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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #1
  • Posted: 03/22/2016 21:37
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COME ONE, COME ALL...


Over the last few months, I've read and admired all of your great music diaries! Now, I'll try to start one of my own.

For the format, I'll post albums and songs I've been listening to lately with brief reactions and descriptions. Once in a while, I'll re-listen to an album in my collection and try to write some more substantial thoughts on it. This may or may not be accompanied by a rating; I'm not a huge fan of ratings.

Compared to many others on this site, I got into music fairly late; I didn't listen to any music at all until sophomore year of high school. From that point on, I added music to my library with little rhyme or reason until roughly three years ago. 2014 was the first year for which I made any effort to listen to albums on the year-end lists. This past year was the first year I started searching on BEA and RYM for acclaimed albums outside my prior comfort zones, in the process dramatically expanding the number of genres I find interesting.

I'm fairly inexperienced when it comes to music listening and criticism. In fact, I have not yet heard the majority of albums in the so-called canon. Rectifying this will be my ongoing project for the next couple years. I'm not going to torture myself with albums from genres that I know I hate, but I'm going to try to expand my musical horizons wherever possible. Every six months or so, I plan to update my overall (and decades, when I unlock them) with the fruits of my listening adventures.

I've already gotten so many recs from all your great charts, especially the custom genre charts! Feel free to leave some in the diary as well! I will greatly appreciate it, even though my to-do list of albums is so long that I might not get to it for a while.

With gratitude,
baystateoftheart
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 04/26/2016 18:58; edited 1 time in total
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #2
  • Posted: 03/23/2016 18:32
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People's Instinctive Travels And The Pa...lled Quest

Released: 1990
RYM Primary Genres: East Coast Hip Hop, Jazz Rap
BEA Rank: #2477 overall & #41 in 1990; RYM Rank: #1031 overall & #14 in 1990
Re-Listen March 23, 2016

RIP Phife Dawg. Like Phife, my father was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes when he was young, so Phife's death from complications hits a bit close to home. In retrospect, this might not have been the best album to listen to in memoriam, because he only has about five verses on the whole thing. But as usual, his contributions are very good and match Tip bar for bar.

This is a really fantastic album, maybe the most fun and danceable hip-hop record that I've ever heard, and it's loaded with classic cuts. The production and sample selections are amazing, and a throwback to the wild west years of hip-hop production when sample clearance wasn't the hassle it is today. A good party album, a good driving album, a good chilling album. The first three ATCQ records are all so high in quality that it's hard to pick a favorite, so this is a very close third for me after Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5, 90 out of 100

You should listen if: You like any other records by A Tribe Called Quest, any other jazz rap records, any hip-hop records at all, or any fun and funky dance records. This also wouldn't be a bad introduction record for someone who hasn't heard a hip-hop album before.
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 03/26/2016 03:31; edited 2 times in total
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #3
  • Posted: 03/23/2016 19:49
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EDIT: Now that I've unlocked yearly charts I will no longer be updating these two in-diary lists. You can see my updated 2015 chart here:
Top 62 Music Albums of 2015 by baystateoftheart

/////////////////////////////////////////

I've been listening to a lot of 2015 albums lately. I really like Satie's format of posting a yearly ranking and going back to edit the post to reflect new listens. So I'll do something similar here for my top albums of 2015. Whenever I do a writeup of a re-listen, I'll add the link in this index post.

I can't make yearly charts on BEA yet, but a more detailed version of this chart is available here. I've listened to a bunch more albums than I've mentioned here, but I'll keep this list divisible by ten and limited to albums I like.

