Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 57

I’m going with Battles - Mirrored for my pick. I was mesmerized by this album when I first heard it, and they remain a band that sounds like basically nobody else. I actually haven’t spun it in a while so I’m excited to revisit it along with everyone else.

 

haven’t listened to this album in so long

happy to report that it still holds up

 

that one is such a wacky album. offkilter in a great way. I actually did revisit it a few months back and it didn't quite blow my mind like it did many years ago, but it was still a fun, singular kind of trip. I'll give it another listen and maybe their others that I haven't heard yet (everything since Gloss Drop)

I sort of pair them in my mind with Fang Island, but like if Matmos remixed them or something

 

This is the first time listening to Battles in a long time, I used to love Mirrored. Musically it’s still so tight and sick, but the vocals often push it into being kind of obnoxious.

 

agreed but the instrumentals go very hard

 

I think I agree about the vocals. I was kind of amused to find that some of what I thought were just random vocal samples that they manipulated are in fact actual lyrics.

 

that's why I called it wacky and offkilter. I don't blame anyone for not digging the vocals, but combined with the instrumentation it all sort of causes this maddening effect which is pretty unique, at the very least.

 

I like this album top to bottom, instrumentation and vocals. The jumble of rhythms and textured hooks are strangely soothing to me and I could probably laze to them at any time of day.

Only listened to Gloss Drop before. Should've checked out this one years ago.

 

Revisiting The Congos today. Its what is needed.

 

hell yeah. been gradually building a playlist of all the great roots-reggae and dub I love, check it out if you dare!

 

Sorry Ooty I'm a YouTube music man

 

Although i might try to highjack the office speakers that are connected to Spotify

 

also recently discovered this supergroup that Destroyer's Dan Bejar is a part of (along with members of The New Pornographers, Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, and Wolf Parade). extremely cool sounds on this album from 2006, very much Feels-era Animal Collective vibes.

 

Finally put on Kaputt and I really enjoyed it. I remember liking Trouble In Dreams in college and tbh I'm not sure why I didn't give this a fair shake back when it came out, but it's definitely different than I expected, all over the place genre-influence-wise but it gels really well. Also I have definitely heard "Poor in Love" 1000 times since it was on one of the American Eagle store mixes back when I worked there haha. I'll be revisiting this one.

Very excited to relisten to Mirrored, it's been a MINUTE.

 

Okay yeah Mirrored holds up, Battles makes some of the best head bobbing music out there. It's possible I'm biased because Battles is for drummers but I can't help but love it, they're impressive without being too showy, tight without sounding mechanical, just Super Cool™.

 

Yeah I'm a drummer, so that scans.

 

The Battles album is pretty awesome. There's a lot happening but it doesn't feel overbearing. I thought the vocals were fine but I'd be happy if this album was entirely instrumental too. I listened to Gloss Drop a long time ago but can't remember what I thought about it. Might revisit that one soon

 

Gloss Drop gets bonus points for featuring Yamantaka Eye.

 

@Kistler what you got for us this week?

 

I wrote up a big list of potential records last night and then didn't pick one this morning haha, I'll do that in the next little bit here.

 

Alright after waffling 1000 times we're gonna just go with my all-time favorite album, Sufjan Stevens' (Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come on feel the) Illinois(e). Part of Sufjan's long-since-abandoned 50 States project, this album is mammoth and deeply personal despite hypothetically being about Illinois. I was first introduced to this album back in college when my friend did an arrangement of it for our orchestra, so it holds a real special place in my heart. This strays pretty close to being a canon release especially since the musical/ballet based on it was recently on Broadway, but it's really an album that's worth sitting down with if you haven't (or even if you have).

 

I'm embarrassed to admit (particularly to you, haha) that I've never heard this in full. Excited to spend some time with it this week.

 

Classic album, probably also one of my all-time faves. Amazing to think that this is only one of the many masterpieces in his discography. Excited to throw this on again this week.

 

Never not game for Sufjan. Shockingly, this is probably lower in my rankings than other folks', but a great album nonetheless. "John Wayne Gacy Jr." is haunting, and obviously "Casimir Pulaski Day" is GOATed.

 

great supplemental material for this week