If Music Could Talk

The Toasters - Dub 56 chat version
I like the Toasters, and this is no exception. I do wish they actually had more toasting like this. Bucket has a fine voice but it's pretty monotonous.

Mega City Four - Stop
Are these guys grebo? Pretty generic 90s stuff overall, vocals too nasally and soft for me.

Psychefunkapus - Hillbilly Happy Smash
I used to have this band's self-titled album that I bought just based on the name when I was still into funk rock, a genre that I've since pretty much fully left behind. I couldn't listen to any of them without thinking about how much better Fishbone is in all cases.

The Holy Sisters Of Gaga Dada - Paranoid
Not my bag, see previous comments about polka-punk and irish punk.

The Sports - Who Listens To The Radio
This is ok, kind of Costello, kind of Blues Traveller. Needs another section—too many verses.

Kory wrote: ↑

07 Apr 2021, 7:52pm

Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to your Mind.
THIS is what I'm talking about. Nice to hear some energy after the last few entries. Nothing to say about this other than I like it. Actually I will say something else, really like the wah guitar in the right speaker.

Love the wah wah but it gets drowned out by the over-loud horns in places.

Really loving this song after a few more listens.

Kory wrote: ↑

07 Apr 2021, 7:30pm

Momus, “Ten Foot Hut”
Reminds me of a less threatening Massive Attack, if that makes sense. Might just be the Fiddler reference. Nice clean production, like the tones. Kinda feel like the vocals could use some more processing maybe, like they have right at the end. They're a bit to either matter-of-fact or too high in the mix in the bulk of the song for what the musical bed is. Maybe some very subtle doubling or something. What else would you recommend from this person?

Generally anything that he released on Creation in the 90s, but especially The Philosophy of Momus and Tender Pervert, as well as the singles comp Monsters of Love.

Norman Westberg, “The Olive Rolls Away From the Tree”
I like ambient music fine, though I don't own any and never listen to it. I don't have a beef with it, is what I mean. It's perfectly pleasant and I don't complain if anyone has it on, but I don't seek it out. This falls into that category.

Yeah, I generally get that. There isn't a whole lot of ambient that I actively seek out. I only checked Westberg out earlier because of his Swans connection and was impressed enough to buy anything he puts out. Flex alluded to this, but there's a weird connection between guys who make seriously heavy music and also more gentle, abstract stuff. An appreciation for texture over conventional melody, etc., I suppose.

The Toasters
I can only take ska in small doses. I think I'd like this a lot more without the horns because I do like the vocal delivery a lot.


Mega City Four
I was aware of them but before hitting 'play' I wasn't sure if I'd ever actually heard them - and definitely couldn't name a song. After hearing, I'm confident this was my introduction because I found the singing a little grating. Then again, I also found the song a little forgettable so maybe I'm wrong.


Psychefunkapus
Not really novelty enough to be true novelty and not serious enough to be taken seriously so I'm not sure where this fits. It's like the worst of both worlds :) But for novelty, that might be a positive.


The Holy Sisters Of Gaga Dada
I know I'm in the minority here but Paranoid does absolutely nothing for me and it wouldn't bother me if I never heard it again. That's referring to all versions, including the original.


The Sports
What a dull name for a group. The Sports. Not even a specific sport, just generic "Sports." Although since they're Australian I guess it's probably 'Sport' as in buddy/friend/amigo.
I do love a song where the title demands an answer. Unfortunately, the answer depends on whether this song is playing or not

Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to your Mind.
The music is great but the vocals are a bit over the top for me. Would like this better with more relaxed, Tony Joe White-ish vocals.

Waco Brothers - Do you ever think about me?
Really dig the verse parts, the chorus seems a bit, I don't know, forced?

The Oblivians - Fire Detector.
So this song seems to consist only of the chorus? But I like it well enough, crisp sound, great energy.

Songhoy Blues - Sahara
Totally love this one. I will have to check out more from this band. Having said that, I guess I could do without Iggy and the daft English lyrics.

