My Exploration into 2016

JGuy Grungeman · 02-17-2016, 12:26 PM

Wrong Side of Darkness by My Creepy Susanne.
Style: Stoner Rock, Grunge, Post-Grunge
Release: Feb. 12, 2016
Length: 24 min.

This is the debut EP by My Creepy Susanne, a grunge/post-grunge band that's a basic mix of Nirvana and Nickleback. They deserve to be on modern hard rock radio because they are relatable musically and they're pretty good. I recommend it for a couple listens.
73/100.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 02-17-2016, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JGuy Grungeman

A grunge/post-grunge band that's a basic mix of Nirvana and Nickleback.

JGuy Grungeman · 03-12-2016, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

I started that show again.

Alright, in about a half-hour, I'll have a review for all y'all alternative rockers for the new Violent Femmes album.

JGuy Grungeman · 03-12-2016, 12:27 PM

I'm no Violent Femmes fan, but the debut is good. Now I rate their most recent album, "We Can Do Anything.

Style: Acoustic Rock, Alternativ e Rock, Folk Punk
Release: March 4
Length: Approx. 30 min.

Violent Femmes have been waning in quality since Hallowed Ground, I've heard. But judging from the ratings, none of them are so bad as to be on the same pedastal as Lulu. Well, it's a decent album overall.

OK, Memory was a good way to start it off. Classic Femmes sound. I feel, and I'm honest, that Meat Loaf could've covered it. The song has a similar tone, only this is an acoustic/alternative song. But listen to the lyrics. “Would you wander back from where you are? You see, I see, I cannot see. But I've come so far with a little guitar. And I play in bars and I'm lost in stars.” Total Meat Loaf cheese. My Meat Loaf senses are very high. I don't know what they were thinking with “I Could Be Anything.” It starts out as a weird carnival story about slaying dragons, powered by a switch between banjos and accordions. And it finishes that way. Odd. I will say this. It wasn't bad. “Issues” is a slower, goofy song. It's an acoustic track backed up by low horns and melodic backing vocals. “Holy Ghost” is a more upbeat song going back to their folk punk days. It's better on the second listen. “What You Really Mean” is a nice song, but it tries to be Springsteen. “Foothills” is another song trying to be something else. It's got that same Violent Femmes acoustic alternative sound,m but it tries to be an upbeat love song. Now we have another punk song with accordion, “Traveing Solves Everything.” Well, it couldn't solve the problems this song has. Lyrically weak, feeling inconsistent, vocally challenged. 6/10. “Big Car” doesn't seem to help either. By now, the VF sound has gotten tiring, as Gamo now tried to Lou Reed-ify his voice but it only ends up in post-break up Doug Yule failure (hence Squeeze). Although consistent, the song has no flair at all. “Untrue Love” is a soft country song. Gothic country, I believe. Well, Johnny Cash can pull of a deep voice, because he has a deep voice. Gano is not Johnny Cash. At this point I was wondering, “Is he going to spend the whole second half failing at impressions?”

Violent Femmes fans may be disappointed that it didn't hold its own against the first at all. But I was never into the first. What gets me is how it's been like 30 years and Gano sounds practically the same as in the debut. However, he needs to keep it that way. He shouldn't go off trying to be someone else. It didn't help the second half. Still, decent album:

71/100

JGuy Grungeman · 03-31-2016, 03:10 PM

Wolves of Winter by Wolves of Winter.

Wolves of Winter | Wolves of Winter

Style: Stoner Rock
Length: 32 minutes.
Release Jan. 9

I've starting to dive more into stoner rock. The funny thing is these guys clearly take off of Alice in Chains more than anyone, using a similar vocal style and a similar depiction of darkness. The only difference is that these guys are clearly a stoner band. As far as the quality goes, they have decent lyrics, a lot of great guitar, and truth to their style to spare. All I can say.

88/100. Definitely worth it.

JGuy Grungeman · 05-15-2016, 01:19 PM

And now, for my review of what's possibly the most anticipated album of the year...

A Moon Shaped Pool

Artist: Radiohead
Style: Art Pop, Art Rock
Release: May 8, 2016
Length: 52 min.

