Haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought, seeing as I've got a bit of free time, I'll do one now.
Going to let you know about a fair few albums from varying styles and genres, hopefully they'll be something for everyone in here, but it'll ultimately end up leaning more towards my current tastes as those are the albums I'm most able to talk about right now.
As in past threads, I ask that if you have the time spare after reading this thread, let people know about any good albums you might have come across lately, but do give a little explanation about the album too, otherwise you aren't understanding the idea of this thread.
To start the ball rolling here's an album I recently got a hold of, and one which I'm sure a fair few of you have heard before, but for those who haven't:
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
I've only recently become interested in Elliott Smith after a mate put some on while I was round at his. I'd had a Heatmiser album for a while but didn't realise it was Elliott Smith's old band (and I didn't listen to it much anyways, but Heatmiser - Mic City Sons is definitely worth checking out too). I'd got From A Basement On A Hill (his last album) for my sister a while back, but never really listened to it properly myself. He's one of my favourite artists now, and has shot up to ninth place already on my last.fm.
This is definitely my favourite album by him. It's fairly short compared to his other albums, clocking in at just under half an hour, but it's just so beautifully presented I can't leave it alone. Elliott Smith is one of those singer/songwriters who has such emotion behind his lyrics and songs, it sends a shiver down my spine whenever you hear a little unexpected rise or fall in his voice. The album kicks off with Roman Candle, probably my favourite song by him. The song is built around a relatively fast strumming pattern on his acoustic, but just has this sublime electric guitar sound which keeps surfacing as the song progresses. It all works sublimely alongside his vocals, which sound so tortured and yet have such a sweet quality to them, you don't know whether he's going to break down crying, or break his guitar as the song continues.
Condor Avenue kicks in afterwards with a much more upbeat sound to it. It dances alongs with some swift picking, and once again we have Elliott's heart-felt voice moving the song along. The rest of the album continues along the same kind of line finishing on quite a chilled closing song Kiwi Maddog 20/20. Smith, for me, just has this amazing ability to write astoundingly emotive songs, very often using fairly simple guitar patterns. Quite a bit of his stuff isn't impossible to play on guitar, but it sounds so amazingly effective, especially with his vocals, which are so softly spoken, as if he justs wants to disappear at any moment. It means that whenever he swears it means that little bit more than someone using the word gratuitously. Or when he talks about subjects close to his heart you just know he's putting every last bit of his energy into every word he sings.
This album is a work of perfection, and apparently, some of the songs were written as young as seventeen. Elliott Smith is one of those artists you really cannot afford to be without.
Other albums worth checking out:
Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith (Christian Brothers is definitely my most listened to song at the moment)
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
but all of his stuff is just fantastic.
I'll finish on a Pitchfork quote which I just love:
Next up:
Boris - Pink
Hadn't heard of these guys until a few weeks ago. But wow, they blew me away upon the first listen. The album almost tries to lull you into a false sense of a security. It starts with a great dirge-esque track, with some pretty drawn out sounds, and slow vocals. Interesting I thought, and settled in for an hour of dirge. How wrong I was! Straight after that opening track stopped, Boris kick you in the face, whack up the distortion, and turn into some sort of crazy Japanese metal/punk band, powering through an album of just dirty, whirling, arse-kicking tracks. They do have a few breathers over the course of the album in the form of "Blackout", "It Paints To Be, The Flame" and "My Machine". "My Machine" chills you out so that the ten minute epic "When We Is Throw Away" can stab you in the eye to finish off the album. The vocalist shouts away, almost in a Refused-esque way (although Boris have been around since the early 1990s after a quick bit of research) sending the music hurtling through walls of major guitar distortion, and complementing a drummer who is literally beating the **** out of his kit constantly. This band almost remind me of a heavier, more experimental, better version of Kyuss with a more metal influence on them. This is the kind of album you whack on your stereo to get you in the mood for rioting, and generally kicking the **** out of anything you see. It's just fantastic. Definitely check it out.
http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/boris/pink.shtml
Next up:
Mouse On Mars - Iaora Tahiti
Weird little band these lot. I originally thought they were Japanese just because the opening track has a Japanese-sounding woman saying some random Japanese-sounding stuff. However I've just found out they are German which doesn't make much sense, but anyways it's an electronic album this one, ala Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada. The tracks are pretty varying in styles, taking cues from jazz, ambient, dance, drum 'n' bass and any number of different genres. It's fairly minimalistic stuff, so don't listen to it expecting a "Rossz Csillag Alatt Szueletett". A nice upbeat album to chill to.
Next up:
Air - Premier Symptomes
Easily my favourite Air album. Another short and sweet one like the aforementioned Elliott Smith. I bought this album after I was in Fopp, and my mate pointed it out to me, but was unable to buy it as it was Lent and he'd given up buying stuff from Fopp for it (silly Christian!). So I bought it myself as I'd always been interested in hearing an Air album in its entirety having only heard bits and bobs here and there. What a worthwhile purchase. This album is the epitome of cool. Funky bass-lines, mixed with airy electronica (see what I did there!), and some heavy jazz influence, makes this a top album while under the influence haha. The Pitchfork review of this album says it best I believe:
Nice......
Right, there's four, I'll write some more in a bit probably, but this has taken a while so I'm having a break!
