Goofle recommended it to me in plug, and I'm glad I listened to him. What is this, anyway? Well, it's a guy with a guitar who sings the cheesiest ghost stories imaginable while supported by some tacky, yet haunting background noises. The result? Quality cheese. It's simple, but so original, and though I do not know exactly what to rate it, it's certainly not below 7 (out of 10, of course).

I give it an 8/10. Also, it's a band. He has his own solo stuff.

It's a guy with a guitar and some friends, then

I described it as the kind of album Leonard Cohen would make if he grew up in a haunted house.

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What's going on --- Marvin Gaye --- Recommended by Surell

This one took me a little by surprise. I'm no big Marvin fan but like everyone I've heard the hits, and I knew two tracks off this, unbeknownst to me. Well, beknownst for one: the title track. I knew I had heard that. The other one was "Mercy mercy me", of which I had heard Robert Palmer's cover.

I have featured this in my journal "Classic albums I have never heard" today, so I'm not gong to go into too much detail here, but just to say this is an incredible album, a concept no less, and says some very brave things for the time. In fact, were the songs not so good and were this Gaye's first album I think that the strong anti-Vietnam war sentiment here might have caused it to have been banned, or at least for Motown to have thought twice about releasing it.

Thankfully that didn't become an issue and we're left with one amazing album that pretty much pulls you by your heartstrings from beginning to end. Great strings section, lovely horns and of course Marvin's soulful gentle voice pleading with us all to be kinder to one another. What more could you want?

Rec rating: 9.5/10

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The electric lady --- Janell Monae --- Recommended by DJChameleon and Anteater

Sorry guys but I tried, but I really hated this album. I mean, not just didn't enjoy it but physically hated it. I only got about five tracks in before I had to stop. I don't know how to describe it: I felt like I was being suffocated. I'm no fan of r&b but there is some of it I can listen to but this was just awful imo. It's been a long time since I was unable to finish an album but this was physically hurting me so I had to stop it. Haven't heard anything this bad in a very long while.

Rec rating: 1/10 (and that's only because the opening track was all right...)

Boring album, but 1/10... Harsh much?

Well considering I didn't finish it, had no desire to finish it and that it actually made me feel physically, not sick, but oppressed, I think it's lucky to even get 1! Seriously, I have not disliked an album like this since I heard 19ADD's "Dead river", and that was puke!

I'm not saying it's a terrible album --- obviously at least two well-respected members here rate it --- but it is definitely not something I enjoyed or would consider coming back to. Ever.

What did you dislike about it?

I recommend her far superior debut album Trollheart.

It just was nowhere near the kind of music I like or could tolerate. Like seventies disco mixed with rap, not a good combination for me. I realise that's simplifying it hugely but I can't really put my finger on why I hated it; I just did. I was prepared to listen to the end but couldn't make it. I found my blood heating up and my face getting warm and I found it a little hard to breathe. Weird but true. And yes, the feelings went away as soon as I hit stop, so it wasn't coincidence.
I'd be very unlikely to bother thanks anyway. I've so much else to listen to (link to the "Grower" thread)...

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The tired sounds of Stars of the Lid --- Stars of the Lid --- Recommended by YorkeDaddy and Sequ -- Sequid --- that tree that keeps hanging around
Sorry guys, I know it's a short review, not even one really but my God I have seldom been so bored out of my tree (sorry)! Just flat, tedious and unremarkable, the musical equivalent of watching paint dry. Not for me. I like a lot of ambient music but this was just like listening to the soundtrack to a very unimaginative film. Urgh. Never again.

Rec rating: 2/10 (maybe; I think it started out ok but by the time that "Austin Texas mental hospital" thing started I lost interest)

Interesting, but completely fair. Music like this is absolutely not accessible and the fact that I have a particular passion for ambient music makes me pretty biased!

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The low highway --- Steve Earle and the Dukes and Duchesses --- Recommended by Trollheart

One for all your Earle fans who thought he had lost it with the last album. If Springsteen's "Wrecking ball" was the sound of an angry not-young-anymore man who has had it up to here with what's happening to his country, then "The low highway" is the sound of a man who knew all along what was coming and knows there's little anyone can do to stop it. A great mixture of Country, Rock and Folk brings Earle back in from the wilderness and shows that he is still a consummate master of his craft.

