Get To Know A Top 10: April 2019 Thread - dihansse

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Poll: Which album is your favorite? Please listen to all ten before voting.
Palomine by Bettie Serveert
14%
 14%  [2]
Swagger by The Blue Aeroplanes
14%
 14%  [2]
White Soul by Green
0%
 0%  [0]
Flip Your Wig by Hüsker Dü
14%
 14%  [2]
Blue Sky Mining by Midnight Oil
0%
 0%  [0]
Bakesale by Sebadoh
21%
 21%  [3]
Eroica by Wendy & Lisa
0%
 0%  [0]
Calenture by The Triffids
7%
 7%  [1]
The Ideal Crash by dEUS
14%
 14%  [2]
Reading, Writing And Arithmetic by The Sundays
14%
 14%  [2]
Total Votes : 14

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dihansse



Gender: Male
Age: 60
Belgium

  • #21
  • Posted: 04/09/2019 18:34
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Fischman wrote:
RE: Flip Your Wig by Husker Du

Like Blue Aeroplanes, Husker Du was a group I heard of and had only passing familiarity with during their heyday. This was a good opportunity to get me to see what I passed up back in the day.

This album has a sort of attractive manic energy to it. I'm guessing these guys were a pretty hot live act. My only complaint is that it's pretty relentless, the constant presentation of same tempo and sound. It's great if you're really into that particular sound (like me listening to something like The Smithereens), but this was just a little outside my happy place. I think a lot of this could have been solved with some reordering of tracks. Interestingly, my favorite tracks were the last two. The final track, Don't Know Yet, would have made a welcome interlude if placed somewhere mid-album (although it is a nice closer). And the penultimate track, The Wit and the Wisdom, is the most different track of the album, making it also a good way to break things up.

Initial impression: 70/100, placement 3rd of 4 so far.

I can follow you: if you don't like relentless then Hüsker Dü is certainly not your cup of tea. Even in their later somewhat mellower years they still retained that punky feeling.
But I must admit this is just the kind of energy that I like and Hüsker Dü was one of the best if not the best in their genre.
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dihansse



Gender: Male
Age: 60
Belgium

  • #22
  • Posted: 04/11/2019 19:03
  • Post subject: Bakesale by Sebadoh
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When most people think about Lou Barlow they also think about J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr where Lou was (and is) acting as the bass player with otherwise not the most important role that is dedicated to the guitar master himself (and I say that even without irony).

But it was clear that Lou Barlow was not able to show what a great songwriting talent he is in this band so their paths had to split at a certain moment (it later turned out that this was only temporarily because Barlow rejoined Dinosaur Jr in 2006) and it did in 1989 so Lou formed the band Sebadoh together with Eric Gaffney, he already knew from before. But the band really started to flower when Jason Loewenstein joined in the nineties. I know that not everybody would agree with that, especially the people who like the earlier Sebadoh albums more (and the even more home made Sentridoh projects) but I do think his role in the band can't be underestimated.

I’m a stubborn guy so I place the CD which I own myself (Sebadoh vs Helmet/Rocking The Forest) at the top of their legacy while I know it’s a compilation from two EP’s with those names which in themselves also resulted in another compilation Smash Your Head On The Punk Rock. And knowing that in my view the best song on both albums, Brand New Love (I think still my favorite song of all time: just hear that fuzzy build-up to an absolutely chaotic but immensely beautiful ending!!!!!!!), is in fact a punked up version of the accoustic version on the album Weed Forestin’).

So all of this being a license for confusion I chose for the next best thing, the first album without Gaffney and where Jason Loewenstein had an increasingly important role and all in all still a very unpolished and lo-fi sounding album released in 1994 (this is in fact the deluxe edition):


Bakesale by Sebadoh

It already starts with the album cover: a nude photo of Lou leaning over a toilet taken by his mother when he was one year old. And that’s what it is: Lou Barlow at his most vulnerable.

License to Confuse starts off the album really well with a rambling beginning and a thumping bass and ringing guitars to top it off and this is prolongued in the next track Careful where again the bass is driving the song.

Magnet’s Coil: and again that bass in the intro which act as the perfect vehicle for a soaring song with one of those choruses in which Lou Barlow is very strong
Not A Friend; and then one of these vintage Lou Barlow songs with a very slow start in which Lou is nearly mumbling its lines as if he’s going to have to drag itself toward the end (a typical “navel-gazing line like Allmusic is calling it: ‘Somehow I don’t Trust You, I Don’t Trust Myself; I May Never Forgive You coz I Never Forgive Myself’) but then the song speeds up into a very grand electric finale.
Not Too Amused is again of those classic Sebadoh songs but now inspired by new blood Jason Loewenstein, minor key and uplifting at the same time especially when the distorted guitars come in. Just have a look at this great live version with also a lot of humour in it when Lou plays the bass instead of Jason:

Link


And then one of Sebadoh’s best songs, Skull, which starts with the magic ’There Is History In This Place’ in a slow way and gradually building up although it never really comes to a real finale and in a way this is what makes this song so great. This is an electric live performance but also check out the acoustic versions:

Link


And the best song is the thuming Rebound which just relentlessly makes its way to the end and is one of those songs that never fails to put a big smile on my fact. I kept on looking for good live versions of this song on Youtube but have to stick with their performance on Conan Live with the perfect introduction of their album Applause

Link


Drama Mine is maybe the song most referring to the past with a great hardcore sound although it’s a Loewenstein song with reference to Minutemen and Mission Of Burma.
and finally Together Or Alone is the quintessential very sensitive album closer.

