Hot Shots II

2 stars

Interesting but not for me

Another brand new to me. This is an odd one to me because I recognize that the music is complex and good and the recording well produced...but I'm having a hard time connecting to it. It's like there's some subtle tonality that grates on me. Fascinating, but not for me.

Listenable but nothing that stood out other than the first song which I think is mostly because it had samples I was familiar with. Not awful or anything but just meh

I liked the first few songs and thought I was going to be pleasantly surprised by this album. They had a nice flow/beat and a unique vibe and I was enjoying it. But it didn’t last beyond that. I don’t know if the songs became weaker or the sound just grew too repetitive, but the album quickly lost my interest and started to feel monotonous.

The more I listened to this album, the less I enjoyed it. It started as being good background noise while I was busy but by the end I was being overly critical. Shortened version is this isn’t anything special and I don’t see any value for why it belongs on this project.

Beck b-sides but boring.

I liked it more than expected. Some great flows and beats, first few tracks in particular but album loses steam as it goes on. Got a bit muddy.

Meh.2

Didn’t fuck with

Це один із альбомів, яких я чув. Там був вокал, інструментарій, навіть продакшн був. Пісні, пісні там теж були. А так, окрім пісень було мало чого. Обложка була, наприклад, ще назва була, тааак... Оцінка: середня-висока 5

Not for me

Psychedelic indie pop and folktronica built from loose grooves, dusty acoustic textures, mellow electronics, and hazy vocals drifts like falling asleep in a hammock while someone quietly changes the radio station every few minutes—warm, strange, and at first deceptively immersive. The album’s laid-back surface hides intricate layering and subtle experimentation that gradually pull the listener deeper into its atmosphere while verging on shapelessness, which leaves more bored in the process.

langweilig

starts with that one meme song. it's aight

Boring

Nice album art. Shame about the album. Dull.

Sophomore Jocks.

Very unremarkable, a kind of cheesy!

I've played it three times and, while I’ve been mildly enjoying some parts, the whole thing keeps slipping away - like being flashed by the Men In Black after every tune. A release so amazingly dull, that it becomes a masterpiece in that aspect. Now I know how sparrow's fart sounds like.

This is pretty average to me, cool sounds but overall not doing anything that other trip hop or psychadelic albums haven’t done better. 3 EPs is better but I’m not sure I’d say either of these are a must listen even if I had enjoyed them more

It's kinda like a less exciting Gorillaz. Some decent vocal work and the writing isn't terrible, but I'm just a little bored.

One thing I enjoy about this experience is the generator showing me artists that I would have never sought out on my own. This group is a perfect example of that. It was cool at times and kind of sleepy and boring at times but I didn't hate I had to listen to it. However, the misses outnumber the hits, especially towards the end. I did enjoy the song I recognized from tik tok. 2/5

..

It was cool, then fine, then eh.

ehhhh

🎧Dimery, respectfully, what are we doing here?

Wow brutal

I will never be listening to this again

Boring and shockingly self important

OK.

Another fine electronica album that doesn't do much for me.

If you call yourself the beta band and under deliver. You're lik ironically genius or just sad.

Groupe inconnu. Electronica, 77 eme album, pas désagréable en musique d'ambiance => 2/5

I found the album to be pretty boring

Goes on a great three song run part way through but overall I'm just completely indifferent to this. Could easily see if someone said this was the worst album they ever heard.

I didn't hate it, but it's nothing I would ever willingly put on again. I guess I can add trip hop to the list of genres I don't really care for? Because this is the second album I've had in that category that I haven't enjoyed.

Early 00s thirty something dinner party music.

Bland

we already had these guyss

i only like the first song

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.

587/1001 2026.04.08 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Favorite Song: Human Being

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Huh?

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

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

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

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.

Not my thing

Boring

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Favorite track(s): Quiet, Life

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.

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.

Meh outside of Squares.

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

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

There is nothing good on this.

Nothing offensive, but this did nothing for me.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Not really for me but didn’t hate

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

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.

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.

Tästä ei jäänyt mitään mieleen. Tulipahan kuunneltua.

Boooooring

Favourite track: Square

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

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

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 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.

