For your first post, just post a recommendation for LedZep. Once you have received a rec from below you, your post will start with your review of that, and end with a rec for the user above you.
"Strange Boutique" by The Monochrome Set
I've heard of The Monochrome Set and they were on my shortlist, but I've never played any of their music. Great pick, Repo! Really cool new wave band with mechanic post-punk rhythms. But then they have sweet melodies straight out of jangly indie pop of the 80s and the juxtaposition works most of the time. The synths are a nice addition as well and the vocals totally fit the vibe. I can't say I'm completely hooked (might give it another spin in the future), but the style is very appealing and not dated at all, plus the album is short and sweet. The Lighter Side of Dating, Tomorrow Will Be Too Long, Love Goes Down the Drain and Goodbye Joe are among the highlights.
Farce by Rudimentary Peni
This is the second Rudimentary Peni release I've heard after Death Church (which I liked a lot but didn't love). I do love the band's lyrics, aggression and energy. Now I'm not as big of a punk expert as Mercury, but from what I've gathered, Rudimentary Peni are/were unique in the British anarcho-punk scene. They're constantly flirting with offshoots of goth like deathrock, but have politically charged, witty lyrics. It's cool af punk, what do you want me to say. Every song was excellent, but the higlights were Sacrifice, Cosmetic Plague, Farce and Zero Again. It's under 15 minutes, a short, concentrated burst of energy. Everything I want from this type of EP. On a related note, love it when there's a seminal punk band which has garnered a cult following and influenced multiple scenes during their rich 15-year career, and then they have like 45 minutes of recorded music 🤣
As a band, RP were strictly DIY. Releasing music on friends' indie labels and on their own Outer Himalayan Records. Never publishing band photos, instead letting their music and black and white artwork do the talking. The more I learn about Rudimentary Peni and Nick Blinko, the more I love them. I'm gonna play Death Church now.
Try one of my new discoveries, an old school psychedelic folk gem which you'll probably like. Hopefully you haven't heard it yet.
My Apple Music player has a mind of its own. It thinks it reigns predominant over the music apps on my Apple iBook. So sometimes, when I’m listening to an album on spotify AND also downloading some mp3s in the background, it will just start playing too. And there’s this blending of the two sounds. The two tracks bleeding into each other as they pour forth fromcmy speakers in my living room. Most of the time it sounds like utter crap. Total noise. And I quickly notice & rectify it by pausing the Apple player. BUT every now & then, it just sounds like the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. Like the aural equivalent of peanut butter and banana. All those different tastes in my mouth. Different yet compatible. Like I know that it’s two sources, but somehow, someway, it just works.
And that’s Disco Inferno’s DI Goes Pop. It’s hard for me to believe that these tracks weren’t conjured together by some AI computer in which you give it TWO different band prompts.
Anyways, I hear a lot of stuff in these tracks. A lot of different bands. But the three that really stand out for me the most are Joy Division, The Duritti Column and The Swell Maps. And I guess some English electronica band. Either The Orb or Orbital. Not sure which. Yet, D.I. Goes Pop sounds nothing like those bands really.
One of those few albums that sounds like nothing else either before or since.
The Rating: 😈😈😈😈😈
I've been listening to this one a ton lately and didn't see it in any of your charts ....
I don't know how to write anything intelligent about jungle yet, but this is indeed atmospheric, nocturnal, and a vibe. Gets stronger as it goes on, and a quality record that's just shy of greatness on first listen. A high 3.5/5, or 70/100 on BEA.
Repo, I want to get your take on this new power pop / indie band:
First impression on listening to the first single “Last Last Time” => Imagine if Ah-ha went Pop Punk. BUT, this is more Pop than either New Wave, ‘90s Pop Punk or even the Power Pop of the late '70s.
It’s like they take a bit of the New Wave of bands like Berlin but make it MORE Pop.
The track “Overconfident” shows a debt to No Doubt. Ska + New Wave but modernized and produced not in an ‘80s way at all. Both the guitarist & keyboardist in particular know their early '80s New Wave and 2nd Wave of Ska licks.
Anyways, more to come. But interesting stuff. I'll do a proper write-up later this week.
I kinda wonder if my oldest daughter might like this. They certainly would be a blast LIVE! Will have to see if they're doing an All-ages show in Chicago! Great rec! 😎
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
First impression on listening to the first single “Last Last Time” => Imagine if Ah-ha went Pop Punk. BUT, this is more Pop than either New Wave, ‘90s Pop Punk or even the Power Pop of the late '70s.
It’s like they take a bit of the New Wave of bands like Berlin but make it MORE Pop.
The track “Overconfident” shows a debt to No Doubt. Ska + New Wave but modernized and produced not in an ‘80s way at all. Both the guitarist & keyboardist in particular know their early '80s New Wave and 2nd Wave of Ska licks.
Anyways, more to come. But interesting stuff. I'll do a proper write-up later this week.
I kinda wonder if my oldest daughter might like this. They certainly would be a blast LIVE! Will have to see if they're doing an All-ages show in Chicago! Great rec! 8)
They are an absolute blast live! I saw them last month on the last stop of their tour, but I hope they'll be touring again soon. Looking forward to reading your write-up! 😁 _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
I don't know how to write anything intelligent about jungle yet
You should probably listen to some intelligent jungle and see if that helps 🤣
Sowiesoso by Cluster
I actually don’t know much about Cluster. I’ve heard Zuckerzeit, and I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to their Eno collaboration at some point. Their work as Harmonia is a personal favourite, and I recently saw Roedelius perform live. Despite this, the band’s history was completely unknown to me until now - apparently, they were incredibly important in the kosmische and Krautrock scenes.
AND Sowiesoso is by far the best music released under the Cluster moniker! The title track is especially brilliant, but the whole album ebbs, flows, and meanders just the right amount. It really confirms how diverse and important the entire German experimental scene was in the late ’60s and ’70s. I’ll definitely be doing more Cluster homework in the near future. Good pick, Repo!
A Wizard, A True Star is a zany, creative, ambitious album. To mix metaphors, Rundgren throws everything but the kitchen sink at the wall, and most of it sticks. The sound is controlled chaos, and the record flows from one track into another with tremendous energy. Overall, a really fun listen. Unfortunately, it loses some momentum with a soul medley on side b that lasts over ten minutes, and never fully recovers it. However, that's not to say the end of the album has a quality deficit - it just doesn't pop as much as side a. Overall, I really enjoyed this sonically and compositionally, and I look forward to listening again. If I had to pick one standout track on my first listen, it'd be Zen Archer, which is transcendent. Great record. 4/5 and 75/100 on BEA.
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Repo
LedZep
Mercury
baystateoftheart
