July 31, 2022

CunninLynguists - Sloppy Seconds Volume One (2003)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: BP723-2

© 2003 FreshChest
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tags: cunninlynguists, sloppy seconds volume one, 2003, flac,

RJD2 - The Horror (2003)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: DJX051-2

© 2003 Definitive Jux
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tags: rjd2, the horror, 2003, flac,

July 30, 2022

Strugglin' Souls - Manic Depression (1992)


*A photo of the cassette is included in the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CVE 4133

© 1992 Crazy Vibe/Inchiban Records
In the 1980s and 1990s, Atlanta's Ichiban Records wasn't only a label -- it was also a distributor, and the list of R&B, blues, and rap labels that Ichiban distributed is quite long. One of the many labels that Ichiban distributed in the early '90s was Crazy Vibe Entertainment, a small company out of Akron, OH. It was in 1992 that Ichiban distributed this little-known release by Cleveland rap trio Strugglin' Souls. At the time, the rap scenes in Midwestern cities tended to have a variety of influences -- some Midwestern MCs were heavily influenced by West Coast gangsta rappers, and some preferred to be influenced by East Coast rap. Strugglin' Souls falls into the latter category; Manic Depression sounds like it could have been recorded by a hardcore rap group from New York, Philadelphia, or Boston. Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy are prominent influences, and many of the tracks are angrily sociopolitical. "Rough Neck Anthem," "Betta Dayz," the title song, and other tracks candidly address the harsh realities of ghetto life, and the MCs don't hesitate to talk about poverty, crime, unemployment, and violence. But as hard-hitting and sobering as Manic Depression is, Strugglin' Souls never gets into gangsta rap. The Midwesterners don't rap in the first person about thug life, and while their lyrics are angry, they aren't violent -- in fact, the album often laments black-on-black crime. Regrettably, Manic Depression turned out to be the only album by Strugglin' Souls, which wasn't in a class with Public Enemy or BDP, but still showed some promise on this decent but overlooked debut.

tags: strugglin souls, manic depression, 1992, flac,

Cranes - Wings of Joy (1991) ☠

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
Label Number: 3007-2-R
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1991 RCA/Dedicated
From the quiet, descending strings and woodwinds at the start of "Watersong," which launches Cranes' first proper full-length album, things are at once in sync with, and far removed from, the deep murk of the group's earliest days. The gripping, chilling atmosphere that Cranes dwell in hasn't moved an inch, but in terms of approach, it shows that on the (very well) self-produced Wings of Joy, the quartet has continued to expand its palette. One thing to note is in the album credits: Matt Cope may have been initially invited in for live bass playing, but it's Alison Shaw who plays the shuddering, ominous deep notes throughout, and effectively at that. Check out her opening work on "Living and Breathing." It's a simple enough pattern, but delivered in such a context that it immediately conjures up a nervous, threatening mood. Jim Shaw's relentless percussion, never overbearing but always moving with a stately, ritualistic tinge, and his piano and keyboard arrangements -- elegant and haunting at once -- set the rest of the tone. His guitar, along with Mark Francombe and Cope's credited work, adds everything from brisk, gently creepy acoustic touches to vicious electric snarl. Add Alison Shaw's almost too wistfully calm and sweet singing -- just missing out on easy interpretation, but suggesting so much via delivery -- and the result is what most goth music, or any music with a sense of shadows and doom, aims for but generally misses. With songs like the epic "Adoration" and the gentler "Tomorrow's Tears" already signaling the careful variety that dominates the album thanks to their previous appearance on EPs, the new material takes center stage here. "Starblood" is the most flat-out disturbing track, with Jim Shaw's slow-paced, pounding drums and Alison Shaw's guitar wailing slammed up against cold slabs of feedback. The album as a whole is a beautiful, if unsettling, piece of work.
 
tags: cranes, wings of joy, 1991, flac,

Various Artists - The Waaaaah! CD (1991)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: BULL 3-0