Every great band has a golden age, and an age where their albums just don't reach the same value. *Led Zeppelin's golden age ended with Physical Graffiti, and their new age began with Presence. *They had a golden age lasting for nearly six years. *Black Sabbath's age ended with Mob Rules in '83. *Queen's end came in the 80's with albums like Flash Gordon and Hot Space. *Rolling Stones' end came after Exile. *Ramones' end came after It's Alive

I mention all of these because Radiohead is still producing great albums 20 years after their first hit, The Bends. *Though some may have felt their golden age ended after the release of The King of Limbs, Radiohead has proven themselves to still be creative, invoking, and gripping with this new form of Radiohead, a side of the band members we have never seen before: a soothing, almost ambient, pop-oriented form of their*previous works that is both a hollow form of its normal self and a birth child for the new age.

Let's go over Radiohead's discography. I listened to the last album I needed to listen to before playing A Moon Shaped Pool, Hail to the Thief. Now I can compare all the albums. Their debut was Pablo Honey, another generic alternative album trying to get into the scenes of the early 90's. Their next album, The Bends, was more light-hearted and easy to like. Funny thing is, Radiohead's sound isn't “easy” to like. It often takes maturing. An interest in Radiohead is aged like wine. This is proven by their next three albums, and the evolution of their sound (or sounds). OK Computer is their thirtd album, and its acclaim is so well received that it is one of the highesdt rated albumsd in the world, sometimes more highly rated than Dark Side of the Moon. This is because of their more artistic approach on atmospheric production while maintaining a mutated form of radio-friendliness that is both pleasant to anyone, yet not the kind of thing you'd hear on the radio. It's as if the album itself pretended to be conventional, and hid itself fairly well behind amazing production. Kid A was the mark of Radiohead's reputation as both musicians and magicians. Mugicians, anyone?

Mugician's Lyre - Chaotiki - Wikia

Kid A was combining the atmospheric experimentation of OKC with electronic music, giving Radiohead a reputation in the Electronic industry. This odd combination gave the album a rep of taking many listens and patience to understand why it is so highly rated that it is often considered to be even better than Led Zeppelin IV or Nevermind. And Amnesiac followed in Kid A's footsteps, but it took less time to understand. This is probably due to the fact it is less atmospheric and more experimental. Hail to the Thief was like a look into Radiohead's past, taking a little bit of anything from their first five albums. In Rainbows was similar, but steered more towards the original alternative roots. The Bends up to Rainbow had extremely favorable reviews. The King of Limbs continued into the electronic industry, but did not meet with as favorable reviews. I'm betting many fans specualted whether or not Radiohead had lost its touch, and was steering away from their golden age. Well, A Moon Shaped Pool continues the golden era twenty years after the age started with The Bends. The reviews are outstanding.

The new aura of A Moon Shaped Pool is completely different from their past works in terms of style and genre, but still Radiohead enough to love. The beginning retains some of the electronic-esque production from OKC to Amnesiac, and carries the same thought-provoking, gripping, and cryptic presence within the backing music, production, and lyrics. Thom Yorke is almost as versatiule as his previous performances. Paranoid Android is a prime example of his diversity. However, the album steers away from every genre that Radiohead ever knew, and shows Radiohead's pop-oriented form of art, backed up by an emotional atmosphere and a new side of the coin. It's as if Radiohead did enter a new era: a second golden era. But as aformentioned, the band does retain their original elements that made them unique. It wasn't the genre that made them unique, it was the mentality.

This soothing aura in the album can either be very soft like in “Daydreaming,” or heavy and rough on a noise rock border similar to “Burn the Witch.” In the song “Decks Dark,”: they retain the alternative elements of conventionality without being alternative at all. Genius. Radiohead are experts at aura. From the first three tracks alone, a lot of makings of a near perfect album are their. And I thought to myself, “Personally, this is my favorite form of Radiohead.” “Desert Island Disk” is one of my favorite off it because of its acoustic sound. “Ful Stop” actually manages to retain the electronic sounds of the early 2000's, but is still so very different. It's more conventional and more instrumental, almost to the point where one can call it a filler track. A damn good one, though. It's actually pretty Bowie-esque, combining Bowie's art with Radiohead's art.

That would've made a hell of a show.

