Quick Review (LP): If You’re Feeling Sinister by Belle & Sebastian

Belle & Sebastian
If You’re Feeling Sinister
Jeepster; 1996

My Rating: A+ (100/100)

Best Tracks: “The Stars of Track and Field”, “Seeing Other People”, “Me and the Major”, “If You’re Feeling Sinister”, “Mayfly”

Pathetic and delicate. Breathtaking, gorgeous, and grand.

NOTES:
- What was I listening to when I first heard this record in 1996? Oh, some Fugazi, some Snapcase, a lot of local hardcore bands with hoarse vocals and dropped-D “chugga chugga” guitars. As a general rule, it had to be distorted, ugly, muscular, and angry. Enter If You’re Feeling Sinister.
- The thing is, the songs here are INCREDIBLE. I mean, every time I hear “The Stars of Track and Field”, I envision these guys filling a stadium with the sounds of trumpets and twinkling pianos.
- That opening piano line on “Seeing Other People” is one of the greatest things ever. It’s got that Charlie Brown sense to it, and that’s about the right starting point for Belle and Sebastian.
- I remember watching the cartoon when I was a kid. I’d love to see it again.
- The other thing: this is a great ROCK record. In contrast to their other early albums, this one sounds REALLY powerful. I mean, listen to “Me and the Major” on full blast. It sounds like it would have been at home on The Bends.
- “We’re the younger generation/We grew up fast/All the others did drugs/They’re taking it out on us!”
- The instrumentation is brilliant throughout, right up to the trumpet and recorder fest that ends the album on “Judy and the Dream of Horses.”
- Apparently Murdoch thinks this is his best collection of songs, but doesn’t think they are recorded very well. Perhaps, but I think that lends the record a certain edginess that their other early LPs didn’t have. This sounds pretty punk.
- I agree with AMG that logically reducing this album to the perfect blend of The Smiths and Simon & Garfunkel doesn’t really do the album justice, but it’s probably the most accurate short description of this record that I can think of. Oh yeah, and this: “beautifully out of time.”
- Or maybe it’s this: If You’re Feeling Sinister re-defined indie rock.

ATTRIBUTES:
Cohesion (5/5)
Consistency (5/5)
Concept (5/5)
Consequence (5/5)
Songs (5/5)

My review of Tigermilk

Suspending Judgment: The King Of Limbs by Radiohead

Radiohead fans have learned to bear patiently with the band over the course of their career. Ever since they trampled all over the “one hit wonder” label with The Bends, they’ve been completely defying the expectations of their audience with each successive album. Their last full-length, 2007’s In Rainbows, went far beyond expectations, proving the band was anything but short on inspiration. And so, at this point, waiting three and a half years for a new collection from the world’s greatest anti-rock band doesn’t seem like much to ask. We are assured that when Radiohead gets around to releasing something new, it will be brilliant, and well worth the wait.

Only I’m not so sure about The King Of Limbs yet…

I will stick with it for a long time before I give up on it, but I’ve listened to it a good seven or eight times since it was released last Friday, and I’m not convinced it measures up. A few thoughts:

• It sounds more like what I would have expected from Thom Yorke as a second solo record, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that it doesn’t have the “massive” feel of the other Radiohead albums. It’s certainly not a “guitar” record.
• There isn’t a “fireworks” track on this record. Think of “The National Anthem” or “Pyramid Song” or “There There” or “Reckoner.” There’s no moment of unfathomable greatness that explodes from the speakers, blowing your mind. Perhaps The King Of Limbs is more about restraint than catharsis.
• Eight tracks? Surely there’s more where this came from?
• I hate to say it, but many of the tracks seem like they would have been better as b-sides. Of course, Radiohead are a great b-sides band.
• For crying out loud, will they ever release “Follow Me Around” and “Lift” as studio recordings?

I will say that The King Of Limbs is growing on me though. I don’t think it will ever measure up to In Rainbows or Kid A in my mind, but there’s at least one track that’s undeniably brilliant (“Codex”), and a handful of other lovely moments (“Give Up The Ghost”). I’m going to suspend judgment on this one until I’ve given it the hearing that Radiohead deserve.