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.

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

Do not like this.

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

Something strange

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

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

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

Genre: Indietronica This was bland, boring, and odd. I don’t know what was happening here in terms of selection of this for an essential collection. Again, this book has a penchant for quirky picks, but clearly omitted massive critical and commercial successes. Not necessary. Last track was god awful. 2/5

according to wikipedia members of both Radiohead and Oasis praised the Beta Band, which makes sense to me given that this album feels like the midpoint between those bands (Steve Mason of the Beta Band's assertion that nothing sounded like this before or since is pretty comical) except much mellower, not really coming alive in any meaningful way until the closing track. i won't say this is awful or anything, but the vocal style is too mumbly and reserved, the sound is too thin, and it's generally just sleepier than i am typically interested in

A little bit fun.

Very, very calm, kinda nice?

This was not very good. I don’t think I needed to hear this. It wasn’t that bad but it was boring and bland.

Ikke som sådan trælst at lytte til, men efterlader ikke noget nævneværdigt indtryk.

I prefer their first album more.

Meh

Nothing amazing but not bad

Teilweise recht catchy, übermäßig viel hängen bleibt aber nicht.

Kannte die Band überhaupt nicht, aber habe herausgefunden, dass sie mal in "High Fidelity" genamedropped werden, den ich mit 15 auf jeden Fall mal gesehen habe. Also liegt der Fehler ganz klar bei mir. In das Album selbst bin ich allerdings gar nicht reingekommen. Für ein Drogen-Album nicht psychedelisch genug, für ein Indie-Album fehlen spannende Melodien. Klingt irgendwie alles sehr kahl und trostlos und das ist vermutlich auch gewollt. Ein paar Songs waren ganz nett, aber zum Rest hab ich gar keinen Zugang gefunden.

Einfach nicht meins.

Hätte wahrscheinlich mehr verdient, bin aber überhaupt nicht rein gekommen.

Das ist nicht so schlecht wie das Cover vermuten lässt, aber es ist auch nichts was ich mir jetzt nochmal anhören möchte

I almost liked alot of these songs, but most of these songs were just a beat or degree off somehow....

I really liked Squares and was optimistic for the rest of the album, but it just became a lot of the same with annoying vocals. It's not horrible, but it's also not very good.

This album was mediocre for the majority of it, but that last song is just earth-shatteringly bad. Maybe the worst of the whole list so far.

I was going to give this a 1 but the last song has a lyric about their music not being particularly good so at least they are self aware.

Eh. Forgettable. The only song I liked was the one that sounded like daydream bc that song is a vibe.

If the Gorillaz sucked worse.

The songs are fine. Production is really muddled. Liked it less as it went along

Didn’t find this to be overly interesting. Wasn’t necessarily bad, but had a hard time paying attention after a while. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Funky vibe, i dont hate the voice, dont love it either. Sounds a little whiny. Sound guy is doing amazing tho

Lowkey quirky.

Boring, melodramatic and samey. This one had its (very brief) moments but was just so bland. Also so far the worst cover art and band name of any album I’ve reviewed. It’s not quite a 1 star, but not something I’m itching to revisit.

Generic and background.

Not really into it.

Not in my edition of the book! 2001. 2 stars. Well produced but tedious meandering background music for hipster bars. WTF is this bland shite doing on the list?

Started strong but generally disliked the latter half of the album. Early portion definitely feels like it influenced a lot of of late 2000-early 2010 alt bands, which was nice.

sympathiek plaatje... maar staat niet in mijn top 1001... ergens rond 101000 denk ik

I was going to comment about the “graphic design is my passion” level album cover, but some of the reviews already beat me to it. Honestly, it not just that it looks tacky as fuck. It doesn’t even fit the music. What do “bling-bling” letters have to do with soft trip-hop? The band never gets going. They throw an occasional good song, but other than that, it’s really dull. Just one of those albums that get music critics moist for some reason. Favorite track: Gone Other hits: Broke, Quiet

I can see how it was ahead of its time, but that doesn't make it interesting.

nae. har ändå gett det här en ärlig chans men det är inget vidare. man hör hur gärna dom egentligen vill göra triphop typ.

