Listened to this. Didn't pay enough attention to be honest. But it was a very wild background music today. It really hits. Maybe don't love it as much as Don't Break The Oath on first listen to both. Hell, that sounds indecisive, I definitely liked DBTO more. But, again, didn't pay enough attention. The vocals were more wild and showy in a more metal way. So I didn't like it as much as the way his vocals kinda were weird in DBTO. Still, its heavier and more intense than the other album and I respect the hell out of it.
Also today and yesterday I found myself listening several times to
and I don't understand why I love this album so much. Its looong and rambling and at times monotonous, really for long stretches. Its beaitiful and austere and somber and nearly apathetic one minute then goddamn pure beauty the next minute. Ned Collette is a MAJORLY underrated artist. I kinda love him and I plan On doing like an artist focus project for all his albums sometime soon. Most of his records aren't added on BEA, so it will be my good deed lol.
If you like Songs From A Room/Songs Of Love and Hate Leonard Cohen you may find this album and this artist fabulous or at least admirable.
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also Phoebe Fuckin' Bridgers. What a beast. Been listening to Stranger in the Alps a lot and to a lesser degree Punisher. Both are stunning. She's maybe my new favorite songwriter who I feel is in her prime so to speak. Like if I were make a power ranking of artists that would make me bust if I saw tomorrow morning a surprise LP drop, Phoebe Bridgers may be number 1. Probably number 2 (lol poo joke)
Okay, on a whim, cuz its my diary, here is my Power rankings of Top artists that would make me weep with excitement if I saw right now a super surprise album on Apple Music:
TOP TOP TIER LIKE YOU WON'T SEE ME FOR A WEEK AFTER:
1. The Tallest Man On Earth
2. Phoebe Bridgers
3. Lauryn Hill (this is JUST a pipe dream at this point. Still, I will NEVER stop hoping.)
Next Lower but still quite earth-shattering:
4. Ned Collette
5. Julia Holter
6. Rina Sawayama
7. Kanye West (although I fear this will be a very very depressing album at the moment, and I mostly just hope he's doing alright.)
7a. Kids See Ghosts (kinda cheating here)
8. Gillian Welch
9. Kendrick Lamar
10. Sidney Gish
11. Frank Ocean
I'd Be pretty pumped about these as well but maybe not like crazy excited like the above 11:
12. Kamasi Washington (basic choice for jazz, although he is quite brilliant)
13. Joanna Newsom
14. Vampire Weekend/Ezra Koenig solo
15. PJ Harvey
16. The War On Drugs
17. Julien Baker (she actually does have one coming late Feb, but if it dropped now I'd be quite excited to "wear it out".)
18. Danny Brown
19. Bruno Pernadas (just cuz I love what I've heard so far whioh is just one album).
20. Susanne Sundfor
21. Lana Del Rey (its coming but I tend to be impatient)
22. D'Angelo
23. Soap&Skin
24. Courtney Swain (jesus I really REALLY like female singer/songwriters. They have ruled my world these last 5 years)
25. Nails
26. Adrianne Lenker (loved her 2020 album and while I'm sure it won't be a raw and honest maybe, i think I'd very much love to see another album. Songs last year was brilliant to my ears.)
27. FKA Twigs
28. Agnes Obel
These are good, but kinda just thrown in to get me to more than 30:
29. Tobias Jesso Jr.
30. Grouper
31. Cat Power (not releasing classics every year or 2 like the 90s/2000s, but her last album was actually quite good. Love her stuff.)
32. Fever Ray
33. Charli XCX (I really like even love her most recent albums...still for some reason her music doesn't feel like mine, know what I mean. I don't know how to explain it. I just am not as OMGOMGOMGOMG about a new charli album as some others obviously.)
34. Cinder Well (kinda just thrown in cuz I discovered her 2020 album recently and it such a cool sound she has. Kind of a mix of Irish and Appalachian folk with a dark earthy feel.) _________________ -Ryan
Okay, BEA Friends, It's Thursday at about 8pm right now. You know what that means? It means we are mere hours away from the next big album release dump!
Before I started listening to copious 2021 albums as they came out, I had no idea what the usual release schedule was. So very quickly Thursday at midnight turning into Friday has become a weekly holiday. I'm already looking ahead to the next batch of very intriguing albums.
