Red Mosquito

Dumb
Aneurysm
Milk It
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
Lounge Act
Even In His Youth
Scoff
Stay Away
Downer
Something In The Way

makes me sad how underappreciated paul westerberg is. Not here, but just in general.

Strat wrote:makes me sad how underappreciated paul westerberg is. Not here, but just in general.

Unsatisfied is a top twenty of all time song for me. And Androgynous should be the LGBTQ anthem.

LoathedVermin72 wrote:"Interstate Love Song" might be my all-time favorite song title.

Yeah, it's a good 'n.

To be fair, I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with sounding dated. A lot of great records betray the time in which they were made -- nothing wrong with that. I just think the idea that RATM are an especially "timeless" band is wrong -- they sound like a '90's band, through and through.

I like Trag's idea of jotting down thoughts about albums in recent or current rotation, so I'm stealing it.

Sofa - Test Tone
This one's new to me, so it's been on the regular playlist. Sofa were a 4-piece rock band from Montreal active from 1993-1997, and put out four albums. This one is their debut, from 1994, and until just recently was nearly impossible to find. Now, the band's bassist, Scott Clarkson, has been selling unopened copies on Discogs, from which I obtained mine. If not for their vocalist Brad Todd's more eccentric tendencies and the fact that they were from Canada, they might have found greater success than they did, as their sound on this album is suitably comparable to other '90s alt-rock acts with prominent strains of post-punk. The song structures are somewhat unconventional, often driven rhythmically and melodically by the bass, while Ian Ilavsky's guitar chooses to add texture and color with jazz-like note choices. They would de-emphasize some of this on subsequent releases in favor of a more ragged and aggressive approach.

Vic Chesnutt - North Star Deserter
I'd forgotten just how massive and powerful this album is. Vic's first of two records for Constellation with a massive backing band composed of Guy Picciotto, T. Griffin, Howard Bilerman, Jem Cohen, Bruce Cawdron, and the full lineups of Frankie Sparo, Hangedup, and Thee Silver Mt. Zion. "Debriefing" is crushing in light of the way Vic died, especially the part about the funds being depleted and having life support pulled. "You Are Never Alone" is funny and poignant in Vic's special way, while his cover of "Fodder on Her Wings" is somber and restrained. The epic "Splendid" has possibly some of my favorite guitar parts, ever, and "Over" some of my favorite lyrics. Funny how even the stuff we adore can fall by the wayside at times due to circumstance.

Les Momies de Palerme - Brûlez ce cœur
I've had this album since it came out, a little over six years ago, but I've always had a bit of a distant relationship with it. For some reason it's really been catching my ear and resonating recently. Maybe it's the weather or something, but these dense swirls of synth, processed violin, and incantatory vocals are striking a chord. There's more variety to the album than I remember, too. There's some heavy drone focus at points, while elsewhere it dips into psychedelia and kosmiche, and the closing track is a shimmering ode to love.

I think you'll like it. I've never gone as deep into Vic's catalog as I probably should, and that's in part due to his passing. It's hard to disassociate it from his music. But the man was a stellar songwriter, and I think he was at his best when he was playing with the band for his Constellation albums.

Let do this;

Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion: damn, if this is not one of the best records from the 90s..the band sound huge, Barret Martin doing such a good work, Lanegan is on fire and both of the Conner bros are great as well. My favorites from here, Shadow Of The Season, Dollar Bill and More Or Less are also my favorites from the whole career. More Or Less is pretty much the greatest Crazy Horse song ever.


Tres Cabrones - Melvins Interesting. I prefer Basses Loaded or Hold It In, but is a more punkish and straightforward album from them. A good thing while i wait for Crystal Fairy.

Distorted Ghost EP - Sparklehorse Such a nice little thing...very popish and alternative at the same time. Man, he was in a good moment back then.

I'm gonna check that Vic Chesnutt album out too. I don't own any of his full albums but "Flirted with You All My Life" and "In Amongst the Millions" always seem to make it onto playlists I make.

his two constellation records are definitely in in my top albums ever.

