2005: Albums Acquired
Submitted by sleestak on Sun, 01/02/2005 - 03:11
Tags:
- Camera Obscura, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi (Merge Bundle Sale, $10)
- Camera Obscura, Underachievers Please Try Harder (Merge, $10) I wasn't really impressed by either CO album, to be honest. Perhaps they just need to grow on me, but I think I discovered the point of "too much twee".
- David Kilgour, A Feather in the Engine (Merge, $10)
- David Kilgour, Frozen Orange (Merge, $10) Both of the Kilgour albums are masterpieces of quiet, guitar-driven folk psychedelia. I never would have expected this from the former lead singer of The Clean, but am pleasantly surprised by how lovely they are. Definitely recommended for fans of Robyn Hitchcock.
- The Zutons, Who Killed The Zutons? (Best Buy, $7.99) I actually like this quite a bit despite the fact that it's not really a great album. Worth what I paid for it.
- namelessnumberheadman, When We Leave, We Will Know Where We've Been (Show, $10)
- Mission of Burma, Snapshot (iTunes, ~$8)
- Low, The Great Destroyer (Amazon, $11.99)
- ...Trail of Dead, Worlds Apart (w/DVD) (Amazon, $14.99) Uh oh, I have a baaad feeling about this one. I bought it before the bad reviews started pouring in, but expected to enjoy it despite the backlash. I listened to the first 6 songs on my commute this morning, and was VERY underimpressed. ...AYWKUBTTOD should not under any circumstances sound like either Smashing Pumpkins or Good Charlotte, but that's what I'm hearing. This is really the same band who recorded "Mark David Chapman"?
- Kings of Leon, Youth and Young Manhood (Best Buy, $9.99)
- MF Doom, MM...Food? (Best Buy, $11.99) I now officially consider myself an acolyte of DOOM. So much fun, with great samples, rhymes, and guest MCs.
- The Blood Brothers, Crimes (BB, $8.99) While one might consider this album completely unlistenable upon first spin...actually, I never made it past that point. Maybe it'll grow on me, but right now, I'm stunned by its non-musicality.
- Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (BB, $7.99) Not grabbing me so far.
- The Evens (s/t) (Dischord, $10) It sounds much like you'd expect the softer side of Ian MacKaye to sound. It's mostly quiet, and full of lovely harmonies. Definitely recommended for fans of The Spinanes.
- Fugazi, The Argument (Dischord, vinyl, $10)
- /-, You Are Here (Dischord, $12)
- The Dismemberment Plan, Change (Dischord, $12)
- Deerhoof, Reveille (Kill Rock Stars, $12): I really didn't get it upon first listen, but it all started making sense the second time around. Well, "sense" might be too strong of a word for something as bizarre and inscrutable as this album.
- The Decemberists, Picaresque (KRS, $12)
- Husky Rescue, Country Falls, (Amoeba, $13.98)
- British Sea Power, Open Season (Amoeba, $13.98)
- Puffy AmiYumi, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Music from the Series (Amoeba, $7.99)
- Television Personalities, Part Time Punks: The Very Best of TVP (Amoeba, $14.98)
- My Morning Jacket, Chapter 1: The Sandworm Cometh (Amoeba, $9.99)
- The Saints, (I'm) Stranded (Amoeba, $5.99)
- BoDeans, Best of the BoDeans: Slash and Burn (Amoeba, $5.99)
- Nova Mob, s/t (Amoeba, $5.99)
- The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (Amoeba, $2.99)
- Pitty Sing, Demons, You Can See the Stars in Cars 'til I Die ($2.99)
- The Waxwings, Let's Make Our Descent (Amoeba, $2.99)
- Transistor Sound & Lighting Co, s/t (Amoeba, FREE)
- Madvillain, Madvillainy (LA Indie Record Fair, vinyl, $12)
