Hot Shots II

This was pretty good. It’s very atmospheric and a bit weird, reminiscent of early Psychedelic rock. It’s like a non-manic version of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd

The first song sounded a bit like a super watered down Flaming Lips. The second song was worse. By the third song I’d lost interest completely.

I liked this album! Unique and cool

Clever. Like the overall style and presentation. Not fully enamored of the singing style.

I like Squares and the production is interesting... I should have rated Heroes to Zeroes lower. This might be a better album... but at the same time... it's so boring... this has to be a 2... let's say 2 retroactively for both of these...

Need to turn the levels up, to quiet.

I’ve heard this before. It was shortly after this came out and I wasn’t super impressed, and I haven’t heard it since then. So it’s about time for a reassessment. At the time I had a dumb aversion to electronic music from the oversatuation pushed by mtv and the like. I’m enjoying the minimalism here then generally chill tempo. Not a fan of the vocals which sound lazy and effected but it doesn’t ruin the songs, if anything it just blends in like another instrument and sounds fine thinking of it that way. There’s a few really good songs and mostly good stuff, and a little bit of filler.

I have a surface level knowledge of The Beta Band. A friend gave me gigabytes of music for an old iPod and there were some Beta Band albums on it. They're OK. For this album, "Squares" & "Human Being" really stood out, but how is this album much different than any other Beta Band album? It all really begins to blend into one another.. And is it me, or does the lead vocalist sound like he's whispering (sometimes loudly) on every track? All of the music is infused with an ethereal, dreamy quality. They don't shy away from heavy uses of electronic music either. That said, there's a perpetual 'same-ness' to most of their tracks. They are a 'mood', and I have to be in the right mood to appreciate them. I don't think I was in the mood to give them a '4', but (3/5) is deserved. They aren't BAD, but they aren't great, either. They're good for a specific feeling, and that's not where I was today. I'll save them for when I'm in that 'mood'.

Heard snippetts of these guys here and there, but never a full album. This one started pretty strong with Squares and Al Sharp, but really petered out and droned on intop monotonous boredom after that. Not bad enough to dog on and not good enough to praise, it's an even keeled 3/5 that made me want to look to their other stuff rather than revisit this one.

Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 3.6 rounded up to a 4 "The people with the questions smile/ And the people with the answers lie They lie/ So no pizza for them" I love The Beta Band. I first heard them during what I think was the last real time when I could truly get excited about new music. I discovered them, like a lot of Americans via the High Fidelity soundtrack and fell in love. I do have to say that I think I prefer Three EP's over this, but I'm guessing the format of that disqualified it from being considered as an album? Either way, I know this has some of their best stuff on it. And it has been a hot minute, so maybe I'll look more kindly on this one's flaws. THE TRACKS "Squares" - One of their best. A trip hop, dream pop confection. Screw that new age shit, this is MY PURE MOODS. I think this track might actually be lowering my blood pressure while I'm listening to it. One of the things they do best is atmosphere, and this is a prime example. "Al Sharp" - I know I'm much, much older but even with the sound settings fully cranked here I was struggling to hear everything. That's my only big knock though as this is a nice gentle ride down a lazy river of a song. If the last song lowered my blood pressure, you might need to check me for a pulse after this one. Harmonies and xylophones. Two things that will almost always earn extra points from me. The only thing missing are some hand claps. Best casual mention of Megazords that I can think of in a song. "Human Being" - Another of their best. Psych folk, with some electronic flourishes. When that beat comes in... something switches off in my brain, then that lonesome horn follows. Chef's kiss. This seems like the template to me for bands like Django Django with the layers upon layers formula. Beta Band lean very hard into the repetitive chanty vocals that build and build. There's just as much Radiohead in the DNA of this one by the end as there was Beck in the beginning. "Gone" - The comedown from the chaos of the last song takes us further into Radiohead territory here. Beautiful and mournful, the sparseness of this one works in spades, especially in contrast with the busyness we've heard so far. This is a bit of a breather, but it still soars briefly around 2:25 mark. "Dragon" - I think it had to happen I guess. This one, while well-constructed just doesn't do it for me. I think it comes in too strong with that echoey beat that sounds to clean and high in the mix. If it could have started RIGHT at 1:14, this might have been a keeper. The fuzzy synth line and the rising vocals - great. But then it dips back into that hard electronic drum beat. Just not as cohesive as I'd like. "Broke" - Perfect counterpoint where the electronic beat feels WAY more integrated. The big fat bassy-y syth line that is the first of many hooks in this one. Delightfully understated piece form them that is still somehow their most danceable on here. "Quiet" - Another of their best. Aside from "Dry the Rain" which is not on here, I think this is their other best track. It highlights everything they do well. Builds wonderful atmosphere while deftly blending all theses disparate genres into an ear-wormy, energetic yet lazy at the same time concoction that I could listen to on repeat. "Alleged" - Pleasant enough, but not essential. This one felt too slight compared to everything else, and doesn't hook me. Solid filler, but filler nonetheless. Recovers "Life" - They try and recover though with this. Also comparatively simple, but all the elements work better together and this one's hummable in a way the previous one was not. Still, felt like an afterthought of a track. Possibly the most trip hoppy influences shine thru here, which is not my favorite part about the band. "Eclipse" - Some of the best harmonies on the album in what feels almost like music has been added to the text of a children's book. "Yellow Submarine" vibes. Nothing flashy here whatsoever, but the almost 4 minutes of calm, drowsy Benadryl dreaming is worth it when it explodes briefly with energy. A solid, hand-holding psychedelic comedown. HIGHLIGHTS - "Square - "Al Sharp" - "Human Being" - "Gone" - "Broke" - "Quiet" - "Eclipse" MIDLIGHTS - "Dragon" -"Alleged" - "Life" LOWLIGHTS - Not sure they're capable of shitting the bed like that FINAL THOUGHTS I have not looked at the global reviews for this, but I can imagine Beta Band being very divisive. "Why does this guy sound like a Muppet?" "Beck did it better." "Django Django is just a better version of this band." All valid criticisms... from a certain point of view. I usually don't bother myself too much with dragging anyone for their influences unless it seems like outright theft, because otherwise, there'd be a lot less great music to listen to. Beta Band does what it does well, but it is a very narrow lane, and as a result I think when you pile enough content up in one small space, it can get hard to differentiate. That said, the only quibbles I have here are very minor, and mainly with the lull on the back half. I'll still always prefer listening to this band via their hits on shuffle. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Throw those highlights together with the best from Three E.P.'s and you more or less have their Greatest Hits comp. FURTHER LISTENING - Long Season by Fishmans - Radiator by Super Furry Animals - Under the Western Freeway by Grandaddy - Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab

