I saw these guys live in Melbourne a while ago. Incredibly tight as you can imagine, the room was packed and they really picked up a stronger groove from the audience too.
2 Likes
Jan. 28th: Wednesday - Bull Believer
Randomly stumbled upon this while drinking my tea on Sunday morning. And lo and behold, this band is actually playing on the other side of town tonight. The show is sold out but what a crazy coincidence.
Is this the “shoegaze” the kids are talking about?
Anyway, this song is fine. Its pretty benign until about five minutes in when the lead vocalist starts to wail. This leads into a 3 and a half minute scream fest, which I did not enjoy. I can see some people liking this outro and good on you. As for me, wailing like this in songs like Narrator by Squid, Undoer by Geese, and this song is just not appealing. But hey, it certainly is a strong statement.
And the rest of the song isn’t really powerful enough to overcome the outro. It’s a fine indie song but if this is “shoegaze”, I’m less than impressed. I’ve probably listened to plenty in my time, I just havent looked into the genre specifically. But lots of staring at the feet and the pedalboard? I can see it now.
I would probably check them out when they roll through town again. I’ll have to jump on tickets fast though if they’re selling out venues…
2/5
Jan. 29th: One Night/All Night - Justice & Tame Impala
Cross was a pivotal electronic album for me. My very religous ex-girlfriend actually got me into this album because her parents made her listen to it. You know: because of the album cover. You can’t write this shit.
If you had played this song for me and not shown me the artists, I certainly would have picked out Tame Impala. I don’t think I would have guessed Justice, at least not quickly.
I guess that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as Kevin Parker’s tamer side cools down the usually up-tempo and dancy Justice. Not that this song doesnt groove.
A solid bassline on the fade outs and some funky backing beats to complement Parker’s dreamlike vocals make this an easy listen. I noticed the down shift in tone as soon as the next song autoplayed (a Justice solo tune) and the bombastic electronica of Justice rang out once again.
3.5/5
I’m far from an expert on Ty, but Melted seems to be a popular point of entry. I also really liked Goodbye Bread (you fucking with Trey, Ty?).
Fun fact, Ty’s favorite band is Hawkwind.
1 Like
Jan 30th: Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Sunshine Earthquake
This is closest I’ve ever come to having my dream of a haunted Beach Boys song realized. Frankie and the Witch Fingers inject their classic crashing pyschedlic sound into an almost surf rock style song. Definetely didn’t like the first few songs off album Brain Telephone, so I stopped before this one. But this is one to return to, you hear something new every time.
4/5
Jan 31st: POND - Neon River
I’m scarfing down some dinner because I have to leave for an Umprehy’s show in 45 minutes…
Hey look, a new Pond single!
Beautiful tempo/tone changes here. From lighter verses to the more classic Pond pysch sound in the chorus and bridges.
Got me exicted for a new record but overall just fine.
3/5
Just wanna say this project is super cool!!!
1 Like
Feb 1st: Frank Zappa - Hungry Freaks, Daddy
We did a whole month, I can’t believe it. The year is flying by already. Thanks to everybody for the support and those discussing or dropping by and leaving a comment.
I hate to take a bit of a mulligan on such a momentous day, its just that my schedule has been absurd…
Anyway starting the other way with Zappa. First album, first song.
I like the lyrics and content of this song but the vocals and general structure are lacking. It sounds like a monotone man talking to a background of elevator music.
2.5/5
1 Like
Zappa’s ability to chameleon his way through all kinds of musical styles started with this album albeit more abstract than usual. Most of the songs on Freak Out sound very sickly less commercial and that’s because he was allowed to not play it straight. So you get all these weird blends of jazz and lounge music filtered through washes of apathy and irony. It’s definitely not for everyone but it’s nice that someone gave him the time and budget to make it at the time and inspire all the cool stuff after 
Feb. 2nd: Dizgo - Help is On the Way
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this song until the instrumental bit. The vocals aren’t my favorite but I know Dizgo can really take off in a jam and what’s where I prefer them.
I caught these guys live at festival last year and really dug their sound. They tend toward light, funky jamtronic music and this is no exception.
This studio recording doesnt do their live show justice, so be sure to check them out. But for the purposes of this thread, I have to call it fairly middle of the road.
