Mofungo - Work: 8 (A-)

Mofungo - Bugged: 8 (A-)

Japandroids - Massey Fucking Hall: 3.5 stars

Live album, so not buying. Also, digital/vinyl only stupidity.

Mofungo/Information/Blinding Headache - Tape #1: 7.5 (high B+)

This is completely unavailable on anything other than original cassette from 1980. And it's completely unavailable on that as well. Normally I would not seek out something like this in digital and shelve it, but I made an exception for this since it's such a no-wave artifact and I want to make sure I can put it on again if I ever want to, and also so that I remember it once existed. 6 separate tracks for each band's blocks on this, but that's the best I could do. Slim case just to have.

The Mekons - Exquisite: 3.5 stars

Ridiculous digital-only.

Neil Young - Homegrown [honorable mention]

:-) [Would probably buy this if it was a regular studio album. May do that anyway if Christgau/Hull convince me it's better than I now think.]

Frank Zappa and the Mothers - The Grand Wazoo [honorable mention]

:-) [Jazzy]

Pet Shop Boys - Yes [honorable mention]

:-)

The Last Poets - The Last Poets: 3.5 stars

Original vinyl too expensive, and other than that, it's just first generation CD transfers.

Enemy Radio - Loud Is Not Enough: 4 stars

Digital-only stupidity. Why would I buy bits?

Medhane - Cold Water

:-|

Tricky - 20,20 [EP]

:-|

The Scene Is Now - Burn All Your Records: 3.5 stars

See review for their album Tonight We Ride.

The Scene Is Now - Tonight We Ride: 7 (B+)

# ["pomo chamber-rock" as Christgau puts it - not sure why everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and calling them a "jug band"]. Sounds like Mofungo somewhat, but not as compelling, and the singer sings out of key (also noted by Christgau). Wikipedia or someone said that most of their music is on the compilation The Oily Years, but this and Burn All Your Records are definitely not both all included there. If they ever put those two out on a single disc, I would probably buy it. I will listen to The Oily Years three times though. Maybe I'll think it rates an 8 (A-) and go for that.

Al Bilali Soudan - Tombouctou [honorable mention]

:-) [Elemental - with only tehardents (ngonis), calabash and voice. Goes on forever. Incredibly repetitive.]

Wussy - Ghosts: 7 (B+)

Free digital mixtape, contains "B-sides, rarities, related projects and two previously unreleased tracks."

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy [honorable mention]

:-) [four listens]

Built to Spill - Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston

:-| [Even as a completist, this is not collectable -- covers album]

Pamelo Mounk'a - Propulsion!: 4 stars

Morphine - Cure for Pain [honorable mention]

:-)

Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse [honorable mention]

:-) [Perfectly happy to follow Christgau's lead on this band]

Adam Schlesinger: The End of the Movie (Carl Wilson Spotify playlist)

:-| [Something from Christgau. I don't get the appeal.]

Bill Withers - +'Justments [honorable mention]

:-)

Schoolly D - Saturday Night! The Album [honorable mention]

:-)

Popul Vuh - In den Garten Pharaos: 3.5 stars

# [krautrock]

The B-52's - Bouncing off the Satellites [honorable mention]

:-)

The Grateful Dead - Anthem of the Sun

:-|

Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow: 7 (B+)

# [blues rock]

Ween - The Mollusk: 3.5 stars

This is a spotty album. There are some fantastic songs, and several that are typical annoying Ween. All in all, I would definitely buy it, but it appears to be out of print, or is only selling for inflated prices, so I will skip it. But I can understand why people like this. Especially recommended for Zappa fans.

John Coltrane - The Best of John Coltrane (Prestige): X stars

Christgau gave this an A minus, but I couldn't easily find it. In his review, he said "it does seem to be the first disc of Prestige Profiles: John Coltrane," so that's how I listened to it three times. I note that Hull gave the whole of Prestige Profiles only a B plus.

Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat [honorable mention]

:-) [To me, a step up from Kamakiriad, and might even be a notch higher than honorable mention. Christgau, a Steely Dan lover, only notes a "choice cut" on this. Tom Hull didn't review.]

John Coltrane Quartet - "Live" at the Village Vanguard: X stars

This is an acknowledged near-classic. I say near, because virtually no one that I can find thinks it's 5 stars, which is what would cause me to pick it up. People tend to praise it for its difficult and "new" second side "Chasin' the Trane." But they don't sound like they really enjoy that track when they praise it, more admire it. Anyway, I'll stick with his studio albums. [5 listens] [ps, Caved and bought it on 5th listen. Let's see if I do the same with Rollins'.] 

Donald Fagen - Kamakiriad

:-|