It hasn't been that long since the last Heavy Rotation (certainly there have been bigger gaps between editions), but I have a handful of albums I haven't been able to stop listening to over the past six weeks or so. These are their stories...
The Black Crowes/Amorica - I was a big fan of The Black Crowes when they appeared on the scene; I had both Shake Your Moneymaker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion on CD and played them a ton. So why didn't I get Amorica when it came out? Or any of their records after that? I have no idea. I do know what made me check it out now - a friend I met through the Rockin' the Suburbs podcast shared a song off of it and then a whole Black Crowes playlist. That was enough for me to start listening. Honestly, the first time through I thought it was okay. The second time I thought it sounded good. After the third time, I was all in. Their sound isn't really different on this album - it's still got echoes of the Stones and the Faces, it's kinda ramshackle at times, you don't always know what Robinson is singing about, but there is a great energy and some really good guitar. While the first three songs are all really solid rockers, "Cursed Diamond" is the first standout for me. I like what the guitars and drums are doing and Robinson really leans into the drama of the lyrics. "She Gave Good Sunflower" bounces along with some great keys, bass line, and nice tambourine action and finishes with a really good guitar solo. "Wiser Time" is a bit more mellow, but the drums are really nice (and some cowbell is throw in too!) and it does kick up towards the end with some cool organ and an urgent guitar solo. Finally, album closer "Descending" is pretty great too, driven by piano and some plaintive vocals.
Jimmy Eat World/Bleed American - I never would have predicted this one. I was not into emo or listening to the radio at the time, although "The Middle" was inescapable. I was 30 and a bit more rigid in what I defined as music worth listening to. So, what made me come to the album at 47? The Great Albums Podcast. I'm still working my way through all of the episodes and they covered the album back in June 2017, so I got to it about a month ago. I'm glad Bill and Brian talked about, because I would never have heard it otherwise. The album starts of strong with the title track. Now, I have no idea what "Salt sweat/sugar on the asphalt" means, but man, it is a great rock song. That's followed by a song I like even more, "A Praise Chorus." This is another catchy rock tune and I really like how it quotes lyrics from other songs. "Sweetness" is very power pop and the piano is always a welcome addition when it comes in. "Cautioners" is slower , but has a cool little pseudo-riff. I really like "Get It Faster" and "Authority Song." Seriously, I can't believe I like this album so much. It's also my most recent running album (taking over from Swearin' - see below). If you had a similar mindset back when this came out, maybe give it a try.
Oasis/Dig Out Your Soul - I never really got into Oasis. Oh sure, I liked the hits that were on the radio back in the 90s, but didn't get around to buying any of their albums. So, when I saw that this, their last album, was celebrating its 10th anniversary, I read the piece on Stereogum and decided to give it a try. Obviously, I liked it way more than I had expected. While "Bag It Up" starts the album off with a nice rock song, I took immediate notice of the second track, "The Turning." It's more interested in mood and groove, built around some nice organ and piano and a minor key melody; even its guitar solo is fairly muted. I also really like the Liam-written melancholy ballad, "I'm Outta Time," and the sorta-sneering stomp of "[Get Off Your] High Horse Lady," which are back-to-back. Actually, the next track, "Falling Down," is another great mood piece with a nice percussive beat. The Gem Archer-written "To Be Where There's Life" gives the album its title (I do love embedded album titles) and is another strong groove song. The final track, "Soldier On," is strong as well, though the irony of its title and the fact it's the last song on the last Oasis album is appealing. Still, this was a really good album to go out on for the band and I'm glad I got to it even 10 years late.
Sloucher/Be True - Do you like guitars? I do, and so does Sloucher. This album proves it. It starts strong with the heavier punch of "Blurring the Line" and follows it up with a more pop-oriented sound on the title track (though with plenty of guitar soloing). From there, it gets epic with "Perfect For You," which has a monster riff and would have been a radio hit back in the mid-90s. Seriously, I can't enough of that song. The rest of the album is strong, with songs fully based in guitars but not predictable; in fact, I wouldn't say there is a particular Sloucher sound. Two tracks towards the end help to exemplify this - "Here" is very languid and then "Up and Down" is all jangle pop (and an album highlight). I hadn't heard about this band until my friend J. Neas played them on his radio (find Indie Rock Mayhem on Spotify to listen to his show, or stream it on the internet on Monday mornings if you can) and I am very happy he did. It's fun to find new bands to love.