Radiohead: Top 12 Non-Album Tracks 6-4

6. “Four Minute Warning” from IN RAINBOWS CD2: I think this track may have been the one Ed referred to as “Bombers” during the KID A sessions. Can’t be sure, but nevertheless, it’s one of the best songs the band has recorded period. It might have closed out IN RAINBOWS just as easily as “Videotape”, the white-noise fade-in evoking a cinematic landscape of bravenewworld devastation. Coming from the same subconscious goldmine that gave us “Pyramid Song”, the lyrics and music working together to evoke a similar slow-motion waking dream. Proof positive that Radiohead needs to record an album of piano-based ballads.

5. “Maquiladora” from HIGH AND DRY SINGLES:  Taking second place only to “Just” as the most in-your-face brit rock track in the band’s repertoire, “Maquiladora” is another b-side that “might have been a hit” for the band during THE BENDS era. With Jonny G.’s incendiary lead and the explosive refrain “Oh – BAY – BAH – BURN!!!!!”, this is the sort of track that the band should still be rolling out as an encore every once in a while. Also priceless – the clean cut breakdown (aka the pretty part) between the episodes of thundering heaviness. Simply brilliant all around.

4. “A Reminder” from PARANOID ANDROID SINGLES: Once considered as the lead-off single for OK COMPUTER, this one didn’t make it onto the album proper, but still stands as one of the strongest examples of the band’s aesthetic at that time. Slowly building around a locomotive drive, it’s an obtuse little love song, evocative of a train trek across the sub-continent of Europe in the prime of one’s youth (this is helped by the actual sounds of a Czech rail station opening the song). Like Richard Linklater’s BEFORE SUNRISE, the song’s narrative revolves around two people, the speaker and the addressee. Highly personal and minimally detailed, it nevertheless expresses a deep romanticism that the band hasn’t quite achieved since.

6. “Four Minute Warning” from the NUDE singles: I think this track may have been the one Ed referred to as “Bombers” during the KID A sessions. Can’t be sure, but nevertheless, it’s one of the best songs the band has recorded period. It might have closed out IN RAINBOWS just as easily as “Videotape”, the white-noise fade-in evoking a cinematic landscape of bravenewworld devastation. Coming from the same subconscious goldmine that gave us “Pyramid Song”, the lyrics and music work together to evoke a similar slow-motion waking dream. Proof positive that Radiohead needs to record an album of piano-based ballads.

5. “Maquiladora” from the HIGH AND DRY singles:  Taking second place only to “Just” as the most in-your-face brit rock track in the band’s repertoire, “Maquiladora” is another b-side that “might have been a hit” for the band during THE BENDS era. With Jonny G.’s incendiary lead and the explosive refrain “Oh – BAY – BAH – BURN!!!!!”, this is the sort of track that the band should still be rolling out as an encore every once in a while. Also priceless – the clean cut breakdown (aka the pretty part) between the episodes of thundering heaviness. Simply brilliant all around.

4. “A Reminder” from the PARANOID ANDROID singles: Once considered as the lead-off single for OK COMPUTER, this one didn’t make it onto the album proper, but still stands as one of the strongest examples of the band’s aesthetic at that time. Slowly building around a locomotive drive, it’s an obtuse little love song, evocative of a train trek across the sub-continent of Europe in the prime of one’s youth (this is helped by the actual sounds of a Czech rail station opening the song). Vaguely recalling Richard Linklater’s film BEFORE SUNRISE, the song’s narrative revolves around the hopes and fears of two young people intimately connected for a moment in time. Highly personal and minimally detailed, it nevertheless expresses a deep romanticism that the band hasn’t quite achieved since.

Radiohead: Top 12 Non-Album Tracks, 12-10

12. “Palo Alto” from AIRBAG/HOW AM I DRIVING? EP: Originally titled “OK Computer”, this track might have birthed the creative concepts behind the homonymous album. Encapsulating many of the same themes, it immediately evokes the false pleasantries of THE TRUMAN SHOW as Yorke greets the listener “I’m OK/How are you/Thanks for asking/Thanks for asking.” Still, underneath it all is Yorke’s old nemesis, the omnipresent fridge buzz. “In the city of the future/It is difficult to concentrate.” It also shines as one of the most chipper mid-tempo rockers in the band’s repertoire, effecting a Beatles-esque glee through Jonny’s noodly leads. Simultaneously a chunky guitar fest and an effects-laden dreamscape, it evokes the best of The Bends AND OK Computer in one little track. Muy bueno.

