365 in 365

[365albumsin365days]

My goal

Listening to music is one the things that makes me the most happy, but it is tough to constantly listen to new music. I had the idea of listening to a new album everyday for an entire year in late 2017. It is definitely not a novel idea, and I am sure there are plenty of people who would listen to many more albums a year, but I thought having a goal like this would help me be more consistent in listening to new music. The first year I tried this was in 2018, and I managed to listen to 233 albums in 241 days before losing focus when I had to go back to school for the fall semester. I didn’t bother keeping track during 2019 as I was burned out from school and didn’t want the hassle. I decided to try again in 2020, but I quickly gave up and only managed to record 3 albums in 4 days. Last year in 2021, I attempted the goal again and I got a little further than the year prior, but only listening to 16 albums in 19 days was a disappointment. 

This year I will be attempting my goal again, and I wanted to keep a record of it as a way to hold myself accountable. Everyday I will post the albums I listened to that day and any thoughts I had about the album. I am by no means a music expert and my opinions are completely my own. 

Feel free to reach out with any suggestions about what I should listen to next and follow me on last.fm

[365albumsin365days]

Ross From Friends - Tread

February 28th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 54

Current Balance: -5

Today I also listened to this album from Ross From Friends. Having only starting to listen to him because of his funny name, I will say that their music is no joke, and every passing release I feel like they are developing more and more as an artist and composer. The usual downtempo, lofi-house beats are here, but the drum programming is more intricate and expressive and the atmosphere is much more immersive. There is definitely a lot of influence from predecessors, notably Burial and Boards of Canada, but there are still a lot of unique ideas here. I feel like its almost evident in the track listing, and the way that the first half of the album is a bit more traditional, and the back half a bit more experimental. I can see the argument that the back half drags as opposed to the first, but I am eager to see how Ross builds off these ideas in coming releases. Overall, this is a great album from a burgeoning artist who I think will only go up from here.

4/5

[365albumsin365days]

Unschooling - Random Acts Of Total Control

February 28th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 53

Current Balance: -6

Today I listened to this EP from Unschooling. Its an EP clocking in at only seventeen minutes, but I found it on a list of the best releases of 2021 and I started it without clueing in, and since its my challenge and I make the rules, I’ll make an exception. I did enjoy this release quite a bit, even though it feels similar to a lot of other releases I have heard in this vein. This release reminds me a lot of the band Omni, in that they both make very similar, jittery post-punk. The drums have a nervous energy to them that is complimented by the twangy, mathy guitars that skitter over the track. There is a nice variety packed into this short release, with quite a few different styles and moods being packed in. I also appreciated the diversity of instrumentation, as some horns, strings and synths added new dimensions to a genre that is at risk of being flat or too derivative. Where this release really shines is on the final track NYE. It starts out similar enough to the other songs but near the back half of the songs, the track gains a lot of momentum and starts to really open up. The guitars in the mix bounce off each other perfectly, and a synth lead comes in and just unlocks the whole thing. Shimmering tones float in the background as the song drives to a conclusion that ultimately never arrives, but it does instill a lot of hope in me that the next release from this band is going to be special if they can channel the energy they captured in that track over the course of a whole album. Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed leading up to the last track, but now I am looking forward to whatever they put out next.

3.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride

February 25th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 52

Current Balance: -4

Today I listened to this album from Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend was a band that I enjoyed a lot as a teen, and after Modern Vampires Of The City, I felt that I had outgrown them in the six years it had taken for them to release this album. It is kind of stupid looking back, but now that I think about it, Vampire Weekend had a pretty solid discography up to this point, and going into this album, I was unsure if it would be able to meet some of the expectations they had set as a band. As a whole, I do not think this is better than any of their other releases. There are a lot of positives and that is not to say this is a bad album. The instrumentation is varied and well arranged, and the efforts of collaborators Danielle Haim and Steve Lacy do add new layers, vocally and sonically. The humor and wit that is found on previous records is here and especially apparent on the track Unbearably White, calling back to the now infamous Pitchfork article. My biggest problem with this album is that it is a tad too long, and there are definitely songs that I feel could be left off for the sake of making a more compelling and focused album. I think if this was a tight eleven or twelve track album, it could be a real winner, but for now I do not think it has the same level of consistency as other projects. Overall, I am interested to see how this album ages, as well as what this band does next, but as it stands, this is a solid and well written pop album that as some real gems

