Helene Cronin - Maybe New Mexico: 7 (B+)

# [folk]

Pablo Lubadika - Okominiokolo: 8.5 (high A-)

Tracks with each of Dally, Diblo, and Syran.

Sly & the Family Stone - The Essential Sly & the Family Stone: 9 (A)

Greatest Hits is necessary for the high points and as an artifact, and this one is necessary for anyone who wants to have a little deeper compendium but doesn't want the stuff before Stand! and after Fresh.

Marshall Allen - New Dawn: X stars

# [jazz]

Pop Art Toasters - Pop Art Toasters: 7.5 (high B+)

So obscure that I could not find a conforming cover art image. Anyway, at this grade, this would normally be # [covers], but since it's Chills/Clean-adjacent (with Martin Phillipps and David Kilgour), I've got an alert up for a reasonably-priced copy, if one ever comes along.

Waco Brothers - New Deal: 7 (B+)

Sly & the Family Stone - Stand!: 9 (A)

Sly & the Family Stone - Fresh: 8.5 (high A-)

Sly & the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On: 9.5 (high A)

Sly & the Family Stone - Greatest Hits: 9 (A)

Will Smith - Based on a True Story [liked]

:-) [Docked a notch for him not realizing that he actually is a bit of an asswipe]

Sugar [Bob Mould] - File Under: Easy Listening: 8 (A-)

Sugar [Bob Mould] - Copper Blue: 8.5 (high A-)

Allen Ravenstine - Rue du Poisson Noir [liked]

:-)

Bob Mould - Here We Go Crazy [liked]

:-)

Pablo Lubadika Porthos: Concentration: 8 (A-)

This is a tough one. I love the album cover, the album is very good, and it seems like a great artifact of the important mid '80s Parisian soukous scene. However, 3 of its 5 regular-length soukous tracks (total time: 31.5 minutes) are on Okominiokolo. The two tracks left off are "Ba Visite Aboya" and "Bimisa Ngai." So, I'd be buying this, at reasonably high prices, for under 12 minutes of music and 2 tracks. I listened to the whole thing at least 3 times just to see how it hit me and to grade it, and also listened to those 2 tracks alone. In the end, I decided not to spring for it. Maybe if it were inexpensive, but not at the prices being asked when I already have almost 2/3 of it.

The Handcuffs - Burn the Rails: 7 (B+)

# [indie pop]

Bardo Pond/Yo La Tengo - Parallelogram [liked]

Split LP. The notation is for the Yo La Tengo side, with a track called "Electric Eye." I listened to the Bardo Pond side, called "Screens for a Catch (Fur Bearing Eyes)," just once.

John Hiatt - Overcoats: 7.5 (high B+)

# [folk/country/Americana]

Serengeti - Mixtape 2: 7 (B+)

# [mixtape] Also, no physicals.

Ngwaka Sound Systeme - Iboto Ngenge: 9 (A)

Vinyl-only

Sasha & John Digweed - Renaissance: The Mix Collection: 7.5 (high B+)

# [electronic] [Docked a notch for bloat]

Yo La Tengo - Today Is the Day! [EP]: 7 (B+)

Keith Jarrett - Bop-Be: X stars

# [jazz]

Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth

:-|