Was (Not Was) - Crazy Water.
This one has a bit of a "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" vibe for me. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but also not a great thing.

Kory wrote: ↑

07 Apr 2021, 7:03pm

Nina Hagen
Is the song actually this lo-fi, or is it just the YT upload?

I don't know, it's the only version I know. The record/song seems kinda hard to find.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

22 Mar 2021, 2:35pm

I'm super behind on these and wrote half this up like two weeks ago only to lose it. Knocking it out now.

Cha Cha Cohen, “A=A”
I love the arrangement, mix, etc. of this. The drums sound huge and the strings and sparse guitar are real cool. Terse and aggressive vocals pair well with it. It doesn't change much throughout, but at 3ish minutes, that's not a big deal. I'm moving away from the number rankings, but this is a solid 7.5/10 for me.

Cinerama, “Dance Girl Dance”
Okay, the one hook reminds me exactly of another song I can't figure out. I do like the strings, but the rest sounds very 80s in a way that reminds me of being annoyed by the modern rock station playing 80s throwbacks when all I wanted to hear was the newest Smashmouth single back in high school. If you felt bad at all about the song not doing much for me, hopefully that last sentence lessens that feeling a bit. Giving it a 5 because it's really not that bad.

Momus, “Ten Foot Hut”
Backing music is cool, but the vocal just isn't for me. The repetition is cool and rhythmic, almost rap but doesn't work all in all for me. 4/10

Fritz, “Jan. 1”
I forgot we both dig slow, distant dream pop. A bit shoegazy when the drums kick in, but it's a nice dynamic shift. 7.5/10

Norman Westberg, “The Olive Rolls Away From the Tree”
I don't dislike it, but yeah I don't dabble in ambient really. Your description seems spot on. I kinda wish it moved more, but maybe that's missing the point. No rating.

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 9:42am

Cinerama, “Dance Girl Dance”
Okay, the one hook reminds me exactly of another song I can't figure out. I do like the strings, but the rest sounds very 80s in a way that reminds me of being annoyed by the modern rock station playing 80s throwbacks when all I wanted to hear was the newest Smashmouth single back in high school. If you felt bad at all about the song not doing much for me, hopefully that last sentence lessens that feeling a bit. Giving it a 5 because it's really not that bad.

It's funny that so many here have called this 80s music. Cinerama formed in 1998 and sought to emulate stylish 1960s pop. It's suggestive, perhaps, of how much 80s pop drew from the 60s?

Fritz, “Jan. 1”
I forgot we both dig slow, distant dream pop. A bit shoegazy when the drums kick in, but it's a nice dynamic shift. 7.5/10

Both you and Kory identified this as shoegaze-esque, and I've seen others describe her the same way. I hear it as pop punk. What element do you hear that moves the needle? I'm curious about this because I readily admit to having poor ears and/or a poor vocabulary for describing what I hear.

Norman Westberg, “The Olive Rolls Away From the Tree”
I don't dislike it, but yeah I don't dabble in ambient really. Your description seems spot on. I kinda wish it moved more, but maybe that's missing the point. No rating.

I've always approached stuff like this with a conscious passivity or acceptance—not actively following along and predicting changes to come—and that part of the experience is the beauty that comes from only the slightest shifts. That's the serenity there, appreciating what is mostly static.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 10:43am

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 9:42am

Cinerama, “Dance Girl Dance”
Okay, the one hook reminds me exactly of another song I can't figure out. I do like the strings, but the rest sounds very 80s in a way that reminds me of being annoyed by the modern rock station playing 80s throwbacks when all I wanted to hear was the newest Smashmouth single back in high school. If you felt bad at all about the song not doing much for me, hopefully that last sentence lessens that feeling a bit. Giving it a 5 because it's really not that bad.

It's funny that so many here have called this 80s music. Cinerama formed in 1998 and sought to emulate stylish 1960s pop. It's suggestive, perhaps, of how much 80s pop drew from the 60s?