Pretty boring. First song had an ok loop but the rest weren’t that great

2nd. album by this band, and I still don't get it. First track is fine (though not the best reuse of "daydream"), but it's all downhill from there.

2.5

Definitely a beta band.

Nothing outstanding. I almost fell asleep.

I love the 3 EPs so was desperate to love this but it’s just not very good is it Squares is good (but All Seeing I used that sample better) but the rest is just very pedestrian A huge disappointment

Listened to this while working, on repeat (by accident). I think I listened to it 3 times before I realized. All the songs sound the same. 2.5 stars

Not really my cup of tea. Some classic tracks here for sure like Squares, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to.

I misread the album's release date as 1971. The low-budget album art likely contributed to that. "Hot Shots II" itself sucked with disappointing tracks throughout. The album is supposed to feature a mix of electronic music and rock. However, it fails at both genres. 2 stars for "Hot Shots II"

I do not enjoy the beta band

There was always less to The Beta Band than met the eye. I guess we all lived in hope that they'd do something again that came even close to the transcendent glory of Dry The Rain...

It thinks it's smarter than it is, which makes it a bit grating, but generally fine.

Accidentally put this rating on smokers delight. The review for that one is the same. Pretty boring

The Beta BLAND

Editor of this list must be a huge The Beta Band fan...2 down 1 to go I guess...not my band...best song was sample driven (Daydream by The Wallace Collection...curious if that band made the list...should be on it, if only for this classic song)

Harmonies. organ, trip hop, hi fidelity Al sharp Alleged

An odd and directionless album. Not unlistenable but not good either. The lyrics in the closing track are comically bad.

Tolerable. Would not actively choose to listen again. Often repetitive.

Nothing stood out

Kinda boring, if I'm being honest.

Not my vibe. Felt like a jam band version of Massive Attack. Kind of boring.

Lyrics from the last song - "and the music we make is not particularily good" Hm you don't say... 2 ⭐️

Not for me.

Interesting music. Not my usual vibe. Not sure I would go back to it. I digged some songs. Like the first one but towards the end less songs :/

zzz

It’s a decent album. Nothing groundbreaking. Just a decent album. Quite forgettable.

It's OK for a lazy Sunday morning, beyond that, temper your expectations.l

A weird mix of (too many ?) influences, that unfortunately never coalesce into a clear musical identity. It’s not an unpleasant album, far from it ; I enjoyed it as background music, thanks to its meditative and melancholic vibe. But I’m not sure I quite understand what they were trying to do. It somehow feels unfinished and a amateurish, like a very well-produced demo. Overall there was nothing truly memorable for me here. I’ll probably have forgotten everything I just heard in a few days. They could also use a better artistic direction... With a terrible band name, terrible album name and terrible cover art, it’s like these guys don’t really want to sell records.

Nah

This one is a really odd sounding album. It's quite dreamy at points (which is relaxing and nice), but it's also just bland, LIKE really bland. As well it being insanely repetitive. Let me cut to the chase, what I'm saying is the terribleness outweighs the good parts.

This was an interesting listen. I kind of felt like this sound has been done before / is done today (I even got some kind of Twenty One Pilots vibe when I think of a modern band), but at the same time that this is a pretty distinct set of musical styles. "Squares" is the big track, and I thought it was a pretty good one. I'm not sure if it sounds familiar because of the sample that it uses though. Ultimately this is a 2/5. It was a nice listen but I didn't really gel with it too much and I question its inclusion on the list. It could just not be my style.

So the Gorillaz comparisons aren't entirely wrong, and I was excited whenever some trip hop elements popped up here and there.... But it's mostly pretty bad in execution. Lots of blandness and repetitiveness. Standouts: Human Being • Gone • Alleged

A little too experimental for me

"i don't wanna be the type of guy / who lives alone, reading books / and never eats a pizza pie" as someone who both reads books and enjoys pizza, i could not relate to their music

I really liked the first song because a great Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott song samples the same song that this one samples. Other than that the album was not bad but also not noteworthy. I like rock music that uses samples and even music that is sometimes sorted as "phundephonics" so it stands to reason that I would like this. However I couldn't really get into it and even listened to some of the songs 2 or 3 times. 2/5

Less interesting version of Beck. Fine but boring. Two stars

Not bad per se, but not really good. Kinda weird and ethereal at times but didn't really hook me.

