What's a Listening Log? Well, the idea is quite simple. It's a weekly segment that consolidates all the mini-reviews Dozens Of Donuts has given on RateYourMusic over the past week, split between the Past and Present. A straightforward grading scale has been put in place, ranging from A+ to F-, with C acting as the baseline average. There is no set amount of reviews per week, just however many I get around to reviewing. And don't expect week-of reviews. I wait one month - with at least three listens under my belt - before I rate and review an album. Enjoy!
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The debut project of Medslaus, a collaboration between two NYC rejects currently enlightening the city's underbelly via the multi-faceted Standing On The Corner. Here, emcee Medhane presents a series of trials and tribulations over incongruous production by Slauson Malone that retaliates against the veracity of Medhane's claims. In regards to the thematic somberness, the excessive Glitch Hop and sample slide helps to instill suspicion and disarray, as rarely do moments stitch together seamlessly; The soulful '5 02' and '8 24' exempted. The two united borrow influence from NYC's past, namely MF DOOM sans the humor (multiple DOOM samples weave their way into the fabric), Wu-Tang's various affiliates, and Cannibal Ox. All the while modernizing their sound through textbook lyricism and flows that merge names like Joey Bada$$, Mac Miller, and MIKE, who appears breathless on 'Dirt.'
Poorboy is a decent debut that could, conceivably, be upheld as one of this decade's NYC underground beacons. It lacks consistency, but engages artistically much akin to Standing On The Corner's work. The samples aren't as jarring and ebullient, but the transformation work imposed upon them, by the auspicious Slauson Malone, makes for quality underground Hip-Hop. Currently, Medhane trails contemporaries like MIKE due to his generic vocals and resistance towards venting raw emotion.
C
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On the surface - and beneath it too - Split Enz's debut LP Mental Notes adheres to seemingly no strict perception of 70's Rock. However, the true oddity comes in the fact that, given the wealth of obvious influencers, Mental Notes hardly differs from the pack. Combine the storybook elaboration of King Crimson ('Spellbound'), the fanciful follies of Genesis ('Titus'), and the queer eccentricity of Art Rock-era Brian Eno ('Maybe'), and you've basically described Mental Notes to a tee. Entertainment comes then from the amalgamation of such pliable ideas, coupled with unfamiliar Kiwi chic that borders on being a farce, and doesn't back down from absurdity. In fact, Split Enz's ability to bolt between slapstick and sobriety (seen best on my two favorites; 'Walking Down The Road' and 'Amy (Darling)') is admirable and surprisingly successful during a moment where being labelled gimmicky was largely expected.
B-
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1997 | Twee Pop | Listen
DIFFUSING TIMELESS ROMANTIC PROSE INTO UNIVERSAL SOUND
One would be hard-pressed to find music as immortal as Belle & Sebastian's. Their art transcends all boundaries, be it generational, cultural, or racial. Love permeates and one could argue that nowhere is that seen better than on 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light, for it forgoes the band's knack for thematic cohesion (released a year prior on the near-flawless If You're Feeling Sinister) in favor of idyllic, transcendental prurience. There isn't an overbearing message covering these four songs, they're simply there as reflections of love; Be it the kindness prevailing of 'A Century Of Fakers' or the attempted self-appreciation of 'Put The Book Back On The Shelf.' Those are my two favorites and, seeking out Belle & Sebastian fans' reception of 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light, it seems as if 'Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie' and 'Beautiful' are interchangeable atop the pedestal.
That is to say, unlike Dog On Wheels which was dominated by a reworked great from Tigermilk ('The State I Am In'), nothing encapsulated on the 19 breezy minutes of 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light is forgettable, erroneous, or stands out from the rest. The only potentially irksome facet is 'Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie,' not for lack of quality but rather its jarring tonal shift compared to the other three. An airy, acoustic-driven Twee Pop aurora guides those three, while 'Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie' - which, surprisingly, was Stuart Murdoch's first written song for Belle & Sebastian - is far more upbeat and intrusive. It honestly bears resemblance to the band's latter works like Dear Catastrophe Witness or The Life Pursuit.
One last note, that cover is remarkable and is probably the best encapsulation of Belle & Sebastian's sound that exists.
B+
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Going chronologically, Atom Heart Mother was the first Pink Floyd album I enjoyed. Knowing the absolute greatness of Dark Side Of The Moon, assumptions of improvement were safe with Meddle as I expected an album that bridged the gap between those two behemoths. Excluding a lengthy, expeditious track that rejoins the fray (the 23-minute 'Echoes'), a natural evolution can be found. 'Echoes' provides the strongest leap in Pink Floyd's compositional work, something that, pun semi-intended, echoes across Dark Side Of The Moon's 42 minutes. The ebbs and flows, soaring peaks and insidious crevices, vicious revolts and tranquil pastures, all point towards 'Echoes' being Meddle's best track. By a mile.