11. “Last Flowers” from IN RAINBOWS CD2: A mysterious tune that’s been floating around since the days of OK Computer, it didn’t see the light of day for nearly ten years. Through all the changes for the band, this comes across as one of their most sober and lovely little tracks, and proves that when you strip away all the bells and whistles, what you have is a great band of musicians in the most timeless sense. Featuring some of Yorke’s most emotionally potent lyrics (“You can offer me scape…if you take me there you’ll get relief”), its arguably his most disarming performance since another great b-side, “How I Made My Millions.” It can be easy to forget that so many of us fell for Radiohead because of their weepier stuff – “Fake Plastic Trees,” “High and Dry” – but this lost beauty brings it all back home.

10. “Fog” from KNIVES OUT SINGLES: Introducted to the world via concert in 2001 as a “silly little song,” this lullabye about humans as sewer gators is quite simply one of the most obtuse and artful tracks by any band ever, a whimsical ode to lost innocence. Although it seems to come across as a throwaway, it features one of the best melodies in the band’s catalog, and works itself into a great jam at the end, featuring everything but the kitchen sink. Bonus points here for the stark visuals drawn by the music, proving once again that Radiohead is great because they think in like, I don’t know, five or six dimensions.

12. “Palo Alto” from AIRBAG/HOW AM I DRIVING? EP: Originally titled “OK Computer”, this track might have birthed the creative concepts behind the homonymous album. Encapsulating many of the same themes, it immediately evokes the false pleasantries of THE TRUMAN SHOW as Yorke greets the listener “I’m OK/How are you/Thanks for asking/Thanks for asking.” Still, underneath it all is Yorke’s old nemesis, the omnipresent fridge buzz. “In the city of the future/It is difficult to concentrate.” It also shines as one of the most chipper mid-tempo rockers in the band’s repertoire, effecting a Beatles-esque glee through Jonny’s noodly leads. Simultaneously a chunky guitar fest and an effects-laden dreamscape, it evokes the best of The Bends AND OK Computer in one little track. Muy bueno.

11. “Last Flowers” from IN RAINBOWS CD2: A mysterious tune that’s been floating around since the OK COMPUTER-era, it didn’t see the light of day for nearly ten years. Through all the changes for the band, this comes across as one of their most sober and lovely little tracks, and proves that when you strip away all the bells and whistles, what you have is a great band of musicians in the most timeless sense. Featuring some of Yorke’s most emotionally potent lyrics (“You can offer me escape…if you take me there you’ll get relief”), its arguably his most disarming performance since another great b-side, “How I Made My Millions.” It can be easy to forget that so many of us fell for Radiohead because of their weepier stuff – “Fake Plastic Trees,” “High and Dry” – but this lost beauty brings it all back home.

10. “Fog” from KNIVES OUT SINGLES: Introducted to the world via concert in 2001 as a “silly little song,” this lullabye about humans as sewer gators is quite simply one of the most obtuse and artful tracks by any band ever, a whimsical ode to lost innocence. Although it seems to come across as a throwaway, it features one of the best melodies in the band’s catalog, and works itself into a great jam at the end, featuring everything but the kitchen sink. Bonus points here for the stark visuals drawn by the music, proving once again that Radiohead is great because they think in like, I don’t know, five or six dimensions.

Radiohead: Hail to the Thief (2003)

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief; 2003

Capitol Records

My Rating: 58/100

It’s hard to complain about a Radiohead record of any kind. After all, this is one of only a few bands in recent memory to score a string of three near-perfect albums (THE BENDS, OKC, KID A). Given the rousing success of IN RAINBOWS, Radiohead has pretty much cemented their status as the grand champions of left-field pop music. And while there are quite a few great tracks on THIEF, the record suffers from being a little TOO conventional and overly glum (yes, Radiohead can be overly glum). It all begins with the title. In my book, Radiohead’s brilliance lies precisely in their indirect manner of expression. I’m used to a band that skirts the fringes of our present reality, mining the subconscious dread and paranoia fear that haunt us all. I’d much rather leave the political rants to the Rage Against the Machines and Sean Penns of the world. Still, themes aside, THIEF might be a five star record if the production weren’t so LA. I know the band says they were going for a LIVE feels with these songs, but much of THE BENDS was recorded live, and sounded more raw than this. Overall, I still rather enjoy this record, because, once again, it’s Radiohead. But I’d only just place this above PABLO HONEY in ranking the albums.