“Glass Eyes” is another production heavy tune, messing with piano in the most beautiful way. “Identikit” is far more soft and quiet, low tone and thought-provoking while a choir of Yorke'sd vocals lead the amazing quality of the song. Still... it fits very well. Obviously, every song is different. Identikit is one of the best on the album. “The Numbers takes the vibe of “Glass Eyes” and brings it into the experimental realm of Kid A and Amnesiac, provoking the thoughts of the listener in a very soothing way. And then... acoustic guitar. Wow. It all blends so well. And then Thom Yorke's falsetto voice sings low enough for this song to be one of the best on the album. It's an amazing work. “Present Tense” seems more focused on using the production towards beauty, as a beautiful acoustic guitar drives fantasia through an amalgam of beauty. Guitars, production, vocals, all beautiful. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich” is more electronic than any of the songs on the album. Still, now matter how different each song is, the aura is never stopped. In fact, the reverb within the song is what keeps the song going. It's a little similar to Everythnig in It's Right Place, all about soothing with a low, vaguely raspy, electronic sound that's perfect for relaxing at home and taking a nap. But the reverb and piano within the song make it different, somewhat disturbing the flow of the song a little. However, it never disturbed the album's flow. Cool. Really cool. "True Love Waits" carries a similar influence to the last song. But that's more focused on soothing the soul and prefecting a watery flow to create a near perfect end.

Overall, Radiohead's ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool, could easily be my favorite album out of the Radiohead discography, partially because of its atmospheric pop tone and because of its surprise. I think we can all safely say that this album was a big surprise, and that no oner expected Radiohead to try this completely new kind of realm that easily keeps up with the modern times. It's amazing how a band can make so many albums that fit their era and live through time. I think the surprise may be a disappointm,ent to some due to the “new turn.” But is it possible Radiohead feels they have driven their original cars to the end of their roads? Or did they just try something new?

Either way, this is a grand new entry in their discography. 97.

JGuy Grungeman · 06-06-2016, 03:18 PM

Vertice by Paramo
Release: April 12, 2016
Style: Grungegaze, Post-Rock
Length: 40 min.

Now what is "grungegaze?" Simple enough. Grunge and shoegaze. But, the grungegaze tags are usually very easily given on Bandcamp.com, which leads a lot of "grungegaze" to be alternative or post-punk albums that only use a tag to sound "diverse" before the person who sees them plays the album. This, along with the unpopularity makes a lot of grungegaze hard to find.

Apparently, there's a lot of great grunge in Argentina. Buenos Aires band Paramo (not to be confused with the Rio Negro Argentina band Paramo), stays true to that sound. This album seems to follow that real sound of grungegaze most of the time. There is alternative and post-rock influence (as well as Slint), but I think it does an excellent job at using both grunge and shoegaze to compliment the dark atmosphere of the album. I also love the way the album is layed out. It starts out with a long instrumental intro to their style, called Procesión. Then the album continiues with shorter songs. These songs will be about 3 to nearly 7 minutes long. And then a track of two conjoining songs, one an instrumental, finishes off the album. All throughout, ther album has a very sad, very emotional tone that perfectly fits. Obviously, the band has great skill in emotion. The only large flaw that the album has is that the vocals can occasionally be hard to hear.

I think Paramo should be heard throughout grunge communities. I think they shed a little light on the ever-so-small grungegaze fad, and is easily one of the most atmospheric and talented bands of the 2010's. I'd reommend it for fans of grunge, fans of atmoshpere, those looking for something to cry to, something to cry with, or even Slint fans.

Tristan_Geoff · 06-06-2016, 03:29 PM

I think acts like Hum and Far were pretty proto-grungegaze. That said, I'm not much of a fan of the style. It can be great at times, but god the guitar sound is awful and it just doesn't mesh well sometimes, leading to a very dull listen.

JGuy Grungeman · 06-11-2016, 02:40 PM

Stranger to Stranger by Paul Simon

Style: Art Pop, Folk Rock
Release, June 3, 2016
Length: 37 min.

Stranger to Stranger

Paul Simon has been a huge favorite of mine ever since I saw his episode of The Muppet Show at a young age in my life. I always look forward to a new Paul Simon album because he never has a bad one. There's always something to write home about. Stranger to Stranger is a complete surprise. It may be his best since Graceland.