3/5
Feb 3rd: Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Chalice
This B-side off album Data Doom starts as almost a blues rock song. Mostly instrumental, the guitars wail and the distortion here is heavy.
It certainly doesnt seem to fit the narrative or theme of Data Doom, so I can see why it was included as part of a 7" release.
3.5/5
Feb 4th: Parquet Courts - Plant Life
First, I know it’s a live recording with several songs. I had time to listen to several today and picked my favorite.
Plant Life has some jams I can get behind. From the alien wheezing melodica, to the simple yet killer bassline and percussion, this is a song I like. I prefer the other lead vocalist Andrew Savage (blue sweater) but Austin Brown gives me a big Talking Heads vibe throughout the song, so who can complain?
The melodies on melodica and guitar throughout the song do get a little repetitive but they switch to another interesting riff or beat before it becomes too much so. This seems like a prime example for leaving others space in the jam. Several members seem to keep a consistent beat, allowing others to improv at times.
I can see this being a polarizing song but I’m in for Parquet Courts (who I had to miss last time they visited)
4/5
Listening to this right now.
Not bad.
Feb 5th: Unseen Phantom - Berserk - My Brother (Extended) (Definitive Edition)
I got called on a last minute business trip same day and I tried to use my voice controls on my car to play my favorite podcast. This came up instead and I hate it. This cant decide between metal and electronica and I think it takes the worst sides of both while remaining just so uninteresting. You think a song with so many parenthesis would have a little more to say but apparently not. Not a fan.
1/5
Edit: HOW DOES THIS HAVE 42 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE?!
Not laughing at your misery but the story of how you stumbled upon this song is hilarious. This is indeed not very appealing 
Feb 6th: DRAM - Marry Me
First we lose Chance to marriage now DRAM is trying to follow suit? I still have nightmares about The Big Day.
This song is repetitive and bucks DRAM’s usual vocals for more mumble rap.
I’ll be honest, I was never deep into DRAM’s catalogue except for the hits (if you dont like Broccoli, we can’t be friends). But this certainly isn’t convincing me to dive.
This receives a 1.5 only because I objectively like it more than the 1.0 I gave yesterday.
1.5/5
Feb 7th: Morgan Wallen - Last Night
This little experiment is probably going to lose me all my readers: I’ve decided to make my way through the top ten songs of 2023.
May God have mercy on my soul.
You know, I really didnt think the pandering country genre would have THIS as its shining star after so many years. Toby Keith died this week and he’s the last country singer back in the day I remember truly liking (I could sing Shock’n Y’all front to back by age 12).
Theres no range in Wallen’s voice, no interesting lyrics to speak of, and if most of the appreciators of this song are going to shit on hip hop (most of white America), why dont you actually give the genre a listen?
Because this is the closest thing to country mumble rap I’ve ever heard. The backing beat stays mostly static to the point where it might as well be sampled. I played it with my girlfriend listening in the background, who spent several years in Kentucky and she said he had “no annunciation … it’s just country garble. Country talk I can understand.”
I just don’t get the appeal. Even “make you grip the sheets with your finger tips” is delivered with such disinterest and lack of passion that its hard to find anything redeeming about this song.
Why America? Why?
0/5
Feb. 8th: Miley Cyrus - Flowers
You know, I thought I had heard this song before but I really dont think so. This sounds eerily like another song that I simply can’t place right now…
Wait wait wait, I found it: it sounds like Waterfalls by TLC.
Sure it’s up tempo but the funky bassline is there and so are the reverbed vocals. Can’t fool me Hannah Montana.
Anyway, I actually really like this song. It’s layered and produced well. I’ve always liked Miley’s voice and hey, I get it, sometimes you have to ride a wrecking ball to stand out in the modern pop scene.
But now that she’s at the number 2 spot, at least she’s doing something useful with it unlike Whalen…
4/5
Feb. 9th: SZA - Snooze
Fine song. No time today.
3/5
Feb 10th: Taylor Swift - Anti-hero
It’a pretty popular to shit on T-Swift these days and who am I to go against popular opinion. I know the lyrics have a completely different meaning but they seem very ironic based on her current headlines. And her composition here is just flat here compared to alot of her other songs. I like T-Swift but this song isnt why.
2/5
1 Like