3/10

Squares is a nice song. Rest ok 2/5

I can see how this was cool when it was new but now I find it boring.

Blir kjedelig i lengden. Mest pga vokalen.

Very underwhelming from a vocal standpoint. The sound is somewhat unique I guess, almost hip/trip-hop like at points. The album never really takes off and remains a bit one-note all throughout, though.

A nice DIY vibe. It is pleasant though not groundbreaking. Worth 2.5, put 2 stars

There’s a lot to take in, some Beck vibes, a bit of Air, psych phases that flow nicely into solid little grooves, with a touch of art rock… At first, I got a bit carried away after randomly landing on some much cooler tracks by the band … but they weren’t from Hot Shots II. The album itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It ends up feeling a bit too smooth for my taste. Yet, an interesting discovery.

I really think I don't wanna hear this, but here goes anything .... Oh-kaaaay that was not what I expected at all. And it didn't hurt to listen to. Still not my brand of tea, alas

This is the second album by this band that’s been generated so far, and I still don’t know why this band is included at all. It’s not horribly bad, it’s just not good at all. Pointless inclusion!

it's funny bc you look at that cover and never expect the songs to sound like they do. way too bo burnham to me though, music and comedy shouldn't go together in my opinion but alas

# 486 : Hot Shots II : 22/05/2025 Yet another band that I'd never heard of. Not sure their music ever left Scotland. Occasionally great, occasional meh …when your only claim to fame is you are on this list…

This one seems pretty weak to me, like it has veen watered down somehow. I guess you shouldn't buy your music while it's still in beta. Favorite track: "Dragon," I think.

i hope you like the first song. if you don’t you’ll have a hard time listening to this one because EVERY SONG SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME.

one of the best albums ever made. a classic that sounds fresh to this day. a tour de force that bewilders critics and audiences alike. a must listen

4/10 This is not groovy, this is not exciting. Mid

Sounds like a barbershop quartet singing over Logic Pro bedroom beats 🤷🏾

This one wasn't for me. Kind of boring and I didn't enjoy the sound.

I don’t know. It was okay. I didn’t dislike it but also nothing really stood out to me. It felt like background music, I could fall asleep listening to this. I tried to give it a second listen because I couldn’t remember any of the tracks but even the second time didn’t leave an impression on me. Normally I like to write my top tracks but they all felt about the same. I kept trying to compare each track but I instantly forgot what the previous one sounded like. Probably won’t come back to it but I guess I enjoyed the listen.

2/5 not very enjoyable but not terrible either. Hard to pin down a genre on this one.

"I think we need some representation on our 1001 list from this so-called indie genre the kids are going on about!" "Oh, you mean like The Stone Roses?" "I'm pretty sure there's been some developments in the genre since, maybe we can seek opinion from some credible sources with ears close to the ground." "You mean someone like John Cusack's character in High Fidelity?" "That sounds about right..."

This album should have been called Lullabies For Fish. It’s so boring and one style and energy it could even put fish to sleep. There is no reason to listen to this, unless you have insomnia.

Not what I thought this album would sound like given the album artwork. I thought it was okay and probably ahead of its 'indie sad boy summer vibes' time in 2001.

This is not resonating with me at all. I’m not a fan of the vocal style and everything feels so bland.

The best part of this record is the sample at the beginning. “Life” is an okay song too.

4/10 - it was kind of boring and the parts that weren’t boring were not good enough to make up for it. Plus the last song was pretty weird

I have very mixed opinions on this

Incredibly dull.

It's got moments here and there ("Broke" comes the closest to being a good song), but it's mostly bland and forgettable. Not surprised it fell off the list. The title makes me want to watch the Hot Shots! movies instead, which is assuredly a better use of one's time.

what the hell, sure

Pretentious hipster shite

Decent album. I liked the variety and the production. It felt like the instruments/samples had room to breathe on each song.