I just now finished the last remaining comment/review/rating and ranking of the albums I've heard fro January. Thus I have put a bow on my January listens (although I'm certain I will be discovering albums released last months for a long time to come.) When I started my formula or system of 2021 albums revieing and relistening I thought I would burn out fast fast fast. However, I haven't. I will slow it down a little bit but not much. I find it very fun and almost therapeutic to listen and listen closely a few times and then write a usually crappy, sometimes okay, review of it. So I'll continue.
Here is the first 44 of this ongoing 2021 project. and heres to the next 11 months of goooodies!
EDIT:I removed the ratings and range of ratings from the individual album review/comments on this chart and that made allll the difference. I now feel like I can more freely move this thing around and re-arrange at a whim based off just changes of opinion, which I just did. Phew.
Yes, I coulda just edited this comment on my earlier page, but I didn't want it lost. I have a weird feeling like my comments and responses to others' communications will be lost when I start a new page. Silly, I know I know.
Oh and I am up late working on some work project things and I am just snorting some really great albums up like they were coke. Namely these 2 have so far really been great on first listens...
first one is impossible to describe but you can bet it is an album I'll be listening to a lot over next couple weeks and maybe longer. What a wild debut album, holy shit. The second one just got a 9.0 on Pitchfork, so it will be blowing up around these parts over the next few weeks. And it deserves the attention.
I'll be listening next to the new Puma Blue, Staves, Guy Blakeslee, and Black Country New Road albums. Probably will sleep before listening to all of them. _________________ -Ryan
Oh wow thank you for this comment! Much appreciated. I was just thinking about how your forum comments in just a couple months have become some of the best and most interesting. To the point when I see a forum thread and with your name as last commenter I quickly and curiously click to see what you say. Not sure if you ever went by another name here on BEA, because it feels like you've been an integral part of the forums forever.
And I'm sure you have gotten this before and maybe you just aren't interested, but if I were to pick a chart that I most wanted to someday see, it would be "Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by kokkinos". Are you thinking of making a chart sometime? Last I checked a couple days ago there were no kokkinos charts. (I think i was looking to see if I could better choose an album for you to listen to from my chart based off your other faves).
No, I've never had another account here (this one is actually 7-8 years old, it's just that I wasn't any active for the most part), but the community is great, all of the guys -and gals I guess, I don't know- made it easy to settle in immediately.
Right now, I'm working on a 2004 chart, based on the albums I listened to for my team in the hip-hop tournament. Once I'm done with that, I intend to tackle the beast that is called "Top 100 Greatest Music Albums". I've already been into major relistening mode for some months now - that's why I'm terribly behind when it comes to tracking down new releases- but there's still tons of stuff waiting me.
And yeah, Old Chestnut sounds really promising, but I will expand on that in the corresponding topic.
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Oh wow thank you for this comment! Much appreciated. I was just thinking about how your forum comments in just a couple months have become some of the best and most interesting. To the point when I see a forum thread and with your name as last commenter I quickly and curiously click to see what you say. Not sure if you ever went by another name here on BEA, because it feels like you've been an integral part of the forums forever.
And I'm sure you have gotten this before and maybe you just aren't interested, but if I were to pick a chart that I most wanted to someday see, it would be "Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by kokkinos". Are you thinking of making a chart sometime? Last I checked a couple days ago there were no kokkinos charts. (I think i was looking to see if I could better choose an album for you to listen to from my chart based off your other faves).
No, I've never had another account here (this one is actually 7-8 years old, it's just that I wasn't any active for the most part), but the community is great, all of the guys -and gals I guess, I don't know- made it easy to settle in immediately.
Right now, I'm working on a 2004 chart, based on the albums I listened to for my team in the hip-hop tournament. Once I'm done with that, I intend to tackle the beast that is called "Top 100 Greatest Music Albums". I've already been into major relistening mode for some months now - that's why I'm terribly behind when it comes to tracking down new releases- but there's still tons of stuff waiting me.
And yeah, Old Chestnut sounds really promising, but I will expand on that in the corresponding topic.
