What the hell are you listening to...2016 Edition

[nol]

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I've been trying to figure out who/what dvsn is. A lot of similarities to the Weeknd from a few years ago: from Toronto; sparse-sounding R&B production; unknown male vocalist. Whereas pretty much all of The Weeknd's songs are super nihilistic and drugged out in subject matter, dvsn's songs have more of a timeless and universal quality to them.

[Groundhog]

Magma are a strange French group who are a have been making very unusual music since 1970, and are still going strong - their albums in the past decade are probably my favourites, and there's not many bands you can say that about that have existed for nearly 50 years. Technically their new EP Slag Tanz came out last year, but I didn't find out about it until this year:

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well since this thread exists now ...

One of the most promising lead singles ahead of an album I've heard in a while comes from a source I didn't expect: Anthrax

While fellow Big Four band Megadeth is getting fairly good reaction for a return to some more traditional sounds with tracks from their new album (I have not yet heard the just released full album from them so jury remains out for now), this feels so different for Anthrax but in a very good way.

I'm not an Anthrax superfan by any means, they're basically the 3rd member of the B4 for me, but this has already probably among my five favorite songs by them in their career & might be higher than that after another few weeks of listens.

After last year's Slayer album that I felt approached (unintentional) parody almost as often as not, to have two other heritage bands deliver good stuff is an encouraging sign ... I wonder whether Metallica will eventually make it 3 of 4 or will it be 2 & 2?

ANTHRAX - Breathing Lightning (OFFICIAL TRACK) - YouTube

[QuikSand]

I've been listening to a lot of Weezer lately, and was pleased to see this piece show up on a podcast that I follow but don't actually listen to very often:

Song Exploder | Weezer

Not sure whether it's a net plus or minus to hear how Rivers Cuomo goes bout building his songs. But, as usual, it does make me feel like I'm not as far away from being "somebody" as I usually feel (in this specific regard).

The latest album hasn't really clicked for me, but as usual, the SE treatment does make me listen more closely to both this track and others. They are, reliably, very layered, despite being a fairly straightforward guitar band on the surface.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Magma are a strange French group who are a have been making very unusual music since 1970, and are still going strong - their albums in the past decade are probably my favourites, and there's not many bands you can say that about that have existed for nearly 50 years. Technically their new EP Slag Tanz came out last year, but I didn't find out about it until this year:

Wow, apart from my colleague Pierre who is 55, I never thought anyone would know Magma (overseas).

[Julio Riddols]

Really liking the new album by The Coral, as well as Iggy Pop's new stuff (Sounds like he is channeling Bowie) and the new Yeasayer album is growing on me. The new one by Black Mountain is also their best work, IMO.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Alf

Wow, apart from my colleague Pierre who is 55, I never thought anyone would know Magma (overseas).

I'm a huge fan.

Saw them live a few weeks ago in their first ever Australian gig, was excellent.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Really liking the new album by The Coral, as well as Iggy Pop's new stuff (Sounds like he is channeling Bowie) and the new Yeasayer album is growing on me. The new one by Black Mountain is also their best work, IMO.

I was going to post about the Coral as well actually. It's kind of funny how their career trajectory has sorta followed the same pattern as the 60s/70s bands they get their sound from, starting out with a late 60s psych vibe, and moving through their 70s rock phase.

This album is a mixed bag of genres but is mostly back to that earlier psych sound, and while I don't think it has a lot of fantastic individual songs, as an album it really works.

[thesloppy]

The rare topical stuff I been listening to is this:



and thems:

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I was going to post about the Coral as well actually. It's kind of funny how their career trajectory has sorta followed the same pattern as the 60s/70s bands they get their sound from, starting out with a late 60s psych vibe, and moving through their 70s rock phase.

This album is a mixed bag of genres but is mostly back to that earlier psych sound, and while I don't think it has a lot of fantastic individual songs, as an album it really works.

Yeah, I was really into their early stuff, now this comes around and throws it back to that to some degree while incorporating some of the stuff they did in between too. I don't know if this is as good as I thought Roots and Echoes was, but its good.

Really digging TEEN so far too, what a spot on 80's new wave knockoff that song was, thesloppy. Felt like Mark Mothersbaugh had a hand in it.

[Groundhog]

Agree re: Roots & Echoes, that's my favourite Coral album. Definitely the most consistent, start to finish.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Really digging TEEN so far too, what a spot on 80's new wave knockoff that song was, thesloppy. Felt like Mark Mothersbaugh had a hand in it.

Yeah, I too thought of DEVO (and Gary Numan) when I first heard them. Perhaps because they manage to keep a bit of gloom/menace to their synths that a lot of '80s revivalists seem to miss. Three of them are sisters, which sort of fits DEVO's pair of brothers too. I'd never heard of them until recently, but that video's off of something like their 4th or 5th record, and I like a good bit of everything that I've listened to so far.

