Endpoint - Catharsis

Early 90s hardcore from Louisville. You can hear traces of Dischord post-hardcore/Revolution Summer type stuff as well as the early stages of 90s "politically aware" hardcore with the chunky riffs and such. I didn't really appreciate them when I was young, but I like them more now. This one and "In a Time of Hate" are usually thought of as their classics, but my favorite is the "The Last Record" EP.



Mineral - The Power of Failing

Yeah, they sound a lot like Diary-era Sunny Day Real Estate. Nowadays folks will tag this stuff as "emo" or whatever but at the time we just thought it was indie rock marketed to hardcore kids. I stand by that assertion. A lot of the lyrics and dramatic delivery have a "teenager" vibe to them and can be a bit overwrought at times. This album has aged a bit but I still like it for nostalgic reasons.



Masonna - Frequency LSD

Screaming and looped pedal noise from Japan. This guy has made some phenomenal albums IMHO, but this is probably second-tier level material in his body of work, IMHO. Still a good listen.



Liz Phair - Whip Smart

Not as good as "Exile" but still quite good, lots of great songs, fun guitar pop music.



Boilermaker - Self-Titled/3rd Album

I think these guys were from California, totally ignored today. Put out three albums that were midway between post-hardcore and indie-rock during the 90s, aged a lot better than most of the stuff from the time period. I would say this album is a bit of a grower compared to the previous one because the tempos are a lot slower than before. I believe the singer/guitar may have passed away a couple years ago. Too bad.



Bur - The Magic Whip

New Blur album. I've given two listens so far and I dig it. I think a lot of Blur superfans from the 90s and 2000s have unrealistic expectations going into this. I didn't really begin to appreciate this band until a few years ago, so my perspective is different. Need to listen to it more.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2015 10:28PM by LionsMouth.

Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning

Nice double album of melodic modern prog rock with some personality to it. Not much else to say. Still haven't given his recent album a listen yet.





For Against - Echelons

Now well-known post-punk group from Nebraska. I believe this was originally released in '86, so that might make this the very first post-punk revival band. The songs here are a bit more simple and repetitive than their next album, but this is good stuff.





Spinanes - Arches and Aisles

Indie rock from the early/mid-90s, their final album. More of a Rebecca Gates solo project at this point I guess, but I love her voice and the songs are good, if a bit different from the first two albums. There is more of a hushed, jazz-influenced sound on this one.



Spinanes - Strand

Possibly their best album. Maybe a bit too mellowed out to appeal to today's typically gimmicky/instant gratification-driven indie rock fan.



Kenny Burrell - God Bless the Child

70s album from Burrell. Not as good as his 50s/60s work, but still good and respectable stuff.




Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage

Beautiful stuff from pre-funk/fusion Herbie. For Blue Note, I prefer these older CD editions done by Ron McMaster. Usually more relaxed and less shrill sounding than the current crop of RVG remasters.




Bob Tilton - Crescent

90s UK emocore band, sounds heavily influenced by Dischord/Rev. Summer type stuff. Enough personality to make it enjoyable.





Autopsy - Mental Funeral

Classic early 90s death metal, before the genre became completely ridiculous. Avoid the later remastered CDs, they're loudness war bullshit.





Morrissey - Vauxhall & I


Recent deluxe 2xCD version. I guess you love him or can't stand him. I don't think this is his best solo record, but it's grown on me a lot over the years.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2015 10:41PM by LionsMouth.

Been pulling out some jazz lately to decompress from a tough week:



Paul Motian Band - Psalm

Some very mellow ECM jazz from the early 80s. A lot of folks turn their noses up at this stuff these days, but I dig it.



John Coltrane - Stardust

OJC pressing of Coltrane on Prestige album. I guess this is/was viewed as a cash-in because he had already left the label by the time it was released and it's just leftover session material. Great music though.




Max Roach - Deeds, Not Words

The only Roach album I have. Need to get more at some point.





Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery - The Dynamic Duo

My go-to stuff for Wes is usually his Riverside material. I really have to be in the mood for organ-led jazz as well. When this is on though, it's really on.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2015 03:24AM by LionsMouth.

^Great breakdowns on some good albums LM! The last 2 you posted are favorite artists of mine and I don't have either of those albums.

Unrelated. Happy Moms day to all the moms out there, hope you ladies get the relaxation time you deserve on this Sunday.

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NMA were a little late to the post-punk scene compared to some other bands. They didn't put out their first LP until '84 and it wasn't until the second one that they hit their stride. This album, their third from '86, is generally one of the most critically acclaimed records they've done. I find it hard to describe their sound - it's driving, melodic, angry, and can be very dynamic at times. Lyrics are generally about socio-political topics, so if that bothers you, stay away.

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