Lurker > Seginustemple

Roundabout

Guys special effects are what's done in-camera and visual effects are done in post-production. CGI is VFX.

For SFX I'd pick The Thing

NFUN posted...

the real crime here is 10000 Days being so low

who are youuuu to wave your fingerrrrr you musta been ooouttt yoouuurr headddddd

damn shoulda nominated some Tool

Listened up to the top 20 in full, just haven't found so much time to write recently

Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
- A record I'm very familiar with, another close listen reaffirms how I've always felt - it's frontloaded and as a total experience I prefer its predecessor. Still, BoC's unique flavor makes some of that front load indispensable to my library. I think Julie and Candy is the masterpiece here, there's so many cool textures and layers with all the distorted woodwind fragments, and the dynamic percussion keeps the energy flowing the entire time. Good headphones really bring out the cavernous low end to this one. I don't go back to Geogaddi much in total but I've hit up this one song hundreds of times.

Bjork - Vespertine
- Big fan of this one, the harp-stricken alien winter aesthetic is gorgeous and if it's a 'concept' album it's just a great proclamation of love. A really sensitive, fragile record ornamented with spectacular detail. For me Unison, Hidden Place, and It's Not Up To You are the standout tracks. It's a mood, a vibe, a lush sound, a manic pixie dream girl, a canal, Panama. Bjork is a true original here.

Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar
- I thought I knew this, but halfway through I realized what I knew was called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and this is a separate thing. And I fucked up and listened to the wrong version (whatever Spotify defaults to, not the Australian version) but I just don't have it in me to go through it again. The last instrumental piece John Nineteen Forty-One was by far my favorite, it was good to end on a more traditional liturgical sound.

Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
- BnL is one of those bands I always knew by radio hits but never gave them the time of day at the CD aisle. I liked this more than I expected, the light-hearted spontaneous energy works for me. There's a part in If I Had a Million Dollars where they adlib a bit about buying Dijon ketchup, and it made me think that's what this band is. Ironically sophisticated ketchup. Hello City and Brian Wilson left good impressions with some nice vocal harmonies. Apparently, these guys are still releasing music in 2023, might be fun to check out where they are now 30+ years later.

Binzokomegame Girl's Union - Taiten Mythologia
- The buckwild end of Bhutesha's Silentroom got me going. That's the keeper for me, the rest can be somebody else's treasure.

Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
- Not my favorite of the 90's shoegaze/dreampop/whatever you want to call it canon, but it's short and sweet and easy on the ears. A strong opener and closer helps it feel complete, and strong earworms in the back half like I Wear Your Ring and Road, River, and Rail keep it building a head of steam instead of dissipating into a cloud of ethereal vapor.

Jacob Collier - Djesse Volume 3
- I've been following this guy for a while now, and I kind of get why he's a divisive figure in music circles. He's an undeniably gifted musician, technically proficient and hyperliterate...it's like he has this incredible vocabulary yet he doesn't really have anything to say with it. This is the third time I've listened to this record and it's so well-produced but barely any of it sticks. The catchiest tracks were Runnin' Outta Love and All I Need just because the keyboard part sounded like an Al Jarreau song. And it's nice to hear Rapsody in a different context on a track like He Won't Hold You. I think JC's best stuff is still in his cover arrangements for now.

Green Day - American Idiot
- Another record I appreciated more via list order, because unlike previous British Genius at least American Idiot tries to say something. Not that it really succeeds, for being a politically-branded record I think it's relatively feeble and toothless in its social commentary. But I'll be damned if Billy Joel Armstrength can't sing just enough of a hooky melody to keep every other tune stuck in my craw. Granted, the radio campaign for this album was practically unavoidable at the time and drilled a few into me involuntarily - I was never a fan of Green Day growing up, but listening to the full album for the first time 20 years later, I have to give those hit singles their due. Holiday, Wake Me Up When September Ends, and Boulevard of Broken Dreams still hold up while Whatsername is an immediate favorite that I hadn't heard before. I think it's funny how the album indulges slightly loftier ambitions for a pop punk band - the fussed over sequencing w/ 'two-part' songs, the 8-minute multi-movement opus, the little *presents* between the band name and album title. It doesn't feel ironic and it's sort of endearing.

Joker

Dennis Hopper is amazing in Blue Velvet but out of the Jokers I know I'd still give Ledger's version an edge. He blows up a hospital in that movie!