Swearin'/Fall Into the Sun - I was a big fan of Swearin's Surfing Strange back in 2013 and was sad when they broke up. The good news is that they unbroke up and we got a new album. The even better news is that it's pretty great. What makes it great? Well, how about "Grow into a Ghost," which is some prime power pop - it starts with one guitar, then the second comes in, then the bass and everything is glorious. It's fuzzy and driving and has a nice lead and the repetitive "I'll watch you I'll watch you I'll watch you...grow...into a ghost" is perfect. That song is lead by Allison Crutchfield, but Kyle Gilbride gets to star here as well. His 'Treading" is a crunchy, 90s-leaning highlight. But really, there are enough great songs to go around. "Margaret" is short and buzzy; "Untitled (LA)" is more power pop; "Smoke or Steam" is built around a really good bass and has a melody that will stick in your head; "Future Hell" has a great little guitar solo at the end. This album took over from The Beths as my running music for a while and it worked perfectly. I am glad Swearin' is back.
Kurt Vile/Bottle It In - I like Kurt Vile's music more than I ever expected I would and maybe that's because I made assumptions. Silly assumptions, really, because I don't mind the cracked, laconic voices of Neil Young or J Mascis and Vile fits in well with them. I'm glad I got over those assumptions, because his music has just grown on me over the years and this new album is really good. Album opener, "Loading Zones" is a good indicator of his appeal, with a steady beat, acoustic and electric guitars weaving in and out, a talkbox, and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. That is one of the shorter songs on the album, as there are four at 7:54 or more in length. A standout in that department is "Bassackwards," with its gently loping beat, odd-sounding guitar (backwards guitar?), and again, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. You want to hear a song that ambles along perfectly? Check out "One Trick Ponies." You want to hear a song that sounds like a lost 70s easy-listening classic? Check out "Rollin With The Flow." You want to hear a song that only Vile could do, with weird static underneath and one of his prettiest melodies on top? Check out "Cold Was The Wind." The album is hypnotic and funny and long and I haven't gotten enough of it yet.
The Black Crowes/Amorica - I was a big fan of The Black Crowes when they appeared on the scene; I had both Shake Your Moneymaker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion on CD and played them a ton. So why didn't I get Amorica when it came out? Or any of their records after that? I have no idea. I do know what made me check it out now - a friend I met through the Rockin' the Suburbs podcast shared a song off of it and then a whole Black Crowes playlist. That was enough for me to start listening. Honestly, the first time through I thought it was okay. The second time I thought it sounded good. After the third time, I was all in. Their sound isn't really different on this album - it's still got echoes of the Stones and the Faces, it's kinda ramshackle at times, you don't always know what Robinson is singing about, but there is a great energy and some really good guitar. While the first three songs are all really solid rockers, "Cursed Diamond" is the first standout for me. I like what the guitars and drums are doing and Robinson really leans into the drama of the lyrics. "She Gave Good Sunflower" bounces along with some great keys, bass line, and nice tambourine action and finishes with a really good guitar solo. "Wiser Time" is a bit more mellow, but the drums are really nice (and some cowbell is throw in too!) and it does kick up towards the end with some cool organ and an urgent guitar solo. Finally, album closer "Descending" is pretty great too, driven by piano and some plaintive vocals.
Jimmy Eat World/Bleed American - I never would have predicted this one. I was not into emo or listening to the radio at the time, although "The Middle" was inescapable. I was 30 and a bit more rigid in what I defined as music worth listening to. So, what made me come to the album at 47? The Great Albums Podcast. I'm still working my way through all of the episodes and they covered the album back in June 2017, so I got to it about a month ago. I'm glad Bill and Brian talked about, because I would never have heard it otherwise. The album starts of strong with the title track. Now, I have no idea what "Salt sweat/sugar on the asphalt" means, but man, it is a great rock song. That's followed by a song I like even more, "A Praise Chorus." This is another catchy rock tune and I really like how it quotes lyrics from other songs. "Sweetness" is very power pop and the piano is always a welcome addition when it comes in. "Cautioners" is slower , but has a cool little pseudo-riff. I really like "Get It Faster" and "Authority Song." Seriously, I can't believe I like this album so much. It's also my most recent running album (taking over from Swearin' - see below). If you had a similar mindset back when this came out, maybe give it a try.