[Butter]

Well, this is finally happening. SINCE I LEFT YOU is in my all time top 10 favorite albums, but I'm skeptical.

The Avalanches announce new album Wildflower, share “Frankie Sinatra” — listen | Consequence of Sound

[JonInMiddleGA]

mostly awaiting the release of the new Volbeat album ... which comes tomorrow.

Probably the first serious Album of the Year contender of 2016, in terms of my expectations/possibilities.

[Young Drachma]

I've just been listening to a lot of shoegaze records. As far as new records, Chance 3 was cool, Deftones have a new LP out and Pierce The Veil put an album out that I gave more spins than I anticipated.

Found this horrendously unknown Australian band that put out a record I listened to a lot.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

here's some stuff;

Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You (Full Album) - YouTube

They are pretty chill

[britrock88]

Anyone else noticing the wave of copyright-based music takedowns on Youtube in the last couple days?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Anyone else noticing the wave of copyright-based music takedowns on Youtube in the last couple days?

You kinda scared me, given how much effort goes into my playlists there.

Just checked, nothing missing out of my main playlists (about 180-190 songs)
Nothing missing from my two secondary lists either (over 350 songs total)

Not to say I won't have a ton of stuff get zapped tomorrow but nothing noticeable for me at this point.

*worth noting that probably 80% or more of those are "official" releases anyway, which is actually the most common place where I have things go missing, as domestic vs international rights holders can't always get their shit together about who can post what. I even see bands post their own videos only to have them get an auto-strike & vanish

[britrock88]

Glad that I'm wrong in your case, JIMGA.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by britrock88

Glad that I'm wrong in your case, JIMGA.

Me too

(I was legit "oh shit" worried over here)

[thesloppy]

Not new, but new to me: Paris Monster.



I still can't decide if this Josh Dion fellow is inspiring, or inspiring me to give-up & throw away my drumsticks.

[EagleFan]

[JonInMiddleGA]

Since I mentioned my high hopes for the Volbeat album ... it's alright. Okay, that's unfairly lukewarm of me. It's a good album, maybe the best release of the year to date even. But if it turns out to be my album of the year then it's going to have been a disappointing year. It starts well, it finishes very well, but in the middle into stumbles into some pretty weak stuff. And stays there for several tracks too many. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed.

Not quite as good but leaving me with a better overall impression was the same day release from Hellyeah Unden!able. Most takes on the album will largely come down to how you feel about mosh pits IMO. The band's transition from the more Texas sounding first couple of albums to the heavier (especially vocally) sound of the past couple is now, I think, largely complete. I still prefer their original direction & wish they'd stayed on that path but this time out they've executed their intentions pretty well. I hate to say it but the hyped track (cover of "I Don't Care Anymore" that features some recovered guitar work by Dimebag might be among the weakest cuts on the album. It's interesting pretty much only from the standpoint that Dime is on it. Otherwise Saint Asonia's recent cover of the same song blows it away.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just for fun (or something), I figured I'd share something I've been doing for the past few weeks. I'm one of three "guest reviewers" for a weekly countdown show on our local rock station. Our guidelines are simple: 2 sentences & a rating on a 0.0 to 5.0 "Bones" scale (the station goes by the name Bulldog ... go figure )

Here are my reviews & rating thus far (the segment debuted on 4/20)

4/20 - Deftones Gore
It's as though the band set out to compile their various influences into the worst combinations possible. Boring in its best moments, frequently dischordant to the point of being nothing more than noise.
Rating: 0.50 Bones out of 5.0

4/27 - Filter Crazy Eyes
"Despite a radio-friendly lead single, Crazy Eyes leans more often toward the band's industrial rock origins. From there it becomes largely a matter of taste & genre preference for an album that seems more likely to appeal to existing fans of Filter's catalog rather than newcomers"
Rating: 1.50 Bones out of 5.0

5/4 - 3 Doors Down Us And The Night
"A lively lead single highlights the return of these rock radio staples after an extended absence. Light to the point of being poppish in places, balanced with several moments that rock enough to be enjoyable, no extreme highs or lows."
Rating: 2.50 Bones out of 5.0

5/11 - Adelitas Way Getaway
"The potential shown early in their career is much more realized here than in the last album. Strongest moments, and there are several, come when they stay in familiar territory but even when they stray the outcome isn't bad ... and that's good. "
Rating: 3.50 Bones out of 5.0

