reviews
Lost in Alphaville - The Rentals (2014)
This is good. Though, Songs About Time is amazing, and this is a bit of a poor man’s version of that, but still, well done. But they also need to put the Return, Seven More Minutes and Last Little Life on vinyl.
-April 3, 2025
Black Session & Rare Trax - The Rentals (Unknown)
Essential, especially with Return Of The Rentals being practically unavailable. A bit of an odd choice to end with Say It Ain’t So though.
-March 29, 2025
Automatic For The People - R.E.M. (1992)
Everything here is great, except maybe they should have released Star Me Kitten as a single instead of Sidewinder so they could put the William Burroughs cover on the b-side. Hindsight!
-March 29, 2025
Pipeline Fever - Archer, Season 2, Episode 4 (2011)
Contains the three greatest fears - alligators, crocodiles, and aneurisms.
-March 22, 2025
Final Fantasy VII - Sony Playstation (1997)
This was great, and we’ll play and review the remakes if they come out on the next switch.
-March 22, 2025
Birnam Wood - Eleanor Catton (2023)
Good book, eco-terrorism is always a fun genre, we should maybe review FFVII and that one episode of Archer next.
-March 22, 2025
Cherry Peel - of Montreal (1997)
Christ, to be this innocent again.
-March 21, 2025
Hurley - Weezer (2010)
Not exactly blue, sure, but Time Flies is good enough to carry.
-March 20, 2025
Star Wars - Wilco (2015)
One of their best post-YHF albums, though others are good too, and we should listen to Cruel Country again.
-March 18, 2025
Rockingham - Nerf Herder (2016)
We Opened for Weezer surpasses expectations with the Flood Zone call out, and Portland stands alongside Back to the Shack, this one receives a perfect 18. A 2025 Album of the Year contender.
[Extended Review] Nerd-core heaven in ‘97, god damn.
-March 15, 2025
The Sunlandic Twins - of Montreal (2005)
The solar flare splatter on the reissue is reason enough for a bizarre celebration.
-March 15, 2025
Concert Review - Kim Deal, Brooklyn Paramount, 3.13.25
Great!
-March 13, 2025
Charley Pride’s Greatest - Charley Pride (1974)
I can’t judge independently, but if these really are his greatest, that’s a fine body of work.
-March 10, 2025
High Violet - The National (2010)
Very good line about compound interest.
-March 9, 2025
Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson (1975)
Good that he got to make the album he wanted to make.
-March 8, 2025
Nerf Herder - Nerf Herder (1996)
This was exactly how to make an album in 1996. I chatted with the drummer for awhile on AIM. Only possible improvement would have been if they included the theme from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
[Extended Review] Unfortunately, the price of this record on vinyl in 2025 is roughly the same as a new Macbook Air, and it’s only marginally more useful, we’re very unlikely to buy it while sober. Further, some research reveals that they continued to produce albums, even through 2016, at which I was initially skeptical but then saw a track on that album is called We Opened For Weezer, and I saw them open for Weezer in 1997 at the Flood Zone, so I purchased the 2016 album for a reasonable $24 from a gentleman called Larry, and we will review shortly.
-March 7, 2025
Timeless: Hank Williams - Various (2011)
Many great tracks, esp. by Crow, Beck, Dylan, Petty, and both Williamses. But JC - always a bit rough to listen to someone go on about their dream.
-March 4, 2025
Live In Paris - Sleater-Kinney (2017)
Good concert. They seem really happy to be in France.
-March 4, 2025
Retreat From The Sun - that dog. (1997)
A great album for 1997.
-March 3, 2025
Marquee Moon - Television (1977)
Fantastic, and Robert Mapplethorpe took the cover photo, not much tops this.
-March 3, 2025
Labyrinth - David Bowie, Trevor Junes (1986)
Irresistible.
-March 2, 2025
Bossanova - The Pixies (1990)
We should have reviewed this earlier. But Velouria is great, and so are the other songs.
