Friday, August 21, 2026

Linval Thompson - Ride on Dreadlocks 1975-77 [Blood & Fire, 2000]: 8.5 (high A-)

Twisted Teens - Blame the Clown: liked

:-)

Los Lobos - This Time: liked

I may have owned this at one point; possibly still do.

Schoolboy Q - Blue Lips: liked

I was wavering between "liked" and 7 (B+) on a fourth play and decided to round down on account of what I perceived of as some bloat and/or a few seriously weak tracks. Was a double album really necessary in this case? Physicals are available however, for semi-reasonable prices.

Nandipha808 - No Vocal Album: liked

Docked two notches for extreme bloat (2 hr 10 min -- so, a triple album) and torturous repetitiveness. Release is #nophysical anyway. Four plays.

The Fall - The Marshall Suite: liked

Definitely degrades as it goes along. Might be a 7 (B+), but so expensive used that I’m not even going to try to make that determination.

Towa Bird - American Hero: 7 (B+)


#indiepop

Nakibembe Embaire Group - Nakibembe Embaire Group: 7 (B+)


Four and a half plays; dub "treatments" barely noticeable to me. #ethnographic/folkloric

Nobro - Set Your Pussy Free: 7 (B+)


#vinylonly

Grant Peeples - Code to Live By: 7 (B+)


#singersongwriter/folk/country

Tommy Womack - Live a Little: 7.5 (high B+)


#roots/country/folk/americana

George Jones - The King of Country Music [Liberty, 1984]: X (X)


Not qualified to grade, but I have a beautiful vinyl copy.

Friday, August 14, 2026

Kool Keith & H Bomb - 7th Veil [Sickbay EP, 2005]: liked

Two versions of "What's Up Now," together with "Frontin" and "Truth & Determination."

Various - Melodies International Presents Ariwa Sounds: liked

Mad Professor

The Strokes - Future Present Past EP [Cult EP, 2016]: 7.5 (high B+)


Vinyl-only. I would buy the 10-inch vinyl, but used copies are being price-gouged, and I wasn’t clever enough to buy it on release.

Various - Pimps, Players & Private Eyes: 7.5 (high B+)


#multiartistcomp/soundtrack/r&b

Various - Ragga Ragga Ragga! 2003: 7 (B+)


Normally, this would be #multiartistcomp, but I have it and will keep it, because I miss reggae.

Funkrust Brass Band - Make a Little Spark: 7 (B+)


#balkan/neworleans/brassband

Gurf Morlix - Bristlecone: 7 (B+)


#roots/blues/country

Various - Big Rock'n Beats: 7 (B+)


#electronic/dance/multiartistcomp

Los Lobos - Ride This: The Covers EP: liked

Not really an “EP” since it’s 29 min 45 sec. Could be a notch higher, but I don’t think so at this point, and it’s #covers anyway, so I’m not going to sweat the distinction and play again to qualify to make that determination. The cover of the Richard Thompson song strikes me as misguided.