Jul 05 2025
Nonagon Infinity
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Back in May of 2016, I had the pleasure of seeing King Gizzard, on tour for this record, at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. I had been a fan of theirs for about a year at that point and this record had only come out a few weeks prior.
It was, hands down, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and as I describe the show, I’m going to try not to sound like the type of guy who is like “you missed out on something special if you didn’t see this era of the band”, but I’m afraid it might come off like that. Apologies in advance, I still think they are a great live band, but I’ve never seen another band play with the intensity they had on this tour.
They came out, started with Robot Stop and then continued through their set, song after song, with hyper-focused intensity and barely a break in between songs. The way the songs go from one right into the next on this record, they were doing that onstage, but also incorporating songs from their other albums as well. They were an unstoppable juggernaut in this era, channeling NEU! and Hawkwind’s propulsive energy into their high octane garage-psych. They were intent on bowling you over and unless you didn’t have a pulse, it knocked you right on your ass. It was, pardon the pun, like getting hit by a train.
The only time they took a break for more than 30 seconds or so that night was when they paused the show in the middle of The River to stop a security guard from ejecting a fan from the show for vaping. They stopped playing, asked the guard why the guy was being tossed out, and then told him bring the fan back in. The guard acquiesced, let the fan back in and then got on stage, bowed before the band, in an effort to make peace with the band and the crowd.
(Video here: https://youtu.be/3Xxkac158Bg?si=KpNKK3ERQbtZQ3mv)
Like I said, no one was getting in their way that night.
For the next 3 years, whenever they came to New York, I was there to see them and they did not disappoint. Their show at Central Park in 2019 during the Infest the Rats Nest tour was the peak of the hyper-focused live energy I first saw in 2016. During that time, they were absolutely the greatest live band I’ve ever seen, though I know King Gizzard fans will argue that they’ve only gotten better live since then.
For me, I’ve begun to sour on them as they’ve embraced a more “jammy” sound and their albums have become, to my ears, less memorable. They are still a great live band, I’ll often watch their live streams to keep up and see what the shows are like these days, but as they’ve grown more exploratory in the live setting, I feel like they may have lost some of the intensity that drew me in a decade ago.
…and that’s ok. Bands change, people’s taste change. It’s the way of the world.
It’s just that for me, from 2014 - 2019 (during which they released 11 albums, I think), this band felt unstoppable, like they consistently hit the mark and couldn’t miss.
5
Jul 06 2025
Super Ape
The Upsetters
This is a record that I’ve seen talked about a lot, but never really bothered to check out because I’m not a big Reggae fan, but as I’m listening to it now (and loving it) all I can think is:
How is this record not on the original list? It seems like a pretty egregious omission, if you take into account influence and the excellent music here.
Kudos to the user who submitted it, an excellent choice.
5
Jul 07 2025
Being Funny In A Foreign Language
The 1975
How on earth did we get to the point where music that sounds like fucking Phil Collins is considered “Alternative”?
2
Jul 08 2025
Kick
INXS
Yeah, this should probably be on the list, I remember it being massive when I was a kid in late 80’s. Need You Tonight and New Sensation were everywhere.
On the other hand, is that enough to warrant inclusion on the list?
When compared to other entries on the official list, it’s more than enough, especially considering some of the odd choices that were made (the Triffids record, for instance). But also, then, why not include Huey Lewis and the News’ “SPORTS” which was wildly successful and contained a ton of hits…?
From my personal perspective, I’m not sure “Kick” is the most groundbreaking or influential record, and it feels very much tied to its era. All the songs are good, though, and there’s a definite variety of styles/sounds here, so I’m going to give it some points for that.
I can see the arguments for including it on the list and also get why it might not have been included. I’m gonna split the difference with a 3.
3
Jul 09 2025
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Big Thief
Feels a bit like two different records at times and though I prefer the parts that tilt towards odd, lo-fi indie (like on “Little Things and “Simulation Swarm”) to the more traditional Americana sound, I found “Dragon…” to be engaging, unique and worth revisiting.