After the disappointing "I'll never get out of this world alive", Steve hits us with a sucker punch that you have to go all the way back to 2000's "Transcendental blues" to equal. The Man is back!

big props to mondo. he recommended a band called Casket and i listened to their 7 song album HERE (click)


great stuff. exactly what i hoped for. thanks mondo

I got a ton of recommendations recently and I've blasted through them all this week. Each was based on the fact that I was looking for an artist similar to Chvrches. There were quite a few so I'll be brief, but here's what I thought of each album:

DJ Recommended:

Born Gold - I Am An Exit
Was interesting, a bit more experimental, liked but didn't love 7/10

Iamamiwhoami - Kin
There were definitely some ambient influences on this one. Wasn't a huge fan of the chick's voice but it was a pretty cool, I really liked "Good Worker" 7/10 as well

Niki and the Dove - Instinct (I know you recommended some EP but I couldn't find that particular one so I got this)
Probably my favorite of what you recommended, really sweet band. Thank you for the recs 8/10

Goofle recommended:

Desire - II
Several of the peeps in this band are also in Chromatics, which is cool. Thought it was solid 7/10 again definitely

Alpine - A is for Alpine
Loved almost every second of it. Wasn't quite as magical as Chvrches, but a definite 8.5/10 from me. "Hands" and "Villages" are fantastic songs.

Fever Ray - Fever Ray
I have a lot of trouble getting into The Knife, and this was really similar. Liked it more than I thought I would but still wasn't great 5/10

Matthew Dear - Beams
I decided to pick up Black City by this guy too and liked that one more. This one was a good album, but I don't get the Chvrches comparison much :P 7/10

Billyjerome recommended AlunaGeorge, who I liked, and Polica, who I've known about for a while and I think they're ok.

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From the hills below the city --- Houndmouth --- Recommended by Goofle

Having successfully turned me on to Strawfoot, when I saw this in Goofle's listening list I knew I'd have to try it. The first track really disappointed me; I thought oh no I'm never going to like this, and nearly stopped there. But I'm glad I didn't because the rest of it from track two onward was and is amazing!

Never come across an album before like this, that starts so badly and picks up so well so quickly. Once I heard "Come on Illinois" I was hooked, then there was "Ludlow", "Krampus", "Houston train" and, you know, just the whole rest of the album. It kind of reminds me of Blue Sky Riders, though not quite as commercial, and Houndmouth use that "double vocal" that a lot of country acts use, ie male and female, which really helps to keep things fresh.

Watch out for a full review soon, but for now all I can say is the G-Man has done it again! I'm a fan!

Rec rating: 9/10

Cool. I liked the opening track though.

I haven't gotten around to 90% of all my recommendations. Maybe I'll fix that over the break with this thread.

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Bast—Spectres (2014)
Recommended by: Mojo

Wow, this is some seriously great sludge/doom. Reminds me a little of Ufomammut in terms of the heavy, heavy fuzz and epic scope of the songwriting, but with a grittier, more Neurosis-like edge. This album sounds really good really loud so if you check it out I recommend doing so somewhere where you can seriously crank up the volume.

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Kentucky --- Panopticon --- Recommended by Goofle11

Yeah he does it again! An incredible mix of I guess death metal and country, with some great spoken passages mostly focussing on a miners' strike in, I would assume, the state after which the album is named? There are screamed, hoarse vocals which at first annoyed me but I managed to get past them and listen to the music, which is just totally superb throughout. Some long tracks but that's just a bonus really. I always disliked "death vocals" because I assumed the singer couldn't sing any other way, and so to me this was not singing, not as I knew it, Jim.

Now I see that (unless they use two vocalists, which I don't think they do) it may be a choice rather than something the singer can only attain, and in that case then they have to be afforded a certain level of respect. Not saying I'm going to rate every death growler now or see them differently, but you know, I may give them a bit more of a fair hearing.

As for the music? County mixed with metal? Sure how could you go wrong? Great stuff, just excellent. Another hit from the G-Man.

Rec Rating: 8/10 (It's only not 9 because of those death vocals which, notwithstanding what I said above, I'd rather weren't there).

And I thank Ninetales.

Checking this out now. First track is very good.

I'm pretty sure all the vocals are one guy. Not only that, I'm pretty sure he also plays everything else on the album as well. Talk about a prodigy!