So painfully below-average that it makes me question the author's other picks.

A nice sound here. Kind of cozy… but then over the whole album, it also gets boring. Very boring.

This record is a little dark and opaque. I can’t quite put my finger on anything and none of the tracks have really stuck with me after the fact.

Totalmente inerte. Tenía cositas para que me gustara mucho más, pero es como si fueran a medio gas todo el rato. Canción destacada: Human Being

Ok album, not very memorable as I'm having a hard time recalling anything about it when I write this review the morning after listening to it. I remember it not being my thing, but I don't remember why. 2/5

It's better than the other Beta Band's album on the list, but it's still pretty awful.

This seems to be one of those records that is loudly celebrated as zany, bizarre, off-the-wall and innovative, but its actually just indie rock with a synth. To me, it sounds like the sombre end of britpop mixed with some bits of 1990s electronic sound. Maybe not a million miles from Gorillaz, whose first album came out the same year as this. The vocals are very monotonous. The songwriting has a few striking moments. The music ranges from slightly catchy to inoffensive. It's not doing much for me. 2.5*

Los he escuchado de pasada alguna vez en Radio3, pero nunca un album completo. Veo que tenía Squares como favorita de antes. Pues salvo esa, un peñazo en general, se salva porque es tranquilito y se queda en 2 estrellas.

I'll be honest, this album went in one ear and right out the other. Just completely did not hold my attention.

2.5/5

Ummm hmmm. A lot of this album consisted of me just continuously checking if it was over because I couldn’t find it incredibly interesting. Given that, I think it’s different and gave some good and new impact and such.

For one thing a better singer could have made this worth something. These monotone vocals made even the first track a bit of a sludge to get through and it literally never varies for the entire damn album. Also Mr Beta - I noticed your lyrics. 90% of the time for me that's a bad sign and oh yes it is the 90 %. These are banal and stupid stupid lyrics . Yeah this one just pissed me off - nearly always frustratingly stuck in 1st or 2nd gear. And many times it was *so close* to making something out of nothing that it almost made me mad. Plus it is way way too inorganic - not sure we get a sound of air from any element whatsoever and it really hit me for whatever reason - in the end made this an easy 2 at best. 4/10 2 stars

The Beta Band brings some soft electronic rock to the table that works at times and doesn't at others. There's some tracks I enjoyed and some others that did nothing for me. Second half of the album grabbed me a little more than what I heard initially. Not really sure what to say otherwise. It's a middle of the pack album for the most part. Wish this had been a soundtrack for the comedy masterpiece Hot Shots Part Deux instead. 2.42 stars

2.5

Pretty forgettable

Yet another album that doesn't deserve the acclaim this list is giving. Maybe if I ask nicely, they'll put the album my high school band recorded on this list and I can feel like a special boy too! This is the second album I've got for The Beta Band (Heroes to Zeros is also on here for some reason) and while this is the better of the 2, it's still nothing to write home about. Sure, I can hear it's influence on some of my favorite bands, but those bands just did it better. I was going to just skip it all together until I heard this is where Lupe Fiasco got the sample for "Daydream" and thought, sure, I'll give it a try, and about halfway through, I had to move on to something else. Incredibly mid snooze fest

It was okay, offered something a little different

The first two songs gave me a feeling of "okay, I didn't enjoy it, but the style is there, and I definitely enjoy music *like* it, so maybe it'll get there!" But it just didn't unfortunately

- Eh

Finally gave it a listen. Hmm. There are these moments when it catches you, all that laid back quirkiness, but most of the time it is rather a 'come to the point' feeling. A little bit too repetitive and same-feeling. I understand why this never became bigger, despite obvious talent.

This was a vanilla album. Nothing great but nothing bad either. Not sure why it’s on this list

Honestly, not that bad, but nothing about this grabs me to come back for more.

Why do people keep trying to make me enjoy the Beta Band?

I listened to this the whole way through and kept having to go back as it made such little impression on me I couldn't remember it at all. I still don't really remember it other than being a bit meh and not that interesting

They were looking to create a certain sound and they achieved it. Boring.

this album was well recieved by critics. im sure at the time this music seemed adventurous but today it sounds like very generic indie rock. i really do believe that this band was way more influential than there sales would suggest since a lot of bands aped this. im not rating its influence though.