4
Jul 10 2025
Don't Throw Stones
THE SPORTS
Pretty decent Power-Pop(ish?) collection of songs. Enjoyed it more as the record went on and there’s some pretty great musicianship on this record.
Vocally, I was reminded of Elvis Costello a bunch and my PTSD from his records on the main list might have kicked in a bit and impacted my enjoyment.
As a form of recompense to the user who submitted this album for letting that sully my rating, I have a song recommendation that I think you might enjoy: “Starry Eyes” by The Records (the version on the Power Pop Heroes compilation is the one to listen to).
3
Jul 11 2025
Spilt Milk
Jellyfish
Really appreciated the craftsmanship and production on this record. Great sounding, with a ton of layers and interesting instrumentation.
The music isn’t always 100% for me, but there were enough unexpected twists and turns to keep my attention throughout. It’s a pretty wild and enjoyable record.
4
Jul 12 2025
A1A
Jimmy Buffett
“Yes, I wish that we could sit upon a bed in some motel
Listen to the stories it could tell”
Gross.
1
Jul 13 2025
Go Farther In Lightness
Gang of Youths
I, too, am a fan of Bruce Springsteen.
3
Jul 14 2025
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
Typically, I am a sucker for an under-appreciated/overlooked sixties psych. This fits the bill, but I’m not sure it does much that wasn’t done by others.
In a way, this feels a little like it’s trying check off the requisite boxes to be a “psych” record.
Backmasking/reversed instrumentation? Check
Mellotron? Check
Fuzz Guitars? Check
Sitar? Check
Overuse of Flange? Check
Whimsical Band Name? Check
A solid effort, one that fits in with the sound of late sixties psych, but does little to differentiate itself from the pack.
2
Jul 15 2025
Argus
Wishbone Ash
First off, awesome album cover.
Argus is kind of a prog record, but also kind of not, in that it isn’t as overtly reliant on technical prowess and crazy time signatures as a Yes or ELP record might be. In fact, if you’ll excuse the odd comparison (and my forthcoming denigration of Crosby, Stills and Nash), in a way, Argus kind of feels like what a CSN record might be if they made cooler music. Sorry, CSN fans (and Wishbone Ash fans, if you take issue with my CSN comparison).
Anyway, that was a really roundabout way of saying, “I like this record a lot.”
4
Jul 16 2025
The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
Roger Waters
If the content of this record is any indication, Roger Waters might be the worst lay on earth.
2
Jul 17 2025
Zuckerzeit
Cluster
[To be read in Werner Herzog’s voice]
There’s a beauty in the repetition of Krautrock and Cluster’s take on it is no exception. At its core, repetition is the base of the song, but on top of it, layers get added in, one after another. The layers interweave with the base, fading in and out of focus, building up and breaking down…they breathe life into the base and it becomes something more: a sort of pulsating, self-sustaining, auditory organism.
That same repetition is found in our day to day lives, our routines: We get up, go to work, have lunch, finish the workday, go home and have dinner, relax and then go to sleep to do it again. Despite that repetition, every day is not the same. Each day, there are different layers, no matter how minuscule they seem, that weave in and out, moving our days forward and changing their trajectory in various ways.
This is the music of life
5
Jul 18 2025
Vedergällningen
Garmarna
I have a little bit of familiarity with Swedish rock that incorporates Swedish folk music, from listening to Dungen (and maybe to a lesser extent, Träd, Gräs och Stenar)
By comparison, Garmarna seems a bit like the inverse to those to acts, in that they incorporate rock (and other styles) into music that is more traditionally folk. It was nice to kind of see the other side of that coin, if you will.
I liked this record and a few of the more brooding songs, like “Nio år”, reminded me of the music in the German television show Dark, which I love.
Always glad to listen to more non-English music. A nice inclusion on the user list.
3
Jul 19 2025
Madvillainy
Madvillain
A *glaring* omission from the original list.
I remember buying this when it came out in 2004 and thinking after the first listen that it was a classic record. You could tell it was something special and my mind hasn’t changed on it in the 21 years since.
