yet MORE albums I don't hate from this year

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OK, here's list #5. My favorite of these (at least as far as actually NEW music goes) is probably the one by Exploding Hearts, three of whose members died in a car crash Sunday morning. How sad is that?

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android lust
april wine (king biscuit live CD)
a thousand times yes
becky baeling
david banner
bear vs. shark
blackeyed snakes
borbetomagus
joe budden
bunnydrums reissue
busdriver & radioactive with daedelus
chingy
coachwhips
contramano EP
cookies downtown
cracker (mostly-covers EP-or-whatever)
dakota/dakota
delmonas
dragons
dusty drake
edison rocket train
exploding hearts
extol
funkervogt (remixes CD)
glass candy
in flames EP
jackie-o motherfucker
jackson plastic
los super elegantes
madlib
man in gray demo EP
millionaire
mono
nightrage
notwist - the notwist reissue
liz phair
qatsi demo EP
the rapture
real mccoy best-of
rock city morgue EP
sarai
spits
swampburger
swamp rats reissue
terminal lovers EP
tin huey reissue
tough and lovely demo EP
trace element demo EP
tyrades CD-R EP
u-ziq (there's no greek letters on my keyboard)
willowz EP-or-whatever
*new york noise* reissue comp
*rough trade shops post-punk guitar vol. 1* mostly-reissue comp
*the songs of hank williams jr.* tribute comp
*wooden guitar* comp

― Chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

And here's the link to the previous 4 links, if you care:

What Chuck Eddy has (really) been Listening To

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Chuck: tell me about the Los Super Elegantes record! Is it all performance art and kitschy, or are they real songs and stuff?

― Neudonym, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Real songs, lots of them. I've never seen the band live, and (judging from the press kit) ASSUMED they'd be merely novelty-kitschy and perfomance-arty, but when I'd say this is on the level of any album by Stereo Total, who they totally remind me of. The girl, whatever her name is, is a real singer, too -- she kept making me think of Andrea from Aterciopedos. Plus, there's even a country song. So it's way catchier and more consistent and less boring and more songful than, say, the new Cafe Tacuba album or whatever.

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

>>but when I'd say this is on the level<<

read this without the "when".

And I spelled Aterciopelados wrong, too.

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

chuck do you really like the joe budden album? it was my biggest disappointment this year, i think. rappers need to go back to taking ecstacy i think.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

At first I thought there were too many slow songs with no hooks (my biggest problem with the 50 Cent album), but I was wrong. "Pump It Up" is a great single, obviously. But I also like "#1," "Focus," "U Ain't Gotta Go Home," "Fire," "Real Life in Rap," and "Porno Star."

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Why are people so upset with Joe Budden? As for the "needs to take E" point, the thing I like so much about his record is how reasonable he sounds.

― Ess, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Amy Linden kinda said that in her *Voice* review. And I agree, somewhat -- he sounds like an actual human being, with really fucked up ideas about relationships and stuff, but BELIEVEABLE ones. (I don't think he's always as reasonable as he thinks he is, though.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Chuck that's good news about Los Super Elegantes, I can't wait to hear it. (But Cuatros Caminos isn't any of those things you said it was, except maybe a little boring in spots.)

― Neudonym, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, no, he's not as reasonable as he thinks he is -- I don't know that anyone is -- but I like how invested he is in sounding grounded and normal. And "Calm Down" has broken me in half like no hip-hop "I love you, Ma" song ever.

― Ess, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I like how on the Joe Budden album, the two bonus tracks (Real Life in Rap" and "Porno Star") seem diametrically opposed to each other.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

joe budden sounds totally fake to me, like fabolous mk. II. 'course I love fabolous's verse on the lumidee remix. the chingy and banner albums are natch great (but check the three six mafia too!).

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

you like Chingy?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

chingy is fucking great!

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

How does Joe B sound fake? Do you suspect he's secretly a sociopath?

