Album of the week

Jason Mendoza said:If you stop wasting all your energy complaining about what went wrong—and maybe try looking forward instead—things might actually start looking up. There’s really no point in crying over spilled milk. 👍

Finally, someone actually said it..

Dennis Hall41 said:analogbear40, I’ve been sitting on a question for you for a few years now. Honestly, I hesitated to bring it up because I didn't want to step on any toes or cause offense. But here it is: Is there anything in your record collection released between 1980 and 1989 that you actually listen to? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack if you only stick to the classics before or after that decade. Just curious!😁

Or, if we want to look at this through a strictly mathematical lens—and let’s be precise about it—we should really be talking about the period from 1981 through 1990.

I’ll get back to you... eventually. If you really want to know. 😁It’s funny how things work out. You can wait for the perfect moment, or you can go searching for the right setting, but honestly? It doesn't really matter. Time isn't everything, and location isn't the deciding factor. What matters is what is actually standing right in front of you. Right here, right now. That's where the reality lives.

So, to put it simply...

My main obsession? The 80s. I don't mean being strict about genre boundaries, but my heart really beats for the classics: synth-pop, new wave, post-punk, electro, and those early, foundational hip-hop tracks. Lately, I’ve been digging much deeper into the underground stuff—EBM, electro-pop, indie, alternative, and that jangly C86 twee vibe. I’ve also found myself drifting toward ska, downtempo, ethereal, ambient, and even sophisti-pop (though, looking back, that label feels like something we only applied after the fact). To be honest, heavy metal and reggae have always felt like two genres that just never quite clicked for me. That said, I can appreciate a little bit of that specific 80s British-inspired reggae sound if it's served in small doses.
The first half of the decade was a total goldmine for my interests. It was like hitting a jackpot during a lucky streak at a Vegas blackjack table. The second half? Well, let's just say things cooled off a bit—it’s been a little more hit-or-miss lately. I’ve found myself gravitating much less toward that chart-topping, radio-friendly pop music. It just doesn't grab me the way it used to.
Looking back at my musical evolution since the eighties... from about 1990 through the early nineties, I was really diving deep into shoegaze. It was like being underwater, just pure soundscapes. Then came the grunge era—I dipped my toes in there, though I wasn't fully submerged. By the mid-to-late nineties, Brit-pop became a massive staple for me, almost a daily soundtrack. And of course, I’ve always had a solid appreciation for electronica. It’s been quite the journey.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on the Billboard charts for quite some time now. I was especially glued to the rankings back in the 80s—specifically from around 1983 onwards. It was a golden era, really. After the 90s rolled around, my interest shifted a bit, though I stayed somewhat connected to the scene. During the latter half of the 90s, I actually spent some time working at an indie college radio station in New York, where I was responsible for putting together our weekly Top 40 singles countdown. It was a blast, truly. But once we hit the mid-2000s, I pretty much lost interest entirely and stopped following the numbers altogether.

Of course... I’ve been diving deep into the punk fundamentals lately. Specifically that sweet spot of post-punk and new wave from around 1978 to 1982. It feels like I'm finally playing catch-up, retroactively filling in all those musical gaps I missed years ago.

Beyond that, I’ve been a dedicated follower of the classics—you know, the deep ambient, space ambient, and dark ambient stuff, along with industrial, post-industrial, and electro-acoustic textures. I’ve also always had a soft spot for musique concrète and raw field recordings. I really started diving deep into those sounds back in the mid-90s and kept that momentum going right through the mid-2000s. Back then, I actually used to host a specialized radio show about all of it on a local college station. It was a great way to explore those sonic landscapes.

You've got all those favorite artists right here. The ones you’ve been following your entire life. It doesn't matter which decade rolls around; you just never stop listening. It’s like that one reliable old car in your garage—it might be vintage, but it still starts up every single time you turn the key. Some things just stay with you forever.

Well, here we go... Naturally, the '80s were my decade—it’s the era I grew up in, after all—but I think it really boils down to what kind of person you actually are. I've never been one for doing things halfway. If something is a fundamental part of my life, I dive in headfirst. Take music, for example. It isn't just background noise to me; it's an active pursuit. I'm constantly listening, digging deep, and exploring new sounds. I don't write songs myself, mind you, but when I listen, I'm truly listening.
If I were built differently, I probably would have embraced other decades over the years—specifically the '70s. But honestly? Between the endless sprawl of the internet, YouTube rabbit holes, blogs, and P2P networks, I’m constantly stumbling upon these rare gems and obscure releases from my favorite era. There is just so much to discover every single day that I stay locked into my own focus. I simply don't have the bandwidth, or frankly, the desire, to go digging through anything else.
I just have this deep affection for that classic 80s sound. It’s so incredibly diverse, isn't it? There's so much texture there. I find myself particularly drawn to the technical side of things—the way they played with production and gear back then was just fascinating. But let's be honest: once you really sit down and immerse yourself in the true heavyweights, you can't help yourself. If you dive headfirst into something like Elton John's *Goodbye Yellow Brick Road* or that seminal self-titled debut from Suicide, you simply can't deny their sheer magnitude. It doesn't matter when they hit the shelves; greatness is timeless.