Madlib and DOOM were already in a class of their own. Together, Madvillian is unstoppable. One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, easy.
5
Jul 20 2025
The Shape Of Punk To Come
Refused
Radical in almost every sense of the word.
5
Jul 21 2025
Ungodly Hour
Chloe x Halle
This thing’s got more ratcheted drum beats than an Einstürzende Neubauten record.
Damn, I’m funny.
2
Jul 22 2025
Pony Express Record
Shudder To Think
Anti-melodic and oddly structured at times, especially at the start. Feels a bit like a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces were forced together without concern for whether they actually could be connected, but if you were to to the take the time to rearrange the pieces, there’s a cohesive image that could be formed.
That said, it gets better and starts to make more sense as it goes on.
2
Jul 23 2025
Grand Prix
Teenage Fanclub
Lacks the bombast and maybe some of the overt hookiness of Bandwagonesque, but makes up for it with more consistent and fleshed out songwriting.
4
Jul 24 2025
My Brain Hurts
Screeching Weasel
Reminded me of going to punk shows in the 90’s, I remember of few of these songs from those days.
A nostalgic 3.
3
Jul 25 2025
HELLYEAH
HELLYEAH
Sounds like it should’ve been released maybe 7 or 8 years earlier than it was…like it was already a little behind the curve when it was released.
Going to add an additional star for the review here that, I’m pretty sure, coined the phrase “The Panteraverse”. Without this record being added to this list, that phrase might not have entered the lexicon and I wouldn’t be here thinking about the things that make up the Panteraverse and how it’s kind of fitting that “Ride My Rocket”, the first track on Metal Magic (Pantera’s first album), actually kind of makes a great creation point/big bang event for the start of the Panteraverse.
2
Jul 26 2025
L'autre...
Mylène Farmer
2
Jul 27 2025
Spirit of Eden
Talk Talk
I don’t remember their album on the main list being as Peter Gabriel-ish.
3
Jul 28 2025
Enema Of The State
blink-182
Music to refuse to clean your room by.
2
Jul 29 2025
McDonald and Giles
Ian McDonald
I liked parts of this way more than I thought I would. It’s a very pretty record in a lot of places.
The parts I didn’t like, well, I disliked those exactly as much as I thought I would.
If you love the first King Crimson record, there’s a lot to like here. It’s a little too ornate for my tastes at times and a bit too poppy, but not a bad record by any means.
3
Jul 30 2025
Lemonade
Beyoncé
I’m probably the worst person to make a judgement on a record like this. The MC5’s “High Time” has been in constant rotation for me over the last two weeks and, in general, I don’t really understand the appeal of a lot of popular culture, but I enjoyed the breadth of variety on Lemonade and I recognized the one song from all the Kamala Harris rallies last year. This was good for a listen, but I’m not the right person to tell you if it’s great or important or whatever.
3
Jul 31 2025
El Circo
Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio
3
Aug 01 2025
Not Animal
Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
First things first, this man (I’m assuming it was Richard Edwards) wrote a song called “Hello Vagina”. As someone who has a (probably) unhealthy obsession with songs with terrible/bizarre/borderline gross or inappropriate titles, this album is, in fact, one I need to hear before I die. That song will go on the playlist next to Stephen Stills’ “Can’t Get No Booty”, without a doubt.
Next, I find it interesting that there are (kind of) two versions of this album and that the one chosen here is the one that their record label preferred. It’s interesting because this record definitely feels like a record that a major record label would throw their weight behind. There are quite a few genre touchpoints to late 2000’s alternative/indie here: Radiohead-esque electronic experimentation and vocals, Americana, garage/surf rock, Beach Boys harmonies and chamber pop…they really ran the gamut to try and capture that era’s indie zeitgeist.
Maybe at some point, I’ll check out the other disc to see which is better. Or maybe it was all just a ploy by a major label to drum up sales/help the band keep their “indie cred”.
Either way, this was a pretty good album, even if it wasn’t the most original thing I’ve ever heard.
