Blue Cadet-3: A Music Blog by Josh R.

  Sweet Trip - Velocity : Design : Comfort (2003) My copy: 2020 limited press on clear and translucent blue vinyl by Darla Records. Sweet Trip spent five years recontextualizing the towering IDM atmospheres of their debut album into the genre-bending masterpiece that is Velocity : Design : Comfort. Mountainous digital landscapes are topped with jangled and distorted guitars all while vocal harmonies glide in and around the layers of melody and noise, creating a rich musical palette.  “Tekka” is an abrasive entrance into the colorful world of Velocity : Design : Comfort; it is firmly rooted in fast paced IDM with glitched sound effects and rapid-fire percussion. The album’s introduction is sharp and chaotic but also blooms into soothing synth textures before kicking into the sunny shoegaze/pop of “Dsco.” The vinyl pressing of the record is forced to shuffle tracks slightly to fit some of the longer songs, causing the groovy and repetitive fusion of indie and shoegaze “Choco...

  Television Personalities - …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It (1981) My copy: 2016 reissue on red vinyl by Fire Records. Television Personalities is primarily the work of singer/songwriter Daniel Treacy. …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It was the group’s first full-length, which saw music that wavered somewhere between punk and pop-rock. The unchanging element of Dan Treacy’s songs are their ineffable sense of humor.  Lo-fi production brings charm to “This Angry Silence” where Treacy’s heartfelt lyrics become the focus. Despite the lower production quality, the instrumentals are not to be taken lightly with the rhythm section in particular being quite punctual and snappy. “The Glittering Prizes” is a combination of 60s pop and late 70s punk that spirals into a smooth ¾ time with glittering guitar lines. Intimacy takes over on “The World Of Pauline Lewis” before the romantic prom waltz of “A Family Affair.”  “Silly Girl” is a faster punk oriented song in which the bass...

  Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994) My copy: 2015 remastered reissue by Scat Records. Well known for their deep catalog of short but addicting lo-fi pop-rock albums, Guided By Voices released what may be their most well received album in 1994’s Bee Thousand. Spanning 20 tracks with the longest runner sitting at just over three minutes, Bee Thousand is mostly snapshots of catchy choruses married to Robert Pollard’s rapid-fire lyrical wit.  The production across Bee Thousand is bizarre and often changes between tracks: “Hardcore UFOs” has extremely quiet bass while things are more evened out on tracks like “Tractor Rape Chain” or “Echos Myron.” Some tracks take on a more elevated and heartfelt tone, “Tractor Rape Chain” is the most traditionally constructed song with powerful choruses and a fuller instrumental performance.  “Smothered In Hugs,” “The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory,” “Awful Bliss” and “Ester’s Day” all have an ethereal sense thanks to the atmo...

  The Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip (1983) My copy: 2019 limited reissue on red and yellow sunburst vinyl by Real Gone Music. The Rain Parade are one of the most recognized groups to come up during the Paisley Underground movement in LA during the early 80s. Emergency Third Rail Power Trip, their debut LP, saw a combination of dry rock and roll guitar licks slotted into a series of ethereal psychedelic backing tracks.  Taking from the major pop bands of the 60s, “Talking In My Sleep” is calculated yet relaxed. There are obvious callbacks to bands like Love or The Millennium , but filtered through a stoned, rock attitude. “This Can’t Be Today” puts a bigger spotlight on the keys, which help emphasize the rather soft vocal harmonies. While some of the execution is dry, nearly every song comes together for a tight, poppy chorus.  There are faint touches of garage and southern rock on “I Look Around,” which emanates a vague punk vibe in the marching rhyt...

  Iceage - You’re Nothing (2013) My copy: 2013 press at 45 RPM by Matador. Denmark’s Iceage made their full length debut with 2010’s New Brigade before following up with You’re Nothing in 2013. Iceage set out to cement their uncompromising and destructive sound into the global pantheon of modern punk bands; and they’d succeed at attracting the attention of several U.S. based labels including Matador.  “Ecstasy” introduces the key elements of You’re Nothing : feedback, incredibly distorted and sloppy guitar tones, blistering drums and Elias Rønnenfelt’s bizarrely affixing vocal moans. More traditional punk sentiments burst forth from “Coalition” in which you can hear the influence of 80s hardcore groups. What modernizes Iceage is their use of lead guitar lines that play bright lines, often bringing the core melodic element.  The production on You’re Nothing is raw and amateurish - it contains the will of a nihilistic band who’d rather bask in chaotic noise than risk ...

  J Dilla - Donuts (2006) My copy: 2018 repress by Stones Throw Records. J Dilla (James Dewitt Yancey) was a prolific hip-hop producer that got his start in the mid 90s until his untimely death at age 32 in 2006. Donuts was Dilla’s final solo studio release, only preceded by 2001’s Welcome 2 Detroit. Dilla carved a name for himself mostly by way of his impressive production credits and a wide array of collaborations; this is not to say that his two solo records are to be scoffed at. Donuts is an emotional trip into plunderphonics and instrumental hip-hop, an album Dilla largely mixed while in the hospital suffering from TTP and lupus.  Donuts blends conceptual themes of Dilla’s health with a vast catalog of musical samples that are woven together to create new, inventive spins on a variety of genres. The album is almost totally connected, with Dilla seamlessly blending tracks together while maintaining a sleek and consistent production value. The album is also able to loop...

  Fishmans - 宇宙 日本 世田谷 (Uchu Nippon Setagaya) (1997) My copy: 2007 Fishmans Rock Festival box set press by Universal Music and Polydor. Uchu Nippon Setagaya (translates to Space, Japan, Setagaya) was the final studio release from Japanese psych/dub/pop band Fishmans. On their final album, the Fishmans extend their affinity for dub and reggae outwards into long, winding psychedelic passages.  “Pokka Pokka” is playful yet bittersweet, with a loving sense of self-awareness that helps amplify the effect of the spacey vocal melodies. Regal violin elevates the layered instrumentals, reinforcing a meditative atmosphere. An ethereal sense sets in on “Weather Report” in which the music becomes even more tender as the late Shinji Sato’s vocals call out from another world. Sato’s vocals are a key draw to most fans of Fishmans: from spoken word to impressive and emotional cries, Sato always sang with a friendly tone in his voice, as if he were extending his kindness to the audience ...