Oh nice! I very much look forward to those charts. 2004 was never a year that I dove deep into, so very excited to see your top albums of that year.
As for old chestnut, yeah, it may be a snooze. But that is just me talking self-consciously, cuz I think its far from a snooze. Its done a number on me and my musical experience in recent months, let me tell you.
I look forward to your comment and your (or someone elses) next nomination for that game. _________________ -Ryan
listened to this. It was quite good. I heard it was yet another 1986 masterpiece of thrash. I heard it was faster than Reign In Blood and more intense than Master of Puppets and Peace Sells, and I thought "yeah yeah yeah... probably just contrarians saying that cuz they are tired of hearing about those 3 albums." Well, it is indeed faster than RiB, more brutal and sinister than MoP or Peace Sells. Not better necessarily, but more raw, rugged, sinister, and german.
Mood-wise I wasn't there when I pushed play. But by the clsoing track I had morphed into a thrasher again, and I aint talkin about Crazy horse! lol.
Anyway, these songs were pretty good, but not nearly the best of 86. But the general insane and intense vibe puts it right there in the mid 80s thrash pantheon.
This was impressive don't get me wrong. damn impressive. More proggy than Dream Theater (i mean in that tier anyway), with death metal savageness and some cool vocals. For my tastes there were a bit too many notes lol. The arrangements were all so busy which is the idea and the intent of the artist i understand. But I wasn't in love with any particular song even if I was awed throughout. 😈😈😈
[url=https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=15355]Signals, Calls, And Marches by Mission Of Burma ,
After forcing myself to listen to Zen Arcade yesterday I needed to remind myself of an album from the same era and somewhat the same related music scene that I actually enjoy. Listened to this "EP" and its amazing! Its borderline overall chart worthy. Has an atmosphere and punk attitude I love. The vocals are kinda shit, but damn the songs are so iconic especially "That's When I Reach for My Revolver". Love it
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I've Overloaded myself with muci listening projects. Need to finish listening to Julien Baker and Paul Kelly for the songwriter tournament ( i WILL finish that so help me god!), I need to listen to more mid 80s metal to get me up to the years I really wanna explore (the late 80s and early 90s. I know I can continue skipping ahead like with Atheist, but I just don't wanna. Next albums are candlemass and Iron maiden classics and these are both great bands but neither right now is exactly calling out to me to push play.), I have this amazing ongoing You Must Listen To The Next Album game and I'm usuing that to flesh out my 2019 listening, I have the hip hop tourney which I still have a few albums to listen to there, I have to relisten to some 2021 albums to write a short comment and finalize ranks, I want to get my 2020 chart to 50 (need 5 more albums I like or lets be honest even if I hate em they are going on) and... that covers it. I am not complaining! I just got new headphones and they aren't anything to write home about, but they sound nice and I am excited to experience lots of music with em over the next months.
Okay, peace out my friends. I'm listening to Purple Mountains now. Very sad and depressing stuff. _________________ -Ryan
Listened to this again. It was good again. Again I loved the jangle pop and the unassuming yet very catchy melody and vocals. The subtle variety while sticking mostly to jangly folk rock. Its just a solid album through and through.
I will say it drags a bit, its a bit long and not every song is a standout (go figure). If nothing else it points up how cool of an artist Kelly is and how much more there is to explore at some point.
And while this wasn't as cathartic for me as it was on first 2 listens, this still does pack a hard punch. Its just a very direct and brutally emotional album that I quite like, but I also feel like better things are yet to come from this young badass. I am very very much looking forward to Little Oblivions in a couple weeks. Easily as of now my most anticipated 2021 album.
Yeah, not much new to add here. They are both albums I still quite like but maybe not as over the moon as on first listen. But when it comes down to it, the album that I like more and will move on is Julien's debut.
Julien Baker's Sprained Ankle wins by a hair and will move on to the sweet sixteen round of this very long tournament!!!! _________________ -Ryan
I'll listen to these 4 albums and decide which 2 of them move on to the sweet 16. I'll do this listening in the next week or so maybe. maybe sooner, maybe later. _________________ -Ryan
Today was magical. So far. The winter storm came and I awoke to 4 inches of snow with a projected 10 more hours of very slow and methodical snowing yet to go. Temps are hovering at about -1 to 5 degrees, and I got an inkling of an idea that I needed to revisit this album. I went ahead and did just that. Wow. I somehow forgot how significant this album is and was in my life since I was a young lad.