Yeah, this album was like riding a wave that didn’t get too high and crested too early. Was digging it for the most part though. May need to revisit at some point.

Unexpectedly excellent, and seemingly an predecessor of the "chillwave" sound that become increasingly popular through the late 2000s until the mid-2010s. I enjoyed the carefree, quirky (but not twee) energy here. Lots of very catchy choruses, and nice bits of organic instrumentation. Surpasses its awful album cover.

Very Interesting

i wasn’t sure at first but eventually i liked it; found it very calm and collected, yet whimsical and meaningful. my cup of tea

Milquetoast

Better than the other one I heard

Never heard of this band, nice introduction. I'm planning on listening to more of their catalog.

587/1001 2026.04.08 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Pretty surprised by this after finding the other album by the same group completely forgettable. Nice variety of sounds and textures.

A day later and I’ve already forgotten everything about this album other than feeling that it was fine. So 3/5 I guess

neat-o!

Favorite Song: Human Being

Цей альбом набагато кращий за 2004 рік, який у нас вже був раніше. Той факт, що цей гурт має два альбоми в цьому списку це забавно. Насправді, я думаю, що це, мабуть, був улюблений гурт Alt-J, бо інфлюенс на них від Бетів очевидний. Мені здається, я міг би його розслухати, і він мені ще більше сподобався б, але думаю, що не буду цього робити.

Це для мене прям відкриття, не шарив абсолютно цей гурт і попадання можливо не ідеальне в мій смак, але близько до того. Я ще подивився що в них є цікавий більш ранній матеріал (3 ЕР), так що буду досліджувати.

an interesting album. Not sure what sort of genre, kind of mellow folk rock. really have not listened to much like this. I think it is deserving of another listen to see if I really like it or it's just ok. Definitely unique. Like a couple of other albums on the list a rather grandiose "about the artist" writeup on Spotify - "Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the time". Right now not something I would buy but worth another listen

I was not familiar with this group but loved this album.

The only compliment I can give is that it is better than Heroes to Zeros, at least Im done with the Beta Band for the rest of my life 2/5

I don't understand why this band deserves 2 albums on this list.

La primera rola está curada

fuck yes

Quite fun actually

It’s a band I’d love to like but not a big fan of that album. With the exception of the first and last track the rest is boring.

Made me want to listen to Radiohead, liked the second half much more than the first half

New to me. Definitely listenable, but nothing really grabbed me.

This was hard to describe even after listening to it twice but it had a cool sound and I will probably listen to it again.

6/10 - A warm reception from me. Pleasant to listen to, but I don't find myself saving or wanting to come back (for now). However, I loved the ending Eclipse; the build after a slower album is really nice. Ultimately, I found every song a little too samey, and everything blended together leaving me wanting more memorable moments However, I could totally see myself coming back to this slowly over the years, i do believe it is very well made.

2/3. Pretty damn cool album, I wish more albums (rock especially) had a low end and rhythm section like this. Legit sub bass that shakes your car and hard drums, but paired with great melodies and fun lyrics. Glad this came on.

I expected a little more energy from this after seeing the album artwork. Just kinda boring to me. Tepid vocal deliveries and unremarkable instrumentals. This isn’t bad but nothing stands out enough where I can say I enjoyed it. The best song here is Squares but it’s 90% interpolation of another song.

Trippy, like Hot Chip or French Kicks.

Pleasant enough background music

To borrow a line from a friend, I know I listened to this yesterday, but I don't recall anything about it

Slow boring album

Ive only heard Dry The Rain and Inner Meet Me before but this album was really good.

Álbum muito bom!

These guys had a moment in the 90s and I had never heard of them! Some cool stuff. I love the Brits, god bless 'em.

Middle of the album lost me, but second half was pretty strong. 3.5

My wife’s comment while driving to O’Hare in the middle of the night: “sounds like The Beatles and Phish.”

Another Beta Band miss for me. Once again there's nothing on here that necessarily rubs me the wrong way, but it also does not engage me at all. Sometimes I feel like even the band is bored with what they're playing. 2.4/5

Really haven't cared for Beta Band in the past. This one is doing something different and I appreciated it for that. Least bad Beta Band. Ok, even! 2.75/5

I made it 5.5 songs. These guys have to be stopped. Two stars because of the Daydream sample in the first song.

Beta album

Overall pleasing,

this is gooood stuff

Bardzo fajny album. Odpowiada mi klimat.