Fritz, “Jan. 1”
I forgot we both dig slow, distant dream pop. A bit shoegazy when the drums kick in, but it's a nice dynamic shift. 7.5/10

Both you and Kory identified this as shoegaze-esque, and I've seen others describe her the same way. I hear it as pop punk. What element do you hear that moves the needle? I'm curious about this because I readily admit to having poor ears and/or a poor vocabulary for describing what I hear.

Norman Westberg, “The Olive Rolls Away From the Tree”
I don't dislike it, but yeah I don't dabble in ambient really. Your description seems spot on. I kinda wish it moved more, but maybe that's missing the point. No rating.

I've always approached stuff like this with a conscious passivity or acceptance—not actively following along and predicting changes to come—and that part of the experience is the beauty that comes from only the slightest shifts. That's the serenity there, appreciating what is mostly static.

Weird, Spotify says the Cinerama album came out in 87, but discogs is in line with you. I'll take that over Spotify. That might be why the strings seem to add a different edge to the song. But man, that style was NOT popular in 1998.

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

I see your point on the ambient stuff. It can make for good passive listening too, if that's not considered a dig.

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 11:52am

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 12:08pm

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 11:52am

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

For me it's the VERY distant drums in addition to the hazy guitar. The whole production sounds somewhat formless rather than the bite, presence, and clarity you'd get from a pop punk production.

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:06pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 12:08pm

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 11:52am

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

For me it's the VERY distant drums in addition to the hazy guitar. The whole production sounds somewhat formless rather than the bite, presence, and clarity you'd get from a pop punk production.

Hmm, never paid any attention to the drums.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:07pm

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:06pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 12:08pm

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 11:52am

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

For me it's the VERY distant drums in addition to the hazy guitar. The whole production sounds somewhat formless rather than the bite, presence, and clarity you'd get from a pop punk production.

Hmm, never paid any attention to the drums.

I just went back and listened on my laptop and they're more present there (but still pretty far back in the mix compared to most pop music), but that's probably my laptop speakers. They were almost buried on my primary system. It's the whole wall of sound thing. Not in the Spector sense necessarily, more in the physical wall sense.

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:10pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:07pm

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:06pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 12:08pm

matedog wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 11:52am

As for Fritz, I think it's just the airy reverb sheen over the whole thing. The keys and female vocals probably make me think (right or wrong) of the genre. My exposure to shoegaze hasn't extended far beyond Asobi Seksu, so don't take my opinions on this too seriously.

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

For me it's the VERY distant drums in addition to the hazy guitar. The whole production sounds somewhat formless rather than the bite, presence, and clarity you'd get from a pop punk production.

Hmm, never paid any attention to the drums.

I just went back and listened on my laptop and they're more present there (but still pretty far back in the mix compared to most pop music), but that's probably my laptop speakers. They were almost buried on my primary system. It's the whole wall of sound thing. Not in the Spector sense necessarily, more in the physical wall sense.

I listened to a bit on my laptop speakers and, yeah, listening for it I'm aware of how much lower the drums (not as noticeable for me with earbuds). Not something I associate with shoegaze, or, rather, again not something I've thought to listen for.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:17pm

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:10pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:07pm

Kory wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 1:06pm

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Apr 2021, 12:08pm

It's vocals that suggest dream pop/shoegaze to me. Overall, it's a fusion to my ears.

For me it's the VERY distant drums in addition to the hazy guitar. The whole production sounds somewhat formless rather than the bite, presence, and clarity you'd get from a pop punk production.

Hmm, never paid any attention to the drums.

I just went back and listened on my laptop and they're more present there (but still pretty far back in the mix compared to most pop music), but that's probably my laptop speakers. They were almost buried on my primary system. It's the whole wall of sound thing. Not in the Spector sense necessarily, more in the physical wall sense.

I listened to a bit on my laptop speakers and, yeah, listening for it I'm aware of how much lower the drums (not as noticeable for me with earbuds). Not something I associate with shoegaze, or, rather, again not something I've thought to listen for.

It's become a much bigger aspect of nu-gaze, almost to the point of parody, but that mixing style is still prevalent to a lesser degree in the classics too.