Larkin Poe "Bloom" 2025***

Only a week ago I wrote I only had one album off the best-of-year lists I published; yet within a couple of days I had gotten myself a second one, Classic Rock's #18, Bloom. I became aware of Larkin Poe a few years ago when I heard the Lovell sisters (Megan & Rebecca) sing backing vocals on an album by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. I liked their singing and made a mental note to check out their own work. The two young ladies (still in their early 30's despite being around for 15 years) are Larkin Poe, although there are obviously more musicians involved in recording and touring. They apparently named the band after their great-great-great-great-grandfather, a cousin of Edgar Allan Poe. Music-wise, at least on this album, they don't sound as country as I was expecting; if I was looking for just one word to describe the band's sound, "rootsy" would do much better. It's mostly Southern rock full of soulful vocals, hard rock riffs and bluesy slide guitar while the country element mostly comes out in the ballads, especially when the girls harmonize as in the closing "Bloom Again". Other country-ish ballads include "Little Bit", "Easy Love Pt. 2", and "You Are The River". Then there are some upbeat numbers halfway between gritty blues and commercial country pop: "Mockingbird", "Easy Love Pt. 1", "Fool Outta Me" - the instrumental part rocks, but Rebecca's vocals kind of remind me of Shania Twain - not a bad thing if you're chasing success, but I like her singing best in the grittier, bluesy hard rock, numbers ("Bluephoria", "Nowhere Fast", "If God Is A Woman", "Pearls") with their Beth Hart-meets-the-White Stripes vibe. Had it stayed on this course, this album would have gotten an extra star from me, but as it is there's a wider appeal to it. The production is a bit too polished for my taste, presumeably making it more appealing to commercial country radio, but I can't fault the passionate playing - I especially like the alternating loud sound of the electric guitar and more expressive and soulful slide and pedal steel. In the end, this record ticks a lot of boxes: the lyrics reflect on matters of love and life in general with maturity and insight, and the music will appeal equally to fans of rock, country, and blues. It’s hard to imagine any listener who enjoys those genres feeling let down.

**** for Easy Love Pt. 1, Bluephoria, Easy Love Pt. 2, Nowhere Fast, If God Is A Woman, Pearls, You Are The River

*** for Mockingbird, Little Bit, Fool Outta Me, Bloom Again

Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine 2022****

Yesterday I went to Tilburg NL to see Gogol Bordello play live, for the 2nd time. The first time I saw the band play was  16 years ago, when I was still living in Athens Greece. I was swept away by their energy, and became an instant fan. Now, with half of the original members gone, and with a much bigger back catalogue to choose from, I wondered what I should expect. Well, I needn't worry: Eugene Hutz still is a charismatic and energetic frontman, and the band keeps up well: hyperkinetic rapper/percussionist Pedro Erazo riled up the crowd even more; of course Eugene's trusted lieutenant Sergey Ryabtsev on violin still cuts an impressive figure, while special mention must be made for new girl Erica Mancini on accordion. Filling up the stage even more, and adding to the party atmosphere with their backing vocals and dancing were the two ladies from young New York band Puzzled Panther. All in all a fantastic night, full of joyous energy. Eugene didn't resolve to preaching, letting his politically charged lyrics do the talking; there was the Solidaritine emblem with the fist painted in Ukrainian colors, and the moving song "Solidarity" -not included in the Solidaritine LP reviewed here- which was written for Ukraine together with other artists; that was enough. Interestingly, the setlist was heavily based on older material; about one-third came from Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, only party anthem "Fire On Ice Floe" from Solidaritne, and nothing from the two albums that immediately preceded it. I guess this further signifies a return to their punk roots, something many reviewers noticed when their latest album first arrived. Also of note: support band Split Dogs was a good fit; these Bristolians sound very similar to Amyl And The Sniffers, and have a likewise dynamic singer/frontwoman. Originally the support band was to be Bob Vylan, but they are banned from Tilburg's 013 Poppodium for being too controversial. Now, let's proceed with the album presentation:

I've always loved to see bands combine the energy and politics of punk rock with the exuberance of folk music; I think The Pogues did it first, paving the way for many other Celtic punk bands (Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Mahones etc,). Joe Strummer added Latin elements to his records, followed by Mano Negra, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and others. And of course there are those who combine punk rock with Balkan music, like Kultur Shock and No Smoking Orchestra. The latter included award-winning director Emir Kusturica - their raucous concert on Lycabettus theater in Greece was my introduction to gypsy punk, but Gogol Bordello would become my favorite band in this style. Unlike all the previous, Gogol Bordello come from the USA - but really from all over the place. Their immigrant origins are an important part of their identity, together of course with their leader Eugene Hütz's Ukrainian Roma background. Apparently, his family left their village after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, relocating to Kiev first, then spending seven years in various refugee camps in Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy, before arriving in Vermont USA in 1992 through a refugee resettlement program. Soon Eugene (born Yevhen Oleksandrovych Nikolaiev-Symonov) left for the great melting pot of New York where he would hook up with like-minded spirits; other members originally came from Russia, Israel, China, Ecuador, Brazil, and of course the US. Next to electric guitars, the band also make prominent use of the violin, accordion, sax and various percussive instruments. Their 8th album Solidaritine was recorded during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and although most of the songs were already written when the war broke out they seem to form a response it. Opener "Shot Of Solidaritine" introduces the central theme of the album, this mysterious essence that lies dormant in most people but is sorely needed in these difficult times. Gogol suggest that a therapeutic dose of this miracle drug could unite people in solidarity and help them cure the world from its ills. Starting with a strummed acoustic guitar, the song quickly works up a furious punk tempo; this is generally one of the band's fastest, punkiest albums. "Focus Coin" is a Rancid-like ska punk party tune, and "Blueprint" a cover of legendary Washington DC punks Fugazi, albeit with a ska rhythm, chanted vocals and violin. In another nod to his punk roots, Eugene invited H.R. (of Bad Brains) to guest on "The Era of the End of Eras", a fast rocker with sweeping violin. Ukrainian artists Serhiy Zhadan and Kazka guest on “Take Only What You Can Carry”  and “Forces of Victory”, two songs addressing the war in their homeland. The former is about the uprooting of people in wars. The lyrics can be heartbreaking, but there's nothing defeatist about it; along with the description of loss comes a small celebrational note in the form of the upbeat music and the hopeful conclusion "I'm not on the list of the dead". “Forces of Victory”, introduced with a swirling violin, is an older Gogol song, sung here in Ukrainian except for the chorus "I can't go on, I will go on". "I’m Coming Out" is a light-hearted, more rhythmic tune with snap-like instrumentation. Together with "Knack for Life" they slow the pace somewhat, while "The Great Hunt of Idiot Savant" and "My Imaginary Son" alternate mid-paced Balkan folk with punk. "Fire on Ice Floe" and "Gut Guidance" are upbeat party/ska tunes. The album closes with yet another punk-folk dynamite "Huckleberry Generation", Ramones-like both in pace and brevity. Reviewers commented that the Russian invasion of Eugene's homeland seems to have re-energized Gogol Bordello, resulting in a furiously paced return to their punk roots. I'd say their passion shows, though I'm not sure that the harder sound is directly connected to the war. I'd say that, after introducing Latin elements in Trans-Continental Hustle, which found the band living in Brazil, they sort of continued on auto-pilot: Pura Vida Conspiracy and Seekers and Finders, found the band in San Antonio Texas, still under Latin American influence. There was no lack of good tunes on those albums, but it probably was time to shake it up a bit. Solidaritine took them back to where they started, recording once again in New York and other East Coast places; probably their chosen music style here reflects their new surroundings as much as a more resolute political stance.

