Music Direct's Josh Bizar Asked For a Quarantine Album Fave So We Delivered

Music Direct's Josh Bizar asked if Malachi and I to contribute short reviews to his website feature "Notes From My Listening Room" so we did.

I'd still wish someone would reissue Avalon from the original analog master tape (if it's still useable)

COMMENTS
ManyRekids's picture

At this time I play records that seem to evoke one or more of a few themes- space, fun/playfulness, rage/angst/frustration and peace/calm. These three records have gotten a lot of time on the old Linn LP12 lately; Ron Carter All Blues, The Modern Jazz Quartet Last Concert, and The Modern Lovers (first record.) Give them a spin and enjoy.

Michael Fremer's picture
Good choices!
ChrisM's picture

Live At The Fillmore East is a great advice, fantastic live indeed.

RVG Edition's picture

The original pressing of this album sounds pretty darn good, but I've been waiting years for someone to have a go at an audiophile version of Diesel & Dust.

Mendo's picture

You and me both. Somehow there seems to be some crazy untapped sonic potential in that record. It's energy has help up remarkably well. Too bad there's so little of that in pop music today. They got after it.

MalachiLui's picture

the prompt was "happy album that you own on vinyl," which is what i did. as far as what i've actually listened to on repeat in quarantine, here's a list:

-bladee "eversince"
-bladee "icedancer"
-bladee "exeter"
-ecco2k "E" (it's my profile pic on here btw, GREAT album)
-jonatan leandoer96 "nectar"
-yung lean "unknown death 2002"
-the raveonettes "in and out of control"
-godspeed you black emperor "lift yr skinny fists"
-neutral milk hotel "in the aeroplane over the sea"

obviously i'm a hardcore drainer, but that's what i've been listening to in addition to the usual mix of bowie, kraftwerk, tyler, kanye, frank, etc. plus review material... which you'll find out soon.

Michael Fremer's picture
Drainers have higher IQs than Boomers. Must be so. Malachi told me that! lol.
MalachiLui's picture

understanding bladee requires an extremely high IQ that most people don't have. hence why bladee is so commonly hated. i strongly believe in drainer supremacy.

PeterPani's picture

I propose. you go back to Mozart. He was a genius, but able to make music for the full IQ-range. Humanity always wins.

MalachiLui's picture

created humanity (a job that requires high IQ) and will also have to save it (another job requiring high IQ) so if drainers have to save all of humanity, does humanity still always win?

OldschoolE's picture

I concure. I'll stick with Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Shostakovich,Rush,Tori Amos and the like for my "high IQ music".
Of course, like "audiophile music" and other "superlatives music" "high IQ music" is merely a made up phrase that holds little to no meaning. Music is in and of itself, not assigned to any one person or type, etc. All music is valid to someone and has meaning to each of us individually obviously.
I admit that I have never heard of the term "drainer" until today and aside from the meaning involving the skills of a plumber, I'm not so sure "drainer" is something I would want to be (and I possess a relative above average IQ and an even higher EQ and no, that does not give me bragging rights). Of course then again, have you seen how much money plumbers make? Yikes!

MalachiLui's picture

prepared to be drained... here is one of the greatest songs ever written:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gfItwH3LKQ

OldschoolE's picture

Well, there really are many great songs equally and it is also subjective of course. As for quarantine related songs, there are many very clever ones out there by everyday folk talent we never knew about until now. There are a lot of parodies as well, but one stands differently, this one due to it's sentiment: https://youtu.be/xGKFVMgjrPc

As for this song, while not amongst my style tastes, it was well written lyrically (from what I could make out without the distortion and such).

OldschoolE's picture

Oh and if the "thank You" parody above doesn't move you, check your pulse.

MalachiLui's picture

i don't need quarantine-themed parodies to get thru this, i just need drain gang

also listen to ecco2k's "E." brilliant ambient pop record, like no other. there are only 4 other people on the same level now as ecco.

Pretzel Logic's picture

Do ALL drainers have Asperger's?

MalachiLui's picture

why asperger's? and why would that be associated with drainers?

Eskisi's picture

This is such a slight, smoke puff of a song. Yea, maybe, at 14, I might have liked it too. Nevertheless that vocoderized, off-autotune drone of singing is very offputting.

MalachiLui's picture

ecco approaches autotune in a different, arguably more unique way. “E” is the best european album since “low.”

https://youtu.be/Rs_kavGKeHI

Duke86fan's picture

DRAIN TIME

BLADEE ON VINYL WHEN

ManyRekids's picture

I haven’t heard any of those, with which would you recommend I start?