Top 60 Music Albums of 2015

1. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
2. M3LL155X (EP) by FKA Twigs
3. Apocalypse, Girl by Jenny Hval
4. E·MO·TION by Carly Rae Jepsen
5. Vulnicura by Björk
6. Goon by Tobias Jesso Jr.
7. Currents by Tame Impala
8. Carrie And Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
9. Hallucinogen (EP) by Kelela
10. Art Angels by Grimes
11. Sound And Color by Alabama Shakes
12. Depression Cherry by Beach House
13. In Colour by Jamie XX
14. Thank Your Lucky Stars by Beach House
15. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
16. Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper by Panda Bear
17. Nozinja Lodge by Nozinja
18. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
19. Something More Than Free by Jason Isbell
20. Froot by Marina And The Diamonds
21. Wildheart by Miguel
22. Pronto (EP) by Freddie Gibbs*
23. Recreational Love by The Bird And The Bee
24. Surf by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
25. Divers by Joanna Newsom
26. Every Open Eye by CHVRCHES
27. The Beyond / Where The Giants Roam (EP) by Thundercat
28. Deep Trouble (EP) by EasyFun*
29. Broken Flowers (EP) by Danny L Harle*
30. What Went Down by Foals
31. Have You In My Wilderness by Julia Holter
32. Multi-Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
33. Blood by Lianne La Havas
34. No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney
35. Summertime '06 by Vince Staples
36. Kindred by Passion Pit
37. Star Wars by Wilco
38. Reality Show by Jazmine Sullivan
39. My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
40. Another One by Mac DeMarco
41. Slime Season by Young Thug
42. Hasta La Raíz by Natalia Lafourcade
43. Wave[s] by Mick Jenkins
44. Wondaland Presents: The Eephus (EP) by Various Artists
45. PC Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
46. Why Make Sense? by Hot Chip
47. Blackheart by Dawn Richard
48. L​.​P​.​1. by The Coneheads
49. Choose Your Weapon by Hiatus Kaiyote
50. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
51. California Nights by Best Coast
52. Fading Frontier by Deerhunter
53. Sour Soul by BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah
54. Painted Shut by Hop Along
55. Age 101: Drop X (EP) by Little Simz
56. Ratchet by Shamir
57. The Good Fight by Oddisee
58. Cake Mix by GFOTY
59. Peace Is The Mission by Major Lazer
60. The Alchemist And Oh No Present: Welcome To Los Santos by Various Artists

* = Not an eligible album under current BEA rules
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 05/02/2016 20:06; edited 6 times in total
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #4
  • Posted: 03/24/2016 16:56
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10 Day by Chance The Rapper

Released: 2012
RYM Primary Genres: Hip Hop
BEA Rank: #7141 overall & #156 in 2012; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen March 24, 2016

I went into Chance's debut mixtape with low expectations, but having liked both Acid Rap and Surf. I was not disappointed - this mixtape is engaging (if inconsistent) and showcases the origins of Chance's musical vision. It's available as an official download on DatPiff, but unfortunately the quality is only 160 kbps. I don't know if I'll come back to this anytime soon, but it's a rather fun and interesting listen, recommended for those who already like Chance The Rapper.


Lou Reed by Lou Reed

Released: 1972
RYM Primary Genres: Rock
BEA Rank: #9331 overall & #158 in 1972; RYM Rank: #853 in 1972
First Listen March 24, 2016

This album was released between Loaded and Transformer, two of my all-time favorites, and I should have listened to it sooner! Although it doesn't hit the same highs, it shares some common elements with both of those albums, and overall it's a melodic, upbeat, and relaxing listen. It's probably one of the more underrated Lou Reed releases in my book. The lyrics are good to great, and although some have complained about the backing vocals, I quite like them. To be sure, this album was a lot more essential when it came out, as all of the material was then previously unreleased. Later, the release of VU and other compilations of Velvet Underground leftovers provided superior versions of some of these songs and overshadowed this debut solo LP. However, these versions are worth a listen in their own right, and those who like pop rock from the '60s and '70s will likely get some enjoyment from this record.
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 03/26/2016 03:31; edited 1 time in total
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #5
  • Posted: 03/24/2016 20:20
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The Best Of The 1910 Fruitgum Company: ...um Company

Released: 2001 (material originally released 1967-1969)
RYM Primary Genres: Bubblegum
BEA Rank: N/A; RYM Rank: #726 in 2001 (among compilations)
First Listen March 24, 2016

