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- Review count83
- Helpfulness votes48
- First reviewMarch 2, 2010
- Last reviewFebruary 11, 2017
- Featured reviews1
- Average rating4.1
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![The Adolescents [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2099/2099507_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
A Landmark Album in the L.A. Hardcore Punk Canon
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you're going to talk about American hardcore or American punk, you have to talk about Los Angeles. That's where hardcore was born by bands like Black Flag, the Germs, the Descendents, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, and the many bands that followed. It's even worth mentioning D.C. and New York as the Ramones relocated to California in the late '70s and Minor Threat who toured L.A. in the early '80s (Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins are best friends, after all). The Adolescents followed the initial wave of hardcore punk bands, forming in 1980 with former members of Agent Orange and Social D coming together to form one of the first punk "supergroups" in history.
The Adolescents's sound is very early '80s L.A. hardcore, with a lot of parallels to Agent Orange and early Social D (of course) as well as Bad Religion and the Germs. They took a lot of their inspiration and influences from the godfathers of their genre, especially in the vocal stylings of singer Tony Cadena. His lyrical delivery is very, very reminiscent of the late Darby Crash, who sadly passed away from an intentional heroin overdose a mere six months prior to the release of this album. In short, the Adolescents pay homage to their forebearers and helped to usher in the era of '80s hardcore punk that has yet to see its demise.
To say that this album is a landmark in '80s L.A. subculture is an understatement, and it holds its own when held up against the many albums that followed its release. However, it does sound very much like an '80s L.A. hardcore punk album (which it is) and doesn't sound, in retrospect, tremendously unique when held in comparision to other albums released around the same time. The band stick very close to the standard under-two-minute mark for the majority of their songs, breaking tradition for the outstanding "Kids of the Black Hole" and "Amoeba," and it's the four-song assault of "Kids of the Black Hole" through "Word Attack" that really make this album stand out. "Democracy" was most assuredly an anthem back in '81, and "No Friends" touches rather well on the subjects of alienation and isolation that was a constant theme in Black Flag's music. Another personal favorite is "L.A. Girl" for its statement on society and L.A. culture.
While perhaps not my favorite L.A. hardcore punk album of all time, this is definitely a landmark recording in its canon. If you're at all into that particular music scene, this album is mandatory listening. Now get to it!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Hold That Tiger [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/3474/3474181_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
SY's First Official Live Album's One for the Books
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
It was October 14, 1987, and Sonic Youth was playing the Cabaret Metro in Chicago, IL. The band's most recent album, "Sister," had been out for roughly four months, and they'd been touring the album pretty heavily. Of the ten songs on "Sister," only one song didn't make its way into their setlist: "Hot Wire My Heart," which was a cover of a Crime song. The rest of the album was played with the addition of "Tom Violence" and "Expressway to Yr. Skull" from EVOL and "Death Valley '69." And, in keeping with their NYC roots, they closed with a few Ramones covers (perhaps to make up for not including "Hot Wire My Heart" in the setlist).
If you're a fan of Sonic Youth or of the no wave movement in general, you should already have this album. "Sister" was the last album the band released through SST, the legendary independent punk label based in (then) L.A., and in nine months the band would begin recording their magnum opus "Daydream Nation." They were at the top of their game and headed into the '90s when punk would finally break out of the underground. Though always on the fringe, Sonic Youth was one of the many bands instrumental in the alternative movement that exploded with the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind" and, for all intents and purposes, has never really died down. And while alternative music isn't what it used to be, nothing ever is; all music evolves over time, and alternative is no exception.
The problem when listening to any live Sonic Youth recording is understanding that no venue is designed with them in mind. If Spinal Tap turned their amps up to 11, Sonic Youth turns their up to AT LEAST 13. Their multi-layered guitar assault is best played at a high volume level so you can experience the performance both physically as well as aurally. Though I've listened to a large amount of Sonic Youth's discography, I've not had the pleasure of hearing either "EVOL" or "Sister." I do, however, own "Hits Are for Squares," which features "Tom Violence," Tuff Gnarl," and "Expressway to Yr. Skull," and the live recordings here blow those studio versions to dust. I can only imagine the rest can be said of the other studio tracks featured on the setlist.
The Ramones covers are a lovely bookend to an already amazing live performance. And, in atypical Sonic Youth fashion, they play them in much the same way the Ramones would have performed the songs. Very little of the standard Sonic Youth flair is to be found in these four songs, almost as if a certain degree of reverence is being given to the godfathers of punk. Needless to say, it's not hard to imagine Johnny Ramone standing on the stage ripping into these classics alongside Thurston and Lee.