-March 2, 2025
Rid of Me - PJ Harvey (1993)
Took us a few plays, but agreed, this is great. Possible we still prefer Dry though.
-March 2, 2025
Live At Reading - Nirvana (2009)
I can only take their word for it, but it certainly sounds live, and I have no reason to think it wasn’t recorded at Reading.
-March 1, 2025
Live From Coachella 2004 - The Pixies (2022)
It turns out the Pixies don’t lack for live, record store day albums. Every one a triumph though, this one an 8 out of 8.
-March 1, 2025
Good News For People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse (2004)
Good, and didn’t we see them open for the pixies once, not even that long ago? Nice album either way.
-March 1, 2025
MTV Unplugged 1993 - Stone Temple Pilots (2016)
Conversations kill - he’s not wrong.
-Feb 28, 2025
Acoustics - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2022)
A Joan Jett Record Store Day album is always a wise purchase. Changeup is even better though.
-Feb 27, 2025
Pressure Chief - Cake (2004)
This is a fine enough album to listen to a few times.
-Feb 26, 2025
Kristofferson - Kris Kristofferson (1970)
The Third Noble Truth: Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. Great first album, time well spent during Blonde On Blonde sessions.
-Feb 25, 2025
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1966)
This is a good album, a nice way to start a Sunday even if that’s a bit on the nose.
-Feb 23, 2025
Quickies - The Magnetic Fields (2020)
Good. Clever to put it on 45s, though I end up playing it less because I have to get up every couple songs.
-Feb 21, 2025
The Sunset Tree - The Mountain Goats (2005)
Good album. Sounds like he had a tough time growing up though.
-Feb 17, 2025
1Q84 - Haruki Murakami (2009)
(Part 2 of Review). Yes, the last few hundred pages of this book were also good.
-Feb 17, 2025
Dusty Gems & Raw Nuggets - Weezer (2019)
Sides C and D of blue, essentially.
-Feb 15, 2025
So Much Younger Then - R.E.M. (1994)
Younger, and maybe hungrier too. Good to have these together, though the vinyl is a bit thin.
-Feb 12, 2025
Strangeways, Here We Come - The Smiths (1987)
It’s really serious.
-Feb 12, 2025
Kerosene Hat - Cracker (1993)
Good because it reminds me of the James River, though their song James River isn’t on it, it’s on Bob’s Car, but that’s not on vinyl, but then I guess they put in on Gentleman’s Blues too, but then that doesn’t seem to be on vinyl either.
-Feb 9, 2025
Final Fantasy VI - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1994)
Good game.
-Feb 7, 2025
Comfort Eagle - Cake (2001)
Good. Opera Singer reminds me of the Final Fantasy game where you have to be in an opera. That was a good game, I’ll review it if I remember which one it was.
-Feb 7, 2025
12 Crass Songs - Jeffrey Lewis (2007)
With Helen Schreiner, though I thought it was Kimya Dawson. Good either way. Different vibe from Crass proper, try Best Before…1984 if you want.
-Feb 7, 2025
Tapestry - Carole King (1977)
A hidden gem.
-Feb 7, 2025
UR Fun - Of Montreal (2020)
A sonic bon mot.
-Feb 6, 2025
Dead Letter Office - R.E.M. (1987)
Not really a proper album. Delightful nonetheless!
-Feb 5, 2025
Alone (The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo) - Rivers Cuomo (2007)
Great, especially Longtime Sunshine, though there’s another version of that somewhere too, maybe on Pinkerton outtakes?
-Feb 3, 2025
Chronic Town - R.E.M. (1982)
What a start!
-Feb 2, 2025
High/Low - Nada Surf (1996)
Should’ve come out in 1994, otherwise it’s good.
-Feb 1, 2025So Tonight That I Might See - Mazzy Star (1993)
I like this album.
-Jan 31, 20251Q84 - Haruki Murakami (2009)
This book is exceptionally long. The first 900 pages are good; presumably the last 2 or 300 are as well. If not, will update.
-Jan 28, 2025Lemonade - Beyonce (2017)
This is really good.