Droning and dreamy, this album opens with chill beats and tempos on the first three tracks, contemplative and meditative. The first track samples that "Daydream" song that keeps popping up in movies and music. "Broke" breaks out a hip-hop drum corps beat and kicks up a fun groove. Many of these songs have irresistible quirky grooves - it's a vibe. Vocals are done in a throaty, chill way with lots of harmony tracking kind of like in the song Fearless by Pink Floyd. Like their song "Dry The Rain" that was used in High Fidelity, it seems like this band is all about quirky grooves and I'm here for it. Gonna try to remember to pick up a copy of this somewhere.

Always wanted to fully get into them and this is a nice place to start!

What is this, lofi indie Beck? I have heard lofi, I have heard indie, I have heard Beck. I don't need them all in one place.

I'm 875 albums in and this is among the worst if not THE worst album cover I've seen. This was not so hot shots for me. I didn't hate it but it was meh and instantly forgettable. I won't ever revisit this. 2.5/5

Rock doux et presque psyché sur certaines parties. Instrumental de voix parfois, avec arrangements vocaux. Me fait étrangement penser à un autre groupe, avec des voix qui trainent dans le temps, assez lentes et des rythmiques assez répétitives. Groupe écossais qui se dit faire du psyche, electro, folk. Propulsé par Radiohead et Oasis notamment grâce aux premières parties, le groupe ne dure que 8 ans mais intéressant sur la recherche musicale.

Hidden gem, plenty of songs that I recognised but had no idea who the band was

It's alright. I appreciate the weirdness, but the whole thing just didn't really latch onto me. It's like a weird mix of electronic rock, trap, trip-hop and whatever else. That may sound very eccentric and special, but the album doesn't really deliver on that regard. To me, it's all kind of... bland. Vocalist also doesn't seem like he cares a lot. 2/5.

Album 1080 of 1089 Hot Shots II - The Beta Band (2001) Rating : 2.5 / 5 This one turned out to be an interesting listen. The album leans into some electronic sounds, but it doesn’t stay completely in that lane. There are enough other musical elements mixed in that it never feels like straight electronica the whole way through. It kind of blends styles in a way that gives it its own identity. The overall feel is pretty relaxed and easygoing. The music drifts along in a way that makes it an easy album to sit with without demanding too much attention. It’s the kind of record that creates a vibe rather than constantly trying to deliver big standout moments. It didn’t really knock my socks off, but I did find it interesting. The band clearly has their own sound and approach, and that uniqueness kept it from feeling like just another electronic album. There’s a certain laid-back confidence to the way it all unfolds. Sometimes the value of an album is simply hearing something a little different from the usual rotation. This one fits into that category for me. Not something I’d necessarily reach for often, but definitely an easy and worthwhile listen while it was playing.

Huh?

(2/7) I don't see how this can be a "must listen"

Square kappaleessa sama sample kuin Lupe Fiascon Daydreamin. Mielenkiintoista kevyttä rokkia, vähän elektronista. Vaihtoehtoista. Parhaat: Square, Dragon

Great

Great for the background. Unoffensive but nothing that jumps out as great. Own both this and the 3 EPs and probably can count on a single hand how many times I've listed to both.

This one kind of fell in and out of actively listening to it for me. It was a pretty decent album. I didn't remember much from the other Beta Band album outside of being bored by it and finding the inclusion baffling. This still had some boring moments, but equally fun and good parts to make up for it. Can I recall any song 5 minutes after listening to it? No, but I can't really dislike it either.

There’s an annoying scene about this band in High Fidelity, isn’t there

Has kind of a Shins vibe. Soft early 2000s sounds.

Very interesting good band. Dug the whole album

nice and chill fav song: Broke

The artwork is laughably bad and feels like a jab at flashy hip-hop album art. If that is intentional, none of that humour shows up on the actual album. On first listen, this failed to make much of an impression on me. This is a laid-back affair, with characterless and wimpy vocals. 'Squares' was the big single from this album and it sounded like they're trying to be the next Portishead, but they do not have the vocal chops to make the music engaging and they bring anything new to that trip-hop flavoured sound. There are moments of greatness with the instrumentation, but all good stuff happens as the song reaches its crescendo and you already stopped caring by that point. I wasn't offended by anything on here, but I certainly wasn't engrossed at any point nor do I think I will ever return to this.

I thought this was just ok

A band that isn't as interesting as they think they are. Perfectly pleasant shuffling indie, and Steve Mason's voice is quite endearing.

It was pretty good. Nothing earth shattering here though. Reminded me of pavement a bit in parts, but not as good

1. zquarez - 1 2. zharp - 1 3. human - 0 4. gone - 2 5. dragon - 1 6. broke - 2 7. quiet - 1 8. alleged - 2 9. life - 1 10. eclipze - 1

Something about these guys…… it’s nothing fancy, it’s just good meat-and-potatoes alterna-rock. I like it even though I can’t really tell you why.

Great mellow, hypnotic, warm and interesting songs from the Beta Band. Not my favourite in the Beatas and Steve Masons output but it is hard not to like it Excellent headphones music.

Nice

Unfortunately I had to travel today, so my listen of the album was limited to what I heard over the sound of the rain and the road. I liked to chill atmosphere it gave off, so I'll be circling back to this when I have more time to dedicate myself to it.

Weird and eclectic, compared to what I listen to daily…and I like it!!!!

