Monthly Archives: August 2023

Here we are again, reaching another big, round number which apparently constitutes an achievement of some kind. It feels arbitrary to me, despite the indication of the passage of time that it provides for me, lessening the Groundhog’s Day effect to some extent. With that attitude in mind, it feels fitting to have picked anContinue reading “#1200 – Cinder by Dirty Three”

This is the second Low album I’ve listened to as a part of the NAAD project, with the first being I Could Live In Hope, from 1994. It’s interesting experiencing a band in this way, only knowing them from a couple of snapshots of their career, a little over twenty years apart. As impressive asContinue reading “#1199 – Ones and Sixes by Low”

This, Hozier’s third album, is receiving a pretty warm reception in the first couple weeks since its release. His previous album (2019’s Wasteland, Baby!), did not have the powerhouse single that his first album had, an all-too-common tale in the music biz where the second album doesn’t live up to the expectations created by theContinue reading “#1198 – Unreal Unearth by Hozier”

I never got that into The Beach Boys, but since hearing this album I’ve read a bit about their trials and tribulations with the pressures and problems that come along with becoming rich and famous at a young age. This was not a super commonly known issue at the time, so there was not muchContinue reading “#1197 – Pacific Ocean Blue & Bambu by Dennis Wilson”

As your frame of reference in music history grows, so too does the awareness of the sound and feel of different periods. This album, for example, bears so many of the hallmarks of music production in the 1960s, complete with the classic sitar and keys sounds that feature heavily in that era. Not unlike theContinue reading “#1196 – Sunshine Superman by Donovan”

I’m on vacation this week, visiting family on the east coast. And so, as my attention is focused elsewhere, I don’t care to put too much effort into choosing my daily selections. Also, the pool of albums that fit into the “of Love” theme is growing thin, further reducing my interest in that pursuit. MaybeContinue reading “#1195 – 2 by Mac DeMarco”

Of all the classic rock artists I grew up idolizing, none of them lost my interest as their career went on like the legendary Mr Zimmerman. This album, with its theme-fitting title, comes from that part of his career that made so many fans turn away.

I always kinda thought UB40 was a bit of a one hit wonder. Perhaps that is more indicative of my bland, suburban American origin story than of the catalog of this Brit-reggae juggernaut. Not much Jamaican about these guys other than their sound, which is not to take away from their impressive commercial success.

I guess when you’re putting out an album that is an offshoot of the Isley Brothers you don’t want to bury your name under some clever new band name. Though that reasoning makes sense to me, I still think they could’ve done better. With the project name, I mean, not necessarily the content.

I’m taking a temporary detour from the theme of this week to check out this album on the day of its release. This artist has been gaining traction among the jam band faithful at least partially due the the involvement of Trey Anastasio. Turns out Karina went to school with his daughters. Let’s not letContinue reading “#1191 – Joyride by Karina Rykman”