I'm about halfway through the albums, will try to post more thoughts thursday

I'm a huge Twin Peaks fan but it's hard to gauge BOB here. I think the series is so ambiguous and contradictory about what he is (the spirit of a former serial killer, or interdimensional demon born of the trinity test?), how real he is (an avatar of trauma repression, just 'the evil that men do?'), or even how in control he is (are his hosts innocent?) that it's difficult to make a conclusive interpretation/definition of him.

I suppose if we're defaulting to the most evil interpretation I'll give BOB the edge because at least Voldemort doesn't try to rape Harry Potter. But tldr makes a good point about intent, Voldemort is evil by choice...it's a tough one

You Want It Darker is so good, glad to see it place well!

Still trying to listen to these all the way through, getting through it slowly and looking forward to the Cicierega now (I think Mouth Dreams is the only one I've heard but that was fun)

The Antagonist

I think of Chigurh as more of a personification of death than an evil person

Good rippance

rwlh posted...

If I tried to listen to all of Has Been at once, I might lose my ties to corporeal earth and descend into a demon-scented abyss

Ha, glad you enjoyed it!

It Hasn't Happened Yet is my favorite too, I think this combo works best when leaning into the beat poetry/lounge jazz thing, and thematically it's a fun play on the whole 'Has Been' thing. Admittedly I also get a kick out of the Trek connections between the theremin-like background voice and Final Frontier references in the lyrics.

I love that you mentioned What Have You Done? too. For all the expected silliness of a Shatner record it has this very serious, painful center and in some way is a record about death. This track always gets me a little emotional.

Eric Cartman

Nurse Ratched practically did nothing wrong, McMurphy had it coming tbh

I probably won't be able to keep up for long but we'll see how it goes

Billy Talent - Dead Silence
- I too had never heard of Billy Talent and was surprised to find they pull a million-plus monthly listeners on spotify. There's a style of singing and drumming here that both put me off, the emo power-belting and splashy double-time choruses aren't my thing. That said, it's effective high-energy listening produced with clarity and I can see why they retain an audience. For me it works better as background music than active listening - peripheral foot-tappers. I thought the standout tunes were Runnin' Across the Tracks for the groovy verse and bridge, Stand up and Run for the less typical chord progression (some half-diminished ii action in there?), and Don't Count on the Wicked for another cool bridge. The title track has a fun Knights of Cydonia vibe. For the most part, I can get into each song until the chorus hits and then it's too in-your-face and smothering, like the track runs out of space to breathe.

Taylor Swift - folklore
- The production imbues the tracks with a lot of textural detail and subtle dynamics to appreciate, but I don't find myself captivated much by the songwriting either lyrically or melodically. It's pleasant soundscapism, often successfully affecting a Sigur Ros-type of intimacy and tenderness (seven, epihpany, hoax) in the instrumentation. But I don't think the tunes all warrant their length, and at sixteen tracks the album feels stretched beyond its substance. Favorite tracks were hoax - good example of the sensitive production with the little string touches and soft, slightly detuned piano that sounds like you're sitting right next to it (+ a humanizing mistake at 3:19? That is so real, we're all imperfect and I relate because she is literally me), and I liked invisible string for the catchy palm-muted guitar figure. This is the first Taylor Swift record I've listened to, it was...okay.

100 Gecs - 10,000 Gecs
- Right away this benefits from the list order, providing a much-needed burst of energy after Swift's mellow selection and appropriately chasing her sheepish 'golly I didn't know anything at 17' self-deprecation with Dumbest Girl Alive. There's an aggressive slacker vibe throughout that smacks of the Pixies to me, although there's broader genre interests here ranging from ska punk and arena rock to hip-hop and grindcore. It comes across as a simple novelty party record but one that's cleverly constructed and, crucially, entertaining. Favorite track was the hangover banger Doritos and Fritos for the weird guitar harmonics bouncing between the channels.

Electric Light Orchestra - Time
- I have passing familiarity with some of this, I'm fond of the single Ticket To the Moon and I know I've heard Yours Truly, 2095 but I always thought it was a Supertramp song. Apparently, this is the first ELO record that's more Electric than Orchestra and I dig the retrofuturist aesthetic/time travel concept. Side A's largely instrumental closer Another Heart Breaks delivers a Hotline Miamiesque tropical electro vibe that has me grooving. The Lights Go Down mixes a little reggae with classic doo-wop harmonies for another recognizable chorus that I'm certain I've heard in commercial use. Overall a solid listen.

