A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

[Dr. Medulla]

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.

Undoubtedly I'll not be able to not notice that going forward.

[Kory]

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.

Undoubtedly I'll not be able to not notice that going forward.

Sorry!

[gkbill]

Hello,

I'm trying to catch up (just as I'm trying to catch up with grading!).

The Toasters - I have some Toasters' stuff and it's mostly good. I like this track. I find the Toasters' stuff good but I don't reach for them as often as others. 8/10

Mega City Four - decent track; pretty good until the chorus - which was really poppy, almost syrupy. 6/10

Psychefunkapus - too scattered; some of the parts were fine but the assembled piece is less than the sum of the parts. 3/10

Holy Sisters of Gaga Dada - novelty stuff isn't my type of stuff

The Sports - pretty decent track, a solid base; I'm hoping they have other stuff that would I'd like more (that reads very awkward). 6.5/10

New stuff - great! Thanks for posting.

[revbob]

So who is next,??

I just want to be prepared

[Dr. Medulla]

BitterTom
gkbill
Flex
Marky Dread
Heston
Silent Majority
revbob
WestwayKid
matedog
Kory
oliver
JennyB
Olaf
Medulla

Flex is up on Monday, unless he passes and it then moves on to Marky.

[Flex]

I'll go!

[revbob]

I'll go!

Looking forward to it

[Flex]

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland


New track from Mike Park's current band, released in response to the rise in anti-asian violence we're seeing right now.

The Red Aunts - I'm Crying


90s female punk outfit, this is from what I believe is there last release. For the more percussive and abrasively minded in the crowd.

Lemonheads - Belt


I was spinning my CD copy of the Lemonheads first, awesome punk album which included their early singles and EPs and whatnot. This song really stood out for me this time around.

Catbite - Pabst Me Up


More new ska! Catbite is one of my fave new ska bands going right now, I think. This is a fun one that dropped, uh, yesterday. Very fun and silly (and a rewrite if a previous tune to make it, you know, about pabst).

Asie Payton - Nobody But You


Asie was an old blues guy back when this stuff was recorded towards the end of his life, eventually being released posthumously on two albums starting in 1999 by Fat Possum Records. This is one of the tracks with some added musicians to Payton's guitar playing, but I think it gives it a bit of a nice groove.

[Marky Dread]

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland

Yeah I enjoyed the feel of this track. Would definitely listen again. Good start Flex. 8/10

The Red Aunts - I'm Crying
This starts of cool but then gets a bit too over abrasive for my taste. Kinda Slits meets grunge. 6/10

Lemonheads - belt
An album I know backwards. I really like The Lemonheads even if Evan is a shithead. 8/10

Catbite - Pabst Me Up
Very cool and great fun Ska. The intro with Frank/Blue Velvet had me from the get go. 9/10

Asie Payton - Nobody But You

This is a great idea. It has an old and modern feel all at the same time and works beautifully. I dig this. 9/10

Solid stuff Flex.

[matedog]

Polka Never Dies - The Dreadnoughts. I remember watching clips posted here in the past. The band is instrumentally very talented, but this is a bit off putting to me because it just seems a bit ironic. Like this isn't what they are really into and it's a bit tongue in cheek. 4/10 mostly for how tight they are.

Around Us - Jonsi. Me n Doc are the big 'Ros fans here I think. I like this a lot as it is not far removed from them. Maybe not as grandoise as the best Sigur songs, but very good. 7/10

You're Not Alone - The Enemy. Very solid, I like this a lot as well. Nothing really much to comment on, but very well arranged and executed. 7.5/10

Grandad's Flannelette Nightshirt - George Formby. Very different from what I normally listen to, so I won't rate it, but I like it. Especially the banjo solo at the end. I'm listening to a bunch of his stuff now and it's a lot of fun.

Out Of Nothing - Embrace. I think I liked the last one more than most here. This one is fine, but doesn't do too much for me. I do love that feedback wall around 3:45 and then they just bring the band back in and rock out with feedback. I wish the preceding parts hooked me in more because that ending is real cool. 6/10

[gkbill]

Hello,

Bruce Lee Band - good chorus, good energy and rhythm, vocals are okay - 8.5/10

Red Aunts - change of rhythm is meh - 7/10

Lemonheads - similar to Superchunk's No Pocky for Kitty for me - that's a good thing - vocals get too pretentious trying to be awkward - overall good - 9/10

Catbite - I've heard a bunch of singles - this is the best track I've heard thus far - 9/10

Asie - definitely a good groove - 8.5/10

Great stuff, new stuff. Thanks!

