A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

General music discussion.
matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

All new to me and a few bands that I've heard a lot about but never checked out.

Paranoid Visions - Politician - I like the lead vocalist and there's some clever guitar work and arranging. Good spirit too. Unfortunately, the production/mix really drags this down for me. It sounds new and cheap which isn't a charming combination for this sort of music. 5/10.

Ted Leo - Counting Down the Hours
I've been wanting to try out Ted Leo for awhile. Spirited arrangement and performance. I'm looking for a stronger hook, but this is up my alley. 6/10.

Bellrays - Black Lightning
Strong vocals and nice riffs. A bit too classic rock cheese on this one, but I'm checking more of their stuff out and it's solid though I have trouble with bands that seem to eschew any trace of modernity. 6/10.

Gogol Bordello - 60 Revolutions
Another band that I've known about forever but have never really listened to. Band is super tight and I love the accordion. I really like how all over the place this is and fantastic energy, but I have to be in a pretty specific mood to seek this out. I do love that a band this unique made such an impact. 6/10.

Adjusters - Weatherman 97
Another weird mix like the first band where the vocals are way too up in the mix. Similar to Bellrays, very retro sound and well executed w/those great horns. I like it, don't love it. Same thing where it's a bit too retro for 1997. Not sure why that bugs me so much (akin to my issues with the first Leon Bridges album) and I'm sure there are retro inspired bands I love that would show an inconsistency in this take. But a solid 6/10 for me.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Silent Majority »

Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25333
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
Yeah I need to calibrate.

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Heston »

Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
Warrant featuring Missy Elliott
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

gkbill
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 4729
Joined: 23 Jun 2008, 9:21pm

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by gkbill »

Hello,

Apologies to some people's picks that I haven't had a chance to check out. I've taken on too many courses this semester.

Paranoid Visions - a bit pretentious but overall a pretty decent track - pretty straight ahead - rough around the edges but that's the idea. 8/10

Ted Leo - I've listed to a lot of Ted Leo over the years (since Chisel) - ernst and earnest - his stuff is catchy and bouncy without being over-the-top sugary. 9/10, others are not as highly rated - but I have a lot of Ted Leo.

Bellrays - 9 - someone here introduced me to the m earlier (Thanks!) - Tina meets Jack White and Jack's on speed. 9/10 for this track, some others are not as highly rated.

Gogol Bordello - has anyone used the term "world punk"? If not, I'm trademarking it. Good but at times pretentious. 8/10

The Adjuster - good, hard funk - I'm going to investigate this band. 9/10

Thanks! This is a pretty good collection!

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Marky Dread »

Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
Anything by Weezer fronted by Springsteen.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
10/10 means a perfect song. I can maybe think of ten perfect songs in existence.

For the purposes of these ratings
1 = fucking bad
2 = really bad
3 = pretty bad
4 = Kinda not so good
5 = neutral
6 = mildly good, starts to become enjoyable
7 = solidly good
8 = very good
9 = fucking great
10 = perfect
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 11:06am
Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
Warrant featuring Missy Elliott
That does sound amazing.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Flex
User avatar
Mechano-Man of the Future
Posts: 35803
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
Location: The Information Superhighway!

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Flex »

I need to try to get the last couple weeks of these too, but here are my thoughts on this week's picks:

Paranoid Visions - Politician You turned me onto these guys with their Christmas tunes - great band. Honestly, just wish this song was a bit faster and heavier. This band's older stuff is all gold and I'm glad to see the newer stuff is good too. 7/10

Ted Leo - Counting Down the Hours Not sure you turned me onto Ted Leo, but I know and like what he does. This song is no exception. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but I love the way the song revs up after a minute and the beat is great. 8/10

Bellrays - Black Lightning I forgot how I learned about the Bellrays too. I assumed you turned me onto them, but maybe the other way around? I think they were supposed to play at the canceled Punk Rock Bowling I was supposed to go to. All of a sudden I was following them on social media and listening to them, lol. Anyways, they're doing absolutely everything I want out of punk rock in 2020. Phenomenal synthesis of punk, soul and rock and roll. 10/10

Gogol Bordello - 60 Revolutions Have loved these guys since this album came out, total college listening memories. This and their next album, Super Taranta!, are their best in my opinion but all their albums are at least pretty good. I used to irritate the shit out of friends by making sure I always incuded a track or two from these guys on mixes, so I can see the polarizing reception but I love everything about this band. Gonzo gypsy folk-punk at its finest. 9/10

Adjusters - Weatherman 97 Okay, this one is new to me and I love it, as one may expect. What a fucking groove and the singing is right up my alley. Not much else to say, this is exactly what makes music good. 9/10

Perfect Flex-bait picks, rev, as I would expect.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25333
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 11:40am
Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
10/10 means a perfect song. I can maybe think of ten perfect songs in existence.

For the purposes of these ratings
1 = fucking bad
2 = really bad
3 = pretty bad
4 = Kinda not so good
5 = neutral
6 = mildly good, starts to become enjoyable
7 = solidly good
8 = very good
9 = fucking great
10 = perfect
Yeah the numbers make sense. Can you do an answer key using a Clash song scale

matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

revbob wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:04pm
matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 11:40am
Silent Majority wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 10:07am
Just for comparison's sake, what's a 10/10 song in Matey world?
10/10 means a perfect song. I can maybe think of ten perfect songs in existence.

For the purposes of these ratings
1 = fucking bad
2 = really bad
3 = pretty bad
4 = Kinda not so good
5 = neutral
6 = mildly good, starts to become enjoyable
7 = solidly good
8 = very good
9 = fucking great
10 = perfect
Yeah the numbers make sense. Can you do an answer key using a Clash song scale
Not thinking this one through too thoroughly.
0 = Dictator
1 = Fingepoppin'
2 = Red Angel Dragnet
3 = Mensforth Hill
4 = Midnight Log
5 = Deny
6 = Four Horsemen
7 = Career Opportunities
8 = very good
9 = Safe European Home, Rudy Can't Fail
10 = Straight to Hell
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Flex
User avatar
Mechano-Man of the Future
Posts: 35803
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
Location: The Information Superhighway!

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Flex »

matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:17pm
8 = very good
one of my favorite clash songs
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

Flex wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:19pm
matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:17pm
8 = very good
one of my favorite clash songs
I'm in a meeting now, damn it. Card Cheat gets an 8.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

BitterTom
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 5223
Joined: 31 Oct 2015, 12:21pm
Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by BitterTom »

Flex wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:19pm
matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:17pm
8 = very good
one of my favorite clash songs
:lol:

WestwayKid
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 6704
Joined: 20 Sep 2017, 8:22am
Location: Mill-e-wah-que

Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by WestwayKid »

Flex wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:19pm
matedog wrote:
22 Sep 2020, 12:17pm
8 = very good
one of my favorite clash songs
Is that track on Side 7 of Sandinista?
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

Post Reply