Cohesion (4/5)

Consistency (3/5)

Concept (4/5)

Consequence (4/5)

Tracks:

1. 2+2=5 (5/5)

2. Sit Down, Stand Up (5/5)

3. Sail to the Moon (4/5)

4. Backdrifts (4/5)

5. Go to Sleep (3/5)

6. Where I End and You Begin (3/5)

7. We Suck Young Blood (2.5/5)

8. The Gloaming (3.5/5)

9. There There (5/5)

10. I Will (3/5)

11. A Punchup at a Wedding (5/5)

12. Myxomatosis (3/5)

13. Scatterbrain (4/5)

14. A Wolf at the Door (4/5)

Radiohead
Hail to the Thief; 2003
Capitol Records

My Rating: 58/100

It’s hard to complain about a Radiohead record of any kind. After all, this is one of only a few bands in recent memory to score a string of three near-perfect albums (THE BENDS, OKC, KID A). Given the rousing success of IN RAINBOWS, Radiohead has pretty much cemented their status as the grand champions of left-field pop music. And while there are quite a few great tracks on THIEF, the record suffers from being a little TOO conventional and overly glum (yes, Radiohead can be overly glum). It all begins with the title. In my book, Radiohead’s brilliance lies precisely in their indirect manner of expression. I’m used to a band that skirts the fringes of our present reality, mining the subconscious dread and paranoia fear that haunt us all. I’d much rather leave the political rants to the Rage Against the Machines and Sean Penns of the world. Still, themes aside, THIEF might be a five star record if the production weren’t so LA. I know the band says they were going for a LIVE feels with these songs, but much of THE BENDS was recorded live, and sounded more raw than this. Overall, I still rather enjoy this record, because, once again, it’s Radiohead. But I’d only just place this above PABLO HONEY in ranking the albums.

Cohesion (4/5)
Consistency (3/5)
Concept (4/5)
Consequence (4/5)

Tracks:

1. 2+2=5 (5/5)
2. Sit Down, Stand Up (5/5)
3. Sail to the Moon (4/5)
4. Backdrifts (4/5)
5. Go to Sleep (3/5)
6. Where I End and You Begin (3/5)
7. We Suck Young Blood (2.5/5)
8. The Gloaming (3.5/5)
9. There There (5/5)
10. I Will (3/5)
11. A Punchup at a Wedding (5/5)
12. Myxomatosis (3/5)
13. Scatterbrain (4/5)
14. A Wolf at the Door (4/5)

Weekly Review Round-Up 8/16/2009

Here’s a list of the CD reviews I did this week:

Monday
- Radiohead, OK Computer

Tuesday
- Dinosaur Jr, Farm
- Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News

Wednesday
- Radiohead, The Bends Collector’s Editions Disc 2
- Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career

Thursday
- REM, Fables of the Reconstruction
- Josh Ritter, The Animal Years

Friday
- Tortoise, Beacons of Ancestorship
- Radiohead, OK Computer Collector’s Edition Disc 2

Saturday
- U2, No Line on the Horizon
- Jeremy Enigk, OK Bear

Enjoy!!

Radiohead: The Bends Collector’s Edition Disc 2 (2009

RADIOHEAD

THE BENDS COLLECTOR’S EDITION DISC 2; 2009

CAPITOL

My Rating: 65/100

This is a pretty solid compilation. It collects most of the relevant non-LP tracks from THE BENDS, with a few notable exceptions, and clearly demonstrates just what a great band Radiohead were becoming. The first six tracks comprised the excellent dark MY IRON LUNG EP released between PABLO HONEY and THE BENDS, and give a far clearer indication of where the band would head after THE BENDS than anything contained on that album. “Permanent Daylight” and “The Trickster” see the band shifting away from British mope-rock and incorporating post-punk sensibilites. “Maquiladora,” released as a b-side after the album’s release, is one of the best tracks the band has ever recorded, and “How Can You Be Sure” sounds like something that just missed the cut as well. My only major gripes are that the remixed version of “Planet Telex” was not included, and, more significantly, the superior Nellee Hooper remix of “Talk Show Host” is no where to be found. Not that it REALLY matters, since you can still pick it up on the ROMEO & JULIET soundtrack, but I’m just sayin. As a last criticism, it would have been nice to really dig deep on this one and show forth some ancient demos or something. All in all, not a decent compilation, and worth purchasing for Radiohead fans that haven’t jumped headlong into their b-sides yet.

