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Post by Kapitan on Jan 18, 2021 17:50:44 GMT
Today I've been listening to Catspaw, the new album from Matthew Sweet, best known for his '90s indie-classic album Girlfriend. I'm not really familiar with Sweet's music--more his reputation--but when I read a positive review of the album at Allmusic.com, I decided to give it a shot.
It's good. Not great, but good. Sweet is usually described as power pop, but this one is definitely more power than pop, and slightly dark at that. Don't get me wrong, it's still pop, too: there are plenty of nice melodies and hooks. But the guitars are there, they're prominent, and they're distorted.
It reminds me of the sound of some of the heavier later Beatles, of some Big Star, and of (the much later) Teenage Fanclub. If those are up your alley, it's worth a listen.
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Post by jk on Jan 18, 2021 21:14:35 GMT
Today I've been listening to Catspaw, the new album from Matthew Sweet, best known for his '90s indie-classic album Girlfriend. I'm not really familiar with Sweet's music--more his reputation--but when I read a positive review of the album at Allmusic.com, I decided to give it a shot.
I thought the name was familiar around these parts. bellbottoms was enthusing about a song on another album of his: thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/post/6565
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 22, 2021 13:28:23 GMT
Paul Stanley's side project, Paul Stanley's Soul Station, is releasing what I think is their debut album in March. It's largely a covers album of soul music, though it also has several originals. Here is a Rolling Stone article on the album. The first single is the great "Ooh Child."
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Post by kds on Jan 22, 2021 13:30:28 GMT
I actually meant to post this in the KISS thread. I listened to this cover, and to be honest, if I didn't know that was Paul, I'd not have guessed.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 22, 2021 14:48:58 GMT
Pleased to see a new album out from Kiwi Jr, the Canadian rock band I only just discovered last year (and whose "Salary Man" was one of my favorite songs of the year). They are in the vein of the Modern Lovers--like a Velvet Underground influenced band with a better sense of humor--and a nice balance of guitar-driven rock with tunes.
Here's "Undecided Voters," with a typically goofball video.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 28, 2021 18:00:02 GMT
I found out today that James Yorkston, a Scottish folk musician, recently released a new album, The Wide, Wide River, credited to James Yorkston and Second Hand Orchestra. His music, and especially his voice, often has a hard-to-describe warmth I really like. This album incorporates a pop sensibility that almost calls to mind early Belle & Sebastian, though nowhere near so twee.
Here is "Ella Mary Leather" from that album. I think it shows what I mean pretty well.
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Post by jk on Feb 24, 2021 15:12:55 GMT
Yesterday YouTube's algorithm fed me a brand-new album by one Peter Lawson called Epic Dream. Right now I'm most of the way through its equally excellent predecessor, Damaged. Lawson plays and sings everything on both, and even supplies the art work, such as this haunting image: peterlawson.bandcamp.com/music
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 26, 2021 14:43:36 GMT
Veteran (mostly) Scottish pop-rockers Teenage Fanclub have a new album coming out in March, and the first song released from it, "I'm More Inclined," really hit the spot with me this morning. The band added Welsh musician Euros Childs, who used to front Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, in what I think was a very good move. (He's a talented songwriter, keyboardist, and singer.)
This one has nothing out of left field, it's as straight-ahead power-pop as you can be. I really like it.
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Post by kds on Feb 26, 2021 14:57:37 GMT
I listened to Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories this morning.
I like the sound of it, it definitely has the feel of one of the early 70s albums, which makes sense since Bob Ezrin is producing and the surviving AC Group members are featured.
I think it ran a little long at 15 songs. Maybe take away three, and have a more concise 40 minute album, and we've got something. I'll definitely spend some more time with it.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 26, 2021 15:10:33 GMT
I listened to Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories this morning. I like the sound of it, it definitely has the feel of one of the early 70s albums, which makes sense since Bob Ezrin is producing and the surviving AC Group members are featured. I'm three songs in and agree that it sounds really good. I felt like "Rock and Roll" plodded a little, but the riff actually helps the song. (It's one of Lou Reed's best-regarded classics, but I've never really loved the song as it is.)
