - that is, storytelling. Some sad stories, some pretty stories about love. I couldn't tell you which is my favourite; maybe Columbine or None But The Rain, or I'll Be Here In The Morning, or Colorado Girl, or Fare Thee Well Miss Carousel...

Some of you might also recognize the song Lungs from season 1 of True Detective

#1180

Fetish Bones

Despite the pulsating noise on track 1 driving my tinnitus bonkers, I thought the lyrics were interesting. The next two tracks fell flat for me though, so it took me a while to get back into the album/art project Moor Mother created. I stand by what I said before- the album as a whole is more interesting on a lyrical content level than on a musical/compositional level.

In my mind, this is not an album one listens to for pleasure. Rather, it is one you listen to either as art or social commentary. I don't have a problem with either pursuit but that's not how I tend to approach audio recordings that can be described as music. For me, music is a distraction away from everything going on in the world, including the things Moor Mother preaches, growls, and shouts about.

As a person of almost entirely white, European ancestry, I don't like it when "white people" is used as an all-encompassing term to describe an antagonist. Being portrayed as some kind of enemy or oppressor isn't exactly going to invite me further in but I respect the artist's decision to make her art as approachable or personal as she sees fit. It's not a deal-breaker for me, nor does it lead me to put up an walls.

Some of the personal content on these tracks are thought-provoking and informative to Moor Mother's background. I did a little research and she is certainly genuine. She grew up in the projects and saw lots of horrible stuff growing up. That eliminates any cynicism on my part. I think I would like to encounter and engage in discussion people with her kind of background to help broaden my perspective. I don't necessarily agree with some of her worldview as stated in her personal art but discussion would clear up what is genuine opinion and what is emotional rage for the sake of art.

I liked the use of audio clips and some of the samples. Sometimes you can say more by letting others speak for you and that worked on a couple of tracks in a big way. The final two tracks really stood out to me the most. Track one his harsh but intriguing as well. Track 6 could have been something special but Moor Mother kind of wastes the final minute of that track after some potent build-up.

Overall, it's obviously not my thing but it was a unique experience that I don't regret. It may not match the focus and sharpness of Rage Against the Machine's massive militant poetry but I felt Moor Mother is a kindred spirit of sorts. This album made me miss Rage Against the Machine. I wish we had them around these days.

G-Man Scale: 2.93 out of 5
Rico Scale: 3 out of 5

#1181

#1182

I've enjoyed this album quite a bit. There's a lot of country music that makes me roll my eyes but the pure stuff is always nice to hear. Some of the songs are great and powerful. While the simplistic acoustic style of Mariee Sioux (and lots of other folk music) felt like a novelty, this album didn't fade as hard for me. It's got good flow between great and good songs, which helps. Van Zandt has just the right amount of twang in his voice. He's not leaning on it as a country crutch nor is it too twangy to the point of distraction.

Good heartfelt music. This should rate pretty high on my scale.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1183

Eh, upon first listen I can't say as I feel particularly strongly about this album at all. It's fine but it doesn't really do much for me. It sounds pretty nice within the confines of its genre, but it's of a genre that I don't usually get much out of unless it has unique character and this doesn't really have that to me, it just sounds fairly standard/predictable. Maybe I'm missing something that I'll appreciate more on second listen but this album just didn't leave any impression on me.

#1184

You might also be too young to appreciate some of the lyrics. I've found myself connecting more to a lot of music that I used to brush off in a similar manner now that I'm older and have lived through more things. Songs of experience are oftentimes lost on the inexperienced.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1185

I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics tbf. I'll focus on them next listen.

#1186

I know it's probably unusual, but even as a huge music nut I generally don't pay attention to lyrics much at all. That's why a language barrier usually doesn't phase me. I'd say like 90% of the time I give nearly all of my attention to the music and if I happen to passively pick up the lyrics, then great. The other 10% of the time the lyrics are particularly noteworthy and actually make my already positive or negative extant view of the album more pronounced.

#1187

Tune in further to that Townes Van Zandt, y'all, 'cause tomorrow at sun dawn we'll be changing the record and spin something else.

After 25 albums, a rank of my ratings - I don't focus on comparing them one bit, but from the looks of it, I'd say it turned out consistent, at least from my POV

1. Scott Get-on-my-Level Walker - Bish Bosch - ★★★★ (decent 8)
2. Jethro Tull - A Passion Play - ★★★★ (strong 7)
3. Vanessa Rossetto - Whole Stories - ★★★★ (strong 7)
4. Comus - First Utterance - ★★★★ (strong 7)
5. The Stooges - Fun House - ★★★1/2 (decent 7)
6. echolyn - echolyn - ★★★1/2 (light 7)
7. The Kinks - Arthur - ★★★1/2 (no official Rico rating because no official Rico review, but light 7-ish?)
8. Fishmans - Otokotachi no wakare - ★★★1/2 (strong 6, but could bump it to a light 7 tbh)
9. Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry Is On Top - ★★★1/2 (strong 6)
10. The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas - ★★★1/2 (strong 6)
11. Bobby McFerrin - Circlesongs - ★★★ (decent 6)
12. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - ★★★ (decent 6)
13. Mariee Sioux - Faces in the Rocks - ★★★ (decent 6)
14. Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun - ★★★ (light 6)
15. Crowded House - Woodface - ★★★ (light 6)
16. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks in Whispers - ★★★ (light 6)
17. Toehider - What Kind of Creature Am I? - ★★★ (light 6)
18. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair - ★★★ (strong 5, maebe light 6 - I have Toehider ranked higher lul)
19. Beneath the Brine - The Family Crest - ★★★ (strong 5)
20. Moor Mother - Fetish Bones - ★★★ (decent 5)
21. Last Dinosaurs - In a Million Years - ★★★ (decent 5) [I honestly don't recall what this album sounded like]
22. Goat - World Music - ★★1/2 (light 5)
23. Michael Guy Bowman - Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido - ★★1/2 (light 5)
24. deadmau5 - >album title goes here - ★★ (4)
25. Pandora's Box - Original Sin - ಠ__ಠ

#1188

Wow, nice! I need to compile mine as well.