***** for Take Only What You Can Carry, Fire On Ice Floe

**** for Shot Of Solidaritine, Focus Coin, Blueprint, I’m Coming Out, My Imaginary Son, Forces Of Victory, Gut Guidance

*** for The Era Of The End Of Eras, Knack For Life, The Great Hunt Of Idiot Savant, Huckleberry Generation

The Fuzztones "Friends & Fiends" 2024***

As I may have mentioned, I've been a big Fuzztones fan since my teens, so when I saw this (unknown, to me) LP at Amoeba Records in LA, I had to grab it and fly it back home to The Netherlands. It didn't matter that all of the songs were covers, because this is what The Fuzztones have always done: dig up obscure 60's gems and infuse them with their own esseence, at times even improving on the originals. This is what they do on the first track here "Strange Mysterious Sound" originally by The Spike Drivers (1967), a ghostly psychedelic track reminiscent of The Doors with an Electric Prunes-like guitar solo. From here on, though, things get weird. In the liner notes, Rudi writes about the artists he loved growing up and how lucky he has been to meet and share a stage with some of them, but most of the collaborations included here are obviously not real. It's not clear whether the Fuzztones ever played with  81-year old Ann Margret on the same-named track of her Born To Be Wild LP, or -more probably- just laid down a backing track for her to sing over. But their working method for the rest of the album seems pretty obvious: they sample vocals from older recordings and paste them over their own instrumental versions. The results are invariably fun, but this reverse karaoke thing seems pointless. I mean, I like The Fuzztones' playing here, but I'd prefer to listen to Rudi sing these songs rather than old vocal samples. I tried to get information on the origin of the vocals, with little success; for example The Grass Roots' "Let's Live For Today" comes from a various artists LP utilizing 1997 re-recordings of Grassroots hits by original singer Rob Grill (R.I.P. 2011). The Fuzztones have played with Screaming Jay Hawkins (R.I.P. 2000) in the past, and even released a live mini-LP together in '85, but their versions of "I Put a Spell On You" and "What Good Is It" use a vocal from 1972, according to discogs. Oldies like "Mary Lou" (With Sonny Burgess, R.I.P. 2017) and "Ain't Got No Home" (With Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, R.I.P. 2024) deviate little from the originals, while Association's sunshine pop hit "Windy" adds a groovy organ bit. It's not clear whether the vocal belongs to original lead singer Larry Ramos Jr. (R.I.P. 2014) or the current line-up. I quite like how the Fuzztones rework Blue Cheer's proto-metal cover of "Summertime Blues" to incorporate their own riff from "In Heat". Not sure whether the vocal belongs to original singer Dickie Peterson (R.I.P. 2009). No such doubts for their dirty blues version of "Messin' With the Kid" (with Junior Wells, R.I.P. 1998) containing, I believe, another recycled Fuzztones riff which I can't quite place right now. "Kicks" featuring Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere & The Raiders. Lindsay (alive and kicking at 83) has shared a stage with The Fuzztones in the past, but the provenance of this specific vocal is unknown. Last but not least, the LP closes with a cover of "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?" taken from a 2023 Cramps tribute LP - the two bands were friendly when they were both part of the New York CBGB scene, and I remember Rudi telling us during a gig that he got his guitar from The Cramps' Brian Gregory (R.I.P. 2001). Friends And Fiends is a limited release: 250 copies in "coke bottle green" colored vinyl, 500 (mine included) in orange. The cover artwork features skeletons and zombies of sixties rockers rising from their graves - a variation on a theme Rudi seems to love, which is in this case only too appropriate, what with so many voices from beyond the grave. I will not deny that it makes for an entertaining listen, but I think it's a big misstep from one of my favorite bands. I never thought that Rudi would stoop as low as Paul McCartney did when he used old Lennon vocal samples and presented them as a "collaboration" without his dead former bandmate's consent. I just hope that Rudi that he'll use his own voice next time, or at least duet with a living person.

**** for Strange Mysterious Sound, Summertime Blues (With Blue Cheer), I Put a Spell On You (With Screamin' Jay Hawkins), Messin' With the Kid (With Junior Wells)

*** for Let's Live for Today (With the Grass Roots), Born to Be Wild (With Ann-Margret), Kicks (With Mark Lindsay), Mary Lou (With Sonny Burgess), Windy (With the Association), Ain't Got No Home (With Clarence 'Frogman' Henry), What Good Is It? (With Screamin' Jay Hawkins), Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?

