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

:-|

Patterson Hood - Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams [liked]

:-)

Laurie Anderson - Amelia [liked]

:-) [Essentially spoken-word, with violins]

Jon Langford & the Bright Shiners - Where It Really Starts [liked]

:-)

William Ackerman - The Search for the Turtle's Navel [liked]

:-) [Almost tempted to get a copy, just for historic importance as potentially the first new age album, or at least as the first Windham Hill album, but ultimately decided against it.]

Fox Green - Light over Darkness [liked]

:-)

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats - Ajoo: 7 (B+)

 

# [juju]

Papa Wemba, Modogo Gian Franco Ferre et L'Orchestre Viva La Musica - Le Jour J (Nouvelle Generation A Paris) [liked]

:-)

Modogo Gian Franco Ferre & Papa Wemba & L'Orchestre Viva La Musica - Place Vendome La Nouvelle Generation: 8 (A-)

Shockabilly - Greatest Hits [EP] [placeholder]

I wouldn't mind hearing this if it ever surfaces anywhere. The first four tracks are live (two covers and two originals), and the last two tracks are recorded versions previously available. I listened to the latter, and don't much care about them. But this EP is apparently known for those first four live tracks, which I cannot find anywhere to stream. Well, I did find one of the tracks, and it convinced me not to lay out any money just to evaluate the rest of them. But if I see it anywhere, I'll check it out.

Taylor Swift - Fearless: 8 (A-)

Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up: 7 (B+)

Grade is for the 7-song, 30 minute EP which this adds to Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which I already own. I'm not buying the album again to get the new EP at this grade, especially at full price. Release it as an EP.

Robert Sarazin Blake - Let the Longing Run Wild & Free: 7.5 (high B+)

# [folk; artisanal release]

Nicki Minaj - Pinkprint: 8 (A-)

This is the standard edition. Christgau maintains that the 3 extra songs on the deluxe edition are “album-defining” – I listened to them 3x each and don’t agree. The standard edition is fine.

Neil Young - Prairie Wind: 7 (B+)

Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology [liked]

:-) [Same designation for either disc, although the second disk does seem a hair better]

Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta - Mapambazuko: 7 (B+)

Vinyl-only [Only 6 tracks (3 remixes are tacked on at the end) and 23 minutes long, so actually an EP]

Sleater-Kinney - Little Rope [liked]

:-)

Ben Watt with Robert Wyatt - Summer into Winter [EP] [liked]

:-)

Rosie Tucker - Never Not Never Not Never Not: 7 (B+)

Limited edition vinyl-only

King Sunny Ade - Odu: 7 (B+)

# [juju]

Takkak Takkak - Takkak Takkak [liked]

:-)

Julie Brown - Goddess in Progress [EP] [liked]

# [comedy] Included cover and justification anyway, not sure why.

Slim Harpo - The Best of Slim Harpo: X stars

I won't try to grade this, because I feel unqualified, but I have it because of the Stones connection, and I like it.

Mike Cooley/Patterson Hood/Jason Isbell: Live at the Shoals Theater: 7 (B+)

# [live]

The Jacksons - Triumph: 8 (A-)

I have this as part of the Original Album Classics box.

The Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine: 8 (A-)

I have this as part of the 4 Original Albums box.

The Jacksons - Victory: 8 (A-)

I have this as part of the Original Album Classics box.

The Jacksons - Destiny: 8 (A-)

I have this as part of the Original Album Classics box.

The Jackson 5 - ABC: 8 (A-)

I have this as part of the 4 Original Albums box.

Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom: 8 (A-)

Louis Armstrong - Live in London: X stars

# [jazz; live]

Wildernauts [Peter Stampfel] - Wildernauts [liked]

:-)

Pony - Velveteen [liked]

:-)

De La Soul - The Grind Date

:-| [I would buy this anyway, for completeness’ sake, because I have every other studio album by this group, but it is so expensive I am not going to.]

Dead Moon - Echoes of the Past: 8.5 (high A-)

Boldy James/RichGains - Murder During Drug Traffic [liked]

:-)

Various - Senegambia Rebel: 7.5 (high B+)

# [electronic] Digital-only anyway (streaming on SoundCloud)

Michael Jackson - Invincible: 7 (B+)

# [r&b] [Docked a notch for bloat]

The Band - Northern Lights--Southern Cross: 7.5 (high B+)

The Band - Stage Fright: 8 (A-)

The Band - Rock of Ages: 8.5 (high A-)

The Band - To Kingdom Come: The Definitive Collection: 9 (A)

The Band - The Last Waltz: 8 (A-)