Song of the Week

I guess I’ll only start actually listening to Tom Waits once he decides to make some sober, lucid music for once.

Album of the week—supposedly metal box by PIL. It showed up from Amazon, and I’m not kidding, it’s an actual metal box, but there’s zero tracklisting or credits included. I was like, what even is this? Then Amazon basically tells me they'll just send a replacement. Just stick to Amazon, I guess.

Song of the week? Hard to say. Ay, somewhere in here is The Seahorses - you Can talk to me, recorded live at the Jools Holland show. Go find the lyrics somewhere and just imagine me turning bright red. Just kidding, it’s actually a decent little tune, some pretty competent guitar pop. Calling John Squire "competent" feels like a total understatement, doesn't it? Speaking of Squire:

Check out this cover art.

like David Bowie - New Killer Star

Well, it’s not exactly about the credits; you just end up with a little scrap of paper listing all the tracks😁

Zele, respect!

Life is mostly just made up of small, insignificant things, so even if this isn't one of the most interesting albums ever made, I’d still rather have the whole thing.

Same here. 🙂

driftingeagle27 said:Album of the week—supposedly, metal box by PIL

Man! 😍 album, definitely, this week 😁.

Anyway, that reminded me I need to fix my badge.

I can't help but feel drawn to The Kinks—specifically "Village Green Preservation Society" and "I Nilsonov Smile." They just seem to command my attention lately. Such absolute classics.

Kevin Chavez3 said:(this is at a garbage 128 kbps, man!)

Man, what a punk attitude! 😬What’s actually wrong with 128? You can still hear everything you need to hear, and since the files aren't massive, they download without any hassle. It’s really only once you dip below 128 that things start sounding terrible.
Though, I have this friend who doesn't mind that one of her favorite albums, Can's "Ege Bamyasi," is playing at 56 kbps... well, to be fair, with their sound, you might not even notice the quality drop.😁

Nicholas King62 said:Things really start going downhill once you drop below 128.

😲 Honestly, I’ve only heard one thing encoded at 128 in my entire life that actually sounded decent. I get it, though—when you're stuck on a slow connection, waiting for a massive file feels like an eternity, and you just want to hit download. But in my opinion? It’s such a waste to grab something at 128 unless there's literally nowhere else to find it. If you can, just aim for 192 so it's actually listenable. 😉 It’s basically that old saying, "I'm not rich enough to buy cheap things." 😁

album of the week: Einstürzende Neubauten - Ende Neu

Linda Rodriguez6 said:Shame on you, lying through your teeth. I'm the one who ripped that to a crappy MP3.
Maybe you transferred it to a cassette then. Boh!

Oh no! I picked up that tape from a buddy who just flew back from Canada... grabbed some rare Nirvana tracks off him too [D7 is king], but my mom—with her lightning speed and "expert" precision—tossed them straight in the trash. We could totally run an authenticity check 😁 by comparing the cassette to the MP3 😁 haha... looks like I'll be heading down to the coast soon. My friend just got back from NYC to the coast, so I'll probably head down there eventually. Heh heh

NP boards of canada.

driftingeagle27 said:🙂

And honestly, nobody even notices when Želetov drops their second smiley face in history...😲 😁

Nicholas King62 said:Man, punk attitude right there! 😬 What’s wrong with 128? You can hear everything you need to, it doesn't take up much space, and it's an easy download. The real trouble only starts once you drop below 128.

That's just not true. Sure, 128 kbps works, but it isn't a guarantee of quality—it all comes down to the encoder. Most of them sound terrible; the drums, especially the snares and cymbals, end up sounding completely washed out... almost like a chewed-up cassette tape.

np The Hitmen - Bwana Devil

Kevin Chavez3 said:Most bands out there—and let’s face it, most of them—have absolutely atrocious drum sounds. Especially the snare and the cymbals; it all just ends up sounding like some chewed-up cassette tape.

That’s my point exactly. 😉

np Skinny Puppy - Cult

Kevin Chavez3 said:That’s just not quite right. Sure, 128 kbps can work, but it doesn't mean it'll actually sound good—it really all comes down to the encoder used. Most of them, in my experience, just don't cut it; the drums end up sounding terrible, especially the snare and the cymbals. It honestly sounds like a chewed-up cassette tape.

Or, as I think someone on a forum once put it, it's like the cymbals turn into dried leaves. 🙂

It seems our ears aren't tuned to the same frequency, and frankly, I think mine have the edge here. 😁
I mean, look, to my ears, those compressed tracks and the faded yellow leaves of romance are just the hallmarks of lower bitrates. Even 256kbps can feel a little cramped, though that’s really only noticeable when you hold it up against much higher fidelity. Regardless, my point is simply that 128kbps isn't garbage; it still holds its own and sounds better than any old cassette tape ever could. 🙂

Let's just drop it—there's no need to start acting like hardcore audiophiles. 😬

[hey hey -> yo, go start a separate thread for kb/ps. back to the hit of the week!] 🙂

Album of the week, once again, is Get Happy by Elvis Presley. Whenever I find myself at a crossroads, I turn to Elvis. Most often, it’s this specific record. It brings back memories of better days—not with nostalgia, but with a sense of zero regrets.
Song of the week: i Can't Stand up for Falling down (that alternative version from the bonus CD).
Song of the week number two: Frank Sinatra, Mexico (1956). One day, I’ll actually make a movie just so I can use this track in the opening scene. For now, it serves perfectly as my "facing the sunlight" soundtrack instead of some obnoxious alarm clock.
Something else that takes me back to the good old days: The Classical.
Advice of the week: Feeling indecisive? Change your hair, sign up for a foreign language class, try needlepoint, or go out and get some stitches. Clean out the garage, tear up the garden, or invite the neighbors over for lunch. Just listen to Elvis! Or Frank Sinatra!

Beck - Guero
prefuse 73 - surrounded by silence

Alex Ramirez12: out hud - let us never speak of it again
With out hud's new album, I guess there are moments where it feels like they actually went to produce Annie, but then other times, it's like they’re hovering somewhere right in the middle of 'your silent face' and 'house arrest.' It honestly sounds brilliant in this sort of early 80s house-pop way, though I suspect we might see some pretty *harsh* reactions from certain (former) fans.

ironcrane7: radio dept - deliverence
From the new EP, this is probably one of the better things RD has ever done. To me, it feels almost like Junior Boys doing a cover of The Cure, over and over and over again...

Laura Veirs - carbon Glacier divan CD

This carbon Glacier divan CD is just what I need for these freezing winter days down here in the valley. 🙂

The album of the week has gotta be Dexy's Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay. Honestly, I actually picked this one up before I grabbed "Searching for The Young Soul Rebels," and I've definitely spent more time spinning it. Both were huge hits from last week, though. As for the track of the week, I'm going with "Geno" by the same guys. It’s just such a beautiful song. Hearing it brings back all these memories of listening to some old-school radio countdown on Saturday Night Live where I first heard it. 👍

The album of the week has to be x - Wild Gift. I've been spinning it non-stop lately...