Today’s Random Album of the Day is Sea Stacks and Sleestacks from The Jade Shader. Rate Your Music lists this as Indie Rock and Post-Hardore. The Indie Rock I see but not the Post-Hardcore. I don’t really see that at all.
I really wanted to like this but I didn’t really get into it. It’s kind of plain rock and roll to me. Which is disappointing because they even self-tag it as experimental rock. but I didn’t get the experimental part. It did get better as the album progressed but it never reached me.
Rating: 6.0
Favorite Track(s): “The Sky is a Sea” is okay. “Metamorphosis 1” is actually good. Unfortunately that’s all I got.
Keep or Trash: Trash. I just didn’t like it enough to keep it.
Today’s Random Album of the Day is Trans Day of Revenge from G.L.O.S.S. And yes, after the Trump Administration this should become a National Holiday. Anyhow, G.L.O.S.S. is a Hardcore Punk band.
And they rock. They are really good. And I love that they are basically a radical trans band. I bought this after their other EP came up on the Random Album of the Day a few weeks back…
Rating: 9.8
Favorite Track(s): “Give Violence a Chance” is not my normal means of operation as a non-violent activist but it’s a kick ass song. “Out From The Desk” also rips! And shreds! And tears shit up! “Fight” continues the awesomeness that is this album. “We Live” and “Trans Day of Revenge” also tear. Very good album!
Happy Labor Day! Today’s Random Album of the Day is Moon Food from Unbunny. This is Indie Pop or Folk Rock. Indie Folk is aptly descriptive here.
Anyhow this is the second Unbunny album to make the Random Album of the Day. I like them for some reason. Though I prefer them when they are more stripped down than they are on “Whispers” for example.
Rating: 8.0
Favorite Track(s): “February Secret” starts out dramatic but it’s a good song. “You Run Like a Girl” I like though it has some personal backstory as a song. “Are You Cautious? / Design Flaw” is great. Unbunny with female vocals really takes a step up for me.
The Random Album today is a Daytrotter Session from J. Tillman. Their listed genres are Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Ambient, and Americana.
While this is solid musically, it doesn’t do a lot for me. I don’t see myself ever listening to it. This album might work best if you are stoned but that’s not my thing. Right after I wrote that Jen said “This is weed smoking music.”
Rating: 7.0
Favorite Track(s): “Though I have Wronged You” is good musically. “Barter Blues” is a bit better.
Today’s Random Album of the Day is Mortal Mirror from Quix*o*tic. This is an old favorite so I’m pleased to listen to it. They are an Indie Rock band.
I really like this album. It’s somewhat haunting but highly entertaining and just great overall. It has a good consistent sound.
Rating: 9.5
Favorite Track(s): “Ice Cream Sundae” gets in my head it’s so good. “Anonymous Face” always gets my attention. I want to sing along! “Open Up The Walls” is so haunting! “Sitting in the Park” is so great. Catchy of course. “Forget to Sing” really works for me. “To This World I Must Give In” might be my second favorite track. “Tell it Like it is” is extremely well done.
Today’s Random Album of the Day is a compilation from various artists. This is the Slow Rack Sampler from Badman Recording Company, I don’t ever listen to various artist compilations. So I’m glad to see them come up on the Random Album of the Day. I just don’t naturally seek them out. But sometimes they do really rock.
As a Slow Rock Sampler this is pretty chill overall. Which isn’t bad for the morning. None of these songs knock me off my chair. But only like one of them makes me want to march off in disgust either. Still, there are songs I didn’t love. There are songs I liked. I guess what you’d expect from a compilation that isn’t entirely in your wheelhouse.
Rating: 7.0
Favorite Track(s): “Home by Saturday”. I’ve always liked Hayden. “Wax Museum” from Read Thread is good. I like the guitar riff. “Hollow Heart” from N. Lannon is peaceful. I liked “Impossible” from Pleasant Grove. I liked “Brightness” from Lanterna. And it was nice to hear a woman’s voice on “Tomorrow On the Runway” from the Innocence Mission.
Keep or Trash: Trash. Honestly it’s a higher threshold to keep a various artist compilation. I have to like it more to keep it than a stand alone album. And this doesn’t meet that higher threshold for me. There is no song I absolutely love and must have. The album itself is fine but not spectacular. And so forth… If I ever feel the need to hear this album (won’t happen) I’ve reconstructed in streaming links below.
I could not find this, but I found ALL of the songs separately so here are links to stream THE songs in the order that they are on the compilation…
Today’s Random Album of the Day is Live in Stockholm from Apolo. Apolo is a rock band from Mexico.
This was released by Joyful Noise which I do generally like as a label. It feels a bit like stoner rock to be honest. It’s not my favorite genre but I don’t dislike it.
Most everything is solidly good but most of it is stuff I don’t love either. So it falls between for me. I like it overall, but don’t love.
Rating: 7.5
Favorite Track(s): “Alacrán” is good. “Catarsis” also good.
Keep or Trash: Trash. Tough call but I don’t see myself listening to this much.
Today’s Random Album of the Day is a Daytrotter Session from Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard. This is straight up Rock ‘n Roll. Maybe Garage Rock adjacent.
I’m mostly familiar with Jeffrey Lewis’ solo material. This starts out more rock ‘n roll than the material I know. I’m used to meandering monologues about oral sex or falling in love. You do get some of that feel from “Roll Bus Roll” and then you get the full Jeffrey Lewis thing with “Could’t Take It Anymore”. Good ol’ rambling monologue to music!
Rating: 9.4
Favorite Track(s): “Walk Into the Mirror” is solid rock ‘n roll. “Couldn’t Take It Anymore” gives us some classic Jeffrey Lewis. “The Upside-Down Cross” is probably the best song though. It has the best music to go with the vocals.
Today’s Random Album of the Day is Summer Sun from Yo La Tengo. I have always thought of Yo La Tengo as straight up Indie Rock but Rate Your Music does list all of these genres which all make some sense: Indie Rock, Noise Pop, Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Post-Rock, and Ambient Pop.
This band is so prolific that I have over 20 of their albums. I’ve been a huge fan since May I Sing With Me which I used to play on my radio show in college. Yet I have not listened to Summer Sun a lot. I think it just fell through the cracks. So I’m stoked it came up today!
I’ve always loved Yo La Tengo’s mix of softness with great noisy guitar solos and often times keyboard droning. Their shows are great. Their albums are great. They are fantastic to me and Summer Sun is a good album. It’s a good but not great album I feel. Totally enjoyable which is what matters. It’s perhaps a bit too chill, but also totally chill and that’s good.
Rating: 9.6
Favorite Track(s): “Little Eyes” is classic Yo La Tengo. Love it. “Today is the Day” is great. Love it. “Tiny Birds” is excellent. Overall consistently good music.