Oh, don't you dare think that was an insult... honestly, I'm actually quite flattered that you're asking. It’s like when someone asks for your opinion on a classic piece of Americana—you don't take it as a slight, you take it as an engagement. I truly appreciate the interest.😛

Lisa Davis46 said:We should probably mention that this thread will eventually wake up again one day, so there's no use counting it out just yet...
Amanda Robinson4 and I can keep things running at pretty much the same pace we did before, right from the jump.
But honestly, the actual quality of the posts and the discussions really comes down to everyone participating right now (like yesterday)...

That’s true, and I realize I shouldn't be the first one nagging about a thread going quiet, but man, time is just an issue... To actually sit down and write a coherent post that makes sense, you have to listen to the whole album, and then craft a review that isn't just a bunch of self-indulgent filler sentences—so in my opinion, it's better to just lurk and read rather than post something subpar and ruin the vibe of the thread.

Dennis Hall41 said:And we can't forget the Old Soul. Regardless of what people thought of him, the guy genuinely had impeccable taste and an ear for music that was completely untethered from critical bias, cultural baggage, or personal heritage. More importantly, he had the ability to prove it. It was tough to argue with him when, for instance, he’d claim that bands like The Smiths or Smashing Pumpkins were basically just theatrical noise, or that most musicians are just a collection of failed poets who couldn't string five decent notes together even if you held a gun to their heads.

The Old Soul is missed too, especially that argumentative streak of his and how he'd insist he was always right, spinning any counterargument into a personal attack... 🤣 All jokes aside, Old Soul, if you’re reading this occasionally, sending my best your way. 👋

Dennis Hall41 said:Look, it’s just friendly banter, not actual fighting. It’s just two overly sensitive, old-school romantics poking fun at each other. They're living in the past, honestly.😁

We’ll always need romance. You can't have great art without it. Society has definitely veered off track lately, and frankly, we're all worse off for it.🙂

Anyway, it’s great seeing the "old guard" popping up again. We'll be back to our usual routine of listening together and trading thoughts soon. That's what it's all about.

analogbear40 said:it completely died out after about 2005

Interesting—that’s actually right when that massive, exhausting 80s revival kicked off, lasting a good decade and basically feeding straight into the post-punk revival of the early 2000s. Honestly, the worst part was how they mostly hit all the genres I can't stand—just watered-down synth-pop and commercial R&B—trying to repackage them for modern crowds using an "indie" lens while dodging the actual good stuff like hardcore punk, golden age hip-hop, jangle-pop, college rock, or even the Paisley Underground. In my opinion, most of what came out was mediocre at best, with maybe a few outliers here and there.

Just reading that Chromatics—one of the warmer, more cohesive acts out there—finally broke up. To honor them, check out the killer Kill For Love.

I’m totally lacking a topic here—nothing else comes even remotely close to this one—and honestly, I just want to get this conversation moving ASAP 😢

Genre-wise, I feel like I'm most aligned with analogbear40... though looking at my profile, it kind of feels like I'm reading the works of a much younger version of myself 😁

And no, I can't wrap my head around metal right now. Even though I was blasting it back in my early teens—which makes me wonder, looking back, how did I even get into that stuff? It was probably just because I was obsessed with certain guys 🤣

Hey everyone, since you guys clearly aren't over these weekly album threads, I know a lot of you are already missing the group listening sessions. Plus, everyone’s heading back from vacation soon, and once fall hits... well, it gets cold. I guess there's just something better about hunkering down and listening to music inside your own four walls... 😎

So, what do you think about picking this back up next Thursday, September 9th? 🙂

Amanda Robinson4 and I have talked it over, and we agree on keeping the thread running just like before—at least at the same level, anyway. I'll try my best to make things even better than last time. We’ll definitely listen to your constructive feedback and suggestions, and the core rules aren't changing. Though, maybe we might be a little stricter this time around... not because we want to be jerks, but just so we don't waste precious time and can actually stay organized with this thing every week. It's too good to lose.



ecstasy! Who's in?
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advance romance ♡♡

Sure thing. And just to give you a reason to crack a smile: