Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 69

Sorry record club im having a Modest Mouse week, ill catch when its over.

 

Second listen was much better. DLZ is absolutely killer.

The quieter tracks are still a little hit or miss for me. While the instrumental arrangements are gorgeous on a song like Stork & Owl, I find the vocal delivery to be off.

The rhythm section keep this album moving. Tracks like Red Dress have such brilliant baselines to go along with that pounding, dancer beat. I love it.

 

@aoftbsten your turn!

 

My pick is Alabama Ass Whuppin’ by the Drive By Truckers. It’s a live album, recorded at various shows in Athens, GA.

I love this record, because of how imperfect it feels for a live album. It’s rough around the edges, the mix isn’t always great, but it really makes you feel like you’re watching a band in some grimy basement dive bar. And what’s the point of a live album if it can’t transport you in some way to the venue? The crowd work and little vignettes spoken between songs ooze with character and personality. It’s just a fun time overall.

 

Love DBT but I've never listened to this, looking forward to it.

 

Nice, I’ll be curious to know your thoughts on it then. The performance of 18 Wheels of Love is my favorite version of the song.

 

Oh hell yeah, great pick, excited to revisit

 

I don’t know what I expected going into this—never listened to these guys before—but I’m enjoying it. I generally am not into straight country, but this feels more “southern rock” among other sounds and influences. I’m weirdly reminded of Archers of Loaf and Dinosaur Jr. at times too—could just be the gruff vocals. Anyway, cool pick. What is a good studio album by them?

 

I'm partial to the Jason Isbell era, especially Decoration Day, so that's usually my rec. Can't really go wrong with Southern Rock Opera either, but as a double album that's a little more of a commitment.

 

obligatory MJ Lenderman fans will enjoy this and vice-versa

 

Yeah, this is really good. Love how ragged they can sound while still obviously being a super tight live band.

 

Live album was a blast to listen to. Think I've only heard several Drive-By Truckers songs previously. Makes me wanna give some albums a spin

 

I can definitely hear the Dinosaur Jr comparison. Musically, it diverges quite a bit but that energy is still there. I’ve never listened to archers and loaf, so I can’t comment on that.

I’ll caveat this with being a relatively new fan to DBT myself (I only discovered them through this live album in the last year). As others have mentioned, Decoration Day is great. I also really love The Dirty South. The Jason Isbell era is a great one, even though I find myself gravitating towards the Hood and Cooley compositions the most. Isbell’s DBT songs are really good for the most part, even great, but I think the Cooley and Hood songs still have more personality and edge to them that feels unique.

 

It’s Monday, whoever is up

listening to Drive By Truckers now, really liking it. It leans a lot more punk than I was expecting

 

@OhTheWater

 

Ahhh okay gimmie a few

 

Sorry! I am picking Van Morrison’s overlooked 1983 album INARTICULATE SPEECH OF THE HEART. I am, obviously, a massive Van fan but tend to skip a lot of his 80s-90s run. I got into this album last week and think there’s a lot to love on it.

 

nice, looking forward to it

 

I’ve only heard Astral Weeks

 

A masterpiece, my favorite album and one that stands apart from not only the rest of his discography but pretty much any other album.
He’s got a bunch of other great ones, including 2-3 other stone cold classics, but I’ve been digging into his more maligned late 70s-80s stuff. He’s such a weird artist in that he can make something as beautiful and pure and transcendent as Astral Weeks and also be a total fucking dickhead who makes shitty blues music. He contains multitudes.

Inarticulate Speech is an interesting one. It does not have the respect that some other 80s Van albums have gotten (Common One, No Guru No Method No Teacher) in retrospect, but I think it’s pretty special. 11 tracks, 4 instrumentals. He thanks L Ron Hubbard in the liner notes. There’s an Irish Jig track. But it all coalesces into some great atmospheric 80s mood music. Van Morrison possessed by Xenu and The Blue Nile?

 

It’s off to an interesting start. I’m not all that familiar with Van Morrison outside of his hits, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I didn’t love the first three tracks, but Celtic Swing is quite lovely.

 

The title track is beautiful. I’m picturing it playing at the end of a bittersweet love story. It’s both very 80s and timeless all at once.

 

Definitely the highlights for me as well, but I do love the title track too.

 

Gonna throw this on after I finish the Music League playlist

 

Okay, I ended up really enjoying this. First impressions: I live just how peaceful this whole thing feels. The songs feel wistful, but with a clear minded overarching tone. I’ve got a flight tomorrow, so I’ll give it a second spin then.