Friday, June 20, 2014

11/1/13 - 6/20/14 (Albums Countdown/List SO FAR)

Haven't heard/heard enough to really rank/mix in.
Wolfmother - New Crown
Bigelf - Into the Maelstrom
KXM - KXM
Being - Anthropocene

----------------------------------------------

Pharrell Williams - G I R L
St.Vincent - St.Vincent
Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope
Crippled Black Phoenix - White Light Generator
Warpaint - Warpaint
Hannes Grossman - The Radial Covenant
Fire Garden - Sound of Majestic Colors
Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No
Bed of Stars - Tell Me If It's True [EP]
Mastodon - Once More Around the Sun
The Aston Shuffle - Photographs
Pat Metheny Unity Group - Kin
Cloud Caverns - Gypsy Loft
Agalloch - The Serpent and the Sphere
Toria - Octave
Chromeo - White Women
Three - Sugarlife/You Are the Alien
The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra - Zombie Mouth
Cynic - Kindly Bent to Free Us
Moron Police - Defenders of the Small Yard
Jeremy Messersmith - Heart Murmurs
Hotel of the Laughing Tree - Mammoth Skin Pt. 2 [EP]
Casey Crescenzo - Amour and Attrition

Umphrey's McGee - Similar Skin


I'm not as blown away as I initially thought I would be, but I still am enjoying a lot of this. The heavier and proggy parts probably most. "Bridgeless" and 'Hindsight" which end the album, maybe most. The Joel-vocal songs maybe stand out most on a lot of levels. "Little Gift" being one of those. This record does continue their pattern of every-other-album being good being much better than Death By Stereo.

I guess I'll see how much better or growing it does for me, although I still have only listened to it about 3 or 4 times at this point.


Archive - Axiom

Nice,. trippy/trip-hoppy, moody soundtrack to a film of the same name. The title track has this section about 3 or 4 minutes in that is ear-wormy. This band continues to make impressive music, this album being no exception.


Genders - Get Lost

Get Lost cover art

Katherine Paul (ex-Forest Park) was how discovered this band. She is the drummer and sings some (background) I guess. I really like the blend of elements and influences from this band/on this album. Psychedelic, power-pop, dream-pop, etc.


Brice Plays Drums - ProgTagonist



"Sisyphus" being my favorite. The closing piece is Yes-inspired apparently, although it reminds me more of The Grateful Dead actually (not in a bad way though). I do like how they changed/did some different things with Jazz and Middle Eastern element on a song like "Alyosha" and "Ramses."


Fjokra - Thoughtsteps [EP]


"Infinite Loops" is the best song I've heard in 2014 thus far. Catchy, textured, dynamic, and lyrical. It is kind of like the sequel to Kevin Gilbert's "Shadow Self" in some ways. This EP is rather addictive though. "Love, Thrust, Burn" and "That Old Time Nook" among the other parts that I keep going back to.

Grimus - Emergence


"Satellites" is maybe my favorite track. The title track, "Morning Stars" 'Legends" "The Hell I'm In" "Weird Disco" "Peregrine" ..more or less the whole record. I like that they have what sounds like 2 or more lead singers, although Bogdan Mezofi, their longtime lead singer still is featured and while he does remind me of some other singers like Jimmy Gnecco of Ours, his vocal lines and the melodies still really work on their own level.


The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine


Coming a bit out of nowhere, Great chamber folk-rock of sorts with the instrumental layers, vocal harmonies and memorable sections/melodies that make this record work beginning to end. The title track is probably still my favorite.


Anathema - Distant Satellites


"Ariel" the title track, the Self-Titled track, "The Lost Song" suite, and more or less the whole record. Don't mind the synthy/pop stuff, nor even the Radiohead inspired music, mainly because Vince is singing and not Thom Yorke.


Bend Sinister - Animals


Another great record from these guys. "The Best of You" is wonderful. The sad synths in "It Will Never End" always get me, like I don't want the album to ever end, lol.


EDIT: A 20 minute video may be put in here sometime soon as I made it last night, but don't have the time right now to edit/upload it yet.