If you have yet to be initiated into the wild and crazy world of Sonic Youth--particularly the early, indie days--do yourself a favor and buy this album. As I mentioned above, I've never been able to get my hands on a decent copy of "Sister," and now I possibly never will. There are bands that were made for the studio and bands that were made for the stage...and Sonic Youth was made for the stage.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Waxing Romantic [LP] - VINYL](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2621/26213403_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Riding a Fine Line Between Dream Pop and Shoegaze
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Travis Bretzer in one among a growing selection of intriguing artists from the independent New York label Mexican Summer, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite labels from which to shop. His music rides a fine line and yet finds a delicate balance between dream pop and shoegaze that is utterly captivating. Once you put this album on to play, it's very easy to get lost in the soothing vibe as the music plays. It's also an album that grows on you the more you listen to it.
Travis's guitar work reminds me a lot of Mexican Summer's veteran of weird pop, Connan Mockasin, but the stories he weaves in his songs are far less strange and more earthbound (no songs about anthropomorphic dolphins here). Listening to the album is akin to being passenger to a long summer car ride through a quiet field: there's a certain sense of tranquility and floatiness to the music. The stand-out tracks for me are "Idle By," "Promises" (one of my favorites), "Don't Forget," "Lady Red" (an excellent single)," and "Good Times."
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Snare Lustrous Doomings [LP] - VINYL](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2943/29432179_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The First Live of Montreal Album Is a Must-Have!
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you've been on the fence about whether or not you want to dig into the catalog of of Montreal (it's fairly vast), this is the record for you. I don't know if "Snare Lustrous Doomings" was initially released as a 3,000-copy Record Store Day exclusive in 2015, but it was later given a full-fledged release, and for good reason. Everyone should have the opportunity to hear this record. It's utterly fantastic, and it's allowed me as a casual fan of the band to sit back in awe of their performance.
There are bands who channel their energy better on the open stage than they do in an enclosed space like a recording studio. Though Kevin Barnes and of Montreal do an excellent job channeling their energy in the recording studio, when they're on stage...it's amazing. The recordings used for their first-ever live album, "Snare Lustrous Doomings," were taken from performances at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and Portland's Wonder Ballroom, and they make up one of the best live albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The songs from these shows span through six of their albums, focusing primarily on "Lousy with Sylvianbriar" and "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?") and proves the band is a live entity to be feared and respected. The performances on this album are, in my opinion, the best I've heard, and I've listened to all the albums represented here except for "Bedside Drama," so I think that's saying something.
The level of energy, the quality of the performances, and the crystal-clear quality of the sound just completely blew me away. Of Montreal has a rather complex level of instrumentation in their songs, but that doesn't bog down their live shows whatsoever. In fact, I feel as though the live setting (as opposed to the studio setting) allowed the idiosyncratic style of their music really shine. To be honest, I can't even pick a favorite song from this album because they're all so, so good. Just buy the album, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This truly is a live album to end all live albums.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1880/18800921_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Another Psychedelic Rock Gem from Mexican Summer
on December 5, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Mexican Summer is quickly becoming one of my new favorite record labels. Before they'd changed their name from Kemado Records, I loved them as the label that signed the Sword, whom I love, but Mexican Summer has some pretty amazing psychedelic rock albums that have truly blown my mind. One of those albums is the Black Ryder's "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride," which should be on the shelf of any self-respecting psych-rock fan's record collection.
I first heard about the band through the Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe's Twitter feed. The band has been on the bill for Austin Psych Fest several years in a row, and I've grown into a rather big BJM fan over the last couple years. Finally, I decided to give the band a shot and ordered the album from Mexican Summer's website. To say I've been wholly and completely satisfied with my purchase is an understatement to say the least.
If you're a fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the BJM, or the Jesus and Mary Chain, you're certain to find something to love about the about the Black Ryder. To put it mildly, they sound like a female-fronted BJM, but there's more to it than that. There are elements of psychedelia, shoegaze, and dream pop that go so perfectly together that you can't help but get lost in each song. And so many of the songs are just dynamite that it's hard to pick a single favorite. "To Never Know You," "Let It Go," "Grass," and "Outside" kick off the album beautifully before it slows down with "Gone Without Feeling," "The Greatest Fall," and "What's Forsaken." "All That We See" is a very BJM-infused song and has a lot of that Eastern influence. "Sweet Come Down" has a very slow, quiet, almost country-esque vibe to it that's unlike any other song on the album. "Burn and Fade" describes itself perfectly: it start of rather slowly and quietly before building into something much bigger and heavier. Finally, "Rise" closes out the album on a gentler tone, building much like "Burn and Fade" without exploding the way the previous song does.