3
Aug 02 2025
John Dawson Winter III
Johnny Winter
I like his brother, Frankenstein, better.
2
Aug 03 2025
Brat
Charli xcx
2
Aug 04 2025
Dogrel
Fontaines D.C.
Liked this quite a bit - instrumentally, a little more melodic than a lot of post punk, with jangly guitars that reminded of The Feelies “Crazy Ryhthms” or some of the Flying Nun bands like The Chills, The Verlaines and The Clean.
Will definitely revisit this one.
4
Aug 05 2025
Bleed American
Jimmy Eat World
By the time emo started taking off nationally, I was an adult - but I had familiarity with a lot of emo from hanging out in the punk/hardcore scene in New Jersey, which was one of the epicenters of emo in the 90’s, with bands like Lifetime, Saves the Day, Midtown, Thursday and countless others.
It was never really a scene I was super interested in, but I definitely ended up seeing (and enjoying) more than a few emo bands in those days.
When this record came out I was in college and I had a friend who liked these guys. In fact, when “Sweetness” came on, I nearly fell out of my chair. This was a song that we’d play on our college radio show when this record came out, but I haven’t thought about it in almost 25 years.
Crazy how that happens. Like, I 100% forgot about that song and 3 seconds in, it was like those years hadn’t passed by at all.
[two hours later]
…actually, now that I’m really thinking about it, my familiarity with the song couldn’t have been from my college radio days: When this album was released I was just out of college and I must be conflating it with something from their prior album, Clarity, as my friend would have definitely played something from that album based off of the timing.
So, I’m not sure what synapse was triggered by hearing that song - I know my younger brother was a fan of these guys and his band might have covered it and maybe that’s where I know it from? I also saw them on the warped tour in the summer of 2001, so maybe there? I don’t think it’s from radio play, because I didn’t really listen to much mainstream radio back then and my response to it was more impactful than “Hey, I remember this song from the radio”. It was more nostalgia based, like I’ve got positive memories associated with this song, but I can’t put my finger on what they are.
Weird.
Getting old sucks, kids.
Anyway, Thanks to the user who suggested this record - the opening vocals of that song hit hard and really sent me back to some place and time that isn’t exactly clear to me, but still had a strong impact…Great song.
3
Aug 06 2025
The Evil One
Roky Erickson
Always liked this record a lot, but never realized there were so many different versions/tracklists. There are definitely additional songs here compared to the vinyl copy I have - just titled Rocky Erickson and the Aliens. Nice to hear some additional tracks on this one, because it’s a fucking awesome record.
4
Aug 07 2025
Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure
Since I’m in my mid-40’s and reside in the United States, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the world I knew growing up has changed completely and a new world, that seems to be kind of awful, has taken its place. So sentimentally, i can relate to this album, particularly when Robert Smith sings that his “world has grown old”. Not only has it grown old, but for me, that old world seems farther away with every passing day.
From an aesthetic standpoint, I’m not sure I like the mixing of this record - everything sounds very compressed and thin, brittle and trebly, lacking depth. It’s better on my AirPods in Dolby Atmos than it was in my car, but even still, it feels very harsh, cold and unforgiving. Perhaps that is an intentional stylistic metaphor, considering the album is titled “Songs of a Lost World”.
3
Aug 08 2025
Stranger In Town
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
The coolest thing Bob Seger ever did was contribute percussion to the MC5’s “Skunk (Sonically Speaking)” from their 1971 album, High Time.
The second coolest thing Bob Seger ever did was give permission for ALF to dance around to “Old Time Rock and Roll” in the third episode of season one, “Looking for Lucky”.
I would say this album probably ranks as the seventh or eighth coolest thing Bob Seger ever did.
3
Aug 09 2025
Afraid Of Sunlight
Marillion
2
Aug 10 2025
God Shuffled His Feet
Crash Test Dummies
Wasn’t much of a fan of this in the 90’s, when friends of mine would play this record, and, over the last 32 years, that hasn’t changed.
