[baystateoftheart]

[Rhyner]

[baystateoftheart]

1.


Modern Kosmology (2017) by Jane Weaver

I likely would never have heard this album if it weren't featured in this book, and I'm feeling glad for the introduction. Sonically, some key reference points are Stereolab and Broadcast, who happen to be two artists I love, but this album is certainly not merely a pastiche of their music. Modern Kosmology is deliciously psychedelic and atmospheric, it's largely accessibly poppy, and it has a motorik (or maybe motorik inspired? I don't know enough to say) beat much of the time. Weaver's vocals are beautiful, she knows her way around a hook, and the composition and production are captivating more often than not. Apparently she played all instruments, and wrote and produced this record entirely on her own. While that's undeniably impressive, I'm not the type of music listener to give bonus points for an album being a one-person show. In any case, I can't do more than quibble with the results here. A great record that more people should check out. Starting at a 4/5 or 75/100.

~~~~~

2. This is a good post-rock album:


Mogwai Young Team (1997) by Mogwai

~~~~~

3. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Django Django - Django Django (2012)
Blunderbuss - Jack White (2012)
D - White Denim (2011)
Cross - Justice (2007)
Savane - Ali Farka Touré (2006)
Coles Corner - Richard Hawley (2005)
Want Two - Rufus Wainwright (2004)
Under Construction - Missy Elliott (2002)
The Rising - Bruce Springsteen (2002)
Power In Numbers - Jurassic 5 (2002)
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[Rhyner]

(1)

Mogwai Young Team (1997) by Mogwai
I seem to remember that years ago one of my buddies was really into Mogwai, so surely I heard this album at some point, probably multiple times, back in the day. But it did not stick in my memory. And even now, having listened to it again several times over the course of a few days, it's still not sticking. It's generally a decent listen. There's some pretty stuff and some fairly effective soft-loud-soft-loud volume dynamic stuff and what-have-you. But it just doesn't have that special factor, in my opinion, that makes top-notch post-rock really good. It's nice and all, but...eh. Something's missing. (The missing factor could be on my end. I have no problem admitting that.)

56/100

(2)
The White Stripes used to be one of my favorite bands. Jack's solo stuff generally isn't up to the same standard, imo, but it's still worth listening to. Check out Blunderbuss.

(3)
My ten are split between two lists:

Here's one album from each of the first six pages (20 per page) of albums I've not yet rated on BEA. I've tried to choose the albums I'm least familiar with.
1: 554. X&Y by Coldplay (2005)
2: 672. Reggatta De Blanc by The Police (1979)
3: 680. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty (2017)
4: 816. Clics Modernos by Charly García (1983)
5: 901. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil (1987)
6: 911. Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay (2024)

And two albums from each of the first two pages (40 per page) of albums I've not yet rated on RYM. I've tried to choose the albums I'm least familiar with.
1: 157. El jardín de los presentes by Invisible (1976)
2: 200. En el Palacio de Bellas Artes by Juan Gabriel (1990)
3: 331. DELTARUNE: Chapters 3+4 by Toby Fox (2025)
4: 353. UNDERTALE by Toby "Radiation" Fox (2015)

[baystateoftheart]

1.


Blunderbuss (2012) by Jack White

I've never been the biggest fan of Jack White / The White Stripes, or of blues rock as a genre. With minor exceptions, this is a fairly straightforward blues rock album. The vocals are nice, and the instrumentals are nice, but the musical style and songwriting don't really resonate with me. Blunderbuss is a well-made record and a pretty good listen, but ultimately this will not be staying in my library for further listening. A high 3/5, or 60/100.

~~~~~

2. This is a great album:


Imaginal Disk (2024) by Magdalena Bay

~~~~~

3. 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die

Moorish Music From Mauritania - Dimi Mint Abba & Khalifa Ould Eide
Blu Blu Blu - The Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra
Shakin’ The Rafters - The Abyssinian Baptist Choir
Harmonium - John Adams [San Francisco Symphony Orchestra]
The Death Of Klinghoffer - John Adams [London Symphony Orchestra]
The Real Me: Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus - Johnny Adams
At The Lighthouse - The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
The Best Of The Classic Years - King Sunny Ade
Éthiopiques, Vol. 7: Erè Mèla Mèla - Mahmoud Ahmed
Air Lore - Air
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[Rhyner]