© 1991 Bring On Bull Records
The Waaaaah! CD is a one-stop guide to the twee pop sound of the early '90s. Many of the biggest names in twee are present here like the Field Mice, who donate an exclusive track, the long and fuzzy "Other Galaxies," pre-"Your Woman" White TownFat TulipsConfetti, and Strawberry Story. Some people think twee is just silly music made by snuffling losers who think only about kittens, fanzines, and flexis, but they are wrong. Okay sure, it is that, but it isn't just that. Some of the bands here are just pop bands with good songs, labels be damned. The Dufflecoats' "Sunny Tuesday Afternoon," the Bedflowers' "My Ex-Lover's Address," the Cudgels' "Summer Colours," Home and Abroad's "Wipe Those Tears Away," and Strawberry Story's heartbreakingly sweet "Ashlands Road" are flat-out great guitar pop songs. At least half of the songs on this collection fall into that category. Some of the rest are kind of tuneless (the Music Seen's "Friend of a Friend," Red Alarm Clocks' "Cobwebs") or utterly silly (Cesspit Rebel's "Cabbage," Music Seen's "Hairdresser in the Sky"), but that is the curse of the compilation. If you want a glimpse of some really twee, really good indie pop, The Waaaaah! CD is a good place to look. Good luck finding it.

tags: various artists, the waaaaah cd, 1991, flac,

Busdriver & Radioinactive With Daedelus - The Weather (2003)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: MH-215

© 2003 Mush
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: busdriver, the weather, 2003, flac,

Pep Love - Ascension Side C (2003)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None

© 2003 Hiero Imperium
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tags: pep love, ascension side c, 2003, flac,

July 29, 2022

Mr. Len - Pity The Fool (Experiments In Therapy Behind The Mask of Music While Handing Out Dummysmacks) (2001)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: OLE 392-2

© 2001 Matador
Mr. Len's solo debut is as intriguing and convoluted as its title. The ex-Company Flow DJ is all over the place here, teaming with an eclectic roster of guest MCs to create a sound that is certainly his own. Racing from the funky "Get Loose" to the unsettling "Taco Day," Mr. Len attacks with reckless abandon and leaves no stone unturned. Pity the Fool is incredibly ambitious; it almost seems as if Mr. Len is trying to condense any and everything a DJ can do into one not-so-tidy package. While some of it works and some of it doesn't, Mr. Len's formidable skills are never in question. It's a wild ride, but Pity the Fool maintains a playful tone throughout, offering plenty of fine moments along the way.

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tags: mr len, pity the fool, 2001, flac,

Pep Love - Ascension (2001)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 2301052

© 2001 Hiero Imperium
If the Hieroglyphics crews' wildly inconsistent discography proves anything, it proves you can count on them to deliver one thing -- dope debuts. However, from being too experimental (Del's Both Sides of the Brain), missing in action (Casual), or just woefully inept (SoulsTrilogy), Oaktown's finest have seen their stock as individual artists, and as a crew, plummet. With history on his side, though, the last Boy Scout of Hieroglyphics, Pep Love, has finally stepped out of the shadows with his rejuvenating debut Ascension. For those who yearn for uplifting and positive hip-hop, then Love is your kind of emcee, as Ascension yearns to inspire. Eschewing material greed and trivial matters, Love seeks to reach higher levels of consciousness, and wants you to join him on this self-help trek. Yet, what separates Love from other pulpit prophesiers is that he drops knowledge ("Grime and Grit" and "U.S.") without sounding overly preachy. Likewise, Love's pleas for responsibility ("What You Are," "A-Plus") and the ode to young love, "T.A.M.I.," in an otherwise irresponsible genre are utterly refreshing. While Ascension is a notch below the classic debuts delivered by Love's more established teammates, it is a critical building block, as it generates renewed faith in the Hiero collective. As "Act-Phenom" reiterates, Ascension "is a ritual you will enjoy."

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tags: pep love, ascension, 2001, flac,

Super Grupo Colombia - Los Embajadores De La Cumbia: Vol. 2 (1977)

*Contiene las grabaciones/versiones originales.
Se incluye una foto del LP en el archivo

Country: Colombia
Language: Spanish (Español)
Genre: Cumbia
Label Number: LPL-003

© 1977 Discos Lalo
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: super grupo colombia, los embajadores de la cumbia vol 2, 1977, flac,

July 28, 2022

Hefeystos - Hefeystos (1996)

Country: Poland
Language: Polish (Polski)
Genre: Gothic Metal
Label Number: LEP 009

© 1996 Last Epitaph/Atratus Music
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: hefeystos, hefeystos album, 1996, flac,

Hefeystos - Vilce Sjen (1997)

Country: Poland
Language: Polish (Polski)
Genre: Black Metal
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Label Number: WLR011