All in all, if you're curious about this band, indulge yourself. Buy the album, put it on, and relax as the music pours over you. If it doesn't relax you and put you in a different frame of mind, I don't know what will!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Snare Lustrous Doomings [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2943/29432188_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
The First Live of Montreal Album Is a Must-Have
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If you've been on the fence about whether or not you want to dig into the catalog of of Montreal (it's fairly vast), this is the record for you. Originally released as a limited-edition Record Store Day exclusive of 3,000 copies, "Snare Lustrous Doomings" was thankfully given a mass release on October 9, 2015. Everyone should have the opportunity to hear this record, and now they can. It's utterly fantastic, and it's allowed me as a casual fan of the band to sit back in awe of their performance.
There are bands who channel their energy better on the open stage than they do in an enclosed space like a recording studio. Though Kevin Barnes and of Montreal do an excellent job channeling their energy in the recording studio, when they're on stage...it's amazing. The recordings used for their first-ever live album, "Snare Lustrous Doomings," were taken from performances at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall and Portland's Wonder Ballroom, and they make up one of the best live albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The songs from these shows span through six of their albums, focusing primarily on "Lousy with Sylvianbriar" and "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?") and proves the band is a live entity to be feared and respected. The performances on this album are, in my opinion, the best I've heard, and I've listened to all the albums represented here except for "Bedside Drama," so I think that's saying something.
The level of energy, the quality of the performances, and the crystal-clear quality of the sound just completely blew me away. Of Montreal has a rather complex level of instrumentation in their songs, but that doesn't bog down their live shows whatsoever. In fact, I feel as though the live setting (as opposed to the studio setting) allowed the idiosyncratic style of their music really shine. To be honest, I can't even pick a favorite song from this album because they're all so, so good. Just buy the album, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This truly is a live album to end all live albums.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride [CD]](https://bestbuy.ugc.bazaarvoice.com/profiles/3545w/static/noimage70.gif)
Customer Rating
5
Another Psychedelic Rock Gem from Mexican Summer
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
Mexican Summer is quickly becoming one of my new favorite record labels. Before they'd changed their name from Kemado Records, I loved them as the label that signed the Sword, whom I love, but Mexican Summer has some pretty amazing psychedelic rock albums that have truly blown my mind. One of those albums is the Black Ryder's "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride," which should be on the shelf of any self-respecting psych-rock fan's record collection.
I first heard about the band through the Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe's Twitter feed. The band has been on the bill for Austin Psych Fest several years in a row, and I've grown into a rather big BJM fan over the last couple years. Finally, I decided to give the band a shot and ordered the album from Mexican Summer's website. To say I've been wholly and completely satisfied with my purchase is an understatement to say the least.
If you're a fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the BJM, or the Jesus and Mary Chain, you're certain to find something to love about the about the Black Ryder. To put it mildly, they sound like a female-fronted BJM, but there's more to it than that. There are elements of psychedelia, shoegaze, and dream pop that go so perfectly together that you can't help but get lost in each song. And so many of the songs are just dynamite that it's hard to pick a single favorite. "To Never Know You," "Let It Go," "Grass," and "Outside" kick off the album beautifully before it slows down with "Gone Without Feeling," "The Greatest Fall," and "What's Forsaken." "All That We See" is a very BJM-infused song and has a lot of that Eastern influence. "Sweet Come Down" has a very slow, quiet, almost country-esque vibe to it that's unlike any other song on the album. "Burn and Fade" describes itself perfectly: it start of rather slowly and quietly before building into something much bigger and heavier. Finally, "Rise" closes out the album on a gentler tone, building much like "Burn and Fade" without exploding the way the previous song does.
All in all, if you're curious about this band, indulge yourself. Buy the album, put it on, and relax as the music pours over you. If it doesn't relax you and put you in a different frame of mind, I don't know what will!
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Phosphorescent Harvest [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5290/5290046_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
The Cosmic Cowboys Return to Earth with New Tunes
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
If the first two CRB albums were psychedelic pioneers with the sights set on the cosmos, this album definitely bears the fruits of their interstellar endeavors. Far more keyboard-driven than either "Big Moon Ritual" or "The Magic Door," "Phosphorescent Harvest" beautifully blends country and southern rock with groovily-haunting keyboards. The biggest difference in how the band sounds now is the level of control Adam MacDougall has over each and every song. His keyboard playing has completely changed how the band sounds and feels, and it's definitely creating some intriguing, out-of-this-world textures.