It always kind of sounded like church music to me in a way.
1
Aug 11 2025
The Lonesome Crowded West
Modest Mouse
One of the most disappointing concerts I’ve ever seen was Modest Mouse on the Unlimited Sunshine Tour in 2002. Unlimited Sunshine was a tour that Cake put together for the summer of 2002 with The Flaming Lips, De La Soul, Modest Mouse and a band from Mexico called Kinky.
When we arrived at the Mann Music center in Philadelphia, Modest Mouse had just began playing and my girlfriend and I made our way to our seats to catch the show. They were playing pretty sloppy, but I didn’t put much stock in it as we walked to our seats, because they weren’t exactly known for having Steely Dan-like precision: Sloppy playing was part of the charm.
Once we sat down, and had a chance to focus on the stage, you could tell it wasn’t going well. They were pretty clearly intoxicated, to the point of stumbling around and falling on stage. They played maybe one or two songs before he swore at the audience and they walked off stage early. I’d say we heard/saw them play maybe three songs before they called it quits.
I’d see them again 8 years later at the Pitchfork Music Fest. They had massive success in the intervening years and this was shortly after Johnny Marr had left the band. Their performance that night was the polar opposite of the one I caught in 2002. The band was tight, but extremely sedate, lacking almost any enthusiasm or energy. It was pretty damn boring, if I’m being honest.
I’m sure there’s a happy medium to be found with their concerts where they’re energetic and lively, but not falling-down-fucked-up. I don’t think I’d buy a ticket on the hope that the third time will be the charm, however. Built to Spill is more my cup of tea when it comes to that sort of Pacific North West indie, but I enjoy Modest Mouse’s earlier records, even if the concerts I’ve seen of theirs have been memorable for the wrong reasons.
3
Aug 12 2025
Frosting On The Beater
The Posies
Only really knew The Posies as the band that made up part of Big Star in the 90’s and 00’s and I guess that this album sort of intersects with that timeline. Never gave them a real listen until today, which was probably a mistake.
This is an album that is right up my alley. Fuzzy power pop with restrained guitar noise a la Neil Young? Yes, please.
It sounds a bit of-its-time in parts, but if you paired it with Teenage Fanclub’s “Bandwagonesque” and Sloan’s “Twice Removed”, you have a pretty great afternoon of power pop to listen to.
4
Aug 13 2025
Carrie & Lowell
Sufjan Stevens
3
Aug 14 2025
Foxes in the Snow
Jason Isbell
2
Aug 15 2025
Blue Is The Colour
The Beautiful South
Instantly put-off by the album cover. I hate it so much.
They call this sophisti-pop, but from a lyrical perspective, it seems intellectually stunted.
“Imagine a mirror bigger than the room it was placed in”
Ok - it’s a huge mirror that has decimated the walls of the room it was placed in. In its reflection, you not only see yourself, but you see the collapsed and crumbled ruins of the walls that used to make up a room - which no longer exists because a gigantic mirror was placed on it. Additionally, the mirror is now jutting out into the hallway and causing a tripping hazard. You’re gonna have to call facilities and get the hallway cordoned off so no one gets accidentally injured and sues the company you work for - which could cause you to lose your job in a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty.
Now what?
Oh, you want me to “imagine a rod that cannot hold a fish?”
Fucking why? It’s pointless.
This is some thought experiment for burnouts where, at the end, you’re going to tell me, “yeah, but, like, imagine if it did exist, maaaaan,” isn’t it?
Sorry to the user who submitted this, I realize I’m being an asshole here and I shouldn’t get all snotty about not liking a record. I try to keep it in check, but my genetic make up is faulty.
1
Aug 16 2025
Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Steven Wilson
Boy, 1001 albums generator users really love their prog, huh?
So, I’ve tried over the years to get Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree and kind of always leave his records feeling a little unimpressed.
Don’t get me wrong, they sound great and he is talented.
It’s just that the music, a lot of the time, feels a little generic, or maybe too referential towards his influences. It’s almost a paradox: is it actually *progressive* rock, if the music is clearly indebted to and playing off of works in the genre that have come before it?