3.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Pom Poko - Cheater

February 24th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 51

Current Balance: -4

Today I listened to this album from Norwegian band Pom Poko. This is completely aside from my thoughts about the music, but this album cover disgusts me in a visceral way unlike many other album covers I have ever seen. I do not know why but I absolutely hate looking at it. As far as the music goes, there is a lot to like. There is a really palpable youthful energy that pulses through Pom Poko’s brand of post-punk. The instrumentation draws a lot from garage rock and math rock, from the fuzzy, blown out guitars to the time changes and angular riffs. One of my favorite things about this album are the lead vocals and lyrics. This is really the element that captures the youthful energy I mentioned earlier. Over the course of the album, the vocal delivery ranges from a cooing, almost playful, falsetto to an aggressive punk growl. Overall, this album is a lot of fun and there are some great ideas that I look forward to see how they are built on in the future

3/5

[365albumsin365days]

Prince - Purple Rain

February 22th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 50

Current Balance: -3

I do not know if this is sacrilegious or anything, but today I listened to this album from Prince for the first time all the way through. Obviously, I have heard the incredibly huge singles like Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, and I Would Die 4 U. For some reason, when it comes to these massive pop stars who reach a point of super stardom that they become ubiquitous pop culture icons for their image rather than their music, I have been reluctant to actually look more into their music catalog. It happened with David Bowie when I was a kid, Prince up to this point, and I still have not delved into Michael Jackson’s catalog other than the hits. After listening to this album, it makes perfect sense it spent 24 weeks at number one on Billboard. The way Prince constructs pop songs is really incredible and he put on a masterclass on this album. The arrangement of pop, rock, funk, soul and gospel influences creates interesting and layered instrumentals that lay the perfect foundation for the most compelling part of Prince’s music, which is his vocals. Prince had an incredible voice, and the level of command and showmanship that he demonstrated in his vocal performances is legendary. There is seemingly nothing that he cannot do, as he effortlessly shifts from crooning to a playful falsetto to Little Richard-esque screams. He isn’t singing pap either; the lyrics are compelling and emotive. I also need to mention the level of technical mastery as Prince performed a wide array of the instruments on here. This album is amazing and the heights it reaches are all-time highs. The last three minutes of Purple Rain alone should be in the Library of Congress or something. Overall, this might be the best pop album of all time, and saying it like that feels like I am doing it a disservice. 

4.75/5

[365albumsin365days]

The Who - Quadrophenia

February 18th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 49

Current Balance: 0

Today I listened to this album from The Who. As a kid, I went through a really big classic rock phase, and part of this was definitely being into The Who. However, as a 12 year old, I didn’t really have the attention span to listen to full albums, and instead I just listened to all the main singles I could get off Limewire. Songs like My Generation, Who Are You, Pinball Wizard and anything else they would have been playing on the classic rock radio station I would listen to. This was the first time I had sat down and listened to a full The Who album from front to back, and for a first album to listen to, a conceptual movie tie in album probably was not the best choice. Obviously I have never seen the movie and know nothing of the plot, so the concept is a bit lost on me, but from a strictly musical standpoint, this is a band in really fine form. These songs are tight and do well to capture a range of moods and atmospheres. It could have been the concept baking the album or the events in the band member’s lives that lead up to this point, but I also felt the lyrics were much deeper and reflective than I am used to listening to The Who. Overall, while this album is a smidge long, and the concept is a bit lost on me, the songs here are well-written and varied, and performed by one of the best bands of their generation

3.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Swans - White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity

February 17th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 48

Current Balance: 0

One last album for today and I chose this release from Swans. I do love Swans, but it is a band that took me a long time to get into. Their catalog is so big and encapsulates so many different moments, that its almost like there are 3 or 4 different bands. I got really into Filth era Swans and then later into reunion era Swans, but I feel like I have never really put much effort into listening to the kind of murky middle between those two eras. That is not to say that these albums are or were bad, but just the stuff I was least familiar with. I wanted to try this one because my previous attempts with Children of God and The Great Annihilator were not fruitful, but for some reason this album just grabbed me from the jump. The first track, Better Than You, opens with a baby cooing, before we get assaulted with screeching guitar and crashing cymbals. The song then progresses, alternating aggressive and comforting, anchored by front man Michael Gira’s haunting and captivating lyrics and delivery. Many songs on this album follow this similar format, of building and releasing tension, and this tension is so central to this and many other Swans releases. The instrumentation and production are top notch, and the gothic influence with traditional rock and folk instrumentation lends itself perfectly to Gira’s voice. Overall, this album was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be, and I think it would be a great starting point for anyone looking to get into Swans