[Dr. Medulla]

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland
All you people with your dang ska songs! Full marks for the words and their significance, esp. these days, while the music is comme ci comme ça. I’m just the wrong person to assess ska.

The Red Aunts - I'm Crying
Oh yeah, baby. I was grabbed from the start. I love that constant fuzz as the foundation. This is probably Top 3 of all the stuff people have offered up (Billy Nomates and The Action are likely also in that echelon). I’m seeking more from them toot sweet! (It also reinforces my bias toward female punk bands. Average it out, women get punk better than men.)

Lemonheads - Belt
Good stuff. Nothing distinct one way or another, but for two minutes it’s solid therapeutic exuberance.

Catbite - Pabst Me Up
So is this satire of hipster affection for PBR or sincere hipster affection for PBR? This will affect revbob’s opinion, I believe.

Asie Payton - Nobody But You
Funny thing about me and blues songs. Maybe two-thirds of the time, I’m looking at my watch (especially if there’s an interminable solo), but that other third I’m digging the fuck out of it. This is definitely the latter. It runs so damned smooth. Like those sculptors who describe their work as freeing the figure from the marble, this just sounds so natural, like he was liberating the song from the air.

[matedog]

Swamp Dogg - Total Destruction to your Mind. Funky.

What's not to like about this? This is great. 9/10

Waco Brothers - Do you ever think about me? Honky-tonk for sure.
The verses didn't grab me, but the energy of the chorus really elevates this. Great arrangement too. 7/10

The Oblivians - Fire Detector. Great energy and fun low fi garage punk energy. The chorus is a little weak, but otherwise fun 6.5/10

Songhoy Blues - Sahara. I think I'd prefer this without the Iggy vocals as most others seem to as well. Musically this is awesome. I love the percussion and the guitar work. 7/10.

Was (Not Was) -Like others have stated, the pieces are all here, but just a bit too polished. Nothing else to complain about because individually, the parts sound great, just doesn't move me as a whole. 5/10.

[Heston]

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland
This is bloody brilliant and I'm not usually the biggest fan of american ska punk. I also love a song that does its job in two minutes. 9/10

The Red Aunts - I'm Crying
This is not my bag at all. Noise terror and ranting vocals just don't do it for me. 4/10

Lemonheads - Belt
I like some Lemonheads stuff, "It's About Time" was one of my favourite tunes of 1993, but this doesn't hit the spot for me really. Probably just too punk for my meloldic sensibilities. 5/10

Catbite - Pabst Me Up
A lovely melodic blast after the last two songs, I really like this. The chorus is a bit atonal but really works against the tuneful verses. Added to my current playlist along with the Bruce Lee Band. 8/10

Asie Payton - Nobody But You
I'm not a Blues fan at all but this has a nice fractured sound which is quite enjoyable while it's playing. 6.5/10

[oliver]

Bruce Lee Band
Don't mind this... wouldn't go mad for it. I'd prefer a no-ska version (which rings true for almost every ska song)


Red Aunts
I love this. I'd never heard of them before so looked them up. What a opening track to an album, the way it winds up for the first minute or so before unleashing. Going to have to find more if I ever venture back to a record store outside of RSDs.


Lemonheads
As pieces of music go, it's hard to fault the run of three albums "It's a Shame About Ray", "Come on Feel the Lemonheads", and "Car Button Cloth" so I've tried to like the earlier stuff but I can't go much beyond Lovey. I think it's such a waste of his voice. I like this but don't find it outstanding and it just makes me want to go and listen to something like Confetti or The Great Big No.


Catbite
Ska and Pabst. Two things I wouldn't seek out of my own accord. I'd like to think I'm open to new ideas and/or thinking but I find it hard to accept I'll ever change on these.


Asie Payton
Blues is another genre I don't really gravitate to but I found this enjoyable and kind of interesting. Sounds like the sort of thing Seymour from Ghost World would *love* (topical reference alert)