The Smile "Wall of Eyes" 2024****

I read recently that Radiohead are touring Europe again; I honestly can't remember them ever playing in the NL in the 16 years I've been living here. Of course, maybe they did and it went by me, or I couldn't get tickets - otherwise I would have been there. Thankfully I did get to see them play live at Lycabettus theater in Athens some 25 years ago, around the time they escaped mainstream indie rock to delve into experimental electronic prog or whatever Kid A was. I just looked at the tour schedule and there aren't any NL dates planned. I don't know if I would go to their concert anyway, because of the boycott call by pro-Palestinian organisation Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS). Musicians like Roger Waters and Brian Eno are on the forefront of that movement, others like Patti Smith, Serj Tankian, Rage Against The Machine etc. have been vocal in their support for BDS. On the other side of the argument there are also some artists I respect, including Radiohead and Nick Cave. In the recent past, they refused to join the boycott arguing that “playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government”, or that one should not "punish" the citizens of a country for the acts of their government. They also cast reasonable doubts over the effectiveness of such measures: it took almost 30 years for the South African apartheid regime to fall, despite a successful boycott in culture, sports, etc. Of course, currently it goes deeper than apartheid: there's a recognized genocide under way, so the argument for a cultural boycott is way stronger now. Yet Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead and The Smile has spent part of 2024 and 2025 in Israel, collaborating with Israeli artist Dudu Tassa. Furthermore, according to BDS, Tassa "has repeatedly entertained genocidal Israeli forces in between these massacres of Palestinians in Gaza, willingly acting as a cultural ambassador for apartheid Israel". So Greenwood isn't just working with a random Israeli but a with supporter of IDF war criminals. Staying, I wager, politely silent while a few kilometers further, the IDF is involved in massacres. I myself am inclined to agree with BDS. I do think that by ignoring calls for boycott, artists are showing support, or at least, tolerance of the genocidal regime. Someone has to tell the Israeli people that shooting and starving children to death is not OK. And it can't be a perceived enemy. It has to be someone they love and respect, ideally one of their favorite artists. Issuing, as Thom Yorke did, a lukewarm statement condemning Netanyahu's "extremism" and asking for moderation by both sides (that is, the butchers and those trying to stop the slaughter) is a cop out, not brave resistance to peer pressure as Mr. Yorke wants us to think. 

Wow, it's been some time since I went off topic waxing political like that. Ι really did start writing with nothing but the presentation of this CD in my mind, but stream of consciousness brought me to the Gaza genocide topic. I guess it never completely leaves me, a sense of disgust for Western hypocrisy and the pampering of "our" war criminals. One expects it from the likes of Trump, but not from "sensitive" and "progressive" souls like Yorke.

Anyway, I may disagree with Mr. Yorke and Mr. Greenwood's artwashing of Israel, but I wouldn't put them in a box together with active supporters of Netanyahu's actions, so I'm not about to stop listening to their music. It would have been a pity to do so, when it's as interesting as their recent collaboration with drummer Tom Skinner (ex-Sons of Kemet) in The Smile. The three of them started playing together during the COVID-19 pandemic, releasing their debut A Light for Attracting Attention in 2022. The inactivity in the Radiohead front, combined with the appearance of this second Smile album, must have worried Radiohead fans - I'm sure they welcomed the announcement of this mini European tour with sighs of relief. But even if Radiohead's absence from recordings continues, The Smile have provided us with a great alternative: Thom Yorke's fragile falsetto and Greenwood's symphonic ambition and electric guitar outbursts, together with their willingness to experiment, are the main features of Radiohead's music anyway. Skinner brings a jazz-informed elasticity with complex, feel free-flowing rhythms, and constant time changes. "Wall of Eyes" opens the album with a soft bossanova beat and atmospheric strings. It's almost too pretty, so The Smile purposefully destroy the melody by adding some dissonant notes during the last half minute. "Teleharmonic" has a hypnotic quality with woozy synths and inventive drumming, while "Read the Room" is more tense with spiky post punk guitar and fluctuating speed and volume. "Under Our Pillows" shows the band's kraut rock obsessions: I liked its motorik beat, the electronic bleeps and Tangerine Dream-like synth coda not so much. In contrast "Friend of a Friend" is almost Beatlesy melodic, featuring nice piano, soft vocals and lush strings culminating in "A Day In The Life"- like crescendo. In contrast to the sweet music, the lyrics are an attack to corrupt politicians and their business friends using the pandemic for personal profit. "I Quit" is another atmospheric piece with a sampled guitar loop and cinematic strings. "Bending Hectic" is an 8-minute epic: an orchestral ballad with soft fingerpicked guitar for 5,5 minutes, it then ups the tension with screeching guitar and sinister strings. "You Know Me!" closes the album with Yorke's familiar falsetto, clanging piano and swirling strings. All in all, Wall of Eyes comes across a lot like a new Radiohead album - with a twist. Which tells you all you really need to know about it.

