Music: By Rating

These are the definitive scores for all music ranked from best to worst.

Veruschka Ennio Morricone

10/10
As far as easy-listening Morricone goes, this is one of his best. There are hints of bossa nova, echo-y... more

Virtual State Richard H. Kirk

10/10
After the end of Cabaret Voltaire, Kirk went on to record a zillion solo records under different names. This... more

Walkin’ with Link Link Wray

10/10
This CD compiles Link’s early sixties recordings on Epic records. Half the tracks are unreleased versions of songs including... more

XXX Party Phantom Surfers, The

10/10
After years of releasing full-length surf records sprinkled with a few jokes and some schtick, The Phantom Surfers finally... more

1000 Hurts Shellac

9/10
When this came out it felt like a return to form for Shellac. It opens with the fantastic “Prayer... more

1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) Eurythmics

9/10
Although technically speaking this is a soundtrack, I don’t think any of these songs made it into the film 1984.... more

96 Tears Question Mark and the Mysterians

9/10
This is a recent reissue of the 1966 album of the same name. This is an excellent collection of... more

Absolute Polysics Polysics

9/10
Absolute Polysics is Polysics at their spazziest. It was pretty jarring a first but I have come to like this record quite... more

Absurd-Ditties Toy Dolls

9/10
After a string of just okay records, The Toy Dolls finally released an LP that almost stands up to their first recordings. I... more

An Invitation to Planet Mace Untamed Youth

9/10
This is the long awaited new release from these kings of Jethro Rock™ And this is one of their... more

Apocalypse Now Coppola, Carmine and Francis Coppola

9/10
Not so much a soundtrack as it is an abridged version of the movie that you can listen along... more

Around the World With Satan’s Pilgrims Satan's Pilgrims

9/10
A collection of mildly exotica inspired tune from this Portland surf band. It’s much better than some of their... more

As Above, So Below POLES, tHE

9/10
The capitalization challenged tHE POLES are one of the few bands that Nonagon has played with that I actually really like.... more

Astral Astronauts Spoozys

9/10
Spoozys were one of the half dozen or so Japanese bands I saw perform at Japan Nite 2001. Spoozy... more

Audio Visionaries: Street Pranks and Put-Ons Coyle and Sharpe

9/10
This is the second CD collection of this duo’s hilarious Candid Microphone style man-on-the-street interviews from the mid sixties. This collection... more

Bastard Colin Newman

9/10
This CD is a nice mix of electronics, processed guitars and throbbing dub-reggae style bass lines. There’s nothing particularly... more

Beat, Beat, Beatsville!: Beatnik Rock ‘n’ Roll Various Artists

9/10
This is a comp of late fifties early sixties novelty rock songs about beatniks. It’s very much in-line with... more

Big City After Dark: Missing Links Volume 2 Link Wray

9/10
Discogs.com has been nagging me for months that this was available for cheap from a number of resellers and... more

Boots Nancy Sinatra

9/10
Nancy Sinatra may be best known for being the sister of the great Frank Sinatra Jr., but she also,... more

Brighter Than a Thousand Suns Killing Joke

9/10
Killing Joke took everything that was great about Nightime’s “Love Like Blood” and ran with it on this release. There’s a... more

C’est Chic! Various Artists

9/10
Another great 60’s girl group compilation from Ace Records. I think I like the Italian girl singers CD a tad bit... more

Celebration of Annihilation Servotron

9/10
Robot rock! This band is rumored to contain member(s) of Man or Astroman? and Supernova (I’ve since found out... more

Ciao Bella! Various Artists

9/10
A fantastic compilation 60’s girl-pop songs from Italy. The highlight of the CD is the opening track “Baluba Shake.”... more

Clincher Tar

9/10
This feels like it must be outtakes or extras from Jackson. “G7” and “Teetering” are the best tracks on the... more

Daisychain Reaction Poster Children

9/10
This is the first Poster Children CD that I bought at the time of its release. This was back... more

Death by Unga Bunga!! Mummies, The

9/10
The final gasp from the kings of Budget Rock, The Mummies! This is their only legimately released CD and... more

Digital Lifeforms Sandoz

9/10
Since the demise of Cabaret Voltaire, Richard H. Kirk has had about a zillion solo projects all with different... more

Doolittle Pixies

9/10
Like most non-hipsters in the late eighties, this was my introduction to the Pixies. I think majority of people... more

Elvis Double Features: Viva Las Vegas / Roustabout Elvis Presley

9/10
Another great two movie compilation from The King. Everyone knows how great “Viva Las Vegas” is, but track two,... more

Elvis Presley Elvis Presley

9/10
This is so much better than the overrated Clash album that stole its cover design. I think people forget... more

Et Vincere et Mori Monarchs, The

9/10
Lo-Fi rockers!!! Snotty female lead vocals. Some of the best garage music from the 90s.

Experiment Zero Man... or Astroman?

