Album of the week

Gerald Jackson48 said:I’ve always found the Ministry catalog fascinating, though I haven't done a deep dive into their entire discography. I got pretty hooked on that N.W.A. era and Jesus Built My Hotrod, eventually picking up an original CD of Glas.

Beyond the classic synth-pop staple With Sympathy, I think the Twitch era is easily the most intriguing part of their evolution. It was that perfect, high-energy transition into electro-industrial right before good old Al lost his way just a little bit (and honestly, he grew some teeth along the way)...IMHO...😛

@brightwolf48/">@@brightwolf48
I don't know, I don't take any of this all that seriously. We’re all just out here trying to convince one another that a certain album is a masterpiece—and if it actually clicks for you, then great, you'll probably end up digging through the rest of their discography anyway.
Look, if Gerald Jackson48 had posted above about Jamie Branch saying, "Untameable Modern Jazz, political, and female-driven!" I probably would have sprinted to go listen to it; instead, I almost missed out entirely. 🙂

And sure, Google exists—obviously—but if we follow that logic, there’s zero point in anyone suggesting anything to anyone else when we can all just look stuff up ourselves. 🙂

analogbear40 said:Beyond the standard synth-pop staples like With Sympathy, I think the Twitch era is easily their most interesting phase. It’s that perfect sweet spot where they hit that electro-industrial transition right before old Al lost his way just a little bit (though he definitely went out in a blaze of glory)... IMHO...😛

That's exactly what I was looking for if I caught you at the right time. I've been digging through their discography, but I couldn't find that specific vibe I heard on some tracks from Psalm 69. They have this great mix of solid grooves and more traditional elements, mixed with those random moments where they just go off the rails and experiment. Twitch might be the exact thing I've been hunting for. 😁

And who says I’m taking any of this personally—or God forbid, being overly serious? (My apologies if it came across that way.) We're all here on this forum to debate, learn from one another, and swap info. People can listen to whatever they want, but honestly, Google is going to be far more helpful than me typing out a few sentences about my personal take on a subject. For instance, I didn't need to look up Sabbathe, the Department, or Dylan, but when it comes to Fishmans, I did a quick search, realized they might be right up my alley, and—well, they're fantastic. Often, when we're making suggestions, we just don't have the time to sit and type everything out, but if we start using a little shorthand with a few dashes, I'm all for it.

I think a quick sentence or two is fine. It helps give some context to those lesser-known albums and artists. Honestly, though, I just don't always have the bandwidth to craft perfect "content" every single time, so I usually just drop the cover art and the links... I did include the lyrics this time, which was my way of signaling that this music carries a bit of a political edge...

@brightwolf48/">@@brightwolf48 look, I get what you're saying—sorry if I came off a bit clumsy there 🙂
Gerald Jackson48, I wasn't trying to criticize you either. I only brought up Jamie Branch because you guys mentioned her earlier, so she was just the first person that popped into my head. 🙂

I'm clearly struggling to find the right words today 😁

Honestly, even if they gave it a five, I wouldn't have taken it as a critique or anything. Even if they did, it totally makes sense. 😁

Amanda Lopez50 said:@brightwolf48/">@@brightwolf48 look, we get each other—sorry if I phrased that a bit clumsily 🙂
Warrior, I wasn't criticizing you at all. I only used Jamie Branch as an example because you guys mentioned her earlier; she was just the first person who came to mind. 🙂

I'm having a bit of a hard time finding the right words today 😁

So, consider this one on the house 😘 and honestly, it's great to have more people here. Just a heads-up though—next week I'm planning to suggest some stuff from Pere Ubu, so please let me know how I should best summarize them in a few bullet points. I'm still not even entirely sure which era of theirs the album will cover. 🙂

brightwolf48 said:Just a heads up—next week I’m planning on dropping some stuff from Follow Ubu, so hit me with ideas on how to summarize them in a few bullet points

😍🎉

I'd just describe them using this quote:

He runs through the thick, messy brush
where ladies wait and gentlemen lurk in the dark

brightwolf48 said:And honestly, I don't even know which era their album is gonna lean into.🙂

My pick is 'dub housing' 🙏

Dennis Martin6 said:😍🎉

I’d probably sum them up with this old line:

Through the tangled, messy brush he makes his run
Where ladies lure and gentlemen lurk from the shadows

My personal pick is 'Dub Housing.' 🙏

There you go—you've got an idea now. Throw out a suggestion next week and I'll see if I can get it on the ballot.🙂

analogbear40 said:I don't see why we need to put a cap on how many albums get suggested... especially when interest is picking up. Besides, things can change at any second—either for the better or, you know, for the worse.

There’s zero reason you have to sit through every single thing on this list.

