Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops.

Maybe like... 4 good tracks.

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers vol. 1

I like Sweet. I like Hoffs. I like most of the songs on the album. But somehow those three things are not, as I anticipated, a recipe for success. Between the two of them, they've managed to drain the life out of a bunch of classic 60s and 70s songs. Too bad.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers vol. 1

I like Sweet. I like Hoffs. I like most of the songs on the album. But somehow those three things are not, as I anticipated, a recipe for success. Between the two of them, they've managed to drain the life out of a bunch of classic 60s and 70s songs. Too bad.

Don't give up on this so soon. I felt the same way as you did, at first, but many of the tracks have grown on me. Some (like the cover of Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue") still suck, but others get better with repeated listens. I agree that this should have been an out and out winner, not a 'grower', but giving it a few more spins helped me like it more.

quote:

Originally posted by hudson:
The new Streets album=weak, at best. Big dissapointment.

I quite enjoy it. Tracks like "Prangin Out", "Hotel Expressionism", "Memento Mori" and "Can't Con An Honest John" reveal he's not the simple beat, can't-hardly-harmonize garage goob the skeptics were trying to peg him as. I doubt the metascore will top 70 since we seem to be on the verge of throwing bloggers into the average (thanks for the RSS feeds — now start trimming the fat) and these kids hate anything different...or the same...I'm not sure what people want. The only hope for Clap Your Wolf Say Fire is not to release a follow-up.

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:

quote:

Originally posted by hudson:
The new Streets album=weak, at best. Big dissapointment.

I quite enjoy it. Tracks like "Prangin Out", "Hotel Expressionism", "Memento Mori" and "Can't Con An Honest John" reveal he's not the simple beat, can't-hardly-harmonize garage goob the skeptics were trying to peg him as. I doubt the metascore will top 70 since we seem to be on the verge of throwing bloggers into the average (thanks for the RSS feeds — now start trimming the fat) and these kids hate anything different...or the same...I'm not sure what people want. The only hope for Clap Your Wolf Say Fire is not to release a follow-up.

Well, what I liked about him was the fact that he was a "simple beat, can't-hardly-harmonize garage goob". Not that I would use those exact words or anything. But I think what made people adore the guy was his raw, garage, genuine, goob quality. Now he just sounds like a whiteboy faker trying to be a player in the big world of corporate-released rap.

His niche was his raw, garage sound. That made him the real deal. I don't like this new, polished, over-produced, over-synthisized stuff he released.

Maybe it'll grow on me. I listened to "prangin out" yesterday, it wasn't horrible. I'm still super dissapointed in his new sound though.

quote:

But I think what made people adore the guy was his raw, garage, genuine, goob quality. Now he just sounds like a whiteboy faker trying to be a player in the big world of corporate-released rap.

The persona he invented for A Grand Don't Come for Free was genuine? That's a neat trick.

Chalk me up for Drive By Truckers.

Blessing and a Curse is an album without vigor.

Vigor, being the greatest quality that DBT's great albums posess.

At this point, Have to still Say Ballad of the Broken Seas.

I like Fox Confessor even less, but I've just recently discovered Neko Case, first via the New Pornographers, then Solo. I love her with NPs, and think she's got a great voice, but have come to the conclusion that I'm just not into her solo alt/almost prog-country vocal style - it's lacks both grit and shape. So can't label Fox a disappointment...it's just a very consistent effort in a style I don't like.

From First To Last - Heroine
Placebo - Meds

Neither are bad, just dissapointing.

What's so bad about Ballad of the Broken Seas?

quote:

Originally posted by DaninGraniteCity:
What's so bad about Ballad of the Broken Seas?

I'm with you Dan. I think Ballad of the Broken Seas is one of the better albums I've heard this year. It may not be a classic, but it's at least as good as I would've expected.

quote:

What's so bad about Ballad of the Broken Seas?

It's not terrible, just flat and disappointing for me in light of the fact that I though Bubblegum was 2004's top album, and has a lot of blatant filler.

HoneyChild What Can I Do may be the only song on Ballad that's better than Bubblegum's worst track.

I've been pretty disappointed with The Vacation's self-titled album. It came to me highly recommended, but it just doesn't work for me. I like retro rock pretty well, but there's just something boring about The Vacation.

quote:

3.) Tapes 'n' Tapes The Loon (I think this came out in '05, but who really heard it last year?)

I did, because bloggers would NOT shut up about them, leading me to be very disappointed when I finally heard it. Just typical, average, Indie Rock, nothing all that special about it. Also...

The Sound of Animals Fighting - Lover, the Lord Has Left Us: Boy was I disappointed in this. I really liked Tiger and the Duke, if only because it was a wonderful blend of Experimental and your typical 00s Post-Hardcore. It was fun and interesting. But this is just a bad ripoff of every good Experimental band around these days, and without anything that made the first album good.

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth: I think I'll just keep pretending that the Strokes only released one album.

Elefant - The Black Magic Show: It may not have been groundbreaking or anything, but the first album was fun. This is just a boring, mediocre, rehash of 80s Post-Punk/New Wave.

Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors: Actually, I shouldn't have really been all that disappointed in this. After all, when was the last time Moz's solo career was any good?

Islands - Return to the Sea: This is basically The Unicorns minus everything that made them good.

AIDS Wolf - The Lovvers LP: Worst Noise I've ever heard. If they weren't friends with Wolf Parade, this band would be nowhere.

Oof. AIDS Wolf are... well, about as pleasant as a skin-puncturing bite from a wolf with AIDS.

Yeah, I said it.

Court and Spark - Hearts

It's weaker than their last two full-lengths, Bless You and Witch Season. It's definitely a change in style for them. The opening track is kind of funky, and there are a few other unconventional rock-oriented songs. There are some almost ambient instrumental interludes as well. It's not without a few good songs ("We're All Uptown Rulers,"Birmingham to Blackhorse We Wandered," and "Berliners"), but overall it's pretty mediocre.

Band of Horses cd is weak in my opinion, despite all the pitchfork related hype. I just think the drony, whiny melodic tone is too played out for me, plus they sound so much like the shins its almost unbearable.

quote:

Originally posted by futurepope:
Band of Horses cd is weak in my opinion, despite all the pitchfork related hype. I just think the drony, whiny melodic tone is too played out for me, plus they sound so much like the shins its almost unbearable.

I don't get the appeal of Band of Horses either, but the Shins? I would've never come up with that comparison.

I actually think their record kinda rocks a little bit. It definitely, pleasantly surprised me when I first heard it. Usually, I'm not into that kind of thing, but it grew on me. The riffs are good. Its an above-avg debut record.

I haven't heard the whole record but all these comparisons to The Shins are ridiculous in my view. I think the closest comparison has to go to My Morning Jacket.