Music

LISTENING TO MY ALBUMS FROM 1994

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I’ve been listening to all the albums that I own. I am currently making my way through years ending in 4.

These were originally posted on Mastodon, so one big post. I’ll post when I listen from now on.

August 12

Pale Saints – Slow Buildings
Their last album and without Ian Masters so a kind of different band. All being said may be my favorite or theirs.

Page & Plant – No Quarter
The second best MTV Unplugged (UnLedded) album. A fun surprise at the time.

Nova Mob – Nova Mob
Second album by the Grant Hart lead band. Not as good as The Last Days of Pompeii, but worth your time.

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York
The best MTV Unplugged album.

NineI nch Nails – The Downward Spiral
Everything NIN is about is in the first three releases. They get repetitious for me after this.

New Raidant Storm King – August Revital
Sonic Youth worship, it’s OK. The next album “Hurricane Necklace” is the one you want to check out.

New Order – (The Best of) New Order
I’m more a Joy Division guy. Thus the best of.

Mercyland – Spillage
David Barbe better know as the basist for Sugar. A few stand out tracks.

August 11

Polvo – Celebrate the New Dark Age
Warped, psychedelic noise rock from Chapel Hill, NC.

Pitchblende – Au Jus
If a Discord band turned into a noise band. Yes they are from Washington DC. No they’re not on Discord.

Penance – Parallel Corners
The lone outlier. Traditional doom from former Dream Death members.

Panel Donor – s/t
Lawrence KS has their own special kind of noise. I put out a split with this band. Another band from Lawrence to check out is Zoom.

August 10

Queensryche – Promise Land
Their last good album. Less of a clinical production here.

Pure Joy – Unsung
Rusty Willoughby of Flop, Fastback, Llama. This is more straightforward 90s power-pop.

Punchdrunk – From Dad
Milwaukee ex-pats. Melodic angular indie rock. The Replacements meet Jawbox?

Portishead – Dummy
Sour Times is an all time favorite. Friends at the time gave me the business for liking this. Not sure what their problem was.

August 9

Sebadoh – Bakesale
Easily their best, rivals Dino Jr. None of that fucking around noise crap and ditched the lo-fi.

Samiam – Clumsy
Melodic Post-Hardcore? I won’t call them the e-word. Their best.

Rodan – Rusty
Slint meets Shellac. Prime Touch & Go.

REM – Monster
Peter Buck overdosing on a tremolo pedal. This is a boring album. The most popular R.E.M. is the worst.

August 5

Solitude Aeturnus – Through the Darkest Hour
Doom in the Dio Sabbath fashion.

Smashing Pumpkins – Pisces Iscariot
Odds and Ends. I only need their first two.

Silkworm – Libertine
Noisy 90s Guitar indie rock. The smarmy, slacker kind. I want to like it. I don’t.

Shudder To Think – Pony Express Record
The question is can you deal with the vocals? When I’m in the mood. Outside the first album this may be their best.

AUGUST 4

Versus – The Stars are Insane
I keep this for the song Blade of Grass, the rest isn’t so good. Quieter end of the loud quiet indie rock of the time kind of like a twee Seam or Codeine.

The Veldt – Afrodisiac
What if you crossed Shoegaze with R&B?

Various Artist – Working Holiday
Simple Machines Comp of singles and live tracks.

Various Artists – If I Were a Carpenter
The 90s loved its tribute albums. Saved by Sonic Youth’s “Superstar” which is one of my favorite covers ever.

Thirty Ought Six – Bosozoku
Cross between Fugazi and Tad, throw in a little Sunny Day Real Estate.

Superchunk – Foolish
Breakup Superchunk isn’t for me. They righted the ship on “Here’s Where the Strings Come In”.

Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary
Say what you’d like it’s not emo. Grunge arena rock? Sure.

Sugar – File Under Easy Listening
The least of the Sugar releases. No one wanted to hear anyone but Bob sing.

Steel Pole Bath Tub – Some Cocktail Suggestions
Albini recording doesn’t do it, go listen to the Miracle of Sound in Motion instead.

Soundgarden – Superunknown
This album is way too long and way too normal, all the edges are buffed off. 4th of July is great though.