Going to let you know about a fair few albums from varying styles and genres, hopefully they'll be something for everyone in here, but it'll ultimately end up leaning more towards my current tastes as those are the albums I'm most able to talk about right now.
As in past threads, I ask that if you have the time spare after reading this thread, let people know about any good albums you might have come across lately, but do give a little explanation about the album too, otherwise you aren't understanding the idea of this thread.
To start the ball rolling here's an album I recently got a hold of, and one which I'm sure a fair few of you have heard before, but for those who haven't:
Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
I've only recently become interested in Elliott Smith after a mate put some on while I was round at his. I'd had a Heatmiser album for a while but didn't realise it was Elliott Smith's old band (and I didn't listen to it much anyways, but Heatmiser - Mic City Sons is definitely worth checking out too). I'd got From A Basement On A Hill (his last album) for my sister a while back, but never really listened to it properly myself. He's one of my favourite artists now, and has shot up to ninth place already on my last.fm.
This is definitely my favourite album by him. It's fairly short compared to his other albums, clocking in at just under half an hour, but it's just so beautifully presented I can't leave it alone. Elliott Smith is one of those singer/songwriters who has such emotion behind his lyrics and songs, it sends a shiver down my spine whenever you hear a little unexpected rise or fall in his voice. The album kicks off with Roman Candle, probably my favourite song by him. The song is built around a relatively fast strumming pattern on his acoustic, but just has this sublime electric guitar sound which keeps surfacing as the song progresses. It all works sublimely alongside his vocals, which sound so tortured and yet have such a sweet quality to them, you don't know whether he's going to break down crying, or break his guitar as the song continues.
Condor Avenue kicks in afterwards with a much more upbeat sound to it. It dances alongs with some swift picking, and once again we have Elliott's heart-felt voice moving the song along. The rest of the album continues along the same kind of line finishing on quite a chilled closing song Kiwi Maddog 20/20. Smith, for me, just has this amazing ability to write astoundingly emotive songs, very often using fairly simple guitar patterns. Quite a bit of his stuff isn't impossible to play on guitar, but it sounds so amazingly effective, especially with his vocals, which are so softly spoken, as if he justs wants to disappear at any moment. It means that whenever he swears it means that little bit more than someone using the word gratuitously. Or when he talks about subjects close to his heart you just know he's putting every last bit of his energy into every word he sings.
This album is a work of perfection, and apparently, some of the songs were written as young as seventeen. Elliott Smith is one of those artists you really cannot afford to be without.
Other albums worth checking out:
Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith (Christian Brothers is definitely my most listened to song at the moment)
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
but all of his stuff is just fantastic.
I'll finish on a Pitchfork quote which I just love:
Next up:
Boris - Pink
Hadn't heard of these guys until a few weeks ago. But wow, they blew me away upon the first listen. The album almost tries to lull you into a false sense of a security. It starts with a great dirge-esque track, with some pretty drawn out sounds, and slow vocals. Interesting I thought, and settled in for an hour of dirge. How wrong I was! Straight after that opening track stopped, Boris kick you in the face, whack up the distortion, and turn into some sort of crazy Japanese metal/punk band, powering through an album of just dirty, whirling, arse-kicking tracks. They do have a few breathers over the course of the album in the form of "Blackout", "It Paints To Be, The Flame" and "My Machine". "My Machine" chills you out so that the ten minute epic "When We Is Throw Away" can stab you in the eye to finish off the album. The vocalist shouts away, almost in a Refused-esque way (although Boris have been around since the early 1990s after a quick bit of research) sending the music hurtling through walls of major guitar distortion, and complementing a drummer who is literally beating the **** out of his kit constantly. This band almost remind me of a heavier, more experimental, better version of Kyuss with a more metal influence on them. This is the kind of album you whack on your stereo to get you in the mood for rioting, and generally kicking the **** out of anything you see. It's just fantastic. Definitely check it out.
http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/boris/pink.shtml
Next up:
Mouse On Mars - Iaora Tahiti
Weird little band these lot. I originally thought they were Japanese just because the opening track has a Japanese-sounding woman saying some random Japanese-sounding stuff. However I've just found out they are German which doesn't make much sense, but anyways it's an electronic album this one, ala Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada. The tracks are pretty varying in styles, taking cues from jazz, ambient, dance, drum 'n' bass and any number of different genres. It's fairly minimalistic stuff, so don't listen to it expecting a "Rossz Csillag Alatt Szueletett". A nice upbeat album to chill to.
Next up:
Air - Premier Symptomes
Easily my favourite Air album. Another short and sweet one like the aforementioned Elliott Smith. I bought this album after I was in Fopp, and my mate pointed it out to me, but was unable to buy it as it was Lent and he'd given up buying stuff from Fopp for it (silly Christian!). So I bought it myself as I'd always been interested in hearing an Air album in its entirety having only heard bits and bobs here and there. What a worthwhile purchase. This album is the epitome of cool. Funky bass-lines, mixed with airy electronica (see what I did there!), and some heavy jazz influence, makes this a top album while under the influence haha. The Pitchfork review of this album says it best I believe:
Nice......
Right, there's four, I'll write some more in a bit probably, but this has taken a while so I'm having a break!
) 