**** for Wall of Eyes, Teleharmonic,  Read the Room, Friend of a Friend, I Quit, Bending Hectic

*** for Under Our Pillows, You Know Me!

The Who with Orchestra "Live At Wembley" 2022 (rec.2019)***

The first time I saw The Who live was in Amsterdam during their Quadrophenia and More Tour (2013). It was a rewarding experience; Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were in good form despite their age,  and the rest of the band supporting them ably - especially Pino Palladino on bass and "Ringo's son" Zak Starkey on bass. The visuals were also excellent, but I remember thinking that it took a very proficient and well-rehearsed 10-piece band to produce a result that only came somewhat close to the original 4 members. Later, a DVD, recorded at Wembley Stadium during that tour, came out as Quadrophenia Live in London. I didn't buy it, despite the fact that it could have served as a nice souvenir of the concert. I figured that any time I want to listen to Quadrophenia start to finish, I can play the studio version. And if I want to listen to The Who live, I have the expanded Live At Leeds and The Kids Are Alright. Why, then, did I buy Live At The Wembley recorded at the same location as Quadrophenia Live, and even reprising half of that album, only 6 years later? Well, of course it's the orchestra thing. How much does it add to the original songs? First thing first: Metallica S&M, this isn't. Where, on that album, rock band and orchestra combined to produce intensely heavy music in an epic scale, here the orchestra just plays a supportive role, not unlike the expanded 10-piece band I remember from the Quadrophenia concert in Amsterdam. Townshend and Daltrey are in similarly good form - better than what can be reasonably be expected, given their age. When they are not accompanied by the orchestra, as in "Substitute" and "The Seeker", they sound like an older, slightly blunted, version of themselves. The acoustic version of "Won't Get Fooled Again" is different enough to previous ones to be of interest, but frankly rather weak. It was interesting to hear the orchestra replace the synths on tracks like "Baba O’Riley" and "Eminence Front" resulting in a more organic sound. Often it adds some welcome bombast, as in the fanfares of "Pinball Wizard" or melodrama, as in "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Love Reign O'er Me". Lesser known tracks like "Imagine A Man" (1975) and "Hero Ground Zero" (2019) gain from new orchestrations; new blues track "Ball And Chain" (2019) isn't up to the same level as the classics, but it's good to have a live version of it. An acoustic rendition of "Tea and Theater" from 2006's Endless Wire (recorded during a different concert, too) makes for a puzzling inclusion, and rather anti-climactic closer. This set was also released on triple vinyl, but my own version is the 2CD and Blu-Ray set. The Blu Ray offers Stereo, DTS 5.1, and Dolby Atmos audio, but no video! All you get on your screen are some photos! That was an unwelcome surprise, for sure! Since it's not made specifically clear on the package that this is an audio-only BluRay, I -and almost everybody else who purchased it- naturally assumed we were getting a video recording of the concert with surround sound. I mean, it's not some ancient archive recording. It's a huge production at Wembley stadium in 2019! Many buyers felt cheated. After all, to be honest the PCM 5.1 sound (I can't judge the Dolby Atmos sound channel, since I don't have the appropriate equipment to listen to it on) isn't all that revelatory - slightly bigger and more vivid, especially in the orchestral parts, but I'm guessing that, had they known that there was no visual content in the BluRay, many buyers would have gone for the vinyl version instead. The official response to complaints was that "the Wembley concert wasn’t filmed for DVD or Blu-ray. The only filming was choosing  for the live back screens at the show." So the cameras were transmitting while a director chose which camera feed to project on the back screen. Although the primary material wasn't recorded, apparently we still have the visuals as they were projected on the back screen. Well, some of those visuals are available for free on youtube; they look quite good and complement the sound on those youtube videos perfectly! It's a pity they didn't also make them available to paying customers, to watch on their TV while listening to that nice crisp digital sound on BluRay, instead of watching a stupid slideshow. Anyway, purely music-wise, this is The Who (or, more correctly, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend) in respectably good form, playing some of their most famous and beloved songs. True, these "live with orchestra" versions can't compare to the studio ones, or with live recordings by the original band in their prime. It would be unreasonable from us to expect that. But they are just different enough for fans to want to listen to. If you are fans, if you already own their classic studio albums and some essential live Who from their 60's and 70's, and you are still not satiated, you may want to get this one, too. It certainly makes for a fun listen, and the orchestra adds a welcome new dimension. Too bad for the missed opportunity; some nice visual content might have elevated this to a 4* set. 

**** for Eminence Front, Imagine A Man, Pinball Wizard, Hero Ground Zero, Behind Blue Eyes, 5:15, Love Reign O'er Me,  Baba O’Riley

*** for Who Are You, Join Together, Substitute, The Seeker, Won't Get Fooled Again (Acoustic), Ball And Chain, The Real Me, I’m One, Tea & Theatre (Acoustic)

** for The Punk And The Godfather, Drowned, The Rock

Cindy Blackman Santana "Give The Drummer Some" 2020***

Photos: the Santana band, featuring Cindy Blackman-Santana on drums, at Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, 24-06-2025

As I said previously, we greatly enjoyed the Santana concert at Ziggo Dome a few days back. The guitarist was of course the main draw, but his wife/drummer Cindy Blackman Santana gave an equally admirable performance, including a quite (physically) demanding drum solo, which came more than two hours after the start of the concert. My girlfriend and I were both so impressed we that we decided to buy her CD even though we had no idea what it would sound like - based on what I had read about her, I thought it'd be pure jazz but as it turns out that was only one of the colours she had in her palette.

Talking of Cindy Blackman as being the drummer of Santana band, or the wife of the guitarist, is of course reductive, as she is quite well-known in her own right. I, like most pop and rock fans, first became aware of her as that hot female drummer who appeared in Lenny Kravitz videos but, in reality, when she joined Kravitz's band she was already a well-respected jazz musician whose recordings as band leader went all the way back to 1987. Give The Drummer Some is her 11th solo album - as well as her first since marrying Carlos Santana in 2010. Previously she used to record more often; probably the demanding tour schedule of Santana was too time-consuming, but she used that time well. When she entered the recording studio after a 10-year absense she had 17 songs ready, all but one her own original compositions. I haven't followed her career closely, but this CD seems to be an anomaly: she used to be a straight-up jazz artist, but this one leans more on rock, pop, and R&B. Also, where she previously mostly contained herself to drumming, this time it's her singing that comes to the fore. She possesses a fine soulful voice; not a belter like Aretha, but perfect for the lighter pop-R&B material. Her drumming on this album is, as expected, impeccable - funky on the groovier numbers, strong on the rockers, inventive in the jazzier pieces. Sometimes it's overshadowed by the guitars, which is to be expected when one has Carlos Santana on board - his contributions here are fantastic, often better than on his own recent albums. Another heavyweight guitarist is John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis Band). His solos here, especially on "We Came To Play", are of dizzying speed and complexity. Vernon Reid (Living Colour) is an old associate of Cindy's, and balances rock and jazz very well. A surprising inclusion is that of Kirk Hammett (Metallica). To be fair, after Metallica had Marianne Faithfull guest on one of their songs, made a collaborative album with Lou Reed, and given a concert with a symphony orchestra, one should stop being surprised every time they step out of the Heavy Metal field. I guess they're so good at that one thing they do, you forget they're not one-dimensional. In this case, Hammett puts his heavy riffs and shredding solos in the service of the groove, providing us with the hardest rocking moment of this record. Combine this with jazz instrumentals, R&B dance tracks, funk rockers, and rapping by Santana Band vocalist Andy Vargas, and you've got a lot -maybe too much- diversity. On the whole, this is an uneven album featuring nevertheless great musicianship. A bit poppier than I had hoped, I expected a jazzy affair with the drums more to the fore - despite the consistently strong drumming there are barely any drum solos. I'm thinking that some of these songs would work better incorporated in a Santana album, while the jazz and R&B/dance tracks could form the basis for two different CD's. But it's Cindy's album, maybe she wanted to demonstrate her expertise in different styles at the expense of consistency and flow. The cover art reminds me of Santana's Africa Speaks, not surprising since the two albums belong to the same period, while the CD is hosted in a similarly flimsy cardboard case. Usually while I listen to an album I make a few notes on each track, which I later work into my review. This time, though, I think I can present them as-is, so here's my track-to-track presentation of Give The Drummer Some:

