Music Log

A chronological listing of my music reviews.

2014

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

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

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

Twenty-Two Tunes Live From Tokyo Toy Dolls

8/10
Another new record label and another quick cash in on the band’s older songs. This time it’s a live... 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

Orcastrated Toy Dolls

6/10
What’s with the “Z” in Toy Dollz? That was the first sign that this might be a questionable release. In... 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

Fat Bob’s Feet Toy Dolls

7/10
This CD includes the embarrassing bonus track “Turtle Crazy!” which is a song about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.... more

Wakey Wakey! Toy Dolls

7/10
Well from here on out these records are business as usual. The highlights on this CD are “There’s a... more

Bare Faced Cheek Toy Dolls

8/10
From here on out, Toys Dolls records and songs start to follow a pretty standard formula. While every release... more

Idle Gossip Toy Dolls

10/10
This is the last truly great Toy Dolls record. It could have been their best release, but it suffers... more

A Far Out Disc Toy Dolls

10/10
Toy Dolls second album has a little more polish than the first and even includes a radio spot for... more

Dig That Groove Baby Toy Dolls

10/10
Toy Dolls skirt the edge of punk rock and novelty music. As such there will be some people who... more

You Guys Kill Me Third Eye Foundation

7/10
There was a time in the early 2000’s when I thought I might be able to expand my electronica... more

Flood They Might Be Giants

4/10
Nobody needs to own more than one They Might Be Giants album. While I enjoy the “hits” on this... more

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants

8/10
Yeah, I get it. You went to art school you clever bastards. Fun, smart pop songs, it’s no surprise... more

Get Action! Teengenerate

6/10
Teengenerate are what I would describe as a Ramones-y punk band. They are much faster and certainly less tuneful... more

Ghosts Techno-Animal

6/10
I thought that Techno-Animal, being the electronic side project of the guitarist from Godflesh, would sound more like the... 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

Toast Tar

8/10
While this disc starts out with a couple of great Tar tunes it doesn’t quite keep the energy up... 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

Jackson Tar

10/10
This probably is Tar’s best record. It’s a wall of loud, lumbering guitars and driving bass lines. This is... more

Roundhouse Tar

7/10
This CD actually compiles Tar’s first two releases: Handsome and Roundhouse. While I like many of tunes on this CD, it’s my... more

Dual Supercollider

10/10
This is the better of the two Supercollider CDs. The sound is much bigger and they had gotten much... more

This Side Up Supercollider

10/10
Supercollider is my favorite band from the nineties that no one seems to know about. I found about them... more

Here’s to Shutting Up Superchunk

7/10
When this record arrived, you could sense the downward trajectory of this band. Not that this is a bad... more

Come Pick Me Up Superchunk

8/10
Mostly more of the same from Superchunk but with a lot more non-rock instrumentation like strings and woodwinds thrown... more

Indoor Living Superchunk

8/10
These Superchunk reviews are going to get a bit repetitive from here on out. Another good collection of poppy... more

The Laughter Guns Superchunk

8/10
Four pretty good songs and 45 minute long recording from a community radio program in which the hosts deconstruct... more

Here’s Where the Strings Come In Superchunk

10/10
I may have to reassess where Foolish resides in the Superchunk pantheon. This CD pretty much took the direction set upon... more

Incidental Music 1991-95 Superchunk

7/10
The second singles collection from Superchunk is a bit more of a hodgepodge than the last. There are a... more

2013

Foolish Superchunk

10/10
For most people, this is Superchunk’s finest moment. When this came out, I didn’t like it and it took several... 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

On the Mouth Superchunk

10/10
Although it can be a toss-up between On the Mouth and Foolish, it think this is my favorite Superchunk record. It has just... more

No Pocky for Kitty Superchunk

10/10
This was my introduction to Superchunk so, although I don’t think it’s their best, it still is one of... more

Superchunk Superchunk

8/10
Superchunk has followed a rather standard indie band trajectory by starting their career with a rough, punky debut before... 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

Sampler Exotica Yma Sumac

8/10
This one’s a short little five song tease of some great big band exotica. If you haven’t heard Yma,... more

Copper Blue Sugar

8/10
I’ve never really liked most of Bob Mould’s solo efforts (and later-era Hüsker Dü for that matter). I thought Black Sheets... more

Good Violence Subsonics

8/10
Judging from the cover, Subsonics not only borrowed much of their sound from The Velvet Underground they also adopted... 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

Amazing Grace Spiritualized

6/10
Apparently, the idea with this record was that Spiritualized would reign in the huge arrangements and get back to... more

Let it Come Down Spiritualized

10/10
I was never much into this band when they were making waves in the late nineties. At some point... more

Break Like the Wind Spinal Tap

4/10
I so much wanted this record to be more than it was. The original Spinal Tap soundtrack was legendary... more

My Pet Fish Malka Spigel

8/10
Being as it’s the same two people making music, My Pet Fish is a nice complement to Colin Newman’s, Bastard. Both records... more

Now I Got Worry Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The

8/10
This record doesn’t reach the level of greatness that was established on Orange. There’s a level of polish or, dare... 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

Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection Sparks

10/10
This two-disc compilation was my introduction to 70s era Sparks. It covers their best songs all the way from... more