Whereas "Big Moon Ritual" and "The Magic Door" felt like what could have been new Grateful Dead records if not for the unfortunate passing of Jerry Garcia, "Phosphorescent Harvest" sounds more like what the Dead might have sounded like if Pink Floyd's Richard Wright had joined the band. Now, if you're looking for the big, trippy jams that dominated the last two albums, you won't find them here. At least not in as great of length, anyway. The longest song is "Clear Blue Skies & The Good Doctor," which could have easily been split into two songs that blended into one another. Other than that, the only other song to breach the 7 minute barrier is the album closer "Burn Slow." The average song is in the 5 minute range, which, considering the band we're talking about, seems pretty short.
In my opinion, the songs on "Phosphorescent Harvest" don't pack as much punch as anything the band has previously recorded. However, as I mentioned earlier, they're delving into new territory with their music, and it's definitely nothing like they've done before. This is also drummer George Sluppick's last album with the band, so we could be in store for more sonic evolution as new drummer Tony Leone brings his musical talents to the collective. Is this an album worth owning? If you were blown away by the last two and excited to hear more, yes. If you keep buying CRB records to fill the gap between Black Crowes reunions, perhaps you should save your money. Chances are none of these songs will be seen on a Crowes setlist.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Idlewild: A Compilation [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5809/5809242_sa.jpg)
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
For years, I used to confuse They Might Be Giants with the Flaming Lips and vice versa. I've since corrected that mistake, and this compilation album has helped me to better make the distinction between those two bands. Where the Flaming Lips are a very tripped-out pop/rock powerhouse, TMBG are much more under-the-radar and intellectually engaging. They've released a number of family-friendly albums and have been releasing albums for over thirty years.
The primary reason I bought this compilation is because I fell in love with the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" when I first heard it during an episode of Tiny Toons. That was always my go-to song for TMBG, though I honestly never pursued their music to any degree. Still, that song left an indelible mark in my subconcious. Last year, I listened to the album Nanobots, which I enjoyed but was not overly impressed by. It was clear the band wasn't writing/performing songs in the same tempo as "Istanbul #Not Constantinople#" anymore, and that's fine by me. Lots of bands change their sound as they grow and mature as artists.
Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed by this album. Had I done my research prior to purchasing it, I wouldn't have bought it at all. It was good, and I would rate it somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars at best, but it's not something I see myself listening to with any regularity. I was expecting more of a greatest hits/best of album. Unless you're an avid TMBG fan, I don't recommend buying this album.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![The Best of John Lee Hooker 1965 to 1974 [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/0593/0593824_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
A Sampling of One of the Most Prolific Bluesmen
on January 4, 2016
Posted by: Parkas4Kids
from Dundalk, MD
As a child of the '80s, I missed out on the Blues explosion of the '60s and '70s by a good five years or more. However, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the music that inspired such prolific guitarists as George Thorogood, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, and the like. I've been a huge Thorogood fan since my childhood (who doesn't like "Bad to the Bone"?#, and guys like Stevie and Johnny Winter are nothing less than gods on the guitar. But it was guys like John Lee Hooker that gave them the songs that made those men such popular performers.
Now, I mentioned the guitarists above because, truth be told, their version of the blues is what I prefer the most. That raw, dirty blending of rock and blues is so visceral that it gets under your skin and into your bones. However, many of those guitarists best songs #in my opinion# were originally penned by The Hook, and it's an interesting study to hear the evolution of George Thorogood's rendition of "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," which is actually a medley of several Hooker songs. And while I prefer the Thorogood version to that of The Hook, there are more than a few true hits on this compilation album.
My personal favorites are "Never Get out of These Blues Alive," which I first heard on the album of the same name, and on vinyl no less; "Mr. Lucky," which I find funny as so many blues songs come from the standpoint of being anything but; "I'm Bad Like Jesse James #1966/Live at Cafe Au Go Go#," which I'm fairly certain became George Thorogood's "Move on Over" either in whole or at least in part; "The Motor City Is Burning," which is an absolute barn-burner; "Think Twice Before You Go"; and "Bang Bang Bang Bang," which I first became familiar with when the Animals covered it under its original title of "Boom Boom." While I don't necessarily see myself listening to this CD as often as I listen to the like of Mr. Thorogood, Mr. Vaughan, or Mr. Winter, this collection of blues classics is nothing to bat an eyelash at. Without men like John Lee Hooker to blaze the trails they did in their time, we would not have been given the pleasure of such prolific bands as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, etc. So, if you're sitting at home wondering about the roots of American music, order yourself a copy of this CD and enjoy a shot of bourbon, a glass of scotch, and a beer to chase your blues away.
My Best Buy number: 0953637391
I would recommend this to a friend!
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