A look back at King Crimson's 1982 album Beat, as well as the current retrospective tour by the band of the same name, with a special emphasis on the band's identity.
The last batch of tunes for Tier 6, including:
Floating Points - Cascade (2024) Mo Dotti - Opaque (2024) Debashish Bhattacharya - The Sound of the Soul (2024) Azmari - Maelstrom (2024) Leprous - Melodies of Atonement (2024) Kalandra - Frame of Mind (2024)
This is the third in a six-part series on the early releases of Spock's Beard. In this installment, we'll take a closer look at the band's 1998 debut album, The Kindness of Strangers.
More great and interesting music to check out, including music from:
Wesley Fuller - All Fuller, No Filler (2024) Jack White - No Name (2024) Chrystabell & David Lynch - Cellophane Memories (2024) Alcest - Les Chants de l'Aurore (2024) The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble - Open Me: Open Me: A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (2024) Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue (1985)
Chrystabell & David Lynch - Cellophane Memories VS. Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant
Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant
Cellophane Memories is must-have for any David Lynch enthusiast. It sheds light on a different corner of his universe and, as is usually the case, unearths new perspectives as much as it conceals others. It is, however, niche listening for the patient Lynch fan. One could argue that Birth of a Giant holds a similar place in the King Crimson timeline, but the performances are more overtly charismatic (especially those of Robert Fripp). Additionally, as a Tier 1 survivor, time has been kind to the album as repeated listenings have revealed deeper musical structures.
Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue VS. Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright Side Mix)
Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright Side Mix)
Both of these albums are flawed masterpieces from top-notch artists, but i’o’s high points outshine those found on Metal Fatigue. It looks like very soon, we will need to decide which mix of i/o, the bright or dark side, will represent Peter Gabriel in the finals.
Jack White - No Name VS. Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die
Jack White - No Name
Although I have had reticence with Remember That You Will Die this year, the album has grown on me significantly. Jack White’s surprise release, however, recaptures the energy that defined him in an arresting way.
Wesley Fuller - All Fuller, No Filler VS. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
Wesley Fuller - All Fuller, No Filler
Big upset here,, especially as The Lemon Twigs were darlings due to the incredible artistic success of Everything Harmony last year. That album may have hurt A Dream Is All We Know to a degree, because the likelihood that they would recapture the magic of that album was low and objectively comparing two albums released that close to one another is just plain difficult. There is a sense, however, that A Dream Is All We Know was an attempt to nostalgically recapture an aesthetic rather than reinventing a well-trod style. Fuller is a retro-rocker as well, but his playful nature and wry sense of melody is nearly irresistible.
Viewer’s Choice Results
Chrystabell & David Lynch - Cellophane Memories VS. Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant
Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant
Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue VS. Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright Side Mix)
Peter Gabriel - i/o (Bright Side Mix)
Jack White - No Name VS. Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
Jack White - No Name
Wesley Fuller - All Fuller, No Filler VS. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
Autechre - LP5 VS. Nacht Plank & Futuregrapher - Music for Kettle (Grandma’s Edition)
Autechre - LP5
Music for Kettle (Grandma’s Edition) is a standout ambient recording, to the point of nearly overturning the momentum that keeps me coming back to LP5 (despite the annoying but characteristically mid-90's “hidden track). In the end, LP5 contains some fascinatingly mathy moments that clearly contributed to the evolution of the “intelligent dance music” genre and, by extension, Venetian Snares. That gives it the win.
The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska VS. Hjalmar - Skyjaborgin
Hjalmar - Skyjaborgin
Hi-Bop Ska has an almost irresistibly infectious energy that seems to lift the spirits of a room that clearly aligns it with styles that sit at the root of reggae’s stylistic tree. Hjalmar clearly owes something to the music that The Skataltes are dedicated to, but the way that they subtly shift the focus by injecting the characteristic Icelandic liminality is attention-grabbing. Also -great, memorable songs that transcend language barriers further cements their placement.
Toehider - I Have Little to No Memory Of These Memories VS. Pepe Deluxe - Comix Sonix
Toehider - I Have LIttle to No Memory Of These Memories
Toehider might be enjoying a home team advantage here, as it is a complexly composed album that just didn’t click in January, but has worn very well with repeated listens as it has reappeared throughout the year. I think, however, that in this particular “showdown of the genre-hoppers,” I Have LIttle to No Memory of These Memories has a laser-sharp focus, whereas Comix Sonix's more playful approach is a bit less well-defined.
Subsignal - A Poetry of Rain VS. Asgeir Trausti - Dýrð à dauðaþögn
Asgeir Trausti - Dýrð à dauðaþögn
As an excellent example of late-period neo-prog, A Poetry of Rain has also worn well as it has traveled from Tier 1 to here. It has several magical moments that buoy the entire album. In comparison, Asgeir Trausti’s debut is almost a sustained moment, creating a distinctive environment that is relatively unique and unhinged from any shorthand genre descriptors.
Viewer’s Choice
Jlin - Akoma VS. Nacht Plank & Futuregrapher - Music for Kettle (Grandma’s Edition)
Jlin - Akoma
The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska VS. Hjalmar - Skyjaborgin
Hjalmar - Skyjaborgin
88Kasyo Junrei - ◯△☐ VS. Pepe Deluxe - Comix Sonix
Pepe Deluxe - Comix Sonix
Slift - Ilion VS. Asgeir Trausti - Dýrð à dauðaþögn
Asgeir Trausti - Dýrð à dauðaþögn
Low - Things We Lost In the Fire VS. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Low - Things We Lost In the Fire
First upset of the week. Low has risen in my esteem in the past few years, and even earned Album of the Year with Hey, What! a couple of years ago. Things We Lost In the Fire predates that album by quite a bit, and initially, I didn’t find it as engaging as I anticipated. Like many albums that returned in Tier 5 from Tier 1, however, it gained a new life in recent months. Beth Gibbons’ album is also quite stellar, but also has some intermittent songwriting shortcomings that allowed the emerging genius of this early Low album to shine more brightly.
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Human Safari really is great, and its 80’s influenced psychedelic dance approach has made it a go-to for family car rides and evening meals. Hotel La Rut, however, hits me a bit closer to home. Its subtly complex pop songwriting and progressive rock interludes remind me of what it is I love about both of those genres while also challenging their conventions.
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate VS. Various Artists - Heiladans 3
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate
The Heiladans 3 compilation is unquestionably an interesting and engaging compilation of electronica. Death’s Dynamic Shroud is simply next-level stuff.
Willow - Empathogen VS. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice
Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice
This was a huge, huge upset, because I genuinely think that Willow’s album is ingenious and going into this showdown, I thought for sure that she would plow right over Mdou. In my research, however, I watched Willow’s Tiny Desk concert in which she played a couple of songs from Empathogen and her performance felt insincere. Don’t misunderstand, I have a huge amount of respect for Willow, especially for pushing on the boundaries of her musicianship. She is obviously on a quest to find her unique voice, and Empathogen is an impressive step forward, but it seems like she still is not quite sure what she is trying to say, even though the way that she is saying it is impressive. When I put that up against Funeral For Justice, an album by a guy who literally taught himself to play guitar in the desert and is using his platform to speak out against colonial power imbalances, the convictions that drive the album add a weight to his musical voice (even though he sings in a non-English language).
Viewer’s Choice
somesuprises - Persieds VS. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
somesuprises - Persieds
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Joanna Wang - Hotel La Rut
Ora the Molecule - Human Safari
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate VS. Various Artists - Heiladans 3
Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate
Willow - Empathogen VS. boygenius - the Record
Willow - Empathogen