1. "Imagine"*** funk rock remake of the classic John Lennon ballad, not entirely convincing but featuring great guitar by Carlos Santana. I don't really care for the vocals on this one, it had me (mistakenly) thinking "This gal is no singer". It's the only cover on this CD, obviously chosen because the message of the song is important to the Santanas.

2. "We Came To Play"**** funk jazz instrumental. Solid drumming but totally overshadowed by John McLaughlin's masterful guitar arpeggios. Settles into a repetitive groove for the last minute.

3 "She’s Got It Going On"**** a funky pop number that reminds you she used to be in Lenny Kravitz's band, also despells previous doubts about her singing abilities.

4 "Miles Away" *** a short atmospheric jazz number with trumpet (inspired by Miles Davis?)

5 "Everybody's Dancin'" **** a self-described "feelgood song". Superb R&B with beautiful guitar fills by Carlos Santana.

6 "Velocity" *** a pure jazz number, great interplay between the drums and electric piano (Neal Evans).

7 "I Need A Drummer" *** upbeat funk rock. The song was inspired by a jam Cindy had with Prince, his influence is all over this one.

8 "Superbad" **** The title isn't the only part of this song that's reminiscent of James Brown. John McLaughlin limits himself to just one shredding solo, this time. Now that I think of it, this sounds a bit like Funkadelic when they had Eddie Hazel on guitar.

9 "You Don’t Wanna Break My Heart" *** a ballad of the Lenny Kravitz school. Carlos' emotive guitar solo elevates this.

10 "Evolution Revolution"**** OK, guitarist Vernon Reid is an obviously good fit, but Metallica's Kirk Hammett? His familiar heavy riffs nevertheless fit this song very well, and give Cindy an excuse to bang the drums even more savagely to match the two guitarists' aural attack.

11 "Change Is In Your Hands"*** another heavy funk rocker with Vernon Reid guesting on lead guitar and Andy Vargas (current Santana Band vocalist) on rap vocal. Uplifting political message.

12 "Dance Party" *** based on an electronic loop, not my kind of thing but interesting thanks to Bill Ortiz's contribution on trumpet.

13 "Fun Party Splash" *** a much better dance party number than the previous one, with a disco beat and energizing guitar by (who else?) Carlos Santana.

14 "Social Justice"*** another "message" song by the politically attuned couple. Carlos Santana and Andy Vargas guest.

15 "Twilight Mask" *** atmospheric instrumental with prominent low bass and Carlos Santana on free jazz improvisations. Goes on for 9 minutes, which is a bit too long.

16 "Mother Earth"*** Cindy hitting pots and trash can lids, basically everything that was around when she got a musical idea she wanted to put down immediately. Sounds way better than my description lets on.

17 "Black Pearl"**** An atmospheric jazz piece with great guitar by Carlos Santana and Vernon Reid.

Santana "Sentient" 1987-2024(rec) 2025 (comp)***

Photos: Santana Live at Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam. Tuesday 24 June, 2024

We recently went to Ziggo Dome for a Santana concert. It was the second time I saw the band live - the previous one was waaay back in 1991 at Leoforos Alexandras Stadium in Athens. I was mesmerized by Carlos' guitar, and still think of it as the best guitar playing I've ever witnessed live - and I've seen a lot of concerts starring a lot of famous guitarists. At the time I had recorded the concert on my walkman, and -despite the awful sound quality- every listen would reinforce that conviction. That cassette went wherever cassettes go when you're not paying them attention, but there's a better recording of that concert out there on youtube so you can judge for yourself. This time around, Carlos' playing was a little less impressive, but what do you expect? the man is 77 years old - it's difficult to grasp that he was only 43 back then, quite younger than what I am now, but it felt like I was seeing a legendary beast from a bygone age; Woodstock was like the Jurassic period to me, but I was less removed from it then than I now am from that warm Athens night when I first saw Santana live. And if Carlos' fingers are a tad less nimble than they used to be, Tuesday's concert didn't make for an inferior experience. First of all, this time Santana have a lot more hit songs than they did then; especially the ones from multi-Grammy Award winner Supernatural (1999), they played 5 off that one on the Ziggo Dome concert. Secondly, it's a terrific band: David Mathews was impressive on keyboards throughout, bassist Benny Rietveld played a masterful solo, the vocalists, percussionists, and the rest of the band were also great. But my girlfriend and I were most impressed by wife Cindy Blackman Santana on drums. So, at the end of the show, we went to the merchandise stall and got both Santana's latest vinyl and Cindy's new(ish) CD (to be presented next week)