9/10
This release represents a revitalized MorA? after a string of average releases. Albini’s production makes the band sound a... more

Extra Width Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

9/10
The Blues Explosion (at least on these earlier recordings) occupies a nice space between the raw, rootsy rock of... more

Giornata Nera Per L’Ariete Ennio Morricone

9/10
Although this disc is part of the Crime box set, the music here is very much in the vein of Morricone’s... more

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins Sparks

9/10
After Interior Design, Sparks wisely took a six year break to go back to their rooms and think about what they... more

Hillbilly Wolf: Missing Links Vol. 1 Link Wray

9/10
This is the CD reissue of Norton’s Link Wray series. The CD includes some 5 bonus tracks. If you... more

Hippopotamus Sparks

9/10
After Exotic Creatures Sparks kinda disappeared into collaborations, Swedish operas, and Hollywood musicals. Six or seven years later they... more

House at the Edge of the Dark Giallos Flame, The

9/10
Thanks to some free mp3 credits from Amazon, this is the first album that I ever purchased as a... more

Il Gatto A Nove Code Ennio Morricone

9/10
With the exception of the title song, “Ninna Nanna In Blu,” all of the tracks on this CD are... more

Il Poliziotto Della Brigata Criminale Ennio Morricone

9/10
I finally bought this CD after being nagged by my Discogs.com wishlist alert for months. I shouldn’t have waited... more

Instruments of Terror Laika and the Cosmonauts

9/10
Some of the best 90s surf revival music you can find. On par with The Shadowy Men on a... more

Just Like You Poster Children

9/10
Just Like You is a really solid EP. The band is slowly moving away from their drone-laden “Champaign ’92” sound... more

Karoshi Salaryman

9/10
Another collection of analog synth laden songs from the members of Poster Children. This one feels a bit more... more

Killing Joke (2003) Killing Joke

9/10
Killing Joke proves they can still crank up the angst on yet another “comeback” album. There’s no innovation here,... more

Knight Vision: Hymns for the Invisible Church Knights of the New Crusade, The

9/10
This is what happens when you give up on new music. You stop paying attention to music press and... more

La Donna Domenica Ennio Morricone

9/10
Another great soundtrack re-release from Cinevox. The pieces start mellow and gradually build in tension without quite reaching the... more

Liar Jesus Lizard, The

9/10
Goat laid the ground rules for the Jesus Lizard’s sound and Liar solidified it into a formula. It’s a... more

Lolita Nelson Riddle

9/10
Although a couple of the pieces on this soundtrack recording sound like they came straight from The Donna Reed Show,... more

LoopStatic [amine ß ring modulations] Richard H. Kirk

9/10
The title does a good job in describing this release. Kirk seems to have shifted away from sequenced sounds... more

Macchie Solari Ennio Morricone

9/10
This is another solid release in Digitmovies series of giallo soundtracks. The record is comprised, for the most part,... more

Major Chaos! Untamed Youth, The

9/10
This is a great collection of rarities from The Untamed Youth that I was hesitant to buy for a... more

My God Is Alive! Sorry About Yours! Knights of the New Crusade, The

9/10
Knights of the New Crusade are America’s premiere punk rock Biblical literalists. Religious viewpoint aside, this is some of... more

Obento Alternative DS i Love You

9/10
DS i Love You is actually one man, Kanji Honma, a Nintendo DSi and the excellent Korg DS cartridge.... more

Oblivians Oblivians

9/10
This CD compiles all the Oblivians’ Sympathy for the Record Industry records on one CD. There are quite a few... more

Over and Out Tar

9/10
More Tar being Tar. This one has crystal clear production and, wouldn’t you know it, a little bit of... more

Painful Yo La Tengo

9/10
I am glad I never got in to Yo La Tengo whilst they were coming into prominence. I probably... more

Paura: A Collection of Italian Horror Sounds from the CAM Sugar Archive Various Artists

9/10
This is an excellent and diverse compilation of music from various (mostly) 70s horror films and thrillers. There are... more

Peace Thru Vandalism / When In Rome Vandals, The

9/10
As a kid growing up in Central Illinois Peace Thru Vandalism was one the first “punk rock” records I ever heard.... more

Plastic Seat Sweat Southern Culture on the Skids

9/10
With the addition of a keyboard player, this CD has a slightly different sound than their previous records. SCOTS... more

Presenting Jackie and the Cedrics Jackie and the Cedrics

9/10
Jackie and the Cedrics are a surf revival band hailing from Japan. In addition to Jackie’s trademark hyperactive drumming,... more

Project Infinity Man... or Astroman?

9/10
Another good release with slightly better production quality than their previous Estrus recordings.

Read & Burn 01 Wire

9/10
In 2002 Wire returned after over a decade of dormancy and once again they have changed their musical focus.... more

Read & Burn 02 Wire

9/10
The second in Wire’s 2000’s comeback EPs is slightly better than the first but generally it’s really just a... more

Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights Raymond Scott

9/10
In the past, most people’s introduction to Raymond Scott came when some hipster nerd told them that the music... more

Replicas Tubeway Army

9/10
After having owned and loved The Pleasure Principle for years, I finally expanded my Gary Numan collection with this CD. Numan... more

RTFM Poster Children

9/10
This record starts out with a bang and is almost as good as Junior Citizen. A couple of the songs... more

Sandoz in Dub: Chapter Two / Extra Time (Under the Stones) Sandoz

9/10
It looks like these days Richard H. Kirk is only releasing his music via iTunes. Personally, I prefer the... more

Second Edition Public Image Ltd.