Sonic Youth – Experimental Jetset and No Star
Good not great.

AUGUST 1

Wool – Box Set
This is pretty much Scream doing grunge/stoner rock)

Weezer – Blue Album
Guessing you know this one.

Wannadies – Be a Girl
Swedish Weezer?

VerucaSalt – American Thighs
Chicago Weezer?

LISTENING TO MY ALBUMS FROM 1994

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR AUGUST 13TH

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Albums released on August 13th that are in my collection.

The Beatles – Help! (1965)
Sometime my favorite, usually the best pre-Rubber Soul album.

Flo & Eddie – Moving Targets (1976)
A bit fun, a bit schmaltzy. These guys probably sang on a record you own. They were also in the Turtles

The Cure – Head on the Door (1985)
When you want a far less drab Cure.

Twisted Sister – Love is for Suckers (1987)
Actually a Dee Schneider solo album. Pop metal. Meh.

The Pixies – Bossonova (1990)
If you ask what my favorite Pixies album is this will most likely be the answer.

Low – The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996)
The slowest and quietest of the slow core. Fragile and pretty. I fell asleep at not one but two different shows of theirs.

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR AUGUST 13TH

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR JULY 21

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Albums released on July 21st that are in my collection.

Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1972)
This is the first Sabbath record I bought. I wanted Paranoid but it was sold out. My 9 year old brain was not prepared, this was my favorite for a while, until I got Sabotage.

Rezillios – Can’t Stand the Rezillios (1978)
The Scottish version of the Dickies or are the the Dickies the US version of the Rezillios? The Rezillios were first, they’re both great.

Loudness – Devil Soldier (1982)
The pre-US major label Loudness is a completely different thing. Sure some of the old sound pops up especially on “Lightning Strikes / Shadows of War”. A bit more progressive in the playing and some song structures, t’s definitely more adventurous, I’m sure their A&R person told them to streamline it for the US.

Circle Jerks – Golden Shower of Hits (1983)
The first three Circle Jerks are the best, this would be second best after Group Sex. Never as good as Keith Morris’ time in Black Flag.

Guns ‘n Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Lots of baggage here. I can’t listen to this anymore do to its omnipresence. I was in from the “Live like a Suicide” EP and for the year before Appetite blew up. Aerosmith now sucked and Guns was here to take their place. Then it was everywhere and all the other shit happened.

Solitude Aeturnus – Beyond The Crimson Hnrizon (1992)
Not fully realized yet a damn good doom album. In the line of slower Dio Sabbath.

Devin Townsend – Beyond The Crimson Hnrizon (1992)
Im not quite sure I like this or any Devin Townsend for that matter. It’s very dreamlike and washes over you and is pretty one dimentional. I think I don’t like his production style.

Voivod – Morgoth Tales (2023)
An unecessary rerecording of their own songs. The good stuff is the Die Kreuzen and Public Image Ltd. covers.
Edit: The Die Kreuzen cover of “Man in the Trees” is not on this its only on “Lean into It: A Tribute to Die Kreuzen” on Erosion Records.

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR JULY 21

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR JULY 15

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Albums released on July 15th that are in my collection.

Yes – Going for the One (1977)
Yes was running out of ideas in the late 70s. I guess it’s more accessible with shorter songs but the sound is still stale. I guess at least it’s not as bad as “Tormoto”.

The Damned – Phantasmagoria (1985)
The “goth” album. “Grimley Fiendish” sounds like a theme to a kids animated monster show. Beyond this song and the album cover – which is fantastic – it’s not very goth. Captain Sensible had left but you can still feel his presence, maybe the goth thing comes from Dave Vanian now being focal point of the band. The album after this – “Anything” – is best left unheard.

Trouble – Run to the Light (1987)
After a two year wait there was a new Trouble album. Slightly disappointing at the time. It’s a solid doom metal release. The streamlining of their sound began and the psychedelic elements start popping up while the Christian lyrics start going away.

Melvins – Stag (1996)
The last great Melvins’ album. It’s definitely the most out there and experimental of their major label albums. Sure there’s the expected sludgy and heavy songs but most all have some odd-ball twist. I think many were disappointed they didn’t do Stoner Witch Part 2 or that it was markedly weird than that.