I heard this compilation all the way through for the first time today, although I had heard roughly half the tracks here and there over the years. It's definitely a mixed bag. Like much of bubblegum, the lyrics sometimes draw inspiration from childish games and subjects. At their best, the harmonies are gorgeous, and the singles are a pleasant sugar rush. At their worst, the songs have abhorrent lyrics (for example 1, 2, 3 Red Light & Indian Giver) or are overly thin and derivative (for example The Train). It would be worth the time to listen to this if you like bubblegum and/or sunshine pop (as I do), but otherwise don't bother. Catchiest song for me: Goody Goody Gumdrops.
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 05/02/2016 20:07; edited 2 times in total
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #6
  • Posted: 03/26/2016 03:30
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Got To Find A Way by Curtis Mayfield

Released: 1974
RYM Primary Genres: Soul, Chicago Soul
BEA Rank: #57235 overall & #657 in 1974; RYM Rank: #298 in 1974
First Listen March 25, 2016

It's another really great soul album from an artist who's rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorites. This album seems criminally underrated to me, especially on BEA. The arrangements are immaculate and the grooves are immersive, making for a mostly sublime listening experience. I guess the knock on this is that it rehashes some of the same song concepts that Mayfield had already done better before, but the beauty of the music is enough to compensate. If not at the top of his game on this record, he's still close, and I'll take rehashed Curtis Mayfield over almost anyone's originals. If you like soul and have not heard this, I recommend it!


Grandmasters by DJ Muggs vs. GZA (The Genius)

Released: 2005
RYM Primary Genres: Hardcore Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop
BEA Rank: #45667 overall & #1229 in 2005; RYM rank: #609 in 2005
First Listen March 25, 2016

Liquid Swords is high on my all-time list, but I had never before heard another album by GZA. To rectify this, I tried this one, a collaboration with Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs. It's very loosely based around GZA's love of chess. Both the lyricism and the production on this are pretty good, but not great. When they miss the mark, it's generally on the side of boring, not the side of wack, so that's a plus. Despite the west coast producer, this record hews closely to the Wu-Tang aesthetic; this aspect is satisfying, but occasionally feels rather formulaic. If you already like a dozen or so Wu-Tang affiliate records, this will be a pleasant listen, but I would not suggest it as an entry point.


Monk's Dream by Thelonious Monk

Released: 1963
RYM Primary Genres: Hard Bop
BEA Rank: #2232 overall & #8 in 1963; RYM Rank: #539 overall & #6 in 1963
Re-Listen March 25, 2016

It's been so long since I've heard this that it's effectively a first listen, so I won't affix a rating. I also don't know enough about jazz and haven't heard enough hard bop records to write competently about its features in any detail. So I'll just say that I thought it a was very strong record and fun to listen to.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #7
  • Posted: 03/28/2016 15:58
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Here's what I listened to over the weekend; all of these were while driving or otherwise in the background. They'll need more focused re-listens for any sort of detailed thoughts or assessments, so I'll keep it fairly brief.



Legendary Hearts by Lou Reed

Released: 1983
RYM Primary Genres: Rock
BEA Rank: #8071 overall & #118 in 1983; RYM Rank: #530 in 1983
First Listen March 26, 2016

This was underwhelming and uneven. Beautiful and poignant in its best moments, but cringe-worthy in its worst moments. Very middle-of-the-road rock with sometimes dated production. Not sure if I'll return to this one.


Communication by Bobby Womack

Released: 1971
RYM Primary Genres: Soul, Pop Soul
BEA Rank: #54920 overall & #617 in 1971; RYM Rank: #505 in 1971
First Listen March 26, 2016

This was a pleasant album. The lead-off title track is so irresistibly funky that I couldn't help but be a little disappointed by how staid much of the rest of the album was, but as usual Womack delivered a worthwhile performance on most of the material.