Normally 5-star albums get a long-winded review from me, but not this one. This rating is pure vibes: the album is experimental, funky, and I just really enjoyed it!

lekkere plaat! verder weinig toe te voegen, heb genoten

mja wel leuk. ze vonden het zelf blijkbaar "volledig uniek en als niks dat ooit gemaakt was" maar ik zie niet echt in wat dit in de lijst doet

I didn’t like this because it sounded like beck but worse.

It's quite nice, but I won't remember any of it, and won't be coming back.

Meh.

I appreciate the 3EPs album is technically not an album but it carries a bit more oomph than this album. Still an excellent album, I'm giving a 5 because in relation to the other albums on this list

Celkom prekvapenie. Príjemná hudba, ešte si to pustím. Viac ako 3*

Not my thing

first song banger immediate add to playlist

My immediate reaction is Alt-J took this style of music and made it worse. Human Being turning into a straight up rock song at the end was gnarly. Life is weird as fuck. So is Eclipse. What kind of music is this? I thought it was interesting

Playing catch-up, this was nice for a busy Monday. I'll add this band to my "at work" playlist.

Background music. Weird album. I will not listen to this again. 😐 Rating: ⭐️

Album 62 Top 3 favorites off the album: Eclipse, Quiet, Gone I was surprised to recognize the first song. I hear it fairly often. Then I recognized Human Being, too. Why do I know songs from this? I'm not mad about it, I just didn't know I knew. I initially thought this was going to be another house party vibe of an album (not a bad thing, to be clear). The first track has that floating, LED strip lights feeling to it. Al Sharp hit after, and the vibe was different while still maintaining the trancelike feel with the synths. I think the album does temperature changes pretty well. It definitely feels like it stays darker by default, but there's a good variety of warmer and cooler approaches, even within tracks. It's been a bit since the last review I've done that attempted to communicate how I feel about the sound of things beyond lyrics. My bad (not that it's being read regularly by more than one person (HELLO!)). I was left wanting something with a little more weight to it. This album sits on the softer side of things, and when it 's on the fence between maintaining that lighter instrumentation and hopping off into heavier percussion, more distortion, and an increase in volume, it either backs off or plateaus instead of diving headfirst into something new. The first track to come close to scratching that itch was Human Being. Even with the addition of more guitar, the organ, and more percussion, it still felt restrained where I'd hoped it would let loose. Quiet felt like it opened up more, so win! I also liked the different light vibe of Eclipse. Very lazy summer day on the bus to a large body of water of your choice in instrumentation. (Snorted at the last ~15-20 seconds of lyrics, bumped it up in my internal rating). Some extra personal reflection on the project as a whole, should you choose to read this far: I've been worried that I've been unfair to some albums. I've given so many mid- to low ratings that I had to go back through what I said about each one and really reflect on how I felt. In some cases, I think I have been harsh, but in a majority, I said exactly what I meant and wanted to say. On albums I don't have strong opinions about, I don't say much. On ones I do, I write as much as I want. It just so happens that out of 1,089 albums, I've hit a rough streak that is only occasionally broken up by one I really, really like. What does this all mean? No idea. I've got a few years worth of music left to get through, though, so I don't need to worry about it now.

Langweilig aber okay

Boring

1001 Alben hat das System "ambient music" für mich neu erfunden. Nicht störende Alben sind ab sofort der Mittelwert 3 Sterne. Dadurch entsteht zwar für vergangene Alben eine unpassende Bewertung, kann aber für faire Sterne in Zukunft sorgen (hoffentlich) 3 - Trifft voll auf Hot Shots II zu (nicht der Film: Wenn ich mich richtig erinner, war dieser kacke)

good! still don't wrap my head entirely around what this band is about

not a single skip greatness

Idek what to write for this but it made me quite happy.

It was ok. Nothing really stood out to make it memorable. It was pretty ordinary but not bad to listen. Standout song was probably Broke. standard 3 stars

I came across several albums from the list that are enjoyable background music. This one didn't make that cut. 3/10

Sounds like something Beck would've done if Loser didnt blow up and he became a just did Folk with hip hop inspired beats. Im shocked that The Three EPs isnt part of the 1001 list, as that is a more renowned release by this band 3/5

No progresa...

The Beta Band is difficult to categorize, and “Hot Shots II” is a mixture of electronic beats, rock guitars, and harmony vocals, embedded in a random pop mix. That doesn't hurt anyone, but I was waiting the whole time for something catchy or remarkable. As a result, Hot Shots II is largely boring, though not in an easy listening kind of way, but rather with an alternative vibe. It has been written that there is nothing comparable to it—which makes sense: the audience for this kind of music is likely to be rather small. At least the record was well produced.

Sounds-cool indie rock that stays on a musical straight line, interesting though not captivating

Every time I see the Beta Band anywhere I think about the scene in High Fidelity where Jack Black's character comes in and complains about Dick's Sad Bastard Music (even though that was Belle and Sebastian). I've seen Beta Band live opening for Radiohead, and have heard them hundreds of times on KEXP, but still only can think of Dry the Rain. Update: I made it three songs in and remembered nothing about each song as soon as it ended.