I like that the sound is really punchy and it definitely rocks, but it doesn't do what so many rock bands have done the past 20 years, which is pummel you with bass (both the instrument, and the EQ/mix). It's not sludge at all, it feels clean even as it's heavy. As you said, it reminds you to a degree of those 70s albums, though it is a little heavier and punchier than they were.
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Post by kds on Feb 26, 2021 15:18:46 GMT
I listened to Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories this morning. I like the sound of it, it definitely has the feel of one of the early 70s albums, which makes sense since Bob Ezrin is producing and the surviving AC Group members are featured. I'm three songs in and agree that it sounds really good. I felt like "Rock and Roll" plodded a little, but the riff actually helps the song. (It's one of Lou Reed's best-regarded classics, but I've never really loved the song as it is.)
I like that the sound is really punchy and it definitely rocks, but it doesn't do what so many rock bands have done the past 20 years, which is pummel you with bass (both the instrument, and the EQ/mix). It's not sludge at all, it feels clean even as it's heavy. As you said, it reminds you to a degree of those 70s albums, though it is a little heavier and punchier than they were.
Ezrin is good for getting that more of a classic rock sound on modern albums. The last three Purple albums (all produced by him) are their best sounding albums in decades.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 26, 2021 15:39:01 GMT
I appreciate that. Obviously the gear and technique still exists to get those sounds, it's just a matter of standard practices and taste. And I, for one--even forgetting about the music itself--think the best sounding albums tend to be early (and through the decade in some cases) 70s rock.
Not always. I have also said often how there is a typical guitar tone that feels thin and uses a lot of flanging or phasing that I hate. It was almost like they were making electric pianos and electric guitars sound the same. That was prominent in the 70s, and I didn't like it. But overall, I do think the best sounding records were from then.
In the 80s, I thought records began to often feel VERY thin and trebly. Too little bass both in terms of EQing things like drums and guitars, and in the bass guitars.
The 90s were all over the map depending on the genre, but toward the end is when that kind of sludge-bass sound seemed to take over, presumably out of nu-metal. But then it just infected everything from dance-oriented pop to rap to rock to metal.
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Post by kds on Feb 26, 2021 16:03:29 GMT
I appreciate that. Obviously the gear and technique still exists to get those sounds, it's just a matter of standard practices and taste. And I, for one--even forgetting about the music itself--think the best sounding albums tend to be early (and through the decade in some cases) 70s rock.
Not always. I have also said often how there is a typical guitar tone that feels thin and uses a lot of flanging or phasing that I hate. It was almost like they were making electric pianos and electric guitars sound the same. That was prominent in the 70s, and I didn't like it. But overall, I do think the best sounding records were from then.
In the 80s, I thought records began to often feel VERY thin and trebly. Too little bass both in terms of EQing things like drums and guitars, and in the bass guitars.
The 90s were all over the map depending on the genre, but toward the end is when that kind of sludge-bass sound seemed to take over, presumably out of nu-metal. But then it just infected everything from dance-oriented pop to rap to rock to metal.
I'd agree with that. If you asked me to list my all time favorite sounding albums, I'd like a lot of them would be from the 1970s. I'm thinking a lot of Queen and Floyd would make my list, not just because they're two of my favorite bands, but those albums fall under that "test your new stereo sound" album category.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 26, 2021 16:42:47 GMT
Yes, as well as Zeppelin, the Who's great early 70s albums, Harry Nilsson's early 70s albums (which sound FANTASTIC), the first two Beach Boys '70s albums, Big Star's first two albums, Simon & Garfunkel's finale, Linda Ronstadt's early albums, the Eagles' albums, and many more.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 4, 2021 13:37:34 GMT
The first song from the upcoming St. Vincent album, Daddy's Home, is out with a video. "Pay Your Way In Pain" definitely has the '70s aesthetic she has said was coming, though it is more funk (and almost proto-rap) than I expected. I'm not sure what I think of this yet.
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