Era Extraña by Neon Indian

Released: 2011
RYM Primary Genres: Chillwave, Synthpop
BEA Rank: #4268 overall & #107 in 2011; RYM Rank: N/A
Re-Listen March 27, 2016

I have a soft spot for chillwave, and this made a good, mellow backdrop to Easter brunch, along with the following album:


Machine Dreams by Little Dragon

Released: 2009
RYM Primary Genres: Electropop, Art Pop
BEA Rank: #8342 overall & #233 in 2009; RYM Rank: N/A
Re-Listen March 27, 2016

My second favorite Little Dragon release, after 2011's Ritual Union. Soulful vocals and down-tempo beats, with a bunch of interesting stuff going on sonically at the same time (although I know many listeners of electronic music will not share this view).


Life Of Pause by Wild Nothing

Released: 2016
RYM Primary Genres: Dream Pop, Indie Pop
BEA Rank: #42200 overall & #83 in 2016; RYM Rank: #88 in 2016
First Listen March 27, 2016

Here's another release I was underwhelmed by, although I like all of Wild Nothing's previous work. I'm going to give this another try in the near future, because I also disliked Empty Estate on the first listen. It's proven to be a big grower for me, and maybe this album will be the same.


Recreational Love by The Bird And The Bee

Released: 2015
RYM Primary Genres: Indie Pop, Synthpop
BEA Rank: #39750 overall & #1225 in 2015; RYM Rank: N/A
First Listen March 27, 2016

I really enjoyed this album. It's got lots of catchy, sugary hooks, excellent pop arrangements, and buoyant energy. Definitely will be coming back to this, and it will probably end up in the upper half of my 2015 chart.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #8
  • Posted: 03/28/2016 19:50
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Choose Your Weapon by Hiatus Kaiyote

Released: 2015
RYM Primary Genres: Neo-Soul, Alternative R&B
BEA Rank: #19367 overall & #303 in 2015; RYM Rank: #407 in 2015
First Listen March 28, 2016

The Australian neo-soul band expanded their audience and critical acclaim with this album, their second release. The band is in the pocket, and the vocal stylings hit the mark on most tracks (not quite on Swamp Thing, for one). There's not a lot to differentiate this from your run-of-the-mill neo-soul release, except that their lyrical treatments of love themes tend to be less frequent and more oblique, and that the backing band's performance is ever-so-slightly more jazz-inflected. There are a lot of beautiful moments on this record, but if there's one outstanding flaw, it's in the 70 minute run-time. There aren't enough standout ideas to fill this space, so the result is a good 15-20 minutes of filler that could have been culled. Along with a shake-up in the sequencing, the result could have been a less consistent album, and consequently, a more consistently interesting album.


My Generation by The Who

Released: 1965
RYM Primary Genres: Mod, Beat Music
BEA Rank: #530 overall & #7 in 1965; RYM Rank: #2633 overall & #41 in 1965
First Listen March 28, 2016

This was my first time listening to this album in full, although I did go in knowing the singles that are also featured on the very good compilation Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy (My Generation & The Kids Are Alright). I also went in knowing that in general, I'm not a huge fan of two things:

1. The Who - I've listened to and liked the aforementioned comp and Who's Next. I've also listened to and disliked The Who Sell Out and Tommy. Given my dislike of the rock opera elements in Tommy, I have no desire to try Quadrophenia.
2. "British Invasion" bands covering/imitating American R&B - Black Americans did it first, generally did it better, and it's a travesty that the milquetoast British covers are often better known.

Thus, my expectations were low going in, but this album cleared the bar. From my perspective, it blows the debuts from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks out of the water. The energy is high, the band is in good form, and the singles are standouts. This album will never make my overall chart, but given more listens, it could be a strong challenger to Who's Next for my favorite album by the band. I listened to the original release instead of the 2002 remaster, because the remaster omits guitar solos that were overdubbed and therefore not on the master tapes.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #9
  • Posted: 03/28/2016 22:49
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baystateoftheart wrote:
I've been listening to a lot of 2015 albums lately. I really like Satie's format of posting a yearly ranking and going back to edit the post to reflect new listens. So I'll do something similar here for my top albums of 2015. Whenever I do a writeup of a re-listen, I'll add the link in this index post.