- Lyrics Born, Same !@#$, Different Day (Circuit City, $9.99)
- LCD Soundsystem, s/t (CC, $9.99)
- Gorillaz, Demon Days (CC, $9.99)
- Sufjan Stevens, Illinois (Asthmatic Kitty, $11)
- Bunky, Born to be a Motorcycle (AK, $11)
- Caribou, The Milk of Human Kindness (Amoeba, $10.99)
- Manitoba, Up in Flames (Amoeba, 12.98)
- Deathray Davies, The Kick and the Snare (Amoeba, $12.98)
- Liz Janes, Done Gone Fire (Amoeba, $2.99)
- Fivehead, Guests of the Nation (Amoeba, $2.99)
- The Everyothers, (s/t) (Amoeba, $2.99)
- Various Artists, Dirtnap Across the Northwest (Amoeba, FREE)
- Pylon, Hits (Amoeba, $2.99)
- The Dirtbombs, In You Don't Already Have a Look 2xCD (Amoeba, $14.98)
- Au Pairs, Shocks to the System: The Very Best of the Au Pairs (Amoeba, $14.98)
- Mice Parade, Bem-Vinda Vontade (Bubblecore, $13)
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, s/t (Neighborhoodies, $9.99)
- Dungen, Ta Det Lugnt 2xCD (Neighborhoodies, $11.99)
- Engineers, (s/t) (Neighborhoodies, $11.99)
- Four Tet, Everything Ecstatic (Neighborhoodies, $11.99)
Amoeba $1 Bin
- Tasmin Archer, Great Expectations
- Washington Social Club, Catching Looks
- Chomsky, Let's Get to Second
- Runner and the Thermodynamics (s/t)
- Chris Mars, Tenterhooks
- Bear Claw, Find the Sun
- That Petrol Emotion, Fireproof
- Robbers on High Street, Fine Lines e.p.
- Arthur Dodge & the Horsefeathers, Room #4
- The Vowels, In Cahoots with...
eMusic
- The Dears, Protest e.p.
- Lightning Bolt, Wonderful Rainbow
- Ludicra, Another Great Love Song
- Galaxie 500, On Fire
- Heavenly, Le Jardin de Heavenly
- Heavenly, The Decline and Fall of Heavenly
- The Replacements, Hootenanny
- Mirah, Advisory Committee
- Mirah, C'mon Miracle
- GoGoGo Airheart, Exitheuxa
- Aloha, Here Comes Everyone
- The Black Keys, Rubber Factory
- Chisel, Set You Free
- Los Straitjackets, Sing Along with Los Straitjackets
- Various Artists, The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered (Disc 1)
- Deerhoof, Apple O'
- The National, Alligator
- The Microphones, Don't Wake Me Up
- The Microphones, It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
- Architecture in Helsinki, In Case We Die
- /-, Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album
- The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree
- Magnolia Electric Co., What Comes After the Blues
- The Go-Betweens, Oceans Apart
- The Ponys, Celebration Castle
- Antony & the Johnsons, s/t
- Antony & the Johnsons, The Lake (e.p.)
- Dinosaur Jr., You're Living All Over Me
- Spoon, Gimme Fiction
- Superchunk, No Pocky for Kitty
- Belle & Sebastian, This is Just a Modern Rock Song e.p.
- The Wedding Present, Take Fountain
- Imperial Teen, On
- The Flaming Stars, Ginmill Perfume
- The Gift of Gab, Fourth Dimensional Rocketships Going Up
- Pernice Brothers, Discover a Lovelier You
- Teenage Fanclub, Man-Made
- Okkervil River, Black Sheet Boy
- The Slits, Cut
- Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock and Roll
- The Clientele, Suburban Light
- Elliot Smith, Either/Or
- Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II
- Black Mountain, s/t
- The Orange Peels, Circling the Sun
- The Ladybug Transistor, The Albemarle Sound
- Spaceman 3, Playing with Fire
- Pinback, s/t
- Deerhoof, Milk Man
- Thunderbirds Are Now!, Justamoustache
- Lambchop, How I Stopped Smoking
- Alkaline Trio, Crimson
- Jeff Mangum, Live at Jittery Joe's
- Minus the Bear, Menos el Oso
- My Morning Jacket, Chocolate and Ice e.p.
- The Stills, Remberese e.p.