Kevin Davis wrote:To be fair, I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with sounding dated. A lot of great records betray the time in which they were made -- nothing wrong with that. I just think the idea that RATM are an especially "timeless" band is wrong -- they sound like a '90's band, through and through.

Once again, KD gets it.

Some more thoughts on stuff in current rotation:

Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
The Explosions in the Sky album I've listened to the most? Yeah, I believe so. I don't think it's their strongest work, but I have so many sentimental memories tied up in this album that it ends up being the one I reach for most often. I've always felt like this is the first time that EitS tried to consciously change their sound, and that they looked to other instrumental rock bands for a roadmap on different methods, such as Do Make Say Think, Tortoise, and latter-day Mogwai. But instead of altering anything fundamental, like their approach to composition and song-structure, they emulated the wrong things. So we have fairly normal Explosions songs with a few electronic overdubs and miniscule sonic details to occupy the fringes and quiet spaces.It wouldn't be until five years later, and their next album, The Wilderness, that they would successfully try something new. Nonetheless, I love most everything on this album.

Vennart - The Demon Joke
While Mike Vennart says the songs that he wrote for this album would have been shot down in Oceansize, I think there's plenty of hints in that band's final album to show they might have been heading in a direction like this, or at least one that was more receptive to this kind of material. Art rock's as good a way tag this as any, I guess. Melodic and catchy, but has plenty of proggy touches and sideways detours. I think "Doubt," "Rebirthmark," and "Retaliate" are the strongest cuts. Not as good as Oceansize's best material, but really only a notch or so below.

Fly Pan Am - N'écoutez pas
One of my most favorite albums, and Fly Pan Am's last. Colorful, high-energy noise rock; like My Bloody Valentine having a baby with Bordeoms and raising it on a steady diet of surf guitar and kraut rhythms. Members of the band have gone on to do other things, most quite good in their own right, but nothing like the messy brilliance here.

Brett wrote:Some more thoughts on stuff in current rotation:

Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
The Explosions in the Sky album I've listened to the most? Yeah, I believe so. I don't think it's their strongest work, but I have so many sentimental memories tied up in this album that it ends up being the one I reach for most often. I've always felt like this is the first time that EitS tried to consciously change their sound, and that they looked to other instrumental rock bands for a roadmap on different methods, such as Do Make Say Think, Tortoise, and latter-day Mogwai. But instead of altering anything fundamental, like their approach to composition and song-structure, they emulated the wrong things. So we have fairly normal Explosions songs with a few electronic overdubs and miniscule sonic details to occupy the fringes and quiet spaces.It wouldn't be until five years later, and their next album, The Wilderness, that they would successfully try something new. Nonetheless, I love most everything on this album.

Postcard from 1952 > Let Me Back In is my favorite stretch of music they've ever created. I listen to this album a lot and I've come to believe it's their best album, but they're so great everything is subjective.

I will never love another band as much as I loved Nirvana when I was younger. They set the template for everything I love out of rock and roll, and even now they still sound incredibly fresh to my ears.

In many ways, there's just nothing like putting on a show from the In Utero tour and soaking in the opening combo of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" and "Drain You" - which featured different breakdowns every single night, and therefore very fresh even at the very end. If I'm ever allowed to time travel I'll skip trying to change history and just transport myself back to Oregon in time to follow the last leg of the US In Utero tour.

Roger Waters is coming through town next summer on what is almost certainly the same date as a huge annual pool party.

matt reeder wrote:Postcard from 1952 > Let Me Back In is my favorite stretch of music they've ever created. I listen to this album a lot and I've come to believe it's their best album, but they're so great everything is subjective.

I didn't know you were a fan, Matt. I think "Human Qualities" is my favorite track from this particular album, though it's close with "Be Comfortable, Creature."

I usually go back and forth on All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone and How Strange, Innocence for my favorite album, and The Wilderness has been in hot contention, lately, too. I'm an odd bird among EitS fans, as the two most popular albums are my least favorite.

In Utero is the loudiest, noisiest, heaviest (?) album I like all the way through.