It's pretty obvious, even if you just glance at the suggestions, which ones might actually hit for you. Just stick to those.

Using that slang term from the old movies, I guess "breadth" here actually provides "depth." There really is something for everyone in this pile.👍

We’ll get into the topic sometime this week; tomorrow I’ve got to focus on grilling and grabbing some beers. 👍

Jason Mendoza said:that using Spacy's vocabulary here actually adds a certain depth—meaning there's literally something for everyone to sink their teeth into 👍

Nothing works without a little spiral imposition 🧐

And if I can add one tiny correction—it’s Spacy’s vocabulary, not Spacy's... wait, I mean, it's just Spacy's way of talking. Though honestly, that's probably beside the point. The main thing is that you've had your fill of him and his "wisdom." 🙂

This week's pick—one criminally underrated classic blending Americana, roots-rock, and folk-soul.

Jackie Greene - American Myth (2006)

AllMusic

Are you always MIA on Thursdays? 😁 I mean, we can totally respect that, especially since there isn't a limit on how many suggestions we can throw out there right now...

Look, I don't know, maybe it's Thursday for Dennis Hall41. 😁

Forgot about it, damn it.

Well, count me in as one of those early adopters—or maybe I’m just a night owl, I can't quite tell myself. 🙂

Sons of Kemet – Your queen is a reptil (2018)



"Your queen is not our queen."
To her, we aren't even people—just objects in her way.

Sons of Kemet are part of that so-called new London jazz scene—though if we're talking about the US, they fit right into that cutting-edge movement happening in cities like Brooklyn or Chicago. One of the key figures is Shabaka Hutchings, the saxophonist and the driving force behind this incredible group, which mostly consists of two drummers and a tuba player. Sons of Kemet – Your queen is a reptil So, this is their third album—though word on the street is the fourth is already in the works—and honestly, it’s easily my favorite. It’s just explosive, high-energy stuff. They don't hold back on the politics, either, and there's this beautiful feminist undertone running through everything. The whole record feels like it's wrestling with these big, heavy themes—tradition versus innovation, the past versus the future, identity versus sheer possibility—and they manage to nail it all, both through that wild blend of musical influences and the lyrics themselves. Spoken word—sometimes I can't tell if it's pure art or just someone being loud in a quiet room. Is there actually a rhythm to it, or are we all just pretending to hear poetry in the pauses? It’s a fine line between profound insight and just... talking. So, we’ve got artist Joshu Idehen guesting on two tracks here—basically stepping in to kick things off and then bringing the whole thing home to close out this unique story, which stays mostly instrumental for the most part.

Sons of Kemet – Your queen is a reptil From the very first second to the last—to use a phrase that used to be a staple on this forum back in the day—total silence: I mean that figuratively, because this album is absolutely killer, but also quite literally, since it’s pretty much impossible to sit still when you're being hit with a sound this massive.

It’s basically a trailer for the album, featuring Joshu Idehen.
(maybe even his best contribution to the SoK sound):

And that’s easily one of my top three favorite things on the whole album—honestly, how can you not love it? my queen is ada Eastman (A quick little intro to the album from the band itself):

"Our queens are just like us," — honestly, who even believes that anymore? It’s such a tired trope, isn't it? Like we're supposed to find some profound connection between ourselves and these untouchable figures, when in reality, the whole concept feels pretty manufactured. Just food for thought.
And we’re only human, after all.
Honestly, we could all use some new royalty. Is it just me, or is the current lineup feeling a little stale?
Sons of Kemet – Your queen is a reptil

Dropping something smooth and easygoing here, maybe perfect for those late-night vibes...



So, it’s 1987, and a major American label releases the ninth studio album from the Mexican group Leb i sol. With this release, they really shifted things up—both in terms of their sound and their instrumental approach. It basically dives into urban life, love, midlife crises, and loneliness. I think it’s one of their most successful records, packed with hits like 'Skopje', 'Drunken People', the title track 'Kao kakao'... and finally 'I Guard the Night from the Wakeful'. This is also the first time Stefanovski takes full creative control. Also, the brothers Vlatko and Goran wrote all the songs; only the lyrics for 'Femme Fatale' were penned by Arsen Dedic.

Now, honestly, I don't know much about this album, even though I pretty much like it. But, I know one of our guys here absolutely loves it and probably knows every single detail! So, I’m throwing down a challenge: if this gets picked, I want him to write the intro.

kud Idijot - We're Only Here For The Money



1. I Won't Work For Dollars
2. We're Only Here For The Money
3. ...The Day I Was Left Alone
4. Goodbye, Mary
5. People From The Underground
6. Miniature
7. How Can This Be
8. Death
9. I Loved You Madly
10. Crazy From...
11. Bandier Ross