The Dispatch #804

Artist: Black Flag
Albums: all of their studio albums except their 2013 offering

This one was a tough ride. I had heard so many good things about Black Flag and I even am a fan of Henry Rollins’ writing, but this was disappointing. Sure, I get the gritty realism of their sound and how their raw quality was very accessible as punk was starting to rise from the basements, garages, and cellars. I even understand how Rollins’ unbridled emotion fueled a lot of the focus and sound. But, for as much as this band is heralded, I just didn’t hear much to confirm that. The debut album was amazing and everything I expected and hoped for, but it was a sharp decline from there. In subsequent albums, they went from strong, punchy songs to an almost progressive emo sound where the droning and whining just went on and on in tracks that lacked subtlety. If these albums came out today, they would be the soundtrack for incels. Now, it’s the classic soundtrack for incels.

Track of Distinction: Again, their debut album was great and it was songs like “Gimme Gimme Gimme“–a song about American entitlement and bravado–that made it so.

Artist: Airbag
Albums: ‘Identity‘ (2009) and ‘All Rights Removed‘ (2014)

Yet again, I find myself with albums from an artist I don’t remember. Most of the time, the answer can be solved upon listening but, in a very odd way, this one still leaves me scratching my head. The music is good–a solid mix of ethereal electronic with some lighter rock notes–but nothing stands out. The albums flow together rather seamlessly, which actually works in favor of the collections, but makes it hard to place where I heard it or choose a good ToD. But I think I was able to do the latter. P.S. if you know where I should have heard of this band or one of their tracks, let me know!

Track of Distinction: “Steal My Soul” is truly the best of everything Airbag has to offer. It’s engaging, it takes you on a journey, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome (and at 8+ minutes, that’s saying something).

Artist: The Black Keys
Albums: all of them.

The Black Keys are a good example of a band that knows and respects its sweet spot, acknowledges the need for expansion, and has the musical chops to do so in an effortless transition. After a few albums of straight blues riffs, the sense of repetition was setting in and expanding out of there was necessary. However, instead of becoming straight ripoffs of The Rolling Stones, they decided to stick to their 21st Century indie roots and expand into those waters while cultivating a sound that was genuine but also dynamic. I guess that’s why they keep getting better. Now, where’s the petition to force them to make another album?

Track of Distinction: “Strange Desire” from ‘Magic Potion’ was one of the watershed moments for the band. They were still entrenched in their basic blues sound but this album and track seemed to point to a forthcoming awakening. They knew they were on to something good here.

Artist: Black Pumas
Album: ‘Black Pumas‘
Year: 2019

In a world where everything old is new again, at times it can be wonderfully refreshing to hear a throwback. That is the word that can best describe the Black Pumas: a throwback soul band that has such an authentic feel you might think this is a platter from your dad’s old LPs. They have all the rhythm, a good smattering of funk, and just good vibes to spread around on a album I’m ashamed to come to so late in the game. “Black Moon Rising” is a solid banger and likely the only song of theirs you might know, but the album gets better as it goes.

Track of Distinction: “Touch the Sky” edges out “Colors” for the distinction, though it could have been any track on this album.

Artist: Lady Gaga
Album: ‘Chromatica‘
Year: 2020

The more people I talk to, the more I realize there are certain artists we kind of give credit for showing up. This is not a knock on their artistry, they are just givens in our hearts and in our minds; we are here for whatever they put out now and always. I never thought I’d list Lady Gaga on that list for me but, as soon as I heard about this album, it made my list of things to listen to. It took me a while to get it, but I was pleased with the music I was expecting and have come to enjoy. She doesn’t take a lot of risks on this album, focusing more on solidifying herself as one of the most talented artist working today.

Track of Distinction: “911” is an absolute banger.

Playing Catch-Up: Part I

As I have stated several times on this blog, I never thought it would take this long to get through my iTunes library. Sure, sometimes it is because I’m slacking and not willing to do what it takes to get through artists and songs as quickly as I could, and that is all my fault. But, as I look at my music collection, I found that it is still growing. I’m not stopping my collecting simply because of this project. Time does not stand still and there’s a lot of great music out there to hear from artists I truly enjoy. However, I found myself acquiring a new album from an artist I already covered and just said to myself, “I’ll listen to this new album when I come back around again.” It dawned on me a few weeks back that going back around might take a long time and all of this want inside me to listen to new music isn’t going away. So, being the problem-solver I am, I solved the problem.