© 1997 Wounded Love Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: hefeystos, vilce sjne, 1997, flac,

Hefeystos - Psycho Café (1998)

Country: Poland
Language: English
Genre: Gothic Metal
Label Number: WLR016

© 1998 Wounded Love Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: hefeystos, psycho cafe, 1998, flac,

Incognegro - Keepin' It Lovely (2001)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: EFA 64553-2

© 2001 Doxa Records
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tags: incognegro, keepin it lovely, keeping, 2001, flac,

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside‐Out (2000)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: Ole 371-2

© 2000 Matador
After years as one of indie rock's standard-bearing groups, Yo La Tengo surpasses itself with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. A culturally literate, emotionally rich album, on songs like "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House," "The Crying of Lot G," and "The Last Days of Disco," it alludes to The Simpsons, enigmatic author Thomas Pynchon and independent films while exploring the comforting, confining, complex aspects of relationships. "Our Way to Fall" sets Ira Kaplan's recollection of falling in love to a dreamy, down-to-earth backdrop of gently brushed drums, luminous organs and vibes; "The Crying of Lot G" transforms the syrupy sweetness of '50s ballads into a monologue about a relationship's shortcomings. "Madeline"'s shimmery indie bossa-nova and the countrified ballad "Tears Are in Your Eyes" showcase Georgia Hubley's buttery, empathetic voice; her singing makes these vignettes universal as well as personal. Like mature indie rock records such as Pavement's Terror Twilight and Jim O'Rourke's Eureka, And Then Nothing... favors mellow songwriting, detailed arrangements, and eclectic influences, such as the Silver Apples-like drum machines and doo wop backing vocals that adorn many of the songs. The wintry, implosive "Everyday" uses both of these elements, along with a plaintive guitar and hushed, hypnotic vocals, to begin the album on a surprisingly somber note. Similarly, the off-kilter beats, odd piano bursts, and harmonies on "Saturday" add to the song's awkward, uneasy beauty. Finally, nine songs into the album, Yo La Tengo breaks out the whammy and feedback action on "Cherry Chapstick," their most incandescent song since "Sugarcube." Easily one of 2000's most accomplished albums, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out isn't as immediate as some of the group's earlier work, but it's just as enduring, proving that Yo La Tengo is the perfect band to grow old with.

tags: yo la tengo, and then nothing turned itself inside out, 2000, flac,

Yo La Tengo - Stuff Like That There (2015)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Rock
Label Number: OLE-1079

© 2015 Matador
These days, every band seems eager to honor the anniversary of one of its landmark albums, usually in the form of a concert tour or an expanded reissue, and even Yo La Tengo have gotten into the act -- a quarter century after they released their endlessly charming 1990 LP Fakebook, in which they covered a handful of their favorite songs and reworked a few of their own numbers in semi-acoustic fashion, YLT have recorded what amounts to a sequel, 2015's Stuff Like That There. Just like a sequel to a 1980s horror movie, Stuff Like That There follows the template of the original as closely as possible -- there are two new songs, three remakes from the YLT back catalog, and nine covers, which range from the instantly recognizable (Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," inspired by Al Green's version) to the thoroughly obscure (unless you're a Hoboken pop obsessive or a James McNew completist, "Automatic Doom" by the Special Pillows is probably not on your hit parade). Just as importantly, original Yo La Tengo guitarist Dave Schramm, who appeared on Fakebook, returned for the Stuff Like That There sessions, and while his style would have been a poor fit beside Ira Kaplan's clouds of six-string skronk that became a highlight of YLT's work from President Yo La Tengo onward, for stuff like this, Schramm's graceful sound, full of echo and clean single-note leads, meshes gloriously with Kaplan's implacable strum and the steady shuffle of bassist James McNew and drummer and vocalist Georgia Hubley. As "quiet" Yo La Tengo goes, like Fakebook this is top shelf, beautiful, and subtly joyous, and while the songs are well chosen and the performances are warm and passionate despite the low decibel level, the real secret weapon here is Georgia Hubley's vocals. Like Maureen Tucker singing "After Hours," what Hubley lacks in range she more than makes up for in her ability to infuse a song with feeling, and from the heartache of "My Heart's Not in It" and the lover's kiss-off of "Butchie's Tune" to the sweetly fractured romanticism of "Friday I'm in Love," Hubley's work beautifully demonstrates how much more less can be. If Stuff Like That There isn't as revelatory as Fakebook, it's a splendid, beguiling album that's perfectly suited for late nights and rainy afternoons, and a welcome reminder of one of the many, many things Yo La Tengo do so well.