TRACKS:

1. The Trickster (5/5)

2. Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong (5/5)

3. Lozenge of Love (5/5)

4. Lewis (Mistreated) (5/5)

5. Permanent Daylight (5/5)

6. You Never Wash Up After Yourself (4/5)

7. Maquiladora (5/5)

8. Killer Cars (4/5)

9. India Rubber (5/5)

10. How Can You Be Sure? (5/5)

11. Fake Plastic Trees [acoustic - live] (4/5)

12. Bulletproof  [acoustic - live] (5/5)

13. Street Spirit [acoustic -live] (4/5)

14. Talk Show Host (5/5)

15. Bishop’s Robes (3/5)

16. Banana Co (5/5)

17. Molasses (2/5)

18. Just [BBC Radio 1] (3/5)

19. Maquiladora [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)

20. Street Spriit [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)

21. Bones [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)

Radiohead
The Bends Collector’s Edition Disc 2; 2009
Capitol Records

My Rating: 65/100

This is a pretty solid compilation. It collects most of the relevant non-LP tracks from THE BENDS, with a few notable exceptions, and clearly demonstrates just what a great band Radiohead were becoming. The first six tracks comprised the excellent, dark MY IRON LUNG EP released between PABLO HONEY and THE BENDS, and give a far clearer indication of where the band would head after THE BENDS than anything contained on that album. “Permanent Daylight” and “The Trickster” see the band shifting away from British mope-rock and incorporating post-punk and paranoia. “Maquiladora,” released as a b-side after the album’s release, is one of the best tracks the band has ever recorded, and “How Can You Be Sure” sounds like something that just missed the cut as well. My only major gripes are that the remixed versions of “Planet Telex” were not included, and, more significantly, the superior Nellee Hooper remix of “Talk Show Host” is no where to be found. Not that it REALLY matters, since you can still pick it up on the ROMEO & JULIET soundtrack, but I’m just sayin. As a last criticism, it would have been nice to really dig deep on this one and show forth some ancient demos or something. All in all, a decent compilation, and worth purchasing for Radiohead fans that haven’t jumped headlong into their b-sides yet.

TRACKS:

1. The Trickster (5/5)
2. Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong (5/5)
3. Lozenge of Love (5/5)
4. Lewis (Mistreated) (5/5)
5. Permanent Daylight (5/5)
6. You Never Wash Up After Yourself (4/5)
7. Maquiladora (5/5)
8. Killer Cars (4/5)
9. India Rubber (5/5)
10. How Can You Be Sure? (5/5)
11. Fake Plastic Trees [acoustic - live] (4/5)
12. Bulletproof  [acoustic - live] (5/5)
13. Street Spirit [acoustic -live] (4/5)
14. Talk Show Host (5/5)
15. Bishop’s Robes (3/5)
16. Banana Co (5/5)
17. Molasses (2/5)
18. Just [BBC Radio 1] (3/5)
19. Maquiladora [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)
20. Street Spriit [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)
21. Bones [BBC Radio 1] (4/5)

Radiohead: OK Computer (1997)

OK COMPUTER; 1997

Capitol Records

My Rating: 96/100

All things considered, THE BENDS was essentially an outstanding mope-rock record. I’ve already expressed my deep appreciation for what the band did there, but looking back, it was OK COMPUTER that made me (and many other music geeks) believers. When it all comes down to it, there are records that better express what it was like to be alive in the late-1990′s, but that speak so profoundly as OK COMPUTER. With acts left and right embracing their inner electronic selves, OKC was the album that injected it all with a healthy dose of skepticism and irony. Note well: OKC is also the lone CLASSIC record from that era and genre. Still, it’s not that OK COMPUTER is preachy at all. On the contrary, Yorke and company masterfully paint twelve pictures of what it means to be living in a time such as this. When Yorke howls “Pull me out of the air crash/Pull me out of the wreck/Cuz I’m your superhero” he seems to foreshadow our present turmoil, sprung upon the world just four years later. Maybe that’s because, while their Brit-rock counterparts were busy boozing it up and swapping headlines in the tabloids, this was a band with an eye the world around them. Overall, OK COMPUTER is a harrowing listen and experience, from the opening riffs of “Airbag” to the extraterrestrialisms of “Subterranean Homesick Alien,” right on through nine tracks that, though diverse in style, are thematically linked. Though it is forever anchored in the late 90′s, in light of Yorke’s closing plea to “slow down,” OK COMPUTER becomes a truly timeless record. Go on – sit back and shudder.

