Music Log

A chronological listing of my music reviews.

2011

Happy? Public Image Ltd.

8/10
This is the point in the Public Image Ltd. timeline where John Lydon decided either a) to completely forgo... more

Compact Disc Public Image Ltd.

10/10
Sometime between The Flowers of Romance and this record P.I.L. imploded. P.I.L. had finally shed the noise and experimentation and took... more

The Flowers of Romance Public Image Ltd.

10/10
As if annoying music couldn’t possibly get more annoying (and by annoying I mean awesome) P.I.L. followed up Metal Box (a.k.a. Second Edition) with The Flowers... 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

Sunshine on Leith Proclaimers, The

2/10
I think it’s quite fitting that, in my CD shelf, this disc sits right night to its brother in... more

Sailing the Seas of Cheese Primus

4/10
Conceptually, Primus is a great band. Weird humorous lyrics, bizarre singing, complicated song structures and expert playing all around.... more

Elvis Double Features: Harum Scarum / Double Trouble Elvis Presley

8/10
It’s kismet, I tell you. Yesterday, driving around town, I was listening to this CD all day. Lo and... 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 Double Features: Spinout / Double Trouble Elvis Presley

10/10
Spinout remains my favorite Elvis record. You could pair it with thirty minutes modem noises and this CD would still... more

Elvis Elvis Presley

10/10
Unlike his debut album, this one feels much more complete and less like a singles collection. The production is... 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

Floyd Lloyd & the Potato 5 Meet Laurel Aitken Potato 5, The Featuring Floyd Lloyd Seivright

8/10
This CD has a bit of a branding problem. Is it a Potato 5 record? Laurel Aitken? Floyd Lloyd?... more

DDD Poster Children

8/10
Poster Children finally return to form after their less-than-stellar New World Record CD. I guess they decided to forget about all... more

New World Record Poster Children

5/10
Well, the Poster Children’s run of awesome albums ends here at about track 3. I like the inclusion of... 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

Junior Citizen Poster Children

10/10
This is Poster Children at their very best. After pretty much defining the drone-tastic Champaign-Urbana style of the early... 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

Clock Street Poster Children

7/10
This is a 4-song CD single that includes two tracks from Tool of the Man and two new songs. “Everything Burns”... 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

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

Flower Plower Poster Children

6/10
Just about every Poster Children album has one weird, out-of-place song that either very poppy (“If You See Kay”)... more

Slow Note from a Sinking Ship Portastatic

6/10
Mac McCaughan’s solo project sounds more or less like Superchunk with lower fidelity and lower fun. When I listen... 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

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

Bosa Nova Pixies

6/10
And so begins the steady demise of Pixies. This is where the band completely lost hold of any punk... 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

Surfer Rosa Pixies

10/10
The Pixies finest recording. Great raw, live-sounding production by Abini. Many people like Dolittle better than this, but I prefer this... more

Come on Pilgrim Pixies

8/10
The Pixies debut sets the stage for the better work to come. Raw and punky but not quite there... more

Planet P Project Planet P Project

2/10
If you weren’t born before 1980 you may not remember this, but there was a time, early on in... more

2010

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

Gub Pigface

7/10
The first full-length record from Martin Atkins all-star review. Very drum centric as one would expect—on many of the... 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

The Phantom Surfers and Dick Dale Phantom Surfers, The

8/10
This is a surprisingly straightforward Phantom Surfers record. The premise behind this record is that it is with Dick Dale.... 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

Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian Petty Booka

8/10
Cutesy ukulele pop from Japan. Half the songs are just the two girls, their ukes and some sweet vocal... more

Futuremuzik Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra

10/10
Peter Thomas’ arrangements live somewhere between the wacky space-age pop of Esquivel and the brassy action movie scores of... more

Edda Dell’Orso Performs Ennio Morricone Edda Dell'Orso

10/10
This is an absolutely perfect compilation of Ennio Morricone songs all of which feature the theremin-esque vocals of Edda... more

Original Sun Greatest Hits Carl Perkins

7/10
oor Carl Perkins. You know most of these songs, but mostly you will know version performed by other artists... more

First Album Pebbles, The

8/10
The Pebbles are a fun, all-girl garage band from Japan. They are no where near as frantic as The... more

Focus on Guitars Lester Peabody

8/10
Lester Peabody is an excellent finger-picking guitarist from Finland. His technical ability is absolutely amazing. At times he sounds... more

All-Time Greatest Hits Les Paul & Mary Ford

8/10
A nice little collection of Les Paul & Mary Ford. As one might expect, Lots of fast harpsichord sounding guitars... more

Trait Pailhead

8/10
Ministry with Ian MacKaye on vocals. Pretty much sounds like all of the Ministry side projects of that era.... more

The Other Ones Other Ones, The

6/10
This is one of the first CDs I ever bought. I really have no idea what I was thinking at... 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

The Best of Word Jazz, Vol. 1 Ken Nordine

10/10
This is a great Rhino Records compilation of Ken Nordine’s “word jazz”—basically, spoken word stories told over free form... 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

Nevermind Nirvana

8/10
The importance of this record cannot be understated, however, I do think the quality of the music might be slightly... more

Nig-Heist Nig-Heist

8/10
This is quite possibly the most retarded band ever. They are like a friendlier version of GG Allin or,... 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

Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish / Not To Colin Newman

7/10
This CD compiles two solo albums from Colin Newman. Singing Fish  is mostly just Newman noodling around with keyboards. The... more

A-Z Colin Newman

10/10
After creating three of the greatest records of the early punk years, Wire fractured into various solo projects. As... more

Republic New Order

4/10
New Order always has at least one great track on each of their records (“Regret” in this case). 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

Murder Inc. Murder Inc.

