Inspired by a thing I saw on Reddit earlier today, I’m going to try listening to more complete albums this year. Maybe daily? We’ll see how it shakes out.
#AnAlbumADay 131/366: The Dimension Gate by Aurora Sutra
I waffled a bit about what to pick today as I get back to alpha-by-artist, but after seeing an actual aurora tonight… Yeah. Had to do it.
I haven’t listened to this in a long time, but I remember I really dug the instrumental elements suite in the back half, and the third track, “The Garden of Temptation”, was on a cool sampler from Cleopatra Records that helped expand my tastes.
I’ve had this sitting in my library forever (because I’m mildly obsessed with “Duvet”, AKA “the song from Serial Experiments Lain”) but somehow had never heard the whole thing. I was a fool! This is really good.
More catch up; I think this is technically Monday’s pick.
I bought a greatest hits collection way back in high school and just… never listened to the actual Devo albums, even though I really liked their stuff? Not sure why that happened, so I’m fixing that now.
I am very familiar with a few of the inescapable hit singles that got immense radio play in my youth, but I’ve never sat down with a full Eurythmics album, and I doubt I’ve heard anything from this, their debut, at all. Hopefully it’ll be interesting!
#AnAlbumADay 138/366: Doctor Who Theme Collection Vol 1 by HardWire
I’m enjoying the latest run of Doctor Who; last night’s new episode put me in the mood for this lovely collection of different interpretations of the classic theme music. (This continues the trend of pleasant coincidences I’ve found with this “alphabet game” format.)
I’ve loved a handful of Ivy’s songs for a long time, but have for some reason never explored beyond those few. I’m glad to be remedying that tonight. Also, “Edge of the Ocean” is as perfect a track as ever.
#AnAlbumADay 141/366: Latent Whispers by Kite Base
I could never understand, nor figure out, why they never released anything else. It’s such a strong debut! Even the “main project”, Savages, seems to have just disappeared around the same time.
#AnAlbumADay 142/366: Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
Another “why haven’t I ever listened to the whole album” pick. This one goes out to all my #PyConUS friends (for reasons that come into focus in track 5).
#AnAlbumADay 144/366: Blood Spills Not Far from the Wound by Necessary Response
Meant to post this yesterday (got distracted by Baldur’s Gate); this will appeal to fans of bands like Covenant, VNV Nation, and Assemblage 23. I dig it.
#AnAlbumADay 145/366: The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld by The Orb
Meant to post yesterday, but work, and Baldur’s Gate… I’ll try to catch up today.
This is a beloved classic for good reason, though oddly it seems to have slightly different Songwhip listings for Apple Music vs. everywhere else, so you get your choice of links to enjoy it yourself:
I discovered this album 25 years ago, in the spring of 1999, as I was just about to graduate from college, and was on the cusp of meeting the phenomenal woman I'd end up marrying. “I'll Fall with Your Knife" was a big hit for me, and it resonated with her too -- an early signal that we'd found something special.
#AnAlbumADay 148/366: In Between Thoughts... A New World by Rodrigo y Gabriela
I'm a lot more familiar with their early releases, but they played a bunch of songs from this when I saw them a couple weeks ago, and I really like how they've evolved their sound.
Catching up with yesterday's listen. I'm super familiar with closing track "Dear God", but I'd never gotten around to listening to the rest of this. Good not-quite-summer weekend sounds.
#AnAlbumADay 155/366: Solid State Survivor by Yellow Magic Orchestra
Catching up with yesterday's listen. This was a cool discovery that I came across when not wanting to pick a "Y" artist that I felt was too easy or well known. They kind of remind me of Space and Kraftwerk.