Daniel Johnston - Yip/Jump Music

:-|

Tricky - Knowle West Boy [honorable mention]

:-) [Downgraded to honorable mention on fourth listen]

Willie Nelson - Last Man Standing: 8 (A-)

Okay, I'll give this an 8 (A-) and shelve it, but please no one ever sing about bad breath again.

Noura Mint Seymali - Arbina: 4 stars

Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo: 8 (A-)

Miles Davis - Water Babies: 7 (B+)

#miscarticles/jazz

Miles Davis - At Plugged Nickel, Chicago: X (X)

I'm a jazz ignoramus, but this seems like a masterpiece and the way to go with the Plugged Nickel tapes.

Wreckless Eric - The Whole Wide World: 4 stars

The Rolling Stones - On Air (Deluxe Edition): 7 (B+)

#live

Godwin Kabaka Opara's Oriental Brothers International - Do Better If You Can/Onye Ikekwere Mekeya: 7.5 (high B+)

This might be an 8 (A-), but some of the songs way overstay their welcome (ie, 17 minutes plus). Still, I might buy a physical if they were reasonably priced. [Original Music release OMCD 034]

Various Artists - Sorano Singers: 4 stars

Truly rare, aka Dakar Sound volume two. I have one, three and four, so I'm inclined to get this since I see a physical for $16 shipped from Germany. I will play it one more time and decide. Update: Decided to save some money.

Tracey Thorn - Record: 8 (A-)

Wreckless Eric - Construction Time and Demolition: 3.5 stars

Too marginal to my ears to go on the shelves – I’ll just stick with the purity of the early singles collection.

Various Artists - Universal Love [EP]

😐

Jinx Lennon - Grow a Pair!!!: neutral

Possibly a 7 (B+), but not worrying about it because it's #antifolk anyway.

Miles Davis - Aura: liked

:-)

Miles Davis - Tutu: 7 (B+)

#jazz/fusion

Miles Davis - Star People: 7.5 (high B+)

Never issued domestically on CD. #jazz/fusion

Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete: 4 stars

The Cars - Heartbeat City: 3.5 stars

Ponytail - Kamehameha: 7 (B+)

Celestine Ukwu - Greatest Hits: neutral

Another Muzikifan African Top 50 release I'm not that into.

Various - It's Still Workin': Tommy Boy's Classic Cuts: 8 (A-)

Hard to give something this varied, musically and temporally, anything higher than this, but this collection seems to me to be pretty necessary on its own terms and hangs together pretty well considering.

Royal Trux - Accelerator: 7 (B+)

The Suburbs - In Combo: 4 stars

Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica: 4 stars

Eskmo - Eskmo: 7 (B+)

# [electronic]

Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual: 3.5 stars

Your basic female-fronted rant & scream album. I bought this before my higher standards for shelving set in, and probably wouldn't do so today. Probably see if I can sell it.

Fashion - Product Perfect: 3.5 stars

Sounds okay. Not searching for an OOP B+ in physical though.

Syran M'Benza [Mbenza] - Symbiose: 7 (B+)

Syran's playing is definitely in the 9 (A) range on this one, but he synths it up and adds other cheesy elements which ding it to 7 (B+). Sebenes are just not prominent enough to overcome the noted flaws. In any event, I'd probably buy it in physical if the prices were not so laughable.

The Weeknd - House of Balloons: 7.5 (high B+)

# [r&b] Purchased anyway, due to general regard. I almost went for Trilogy, which has this and the following two mixtapes -- Thursday and Echoes of Silence -- because I thought I saw it going for around $16 shipped, but, looking again, I'm not seeing that kind of price anywhere. Must have been a momentary deal that I should probably have jumped on but won't be on the lookout for going forward. Only if it jumps out at me one day.

The Cars – Panorama: 7 (B+)

I'm knowingly over-rating this because I loved it as a young listener.

The Cars - Shake It Up: 7 (B+)

Laskino et le Groupe Matchatcha [Diblo Dibala] - Laskino et le Groupe Matchatcha: 4 stars

There's Diblo in the top row off to the left in a denim jacket. No physicals, and not good enough to manufacture one, but one of the good Diblo moonlights.

Tom Waits - Small Change [honorable mention]

:-)

Franco et Sam Mangwana - Cooperation: 8.5 (high A-)

A Muzikifan African Top 50 release, but I'm not getting it because it's not available in physical. "Zala Sportif" has to be one of the greatest soukous tracks of all time though.

Sonny Rollins - Way Out West: X (X)

I don't trust myself to rate jazz, especially this early. #jazz

Mast - Thelonious Sphere Monk: 7 (B+)

Many more than six listens. Update (January 2026): I eventually caved and bought a copy of this when I saw it at #2 on Christgau's Dean's List: The 2010s. I know with albums he really loves, over the years, I eventually come around to appreciating them, so, while copies were still available for a decent price, I got one, basically to save my future self some money. Upped from "liked." I'm not smart enough to appreciate things like this.

Yo La Tengo - There's a Riot Going On: 7 (B+)

Upgraded from neutral.

Miles Davis - Miles in the Sky: neutral

:-|

Father John Misty - Pure Comedy: neutral

:-|

Half Japanese - 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts: liked

Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue: liked

Stephin Merritt favorite. Docked a notch for bloat. Four listens.

BaianaSystem - Duas Cidades: 3.5 stars

Might be A-, but no physicals anyway, so not sweating the distinction.

Alvvays - Antisocialites: 7 (B+)

# [Five listens]

Alan Vega - IT: liked

Very droney and repetitive

Alan Vega - Collision Drive: 3.5 stars

Never released in US on CD. Prices for original vinyl too crazy to buy.