Audio

Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is a split record with two artists: Hi Ho Silver Away! and Quick Attack. The album is titled Quick Silver Attack Away!

The first half of the album is Hi Ho Silver, Away! And it’s basically pop punk – but pop punk I basically like I guess. Somehow I worry the lyrics are cringe but I won’t catch most of them on the first listen. The music has an emo feel which works for me. The ‘sweetheart’ on “Fence Sitter” I could do without for reasons. But mostly I thought they had a lot of potential. They have a sort of leaning toward an anthemic sound that could really work but maybe here doesn’t quite get to where I want it to.

The second half of the album is Quick Attack. More straightforward and a bit more punk. I like their song-writing. The songs tend to evolve and grow as they go. Or at least some do. And they have a bit more punk in them.

On the whole I feel like Quick Attack helped carry this album though I think I found it through Hi Ho Silver Away! originally. I think maybe I liked their band name and that was enough to pull me in initially.

Rating: 8.0 overall. I’d probably 8.5 Quick Attack and 7.5 for Hi Ho Silver Away!

Favorite Track(s): Hi Ho Silver Away!: “You Know About Stag Beetles??” starts off the album well. Not sure about the lyrics. “Shred the Gnar” I liked. Feels a bit emo in a good way. “20 Miles Per Gallon” had a nice anthemic for the disillusioned feel. “Sand for Sandbags” actually had a nice Uncle Tupelo feel. Quick Attack: “Champion of Vines” is appealing but I can’t put my finger on why. But it isn’t static. It weaves and evolves as a song. “Smash the State Street” is an odd title but the song seems fun. Reminds me of Harry and the Potters without the book based lyrics. I just like the title of “Artistoked”. The music is solid too. I Like “Drench Refrains” for its simple punk thing. “Regina” sounds good. I like that they seem to be having a lot of fun.

Keep or Trash: Keep.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is a Demos tape from Sweet Talk. This is a very short album coming in with 10 songs at 11 minutes. They are basically hardcore.

Songs range from 10 seconds to 90 seconds long. The Demo quality helps to blur the songs together a little. But overall it seems a solid demo tape to me. I’m no hardcore expert. But I enjoy it enough. The album never lets up until like the 8th song and that’s for three seconds. It drives hard and intense the whole way.

Rating: 8.0. Maybe higher with better sound quality.

Favorite Track(s): “Old Habits” really rocks. “All-Overs” kind of sounds the same but it’s good so that’s good? “June/July” is a solid tune. I imagine “Greenhouse” being lyrically interesting. Something about “Growing Down” really works for me as things slow down a little. I like the chaos of “Acid Reflux” and dare I say it’s appropriate?

Keep or Trash: Keep. It works for me.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is ✦✧ from 100%. Yes that’s a symbol heavy title. And as you’d expect this music has an experimental edge at times. Otherwise it’s singer-songwriter indie folk.

I like this EP. I might explore more of their music. It is edgy without losing melody. But as much as I get the edginess of the album artwork – that could be better.

Rating: 8.9

Favorite Track(s): “Birds Bear no message” was melodic. “What do you” was emotive. I wish the sound was better on “Sled” but I think I like it based on what I could hear.

Keep or Trash: Keep. Definitely fits in the niche that is my taste in music.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is another Daytrotter Session. This is from Haley Bonar. She seems to be a country singer. It’s not what I would call bad country per se. It’s alt-country though maybe less alt than some others. Her voice is excellent. And it is probably good for country. Both my wife and I reacted with that’s ok. As in it’s good but not in our wheel house of what we prefer.

Rating: 7.5

Favorite Track(s): “Green Eyed Boy” probably because it is the least country.

Keep or Trash: Trash. It’s fine but I won’t listen to it like ever.

The Daytrotter Session can be listened to here

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is the Hot and Informed EP from Q and Not U. Yes, we’ve encountered them before on the Random Album of the Day. This is, in fact, our first repeat artist! They were I think our third artist ever on the Random Album of the Day.

Anyhow, Q and Not U is a post hardcore band from DC. They first formed in 1998 and they are really quite good. This is just a 3 song EP but it does provide a good glimpse into their music.