This album is pretty meh. There were two songs that kind of stood out on here, the rest sounde like a copy of the previous song before it. Not revisiting this album again for sure. I cant give it a 1 because there were moments that i liked, but overall boring album. Highlights: Square, Human Being.

this is the one that came out after they “blew up” (by indie standards) when Dry The Rain got an unexpected feature in High Fidelity, and somehow they delivered an album that surpassed expectations. Somewhere between early Pink Floyd psychedelia and trip hop, it's an album that sounds familiar and fresh at the same time. It's a fairly languid affair, easing into the opener until it becomes clear that they've taken “Daydream” and made it funky. The fun continues, with few tracks really standing out but the entire album lays down a vibe that I really enjoy. One that works equally well whether it's on in the background or you are intensely listening, recommended

Much like the other Beta Band one in that it was very boring

I've not heard this band in like 15 years, but Squares was one of those songs that just lived on my MP3 player, you know? And it turns out the album was great too.

damn ominęło mnie to rewelacyjny projekt it's whole production wise very interesting makes me feel it through out my body mesmerising

In the movie High Fidelity the main character puts on a (different) The Beta Band album in a record store and says, "I'm going to sell five copies." It's immediately obvious that the film is fictional — I doubt anyone in real life would buy the album after seeing something like that. Similar artists include Beck and The Flaming Lips; they're right on target: it's lo-fi electronica with occasional guitars, a bit monotonous in some ways. I don't know how else to describe this music, but I can say that after this album's release, the band was booked as opener for Radiohead tour, which might give some insight. A very uneven record. Sometimes it sounds pleasant, sometimes it's so dull that you want to turn it off. At first, I wanted to give it three stars, but then I remembered the book's title and thought, "Did I really need to listen to this album before I die? Naah..."

It's not bad enough to give a 1 but also not memorable or interesting. Weird inclusion on this list.

Honestly, a pretty good trip hop album

Beyond the sample in that first track this was all new to me! What a unique record, with so many influences! :)

Not sure if I've heard of this band. Interesting sound. Kind of reminds me of alt-j.

Cool vibes

Very indie rock of the early 00s feel to this record. A little reminiscent of Beck, but a chill record with a good groove. Highlights: “Human Being” and “Eclipse”

Solid beginning to end

A nice relaxing album. Not the most exciting thing in the world but if you want something calming it’s the exact sort of thing you want to listen to.

Every review and comment I came across compared this band to others that I really enjoy. They've included Radiohead, Beck, even Wilco. I can only hear a hint of those sounds in this album. Most of those reviews also really dig heavily into Beta Band's other albums and the wild experimental sounds they came up mixing sampling, folk, and more. They often name this album as the "accessible" sound. To me it sounds watered down. I guess I'll have to listen to their other work to find out who they really are.

Without its charms it was not.

I'm impressed. I was expecting something less mature, and more pop. The effort is still commercially accessible, it definitely pulls a lot of inspiration from a very large pool of talent and blends it into something unique, while still giving that cool-kid indie-rock vibe. It's not a cookie-cut band giving people what they want to hear, it's more a group of creatives making new decisions over a genre that suits the upcoming generation. It sounds newer than it is, I can imagine the influence this must've had. I see myself putting this back on in the future. Maybe snagging a copy for the collection. Definitely keeping an ear out when I see their name swing by. 3.9/5

Laid back and chilled

5.5/10

You know what? It sounds different to the alternative rock that was coming out in the early ‘00s. That alone deserves some praise. I think it’ a record that grows after several listens

Favorite track(s): Quiet, Life

Cool sounds. Pretty low stakes too. I like it

Interesting sound. Didn't grab me enough though. Low 3

Their second best of three albums. The trip hop / slacker indie combo is great even if they lose a little direction every now and then. Last two tracks don’t add much. High 3/5

This one's better than Heroes to Zeroes with well put together songs and arrangements. Something I can't put my finger on stops it being a compelling listen though. The last track is supposed to be funny but isn't.

A solid to high 3 from me, a nice midpoint between trip hop and British indie from the early 2000s (like Elbow and Doves) which is a nice spot for me if not anything special

I always imagine that I love this band, but in practice I can't quite get there. I bought the nice CD set of their 90s-00s albums 10 years ago and found it hard to get through all of it once. This album has a chill, lo-fi approach, with most of the songs setting out a repetitive groove that never really goes anywhere. And that's how I feel about it overall: a few nice songs that sound good in the background, but nothing really moved me or made me shut up and listen.

Yeah I mean it would be ok for background music

Squares is the shizz

It’s all just ok. Nothing bad, but also nothing that stood out at all.

surprisingly solid

I don't even know how this style of music is called... I just felt so bored beyond recognition

Funky digestible tracks

Maybe the most appropriate name for a band ever. Very middle of the road. Why would this make the list? These guys are definitely always in the friend zone. They don’t fuck. Nothing terrible but nothing memorable either.

Album #54 The Beta Band: Hot Shots II Honestly don’t really know what to say about this one, just run-of-the-mill, bog-standard music. The type of music which inspires no one and offends no one just sort of happens. I will give them this, though; they certainly live up to their name, as this is probably the personification of beta-male cuck chair music. Not even notable enough to give a one-star since it didn’t even really try anything that would make me annoyed enough to give it that low of a score, they simply play it incredibly safe, to the point where it is mildly enjoyable. I’m mostly mad because this belongs nowhere near a must-hear album list and took up a spot which thousands of other albums would be more deserving of. Best Songs: Alleged, Squares, Eclipse Worst Song: Life Score out of 10: 5

- i like the mixing and experimental aspects in this album - fav song from this album is 'human being' or 'gone' - some songs are quite influential - i liked the arpeggiated guitar in 'gone' - great lyricism - UGHH such a good and well put together album

Nice downtempo music that eases through the ears and out the other side with barely a mark left.

It’s not the worst album I’ve gotten on this list, but it is super bland and boring. At one point I tuned it out and didn’t even remember it was playing as I started watching short form videos, causing it to stop. Then after I remembered I was supposed to be listening to it, I hit play again. Some time later I ended up just hitting stop and deciding to move on, as it was becoming even duller.