6/10
The first full length release from this band is just more of the same. Impotent Killing Joke with a... more

Corpuscle Murder Inc.

5/10
Murder Inc. is basically early 90’s Killing Joke with Chris Connelly singing instead of Jaz Coleman. Without the nervous... more

This Is Egg Speaking… Mummy the Peepshow

7/10
An all-girl Japanese punk band that I saw at Japan Nite 2000 at the Fireside Bowl. Music varies from catchy,... more

Fuck the Mummies Mummies, The

7/10
This is a bootleg CD release of The Mummies’ shelved debut record. The recordings are uncharacteristically clean and professional.... 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

Idiology Mouse on Mars

8/10
I bought this CD after a talk from one of the members of Negativeland who recommended the band. This is... 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

Black Sheets of Rain Bob Mould

3/10
What a supreme disappointment this CD is. Mould would eventually redeem himself in the band Sugar, but man, these... more

Muzik for Insomniaks Vol. 2 Mark Mothersbaugh

6/10
Another collection of “EZ Listening” synth arrangements by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh. There’s not much to differentiate this from volume... more

Muzik for Insomniaks Vol. 1 Mark Mothersbaugh

6/10
This is a collection of digital synthesizer compositions by Devo’s frontman, Mark Motherbaugh. The songs a very similar to... more

Ritual Dimension of Sound Mortals, The

7/10
One of the better bands in the slew of Estrus record’s straightforward garage rock outfits. They are always better... 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

Bulletproof Mortals, The

8/10
Straight forward rock with a slight 60s garage vibe. By its very nature this is derivative music and can... 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

Browsing Beauty Noiseborder Ensemble, The

8/10
A pair of arty, ambient soundscapes featuring a nice blend of electronics and natural instrumentation.

The Monty Python Instant Record Collection Monty Python

8/10
This is a compilation CD of some of Monty Python’s most memorable skits. Many of the tracks are live... more

The Monkees Greatest Hits Monkees, The

8/10
They may have been a fake band and all, but they had Neil Diamond writing songs for them and... more

Marassa Duo Marassa Duo

10/10
Ever since the release of the movie Drum Line, percussion ensemble music has been all the rage. 50% of Marassa... more

Made From Technetium Man or Astroman?

10/10
The band’s second Touch ‘n’ Go release is one of their best. For the most part, they have abandoned... more

L’Ultimo Treno Della Notte Ennio Morricone

8/10
et another cool Italian movie soundtrack from Cinevox! The title track features Demis Roussos of Aphrodite’s Child(!) on vocals.... more

Intravenous Television Continuum Man... or Astroman?

8/10
Another hit-or-miss hodgepodge of redos and covers. Production quality is better than most of the band’s previous releases.

What Remains Inside a Black Hole Man or Astroman?

7/10
I think this record has been remastered since I got this CD. In any event, a business-as-usual release for... more

Live Transmissions From Uranus Man... or Astroman?

7/10
MorA? had a tendency to re-release songs over-and-over during their early years. This live album is yet another collection... 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

Project Infinity Man... or Astroman?

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

Your Weight on the Moon Man... or Astroman?

8/10
Another early MorA? release with a new version of “Destination Venus” and several other good songs.

Is It… Man or Astro-Man? Man... or Astroman?

10/10
Man or Astroman? at their surf-iest. This is pretty much the blueprint for all of their pre Touch and... more

Destroy All Astromen!! Man... or Astroman?

10/10
The first of many singles compilations from MorA? These early singles were some of the best racks the band... more

Pow Wow Plus Stephen Mallinder

8/10
Part of a Cabaret Voltaire three-pack I bought. Natural sounds take dominance over the usual electronic noise. If you... 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

Bedazzled Love Interest, The

8/10
A one-off single featuring drummer extraordinaire Martin Atkins, Jesus Lizard’s David Simms, Bowie clone Chirs Connelly and someone named... more

Violent Opposition Keith Levene

6/10
A hit-or-miss collection of covers and home-recording style noodling from ex-PIL guitarist Levene. Not as grating as Metal Box... more

Le Tigre Le Tigre

7/10
Raw grrrl rock backed with a cheesy Alesis 16-B drum machine.

2009

Chicks & Speed: Futurism Lead into Gold

6/10
Paul Barker’s solo project is a slowed-down version of early ninties Ministry. Thankfully he avoids the metal-tinged side of... more

The Last Temptation of Reid Lard

7/10
More Jello plus Ministry. Although it started to sound dated even within a few years of its release, this... more

Power of Lard EP Lard

6/10
Jello Biafra and Ministry. The first song is great but the rest of the record is an endurance test.

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

Skull Pounding Game Soundtracks Kranium Muzik

4/10
This is a CD (actually a CD-R) that I grabbed for free when I went to the Game Developers... more

Computer World Kraftwerk

10/10
The last great Kraftwerk record and probably their funkiest release. Yet they maintain most of their analog minimalism throughout.

The Man-Machine Kraftwerk

10/10
This is a great record, from the futurist (actually Russian constructivist) art direction to the sci-fi themes, pure perfection.... 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

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

A Challenge to the Cowards of Christendom Knights of the New Crusade, The

10/10
A great follow up to their first Christian garage-rock album. The one is even scuzzier and louder and ends... 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

Agents With False Memories Richard H. Kirk

5/10
Cabaret Voltaire’s final album ended with a dazzling, CD filling track that drifted between various sonic themes and styles,... 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

Disposable Half-Truths Richard H. Kirk

6/10
This is an early solo effort from Cabaret Voltaire’s Richard H. Kirk. It came in a three-pack CD set... more