Reviews by abee

An album being generated by this lady is just like a dentist appointment, I knew the day was coming but I tried to forget about it. I have heard a fair bit of this artist’s work as my bro is a big fan but it just doesn’t do anything for me. As I started listening this view was validated but then I heard “The Whores Bundle” which was wonderful and the “Mess We are In” with Thom Yorke was absolutely lovely, the spoken word bits sounding very much like the Tindersticks. Closing track “We Float” was nice too. Now I am actually interested to hear more.

This was great, sounded like a carnival. Really cheery.

I have not head of this band before. When I first started listening, I muttered my prelude to high praise – im not hating this. And that fuzzy feeling continued when the vocals started. Nice tunes, great vocals, some of the guitar sounded like Chris Isaak but all in all 3 stars is sufficient for me.

For some reason I have never liked this band, but to be fair I have never heard an album.
Surprisingly the tunes were catchy and Big Me was great.

No denying this gentleman is a phenomenal pianist and composer. Sadly, when there are no lyrics, I feel the tracks pass over me, pleasantly of course, but just over me without reaching me. I don’t have a Jazz gene to do this album a creditable review.

This is the sort of music I find irritating. I can’t explain it. Its category is indie rock but that must encompass a lot of different styles as I like indie rock but this doesn’t grab me. It has new wave sensibilities in the style of singing, but I found the melodies and lyrics a little weak.

Well, full disclosure, I don’t hate them. Sure, pretty boy metal? I agree, album title that even not knowing the full story about the Vancouver strip joint, is suggestive? absolutely, but they could actually write great catchy songs, so while I never would buy an album I can quite happily listen to Living on a Prayer and not tear my ears out. In fact, woah-oh! I’m half way through listening to this album and it is joyous, in the same way skateboarding as an adult is, you know its immature but boy is it fun.

I have not heard this album in years. Its still as good as I remembered. Anthemic songs, brilliant lyrics and what a voice. It could easily be generic rock but its more interesting than that, example, the way they use their instruments and the very 80s almost Cure/Japan sound in Release takes it to a higher level. I have never bought an album by them, now perhaps it’s time to start.

Mixed feelings about this one. I liked it but it sounded too much like a pallid version of Bad Company, and while the songs are good, I couldn’t really remember anything about this album afterwards. Embarrassedly at one point I thought a song was really good only to realise Youtube had gone to a ad with a an interesting song. That says it all for me.

Now we are talking, have a lot of respect for this band. 80s punky new wave pop bore lots of bands but the Ants were innovative for their use of the Burundi Beat. This coupled with the high energy chants makes this an energetic art school wonder.

I was wondering what a comic strip from Mad magazine was doing being referenced here, but listening to this album, I get it, Spy Vs Spy had no speech bubbles so you had to interpret it by the pictures, here you have no words and the interpretation is largely your own. In fact, Zorn is known for deliberately resisting category. I really admire that but would not listen to this again as free-form jazz doesn’t move me. Side note: wished I liked this album so I could legitimately buy a t-shirt, great cover art.

Yes! Love this band. One of the best of 90s American alt-rock to my mind. I think Malkmus is a genius lyricist and love how all the punkish guitars just enhance the melody rather than obscuring it. The titles of the tracks are crazy, the songs are insane. So cool but nerdy at the same time, I adore this one.

Oh wow, heard of them, never listened to an album, thanks Generator, this is magnificent. At first, I thought the vocals were too low in the mix, but I liked the harmonies ultimately and the variety of instruments, including organs and accordion, really pleases me. What great piano work in Black Mirror and Ocean of Noise is beautifully baroque. Will have to check out their other albums.

Love Amy Winehouse’s voice and Back to Black is like Bruce’s Born in the USA, in that it feels like a greatest hits album, it blends old school soul with fresh contemporary lyrics and beats. Oh where was I? Back to Frank, this was excellent, more Jazzy than its follow-up album, and includes a Jazz standard, but surprised this is on here when couldn’t you just have Back to Black.

Oh no please no. Mancunian Electronic bands are not for me. Electronic Pop like the Pet Shop Boys, sure but this is just hooks with funny noises and feels very clubby, that’s so who I am not. This band influenced acid house music too, just another nail in the coffin for me. Make it stop.

Rush Rush Rush Rush Rush, should tick all the right boxes for me, Canadian, long hair, searing heavy metal guitars, prog? Yep, but somehow, I am not so enthusiastic, this time after being berated by all the Rush fans in my life I listened to it again, really listened to it, and I liked it a lot more, I think it is not an album you can have on in the background, its cleverer and more intricate than that. Next time I get Rush I will stop what I am doing and pay attention. But for now, just three stars.

I have now listened to this album four times, heatwave is frying my brain and perhaps this is not an easy album to listen to when you have not slept. Having said that I did like it. The energy was good and through the punk/grunge/thrash metal tunes there were distinct melodies and an added bonus of an eastern influence. High 3.

Years ago, I accidently saw Nirvana live when they joined a Mudhoney and Tad (remember them?) Subpop showcase tour. They were just starting out then and months later my friend reminded me of the fact that we had seen them with the immortal line, don’t you remember, they were the only band we thought were any good. And that’s Nirvana, their excellence really shone through even from the beginning. But I hated grunge so decided never to listen to them. In latter years, seeing them on the TV I truly realise how stupid that decision was. Thanks to the Generator I get to eat humble pie (again) and get to listen to this truly amazing album which moves seamlessly from grunge to punk rock with deep lyrics and beautiful melodies.

Perhaps it’s my mood but I found this a bit dull. The lyrics are as ever top notch but the melodies all seemed to roll into one. Ok listened to it again, still didn’t reach me.

I laughed humourlessly when I read that this was their more “accessible album” as I really hated the Witch Trials album, so thought, well it has to be better than that. It was, although they could have done more with their Sister Sledge cover, I really liked the “I’m going to Spain” cover. Glam Racket was interesting; it stopped me mulling over how they just sound like Lou Reed or the Stranglers and made me feel they had a style their own. By the time I got to Past Gone Mad and Light/Fireworks, though, I was sadly back to my initial decision, three stars.