Matt Blake's blog

Album of the Week for 09/29/2016 : "Heads Up" by Warpaint

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Heads Up

I have only heard the first single released a couple of weeks ago for this album: "New Song." I do not like this song (yet), mainly because it's more disco than I want from what I've come to love about Warpaint. They planted an earworm in me about five years ago with "Undertow," which I was certain was a Nirvana cover (it's not, but the band claims it is an homage to "Polly"), and I like various of their songs. So, join me and the gang for a first listen of Heads Up on this week's Album of the Week. We bought the vinyl and it's a two-disc set; however, both discs feature the same music and tracks. The difference? One pink vinyl and one black. Which will we play in studio? You'll need to tune in to find out.

Album of the Week for 06/02/2016 : "Masterpiece" by Big Thief

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Big Thief's Masterpiece

This week's album is "Masterpiece" by the band Big Thief. It just came out on Saddle Creek on 5/27, and we will be spinning the red vinyl album this Thursday 6/2. I heard the title track and loved it so much, it went on my April roadtrip playlist... I must have listened to that song about 25 times since then. It is, well, a masterpiece. Having only listened to the whole album once so far while eating dinner, I haven't formed a full opinion, but perhaps you can help me do so. Join me, C & D for a listen and some discussion. Per usual and due to Memorial Day, I'm running behind, so here's a link to the Saddle Creek description and the NPR review by Bob Boilen (both links have live tracks you can screen). See you Thursday!

Album of the Week for 04/14/2016 : "The Bends" by Radiohead

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The Bends by Radiohead

There was one CD that almost never left my 5-disc changer in the mid-to-late nineties: The Bends by Radiohead. Let's revisit this fantastic album one month after its 21st birthday, shall we? If you've never heard it, you'll thank me. If you have heard it, well, you can thank me for reminding you about how great it is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bends

 

Album of the Week for January 28th - Adele's 25

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Hello. How are you?

Adele's 25 is a bit of a phenomenon. You can't stream it in it's entirety and you may never be able to... we shall see. Released on November 20, Rolling Stone named the album #2 on its top 50 albums of 2015. It is the fastest selling record in the history of the world with 3.38 million copies sold in its first week. There are eleven tracks on this album and a mind-blowing ten different producers, including Danger Mouse and the Smeezingtons. Critics seem to like it, even though they also throw in great turns of phrase such as Pitchfork's Amanda Petrusich who gives the album an impressive 7.3/10 yet says "Still: the cumulative effect is sometimes as treacly as the heavily frosted sheet cake being slid onto the buffet table in the carpeted banquet hall where this song will be blasting, on a loop, for all of eternity. Even your most adorable aunt—the one who loves a Yankee Candle—will eventually drain her flute of sparkling wine, lean forward, and be like, 'Dog, this s**t is corny.'"

And I hate this album.

Album of the Week 10/22/15 "Chasing White Light" by The Lonely Wild

Chasing White Light by The Lonely Wild

Chasing White Light by The Lonely Wild
John Vanderslice to the rescue! I didn't know what to play this week, so i searched the phrase "produced by JV" on the internets and voila! Chasing White Light by The Lonely Wild. This album is *perfect* for AoTW!! 
 
The following description of the album is from the artists' website for two reasons: 1) I know nothing about this band and 2) I am still on my first listen of the thing. I just now found this band and album by searching to see what albums John Vanderslice (owner and producer at San Francisco and now Oakland's Tiny Telephone) had recently produced. CWL has absolutely everything I love in an album for AoTW...
 

Album of the Week - 6/18/15- LILY AND MADELINE's "Fumes"

This week, I'll be bringing back my sidekicks to play Lily and Madeline's Fumes. We have secured the "coke-bottle green" vinyl and it's a lovely piece of media. The full description from the record label follows:  http://kdrt.org/blog-entry/album-week-61815-lily-and-madelines-fumes

Album of the Week (4/2 @ 5pm) Kishi Bashi's Lighght

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Kishi Bashi's Lighght

Lighght (pronounced “light”) is Kishi Bashi’s second full-length album and it came out in May of ‘13. It’s an eclectic mix of music and – in a departure from my previous practice of playing concept albums about death and the meaning of life here on AotW – I have yet to figure out why all these songs work together so well. Tune in to find out exactly why my special guests chose the album for the show. We will be unwrapping and playing the vinyl!