MalachiLui's picture

if you prefer to start with icy, sorta drugged out autocroon industrial pop, listen to bladee's "eversince."

if you'd prefer an ambient pop type thing, try ecco2k's "E"

i love both albums but i think "E" is ever so slightly better.

energon's picture

is something I would absolutely kill for. Debuts as good as eversince don't come around too often. Bladee, Yung Lean and their collaborators are such innovators. Starz has been an absolute joy.

very nice to see In The Aeroplane Over The Sea mentioned... what a brilliant record. one of the first I ever purchased on vinyl.

MalachiLui's picture

fr, “eversince” and “E” are top ten level debut albums that absolutely need more recognition. masterpieces [not by ellington!].

and yeah ITAOTS is on the same 10/10 level, great lofi indie rock for those who haven’t heard it. there are only a few albums better than it. i rly don’t blame jeff mangum for not making another NMH record cuz ITAOTS is impossible to follow.

energon's picture

ITAOTS is just such a monumental artistic statement that I don't think any successor to it could ever follow it up. Can't agree more with what you said on it.

Chemguy's picture

...and me...”

Yep, can never go wrong with Avalon!

Chemguy's picture

Take out the “to” instead of the “if” and it makes sense!

Duke86fan's picture

It seems like i have mostly been working on my backlog as of late... im currently through early tom waits and plan on getting to Wilco, Julia Holter, and Yo La Tengo soon hopefully

DODGE's picture

The last day or so it's been all 50's jazz: Lou Donaldson Takes Off - Mal Waldron Left Alone (Billie Holiday Tribute) - Johnny Griffin Blowing Session. Before that 50's rock 'n' roll: Drifters (original group), Clovers, Coasters. Also Chuck Berry (a complete genius). I used to think that he was a grown man in his mid thirties when he started his hits. You know, figuring out what the 'kids' would like and delivering. Just recently found out he was a young guy, early twenties when the hits started. Makes him even more remarkable. I'm going to be going on a Little Richard jag as soon as I'm able (teared up when I heard the news). Currently building my last (no more room) record cabinet. While working I've been listening to CD's rotating between Vivaldi and 'Under the Influence: Original Versions of the Songs the Beatles Covered'. I can't get enough of that Larry Williams' 'Bad Boy'!!! Malachi, do you ever listen to 50's music? Rock 'n' Roll, Jazz, Folk?

ManyRekids's picture

I looked it up in a few online slang dictionaries, came up with- totally lazy. I don't think that is your definition.

MalachiLui's picture

drainer = drain gang enthusiast.

ManyRekids's picture

without orchestra? I saw them in the early 80s, their performance of this piece was astonishing, a landscape in sound. I have Three Windows, but would love to hear the piece again by the quartet.

Montpier's picture

I first saw them live during the Country Life tour (with Manfred Mann opening!), and think Eno has been quoted as preferring Stranded. If forced to choose I probably have to go with For Your Pleasure. Unfortunately doesn't look like that will get the special edition treatment that the first Roxy received.

But really the first 4 or 5 remain high points of the 70's and, at least to my ears, still hold up well.

stargeezer's picture

Skip Pence - Orb, Julia Kent - Asperities, Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer, Yes - Fragile (MFSL one-step amazing), David Bowie - Hunky Dory.

Swervn's picture

My stay-at-home playlist has been all over the map. The notes on Avalon had me pull out the '83 Roxy EP the high road, which is one of my favorites. But my table has seen everything from the Best of Mark-Almond, to Acoustic Alchemy, to Billy Cobham to King Crimson, and as always Neil Y and Joni M. Oh and then I threw in a little Return to Forever and some Peter Paul and Mary. Like I said, all over the map. Getting ready to see how the new vinyl version of Joni's Shine came out. Happy listening, stay well everyone!

Swervn's picture

Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Flying Burrito Bros and I'm With Her...

xtcfan80's picture

I've been enjoying some Esquivel - Latin-esque and Best of the Sir Douglas Quintet on Takoma...and some Emma Kirkby on Hyperion LPs.

Tom L's picture

Leo Kottke-anything
Dale Miller-Finger Picking Rags
Dave Evans-Sad Pig Dance
Ralph Towner-Solstice
Waco Brothers-Resist
Cotton Mather-KonTiki
The Bats-Silverbeet
Erik Voeks-So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away
Foxboro Hot Tubs-Stop, Drop and Roll!!!
Bash & Pop-Anything Could Happen
Plenty of Chuck Prophet
Also several John Entwistle LPs, just finished his biography "Ox".

vinyl listener's picture

... when there are plenty of good sounding copies available at a fair price.

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