― Ess, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Joe Budden is sorta dull, but Chingy is like ten thousand doorknobs wrapped in mock chicken.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone I played that Sarai single for thought it was utter crap.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe you just need to make new friends, ones who won't tell you what they really think

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

What Chingy song should I download if I can't stand "Right Thurr"?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

7. Chingy Jackpot (Bailey/Daugherty/Lee) - 4:09
12. Holidae Inn performed by Chingy / Ludacris / Snoop Dogg - 5:15
15. Madd @ Me (Bailey/Betha/Daugherty/Hugo/Lee/Williams) - 3:54
16. Bagg Up (Bailey/Blake/Mayfield) - 3:22

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey Sterl -- I actually don't know if I've ever actually heard Fabolous, come to think of it. But who knows, maybe I'd prefer a fake one to a real one anyway. As for 3 6 Maffia, their new album is on my to-do list -- though I definitely think it's great that they do a song called "Bin Laden" that isn't about Osama at all; it's about a kind of weed! The album I'm really wondering about, though, is Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz: "Get Low" is one of the best singles I've heard all year. (It's a collaboration with the Ying Yang Twins, whose other new single "Naggin" is also real good, as is Lil Jon's recent collaboration with the Youngbloodz, "Damn!" I get the Ying Yangs and Youngbloodz mixed up, though. I wonder if either of THEM have good albums.) Oh yeah, while I'm at it, Lil Wayne's *500 Degreez* would be my rap album of the year if it didn't come out LAST year, but it did.

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

everyone knows the black eyed snakes is Al from Low, right?

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Banner is that Southern guy that Kelefa Sanneh wrote about a while back, no? (Sorry, too lazy to search at the moment, and just thinking aloud anyway.)

Chuck, this is a question and not a barb - but do you not tend to like, or just not tend to hear, much of what I'll call "electronic music" (for lack of a better term)? I only noticed the Notwist (which is kinda-sorta electronic) and mu-Ziq (I can type that character, but Zeus knows how.) Just curious about your tastes. And have you heard that Meteorites record yet? I'm quite curious what you think about that. And yes, I know I said "curious" twice. It's that kind of evening.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, a lot of the *hip-hop* I like is electronic, Philip. And so is some of the rock (including, uh, Notwist). And I've been listening to and liking "techno" type stuff at least since I lived in Germany for three years in the early '80s only to move back to Detroit just in time for Derek May and Juan Atkins. But (though this does, come to think of it, seem to be a pretty dull time for the stuff) u-ziq is far from the only techno-associated record on those lists. And no, I still don't think I've heard Meterotites; don't think I ever got it.

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Alright, I think I see where you guys are coming from with this Chingy shit now.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i meant that fabo is a fake mase and budden is a fake roc-a-feller type -- they both have this callow imitative feel and both lack the skillz to back up their style (pump it up drives me nuts a few places coz i can hear budden slipping up on his flow and pausing for breath in the wrong spots).

trife loves the yin yang twins album but i thought they were a bit meh. they would be the first crew to migrate from bet late-night to primetime in a while tho.

the best possible thing would be if ppl began to use "urr" like "izzy" as an all purpose suffix. she braids hur hurr but looks like tony blurr an i try not to sturr so's to stay debonurr.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

So Philip, do any of these count as "electronic" in your book? I'm really curious now....(and looking at this list, I'm thinking maybe it's not so dull a year for electronic music after all -- especially if you count dance music, aka DISCO, as electronic -- which means I was listening to the stuff BEFORE I went to Germany.) (Though actually, some might not even use synthesizers or samplers. I forget.)

becky baeling
funkervogt
real mccoy
swampburger
antimatter vs. matter
audio bullys
warren burt
buttboy
code & flexor
yoshimi and yuka
yuko nexus 6
*Babylon Is Ours: The USA in Dub*
black tape for a blue girl
cooler kids
bappi lahiri
the vanishing
andre afram
natacha atlas
crack: we are rock
four tet
kaada
mr. dibbs
najma
nawal
red snapper
adrian sherwood
dwayne sodahberk
subtitle
why?
young gods
zongamin
*acualera songs 2*
*Broklyn Beats*
*Garage Rap Vol. 1*
*Garage Rap Vol. 2*
*Crews Control*

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:12 (twenty-two years ago)

>>pump it up drives me nuts a few places coz i can hear budden slipping up on his flow and pausing for breath in the wrong spots).<

I never noticed. But why wouldn't this make him MORE interesting??

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, I left Android Lust off the electronica list. (Probably left lots of other records off, too.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

That last list is electronic. It uses electronics! Even rock these days is mostly electronic. It's been a revolution by stealth.

I don't see anything really techno/electro or house there, but outside Chicago and Detroit that's just not an American thing for some reason. Which I've always found weird, as you lot invented it.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

did it make lo-fi indie more interesting?