I really liked this one, it’s smooth and dreamy and 90s in a really fun way. Perfect music for eating a takeaway slightly tipsy!

Classic album for when you’re 16 and think you’re the only person to know about the band and you feel really cool but then you just realise that all the hipster gen x dads already love it. Pretty solid psychy trip hop, but maaaaybe a bit too soft and not edgy enough for my tastes now

maybe one of the worst-aging band names of all time

Jumpscare with a TikTok sound in the first song, cool to be British but better to be … more exciting. Leagues better for me than a lot of this old crap tho

good mix of r&b with electronica

FUBN STUFFFFFFF

Why another beta band album?

If Muzak had vocals

Very meh. I have already forgotten it all

This is a band I never heard of before. I did like how minimalist the arrangements were. I liked the songs Dragon and Broke. The rest was a little bland though. I found the song Eclipse to be particularly irritating.

Forgettable wank

Meh outside of Squares.

Meh. Forgettable? Appreciate the music in some places though.

Once more a very average band of the last 30 years. Nothing special, nothing very good, fine as background but nothing more.

Good

Shitty version of Beck with bland vocals. Please no more UK rock.

There is nothing good on this.

альтернативка попсовая

Nothing offensive, but this did nothing for me.

Solid songs. Didn’t stick out to me the most but there were some cool moments.

Interesting! (Discoveries like this are why I signed up for this 1001 expedition.) Maybe the Beatles at their most scewed-pop experimental? (Or Pink Floyd at their most accessible!) Given the jittery, electronically layered nature of some tunes, it can be hit or miss, but overall, I like the proggy pop melodies more often than not. (One more reference more: maybe a progenitor to a more contemporary band like black country, new road?

Quite liked it

Ok I guess?

Solid down-tempo pop and house music. Nice use of samples and varied instrumentation to keep it interesting. Nice layered harmonies and vocals throughout. Great crescendo of sound on Human Being. An enjoyable listen throughout. Good chilled background noise for parties, but without any real stand-out moments.

Overall rating by me: 5/10 Songs added to playlist: ,,Squares" Notes: Thought that if I loved Squares, the rest of the album would be the same but sadly no. Melancholic and slow - that's how I would describe it.

They took a walk among the flowers for a couple of hours and came up with a pretty good album.

Maybe 4

Heinous cover art, looks like a child threw it together on MS paint. Obviously knew the first track but nothing else. Definitely has it own sound, it's in that category where I think they are approaching the songs in quite a unique way but ending up with something that is just okay. Not the same sound but fun loving criminals are definitely in that bucket. It's fine, it's a 3.

Squares and Dragon were the best tracks. Weird, atmospheric, sort of deep, decent lyrics, and psychedelic. Quite enjoyed it, just a bunch of lads making the music they wanted. It did blur together a little too often, to be fair, but a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Hmm not sure what to make of this. Not sure I can take think of much to compare it to either, which makes it pretty interesting I guess. I did enjoy it, but can't see myself rushing back to it. Textbook 3

Favorite Track: Squares

Opener stands out from the rest of the album, prob also due to the famous sample. Rest is fine, nothing that caught my ear in particular. 3/5, would background-listen again.

There is a reason this is not called Hot Shots 1 by The Alpha Band.

Listening to this stuck in traffic makes me feel odd. Like it

Unique, lofi, surreal sound. Dry, muffled drums, warping guitars, glittering synths, melancholy but earnest vocals. Every track holds a distinct character, but there is still a consistent style across the album. Describing something like this succinctly is difficult, so I guess to put it succinctly, I like it!

This one was alright. It was nice and chill, good for an early evening. That opening track was really good, but after that it kinda faded into the background a bit. It's nothing really spectacular, nothing jumps out at you. Definitely better than their other album here. But that album cover was 100x better than whatever this is.

It was fine? Kinda background music. Didn't really pay attention, didn't really grab my attention

Loved it

I kind of feel like there is depth there and this could really grow on me, but in the first couple of listens this passed me by a little bit. I tend to like these kind of sounds usually. The mix somehow feels as though major elements are whispering at you and inviting you to lean in.. Put almost in an annoying passive aggressive way

This was a very interesting one, it felt like almost a joke album but not lol

This is a great album to work to. Enjoyable melodies, nothing distracting, great for focusing. Dig it.

A bit better than the other album from this lot. Some pleasant bits, but it ended up going on a bit, and it’s not actually that long

Cue the high fidelity I will now sell several copies of the beta band. Good but not great stuff from these guys and I honestly prefer their earlier stuff over this. Didn’t know they were Scottish though so plus points for that. Groovy but not standout.

Langatmig, dröge, aufdringlicher Bass - selten so was langweiliges gehört!

its not too bad of an album i would listen to this on shrooms

Kind of interesting, doesn't sound so bad. I like some of the background electronic stuff they're doing. I shouldn't but I like that cover a bit. It's an awful choice in every way but when you put it all together it does work. Probably not mandatory but far from the worst thing I've heard on here. Maybe it's in the 900s of the 1,001. Maybe it's just an okay day. Who knows

Surprised by how dynamic the sound quality is for something from 2001. The songs seem alright but nothing stands out. It would take time for this to grow.

This is the worst music I have ever heard!

Dont know how to feel after that hahahaha

A strange title from one of the most aptly named bands on the list. This felt like it could have been created by an algorithm. It is quirky, enjoyable, and interesting. However, it doesn't have a soul. After the first few songs, it all sort of blanded together. Again, not horrible, just only remarkable in its generic tone.

one song on it

Areal pleasure. As if Penguin Cafe tried to do songs.