4.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Surgeon - Force+form

February 17th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 47

Current Balance: -1

Today I also listened to this album from Surgeon. I had never heard of Surgeon but I generally am pretty impartial when it comes to any sort of minimal or ambient techno release so I figured I would give it a chance. This album is segmented into four tracks, the first three of which were pretty standard minimal techno. The percussive elements propelled these tracks forward with a satisfying momentum, as the subtle shifts and variations kept my interest. There are quite a few more aggressive moments in the first three quarters of the album, where pounding drums and synths come in and out of the mix abruptly, and these are done in a way that I personally do not enjoy. Most of the time I listen to electronic music to focus and relax and I felt a palpable sense of unease, However, the final track seemed to open up a bit, with lighter percussive elements, and this beautiful flowing synth lead over top. As the track progresses, the heavier elements return, but the synths persist, and add a nice sense of depth and contrast. Listening to this final track made me realize the previous tracks lacked this depth and payoff, and my enjoyment definitely suffered as a result. Overall, if the rest of the album emulated more of what made the final track so enjoyable, I would have ranked it higher, but overall it was solid but not for me.

2.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Mike & Rich - Expert Knob Twiddlers

February 17th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 46

Current Balance: -2

Today I listened to this album from collaborative duo Mike & Rich, comprised of Richard D. James, a.k.a. Aphex Twin, and Mike Paradinas, a.k.a μ-Ziq. For anyone who might be unaware, this is a collaboration between two of the biggest figures in IDM and electronic music, and despite the high pedigree of all those involved, it is very apparent that they were having a lot of fun making this; look no further than the double entendre in the title. Despite the unserious nature of the effort, there is too much combined talent on this album to make it not at least competent. The style is a bit of a departure from either artist, as there are some more funk influences throughout, but there are still many segments that sound like their normal stuff. The problem I have with this album is that it is so long, and with long albums, it can be tough to make it consistently good. This project suffers from this even more due to the drop in effort from their mainline albums. There are definitely some interesting ideas, but the rest is either not fleshed out, or borderline unlistenable, such as on the song Vodka. Overall, this is a fun idea and might be enjoyable for die hard fans, but for people looking to get into either of these artists, there are much better, and much more representative, places to start

2.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

METZ - METZ

February 16th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 45

Current Balance: -2

Took a bit of an unintentional hiatus from updating this blog because I did not particularly care for this and the previous two entries and it becomes difficult for me to talk about albums that are neither very good or very bad, but instead are boring or mediocre. This is still the case with this album from Metz, which after listing to it some two weeks ago, I could not tell you a single thing about it. The tracks at the time I listened to them were energetic, if not also claustrophobic, punk songs that hit all the typical notes. Overall, I was not blown away by this album, but nothing in it really captured my attention or made me want to revisit it. 

2.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Superchunk - No Pocky For Kitty

February 16th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 44

Current Balance: -3

Today I also listened to this album from Superchunk because it came up in my queue after listening to the previous album. Much like the last album, this is a pretty average alternative rock. The energy levels are good and the instrumentation is a little heavier than the previous album. The vocals are also not nearly as annoying as the last album either, but there are moments when it also grates. As I sit here relistening to it to write this post, it starts to sound more and more like a not as good Dinosaur Jr. rip off, especially on a song like Seed Toss which sounds like a You're Living All Over Me B-side. Overall, this album is fine, but nothing on here is going to make me come back and listen in the future.

2/5

[365albumsin365days]

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out

February 16th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 43

Current Balance: -4

Today I listened to this album from Sleater-Kinney. I was not the biggest fan of this band going into this album, and maybe that biased my thoughts, but I do not really get the hype for this album and band in general. The instrumentation is pretty standard alternative rock, and especially by 1997 when this album came out, nothing here musically is particularly unique. The level of energy and intensity is great but other than that there is nothing really to differentiate them from their contemporaries. Honestly, my biggest problem with this album are the vocals. The lyrics are fine but I could not stand the delivery. It can be really shrill, which is bad enough, but there is this undulating thing it does that just grates on me. The backing vocals are nice but I can not stand the main vocals and it was a real drag on how much I enjoyed this album. Overall, this is a pretty average alternative rock album that loses points for irritating vocals.