Funny enough, you and I were just listening to this album at the same time. Hope you enjoyed it. I think my favorite tracks are the last two.

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Lost in the dream --- The War on Drugs --- Recommended by Watmoo

I had never even heard of this band before but based on the rec I thought I'd listen to it. From the first track I loved it and it just got better with each song. I don't think there's anything on it I didn't like. I heard elements of Prefab Sprout, Deacon Blue, Passenger, Waterboys and of course Dylan in this, a great mix of styles and influences, and yet TWOD have their own unique sound.

"Under the pressure" is a great opener, and I really like the ballad "Suffering", although I don't really see the qualities other reviewers are giving the album, with a lot of stuff about emotions, lost innocence and so on. Probably comes from not reading too deeply into the lyrics, or indeed, reading them at all.

But none of that stops this being a top album which I will return to again and again.

Rec rating: 8.5/10

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Singles --- Future Islands --- Recommended by YorkeDaddy and James.

This came highly recommended as you can see, and when it started up I really liked the sound, thought here we go with another discovery on the level of Chvrches. But then the singing began. I tried, I really did. I got about five tracks in before I decided I'd had enough. The singer's voice just grated on me like nails on a blackboard and I couldn't handle it. A real pity, as I was digging the music. But if I can't listen to the singer then I can't listen to the album, is how it is.

If he had even shared vocal duties with another person on some of the tracks I might have been able to ignore his annoying voice, but he seems to do all the singing himself. I'm sure it's not that he's a bad singer, just his voice went right through me. So unfortunately I'll have to chalk this up as one which may have gotten away.

Rec rating: 7/10 for the music but after the singing began, 2/10

I didn't recommend that. I don't think anyway.

Sorry. Someone else did other than YD but I've been unable to suss out who. I've changed the header to reflect that. Answers on a postcard please to...

James said it was a good album or something to that effect.

Any idea in what thread? I know someone was going on about it as if it was unmissable then I saw YD's rec and thought maybe they're right. I'd like to confirm who was the original recommender if possible..

James said he loved the guy's voice in particular, and I frankly like his voice too :P

I've even heard someone describe the band as "Tom Waits doing new wave".

Yeah I remember someone said he loved his voice. I don't. And as for Waits, he's nowhere close, not even on the same planet as the Man. Don't know where they got that from.

Can we get this rolling again? This was such a great idea and I'd hate for it to go to waste.

OK. This coming up soon, once I get to listen to it a few times...
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Somebody recommended me a psychedelic rock album. Preferably a very early one.

You've probably heard it but Fifty Foot Hose's sole album "Cauldron" kicks ass.

Thanks guys :)

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Mogul Thrash --- Mogul thrash -- Recommended by Urban
Jesus! I have never been so bored in all my life. Terrible. I got through three tracks, saw the fourth was TWELVE MINUTES long, and that there were still another nine after that, gave up. Jazzy, psychedelic 70s prog, the sort that makes my blood run cold and just does nothing for me. Big disappointment. Not for me.

Rec rating: 4/10 (Because I didn't finish it; maybe it gets better but frankly I doubt it)

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Going to Hell --- The Pretty Reckless --- Recommended by Vanilla

Great rock album, starts off really promisingly with the sounds of, um, passion from Taylor Momsen and pretty much just gets better each track. Some reservations: title track totally rips off "We will rock you" and they use a school choir on "Heaven knows" in pretty much the same way as Floyd did on ABITWP2. I also recognise but can't place the melody in one of the tracks and "Why'd you bring a shotgun to the party" is pure Suzi Quatro for the 21st century. Favourite tracks: "Going to Hell", "Follow me down", "Heaven knows", "House on a hill", "Why'd you bring a shotgun to the party", "Burn", but pretty much all of it is great. Breath of fresh air.

Rec rating: 8.5/10

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Any other city --- Life Without Buildings -- Recommended by Ninetales, Briks and JosefK

The thing is, the music was good but once yer wan opened her mouth I just cringed. It's like someone trying, unsuccessfully, to do a really bad English accent. It doesn't even sound funny, just annoying. I got through one track, started the second then switched it off. Sorry, but you guys know by now that if I hate the singer I can't listen to the music. It was the same with Future Islands: just could not enjoy it.

Rec rating: Not giving it one, as I only listened to one-and-a-bit tracks, so wouldn't be fair.