Rating: 9.6

Favorite Track(s): “And the Washington Monument Blinks Goodnight” is a solid tune and a great song title. The beeping should be annoying but I enjoy it. That’s a good song but “Bus Lights Busy Carpet” is a great song! “Kiss Distinctly American” is the last song and it’s slower paced but good.

Keep or Trash: Keep.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is a Daytrotter Session from Woodsman. They are listed as post rock or psychedelic rock or Neo-Psychedelia. I went in with low expectations but those genre tags intrigue me.

Post rock is most apt I think for these three songs. Though I do see the psychedelic tinge. It’s actually pretty good. I had low expectations for whatever reason but not bad at all.

Rating: 9.0

Favorite Track(s): “Healthy Life” most caught my attention.

Keep or Trash: Keep.

This Daytrotter Session can be streamed at this link. It dates from February 3, 2014.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is Give Up the Ghost from Brandi Carlile. I originally rolled another “album” but it wasn’t clear if it was an album or just a bunch of singles I had for that artist. So I’m going to research that and bump it to another day. I just need time to clarify information on it.

Brandi Carlile is pop folk. A bit on the poppy end to be something I get too into maybe. But I do like her music. Like I thought “Looking Out” was a solid folk rock song but “Dying Day” felt bland to me. I should love it as it’s a sappy love song and I’m a total sap. Same with “Oh dear”.

So overall I have mixed feelings on the album. Some songs I like and some I don’t love. Nothing I absolutely hate though so a good album overall.

Rating: 8.0

Favorite Track(s): “Looking Out” is a solid folk rock song. “Dreams” is nice and anthemic. I Like “Caroline” quite a bit actually. “Touching the Ground” is the reason I have this album. I love it.

Keep or Trash: Keep.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is another one from XDS (aka Experimental Dental School). This one is their latest album, Bicycle Ripper – their first album in 14 years. Facts like this make me feel as old as I am. I just bought this album recently actually. After 14 years they sound similar but different as one would expect. Still good is what matters.

XDS is noise rock or experimental rock. It’s both of course. This album brings a little less volume to it it feels like. But it still brings the noisy sound and a very experimental approach. Not disappointed at all. Very good.

Rating: 9.6

Favorite Track(s): “Hot Panther Cold Moon” evokes old school XDS to me. “Octave Cat Rainbow” has some good riffs. “Bicycle Ripper” unsurprisingly ripped. It’s got good tilt to it. “Dune Mellow” was excellent. “Worry Doll’s Blues” has an almost chill feeling to it – in a good way. “Shake Shadows” is good. etc…

Keep or Trash: Keep.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is 010 from Ulysses. Ulysses is considered slacker rock or indie pop. It’s a side project of Apples in Stereo singer and keyboardist. They just have this one album I think. I’m not totally sure but I actually like this better than Apples in Stereo which is interesting.

So yeah I do like this. It’s plain indie rock to me. Pretty simple and enjoyable. Also good to sing along to.

Rating: 9.3

Favorite Track(s): “Television” just works for me with both its lyrics and melody. “Burning You” has good sing along ability. “Castles in Spain” also makes me want to belt it out. “Evening Star” is another good catchy tune.

Keep or Trash: Keep.

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Random Album of the Day

Today’s Random Album of the Day is Spring St EP from City Center. I misread Rate Your Music and thought they classified one of the genres for City Center as “Indie Stuff”. That would be some vague bullshit right there. But I made that up.

Like many weird indie experimental stuff, this EP gets a few genre tags such as Hypnagogic Pop, Ambient Pop, Sound Collage, Slacker Rock, Noise, and Field Recording. I mean I can’t really argue with any of that except maybe pop. But it also sort of works as pop I guess in its own weird way.

Whatever this EP is, I like it. It’s got an eclectic indie melody going with intermittent samples and noise. At the same time, do I need more of their music? That is hard to say. I think I’d have to listen to see how their sound evolves. I do like this, but also am not sure how much more of this exact sound that I need. Jen also didn’t find it very exciting so there is that as well. It is absolutely an acquired taste. gotta like some weirdness to your music.

Rating: 8.8

Favorite Track(s): “Sky Flowers” is so ethereal and lovely while being slightly abrasive in a good way. Perhaps a bit long and repetitive. I like the haunting tilt to “How We Live”.

Keep or Trash: Keep. This won’t get a lot of listens but it does fit a certain mood.

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