Damn. Just like Christine and the Queens, I really wanted to like this. Good production, good sound overall, but the songs aren't good. Or at least not good enough. They all sound generic, in a bad way. An incredibly, incredibly mid album with a lot of potential. They have the tools, they know how to use it, but the results just don't work.

Sub average and forgettable.

Not particularly entertaining. No pop no fizz. Kind of boring Sort of like poetry reading. Best part? It was short.

Never heard of them, and seems there's a good reason. This is not interesting.

Snoozefest

why'd he sound like bill wurtz

I admit I fell for the hipster hype after seeing High Fidelity. But the 3 EPs is where that hype stopped for me. The vibe is right but the songs are completely hollow. Another better band, Elbow, got the vibe and the songs right and are The Beta Band's lunch. This record has the vibe. But it's boring. It doesn't go anywhere. It just sort of siren songs you in promising something it can't deliver.

Listen to this while at work and I think that was the right way to listen to it. Not much to think about here. 4/10

I like the track one remix of daydreaming but nothing else really does anything for me.

I think I'll wait until the Delta Band.

I have a vague recollection of hearing some of these before but it’s blandness overwhelms any memory

I think they have an interesting chill sound, and this should really suit me. While I found 'Squares' to be alright, I didn't find any of the other songs particularly interesting. Somehow the whole album also sounds very... weak, and bad? There is no punch in anything in the songs, and the singer's voice is extremely weak and sits behind everything else in the mix, so it just doesn't grab you at all. Also almost zero stereo image... just very bad sounding in general to me. Maybe a bit harsh, but getting a 2. Mostly because it's sounds so uninspiring, but also because it's a bit of a boring record.

Nothing really stuck out and while the general vibe was ok, I wasn't that impressed. The album art wasn't doing it any favours either.

No thanks.

I liked the chorus of "Squares" and couple of other moments on this album, but it was mostly just boring and forgettable. 2.5 stars

# Album Name: Hot SHots II # Artist: Beta Band # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: ANother album where i have no idea why its on this list. The opening some was decent. The rest could be background music from any random band. There was some decent melodies and layering at time. # Top Tunes: Squares # Would I listen to it again? No

Pre-listening thoughts: I have once again never heard of this band or album. Zero clue what to expect here Post/during listening thoughts: this is pretty chill and like lo fi. I can get behind it to an extent but this genre tends to bore me after a while. I’ll check back in towards the end of this album to see if it kept me hooked. This is like the exact opposite of the rage against the machine album we just got lol. Like that was overstimulating and this is understimulating and I’m way bored lol. This is like the Doves album from a while back. I thought I was at the end but I’m only on song three?! Yeah bye 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not a chance Fav tracks: Squares Least fav tracks: can’t decide if I love or hate Broke.

One or two good points. Mostly not good though, middling 2.

Ok-aaay, so an experimental Scottish band goes straight; insoding surpises even themselves by making actual songs. The Album cover: an explosion in the vacuum of space. Sarcastic physicists? Id listen to this on a bus tour of Glasgow or Edinburough. Yes, how fitting. A soundtrack to commuting amoung the welcoming madlings of the Hebrides. Out of context its mirky at best. So, I re-label this to "Music for discovering the people of Scotland" . Because a knowing glance can say more than words. We could have been listeing to music that connects us and makes us dance and smile. But all we got more pudge.