5/18 - Sixx A.M. Prayers For The Damned
"An improvement over their last outing, at least managing to rock more frequently. There are moments but maybe not as many as there could be, would like to hear what an outside producer could get from the band."
Rating: 2.75 Bones out of 5.0

*we took the week of 5/25 off

6/1 - Avatar Feathers and Flesh
"Concept albums are hard to execute, the sheer effort behind this one upgrades it beyond the individual parts. Genres are mixed across the tracks, providing some very good moments but some questionable genre-bending _within_ songs make this a very challenging album."
Rating: 2.75 Bones out of 5.0

6/8 - Sick Puppies Fury
"New members are tricky and new vocalists are even trickier. In this case the change has made for the most energetic, vital, and enjoyable work I've heard from this band to date. Existing superfans may be less enthusiastic but I'm both happy and impressed "
Rating: 3.75 Bones out of 5.0

6/15 - Volbeat Seal The Deal and Let's Boogie
"An entertaining start and a very strong finish, the album suffers in the middle as it wanders but doesn't really go anywhere. Likely one of the best albums of the year AND a disappointment, simultaneously"
Rating: 4.00 Bones out of 5.0

6/22 - Hellyeah Unden!able
"Continues the transition from their early Texas-influenced sound to a more mosh-pit oriented style. I still prefer the former but on the whole the album exceeded my expectations, delivering far more often than it misses"
Rating: 3.75 Bones out of 5.0

[AlexB]

Spent the last week in Ireland, and their unofficial Euro 2016 is all over the radio and got to number 1 there. Worryingly enough I do quite like it!

https://youtu.be/GXN-vxj66X4

[thesloppy]

[CraigSca]

As of tonight, this:

The Stone Roses - Beautiful Thing - YouTube

[NoSkillz]

I've always been a bit lukewarm on my thoughts for Radiohead but I think that their new album, "A Moon Shaped Pool" is absolutely brilliant.

[Easy Mac]

Pinegrove's album Cardinal is pretty good. Old Friends is a great opening track.

Been listening the hell out of Big Thief's Real Love. I have an irrational love for that song, especially the sloppy guitar solos near the end. The rest of their album is just OK at best.

The new Band of Horses is close to a return to form. At least their best album in the last 5 or 6 years. Their first two albums are almost perfect to me, so it's a bit of an unfair standard.

Have yet to find anything that really excites me this year. The new Day Wave is pretty great if you enjoy Real Estate or Beach Fossils.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by NoSkillz

I've always been a bit lukewarm on my thoughts for Radiohead but I think that their new album, "A Moon Shaped Pool" is absolutely brilliant.

It's really grown on me. My least favourite track is probably Burn the Witch oddly, but the rest of the album really flows together well. A lot of tracks remind me musically of Air's A Trip to the Moon, with Thom Yorke singing over the top of it. I often put Air on in the background when I'm doing something, so I count that as a positive, just great atmospheric music with some interesting melodies. I never pay attention to lyrics, but Glass Eyes... wow. Heart breaker.

[johnnyshaka]

[timmae]

Haven't heard much other than the singles but SWMRS (Figuring it out, Drive north) and Finish Ticket (Color) are super awesome.

[JonInMiddleGA]

A couple more new album reviews now completed. I'll again share here fwiw.

6/29 - Red Hot Chili Peppers The Getaway
"A close approximation of what David Essex fronting The Partridge Family might sound like. Technically sound but devoid of anything remotely worth listening to even once."
Rating: 0.75 Bones out of 5.0

7/6 - Stitched Up Heart Never Alone
"Full-length debut shows potential but the lead single already provided the highlight. The absence of anything truly bad is encouraging but the album is probably a song or two short of really standing out from the pack."
Rating: 2.50 Bones out of 5.0

[Fidatelo]

I discovered Anderson .Paak's Malibu about 10 days ago and I'm really digging it so far.

I've also been re-listening to lots of old Tragically Hip stuff since the band announced the Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer. So many amazing songs, I encourage anyone who has a Google Music or similar subscription to just hit play on their "Top Songs" list, sit back, and enjoy.

Their new (and I suppose last) album (Man Machine Poem) came out a couple days ago, I've given it one listen through and nothing really stood out but I'll give it a few more to see if anything sticks.

[JonInMiddleGA]

First impression review time:

New Stuck Mojo album "Here Come The Infidels" delivers some cold hard truths about the state of the world around us courtesy of lyrics & delivery that hammer the points home like a barbed-wire baseball bat. The album is paced well, with a couple of relatively lighter tracks giving the listener three minutes to breath before the assault resumes.

Never bashful about whatever they've had to say, this isn't for the timid nor even moderates, but the album is a worthy addition to their lineage.

[Butter]

Parquet Courts' HUMAN PERFORMANCE is pretty great.