(1)

Imaginal Disk (2024) by Magdalena Bay
Not bad. But I find it wild that this is already in RateYourMusic's overall top 100. I don't think it's really that remarkable. There are some really strong hooks here, but they're few and far between. Most of the songs overstay their welcome, which I guess is just my way of saying they don't develop in a very interesting way beyond the first couple repetitions of their catchiest bits (or they're just never particularly catchy to begin with, which happens just as often as not). Death & Romance and Cry for Me serve as solid examples of this. They both have good hooks, but they don't have much to offer beyond that, so they end up going on too long and ultimately don't have especially satisfying conclusions. Or the song Image, which I find to be completely forgettable, and yet it's one of the most beloved from the album. The track Watching T.V., which might be my favorite of the album, kinda has the opposite issue of Death & Romance and Cry for Me, in that it starts out on the boring side and then develops into something genuinely interesting in the second half, which is the only time in the whole album that the maximalist, throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks production style really works for me. Otherwise I find the production to be more gimmicky than substantive. It's not bad, but doesn't add much beyond obscuring slightly how unremarkable the underlying songwriting actually is. There's not much I actively dislike here (the breathy vocals in the first track strike me as an inauthentic affectation that I could happily do without, and by the end I do get worn down a bit by the overstimulation), and there is stuff that I genuinely enjoy (primarily the aforementioned strong hooks), so...yeah. It's fine I guess.

56/100

(2)
I'm not familiar with any of your selections. But I've at least heard of Erè Mèla Mèla, so sure why not go with that one.

(3)
My ten are split between two lists:

Here's one album from each of the first six pages (20 per page) of albums I've not yet rated on BEA. I've tried to choose the albums I'm least familiar with.
1: 558. X&Y by Coldplay (2005)
2: 685. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty (2017)
3: 778. Clics Modernos by Charly García (1983)
4: 791. Without You I'm Nothing by Placebo (1998)
5: 886. Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey (2023)
6: 923. 'Round About Midnight by Miles Davis (1957)

And two albums from each of the first two pages (40 per page) of albums I've not yet rated on RYM. I've tried to choose the albums I'm least familiar with.
1: 157. El jardín de los presentes by Invisible (1976)
2: 200. En el Palacio de Bellas Artes by Juan Gabriel (1990)
3: 350. UNDERTALE by Toby "Radiation" Fox (2015)
4: 357. At the Mountains of Madness by Electric Masada (2005)

[baystateoftheart]

1.


Ere Mela Mela (1975) by መሀሙድ አህመድ [Mahmoud Ahmed]

I listened to volume 7 of the Éthiopiques series, which is really just this album with a few bonus tracks. For some reason I've never explored Ethiopian music before, and after trying this I'm excited to hear more! According to RYM the primary genre is tizita and the secondary genre is azmari, neither of which I had heard of. On one hand it's unlike any music I've ever heard, and on the other hand I can hear some common threads with jazz, funk, and Arabic music at times. Instrumentally, it's beautiful and entrancing throughout. Vocally, it's nice too, but for me that's not the main attraction so far. Love at first listen, and I'll be re-listening to see if it grows. 4/5, or 75/100 on BEA.

~~~~~

2. I just re-listened to this today and enjoyed it, so give it a whirl:


El Jardín De Los Presentes (1976) by Invisible

~~~~~

3. 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die
Now also including the book's supplementary recommendations that go with each item (Catalog Choice, Next Stop, After That)

Rio - Duran Duran ["After That" Gold - ABBA]
Moorish Music From Mauritania - Dimi Mint Abba & Khalifa Ould Eide
Blu Blu Blu - The Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra
Shakin’ The Rafters - The Abyssinian Baptist Choir
Harmonium - John Adams [San Francisco Symphony Orchestra]
The Death Of Klinghoffer - John Adams [London Symphony Orchestra]
The Real Me: Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus - Johnny Adams
Fuzzy - Grant Lee Buffalo ["After That" Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams]
At The Lighthouse - The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
The Best Of The Classic Years - King Sunny Ade
_________________
Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM