Marc Fagel's Blog: Jittery White Guy Music: The Blog, page 126

Slowdive: S/T (2017)

Slowdive were among the original batch of late 80s/early 90s UK shoegaze acts, though while their music offered some of the same fizzy, slightly-psychedelic noise-pop of acts like Ride and Lush, they leaned more in a quieter, almost goth dream-pop direction, shades of the Cocteau Twins and even early Cure. After a few solidly enjoyable records, they parted ways (though most of the band reconstituted themselves as the more Americana/dream-pop-oriented Mojave 3, adding another batch of great, mell...

The Stroppies: Levity (2022)

Here's another new one I'm into (and something much more up my alley). Australian indie rockers The Stroppies have been around for a few years now, mining a classic jangle-buzz indie rock sound that owes a big debt to New Zealand's 80s Flying Nun Kiwi rock scene, particularly the Clean, the Bats, and Look Blue, Go Purple (with both male and female vocalists). They fit in nicely alongside modern-day indie evangelists like Salad Boys, Kiwi Jr., and Ducks Ltd.

The new one leaves some of their earlie...

Wet Leg: S/T (2022)

As I noted in talking about my Best of 2021 mix, Wet Leg's single "Chaise Longue" was either a joyous novelty song fated to being relegated to Covid-era guilty pleasure status, or simply one of the greatest pop songs of the past few years. Having played it a few dozen additional times since then with no sign of it growing tiresome, I'm going with the latter.

The band centered around two school friends from the Isle of Wight, singer Rhian Teasdale and lead guitarist Hester Chambers, have now follo...

Top Ten Greatest Album-Opening Moments

I was recently listening to a podcast commemorating the 30th anniversary of Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted , and it reminded me of just how much of a wake-up call the opening notes of "Summer Babe" were upon first listen... magically capturing both the gauzy vibe of the slacker '90s and the thrill of post-punk genre-bending rock & roll, fuzzed-out and slightly de-tuned guitars with a calamitous percussion breakdown. 

It got me thinking about all the albums where the opening seconds alone carry so ...

Trio: Trio & Error (1983)

Back in high school, my record-buying habits were a little peripatetic. I was still in classic rock look-back mode, digging deep into the back-catalogs of the Who and Pink Floyd and Neil Young and Bowie and all the artists I discovered as a pre-teen and who had a deep bench of music awaiting discovery; not to mention my flirtation with prog, particularly King Crimson and Gabriel-era Genesis. And then there was my need to stay on top of the latest new wave releases, the bands you'd hear on the ra...

The Rolling Stones: Waiting On A Friend

Been on a busy streak constructing "imaginary albums," and this is probably my last one for awhile. I'd been thinking about putting together a Great Lost Final Mick Taylor LP for some time, and finally pulled the trigger this week. It's ok, even pretty good, but it's hard not to conclude that the Stones, unlike some of their peers, rarely left their best work on the cutting room floor.

As noted in prior posts, I'm a sucker for Taylor-era Stones: Sticky Fingers & Exile On Main Street are obviously...

Dumptruck: For The Country (1987)

After releasing one of the finest (if more underappreciated) jangle-pop college radio albums of the 80s, 1986's Positively Dumptruck , the Boston band returned the following year with its excellent sequel. While retaining some if its predecessor's jangle, For The Country takes a few steps towards a nascent Americana sound, merging rural roots rock with the harder-edged post punk of the band's 1983 debut. It's the sort of sound bands like Uncle Tupelo would be mining soon enough, though still firm...

Phish: More Covid Jams (2021)

Took a few weeks, but I've completed my mix of instrumental jams from Phish's 2021 return to touring after most of 2020 was canceled due to Covid. As with Volumes 1-2, previously shared here, I've winnowed the tour down to a handful of instrumental-only segments, ideal for vegging on the couch or as workday background music. (I'm in the midst of grading 18 student briefs for the law school course I'm teaching, which gave me the incentive to finish this project.) And, once again, it may be a way ...

Cross Country: S/T (1973)

As I've confessed a number of times here, I have a soft spot for obscure (and, yes, frequently mediocre or at best forgettable) '70s albums, forgotten almost-gems that capture the laid-back vibe of the early part of the decade. (If you missed it, check out the playlist I put together of surprisingly great lost tunes; you're gonna love it.)

Brooklyn-based Cross Country released a lone, self-titled album in 1973, and it's quite nice. It's mostly harmonic Americana, though leaning towards sunshine p...

David Bowie: No Dancing (The Eighties Album)

I've been spending (wasting?) a good amount of time lately making myself "imaginary albums," either rebuilding old favorites by swapping some b-sides/outtakes in for weaker tracks, or building new albums from scratch. And for some time, I've been wondering if I could make myself a halfway-decent Bowie album from his abysmal 80s era, something I'd actually listen to. Not sure I pulled it off, but here's what I came up with.

In some ways, Bowie's career tracked Neil Young's--both were among the top...