Starting with M, I am going to take time out after every 10 artists to play a little catch-up with the newer music I have. I will not go crazy making five albums the max for every Catch-Up post. Each album will have its own ToD and a mix will be made. The write-ups will be brief (one graf) and centered on the album itself. I feel like I’ve been up my own ass lately with some of my reviews so i’m going to try and curb that a bit without losing the flavor I enjoy. So, without further adieu, here are the first five albums with which I’m catching-up.

Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: ‘Reflektor‘
Year: 2013
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Let it never be said that Arcade Fire lacks ambition. Their latest release is as brilliant as it is maddening because, while it is not at all accessible to first-time callers, it is an imaginative world of sound and harmony that their fans have come to expect. While I had some issues with the overal length and breadth of the album, I found it quite pleasing in the end. There’s nothing really catchy about any of the tracks but they all work well to create a wonderful, cohesive experience.

Track of Distinction: “Joan of Arc” is a wonderful art-pop romp that is simply something to behold.

Artist: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Album: ‘Out of Frequency‘
Year: 2012
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The more I hear this band the more I both like them and am puzzled as to why they aren’t a bigger deal. They have better pop sensibilities than most of the pop stars out there, they produce better dance tracks than a lot of electronic bands, and they produce a product so consistent that any track could be pegged for radio play (even their weird shit). If any Programming Managers are reading this you should opt for this band’s stuff immediately!

Track of Distinction: “Mafia” is the type of quirky and fun track I like from this band. It could have been a throwaway song for anyone else but they actually try and make this a great song, and it shows.

Artist: The Black Keys
Album: ‘El Camino‘
Year: 2011
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Here is a band that I know is good, their music is solid, but I cannot get fully on board with them. This album is a continuation of their “don’t give a shit” sound that, while not quite catchy, is engaging enough to keep you coming back. With a little more effort they could come out with something earth-shattering, but it would almost seem so unlike them to do so. I guess I should learn to love who they are instead of what they could be.

Track of Distinction: “Little Black Submarines” has what it takes to go down as one of the best songs ever made. Its duality and its intensity make other songs dim in comparison.

Artist: Daft Punk
Album: ‘Random Access Memories‘
Year: 2013
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In the wake of their Grammy win for Best Album for this platter I have heard a lot of complaining that this year’s award (unlike any other years o_O) was a popularity contest and not necessarily rewarding the best album. Though I enjoyed this album from end-to-end, I understand the criticism and validate it by saying yes, this probably wasn’t the best album of last year. However, it is an album that will go down in the annals of music history as the next quantum leap in music, raising the bar for, no only electronic music, but EDM, dance, pop, and hip-hop music. Think about this: “Get Lucky” was the best hip-hop/dance track I’ve heard in ages and every producer and artist out there will be scrambling to match their sound to be as catchy as this single track. 

Track of Distinction: “Touch” with vocals by Paul Williams is an amazing track that begins with a slow smoulder but soon ignites into something truly beautiful. 

Artist: Darius Rucker
Album: ‘True Believers‘
Year: 2013
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It’s hard to see the darker side of someone you know as an optimist or as a generally positive force in this world. That’s why this album, Rucker’s third country album, takes kind of a turn, framing issues like infidelity, loss, cheating lovers, and broken hearts. In that way it truly is a country album. With his sweet and velvety voice, he is able to run the gamut of emotions from beginning to end. The lead single, “Wagon Wheel” is toe-tapping fun but that pretty much stops there. Also, his cover of Hank Williams’ timeless “Your Cheatin’ Heart” is a nice bow on this album (though you need to get the deluxe edition to experience it).

Track of Distinction: I felt Rucker placed “Miss You” too early in the album for it to have an impact, yet this heavy and very painful song sets up the rest of the album’s motif with a story about the distance that grows between spouses when the magic fades.