9/10
I always liked P.I.L. much, much more than The Sex Pistols. I’ll concede that most of this record is... more

Send Wire

9/10
Send compiles seven of its eleven tracks from the first two Read & Burn EPs. Of the remaining four new songs, only... more

Sex Mad / You Kill Me Nomeansno

9/10
Any Nomeansno record is going to get compared with their masterpiece, Wrong. No, they’ll never match the perfection of that... more

Sing and Play the Three Doctors and Other Sounds of Today Zip Code Rapists

9/10
Before Gregg Turkington was creating anti-comedy as Neil Hamburger, he was, along with guitarist John Singer, creating anti-music in... more

Singles 83/84 Toy Dolls

9/10
This CD compiles four of the band’s early 7″ singles. This was when the Toy Dolls were at their... more

Solid Sender Deke Dickerson

9/10
This is a wonderful single by Deke (of Untamed Youth/Dave and Deke Combo/GoNuts Fame). Most of the songs are... more

Spare Parts Servotron

9/10
I think this was the last CD that Servotron put out. It is a collection of remixes and live... more

Sport Fishin’ – The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

9/10
The final Shadowy Men album sounds much better than its predecessors thanks mostly to Albini’s roomy recording style. However,... more

Stop, Rock, and Roll Drags, The

9/10
This debut full-lengther from Tucson’s the Drags clocks in at under 20 minutes. But this LP offers more in... more

Strays Wire

9/10
I got this CD as a bonus from ordering Red Barked Tree directly from Wire mail order. The disc opens with... more

Teenage Doll Various Artists

9/10
This selection from the ever-growing Buffalo Bop re-release CDs feature only female rockers from the 50s. It’s much more... more

Ten Years of Toys Toy Dolls

9/10
I got this back when it came out and it was about the only way to get Toy Dolls... more

The Art of the Theremin Clara Rockmore

9/10
This CD came as part of my Theremin kit I ordered from Big Briar back in the 90s. Just... more

The Curse of La Lloroña Monarchs, The

9/10
The Monarchs were a 90s garage band from Michigan for which I have always had a big soft spot. Their ... more

The Exciting Sounds of Model Road Racing Phantom Surfers, The

9/10
This is probably only the second record ever made of instrumental surf music devoted to the hobby of slot... more

The Final Rip Off Monty Python

9/10
Another great 2 CD collection of skits to memorize with your nerd friends. You know how they always say that... more

The Great Lost Trashmen Album! Trashmen, The

9/10
Another fine collection of Trashmen recordings. Not much to add here except that these were all previously unreleased and... more

The Greatest Gift Scratch Acid

9/10
I discovered Scratch Acid after becoming a The Jesus Lizard worshiper. At the time I remember thinking, despite have... more

The Horror Films Collections, Volume 2 Various Artists

9/10
This compilation covers Italian films from the early Seventies all the way to 1991’s Hobgoblin and features compositions from a wide... more

The Ultimate Yma Sumac Collection Yma Sumac

9/10
Yma Sumac had a voice that supposedly spanned five octaves. That alone would make for an interesting recording artist,... more

Tool of the Man Poster Children

9/10
After the Poster Children moved to a major label they began to sound tighter, punchier, less-droney and they started... more

Tossing Seeds (89-91) Superchunk

9/10
This is the first of several singles comps Superchunk released over the years. Lots of covers and a few... more

Trans-Europe Express Kraftwerk

9/10
Trans-Europe Express is a classic record which laid the groundwork for virtually all the electronic dance music that proceeded it.... more

Tube City! The Best of the Trashmen! Trashmen, The

9/10
The Trashmen were a standout band from the surf era known mostly for their hit, “Surfin’ Bird.” That single... more

Twelve Winds POLES, tHE

9/10
Twelve Winds is much like their As Above, So Below EP but with more songs! (They must have learned from the tragic... more

Two Nuns and a Pack Mule Rapeman

9/10
There’s still quite a bit of Big Black’s sound in this Albini follow up project. The guitar (there’s only... more

What’s THIS for…! Killing Joke

9/10
Brutal, pounding, post-punk genius. Post apocalyptic tribal beats that many fans consider their best. I prefer the two follow... more

Wilful Days Killing Joke

9/10
A great collection of singles and extended mixes from the EG years. I had a few of these on... more

Youth Runs Wild Untamed Youth

9/10
This is the follow-up to Planet Mace and continues much along the same lines. They rely a bit less... more

712 Shonen Knife

8/10
I take back a little about what I said in my Pretty Little Baka Guy post. This record definitely has an... more

9 Public Image Ltd.

8/10
9 is more or less a continuation of what Public Image Ltd. was doing on Happy? If anything, I think I like... more

A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip Sparks

8/10
This was Sparks riding fast and furious on the hype train. The Edgar Wright documentary was out, Annette was... more

Absolutely Madness

8/10
Not as ska-rific as their first record, yet lacking the pop brilliance of their later records. But still, it’s... more