What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

KASABIAN "48 : 13"  cd,  2011

the bands fifth of six, I own all six...
this was the last acquisition with birthday gift card back in July...
no wonder I didn't get it back in the day, 
and thank God I didn't actually pay for it!....
least likeable album of theirs for me, barely makes the grade, whereas all their 
others get respectable scores...
album is just too mellow for my liking overall...
several brilliant tracks up to par with their back catalogue but too wishy-washy for me...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM (but only just!)

worst  track: mortis
best track: bumble beeee





tracks:

1....shiva *
2....bumble beeee ***
3....Stevie **
4....mortis *
5....doomsday ***
6....treat **
7....glass **
8....explodes **
9....levitation *
10..clouds **
11..eez-eh **
12..bow *
13..S-P-S ***

3s - 3
2s - 6
1s - 4

rating 1.8

[CRAZY-HORSE]

Galaxie 500 - This is Our Music

was getting bored so I thought i'd pick something I don't own or have never heard from
the long lost back pages of MD...
alt band from Massachusetts....
third of three albums...
heard hints of Velvet Underground/Lou Reed on the opening track...
dreamy pop for the most part after that....
all songs original except one cover "listen the snow is falling", a Yoko track from
"the wedding album" from back in the arty-farty days of early Lennon solo...
album is not something I care to listen to again...
my favourite track, the one that has a Lou Reed/VU sound 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

*


VARIOUS ARTISTS "uncut magazine, October 2018 freebie cd"

UK music magazine Uncut usually has a freebie cd with their monthly magazine,
it contains new music for the month, obviously a promotion for either reviews in the
magazine or upcoming album releases...
music included can be from any genre so unless you know the artists its like opening
up a box of chocolates, (without quoting Forrest...LOL)...
I don't buy it every month, just when theres something that interests me inside...
in this issue I am only familiar or have heard of two of the artists so the other thirteen
are new to my ears...

tracks:

1.... Richard Thompson "trying" **
UK folk rocker, track off his new album "13 rivers", its his 18th studio set...
song is neither folkie, nor rock so I call it Alternative...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUTGk5acRvk

2.... Beak "brean down" *
UK electronic pop band, comes off their third album "^^^^"....
has a slightly psychedelic sound happening... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCO84IFZ2zo

3.... Low "disarray" *
US indi-rock/dream-pop band, comes off their fifth album "double negative"...
too electro-pop that goes its dreamy best to go nowhere... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXaLOVeWOdU

4.... The Other Years "Adaline" *
folkie, female duo from Kentucky, off their debut self titled set...
sorry, couldn't find any links for the track

5.... Marissa Nadler "blue vapor" ***
Americana, US female artist, comes off her eighth album "for my crimes"...
love the guitar solos, oh hell, I love the song!... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDnupH9_GYc

6.... The Goon Sax "we cant win" **
pop, Aussie pop trio, comes off their second album "we're not talking"...
cool song... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJhqa9E44ik

7.... Christine & The Queens "doesn't matter" **
Alternative, French female artist, comes off her second album "Chris"...
nice song, almost like an uptempo Lorde... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCwD5f1APTY

8.... Spiritualized "im your man" ***
Rock, UK band, off their eighth album "and nothing hurt"...
love the song, it rocks...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vNrHoLS1zc

9.... Loudon Wainwright III "unrequited to the nth degree" ***
folk/country, US folkie/blues guy, off his compilation "years in the making",
country/novelty tune  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8W1_aWQHo4

10.. Oliver Coates "Norrin Radd dreaming" *
electronic instrumental, very little info on the guy
but he's worked with Thom Yorke previously   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxjDsLE1bxA

11.. Swamp Dogg "lonely" **
R+B, US soul man, comes off his 22nd album "love, loss and autotune"...
better known back in the day as Little Jerry Williams/ Little Jerry...
not a bad song, at least its REAL R+B...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmtRZnzzZlY

12.. Mudhoney "kill yourself live" **
Alt Rock, US band, comes off their tenth album "digital garbage"..
has a bit of a punk sound to it  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNwo0dWvWt4

13.. Alejandro Escovedo "something blue" ***
Rock, US musician, comes off his 16th album "the crossing"...
Alternative in this song, bit of a Petty feel...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OamZcD0UrM

14.. Eric Bachmann "murmuration song" **
Rock, lead singer for Archers Of Loaf, off his 21st career album "no recovery"..
Alternative/Soft Rock sound here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpl8lnh0ZUM

15.. Dawn Landes "why they name whiskey after man" ***
folk/country, from Kentucky, off her fifth album "meet me at the river"...
full on REAL country sound here, love it  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oYOJzuhz0k

i'll be following up on Marissa Nadler and Dawn Landes for sure
=================================================================
as a follow up almost six hours after making the initial post, I have finished listening to both Marissa and Dawn's albums, both were underwhelming...!

[CRAZY-HORSE]

FATHER JOHN MISTY "God's favourite customer"

release date: June 1st 2018

chart peaks:  US #18,  UK #12,  AU #9, CAN #66.