[stevew]

New Frank Ocean this month on the 12th or 22nd? I will believe it when I hear it.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Parquet Courts' HUMAN PERFORMANCE is pretty great.

+1

[JonInMiddleGA]

Exclusive - RIK EMMETT Project Boasts TRIUMPH Reunion & More | MelodicRock.com

Not quite "listening to now" but most definitely interesting stuff for the future.

Whether it lives up to expectations, only time can tell.

[CrimsonFox]

[JonInMiddleGA]

And two more new album reviews now completed.

7/13 - Thousand Foot Krutch "Exhale"
"Perhaps the most complete rock album of the band's two decade career, it's a consistently aggressive near-masterpiece. If not for going one song too long & drifting into very light territory I might have called it the frontrunner for album of the year thus far. Instead, it's simply _one of_ the best 2016 has delivered to date."
Rating: 4.00 Bones out of 5.0

7/20 - Through Fire "Breathe"
"The band formerly known as Emphatic debuts their new name with a solid effort that has fared well with both airplay and sales. Long time fans should be thrilled to find the track "Damage" from their previous incarnation providing one of several highlights. Worth noting that the album is a little shorter than most, with only 9 tracks if you don't count the intro or a pair of extended versions, but better to leave fans wanting more than to have them hoping the album will end."
Rating: 3.25 Bones out of 5.0

[JonInMiddleGA]

And two more new album reviews now completed.

8/3 - Nonpoint "The Poison Red"
"After landing back to back albums in the top six of my annual lists, the bar was high for their latest outing. Alas, they came up a little short of the mark for me. The signature sound is still in evidence, with some variance & experimentation. The problem isn't that anything missed horribly, it's more the lack of the standout cuts that elevated their recent efforts.
Rating: 3.00 Bones out of 5.0

8/10 - Chevelle "The North Corridor"
"What the album gains from being heavy it loses by drifting into noise, electronic sounds, or even the simply strange. There are good moments -- "Young Wicked" stands out quickly -- but I found the album challenging to say the least. A little too much so, too often, which incidentally matches my feelings about their live performances.
Rating: 2.75 Bones out of 5.0

[Young Drachma]

Didn't know there was a new Chevelle record out. Will listen to that now. Good mention. And I didn't realize Nonpoint was still around.

I've been listening to a lot of non-2016 records, but these are my most played new releases this year.

Deftones - Gore,
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered,
Mike Adams at His Honest Weight - Casino Drone,
Case/Lang/Veirs
JMSN - It Is
Piece The Veil - Misadventures
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

6/29 - Red Hot Chili Peppers The Getaway
"A close approximation of what David Essex fronting The Partridge Family might sound like. Technically sound but devoid of anything remotely worth listening to even once."
Rating: 0.75 Bones out of 5.0

Yeah, I finally listened to this a few days ago. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be "sterile".

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Didn't know there was a new Chevelle record out. Will listen to that now. Good mention. And I didn't realize Nonpoint was still around.

Neither were albums I looked forward to reviewing tbh, for various reasons.

Chevelle is one of the very few bands that my son & I almost part company about. He's a much bigger fan, they're arguably the hardest to endure live set I've ever actually made it to the end of. I could barely differentiate one song from the next, despite actually knowing probably 80% of their material on both occasions I've seen them. The Tool/QotSA comparisions -- with the same producer working here -- are more apt than usual on this record to me. And, for me, that's bad news.

Nonpoint, that one I really dreaded putting a number on. I interact, somewhat frequently, with two members of the band on social media. And they're among the most ... sensitive to criticism of any artists I've ever had contact with. Nice fellas overall, and I really really liked the last two albums, but this one just came off flat to me by comparison. Instrumentally it's still there but vocally ... well, it was weird. I'd almost swear the vocals were recorded in two different batches, a little over half sound perfectly fine/normal. The others, umm, well it didn't seem to be a good day.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My review for a rather unique (in several ways) show from Stuck Mojo is now posted.

Concert review 8/5/16 – Stuck Mojo | Jon's Three Cents

[JonInMiddleGA]

I rarely do this sort of thing but, thanks to an old friend, the opportunity to spend a few minutes with the one & only Rich Ward was simply too good to pass up.

[stevew]

Not listening to the new Frank Ocean. Seriously, wtf, dude.

[QuikSand]

I had a late night drive to an airport in FL, and deliberately listened to the local Top 40 station for nearly an hour. Definitely made me feel very very old. Like "get off my lawn" old.

I made it as far as that infernal "Shut up and dance with me" song, where I had to draw the line and find another way to stay awake.

[AENeuman]

I can hear the outside lands festival from my house. I believe Radiohead could go on tour and just play Let Doen and it would be a sell out.