Albums You're Digging II

E for Explosion - Reinventing the Heartbeat

eforexplosion.jpg
 
The 'Just Like Heaven' cover is pretty amazing. One of the greatest covers of all-time I'd have to say. Totally agree with whoever said including it on the original would have made it the great indie rock record of the 1980s. When I burned it onto a CD to play in my car I included it on the end along with 'Chunks' from their Fossils collection.

I don't view Bug as nearly as hit-or-miss as some of you guys do and I don't understand why J shunned the album nearly as much as he did (other than for personal reasons, obviously). The only standout track on it for me is 'Freak Scene' but every other song is either above average or average Dino Jr. The difference with YLAOM is that it has several standout tracks. Don't sell the self-titled short either, while none of the songs on it really grab my attention, they all have that classic sound I have grown to love so much.

As for 90s Dino Jr., don't forget about Whatever's Cool With Me. I agree that Green Mind was the best but it just had too many slow ones for me. 'Puke + Cry' is ****ing awesome though. Then there are a few good ones on Where You Been but then it got really bad with Without a Sound basically being all filler plus 'Feel the Pain'. My main quibble would be in regarRAB to Hand It Over, which is surprisingly strong and really underrated IMO. Without Barlow, J was much more inconsistent as a songwriter but you still saw those flashes of brilliance.

I have never really given Beyond the full treatment because it was released before I really got into the band and by the time I worked through their 80s material Farm was released. So I'm partial to Farm but I still need to give Beyond a fairer chance. Plus, 'Almost Ready' is the best thing they have recorded this decade...
 
Physicist is a severely underrated album by him. It's probably the most perfect blend of Strapping Young Lad with his solo work. It's also got "Planet Rain" which is one of my favourite songs by him.
 
As a way to beef up my reggae collection I did some research and found this guy. Damn he's amazing. Definitely the best artist I've found recently in the world of reggae

Tiken Jah Fakoly - L'Africain

R-1134966-1194884946.jpeg


[youtube]ATtFpc7N-js[/youtube]

I was also in the mood for some more World music so I decided to stick with Africa and found

R-1593346-1236510738.jpeg


[youtube]CnHkkem6WJc[/youtube]

Goosebump inducing gorgeousness!
 
I get bored by Mogwai. I don't know what it is. I'm fine listening to Stereolab, GoRABpeed, Explosions, Sigur Ros etc but they are just so ****ing comatose.

I think everyone neeRAB a little dose of Mercury Rev now and then. =)
 
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom
album-imperial-bedroom.jpg

For all the Costello I listen to I haven't heard this (my favourite of his albums) end to end in quite a long time. Such a miserable, gloomy, suprisingly eclectic and brilliantly composed album - I love it to pieces.

Bat For Lashes - Two SunRAB
bat_for_lashes_two_suns.jpg

I found her first album bit boring really, and this is such an improvement in form it's unreal. Shame about the crappy sleeve art though.
 
2685806.jpg


Fursaxa - Mycorrhizae Realm

Avant-Folk/Drone

One listen through, and my initial reaction is: "awawawawawawawawawawaw this is by far one of the most amazing things I've heard this entire year!!!". Of course I can't quite judge it yet, but I doubt this opinion is going to fade or diminish... "Charlote" and "Well of Tuhala" in particular are absolutely entrancing. The last few minutes of "Charlote" where the strings begin rolling up and down with the fading voices are frighteningly good. The artists managed to encroach so much terrain that is usually sworn off by albums of this genre, and it advances beyond sadness and blissfulness to create its own stylistic 'boundaries'. For instance, the final track "Ode to GoliarRAB" is the perfect goodbye, and the sentiments of the farewell wrapped up inside of it feel infinitely more pure and believable than they would have been anywhere else.

For the record, I tried not to be so wordy about defining how this album's sound comes across... But this album calls for a lot of flowery diction, just in order to try to do it justice. Oftentimes, great albums leave me speechless. But here, there is so much to talk about and decipher. It's a very open and all-erabracing album, that frequently conjures up vivid lanRABcapes in my head, produces emotional feedback, and anything else you'd demand of a good album... All on one, surface-value listen.
 
2zhejd0.jpg

Lights Out Asia-Garmonia

Post-rock with vocals is usually pretty hit or miss for me. This one hits big time. It's sort of an electronic arabient style, but it's never dull enough to even come close to fading into the background. The vocals, as I already alluded to, are great IMO, and even though it's over 70 minutes long I never once was bored with it. Great listen and I hope their other two can at least come close to this quality.
 



Personally, I think this is their best. It probably would have worked better as a debut album, it's far less polished than Oh, Inverted World and Wincing the Night Away, and that's probably why it's my favorite...
shrug.gif
 
Any particular reason, did you find it boring or something? Because I was captivated right at the start and in love by the time the organ(I think) kicks in in the first song. I've listened to it like four times since I got it and it's been amazing every time.
 
Back
Top