John Tillman's fourth album under this moniker, his fifteenth overall...
lovely harmonies and melodies as usual...
short, sharp songs that could almost classify as Americana...
his previous album, Pure Comedy, was overblown with sounds, and length,
also contained some F-Bombs, but it was still pretty good,
this one is a return to earlier sounds of FJM and its pretty good...
first one of his I don't love, but it still rates pretty good...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: just dumb enough to try
best track: hang out at the gallows





tracks:

1....hang out at the gallows ***
2....Mr Tillman **
3....just dumb enough to try **
4....date night **
5....please don't lie **
6....the palace ***
7....disappointing diamonds are the rarest of them all **
8....God's favourite customer **
9....the songwriter **
10..we're only people **

3s - 2
2s - 8
1s - 0

rating: 2.2

[CRAZY-HORSE]

STING & SHAGGY "44/876"

release date: 20th April

chart positions:  UK #9,  AU #38, US #40

if one album purchase was going to worry me this year it was this one as im not a big fan
of Reggae, and I run hot and cold with Sting over the last few decades....
I don't think anyone saw this one coming....
makes sense though with Shaggy a Reggae guy and Sting's Reggae tinged sounds
with The Police back in the day...
its Sting's 18th career album and Shaggy's 13th, so these guys have been around the block
a time or two...
pop/reggae tunes here...
superb production, everything is crystal clear...
sounds like theyre having fun, letting their hair down and jamming for fun...
some lyrics have a social conscience , others are simplistic catchy...
this is the coolest Sting has been since his Dream Of The Blue Turtles album IMO...
album title comes from the International dial codes for UK and Jamaica...
superb stuff IMO...

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: sad trombone
best track: just one lifetime





tracks:

1....44/876 ***
2....morning is coming ***
3....waiting for the break of day ***
4....gotta get back my baby **
5....don't make me wait **
6....just one lifetime ***
7....22nd Street ***
8....dreaming in the USA ***
9....crooked tree ***
10..to love and be loved **
11..sad trombone **
12..night shift **

3s - 7
2s - 5
1s - 0

rating: 2.6

[CRAZY-HORSE]

BISHOP BRIGGS "church of scars"

release date: 20th April

chart highs:  US #29, AU #91, UK #56

I went back and read the original thread  of it as a new release,
seems MH and Ruby weren't impressed with it overall...
anyway,
debut album from this American artist...
hearing Lorde and Florence in parts, also hearing same style as UK artist Rag N Bone Man,
sort of a Gospel, Blues, Pop, crossover stuff...
very little I don't love on this album...

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: dream
best track: tempt my trouble





tracks:

1....tempt my trouble ***
2....river ***
3....lyin' ***
4....white flag ***
5....dream **
6....wild horses ***
7....hallowed ground ***
8....water **
9....the fire **
10..hi-lo ***

3s - 7
2s - 3
1s - 0

rating: 2.7

[CRAZY-HORSE]

CALEXICO "the thread that keeps us"

release date: 26th January

chart highs: UK #58

American alt duo...
tenth studio album....
fell in love with it when I heard for the similarities to Neil Finn..
kind of eclectic also with a latino song, a dance tune, even something that could
have been a Daft Punk tune, a waltz, a touch of folk/alt-folk but mostly alternative...

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: another space
best track: voices in the field







tracks:

1....end of the world with you ***
2....voices in the field ***
3....bridge to nowhere ***
4....spinball **
5....under the wheels **
6....the town and Miss Lorraine ***
7....Flores y Tamales **
8....another space **
9....unconditional waltz **
10..girl in the forest ***
11..eyes wide awake **
12..dead in the water **
13..shortboard **
14..thrown to the wild **
15..music box ***

3s - 6
2s - 9
1s - 0

rating: 2.4

[CRAZY-HORSE]

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS "tearing at the seams"

release date: March 9th

chart highs:  US  #11

Nate's sixth studio set, third with Night Sweats...
I have the three NS albums...
good old fashioned R+B/Soul sounds with this guy, and even though theyre
'white boys' they still sound authentic in their sound to it...
not quite as good at the other two albums but its still pretty good IMO...

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: coolin' out
best track: hey mama







tracks:

1....shoe boot **
2....be there **
3....a little honey **
4....say it louder **
5....hey mama **
6....babe I know **
7....intro **
8....coolin' out **
9....baby I lost my way **
10..you worry me **
11..still out there running **
12..tearing at the seams **

3s - 0
2s - 12
1s - 0

rating: 2.0

[CRAZY-HORSE]

JIM JAMES "uniform distortion"

release date: 29th June 2018

chart highs: none

frontman for Kentuckian band My Morning Jacket...
fourth or fifth solo set...
along with the Shaggy/Sting album, this is one I wasn't confident about
listening to, was dreading the distortion on it being something I would dislike
after the initial listen...
melodic, yet rocks enough to be called rock (alt-rock) in places...
hearing the distorted grunge of Crazy Horse and Jack White, the sonic sounds of Sonic Youth
and of course, the similarities of My Morning Jacket also...
he released a companion set just a month or two ago called "uniform clarity"
which contains acoustic versions of the songs, looking forward to getting that one 
in the mail over the next week or so....

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: no secrets
best song: better late than never






tracks:

1....just a fool ***
2....you got to Rome ***
3....out of time **
4....throw back ***
5....no secrets **
6....yes to everything ***
7....no use waiting ***
8....all in your head **
9....over and over ***
10..better late than never ***
11..too good to be true ***

3s - 8
2s - 3
1s - 0

rating: 2.7

[CRAZY-HORSE]

SNOW PATROL "wildness"

release date: 25th May 2018

chart highs:  UK #2, AU #12, CAN #52, US #49

Alt rock band...
seventh album, I own five....
one of the most consistent band's in the world today...
first half of the album is Alt Rock/Alt pop...
second half is more subdued with slower more ballad type tunes...
its a shame these Irish lads don't get the same recognition, Grammy's or
sales figures as another Irish group of Alt Rockers who aren't half the talent
of this band!

I LIKE THIS ALBUM:

worst track: a youth written in fire
best track: life on Earth





tracks:

1....life on Earth ***
2....don't give in ***
3....heal me **
4....Empress **
5....a dark switch **
6....what if this is all the love you ever get **
7....a youth written in fire **
8....soon **
9....wild horses **
10..life and death **

3s - 2
2s - 8
1s - 0

rating: 2.2