tags: yo la tengo, stuff like that there, 2015, flac,

July 27, 2022

Root - Zjevení (1990)

Country: Czech Republic
Language: Czech (čeština)
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: ZS 0001-2 311

© 1990 Zeras
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: root, zjeveni, 1990, flac,

Root - Hell Symphony (1991)

Country: Czech Republic
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: ZS 0006-2 311

© 1991 Zeras
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: root, hell symphony, 1991, flac,

Root - Kärgeräs (1996) ☠

Country: Czech Republic
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label Number: BH CD - 1221
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1996 Black Hole Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: root, kargeras, 1996, flac,

Five Deez - Koolmotor (2001)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CF014-2

© 2001 Counterflow Recordings
The highly anticipated full-length debut from Cincinnati-based Five Deez brings an expected display of kingly beats from Fat Jon "the Ample Soul Physician" and fledgling vocal chops from Kyle David, Pase, and Fat Jon himself. With 14 tracks as musically challenging as these, it is no wonder why the vocal/lyrical output comes up short of that level, however still quite outstanding for their first official full-length. Using live bass, guitar, and saxophones to complement turntables and the plethora of rhythmic roles held down by Fat Jon, this Midwestern crew has a tangible energy and enthusiasm that comes off as sincere and well-nurtured. With an instrumentals album and various side-project records forthcoming on the young, prolific Counterflow label, this is a crew to watch very closely.

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tags: five deez, koolmotor, 2001, flac,

July 26, 2022

Applehead - Meaning (1992)


*A photo of the cassette is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Grunge
Label Number: 7018141508

© 1992 Ocean Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: applehead, apple head, meaning, 1992, flac,

Thou Art Lord - Eosforos (1994)

Country: Greece
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: USR 011

© 1994 Unisound Records
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tags: thou art lord, eosforos, 1994, flac,

Akinyele - Aktapuss (1999)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Pop Rap, Hardcore Hip-Hop
Label Number: 61422-31153-2

© 1999 Volcano/Jive Records
A modern blaxploitation flick with an updated boost to gangsta poses and misogynistic attitudes, Aktapuss was directed by Lionel C. Martin (a noted music video director) and the soundtrack was performed by Akinyele. As on almost every piece of material recorded by the rapper since his 1993 debut, Vagina Diner, Aktapuss is completely sex-obsessed and frequently misogynistic, as track titles like "P***y Makes the World Go Round," "Ak da Hoe," "Eat P***y," and "Rather F*** U" can attest.

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tags:  akinyele, aktapuss, 1999, flac,

July 25, 2022

Kissing The Pink - Certain Things Are Likely (1986)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: 830 397-2

© 1986 Magnet
Kissing the Pink's Certain Things Are Likely is generally considered by KTP fans to be the group's weakest LP. And they're right. Certain Things Are Likely sounds as if the band was trying hard to produce a hit. Place the blame on KTP's label, Magnet. The company wanted KTP to sell some records, and Certain Things Are Likely shaves the group's artiness and subtle charms for faceless dance-rock. "One Step" has its toe-tapping moments, but Nick Whitecross' passionless half-spoken, half-sung narrative becomes annoying after a while. Unfortunately, the track's repetitive, manufactured hooks get stuck in the brain; the "hey mister, hey mister, hey mister, hey mister" background vocals pester the ears like a fly buzzing around the room. The title song recalls Blancmange's pulse-pounding synthesizer pop; it's slightly better than "One Step" and shows that KTP haven't lost it completely. Certain Things Are Likely is much too slick; the band can barely breathe underneath the layers of studio gloss. "Can You Hear Me" tosses in bagpipes to prove that KTP haven't been replaced by machines. Sadly, it doesn't help as KTP is running on automatic pilot on Certain Things Are Likely. Only on "Jones," slightly reminiscent of Scary Monsters-period David Bowie, and the Scritti Politti-ish new wave funk of "I Won't Wait" can the true face of KTP be seen through the commercial haze of Certain Things Are Likely.

tags: kissing the pink, certain things are likely, 1986, flac,