Oasis/Dig Out Your Soul - I never really got into Oasis. Oh sure, I liked the hits that were on the radio back in the 90s, but didn't get around to buying any of their albums. So, when I saw that this, their last album, was celebrating its 10th anniversary, I read the piece on Stereogum and decided to give it a try. Obviously, I liked it way more than I had expected. While "Bag It Up" starts the album off with a nice rock song, I took immediate notice of the second track, "The Turning." It's more interested in mood and groove, built around some nice organ and piano and a minor key melody; even its guitar solo is fairly muted. I also really like the Liam-written melancholy ballad, "I'm Outta Time," and the sorta-sneering stomp of "[Get Off Your] High Horse Lady," which are back-to-back. Actually, the next track, "Falling Down," is another great mood piece with a nice percussive beat. The Gem Archer-written "To Be Where There's Life" gives the album its title (I do love embedded album titles) and is another strong groove song. The final track, "Soldier On," is strong as well, though the irony of its title and the fact it's the last song on the last Oasis album is appealing. Still, this was a really good album to go out on for the band and I'm glad I got to it even 10 years late.
Sloucher/Be True - Do you like guitars? I do, and so does Sloucher. This album proves it. It starts strong with the heavier punch of "Blurring the Line" and follows it up with a more pop-oriented sound on the title track (though with plenty of guitar soloing). From there, it gets epic with "Perfect For You," which has a monster riff and would have been a radio hit back in the mid-90s. Seriously, I can't enough of that song. The rest of the album is strong, with songs fully based in guitars but not predictable; in fact, I wouldn't say there is a particular Sloucher sound. Two tracks towards the end help to exemplify this - "Here" is very languid and then "Up and Down" is all jangle pop (and an album highlight). I hadn't heard about this band until my friend J. Neas played them on his radio (find Indie Rock Mayhem on Spotify to listen to his show, or stream it on the internet on Monday mornings if you can) and I am very happy he did. It's fun to find new bands to love.
Swearin'/Fall Into the Sun - I was a big fan of Swearin's Surfing Strange back in 2013 and was sad when they broke up. The good news is that they unbroke up and we got a new album. The even better news is that it's pretty great. What makes it great? Well, how about "Grow into a Ghost," which is some prime power pop - it starts with one guitar, then the second comes in, then the bass and everything is glorious. It's fuzzy and driving and has a nice lead and the repetitive "I'll watch you I'll watch you I'll watch you...grow...into a ghost" is perfect. That song is lead by Allison Crutchfield, but Kyle Gilbride gets to star here as well. His 'Treading" is a crunchy, 90s-leaning highlight. But really, there are enough great songs to go around. "Margaret" is short and buzzy; "Untitled (LA)" is more power pop; "Smoke or Steam" is built around a really good bass and has a melody that will stick in your head; "Future Hell" has a great little guitar solo at the end. This album took over from The Beths as my running music for a while and it worked perfectly. I am glad Swearin' is back.
Kurt Vile/Bottle It In - I like Kurt Vile's music more than I ever expected I would and maybe that's because I made assumptions. Silly assumptions, really, because I don't mind the cracked, laconic voices of Neil Young or J Mascis and Vile fits in well with them. I'm glad I got over those assumptions, because his music has just grown on me over the years and this new album is really good. Album opener, "Loading Zones" is a good indicator of his appeal, with a steady beat, acoustic and electric guitars weaving in and out, a talkbox, and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. That is one of the shorter songs on the album, as there are four at 7:54 or more in length. A standout in that department is "Bassackwards," with its gently loping beat, odd-sounding guitar (backwards guitar?), and again, stream-of-consciousness lyrics. You want to hear a song that ambles along perfectly? Check out "One Trick Ponies." You want to hear a song that sounds like a lost 70s easy-listening classic? Check out "Rollin With The Flow." You want to hear a song that only Vile could do, with weird static underneath and one of his prettiest melodies on top? Check out "Cold Was The Wind." The album is hypnotic and funny and long and I haven't gotten enough of it yet.
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