The first song on this album is great. The rest of the album was fine but nothing I’d write home about.

It isn't that it was...bad? It was just so lackluster there were times I forgot I was listening to music.

Thought this was going to be a soundtrack to the Charlie Sheen movie, it was not.

This was incredibly boring.

Yet another Brit band whose music never really crossed the Atlantic, other than as a punchline in the terribly pretentious High Fidelity TV show. I thought this was fine but nothing special. Too many like this are on the list (and I understand this got dropped from the most recent print edition). 2⭐️

Jetzt weiß ich mal, von wem „squares“ ist. Reicht dann aber auch, brauch ich kein zweites Mal.

Tolle Rhythmusgruppe, coole Stimme, alles etwas weird. Hatte das Album vor ein paar Jahren mal gehört, da war es nichts für mich. Jetzt schon.

It was fine. Good enough that ill check out the rest of their small discography and will one day return to this album to see if I like it more. Would mak3 good background music.

Wanted to love this album because I like The Beta Band but it was wayyyyyy too mellow for me.

Really not for me.

Electronic Soft Rock from a band I've never heard of. Insipid, nothing grabs my attention.

Quite pleasant. Also a bit goofy. I didn't connect with any tracks on this, ultimately. 2.5 stars, rounded down, which does feel harsh as I didn't dislike this.

Is it over yet

Really want to like this, but outside of a couple of songs, it's kinda dull.

Got about half through. Maybe the second half gets beyond meh 😐. Not feeling it.

Caught myself tapping my toe a couple times, more monotone singing. It’s early 2000s electric alternative. You know what the genre is but it can never be explained.

Chill, but catchy and well constructed. Perfect for a morning listen.

Some inventive production work here, but the songs are kinda blah. Don't think The Beta Band deserves a spot in the book, really.

good, didn’t know about this album at all but enjoyed it

Chill album. I enjoyed it. 6/10 Favorite Tracks- “Square” “Broke” “Life”

This is kind of interesting, but I'd like it more if the songs were closer to 2 minutes. It gets repetitive pretty quickly.

Now, THIS is the reason I’m doing this challenge. I’ve never heard of Beta Band, but I can hear their influences in bands I do live, like Radiohead and Gorillaz. I downloaded this album for future listens, but at this point it’s a 4.5/5, rounded down to a 4.

This was fine. Enjoyed a few songs quite a bit. But overall forgettable and no idea why it’s on the list.

a bright meteor

Buenos solos de guitarra, buenos tracks.

Nice beats

I would listen to this again for sure.

The first song felt familiar but never really connected and that was the peak of my enjoyment

Didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. Pretty chill.

Beautiful record. Love the vibe

Not really for me but didn’t hate

We already had one album by these mediocrities.

Hot Shots! Part Deux - they were really scraping the barrel at this point weren't they with a ridiculous plot involving Saddam Hu.......................... sorry, what's that? I've listened to the wrong thing?

first song was really good the rest are meh for me…

About as mediocre as their titling and cover art. 2/5

I listened to their final album a couple weeks back and it seemed unfocused and haphazard. This album is much tighter, with far fewer random musical larks.

Given this band's name, they are clearly self aware of their own mediocrity. And yet, they still decided to persevere and make an album they presumably thought was good. I almost respect their dedication to not caring, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most bland albums I have ever heard in my life.

Interesting and enjoyable indie trip hop rock. I previously had a difficult time placing my finger on what I though trip hop sounded like, but this album is what it sounds like. Many psychedelic and electronic sounds layered over repeating beats and trance-like vocals give this album a somewhat relaxed and trippy vibe (space Beck?). The instrumentals are many-layered, leaving something different on which to focus for each track.

Good musicians, I guess. But, the music is lethargic to my ears. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my attention focused on it. Disappointing.

This is clearly not their best album. Their best album, as everyone knows, is the one with "Dry The Rain" on it, as heard in the film "High Fidelity". That's really all I know about The Beta Band. Maybe 1001 albums didn't count "The Three EPs" album as it's a compilation, but then it included a Hives album that was a compilation so what's the deal? ANYWAY, I liked this. I'm giving it four stars just because I've not listened to the Beta Band much beyond that one song and I feel that I should investigate further.

Fantastic album. Always loved.

This was fine. Nothing special but it had a good run. 2.50-2.75/5

Tästä ei jäänyt mitään mieleen. Tulipahan kuunneltua.

Day 123 Quite enjoyed this as background music whilst playing a few games of Balatro, very definition of easy listening, will definitely be playing it again 7/10 Highlights Squares Broke Quiet

Meh. Some decent sounds and some catchy songs but didn’t get me too excited.

Boooooring

Favourite track: Square

Could not keep my attention. A little too low-key for me.

Interessant zu hören. Eine schöne Rock/Pop Mischung, eingängige Melodien. 4/5

The vocals have this soft, dreamy quality that floats over the beats and gives everything a warm, hypnotic vibe. It’s super pleasant to listen to. I do wish there were a few more standout hooks; nothing really jumps out as an earworm.

Love me some British sounding vibes

not for me

Charming, which is not a word I often use to describe this genre.

Some really haunting vocals in the early songs, and a mostly enjoyable album, but I can’t round up. The lyrics are too simplistic, leading to too much repetition, without variance.

Not bad. I liked Quiet, in particular. A bit Phishy at times, particularly with some of the lyrics. 3.5*

Literally put me to sleep. I did not enjoy this at all. It wasn't terrible, just boring.