I have gone through a protracted period in my life where I have minimized the Beatles. Sometimes overtly and sometimes covertly, sometimes consciously and i sassume unconsciously. I removed the Beatles from my overall chart. Like the wrong side of a magnet I just kinda floated away from the band and gravitated to their contemporaries these last 5-10 years. If I thought about the beatles and what made them special, it was a detached yet deep appreciation. I can wax poetic about my love of Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sqt. Peppers, Abbey Road, etc etc. Yet never really embrace them and their influence on me and what I love in music. And that is a shame.
But THIS album is just special. Its disturbingly brilliant, varied and without a doubt my fave album in their amazing discography. And yet of all the classic Beatles albums this is the one that went most hazey in my recollections. I don't know why but I think this album was the album most deeply rooted in my mind, most reflected in the music I loved after discovering it and yet it was the album I forgot about the most. Hearing this album today while looking out at the slow fall of snow and sipping some coffee was, corny as it may sound, spiritual for me. I adore this album. Through and through I think this album is just absolutely a towering moment and achievement.
If you asked me literally just yesterday to rank the beatles albums, I would sigh and say well, probably Sqt Peppers then Revolver then Rubber Soul then Abbey Road, then maybe a smattering of their early stuff like Please Please Me, " and it would take me awhile to get to the white album if I ever did. Yet listening now I can say this is without a doubt my fave album of theirs and basically anyone ever. Its the perfect example of what makes huge scatterbrained double albums great and what their drawbacks can be. There is maybe perhaps (i've heard) some fluff and filler here. Maybe every song isn't perfectly chiseled into a clear finished product and maybe every song doesn't dovetail with the others like their 65-67 albums, but goddamn it, fuck that. This album is a 30 track trip into the insane labyrinth of musical ideas these 4 guys had at the time, no holds barred, no stops, just them saying lets make every idea we have come to life no matter how wonky and weird they may be. As a result even the most absurd and off-the-cuff song and ideas are just so fabulous and ...okay, i'm getting unexpectedly misty-eyed as I write this - it is so inspiring. I wish there was a world where this moment in the beatles history lasted forever. but alas, they finished recording this and the rancor was ratcheted up to 11 and the band never did anything like this again. Still some great music to come from the beatles, great even - i am not saying Abbey Road isnt masterful as well - and still some great stuff from the 4 guys solo albums. But this albuym....its a most magical of moments and I adore it. So glad I rediscovered it for myself today.
I think part of why this is hitting me so. damn. hard. right now is that I got this album for christmas 2001. My mom and dad, i can still remember, stopped what they were doing and watched me open this 2 CD set and they each smiled when they saw my awe and love of the gift. at 12 I was already quickly becoming a bit of a music obsessive, and they each knew just the right album to get me to stoke that flame. My ma and pa couldn't have more different tastes in music - i mean they could but within the context of rock they couldn't - my ma was a AOR K-SHE 95 lower middle class lady who loved the hits from Styx and Kansas and honestly didn't think of music in the same way my dad or I did. She saw it as pop as something to just not think too deeply about, a soundtrack for the days and nothing more. My dad, well, he was a bit like me now, a nerdy guy with somewhat deeper love of the art of rock and music and jazz fusion and prog rock, he would be the guy at the family get together who would be probably the only one who owned all the King Crimson and Keith Jarrett and Yes and Stanley Clarke albums available. But when they each saw my reaction to getting this gift I think it warmed their hearts.
I couldn't wait for my older sisters and me to open the remaining gift so I could run to my little room and isolate so I could hear this album on repeat on my old sony walkmen (I think maybe they got me that as well, smart if so). That first few weeks of 2002 was a big White album period and that set of tunes really did kinda morph the way I looked at music.