Lights - The Listening
- Smooth and relatively forgettable synth pop, with a few interesting sonic choices sprinkled throughout. The zipper bass on Februrary Air is a nice effect and the title track has some fun stereo interplay with the phaser in the right channel fading in and out. Wasn't too impressed by the full album experience though.

They Might Be Giants - John Henry
- TMBG is a band I only enjoy sparingly but respect for their longevity and persistence. It's one thing to do a band with a shtick, but to have it churn out some ~20 records across 4 decades requires a commitment to the bit. I could see John Henry growing on me if I were to spend more time with the Giants canon, for now it's been more miss than hit with the hits being Snail Shell, which seems clearly positioned as the 'lead single', AKA Driver for the Pixies-esque high energy, and O Do Not Forsake Me for adding a different color with the bassy acapella arrangement. And to rlwh's point about the album not having a strong enough sense of personality, I thought the same thing except the previously mentioned song actually did work on that front.

Miracle Musical - Hawaii Dream
- It's bound to be a little too theater kid for me in places but this was pretty cool texturally. Black Rainbows is definitely the winner with the froggy vocals. Sometimes the whole scratchy radio filter and crooner affectation comes off hokey but I can't deny that it's it's generally done well on this album and effectively renders an atmosphere of faded ghostly nostalgia, especially on the bookend tracks.

Younha - END THEORY: Final Edition
- It took a second listen on decent headphones to get into any of it. Tik-Tok does slap on the good cans, then I find the album gets somewhat repetitive until the piano ballad Here, which is a lovely break with some nice chord voicings and melodies, then Event Horizon brings the tempo back up with big opening theme song energy. The Joey-inspired closer How U Doin has some cool guitar layers. But the k-pop thing doesn't do it for me enough to get invested in a whole special edition record...I'd be good with the original 11 song 40-minute package here.

Like when they establish multiple vocal hooks and then layer them together?

Klaxons - Two Receivers
https://youtu.be/KZtLAQFdVvg

Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um3aQ8UB9HM

My rec is living on borrowed time here, I'm surprised it lasted this long! Enjoying the writeups so far

I've been listening to some of these albums at work so I'll put together some quick takes myself soon

Winning Mr. Olympia seven times

Hit 'Em

I read the book version of Bateman as being even more of an unreliable narrator. I thought it was implied throughout that there's a big difference between his self-image and how others see him, whereas in the movie it's just Christian Bale so we aren't led to question his fundamental sense of being as much. Like, Book Patrick *thinks* he's Christian Bale but he's actually Jesse Plemons

that said, the book version is even more heinous and disturbed whether in reality or in his head

Geogaddi is such a slow burn, I'd agree that Music Has the Right to Children is the better album to dive into first (even if it's only a marginally faster burn)

*well shoot I'm surprised Vespertine fell this early, what an excellent record! But yeah definitely the type of thing that doesn't work for everyone

Waters

Allied Mastercomputer

I may have nominated Biff but he got a rough draw here.

2 personally for the nostalgia, Prey is a deserving winner though

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)
The Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)
Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
Imhotep (The Mummy)
Biff Tannen (Back To the Future)
Burgermeister Meisterburger (Santa Claus is Comin' to Town)

Lydian

there's a lot of good shit on this list

the 80's

Gotta Light? from Twin Peaks

And yeah, especially watching it live. Just dumbfounded as to what was coming out of my television

free real estate

just like the

under the moon

guess I better take down the wind chimes

a surgeon

Not Entertained?

It won't let me type it but it'll let me link it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrkEc2V3mO4

I assumed the poisoning was fabricated just to hit up the forbidden fruit/poison apple symbolism

Sandman

bring me a dream (bum bum bum bum)

White House

Flintstones is still in the cereal/vitamin game

Amok

Short

This movie was so involving it took me a few watches before I noticed my favorite line wasn't actually delivered in English laundry and taxes

We gotta put the logo on r/place right now to reach these kids

dudes be slappin' a Biden "I did that" sticker on the whole economy

Oh he's probably saying that at OP but I would still love to beat foolmo's ass on principle, little fucker

foolm0r0n posted...

Which is a good point, have your dogs never heard a car alarm either?

I didn't even mention dogs you little shit, you're a fuckin dog

I mean, I live in Let's Go Brandon country so it of course gets a little yee-haw on the 4th but this is definitely the first time it's gone on this long

Bro I'm talking about people that are still setting off car alarms four days after the holiday this shit ain't social anxiety