Maybe it was a bad day to listen to an album like this, but man I was BORED listening to this album. Nah after finally finishing the album, I hated this. The final song was the nail in the coffin of this just being awful. No pizza for you.

Quite surprised this album is here as I thought the earlier efforts were more acclaimed. I wouldn't say this has aged particularly well and was quite bored. The echo/reverb on absolutely every vocal really grinded on me. One or two tracks are OK but on the whole I wouldn't listen again.

I enjoyed this, it’s got enough quirky strangeness to keep me listening, I kept thinking I was hearing Paul McCartneys voice though! Overall 3.75/5

I recognize the first song because it’s sampled on a great Lupe Fiasco track. Aptly singing daydream this album announces exactly what you’re in for. This is a great background album, cool beats and sounds and I can just set it and forget it and go about my day, this is a nice one to look out the window and stare of into space and listen to as the music drones on and lyrics loop. Not much happens but I guess that’s ok. The only downside is I can’t remember a thing I heard, nothing stands out.

Terribly enjoyable. Feels like the missing with the Gorillaz.

Gehört aber rating deutlich später. War ganz ok glaube ich. 2.8

Wow I really like this album! Liked the first song and it kept being enjoyable from there !!!!! The last song got a little silly but every album can have one song that’s a little off lol but I did like parts of it - the rest I really loved !! First new to me album I started again from the beginning after the first listen

A perfect example of a great band who never really made it. Mix of folk, hip-hop, sampling and indie rock - and that's only scratching the surface. Though there's a mash up of so many genres, the vocal melodies tend to fall back on chanting and aren't as strong . A good album, not great. Should it be in here seeing as they made no real impact other than being a critics' favourite? Best Tracks: Squares; Human Being; Dragon

like nothing special at all. boring. the first song was interesting and the rest blah. 3/5

It was ok, closer to the trip hop genre, which I love, but this is not as good as some of the things from that time. The vocals are not good and the instrumentals are just ok-ish.

Not bad. Some decent stuff. Some meh material. Good enough for a passing grade.

kinda just imonster but bad. but still good i like it. ok i think i like it because its the most interesting thing ive heard after listening to a lifetime of britpop. hey i still like it though so its getting a Four !

138/1089 absolutely awful album cover… the music itself it okay, a bit too one-note for me overall but has some good moments such as: Gone and Life it was a fine listen but i was hoping for a bit more 55/100

Sad kako znam za Django Django zahvaljujući ovoj listi, mogu reći da mi ove zvuče kao njihova nedorađena verzija. Pristojan album.

Shitty album cover, good music. Lovely 4/5

This sure is an extra ordinary album. Not extraordinary. Just ordinary. But REALLY REALLY ordinary. Yawn.

Honestly, I turned it on and forgot I had it on. Nothing here is done badly but nothing here is done significantly better than average either.

Enjoyed this, will definitely listen to more.

Do not like this.

This is fine...nothing here rubs me the wrong way, but it never really grabs me, either. Didn't leave much of an impression once it’s over.

Meh

A really strange one, this. It's deceptively minimalist in terms of the limited pool of instrumentation being showcased, but it manages to make less count by looping passages on top of one another in a very psychedelic fashion, with some reverb-heavy, slightly melodramatic 70s-like vocals and influences from trip hop / electronica adding to the dreamy, kind of smoky vibe going on. It's very clever, but the question is whether it's a bit too clever for its own good at times as to feel inviting enough for a relisten. It worked fairly well today as a lazy morning in bed type of album.

Such a fun album. Still holds up; consistent through and through

Lo-fi, interesting, irregular.

la loro sonorità mi ha fatto godere veramente tanto, e di conseguenza gli ambienti e le atmosfere che si creano mi piace pure che i suoni siano abbastanza grezzi, non del tutto puliti in certi momenti mi hanno ricordato i radiohead poi qualcuno mi ha fatto notare che ricordano anche gli everything but the girl in effetti. grandi pezzi: quiet, alleged e eclipse. sono curiosa di ascoltare altri album loro

Piaceve scoperta. Dalla copertina non ci avrei scommesso un euro e invece molto molto figo, soprattutto la seconda metà del disco. Bello il mix elettronica e strumenti acustici. 4 1/2

бедный дейдрим, сколько его можно мучать?

Fun lo fi

This is a great album. I enjoyed it from the first song through the last song and am thinking of putting it into my permanent collection.

This album being on the list pretty much makes the whole list invalid. There is never a reason to listen to this. NO ONE dies with regret over not hearing this album. I'm sure people LIVE with regret that they've heard it. It's like some guys got together in their basement and made a thing ... anyone could do it (and 90% would do it better)

Some people listen to podcasts to fall asleep, others take medicine. I strongly recommend this album.

I enjoyed their newer album a little more. Didn’t really find anything too interesting in this one. Loow 3

Ovo mi je uvik bilo lošije od Three eps ali u biti uopće nije loše

Something strange

nah

This was a nothing album. Only cool thing was the daydream sample

weird and sometimes good

Forgettable. One of the band must be Dimery’s drinking buddy or something for there to be 2 of their albums in this…

Weird but enjoyable

Where is the Hot Shot? This album doesn't have it. 2/5

Decent vibes on here and i was pleasantly surprised. The opening song really caught my attention and then the rest wasn’t too bad to jam to.

It was ok

Another mid British band? Shock! I prefer Hot Shots Part Deux

enjoyed this for neat it was worth. 'Alternate Rock" really needs to have a better definition - used too often as a catch all

mildly enjoyable