Upon the first note, I became aware of the careful artistic turn that Paul Simon so easily placed in the opening track, “Werewolf.” I am reminded of the Lynyrd Skynyrd style song by Warren Zevon: “Werewolves of London.” I am also reminded of how much that song annoys me and of how different this song is: It is more artistic, very lyrically clever, and captures the essence of earlier Paul Simon songs perfectly. “Wristband” carries the same arti9stic sound, bordering on the worldbeat aura of Graceland but clearly more fit for the indie and art pop lovers of the 2010's. It seems that the lyrics are just and cryptic, but they do not seem to have the same strong sense of a “hidden meaning” in “Wristband.” Still, the song is very well worth the listen. “The Clock,” which starts with a ticking clock paired with a carefully and exquisitely times guitar, is a nice little minute that's very relaxing. Still, it's simple filler. The next song is much more energetic: “Street Angel.” It carries Paul Simon's famous rambling style, and has hard drumming backed up by atmospheric and quiet instruments and distorted deep vocals. Definitely one of the best songs on the album. The title track is a more soothing and relaxing song, backed up by heavily produced violins that are perfect for the modern era's newfound styles of music, absolutely perfect for being up in the ranks with albums like A Moon Shaped Pool. The softness, the chimes, and Paul Simon's hidden meanings are all at their prime in that song. And this half of the album ends with the tribal “In a Parade,” which sounds like a parade of tribal instruments.

“Proof of Love,” that's a hard one to describe. Imagine yourself in a wooden boat, in a river of tears, surrounded by dark green trees, but up above is an amazing daytime mountain view. That's this kind of song. A happy little Bob Ross painting. Whoa. The most amazing song on the album. The nest song, “In the Garden of Edie,” is an acoustic instrumental that knows nothing except for beauty, a better instrumental solo than the intro to Roundabout. The next song is “The Riverbank,” a more excitable track than the rest. Even if it doesn't reach the amazement of most of the previous tracks, it has a very enjoyable sound. “Cool Papa Bell” is one of the worst songs, but it is definitely not fiuller, it's a fun, lovable, soft and eccentric little piece of art that is the most “Simon” song on the album. Weird, but good. It's also a rare occasion for you to hear Paul Simon drop an f-bomb. Finally, “Insomniac;s Lullaby” is a very beautiful lullaby. It's perfect for ending the album, and I think songs like that are proof that the album is worth much more than just one listen.

Paul Simon's voice is 95% similar to his voice during the 70's and 80's. His sense of art and poetic cryptology have not faded. And his keen sense of music is as strong as ever. This album is different because... in it's own folk-rock induced way, the album is ironically gripping in a nearly dauntless manner, and the softer moments are perfectly calm. I honestly think this is one of Paul Simon's best, as well as one of the best albums of 2016.

97/100

**Frownland** · 06-12-2016, 11:04 PM

I wasn't really into the whole album, but there were some definite bangers on there. I'm just going to be going deeper into Clap! Clap!'s (the producer on this album) discography for the same effect.

02-17-2016, 12:26 PM	#21 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	Wrong Side of Darkness by My Creepy Susanne. Style: Stoner Rock, Grunge, Post-Grunge Release: Feb. 12, 2016 Length: 24 min. This is the debut EP by My Creepy Susanne, a grunge/post-grunge band that's a basic mix of Nirvana and Nickleback. They deserve to be on modern hard rock radio because they are relatable musically and they're pretty good. I recommend it for a couple listens. 73/100. __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.

03-12-2016, 12:27 PM	#24 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	I'm no Violent Femmes fan, but the debut is good. Now I rate their most recent album, "We Can Do Anything. Style: Acoustic Rock, Alternativ e Rock, Folk Punk Release: March 4 Length: Approx. 30 min. Violent Femmes have been waning in quality since Hallowed Ground, I've heard. But judging from the ratings, none of them are so bad as to be on the same pedastal as Lulu. Well, it's a decent album overall. OK, Memory was a good way to start it off. Classic Femmes sound. I feel, and I'm honest, that Meat Loaf could've covered it. The song has a similar tone, only this is an acoustic/alternative song. But listen to the lyrics. “Would you wander back from where you are? You see, I see, I cannot see. But I've come so far with a little guitar. And I play in bars and I'm lost in stars.” Total Meat Loaf cheese. My Meat Loaf senses are very high. I don't know what they were thinking with “I Could Be Anything.” It starts out as a weird carnival story about slaying dragons, powered by a switch between banjos and accordions. And it finishes that way. Odd. I will say this. It wasn't bad. “Issues” is a slower, goofy song. It's an acoustic track backed up by low horns and melodic backing vocals. “Holy Ghost” is a more upbeat song going back to their folk punk days. It's better on the second listen. “What You Really Mean” is a nice song, but it tries to be Springsteen. “Foothills” is another song trying to be something else. It's got that same Violent Femmes acoustic alternative sound,m but it tries to be an upbeat love song. Now we have another punk song with accordion, “Traveing Solves Everything.” Well, it couldn't solve the problems this song has. Lyrically weak, feeling inconsistent, vocally challenged. 6/10. “Big Car” doesn't seem to help either. By now, the VF sound has gotten tiring, as Gamo now tried to Lou Reed-ify his voice but it only ends up in post-break up Doug Yule failure (hence Squeeze). Although consistent, the song has no flair at all. “Untrue Love” is a soft country song. Gothic country, I believe. Well, Johnny Cash can pull of a deep voice, because he has a deep voice. Gano is not Johnny Cash. At this point I was wondering, “Is he going to spend the whole second half failing at impressions?” Violent Femmes fans may be disappointed that it didn't hold its own against the first at all. But I was never into the first. What gets me is how it's been like 30 years and Gano sounds practically the same as in the debut. However, he needs to keep it that way. He shouldn't go off trying to be someone else. It didn't help the second half. Still, decent album: 71/100 __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.