-Jan 27, 2025Velocity of Sound - The Apples in Stereo (2018)
Good album. Short though, and the last song on the b-side doesn’t start right away, you have to nudge the needle. Still, good album.
-Jan 26, 2025Buddha Electrostorm - Thee American Revolution (2011)
Great, like a fuzzy apple.
-Jan 25, 2025At the BBC - The Pixies (2024)
Triumph start to finish, especially Lady in the Radiator Song. R.I.P.
-Jan 21, 2025City & Eastern Songs - Jeffrey and Jack Lewis (2018)
Pretty good.
-Jan 23, 2025Orchestral Suites - J.S. Bach, Collegium Aureum, Franzjosef Maier (1970)
Entirely instrumental, but still very well done.
-Jan 20, 2025The Legend of Zelda - Nintendo Entertainment System (1986)
Great video game.
-Jan 19, 2025Eraserhead - David Lynch (1977)
(Part 2 of Review). Watched it again, yes, a nice movie.
-Jan 18, 2025Eraserhead - David Lynch (1977)
This is a nice movie. I don’t remember it too well, but I’m planning to watch it again soon.
-Jan 17, 2025Horses - Patti Smith (1975)
Well done, thank you for this. Happy birthday too.
-Dec 30, 2024Chicago 2017 - Daniel Johnston (2020)
Triumphant. Plays through with nearly no skipping on the new record player, except a bit on the b-side.
-Dec 29, 2024Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (1983)
Very well done, Claire Danes was right.
-Dec 29, 2024Early Recordings & Early Live Recordings - Weezer (Blue 30th, 2024)
Accurately named. Should have gone back to just what i needed for teal. Jaime would make any list of best songs about lawyers.
-Dec 28, 2024Kitchen Tape Demos - Weezer (Blue 30th, 2024)
What if the blue album had included both Paperface and Let’s sew our pants together? Asked and answered by the Kitchen Tape Demos. Another triumph, esp. the extended solo on The world has turned and left me here.
-Dec 28, 2024Weezer - Weezer (1994) (Blue 30th, 2024)
7.5 gold stars, out of 7.5. Perfect album, and genius move to release it originally when I was 14.
-Dec 27, 2024Around the Sun - R.E.M. (2004)
A little uneven, but i like the new york song and appreciate the effort involved.
-Dec 27, 2024Reveal - R.E.M. (2001)
Pretty good album.
-Dec 26, 2024
Top Ten Albums of 2024
10. Honky Tonk Heroes - Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver (1973)
Billy Joe Shaver was one of Norm McDonald's favorite musicians and thought Waylon Jennings took too much credit for this album. Anyway, it's the tenth best of 2024.9. No Depression (Demos) - Uncle Tupelo (2018)
It's just about as good as the proper album, especially Train and Screen Door.8. Songs for a Green World: The Classic 1989 Broadcast - R.E.M. (2017)
About what you'd expect. Swan Swan H and Orange Crush the standouts.7. Yip / Jump Music - Daniel Johnston (1983)
His Live in Chicago album is better, but this is the classic. Speeding Motorcycle first among many.6. The Cherry Trees Are Still in Blossom - Jens Lekman (2022)
This was a good find. Black Cab reminds me of my rabbits; hard to remember if he sang this at the Bowery Ballroom in 2006, but he probably did. 5. Live from Red Rocks 2005 - The Pixies (2024)
Record Store Day album, which means it's likely good. Best song Velouria, which they played the second time I saw them.4. Nobody Loves You More - Kim Deal (2024)
A one-two punch for Kim Deal on the list. But deserved, because this album is pretty good.3. Not Ready For Prime Time: Live At The Cabaret Metro, 1986 - The Replacements (2024)
Another Record Store Day album. Every song is good.2. Long After Dark Deluxe Edition - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2024)
The proper album is fine, but the B-side record is what puts it on the list, especially Keeping Me Alive.1. Holy Soul & Jelly Roll - Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan & Friends (1987)
Vomit Express by itself makes this #1.-Dec 25, 2024