If you pitch shift Devendra Banhart and his guitar up a couple of octaves you get Tiny Tim and his Ukulele. This is no where near the brilliance of TT's opus 'Rock' (1993), maybe Devendra need to focus his vibrato on 23 minutes versions of Rebel Yell.
A bit long, could have been 15 mins shorter, and there wasn't a single 2 or 4 not smashed with both sticks on the snare, but I enjoyed it more than most 90s grunge, which is one of my least favourite genres. I liked Billy Corgan, his voice was a bit more energetic and theatrical than his contemporaries. I think the best moments was when it slowed down and got a little sparse, I'm all for the loud stuff but I could go an entire acoustic album with sweeping orchestral backing of tracks like Disarm and Spaceboy. I don't think it's a 4, just because of the vibe and time period, but it's a decent 3
I was ready to like this album, I love weird gender bending style icon figures in pop music - Madonna, Prince, Annie Lennox, recently Chappel Roan. The music is always inventive and vital, it always has something to say beyond the boring cool platitudes of artists performing down the middle of the road. Side A is excellent, she's killing it with the opener going into 'Girls'. Side B is a bit of a let down, I feel like they ran short of an idea or two and a couple of songs are skips. I'll give it a generous 4, just because she's so damn cool and still crushing it after all these years, but I think her best album is probably The Greatest Hits
This can't be a 1 because they're good at what they do, it's just what they do is really dated and has been surpassed by so much more adventurous and interesting music. Even a fan would have to admit every song is very similar. If you want to listen to a nerd play jangly guitars in a suit and tie and thick rimmed glasses, Elvis Costello is right there, you don't need to back this far. 25 mins long is a positive though, get in and out without mucking around.
I'm going to be biased and give this a 5, even though I think it is one of the weaker of Dylan's 60s albums. Blowing in the Wind is trite, but was probably incredibly deep when it was written. Masters of War is a bit too on the nose and obvious. Bob Dylan's dream is schmaltzy, although I love it and Corrina Corrina sounds out of place and will be far surpassed by stuff to come later in his career. He's still putting joke songs in like I shall be free and talking WWIII because he doesn't quite have the material.
But show me any other 22 year old this side of Mozart who can come out of the wilderness, plonk down in NYC for a year or two crashing on couches and being unemployed and then write Girl from the North Country, Hard Rain and Don't think Twice. This is when Dylan arrived, and I get that he's divisive, feel free to think he's terrible, but IYKYK.
Sea shanty Irish folk punk. Most famous song is a Christmas carol. Do the Pogues win the award for most esoteric and convoluted genre? I love bands that defy normal characterisation.
You've got to love them. I came of age in Flogging Molly mosh pits and saying there would be no FM without the Pogues is the understatement of the century. Shane McGowan might be the ugliest person ever to be famous. The Christmas Carol is a wonderful tune that only a bunch of sad Irish people could write. Irish people aren't sad enough any more, they're economy is doing too well to create good art. Everything starts to sounds very similar after a while, but that's the vibe, relax, have a Jameson's and be one with the tin whistle and the accordion
Boom bap, boom boom bap. I like it better than most modern hip hop, all the scratching is really cool. They should do more of that. Adjacent to the music, the dancing and fashion associated with this is also really cool.
It's very evocative, a really great album, but is evocative of an era and a culture that I am not a part of.
Wick wick wick wickky wick wick wick
Love Talking Head, love the 80s trend of having a complete raving lunatic as a front man. Love cocaine. Love songs about apartments that you want to live in that have good convenience.
But, it's a 4 because he really can't sing yet and Tina Weymouth is on of the greatest bassist in rock and pop history and the mix is so tinny you can barely hear her! It gets better for them, way better.
I got married to a sigur ros song and I put this album on at night to help my baby sleep. They such sweet, dorky, beautiful people and songs. I just want to curl up inside one and wear a thick Icelandic sweater. Sigur Ros is part of us all, a part of us all, a part of us all