03-31-2016, 03:10 PM	#25 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	Wolves of Winter by Wolves of Winter. Wolves of Winter \| Wolves of Winter Style: Stoner Rock Length: 32 minutes. Release Jan. 9 I've starting to dive more into stoner rock. The funny thing is these guys clearly take off of Alice in Chains more than anyone, using a similar vocal style and a similar depiction of darkness. The only difference is that these guys are clearly a stoner band. As far as the quality goes, they have decent lyrics, a lot of great guitar, and truth to their style to spare. All I can say. 88/100. Definitely worth it. __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.

05-15-2016, 01:19 PM	#26 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	And now, for my review of what's possibly the most anticipated album of the year... A Moon Shaped Pool Artist: Radiohead Style: Art Pop, Art Rock Release: May 8, 2016 Length: 52 min. Every great band has a golden age, and an age where their albums just don't reach the same value. Led Zeppelin's golden age ended with Physical Graffiti, and their new age began with Presence. They had a golden age lasting for nearly six years. Black Sabbath's age ended with Mob Rules in '83. Queen's end came in the 80's with albums like Flash Gordon and Hot Space. Rolling Stones' end came after Exile. Ramones' end came after It's Alive I mention all of these because Radiohead is still producing great albums 20 years after their first hit, The Bends. Though some may have felt their golden age ended after the release of The King of Limbs, Radiohead has proven themselves to still be creative, invoking, and gripping with this new form of Radiohead, a side of the band members we have never seen before: a soothing, almost ambient, pop-oriented form of theirprevious works that is both a hollow form of its normal self and a birth child for the new age. Let's go over Radiohead's discography. I listened to the last album I needed to listen to before playing A Moon Shaped Pool, Hail to the Thief. Now I can compare all the albums. Their debut was Pablo Honey, another generic alternative album trying to get into the scenes of the early 90's. Their next album, The Bends, was more light-hearted and easy to like. Funny thing is, Radiohead's sound isn't “easy” to like. It often takes maturing. An interest in Radiohead is aged like wine. This is proven by their next three albums, and the evolution of their sound (or sounds). OK Computer is their thirtd album, and its acclaim is so well received that it is one of the highesdt rated albumsd in the world, sometimes more highly rated than Dark Side of the Moon. This is because of their more artistic approach on atmospheric production while maintaining a mutated form of radio-friendliness that is both pleasant to anyone, yet not the kind of thing you'd hear on the radio. It's as if the album itself pretended to be conventional, and hid itself fairly well behind amazing production. Kid A was the mark of Radiohead's reputation as both musicians and magicians. Mugicians, anyone? Mugician's Lyre - Chaotiki - Wikia Kid A was combining the atmospheric experimentation of OKC with electronic music, giving Radiohead a reputation in the Electronic industry. This odd combination gave the album a rep of taking many listens and patience to understand why it is so highly rated that it is often considered to be even better than Led Zeppelin IV or Nevermind. And Amnesiac followed in Kid A's footsteps, but it took less time to understand. This is probably due to the fact it is less atmospheric and more experimental. Hail to the Thief was like a look into Radiohead's past, taking a little bit of anything from their first five albums. In Rainbows was similar, but steered more towards the original alternative roots. The Bends up to Rainbow had extremely favorable reviews. The King of Limbs continued into the electronic industry, but did not meet with as favorable reviews. I'm betting many fans specualted whether or not Radiohead had lost its touch, and was steering away from their golden age. Well, A Moon Shaped Pool continues the golden era twenty years after the age started with The Bends. The reviews are outstanding. The new aura of A Moon