Anyway, that went off on many tangents. I just am in a good fucking mood right now. Music is amazing. The White album and the beatles are special. and they are better far better than velvet underground. stop with that hipster bullshit.
that last sentence was just a troll and joke. I love VU. and just wanted to antagonize briefly. apologies. lol _________________ -Ryan
also revisited this and now I'm not sure what this was ever doing off my favorite albums list. Very important album for me but, also, and this important, its also an all time great punk album! Its fabulous. It has been restored to my chart, and even been restored to the top part reserved for albums that were very important and personal albums.
I also restored Blind Willie Johnson, B.B. King, and other greats to my chart today. I almost always am spurred to make a big chart update when I get Chart of the Day which happened yesterday. I feel pretty good about it. Also added some great albums by Erykah Badu and D'angelo. anyway, enough about me. lol jk, this is afterall my wee diary,.
How are y'all doing today?
my plans are to listen to some interesting 2021 albums, some 95 hip hop albums in preparation for the next round of the tourney, and listen to some of those metal and singer/songwriter albums to move along on my metal deep dive and that tournament I started a couple months ago. Also i have to listen to Grey Area, which I probably will do first thing to push that game ahead. _________________ -Ryan
I have been alright. Mostly listening to 2021 albums and old favorites such as Blonde On Blonde a lot.
Recently noticed my growing affinity for the more insane and intense side of metal, such as grindcore and mathcore and deathgrind etc. Not sure why I gravitate to such extreme stuff while tending to not respond so well to things in the middle. Anyway, not much else to say there.
The 1980s. A decade I feel I lack sufficient listening experience with. I was looking at some of the major music nerd bands of the 80s. I noticed that there were 4 very major 80s bands that released 6 or so albums in that decade that were all famous or loved or influential. I want to fdelve into them. Seeing as I am a little bit weird I'll listen to the earliest of each of the 4 then compare ad contrast before moving on to the second etc.
Those 4 Bands are:
R.E.M. The Smiths U2 Sonic Youth
The 6 80s albums I will be listening to are listed as such:
R.E.M.
Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
Document (1987)
Green (1988)
The Smiths
The Smiths (1984)
Hatful of Hollow (1984)
Meat Is Murder (1985)
The Queen Is Dead (1986)
Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
Louder Than Bombs (1987)
U2
Boy (1980)
October (1981)
War (1983)
Under The Blood Red Sky (1983)
The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
The Joshua Tree (1987)
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth (1982)
Confusion Is Sex (1983)
Bad Moon Rising (1985)
EVOL (1986)
Sister (1987)
Daydream Nation (1988)
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Some of these, namely Daydream Nation, The Joshua Tree, Murmur and The Queen Is Dead I am already very familiar with. Some others I am also familiar with from 1 to 3 listens, such as Sister, Under The Blood Red Sky, Strangeways and Reckoning and some others. BUT I do feel that the 80s work and really the work in general of these bands has not been deeply explored or closely examined by me. These are major artists that I'd like to see if they have some gems and new favorites nestel;ed in there. So I will be doing that and maybe updating this silly diary with it.
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Otherwise, I have not been listening to much metal lately outside of metal from 2021 (and even that is minimal.) I have been busy and also when I haven't been busy I have been listening to music whilst looking at twitter, playing skyrim or I have been listening to audiobooks whilst taking walks or doing chores. I haven't been as actively searching for music lately except, again, some 2021 music excursions.
My top 5 of this year thus far are all excellent and as of now I have them
#1
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Interstice by Knoll
which is just an extremely noisey and breakneck and brilliant mix of Grindcore and deathgrind with some noise thrown in for atmosphere.
#2
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For The First Time by Black Country, New Road
which most of you know about, its just really REALLY cool and badass experimental rock with horns and guitars and post rock and post punk and its excellent
Imperative Imperceptible Impulse by Ad Nauseam
Some of the most boundary-pushing Technical Death Metal and Avant Garde metal I can imagine. So extreme and yet what they are trying to do with dissonance and experimental flights into uncharted territory and then pulling off here is mindboggling.
#5
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Smiling With No Teeth by Genesis Owusu
This is a another genre-bending blend of Neo-Soul with somewhat experimental hip hop, funky Prince-exque grooves and some Talking Heads guitars and Post Punk energy at times. Its brilliant.
There are 3 debuts there which is exciting. I love seeing new and brilliant artists emerge with a great album out the gates.
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Mercury