I’m not saying this is a Genesis rip off or something like that - it’s not - just that you can definitely hear the influences of “classic prog” in his work and I’m not sure that musically enough is going on to make the music unique or challenging.
I will say, I liked some of his mixes of the classic Yes albums, though.
3
Aug 17 2025
Nurture
Porter Robinson
Hey, that’s me on the cover. I died after being exposed to all the pollen in that field.
Just kidding, I survived, but I’m still paying off the medical bills.
America, am I right?
Anyway.
I quite liked some of the music on this record, there’s a sort minimalist/ambient streak to some of it that really works for me. I’m not a huge fan of the songs that have traditional vocals / lean closer to pop music, as they start to veer into a kind of cheesy territory.
2
Aug 18 2025
Savage Sinusoid
Igorrr
Frenetic insanity. I made it to the end, but I was hanging on by a thread.
That said, I wish this was on the main list, just so I could see the general user base’s reaction.
3
Aug 19 2025
Lateralus
TOOL
I saw Tool 3 times on the tour for this record.
First time was at Madison Square Garden a month after the September 11 attacks.
Holy fuck, was that a weird time/place to go see a concert. There was still a real uneasy and uncertain vibe in the city at that point, with a high police/military/security presence in and outside of MSG that night. I know I wasn’t the only person thinking “is it a great idea to be in a huge crowd at a New York City cultural landmark a month after they flew planes into the World Trade Center?”
In retrospect, it was probably a really safe time to go to a concert in the city at that point, with everyone on high alert, but at the time, who knew - everyone was freaked out still.
Speaking of, remember how they had a color coded Terror Alert system back then so they could tell you exactly how scared you should be at any given time?
Boy, those were the good old days, huh?
I saw them again a few weeks later on Halloween at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. It was fine, exact same show, just on Halloween and in Long Island, which was a pain in the ass to get to from New Jersey.
Third time was at Radio City Music Hall the following year, August ‘02. Apparently, this show is considered legendary - at least by the Tool subreddit. I remember them covering the Ramones and that it was a really great show, but outside of the fact that they were playing Radio City, I’m not sure what makes it “legendary”. Don’t get me wrong, it was the best show I saw them put on and they had a really awesome stage setup for the occasion, but I guess the locational backdrop matters, too, and I didn’t really give that consideration its deserved weight before.
So yeah, apparently I’ve seen a legendary Tool concert and I’m just finding out about today.
All of this to say that I know this record really well. I think there’s a pretty good case to be made for it as their best album and it is definitely the last time they put out an album that was a clear progressional step forward from the album that preceded it. 10,000 Days and Fear Innoculum, for the most part, feel like extensions of the ideas on this record and, to me, are not as vital, inspired or interesting as this record or Ænima.
It is a really long record, though - something that both 10,000 Days and Fear Innoculum also suffer from. They do a lot with 79 minutes here, but also, by the end of the record, it might start to feel like you’ve heard it all before. Then, it just kind of peters out, rather than making a statement to close out the proceedings.
4
Aug 20 2025
Chocolate & Cheese
Ween
I grew up, in the early 90’s, within a 30 minute drive of New Hope, Pennsylvania and had no idea Ween existed until I went to college 300 miles away in Upstate NY in the late 90’s.
I remember being told that they were from New Hope by my friend who introduced them to me and just couldn’t get over that I had never heard a thing about them. It’s crazy how something incredibly cool might be happening in your proverbial backyard and you have no idea about it.
In a way, Ween changed my life - at least when it comes to appreciating music. I was pretty die hard metalhead and hardcore fan before Ween came along. Ween was a band that probably shouldn’t have made sense to me then, but it did and I’m pretty sure that listening to Pure Guava on acid - specifically, “The Stallion Part 3” - permanently rewired my brain. I could feel that song vibrating throughout my entire body, as though I was experiencing a new, previously inaccessible dimension of music. I would end up chasing down music that could replicate that sensation, or that would tickle my brain in a similar sort of way. Metal didn’t cut it anymore - in fact, I began to find it limiting and boring.