Exotic Creatures of the Deep Sparks

8/10
I wasn’t sure what to think of this album when I first listened to it. It feels more like... more

Lil’ Beethoven Sparks

10/10
After a decade and a half of creating dance floor music, Sparks decided to ditch the beats and try... more

Balls Sparks

7/10
Although still a dance music record, Balls feels a little more like a rock than Gratuitous Sax ever did. I don’t think I... 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

Interior Design Sparks

4/10
My least favorite Sparks album (Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat is a close second). Pre-2000s Sparks have tended to... more

Music That You Can Dance To Sparks

8/10
Technically this CD is titled The Best of Sparks: Music That You Can Dance To. I imagine that horribly misleading... 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

Dirt Track Date Southern Culture on the Skids

10/10
The major label follow-up to Ditch Diggin’ is every bit as good and the production sounds much better. Even thought it... more

Peckin’ Party Southern Culture on the Skids

8/10
This starts out as a chicken themed EP but it turns out SCOTS only had two chicken songs in... more

Ditch Diggin’ Southern Culture on the Skids

10/10
Probably my favorite record by SCOTS. All of the checklist items are here: a little twangy country rock, a... more

For Lovers Only Southern Culture on the Skids

7/10
Although there are some great songs on this record (“Nashville Toupee” and “Daddy Was A Preacher But Mama Was... more

Let’s Knife Shonen Knife

5/10
I take back what I took back last post. This Shonen Knife album is a bit of a bore.... 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

Pretty Little Baka Guy – Live in Japan Shonen Knife

6/10
This is one of my wife’s CDs that made its way into my collection. Shonen Knife is one of... more

Excellent Italian Greyhound Shellac

7/10
I think this is my least favorite Shellac album. Sure there are some great tracks on it, as there... 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

2012

At Action Park Shellac

10/10
One of the best indie rock records released after I stopped caring about indie rock. Every Shellac album is... 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

Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

10/10
Not much to say here. Another great collection of instrumental perfection from Shadowy Men.

Savvy Show Stoppers Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

10/10
While technically I could say that my love of surfy, guitar-based instrumental music started when I would listen to... more

Pappy’s Corn Squeezin’ Sit n' Spin

7/10
I’ve already written up this CD at my Planet Pimp website, let’s just say this is decent, albeit somewhat generic, rock... more

Fat Axl Silverfish

7/10
I bought this CD based on their cover of Grand Master Flash’s “White Lines.” It’s a great cover, albeit... 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

Silver Apples Silver Apples

10/10
Silver Apples are a wild sounding collection of Radio Shack grade electronic noises backed with some great drumming. It’s... more

Planet Pimp Records Presents…Thee Shatners Thee Shatners

10/10
One of the best releases from Planet Pimp Records is this Star Trek themed collection of surf music. A rare benefit... 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

Entertainment Program for Humans (Second Variety) Servotron

10/10
Where have all the good schtick bands gone? Servotron were an awesome concept and the music was equally great.... more

My Brain Hurts Screeching Weasel

7/10
This is one of the CDs that my wife owned before we got married. I think she bought it... more

More Gone Gassers From The Untamed Youth Untamed Youth, The

10/10
One of my favorite records from the early nineties. This is a great mix of vocal numbers and surf... 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 End Of Rock And Roll "Blind" Rage And Violence

10/10
Guitarist and switchbladist extraordinaire “Blind” Rage is said to be the illegitimate son of Link Wray. From the liner... 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

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

Soul Pilgrim Satan's Pilgrims

8/10
Satan’s Pilgrims are one of the better surf bands to have emerged during the 90s surf revival. Despite the... more

Sandoz in Dub: Chant to Jah Sandoz

10/10
I am not sure why Richard H. Kirk released this as Sandoz because it doesn’t really sound anything like... 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

Pharaohization! The Best of Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs

10/10
Rhino knows how to put together a great compilation and this 24-track “Best of” Sam the Sham & The... 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

The Rutles Rutles, The

10/10
The Rutles make you realize just how unique, yet weirdly predictable the Beatles were. Although intended as a joke,... more

Warm in your Coat Romeo Void

7/10
Like many one-hit-wonders, that one hit (in this instance “Never Say Never”) sounds completely different than the rest of... more

The Number of Magic The Number of Magic

10/10
This record fits nicely along side Virtual State. This is atmospheric electronica that the laptop kids probably have a specialized... 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

Linger Ficken’ Good and Other Barnyard Oddities Revolting Cocks

5/10
By the time this record came out, RevCo had lost much of its lustre for me. I guess I... more

Beers, Steers & Queers (Remixes) Revolting Cocks

5/10
File this one under the “What were we thinking back then?” column. In 1991, this was the bees knees... more

The GO Sound of the Slots! Revells, The

7/10
This is the original 1965 record that inspired the Phantom Surfers to create their great slot car themed record. The Go... more

Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed Lou Reed

3/10
I think this is pretty much the antithesis of the kind of music I like. I find Lou Reed... 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

2011

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

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

Art of the State Quatre Tête

7/10
My band has played with Quatre Tête a few times now. They share our taste for weird time signatures... more

Hot Space Queen

6/10
Growing up, this record (along with the Flash Gordon soundtrack) was what Queen sounded like. I had no idea that their... 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