First of all, "Sentient" may be Santana's newest LP, but it mostly contains older, semi-forgotten, recordings and collaborations, going back as many as long as three decades. Which one can guess by taking a look on the collaborators: Miles Davis (R.I.P.)? Michael Jackson (R.I.P.)? Actually, Miles was already dead when "Get On" was included on Paolo Rustichelli's Mystic Man (1996) which means tha Carlos and the Italian keyboardist were playing along to Davis' trumpet samples. Not bad, though. It's a chillout tune with a semi-electronic Latin beat and a small funky vocal sample. So far that sounds like something you might listen at a Balearic beach bar in the 90's - but the superb playing by the musicians elevates it tremendously. The LP contains another track from the same CD, "Vers Le Soleil". No Miles here - just Carlos and Paolo, relaxed vocals and dramatic synthesized strings. Both are "Sentient versions", meaning they've been reworked for inclusion here. I wouldn't know how much, but the new versions are great, especially Carlos' guitar which is just magical. Another reworked version is "Please Don't Take Your Love" featuring Smokey Robinson, originally recorded for the soul legend's comeback LP Time Flies When You're Having Fun (2009). Smokey's ageless vocal combines with Carlos' classy blues licks to create one of the highlights here. Opener "Let the Guitar Play" was released last year as a Record Store Day single, and features veteran rapper Darryl McDaniels (of Run-DMC) on vocal. I don't know why all those old rockers think they're modernizing their sound by adding unrelated rap segments; to be honest, I find it intrusive and would have prefered the track as an instrumental. "Whatever Happens" off Michael Jackson's last album Invincible (2001) features some nice acoustic guitar and intricate production. It wouldn't have sounded out of place on Supernatural. A second MJ composition "Stranger In Moscow" is included here in a, previously unissued, instrumental version recorded live in 2007 at a small club, backed by renowned drummer Narada Michael Walden and his band. Santana's guitar literally sings, as it copies the tone of MJ's vocal on the original ballad. A great gift for the diehard fan who may already own all the other, rare but previously released, pieces. Another previously unreleased track is "Coherence", credited to Santana and wife/drummer Cindy Blackman. It's an adventurous jazz fusion piece featuring great musical interplay between the couple. The vinyl version of Sentient closes with a masterful instrumental called "Blues For Salvador" from the eponymous 1987 album - I guess its inclusion is justified by the fact that it comes from a "solo" Carlos Santana LP, and thus new in the official Santana-the-band discography. As you may have already guessed, this is a hodgepogde of different styles, even more so than Santana's (in)famous string of commercial "collaboration" albums of the early 00's. It's nevertheless nice to bring all those scattered tunes together, and Carlos' playing is inspired throughout irregardless of song style. Not essential for the casual listener, but good for diehard fans who want to collect everything from their favorite artist, as wll as those who, like me, wanted a souvenir of the Oneness tour (although I believe the band didn't play any of these tunes live). The album cover you see here is exclusive to the European market - basically, it swaps the international edition's front and back covers. The CD version of the album contains extra tracks: two more Rustichelli collaborations called "Rastafario" and "Fool Moon", as well as "I'll Be Waiting", a soul ballad from Moonflower.

**** for Please Don't Take Your Love, Get On, Blues For Salvador

*** for Let The Guitar Play, Stranger In Moscow, Whatever Happens, Vers Le Soleil, Coherence

Frenzee "What’s Wrong With Me" (2024)****

Sometime ago I wrote a post on a record by Xylouris White. As I explained then, Giorgos Xylouris of Xylouris White is a Greek-born singer and lute player. As a young man, he immigrated to Australia and has made records blending Cretan folk with jazz and new wave. More importantly, he is also a member of a famous Cretan mountain clan; his uncle Nikos Xylouris started as a traditional folk musician but transcended all that to become one of the country's most beloved and respected singers of all time. He died in 1980, aged only 43, passing the torch of Cretan music champion to Giorgos' father, better known with the nickname "Psarantonis". What I didn't know until I watched documentary "A Family Affair" is that there's yet another generation of Xylourises: Giorgos' kids Apollonia, Adonis, and Nikos. They were born and raised in Melbourne Australia, where they were exposed to a lot of different music styles; Cretan, of course, but also punk rock and a lot of AC/DC. The whole family has since remigrated back to Crete, where the Xylouris youths hatched this little dynamite. It all  started during the pandemic lockout: the boys, who earn their daily bread playing traditional instruments at weddings and festivals, switched to electric guitar and drums and started jamming, while their sister became the singer, main lyricist, and general frontperson of the group during the live performances. They released an EP in '22, and this LP last October (or is it a mini-LP? despite having 9 tracks, it's actually only 20 minutes long). The music is very fast and energetic, reminiscent of Black Flag, of Riot Grrrl archetypes Bikini Kill,  or -closer to home- fellow Aussie troublemakers Amyl And The Sniffers. Favorites: opener "100°C" which somehow carries echoes of Rage Against The Machine, followed by "Sales", "Data Collector" and "Pink Tax"; these remind me a bit of Motörhead - until the vocals kick in, that is. Then the resemblance evaporates; Apollonia spouts the lyrics like a machinegun. "Angry" is the longest track, and it's one of those cases where the title says it all. It's also -along with the eponymous closer- the closest Frenzee get to thrash metal (think Suicidal Tendencies). The whole of the album really is a great little blast of manic energy and righteous anger. Highly recommended, I can't wait to witness this band live!

***** for 100°C, Angry

**** for Sales, Data Collector, Pink Tax, Ask Me Again, What's Wrong With Me

*** for Rats In Here, Fear No Fear

UNCUT: The 500 Greatest Albums of The 2010's - Now...ranked!