Shaped Pool is completely different from their past works in terms of style and genre, but still Radiohead enough to love. The beginning retains some of the electronic-esque production from OKC to Amnesiac, and carries the same thought-provoking, gripping, and cryptic presence within the backing music, production, and lyrics. Thom Yorke is almost as versatiule as his previous performances. Paranoid Android is a prime example of his diversity. However, the album steers away from every genre that Radiohead ever knew, and shows Radiohead's pop-oriented form of art, backed up by an emotional atmosphere and a new side of the coin. It's as if Radiohead did enter a new era: a second golden era. But as aformentioned, the band does retain their original elements that made them unique. It wasn't the genre that made them unique, it was the mentality. This soothing aura in the album can either be very soft like in “Daydreaming,” or heavy and rough on a noise rock border similar to “Burn the Witch.” In the song “Decks Dark,”: they retain the alternative elements of conventionality without being alternative at all. Genius. Radiohead are experts at aura. From the first three tracks alone, a lot of makings of a near perfect album are their. And I thought to myself, “Personally, this is my favorite form of Radiohead.” “Desert Island Disk” is one of my favorite off it because of its acoustic sound. “Ful Stop” actually manages to retain the electronic sounds of the early 2000's, but is still so very different. It's more conventional and more instrumental, almost to the point where one can call it a filler track. A damn good one, though. It's actually pretty Bowie-esque, combining Bowie's art with Radiohead's art. That would've made a hell of a show. “Glass Eyes” is another production heavy tune, messing with piano in the most beautiful way. “Identikit” is far more soft and quiet, low tone and thought-provoking while a choir of Yorke'sd vocals lead the amazing quality of the song. Still... it fits very well. Obviously, every song is different. Identikit is one of the best on the album. “The Numbers takes the vibe of “Glass Eyes” and brings it into the experimental realm of Kid A and Amnesiac, provoking the thoughts of the listener in a very soothing way. And then... acoustic guitar. Wow. It all blends so well. And then Thom Yorke's falsetto voice sings low enough for this song to be one of the best on the album. It's an amazing work. “Present Tense” seems more focused on using the production towards beauty, as a beautiful acoustic guitar drives fantasia through an amalgam of beauty. Guitars, production, vocals, all beautiful. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich” is more electronic than any of the songs on the album. Still, now matter how different each song is, the aura is never stopped. In fact, the reverb within the song is what keeps the song going. It's a little similar to Everythnig in It's Right Place, all about soothing with a low, vaguely raspy, electronic sound that's perfect for relaxing at home and taking a nap. But the reverb and piano within the song make it different, somewhat disturbing the flow of the song a little. However, it never disturbed the album's flow. Cool. Really cool. "True Love Waits" carries a similar influence to the last song. But that's more focused on soothing the soul and prefecting a watery flow to create a near perfect end. Overall, Radiohead's ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool, could easily be my favorite album out of the Radiohead discography, partially because of its atmospheric pop tone and because of its surprise. I think we can all safely say that this album was a big surprise, and that no oner expected Radiohead to try this completely new kind of realm that easily keeps up with the modern times. It's amazing how a band can make so many albums that fit their era and live through time. I think the surprise may be a disappointm,ent to some due to the “new turn.” But is it possible Radiohead feels they have driven their original cars to the end of their roads? Or did they just try something new? Either way, this is a grand new entry in their discography. 97. __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.