This was no good

I’ve got a soft spot for early 2000s trip hop but this was kinda boring

Hmm... let's see. An obscure Scottish indie electronic rock album from the early 2000s with minimal success, a weirdly high amount of praise from one or two magazines, and a band where one of the first things the Wikipedia article mentions is that the band was praised by members of Radiohead and Oasis? Yep, I think I've found the album that most exemplifies the weird picks of this list. Only Robert Dimery could consider this album worthy of a list like this. I know I don't. This album's mid. The singing's kind of annoying to me. The sound is fine. It's not the most unique, but I respect the production. The writing exists. At first I was thinking that I was just not in the mood for this, but by the end I really started to feel that my complaints with this album were more legitimate than I thought. This thing kind of drags a bit near the end and is a bit repetitive. I just don't see why this is here. Apparently Kludge, a magazine I've never heard of, called this the best album of 2001. Really? You're joking right? I mean, how can you call this the best album of 2001 when albums like Is This It and Toxicity exist? Don't get me wrong, the release of Hot Shots II is not the worst thing to happen in 2001, but it might just be the least interesting. Hot Shots 2? More like, Hot Shots 2/5. It's a high 2 though. No wonder this got removed from the list.

It’s ok

I didn't hate this but I didn't love it either. I'll give it a 2 because there were parts that I enjoyed.

Ok, not really that great, kinda meh

Not what I expected. Not impressed. 2.5

Meh - shoulder shrug

The buzzing sound on the track of "Life" was annoying. Gone was probably the best track.

didn't like this one as much as the other Beta Band album

Felt too minimalistic

easy listening, ohne spezifisches highlight.

not what I expected.

Hmm!

Super boring music.

It's not bad - vocals are a little droney for me but musically it's alright.

Kveikti ekki í mér. Það vantar einhvern neista þarna.

I thought it sounded very aged, I can imagine people listening to this at the time it was released (which wasn't even that long ago) and convincing myself this was good for the time. Then I realised that so many other albums in this list stand the test of time and manage to be worth listening to after 50+ years and suddenly this album went down the drain for me.

A bit meh

This was chewing gum commercial bad

Dnf.

I remember when I purchased “The Three EPs” release after hearing “Dry The Rain” and being disappointed with how similar all of the tracks were. Hearing this release, I feel like they are working with expanding that sound. So that’s a positive I guess. But I think if ever a band could benefit from a change to their vocal delivery and patterns, it's them. If the music sounds interesting, there’s still those monotone vocals on top which sedates instead of excites. I wrote this^ with three songs left on the album, and was ready to give a 3/5, which for me means "it's fine, but nothing special". However, the last three tracks pushed me, and the final two bored me to death, and I landed on a 2/5. We'll always have that High Fidelity quote...

This is boring and horseshit.

Ei kyl iske enää, vaikka joskus näitä kuuntelin

miks tätä bändiä on kaks levyä?

Pretty boring and samey throughout. Squares is great, but that's about it.

Utterly uninteresting and unimpressive. Repeated lines over and over again. Background music for mindless tasks.

Another very bland album by the Beta Band - at least Heroes to Zeros had some interesting percussion in places. Every song just sounded the same, and like so many other songs from this era of indie. It is genuinely baffling that this band have two albums on the list when artists such as Gorillaz, The Strokes and The White Stripes only have one

I remember some of these songs, but I think I remember samples of them rather than these songs as is.

On one hand electronic music is under-represented on the list, when you consider its utter dominance of European pop culture the last 35-odd years. On the other hand it's not an album genre and a lot of it just isn't very good. Crossover with rock music are often not good at either genre. This is a good example of that. The first song is alright, the rest is boring.

I start to get why they are called The Beta Band and not The Alpha Band. 2.1*

Parempaa kuin viimeksi.. ei tähden arvoisesti... 2004 vuosi pilkkavuosi... 2001.. Ilon vuosi..

STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 2/5; I'm unsure why this was necessary on a "must-listen" album list.

Eka biisi ok, loput huttua.

No kyllähän tän suht ilosesti kuunteli jalalla naputtaen, mut aika perushuttua

I have previously enjoyed a bit of Three E.P.s and was hopeful that this would be similarly interesting. That's actually the problem: it's too similar. More UK bias? Maybe. At least this one is relatively chill to have on in the background while I nothing of importance.

Beta

Didn’t grab me. Feels like early hot chip.

I listened to it the day before and it is so unremarkable, I can't think of anything to say.

No, I did not like this at all. For the most part, I think it was the vocals that put me off, but the music itself did not do much for me either.

Pretty forgettable, whiny soft rock indie boy stuff I’m not super into. Eclipse would be a favorite if I had to choose