Album of the week

Thanks, Ashley Grant66. 😁

The choice is easy: Guided by Voices is our new album of the week! 👋 Now we just need to get a thread going with the album title. You want to take the lead on this, Dennis Hall41? Especially since you’ve been following them forever and could drop some cool context... I can do it, but honestly, it’s all a total blank slate for me. I don't know the band or the record at all, and I definitely don't want to end up looking like a total bot just copying and pasting stuff...

I have to admit, I didn't actually vote for my own suggestion regarding Joe Jackson, so now I’m dying to know—who was it? 😁

Also, why shouldn't the voting be public? It's not like we're hiding state secrets here, and honestly, it would be interesting to see.

Scott Long71 said:I have to admit, I didn't actually cast my vote for my own suggestion regarding Joe Jackson, so now I'm genuinely curious—who ended up being the choice? 😁

By the way, why shouldn't voting be open? It’s not like we’re keeping state secrets here. In fact, I think having that kind of transparency would actually make things much more interesting.

I couldn't agree more. Honestly, it’s spot on.

When it comes to this list, Joe Jackson is absolutely my number one—honestly, he’s the only choice that matters to me.😉

We can go ahead and start suggesting our new Album of the Week, what do you guys think? We were thinking about pushing the vote to Friday, but hey, Thursday works just fine...

You all know the drill! One person suggests an album to put on the ballot, and then we’ve got 24 hours to pick the winner. As for the title, there are no rules—it can be some deep cut or a total classic. The only real requirement is that it actually has to be available to stream online somewhere.

My pick: Porcupine Tree - in Absentia

To me, Steven Wilson is basically the king of modern prog rock.
Porcupine Tree
was crushing it from the 90s all the way until they split up around 2009 to chase other projects. Even though Wilson stays busy with his solo stuff and various collaborations, I honestly feel like his work with the band was his absolute creative peak...

I'm getting more and more convinced that's their best album—probably playing it safe, I guess—but you gotta aim for the win...😁

Pink Floyd - Animals

Slint - Spiderland [1991]

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/al...nt/spiderland/



Someone recently pointed me toward this record. It's one of those legendary underground albums that basically paved the way for an entire generation of artists...

I’ve been wondering how we should handle those albums that were nominated in previous weeks but didn't end up winning—especially when the person who suggested them doesn't want to put them forward again. What's our move there?
I personally would love to see someone like YMO get another shot at it, though... I have to admit, they aren't my absolute top pick either.

analogbear40 said:I’m wondering how we should handle albums that were up for grabs in previous weeks but didn't win... especially if the person who suggested them doesn't want to pitch them again?
I'd actually love to see YMO get another shot, but hey... they aren't my absolute top pick either...

Feel free to suggest anything that hasn't been picked yet, even if it's a repeat!

Anyway, the new poll for this week's album just went live!

Three votes cast for three different albums... so far. Just a reminder, voting stays open until midnight!

Amanda Robinson4 said:Three votes for three albums... for now. Just a heads up, voting wraps up at midnight tonight.

Wait, just until midnight tonight?
If that's the case, there’s probably no point in me throwing out an A-list candidate from my collection right now... I doubt they'd stand a chance against the heavy hitters already in the ring anyway.😁

I was under the impression we had until Sunday night—meaning Monday at midnight.😛

...here’s a little something from my side regarding the old American scene:

Jakarta - Maske Za Dvoje (1984)

Every time I dive back into music videos from that era of American music history, I swear I find something new. It’s like my eyes finally adjust and I notice details that completely flew under my radar years ago....

I’ve actually had this album sitting on my "must-listen" list for quite a while now. Judging by the music video for their hit song spiritus, it seems like they hit that absolute sweet spot of 1984 vibes—exactly the kind of atmosphere I dig. Plus, from what I can tell, the musicianship is genuinely high-quality and varied, even if it isn't strictly following one genre.....

On top of that, I have this feeling the bass lines really take center stage here. And honestly? I’ve always had a massive soft spot for a killer bass line....😁

Whoa, someone’s in a rush!
I’m leaning towards it being Spiderland. It honestly never hurts to revisit an album after some time has passed—plus, get a fresh perspective from what everyone else is saying—and we actually share the same release year 🥳

analogbear40 said:Only until midnight tonight?
Then there’s probably no point in me throwing out an A-list candidate from my collection right now... because there's almost zero chance they'll beat out the competition...😁

I honestly thought we had until Sunday or Monday (midnight).....😛

I think you might have missed something—yesterday was for suggestions, and the poll is running right now! 😁 Should I just jot this one down for next week? 😁

Ashley Grant66 said:Yeah, things moved pretty fast...
I'm leaning towards Spiderland. You can never go wrong with a re-listen after some time has passed, plus hearing what everyone else thinks... and we're looking at the same release year anyway.🥳

I know we rushed the whole concept change, but hey, it is what it is! From now on, Thursdays will be for suggestions, and Fridays will be for the poll. 🙂

Steven Newman50 said:I think there might be a misunderstanding. Yesterday was for submitting suggestions, while the poll itself is still active 😁 Should I jot this one down for next week? 😁

No need, thanks.
It would just end up filling space on the list.
I'll come up with something fresh for next week instead.

I almost voted for Spiderland—mostly just so I wouldn't vote for my top pick twice in a row—but Animals still hits harder for me.

I’m putting my vote in for Porcupine Tree if it even matters, mostly because that album is an absolute masterpiece. The production is flawless, the songwriting hits hard, and there was this one stretch of my life where I basically lived with those tracks on repeat.

As for Pink Floyd, I honestly can't stand them.

Let's call this a tie 😁 I just cast my vote for those guys who were sitting at 3 votes

Should we go with the master plan here, or are you just going to throw both albums into a random generator like random.org and let fate decide which one wins?

I honestly think it’s totally fair that we get two albums again. You want to spin Slint, and I’ll go with Porcupine Tree? 😁

Sure thing, I'll get around to opening it later on...