TRACKS:

1. Airbag (5/5)

2. Paranoid Android (5/5)

3. Subterranean Homesick Alien (5/5)

4. Exit Music (for a Film) (5/5)

5. Let Down (5/5)

6. Karma Police (5/5)

7. Fitter Happier

8. Electioneering (4/5)

9. Climbing Up the Walls (5/5)

10. No Surprises (5/5)

11. Lucky (5/5)

12. The Tourist (5/5)

Radiohead
OK Computer; 1997
Capitol Records

My Rating: 96/100

All things considered, THE BENDS was essentially an outstanding mope-rock record. I’ve already expressed my deep appreciation for what the band did there, but looking back, it was OK COMPUTER that made me (and many other music geeks) believers. When it all comes down to it, there are records that better describe what it was like to be alive in the late-1990′s, but none that speak so profoundly as OK COMPUTER. With acts left and right embracing their inner electronic selves, OKC was the album that injected it all with a healthy dose of skepticism and irony. Note well: OKC is also the lone CLASSIC record from that era and genre. Still, it’s not that OK COMPUTER is preachy at all. On the contrary, Yorke and company masterfully paint twelve pictures of what it means to be living in a time such as this. When Yorke howls “Pull me out of the air crash/Pull me out of the wreck/Cuz I’m your superhero” he seems to foreshadow our present turmoil, sprung upon the world just four years later. Maybe that’s because, while their Brit-rock counterparts were busy boozing it up and swapping headlines in the tabloids, this was a band with an eye the world around them. Overall, OK COMPUTER is a harrowing listen and experience, from the opening riffs of “Airbag” to the extraterrestrialisms of “Subterranean Homesick Alien,” right on through nine tracks that, though diverse in style, are thematically linked. Though it is forever anchored in the late 90′s, in light of Yorke’s closing plea to “slow down,” OK COMPUTER becomes a truly timeless record. Go on – sit back and shudder.

TRACKS:

1. Airbag (5/5)
2. Paranoid Android (5/5)
3. Subterranean Homesick Alien (5/5)
4. Exit Music (for a Film) (5/5)
5. Let Down (5/5)
6. Karma Police (5/5)
7. Fitter Happier
8. Electioneering (4/5)
9. Climbing Up the Walls (5/5)
10. No Surprises (5/5)
11. Lucky (5/5)
12. The Tourist (5/5)

Radiohead: Kid A (2000)

Radiohead
Kid A; 2000
EMI/Capitol Records

My Rating: 10/10

KID A is the most controversial album in Radiohead’s catalog. After the tremendous commercial and critical success of OK COMPUTER, the band might have easily crafted a cybertronic Brit-Rock re-tread. Instead, they chose to completely turn their songwriting and production process inside out, retreating into the studio for over a year and completely re-learning the art of rock and roll. Lots of people found OK COMPUTER difficult compared to the melodic Brit-rock of THE BENDS, but with this one, the band completely says goodbye to the past and announces to the world, “We are not resting on our laurels.” From the opening cascade of electric piano on track 1, KID A sounds numinous, cold, and chronic, perpetually avoiding the pop-music hook but all the while re-inventing it. The album cover features a digitally rendered mountainous landscape, which suggests that the band intended to make a grand and foreboding album. Well, all I know is that this album is a tough climb at first, but once you’ve struggled to the top, it all starts to make sense. An incredible and unique sonic journey.
TRACKS:

1. Everything In Its Right Place (5/5)
2. Kid A (5/5)
3. The National Anthem (5/5)
4. How to Disappear Completely (5/5)
5. Treefingers (5/5)
6. Optimistic (4/5)
7. In Limbo/Lost at Sea (3.5/5)
8. Idioteque (5/5)
9. Morning Bell (5/5)
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack (4.5/5)

August 4th, 2009

Thanks for dropping by! Why not drop a few comments while you’re here…

- I’m continuing my walk-through classic records with new reviews today for Radiohead’s The Bends and U2′s Achtung, Baby.

- There’s also a continuing fan discussion over at Paste on the 20 Best R.E.M. songs.

- My Old Kentucky Blog recently interviewed master folker Josh Ritter. Dude’s gotta new album on the way. Woo-hoo! As a note, I learned recently from the ever-reliable Wikipedia that Ritter recently married fellow folker Dawn Landes, a big, big talent (and high school acquaintance of mine) in her own right. Congrats, you crazy kidz!