This (almost) completes the Uncut Greatest Albums series: I got the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00's, and now 10's and beyond. There's also a "500 all-time greatest" volume which I'm not going to buy, seeing as everything is presumably includes in the individual by-decade volumes. These lists are always subjective, of course, but this specific one is particularly arbitrary. Not to mention that it includes a bunch of archive recordings of 60s -70s outtakes by Bob Dylan - have the last 15 years really been so musically poor that this list represents the best? To be honest, I haven't listened to most of these albums; I only own about 10% of this list, compared to 30% - 58% of the other decades' lists. You want to see how arbitrary this list is? Let's take the same magazine's Best Of list for a random year, say 2018. Number 1 (Low Double Negative) ends up on no.3 here; the top position among 2018 albums, so here we have an accord. Number 2 (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Hope Downs) falls down to 109 (or the 10th among albums from 2018). Other Top 10 albums of the 2018 list (Spiritualized, Gruff Rhys, Christine and the Queens) disappear completely from the "500 Greatest" of the decade. You might of course say it's a matter of hindsight, but to me it seems like someone compiled a random list out of the top of their heads. They include late career albums by artists that peaked decades ago like Dylan, Bowie and Leonard Cohen (I'd also put Nick Cave in that category, even though he's not that old) but very few future classics; maybe we'll still be listening to Arctic Monkeys or Lana Del Ray after 20 or 30 years, but most of the rest seem like filler; like they had 100 true classics and then randomly chose 400 albums out of the few thousand that got 4-star reviews and added them to the list. Check for yourself:

1. David Bowie – Blackstar - 2016

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly – 2015

3. Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways – 2020

4. Low – Double Negative – 2018

5. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool – 2016

6. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker – 2016

7. My Bloody Valentine – m b v – 2013

8. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away – 2013

9. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen – 2019

10. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream – 2017

11. Taylor Swift – 1989/ 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – 2014/ 2023

12. Tame Impala – Currents – 2015

13. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell – 2019

14. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill – 2012

15. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising – 2019

16. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver – 2011

17. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream – 2014

18. Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel – 2019

19. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell – 2015

20. Arctic Monkeys – AM – 2013

21. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree – 2016

22. D’Angelo – Black Messiah – 2014

23. Beyoncé – Lemonade – 2016

24. Low – C’mon – 2011

25. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange – 2012

26. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit – 2015

27. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest – 2013

28. Beak - > > > - 2018

29. The National – Trouble Will Find Me – 2013

30. Robyn – Body Talk – 2010

31. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – 2010

32. Solange – A Seat at the Table – 2016

33. Ty Segall – Freedom’s Goblin – 2018

34. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories – 2013

35. Peter Perrett – How the West was Won – 2017

36. Slowdive – Slowdive – 2017

37. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake – 2011

38. Bob Dylan – Tempest – 2012

39. Margo Price – Midwest Farmer’s Daughter – 2016

40. Destroyer – Kaputt – 2011

41. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo – 2011

42. Brian Eno – The Ship – 2016

43. Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains – 2019

44. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour – 2018

45. Oh Sees – Floating Coffin – 2013

46. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas – 2012

47. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 – 2015

48. Bon Iver – 22, A Million – 2016

49. Metronomy – The English Riviera – 2011

50. Lorde – Melodrama – 2017

51. Jessica Pratt – On Your Own Love Again – 2015

52. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps – 2017

53. Grimes – Art Angels – 2015

54. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues – 2011

55. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse – 2011

56. Richard Dawson – Peasant – 2017

57. Keren Ann – 101 – 2011

58. Caven of Anti-Matter – Hormone Lemonade – 2018

59. The Breeders – All Nerve – 2018

60. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear – 2015

61. Julia Holter – Have You In My Wilderness – 2015

62. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City – 2013

63. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music – 2014

64. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening – 2010

65. Taylor Swift – Folklore – 2020

66. Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate – 2016

67. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol 14: More Blood, More Tracks – 2018

68. Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color – 2015

69. Janelle Monae – The Archandroid – 2010

70. Scott Walker – Bish Bosch – 2012

71. Connan Mockasin – Forever Dolphin Love – 2011

72. The National – High Violet – 2010

73. Cate Le Bon – Mug Museum – 2013

74. Melody’s Echo Chamber – Bon Voyage – 2018

75. Gwenno – Le Kov – 2018

76. Wilco – The Whole Love – 2011

77. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher – 2020

78. Bill Fay – Life Is People – 2012

79. Jason Isbell – Southeastern – 2013

80. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs – 2010

81. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride – 2019

82. The National – Sleep Well Beast – 2017

83. Jake Xerxes Fussell – Out of Sight – 2019

84. Gwenno – Y Dydd Olaf – 2014

85. Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo – 2011

86. Arctic Monkeys – The Car – 2022

87. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino – 2018

88. Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars – 2019

89. Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber – 2012

90. Aphex Twin – Syro – 2014

91. Gillian Welch – The Harrow and The Harvest – 2011

92. Yo La Tengo – There’s a Riot Going On – 2018

93. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia – 2020

94. Underworld – Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future – 2016

95. Wilco – Ode to Joy – 2019

96. Drive-By Truckers – American Band – 2016

97. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – And Now For the Whatchamacallit – 2019

