518. Japan Cakes - the sleepy strange

518.JPthesleepystrange,
originally uploaded by jrd550.

I found out Friday night that this band is from Athens, GA and it sort of makes sense now... a lot of the album sounds like the front porch, or at least what I would imagine one to be like in Athens. But it's a boring front porch that's pleasant but never eventful. Meadows likes this band, I think, and I took a chance on it based on his liking. It's decent but not great. Oh, and it's all instrumental.

4.5 out of 10

517. Antena - camino del sol

517.Acaminodelsol,
originally uploaded by jrd550.

So I picked this up based on the fact it was put out by the Numero Group, a label that has released various soul compilations that I've really enjoyed. I also got it based on the fact that it got great reviews. Oh and I got at in the used bin at 'Other Music'. So how could I go wrong? Well I did. The release is, dare I say, moronic. Yes it is, I guess, impressive for the time in which it was released - like I should be impressed that synths existed in 1980, or that somebody combined bossa nova, french pop and drum machines way back then... but I'm not - the disc is at best amusing. Sure I'll drink to it, once. But there's no room for it in my collection.

4.5 out of 10

516. Stereolab - dots and loops

516.Sdotsandloops,
originally uploaded by jrd550.

Stereolab albums seem incredibly difficult to write because it seems like there is soooo much going on. Soundclips, layers, harmonies upon harmonies, accelerated beats cut into vocal loops. At times I think there is too much going on, making the song overwhelming. Also the french pop/bossa nova/electro lounge combo can get dull, and it seemed that with each album that's where they were going more and more... on this album they push that direction a bit too much, they could have used some of the rawness from 'Transient' and less polish.

6.8 out of 10

515. Stereolab - emperor tomato ketchup

515.Semperortomatoketchup,
originally uploaded by jrd550.

Ahh a new post finally. This was my first Stereolab album and I really used to like it. 'Metronomic Underground' was and still is a great example of pop (whatever that means). Unfortunately some of the record sounds like a cheesey club with a vip section or a bad shopping experience at some pseudo european Banana Republic. But it still manages to be a somewhat solid release.

7.5 out of 10

Metronomic Underground