I can't make yearly charts on BEA yet, but a more detailed version of this chart is available here. I've listened to a bunch more albums than I've mentioned here, but I'll keep this list divisible by ten and limited to albums I like.

Top 60 Music Albums of 2015


I've also been listening to a lot of 2014 albums, and working on a chart for those, with a more detailed version available here. I'll follow the same guidelines as in the 2015 list.

Top 70 Music Albums of 2014

1. Black Messiah by D'Angelo And The Vanguard
2. LP1 by FKA Twigs
3. Alvvays by Alvvays
4. Singles by Future Islands
5. You're Dead! by Flying Lotus
6. Sucker by Charli XCX
7. Piñata by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
8. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
9. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
10. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
11. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
12. Broke With Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks
13. ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin by The Roots
14. They Want My Soul by Spoon
15. Where We Come From by Popcaan
16. Half The City by St. Paul & The Broken Bones
17. Our Love by Caribou
18. Syro by Aphex Twin
19. Aquarius by Tinashe
20. Pe'ahi by The Raveonettes
21. Everybody Down by Kate Tempest
22. 1000 Forms Of Fear by Sia
23. Give The People What They Want by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
24. Cadillactica by Big K.R.I.T.
25. The River And The Thread by Rosanne Cash
26. The Water[s] by Mick Jenkins
27. Sun Structures by Temples
28. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
29. Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records by Various Artists
30. Sylvan Esso by Sylvan Esso
31. Salad Days by Mac DeMarco
32. Broken Ankles (EP) by Girl Talk & Freeway
33. Too Bright by Perfume Genius
34. Trouble In Paradise by La Roux
35. Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels
36. Rips by Ex Hex
37. No Mythologies To Follow by MØ
38. Seeds by TV On The Radio
39. Manipulator by Ty Segall
40. Nabuma Rubberband by Little Dragon
41. Atlas by Real Estate
42. Metamodern Sounds In Country Music by Sturgill Simpson
43. Nikki Nack by Tune-Yards
44. 36 Seasons by Ghostface Killah
45. After The Disco by Broken Bells
46. Tayi Bebba by Clap! Clap!
47. With Light And With Love by Woods
48. Black Hystori Project by CyHi The Prynce
49. No Label 2 by Migos
50. Food by Kelis
51. Turn Blue by The Black Keys
52. Too True by Dum Dum Girls
53. Rich Gang: Tha Tour, Pt. 1 by Rich Gang
54. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
55. Present Tense by Wild Beasts
56. Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium by The Underachievers
57. Hozier by Hozier
58. Testimony by August Alsina
59. Little Red by Katy B
60. The Unnatural World by Have A Nice Life
61. Days Before Rodeo by Travis Scott
62. It's Album Time by Todd Terje
63. Secret Mix by GFOTY
64. Welcome To Fazoland by Lil Herb
65. 1989 by Taylor Swift
66. Mastermind by Rick Ross
67. Lese Majesty by Shabazz Palaces
68. Your Old Droog (EP) by Your Old Droog
69. PRhyme by PRhyme
70. Underground Cassette Tape Music by Gangsta Boo & Beatking
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Last edited by baystateoftheart on 04/13/2016 22:27; edited 3 times in total
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SuedeSwede
Ognoo


Gender: Female
Age: 25
Location: On a cloud
United Kingdom

  • #10
  • Posted: 03/29/2016 23:34
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baystateoftheart wrote:
4. E·MO·TION by Carly Rae Jepsen
27. Deep Trouble (EP) by EasyFun
28. Broken Flowers (EP) by Danny L Harle
44. PC Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
57. Cake Mix (EP) by GFOTY


YASS great picks

Cake Mix isn't an EP though (it's a mix, believe it or not) Wink

baystateoftheart wrote:
3. Alvvays by Alvvays
12. Broke With Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks
61. Secret Mix (EP) by GFOTY


yet another not-an-EP-but-indeed-a-mix titled mix but yeah GREAT PICKS Very Happy

@the diary in general, not been keeping up with it put a quick read over and it's a great start Smile
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