26 years later, I’m not as much of a fan of Ween as I was then, but I am happy to have Chocolate and Cheese recommended today. I think it is probably the correct choice for a Ween record, since it runs the stylistic gamut in a way that some of their other records don’t. Personally, I would choose “The Mollusk”, but I’m happy it’s not “quebec” - which I think is kind of overrated by Ween’s fanbase.
Chocolate and Cheese is a no-brainer, 5 star record for me. It’s great from start to finish, nearly every song is a Ween classic and it was the start of a run of records that are Ween’s best - Chocolate & Cheese, 12 Golden Country Greats and The Mollusk. Plus, it has my absolutely favorite Ween song on it, “What Deaner Was Talking About”. I’d also recommend checking out the version from the Live In Toronto record, which is a really beautiful rendition.
5
Aug 21 2025
Hadestown
Anaïs Mitchell
Off the bat, this has got a couple strikes against it for me: Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco (because of an ex-girlfriend, not a reflection on Ani DiFranco’s talent) and it’s a musical.
The Hayden sisters are a plus.
Overall, a well done record, but one I don’t see myself returning to.
2
Aug 22 2025
People
The Burning Hell
Huh…I didn’t realize Reddit started a Cake cover band.
3
Aug 23 2025
Latin Mass
Os Mundi
Pretty weird and rocking German psych. To make a solely Krautrock based comparison, it’s a bit like if Florian Fricke (Popol Vuh) wrote a concept album, but gave it to Guru Guru to perform.
Overall, an enjoyable psych record.
3
Aug 24 2025
Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)
Jai Paul
2
Aug 25 2025
Nail
Scraping Foetus off the Wheel
2
Aug 26 2025
Thank Christ for the Bomb
The Groundhogs
Great band name, great album title.
I know Steve Malkmus from Pavement is a fan of The Groundhogs and listening to this record, I can definitely hear their influence on his music - particularly on his albums with The Jicks, like Real Emotional Trash or Pig Lib.
Overall this is a pretty fucking rad album with a unique, proggy blues vibe and some white hot guitar solos. An easy 4 on first listen, gonna give it a few more listens to see if it should be upped up to a 5.
4
Aug 27 2025
Silent Alarm
Bloc Party
2
Aug 28 2025
Under The Pink
Tori Amos
Going to have to agree with the general consensus that this record should have been included on the list in lieu of / in addition to Little Earthquakes.
To my ear, which is not super familiar with Tori Amos’ catalog, the songs, music and production here gel in a way that wasn’t as present on Little Earthquakes. Or, at least, it worked better for me here than there.
4
Aug 29 2025
Join Us
They Might Be Giants
Sorry, this is a little too nerdy for me.
2
Aug 30 2025
Geogaddi
Boards of Canada
[inner dialogue:
“Would it be cliche of me to say that Boards of Canada’s music is like the soundtrack to a vintage educational film from an alternate reality?”
Yes, that’s probably the most unoriginal thing you could say about their music at this point. You probably stole that from a pitchfork review or something.
“Ok, how about if I talk about how there’s an argument to be made that Geogaddi is as good of an album as Music Has the Right to Children, and in certain aspects it’s even better?”
Also not the most original thing you could say about this record - there’s gotta be thousands of threads about that on Reddit alone.
“Hmm…in that case, I’ll probably do a straight forward review and, after a paragraph or two, start talking about Tomorrow’s Harvest because I’ve got a short span of attention and that’s my favorite Boards of Canada record.”
Yeah…uh, you already did that in your review of Music Has the Right To Children.
“…Fuck”]
4
Aug 31 2025
Yellow & Green
Baroness
Appreciate their stylistic adventurousness. Had this been a straight “metal” record, I don’t think it would’ve kept my interest for its 75 minute runtime.
It ends up being kind of an indie/metal hybrid, which was good, but somehow it feels like it didn’t offer up too many surprises.
3