ALBUM ANNIVERSARIES FOR JULY 15

Hate Your Friends No. 13

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Fistful of Dave Hate Your Friends

It’s back!

Every week Apple Music makes a Friends Mix. I will make off the cuff “reviews” of the songs in this list. As Apple Music likes to put the same bands on the list often, so I will skip some of the tracks.

Fugazi “Latin Roots” As funky as Fugazi is going to get. This is an average song of theirs. Listened to all of it.

Wax “California” Haven’t heard Wax in a long time. Way better than I remember, Powerpop with a bit of punk, catchy. Must reinvestigate. Listened to all of it.

Jawbreaker “Tour Song” Not a fan, The foghorn vocals not my thing. Very east bay punk. Listened to 45 seconds.

Dag Nasty “Values Here” Another Hate My Friends where it should be I Love My Friends.essential melodic hardcore. Listened to all of it.

Rocket from the Crypt “Drop Out” There’s two essential RFTC this one – Scream Dracula Scream – and Circa: Now! Just listen to them I feel bad if you never got to witness them live. Listened to all of it.

The Vendictives “Assembly Line” It’s bad enough I like Screeching Weasel well two albums but a tangent band from them. Nope Listened until the vocals started.

Slayer “Dissident aggressor” From my favorite Slayer album, South of Heaven. Slayer were good at picking covers and making them sound like Slayer songs Listened to all of it.

Megadeth “The Blackest Crow” Fucking a banjo! Just stick with “Rust in Peace” and before and you’ll be ok. Fuck country Megadeth this really sucks. Listened t60 seconds.

Black Sabbath “Wishing Well” Even a lesser song from “Heaven and Hell” is great. The combo of Dio and Sabbath made magic on the album,s they did together, now I need to listen to this full album Listened to all of it.

Pot Valient “Nuggest Killer” Fianlly somethsing I don’t know,. starts nice 90’s style fuszzy distorted loud quiet indie rock, wait when is it from? 1994. Not sure how this escaped my radar back then. Not great but nice. Listened to all of it.

Nothing “July the Fourth” I have two Nothing albums this isn’t on either. I like this, I mean the hey we listen to Hum aspect is really obvious. Listened to all of it.

Sunny Day Realestate “Song About an Angel” Still trying to figure out how this is emo besides that bands that were influenced by them were called emo. It’s alternative arena rock. Listened to all of it.

Moonshake “Blister” New to me. Very 90’s but a lot of ideas usually you don’t find, squanky sax weird guitar sounds. Need more exploration. Listened to all of it.

Soccer Team “Nose to Chin” Fuck this band name. Fuck the album cover. The music is fine, it almost does something for me. Somethings missing though, can’t put my finger on it. Listened to all of it.

Helium “Lucky Charm” Quirky, angular 90s indie rock. A nice amount of catchy and weird. Listened to all of it.

Government Issue “Written Word” DC hardcore that doesn’t sound DC. It’s all good. Listened to all of it.

Gray Matter “Chutes and Ladders” DC hardcore that sounds like DC. It’s all good. Listened to all of it.

The Dismemberment Plan “A Life of Possibilities” I like one of their songs, this isn’t it. Listened to 30 seconds.

Pixies “Hang Wire” Depending on when you ask this is my favorite Pixies album, I’d love to say listen to all of it but the reunion stuff isn’t up to snuff, then there’s stuff without Kim . Listened to all of it.

Dark Throne “Sjakk Matt Jesu Krist” Umpa beat black metal, with some dude croaking over it, pass. Listened to 1:45.

Sonic Youth “My Friend Goo” Do I bag on Day Dream Nation again, nah. Listened to all of it.

The Who “Water” It’s fine, The Who is like Deep Purple for me way too inconsistent. Lots of hits, lots of half ass albums. Listened to all of it.

The Wonder Stuff “Red Berry Joy Town” Part of that group of UK bands that love Minneapolis / Midwest US indie rock of the 80s. Good stuff. Listened to all of it.

Madness “The Prince” I fucking hate ska. Pick that up. Listened to ten seconds.

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Hate Your Friends No. 13