The album was re-issued in 2011 with lots of extras but the basis is still the core of the album which to me is simply said one of the most satisfying albums I know and I'm curious to know the opinion of people who have never heard an album of his yet (and of course also from the people who do love the guy and the band).

Their new album Act Surprised is announced for the 24th of May so unfortunately I can't compare it with their other albums. And of course Lou Barlow is also still playing in Dinosaur Jr, also one of my favorite bands.
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Yann



Gender: Male
Location: France
France

  • #23
  • Posted: 04/11/2019 19:43
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dihansse wrote:
Hi I’ll post some more details this evening and I’ll discuss each album individually but I already have one question: how many of the albums in the list do you know/have already listened to in the past?


I've only listened to Midnight Oil and Deus, many years ago. As I recall, the Ideal Crash is a good typical late 90's rock album. It reminds me of The Soundtrack of Our lives ("Behind the Music" 2001) or even The Dandy Warhols.
Regarding Husker Du, I've always found Sugar superior, but as I've just seen, Copper Blue is your current 3rd best album, so all is well : )
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dihansse



Gender: Male
Age: 60
Belgium

  • #24
  • Posted: 04/11/2019 19:47
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Yann wrote:
I've only listened to Midnight Oil and Deus, many years ago. As I recall, the Ideal Crash is a good typical late 90's rock album. It reminds me of The Soundtrack of Our lives ("Behind the Music" 2001) or even The Dandy Warhols.
Regarding Husker Du, I've always found Sugar superior, but as I've just seen, Copper Blue is your current 3rd best album, so all is well : )

If you like Sugar you will certainly like Hüsker Dü as well I think. I can only advise you to give them a listen. An the same goes for the other albums in my list of course Wink
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Fischman
RockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMaster


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  • #25
  • Posted: 04/11/2019 21:06
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So I recall hearing Beds are Burning back in the day and not being able to tolerate it, so I never bothered to seek out any other MO.

But since not taking to Husker Du back in the day and actually enjoying them as a result of relistening for this thread, and really taking to Blue Aeroplanes after being reintroduced by this thread, I had reasonable expectations that might happen with Midnight Oil.

Alas, that was not to be the case.

Still have no appreciation for the vocals. The lyrics don't really reach me. The overall sound i find repetitious and often grating. Both the sound and the technique in the rhythm section, especially the drums, are particularly problematic

Okay, so it's not actually horrible, but it's also not for me.

I give it a below middling 40 (for my taste) and place it 5th of the 5 I've now covered.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash



Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts
United States

  • #26
  • Posted: 04/12/2019 02:33
  • Post subject: Re: Swagger
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dihansse wrote:
But if you have never heard of this band: check them out and if possible listen to this album twice because I can very much imaging you won't like this album the first time you listen to it. But this is one of those things that just gets under your skin and you never get rit of that wonderful feeling it gave you the first time you really started to appreciate it.


Interesting, because I was indeed underwhelmed at first listen. I liked it, but I should have liked it a lot more given the genres. The tracks blurred together, and I didn't pick up on much strong songwriting or personality. It's currently bringing up the rear of what I've heard, but I should try again - if not during this month, definitely later. I usually like to give my taste time to adapt before going back for another try with something that didn't fully click.

Also, I quite liked White Soul. Very well-crafted power pop with the right amount of punchiness.
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Fischman
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  • #27
  • Posted: 04/12/2019 19:21
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RE: Bakesale by Sebadoh

Another definitely not for me disc. Basic chords, repetitive beat, hollow vocals... it all sounds musically unimaginative to me. Add to that the tinny sounding guitars and overall production, there's just nothing to grab my ear. As for the songs, themselves, they don't grab my mind any more than the music grabs my ear.

This is like my least favorite elements of indie, punk and emo all rolled into one.

I did, however, appreciate Give Up and wouldn't be reaching for "next" if it showed up in a playlist.

It was no surprise to see the release date of 1994 here as that is the front end of what I think of as a decade of musical darkness... a period of music during which there's relatively little that caught my attention.

Sorry, just not my thing on this one.

I'm starting with an initial impression of 35 and placing it 6th of the 6 so far covered.
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mickilennial
The Most Trusted Name in News


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Age: 35
Location: Detroit
Poland

  • #28
  • Posted: 04/12/2019 19:29
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sebadoh is the greatest lo-fi indie rock band and nobody will ever convince me otherwise
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dihansse



Gender: Male
Age: 60
Belgium

  • #29
  • Posted: 04/13/2019 08:56
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Gowi wrote:
sebadoh is the greatest lo-fi indie rock band and nobody will ever convince me otherwise

Very Happy Cool Applause Dancing
I can only agree
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dihansse



Gender: Male
Age: 60
Belgium

  • #30
  • Posted: 04/13/2019 08:59
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Fischman wrote:
RE: Bakesale by Sebadoh

Another definitely not for me disc. Basic chords, repetitive beat, hollow vocals... it all sounds musically unimaginative to me. Add to that the tinny sounding guitars and overall production, there's just nothing to grab my ear. As for the songs, themselves, they don't grab my mind any more than the music grabs my ear.

This is like my least favorite elements of indie, punk and emo all rolled into one.

I did, however, appreciate Give Up and wouldn't be reaching for "next" if it showed up in a playlist.

It was no surprise to see the release date of 1994 here as that is the front end of what I think of as a decade of musical darkness... a period of music during which there's relatively little that caught my attention.

Sorry, just not my thing on this one.

I'm starting with an initial impression of 35 and placing it 6th of the 6 so far covered.

Strange how every negative argument you give is a postive one for me;
But that’s the fun thing about music
I’m already glad that you appreciated some of the albums in the list Wink
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