Which is where the rest of the LP falters. Nothing on side A, apart from 'Fearless,' holds a torch to the folksy, Psychedelic Rock of Atom Heart Mother. Tracks like 'If' and 'Fat Old Sun' carry a breathless weight with them, something lost on the aimless meandering of 'A Pillow Of Winds' or the gimmicky 'San Tropez.' No self-proclaimed epic can contain one, yet alone two hammy endeavors (including the useless 'Seamus'). But that's exactly where Meddle lies, leaving 'One Of These Days' which doesn't excel musically, for its scatterbrained theory on crown building, but does in bridging the gap between Pink Floyd of old (the inadequate 'A Saucerful Of Secrets') and Pink Floyd of the future ('Breathe' to 'On The Run').
C
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1986 | Tribal Ambient | Listen
EXCHANGING EXOTIC MYTHOS TO CREATE PRIMORDIAL PLUMES
There is nothing like Geinoh Yamashirogumi's Ecophony Rinne. For at its core lies interconnectivity between nations, cultures, and legends never before united. The Japanese mega-band that would soon rise to prominence through their Akira soundtrack manages to merge centuries of Tribal lineage from Africa with Asia's own past, creating something totally otherworldly in the process. Ecophony Rinne fascinates from the perspective of estrangement, given that the history between continents is fairly meek. Yet here, thanks to Geinoh Yamashirogumi's courteous craftsmanship and eloquent pacing, neither side is given leverage over the other. Rhythmic Gamelan intersects hyperactive Choral, resulting in a vibrant New Age that spans millennia and breathes rejuvenating life into Ambient music. The project is really to be experienced as a whole, but 'Reincarnation' does the best job at cherishing such constructs.
B-
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2013 | Abstract Hip-Hop | Listen
BACKYARD BARBECUE BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S ARTSY FELLOW
Another solid collection of Abstract Hip-Hop outtakes from Serengeti. The man just secretes curiosities that are both playful and sobering. On C.A.B. it's largely the former, as the most serious of topics (relational qualms on 'In Love With A Woman') come equip with self-mockery and adorable prose. Certainly nothing compared to C.A.R. or Saal, two excellently-depressing Serengeti LP's released around this time. The funky Western grooves of 'Don't Give A Damn' and 'Sprung' are the two standouts, especially the buoyant back-and-forth with Doseone on the latter. The production on 'Find My Peace' is plucked straight out of El-P's early career, for those keen on that style too.
C
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Given the peculiarity of Inventions' sound, it's a shame their rise to prominence never saw the light of day. Having already heard Maze Of Woods, Inventions further reaffirmed the duo's stance as atmosphere conjurers, capable of swelling beauty from rigidness. Typically, futuristic music deals in rational, logic, and stance. The movements are unbending and cruel. But here, despite technological sounds overtaking Earth's natural beauty, it seems as though Inventions erred on the side of sympathy, maintaining a mindfulness that would've been shredded had industry gotten its way. Think a more subdued Jon Hopkins.
Much like the superior Maze Of Woods, which we really only get a hint at here with 'Flood Poems' and 'Peaceable Child' through their translucent vocal samples, Inventions surrounds itself with Ambient textures, padded Electronica, and booming Post-Rock crescendos. Everything is slow and melodious, which helps to soothe the soul before eviscerating it (as seen on 'Entity' and closer 'Psychic Automation'). Inventions have really crafted a densely rich sound that doesn't disappointment, even though it rarely achieves greatness. 'Flood Poems' is likely the standout, although arguments can be made for numerous others.
B-
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Initially I was disappointed with The Ideal Crash, seeing as how dEUS assuaged their creative ambition from In A Bar, Under The Sea with a tame, almost boilerplate view of Alternative Rock. But man oh man, is this Rock good. Nifty peculiarities like 'Little Arithmetics' and 'Supermarketsong' have been abandoned in place of ultra-refined 90's Rock, seem in pockets of In A Bar, like 'Gimme The Heat' and For The Roses.' That sound is the entirety of The Ideal Crash, and that redundancy typically doesn't settle well with my views on art. However, there's no way around expert musicianship, something permanently on display both lyrically and sonically throughout the ten tracks.
In all honesty, this is one of the most consistent albums I've heard in recent memory. The only track I'd consider below average - and barely so - is 'Let's See Who Goes Down First,' which is ironic given it's the closest to In A Bar's off-balance, belligerent tracks like 'Fall Off The Floor, Man' and 'Theme From Turnpike.' Everything else on The Ideal Crash has its place, be it the all-around behemoths that dominate the middle of the record ('The Ideal Crash,' 'Instant Street') or those that usurp rather menial songwriting with sterling bridges and codas ('One Advice, Space,' 'Magdalena'). There's so much to enjoy here, like the calamity of 'Put The Freaks Up Front' or 'Everybody's Weird,' the catatonic, near-Krautrock of 'The Ideal Crash' (easily my favorite), or the rapturous Progressive Rock of 'Dream Sequence #1.' Another great album by one of 90's most underrated Rock bands.
B+
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