#1189

In all fairness, my chart show how strong of a "like" I hold towards albums I've been already acquainted with - McFerrin's and DCD's albums almost looking like an exception, as albums as I was so-so on - versus new stuff I've been forced had the pleasure to discover. Getting a grip on a new album within the span of a week is hard and borderline inconclusive. While I can't project that most of my ratings on works new to me will change dramatically over time, I know for a fact that it took me a long time to fully appreciate A Passion Play (though not apparently judging from my older ProgArchives review, I still can't believe that thing existed

) and that I would have been more lukewarm on Vanessa Rossetto, had I not had that "ambiental epiphany" about it beforehand.

#1190

Ricochet wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2017 2:38 pm In all fairness, my chart show how strong of a "like" I hold towards albums I've been already acquainted with - McFerrin's and DCD's albums almost looking like an exception, as albums as I was so-so on - versus new stuff I've been forced had the pleasure to discover. Getting a grip on a new album within the span of a week is hard and borderline inconclusive. While I can't project that most of my ratings on works new to me will change dramatically over time, I know for a fact that it took me a long time to fully appreciate A Passion Play (though not apparently judging from my older ProgArchives review, I still can't believe that thing existed ) and that I would have been more lukewarm on Vanessa Rossetto, had I not had that "ambiental epiphany" about it beforehand.

I think that's entirely understandable. Since I've started rating albums now, I've found that it's rare for me to give an album a 4.0+ after just a listen or two unless it really just blows me away. Even a 3.5 for a brand new discovery is really solid.

#1191

Townes Van Zandt has been a very good listen. On a day of irritation and boredom, it was therapeutic to put him on. I hadn't listened to this album in a long time, but I do know I liked it before. I like it more now. I am upping an initial 3.5 to a 4.0.

#1192

Something G-Man said that I agree with is that it's a lot easier to appreciate country music when the twang is reasonable. A ton of pop country is rife with the most offensively fake twang nonsense, and it makes the music comical. TVZ sings like an honest human being, using a voice that is natural to him -- not one that is going to sell records to people who pride themselves in their pickup trucks.

#1193

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2017 3:00 pm Something G-Man said that I agree with is that it's a lot easier to appreciate country music when the twang is reasonable. A ton of pop country is rife with the most offensively fake twang nonsense, and it makes the music comical. TVZ sings like an honest human being, using a voice that is natural to him -- not one that is going to sell records to people who pride themselves in their pickup trucks.

I agree 100%. I love the authenticity in this album.

#1194

#1195

Week 27: Ratatat - Classics

Submitted by [mention]sprityo[/mention]

Available on YouTube (you'll have to check for Spotify yourselves, I don't use it)

#1196

It's on itunes as well

Sorry I've been gone recently but I'm super excited to share this album. It's entirely instrumental and is overall nice to listen to. The group Ratatat was formerly known as cherry for those seeking more than just their 4 Albums.

I can't wait to revisit and put my thoughts out about them (given I'm able to of course)

#1197

It's on Spotify.

#1198

Townes Van Zandt

Country music gets a bad rap. It comes from "the South" and plenty of people who don't hail from the southeastern United States like to dump on that region by generalizing its residents as Confederate Flag-waving, inarticulate, Republican imbeciles. It's easy to dump on country music because there's a long tradition of conservative values in the songs and stars that come out of the genre.

If it weren't for country music, however, rock and roll would never have formed. Country has always been and still is a broad term. Seeing as country is one of the two big genres that don't normally appeal to me (rap being the other), my personal biases have formed only two classifications for country music: good country music and bad country music. Townes Van Zandt's eponymous album is good country music.

Everything falls into place for my ears. The arrangements are simple but they aren't sparse. This is not just guitar + lyrics tunes. The guitar work feels familiar and inviting. The backing instrumentation adds depth to the sound. The vocals, as I mentioned before, possess just the right amount of twang. It's not a facade. This is a man writing and singing songs that he knows how to write and play.

The opening number hit me hard. The notion of singing for the sake of the song opened my mind to consider all the ways I've fought for the sake of having a fight, been a jerk for the sake of being a jerk, and being an obnoxious whiner for the sake of being an obnoxious whiner. That gets magnified when you realize just how often you've done that to loved ones. The second track was, for me, the least interesting tune on the album but it was sill a good number. It just felt like the kind of song any country star could slap on an album. Track three, "Waiting Around To Die," brings back the heart. It's the kind of gritty country song that country music detractors forget or don't realize exist. That's Storytelling 101 right there.

Each of the remaining songs find a way to stand out in their own unique way. In some, it's the story being told. In others its the instrumentation or the structure. It's almost hard for me to believe that this album isn't a compilation album. At least two-thirds of these songs sound like they could be hits. My three favorites wound up being "For the Sake of the Song," "Waiting Around to Die," and "Fair Thee Well, Miss Carousel" but this is an album I wouldn't hesitate to listen to in full again. I might even buy it.

G-Man Scale: 4.13 out of 5
Rico Scale: 4 out of 5

#1199

I've listened to Classics twice today but it's been relegated to background music for the most part. I like "Wildcat" for the animal sound effect. Overall, it's been a steady, pleasant listen. We'll see if anything stands out to me one way or the other when I can focus on it a little more intently.

#1200

Ratatat is sounding pretty solid but I wish it had vocals or something to change up the tracks a bit