(that said the production is the most fun of the year -- it feels like one long riff on bo diddly polyrhythms)

also the way he sez "shaaaawty" feels so contrived, like when the evil dude in "shakes the clown" says "heeey kids"

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

and unrelated but coz this is the "current rap" thread at the moment the mary/meth track has the production of the year i just want to hug like a gigantic surly teddy bear.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

>>I don't see anything really techno/electro or house there, but outside Chicago and Detroit that's just not an American thing for some reason. Which I've always found weird, as you lot invented it.<<

Maybe we lot just think it's been spinning its wheels for years...(I started thinking that way back in 1989, to tell you the truth! Though I've changed my mind back and forth a few hundred times since then.)

― chuck, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

anyway i didn't agree with amy linden about "calm down" entirely -- its the type of rap the daughter in Traffic would give after hired as a motivational speaker.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Should I buy the Mya album? Or the Lumidee one? Not a qn directed at Chuck, just anyone reading.

Oh the ARE Weapons album is very good - thanks Yancey, Jess, Chuck etc.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 11:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Chuck, I probably should have made the effort to collate your former lists. Put together, there's a lot of electronic stuff (though someone like the Vanishing and even Crack:WAR I would ultimately slot more as rock, no? Somewhat arbitrary, I realize), and some of the things you mention I just don't know at all, so that's research for me to do. The most "techno" thing I note on there is Dwayne Sodahberk, which I thought was a great record. I probably should have just said "techno." I'm trying to figure out why techno (or house or microhouse or minimal or whatever you want to call it) isn't making more inroads into the US, because for my money, this is the best that four-to-the-floor music has been in quite a long time, between labels like Perlon, Kompakt, Playhouse, Logistic, Background (some of their stuff), etc., and artists like Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos, M Mayer, etc. And yet very few people seem to be talking about it, aside from a few maniacs on the ILM boards. (Bless us.)

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think I've ever heard Luciano or Ricardo Villalobos or M Mayer. And Mike Rubin swears I'd really like Electronicat, whose one track I heard on the *SHADO Electro* comp (which maybe I'll list on the next one of these lists) sounds pretty good, though it doesn't blow me away or anything. Also realized that I haven't listed the 6-song EP by Schneider TM or the 3-song EP by former KMFDM sidewoman Lucia, both of which I like. (Been procrastinating about listening to Lucia's full album, for some reason.) And there are other electronic-instrument albums on earlier lists I made this year (Fannypack, *Idol Tryouts,* even Matthew Shipp I think) that I didn't list in the electronic list above. And now I also realize how dumb it was to say I only started liking electronic music when I went to Germany; actually, I was already a Giorgio Moroder and Yellow Magic Orchestra and Gary Numan and Soul Sonic Force and Jonzun Crew fan by then. Probably the first techno song I liked was "Popcorn" by Hot Butter, which came out in 1972, when I was 11. So I hope you believe me now when I tell you I really have nothing against this kinda stuff, okay?

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

And oh yeah -- A.R.E. Weapons!!! (One of my two or three favorite albums of the year, still.) They count too, right?

― chuck, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe you! Like I said, no disparagement was intended - was just part of my ongoing survey into "whither techno." And I shouldn't have even said "electronic," since I don't even like the category. As someone above rightly pointed out, most music is "electronic" these days. As for A.R.E. Weapons, I've only heard a few tracks that I've downloaded, and wasn't feeling at all - will withhold further comment until hearing the record (and possibly seeing them, should I manage to).

For Luciano, I recommend checking out his live album on Brinkmann's Max Ernst label - it's an Ableton Live set that reprises most of his best work, including (I think) the Amelie remix.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

My top 3 so far (poss also the only 3 I know not sure but I do love them all)

Kevin Drumm - Land of Lurches (This is really pretty staggering, from the totally enveloping sheets of noisedrone that just grow heavier from the start.)

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

Aruna Sairam - December Season 2002 (Full, perfectly clear recording. Clean voice with a lot of range and dynamics. Good pieces and performances, lovely rhythm.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh wait, do The Private Press and Blazing Arrow count? Origin's Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas too.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

philip-

why are (were?) cRACK:wAR more "rock" than "electronic"?

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I knew this would be a contentious statement! I guess I tend to lump most group- or band-oriented arrangements, especially with vocals, more in the rock camp, but this is hardly a very precise analysis, I realize.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 24 July 2003 11:52 (twenty-two years ago)

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