2/5

[365albumsin365days]

The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good

February 14th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 42

Current Balance: -3

Today I also listened to this album from The Promise Ring. This came on after the last American Football album and I was immediately hooked from the first few songs. This album is a lot more upbeat and fun midwest emo, that would even border on pop-punk or hardcore. It feels like something you would hear in a Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack. I haven’t double checked but I would not be at all surprised if it was included in one of the games, and for someone that loved those games growing up, it came as a huge plus to how much fun I was having listening to this album. This album is a lot of fun, but like the title foreshadows, there is a notable dip in the middle where the mood sours a bit and it becomes less fun. Starting with the depressingly titled How Nothing Feels, there are a few tracks that feel like staying at the high school party too long and realizing that you are left with the 30 year old losers who still go to high school parties. The mood picks back up and finishes strong, and all is good. The ways that pop, pop-punk, emo and hardcore elements are utilized and combined throughout this album make for really engaging and enjoyable songs that are surprisingly catchy. Overall, a really fun and well written album that is better than the sum of its parts.

4/5

[365albumsin365days]

American Football - American Football

February 14th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 41

Current Balance: -4

Today I also listened to this album from American Football. I never bothered to check it out because a lot of midwest emo gets a bit of a bad rap, and this album especially gets turned into a bit of a meme in certain internet subcultures. I knew the opening riff from Never Meant long before I ever knew it was a song from this album just by virtue of it being in a bunch of memes. However, this is a great album. The instrumentation is phenomenal: the guitars are jangly and intricate and the drums are mathy and dynamic. There is a real attention to detail that is apparent in how the instrumentation is arranged and mixed, and every part has room to breathe and its incredibly refreshing. It also goes perfectly with the vocals which are not whiny or shrill like a lot of other emo bands. The lyrics are heartfelt and sincere without seeming cloying or needy and the somber messages fit perfectly with the delivery and the overall tone. There are a few spots where little touches really push the track over the top, like the horns on The Summer Ends and The One With The Wurlitzer, or the subtle vocal harmonies scattered throughout. Overall, an extremely technically sound album that does not sacrifice on the emotion

4.5/5

[365albumsin365days]

Open Mike Eagle - Anime, Trauma, Divorce

February 14th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 40

Current Balance: -5

Today I listened to this album from Open Mike Eagle. I am a big fan of Open Mike Eagle and his music is known for delving into difficult topics and this album is no exception. Released in 2020, this album chronicles Open Mike Eagle’s divorce and the ways he has coped with the fallout. Notably much more personal than some of the other topics he chooses to address in his music, and at times it can be difficult to listen to; essentially like the album version of listening to a couple fight while you sit there in between. However, Mike is able to process these events with humor and wit and it is a lot more digestible as a result. The production is pretty varied and typical for an Open Mike Eagle project, which is to say that it is good. He does a good job capturing the right tone with the production and vocal delivery and his technical skills are still sharp as ever. Overall, this album will appeal much more to longtime fans, but even still, the heavy subject matter can make this a less than fun listen 

3/5

[365albumsin365days]

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

February 9th, 2022

Albums Listened To: 39

Current Balance: -1

Today I also listened to this album from Cut Copy. I remember hearing Need You Now during a commercial break while I was watching MTV News which was a program that ran in Canada when I was an early teen. I thought the music video was wacky and the song was not half bad either, except I remember really not being a fan of the vocal delivery. Now, some ten odd years later and listening to the full album, it has grown on me. First thing first: this album is really fun. There is a lot going on stylistically on here for sure, but the common thread that links all the different motifs together are electronic-tinged pop sensibilities that make the hooks catchy and memorable. The vocal delivery I mentioned earlier reminds me a lot of something from Sparks, and I have not confirmed it but if they were an influence on this band that would make a lot of sense. I do like the vocals and the harmonies throughout the album are really nice and add another human layer to a very artificial sounding album at times. Overall, this album had a lot of bright spots, but it was a little unfocused and good ideas were rarely built on in exchange for trying something new

3.5/5