06-06-2016, 03:18 PM	#27 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	Vertice by Paramo Release: April 12, 2016 Style: Grungegaze, Post-Rock Length: 40 min. Now what is "grungegaze?" Simple enough. Grunge and shoegaze. But, the grungegaze tags are usually very easily given on Bandcamp.com, which leads a lot of "grungegaze" to be alternative or post-punk albums that only use a tag to sound "diverse" before the person who sees them plays the album. This, along with the unpopularity makes a lot of grungegaze hard to find. Apparently, there's a lot of great grunge in Argentina. Buenos Aires band Paramo (not to be confused with the Rio Negro Argentina band Paramo), stays true to that sound. This album seems to follow that real sound of grungegaze most of the time. There is alternative and post-rock influence (as well as Slint), but I think it does an excellent job at using both grunge and shoegaze to compliment the dark atmosphere of the album. I also love the way the album is layed out. It starts out with a long instrumental intro to their style, called Procesión. Then the album continiues with shorter songs. These songs will be about 3 to nearly 7 minutes long. And then a track of two conjoining songs, one an instrumental, finishes off the album. All throughout, ther album has a very sad, very emotional tone that perfectly fits. Obviously, the band has great skill in emotion. The only large flaw that the album has is that the vocals can occasionally be hard to hear. I think Paramo should be heard throughout grunge communities. I think they shed a little light on the ever-so-small grungegaze fad, and is easily one of the most atmospheric and talented bands of the 2010's. I'd reommend it for fans of grunge, fans of atmoshpere, those looking for something to cry to, something to cry with, or even Slint fans. __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me. Last edited by JGuy Grungeman; 06-08-2016 at 12:01 PM.

06-11-2016, 02:40 PM	#29 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	Stranger to Stranger by Paul Simon Style: Art Pop, Folk Rock Release, June 3, 2016 Length: 37 min. Stranger to Stranger Paul Simon has been a huge favorite of mine ever since I saw his episode of The Muppet Show at a young age in my life. I always look forward to a new Paul Simon album because he never has a bad one. There's always something to write home about. Stranger to Stranger is a complete surprise. It may be his best since Graceland. Upon the first note, I became aware of the careful artistic turn that Paul Simon so easily placed in the opening track, “Werewolf.” I am reminded of the Lynyrd Skynyrd style song by Warren Zevon: “Werewolves of London.” I am also reminded of how much that song annoys me and of how different this song is: It is more artistic, very lyrically clever, and captures the essence of earlier Paul Simon songs perfectly. “Wristband” carries the same arti9stic sound, bordering on the worldbeat aura of Graceland but clearly more fit for the indie and art pop lovers of the 2010's. It seems that the lyrics are just and cryptic, but they do not seem to have the same strong sense of a “hidden meaning” in “Wristband.” Still, the song is very well worth the listen. “The Clock,” which starts with a ticking clock paired with a carefully and exquisitely times guitar, is a nice little minute that's very relaxing. Still, it's simple filler. The next song is much more energetic: “Street Angel.” It carries Paul Simon's famous rambling style, and has hard drumming backed up by atmospheric and quiet instruments and distorted deep vocals. Definitely one of the best songs on the album. The title track is a more soothing and relaxing song, backed up by heavily produced violins that are perfect for the modern era's newfound styles of music, absolutely perfect for being up in the ranks with albums like A Moon Shaped Pool. The softness, the chimes, and Paul Simon's hidden meanings are all at their prime in that song. And this half of the album ends with the tribal “In a Parade,” which sounds like a parade of tribal instruments. “Proof of Love,” that's a hard one to describe. Imagine yourself in a wooden boat, in a river of tears, surrounded by dark green trees, but up above is an amazing daytime mountain view. That's this kind of song. A happy little Bob Ross painting. Whoa. The most amazing song on the album. The nest song, “In the Garden of Edie,” is an acoustic instrumental that knows nothing except for beauty, a better instrumental solo than the intro to Roundabout. The next song is “The Riverbank,” a more excitable track than the rest. Even if it doesn't reach the amazement of most of the previous tracks, it has a very enjoyable sound. “Cool Papa Bell” is one of the worst songs, but it is definitely not fiuller, it's a fun, lovable, soft and eccentric little piece of art that is the most “Simon” song on the album. Weird, but good. It's also a rare occasion for you to hear Paul Simon drop an f-bomb. Finally, “Insomniac;s Lullaby” is a very beautiful lullaby. It's perfect for ending the album, and I think songs like that are proof that the album is worth much more than just one listen. Paul Simon's voice is 95% similar to his voice during the 70's and 80's. His sense of art and poetic cryptology have not faded. And his keen sense of music is as strong as ever. This album is different because... in it's own folk-rock induced way, the album is ironically gripping in a nearly dauntless manner, and the softer moments are perfectly calm. I honestly think this is one of Paul Simon's best, as well as one of the best albums of 2016. 97/100 __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.

06-12-2016, 11:04 PM	#30 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	I wasn't really into the whole album, but there were some definite bangers on there. I'm just going to be going deeper into Clap! Clap!'s (the producer on this album) discography for the same effect. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x