Donnerstag, 24. Jul 2014, 16:54
If anyone's been paying attention, the breaks between these blog posts have been getting longer and longer. I think I've been delving too deeply into this project and I'm going to try to cut back on any deeper analysis. Maybe I've also been writing a bit too much just for the sake of writing so let me start this one by making a promise to myself: I'll try to keep each album's part down to five sentences unless it's something I specifically feel gushing about. Don't want this time killer to turn into a chore.
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Butthole Surfers - Electriclarryland
Independent Worm Saloon will always be the most important Butthole Surfers album for me but I can't deny Electriclarryland is the overall better one of the two. Not that I'm an expert, I only own three Surfers albums (so far) but that still doesn't take anything away from my opinion. The songwriting is more focused and granted, the album has much more mainstream appeal. Punk meets 90's alternative on acid. The song that personifies this album for me is "Jingle Of A Dog's Collar".
Current 93 - All The Pretty Little Horses
If you're not familiar with Current 93, this is hands down the album you should start with. A masterpiece of apocalyptic folk. And if you're expecting just a guy singing with acoustic accompaniment, All The Pretty Little Horses offers a lot more. This album is ripe with experimental sounds. Nick Cave guests on vocals for the last two tracks.
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As I am a Scott Walker fan myself, I've been aware of Neil Hannon's the Divine Comedy for some time (being that he is an unabashed worshipper). Yet it was only late last year (2013) that I acquired most of the Divine Comedy discography in one fell swoop as they were on sale. Many a classic album in the bunch and Casanova is the first one of them to get the pick. It all starts with the one-two punch of "Something For The Weekend" and "Becoming More Like Alfie" and you're instantly hooked. Another favorite of mine, "In & Out Of Paris & London" is a perfect example of Walker's influence on Neil's own vocal delivery and a great song just as well.
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If you were around in 1996 and were at all into music, it was hard to avoid exposure to Sepultura. I remember the video for "Roots Bloody Roots" got a lot of plays on music TV shows - couple of my classmates in elementary school thought the chorus went "Blut, Kali, Blut". Clearly a departure from the band's earlier thrash sound, Roots features much more tribal elements and in retrospect, you could say it was signalling the impending arrival of nu metal. Some years back I would have said this was my favorite Sepultura album, now I'm not so sure anymore. Regardless, Roots is a pinnacle in Sepultura's career and deserves a spot on any list of great albums from 1996.
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Xysma is a pioneering Finnish grindcore/death metal band with an interesting career arc. After their first couple albums, they would move towards a decidedly more rock-oriented sound and by the time of Lotto there were no signs of of their past as a death metal band to be heard. This album is modern rock from 1996, yet still it sounds timeless. If you've seen Brian De Palma's movie Snake Eyes starring Nicholas Cage, you may have heard the opening track "Shortest Route". However if I had to pick one song off this album, it would be "New Gel In Town".