- The Oranges Band, The World and Everything In It
- Panda Bear, Young Prayer
- Portastatic, Bright Ideas
- Bob Mould, Body of Song
- Blackalicious, The Craft
- Calexico/Iron & Wine, In the Reins
- Windsor for the Derby, Giving Up the Ghost
- Super Furry Animals, Love Kraft
- So Percussion, Steve Reich: Drumming
- Flotation Toy Warning, Bluffer's Guide to the Flight Deck
- Calla, Collsions
- Echo & the Bunnymen, Siberia
- Blonde Redhead, Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
- The Bats, At the National Grid
- Tom Vek, We Have Sound
- Explosions in the Sky, How Strange, Innocence
- Why?, Elephant Eyelash
- Spoon, Love Ways
- Animal Collective, Feels
- Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask
The Kindness of Friends
- Animal Collective, Sung Tongs
- Junior Boys, No Exit
- The Wrens, Seacaucus
- The Bellrays, Let it Blast
- Iron and Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days
The Kindness of Strangers
- Kasabian s/t
- Kaiser Chiefs, Employment
- Danger Mouse, The Grey Album
- The Magic Numbers (s/t)
Wow, you downloaded the Ludicra record? That's probably the one record I've championed that most of my friends don't get. I think everyone would understand more if they saw them play live.
Is the MoB EP worth getting?
The Ludicra download was definitely the result of your rave review, but also because it was a "low cost" acquisition. It's only 7 tracks and 2 of them are available at their website, so it only cost me 5 of my 90 monthly downloads.
I listened to it on my trip, and I REALLY liked the prog metal guitar. I admit that the vocals will take some getting used to, but it wouldn't be the first album that grew on me with repeated listenings.
I haven't listened to the whole MoB ep, but "Dirt" and "That's How I Escaped..." both sound great. It's only available at iTunes (for now), but arrangements can be made...
Can I ask what you thought of Advisory Committee? I really like the other Mirah albums but I still haven't heard much from AC.
I've only given it a cursory listen, but I think it's very comparable to C'mon Miracle, except you can definitely hear Phil Elvum's influence on some of the songs. (I swear I didn't know that he produced it, but upon hearing one of the songs on AC I instantly thought of The Microphones.)
Definitely recommended.
The Trail of Dead album is definitely a disappointment, but there's some interesting stuff. There are some horrible songs like the first single "Worlds Apart" and "Summer of 91." But "Caterwaul" is pretty good and the riff at the beginning of "Will You Smile Again For Me" is a killer. A lot of the lyrics are laughably weak, though. My overall impression is that it's not as bad as a lot of people are saying, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be.
"Worlds Apart" is so bad that it almost feels like a parody of Hot Topic punk, and I think "Caterwaul" is the one that reminded me of Smashing Pumpkins - not bad, but really polished.
Pitchfork tore apart the Low album, too, so it seems like I'm on a bad roll as far as hipster album purchases are concerned.
In my opinion, you will be much happier simply ignoring Pitchfork's reviews.
But then, no hipster am I...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Although I've discovered some good stuff I wouldn't have know about thanks to Pitchfork, I don't pay too much attention when they pan stuff that I'm excited about.
About the Low record, I've listened to it a couple times today and don't think all that much of it. 2 or 3 good songs and quite a few boring ones. Not bad, bad nothing exciting. Of course, it could be a grower. Also, it's the first I've ever heard of Low, so I can't compare it to their earlier stuff.
The key to Low is to stick an 'S' before their name. They are perhaps the ultimate slocore band, and many people can not stand slocore.
Me, I find the best stuff in the genre to be incredibly addictive. Low's Things We Lost in the Fire is one of the best.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'm a huge metal fan. Knowing nothing of 'Low,' their first song I heard was 'In Metal,' and I was, erm... surprised :-) But once I got over the fact that it wasn't metal, I liked it.
I think the Blood Brothers album "Burn, Piano Island, Burn" is one of the top musical achievements of the '00s. I think "Crimes" is the single biggest musical disappointment I've yet heard in this same decade. Jordan Blilie needs to stop it with the falsetto.
(I will say, though, that a band like the Brothers takes a few spins to get acclimated to. It takes a while to find the structure under the chaos.)
I think you're right about me not giving Crimes enough spins before making a judgment. It's so far out of my typical listening realm (much like the Deerhoof album) that there is definitely more of an adjustment period.
I have heard of almost none of the artists on your list. What type of music are they mostly?
It's mostly indie rock/pop, but there are a few underground hip-hop and electronica selections as well. It runs the gamut from beautiful and melodic to noisy experimental stuff, so there's something for everyone!