98. The Specials – Encore – 2019

99. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar – 2018

100. The Weather Station – Ignorance – 2021

101. The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger – 2019

102. Ride – Weather Diaries – 2017

103. Kamasi Washington – The Epic – 2015

104. The Fall – Your Future Our Clutter – 2010

105. Fleet Foxes – Crack Up – 2017

106. The Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir – 2017

107. The Durutti Column – A Paean to Wilson – 2010

108. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You – 2022

109. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs – 2018

110. Lump – Lump – 2018

111. Pete and the Pirates – One Thousand Pictures – 2011

112. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial – 2016

113. Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow – 2011

114. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There – 2014

115. Our Broken Garden – Golden Sea – 2010

116. Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here – 2010

117. Allison Russell – Outside Child – 2021

118. Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure – 2021

119. The Pastels – Slow Summits – 2013

120. John Murry – The Graceless Age – 2012

121. Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex – 2017

122. The Black Keys – El Camino – 2011

123. Sleaford Mods – UK Grim – 2022

124. Joan Shelley – Like the River Loves the Sea – 2019

125. Family of the Year – Loma Vista – 2012

126. New Order – Music Complete – 2015

127. Angel Olsen – My Woman – 2016

128. Sophie – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides – 2018

129. Ariel Pink – Pom Pom – 2014

130. The Beach Boys – The Smile Sessions – 2011

131. Michael Chapman – True North – 2019

132. Black Country New Road – Ants From Up There – 2022

133. Okkervil River – Away – 2016

134. Haim – Days Are Gone – 2013

135. Bon Iver – I, I – 2019

136. Pixies – Indie Cindy – 2014

137. Wild Beasts – Smother – 2011

138. Beyoncé – 4 – 2011

139. John Murry – A Short History of Decay – 2017

140. Bicep – Bicep – 2017

141. Killing Joke – MMXII – 2012

142. Beck – Morning Phase – 2014

143. Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool – 2015

144. Sacred Paws – Run Around the Sun – 2019

145. Kali Malone – The Sacrificial Code – 2019

146. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan – 2012

147. Drake – Take Care – 2011

148. Drive-By Truckers – The Unravelling – 2020

149. Solange – When I Get Home – 2019

150. The Pierces – You & I – 2011

151. Stornoway – Beachcomber’s Windowsill – 2010

152. Beyoncé – Beyoncé – 2012

153. Lightships – Electric Cables – 2012

154. Scissor Sisters – Night Work – 2010

155. Dexys – One Day I’m Going to Soar – 2012

156. Beyoncé – Renaissance – 2022

157. Jerry Joseph – The Beautiful Madness – 2020

158. Big Thief – Two Hands – 2019

159. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Who Killed Sgt Pepper? – 2010

160. Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place – You’re Doomed, Be Nice – 2016

161. Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins – 2017

162. Aldous Harding – Designer – 2019

163. Starcrawler – Devour You – 2019

164. Ashley Monroe – Like a Rose – 2013

165. Daniel Blumberg – Minus – 2018

166. Public Access TV – Never Enough – 2016

167. Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time – 2013

168. Snow Palms – Origin & Echo – 2017

169. Goldfrapp – Tales of Us – 2013

170. Arooj Aftab – Vulture Prince – 2021

171. Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exits – 2016

172. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory – 2012

173. Pixies – Beneath the Eyrie – 2019

174. Ryley Walker – Course In Fable – 2021

175. Steve Gunn – Other You – 2021

176. Nils Frahm – Spaces – 2013

177. Tweedy – Sukierae – 2014

178. Tom Waits – Bad As Me – 2011

179. MGMT – Congratulations – 2010

180. Neil Young – Le Noise – 2010

181. Nisennenmondai – Live at Clouds Hill – 2015

182. Natalie Bergman – Mercy – 2021

183. Lily Allen – No Shame – 2018

184. Ambrose Akinmusire – On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment – 2020

185. The Killers – Pressure Machine – 2021

186. Dumb – Seeing Green – 2018

187. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete – 2014

188. La Roux – Trouble In Paradise – 2014

189. Tina Dico – Whispers – 2014

190. Richard Dawson – 2020 – 2019

191. Tribes – Baby – 2011

192. Frank Ocean – Blonde – 2016

193. Bill Callahan – Dream River – 2013

194. The Lost Brothers – Halfway Towards a Healing – 2018

195. Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob – 2013

196. Ane Brun – It All Starts With One – 2011

197. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland – 2017

198. Hiss Golden Messenger – Poor Moon – 2012

199. Bob Dylan – The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert! – 2016

200. King – We Are King – 2016

201. Haim – Women in Music Pt. III – 2020

202. North Mississippi Allstars – World Boogie is Coming – 2013

203. Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile – 2018

204. Chris Forsyth – All Time Present – 2019

205. Neil Young/ Crazy Horse – Americana – 2012

206. Lianne La Havas – Blood – 2015

207. Alvvays – Blue Rev – 2022

208. Randy Newman – Dark Matter – 2017

209. Azita – Disturbing the Air – 2011

210. Daniel Avery – Drone Logic – 2013

211. Dexys – Let the Record Show: Dexys do Irish and Country Soul – 2016

212. Wednesday – Rat Saw God – 2023

213. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972 – 2011

214. Jim O’Rourke – Simple Songs – 2015

215. William D Drake – The Rising of the Lights – 2011

216. The Black Keys – Turn Blue – 2014

217. Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend – 2021

218. Gary Daly – Gone From Here – 2019

219. Phosphorescent – Here’s To Taking It Easy – 2010

220. Mark Peters – Innerland – 2017

221. Tim Bernardes – Mil Coisas Invisiveis – 2022

222. Simon Felice – Simon Felice – 2011

223. Randy Newman – The Randy Newman Songbook Vol 2 – 2011

224. David Bowie – The Next Day – 2013

225. John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness – 2018

226. Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence – 2014

227. Various Artists – Wandelweiser Und So Weiter – 2012

228. Bitchin Bajas – Bajas Fresh – 2017

229. Patti Smith – Banga – 2012

230. Lonelady – Hinterland – 2015

231. Crayola Lectern – The Fall & Rise Of… - 2013

232. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? – 2011

233. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – 2019

234. Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men, Too – 2015

235. A Winged Victory For The Sullen – A Winged Victory For The Sullen – 2011

236. Agnes Obel – Aventime – 2013

237. Anaïs Mitchell – Hadestown – 2010

238. Suuns – Images Du Futur – 2013

239. Skepta – Konnichiwa – 2016

240. Rihanna – Loud – 2010

241. The Shins – Port of Morrow – 2012

242. Ryley Walker – Primrose Green – 2015

243. Paul Simon – Seven Psalms – 2023

244. The Knife – Shaking the Habitual – 2013

245. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive – 2024

246. Hinds – The Prettiest Curse – 2020

247. Odetta Hartman – 222 – 2015

248. Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – 2023

249. The Walkmen – Heaven – 2012

250. Modern Nature – How to Live – 2019

251. Faye Webster – I Know I’m Funny Haha – 2021

252. Drake – If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late – 2015

253. Maribou State – Kingdoms in Colour – 2018

254. Tame Impala – Lonerism – 2012

255. Alastair Galbraith – Mass – 2010

256. John Cale – Mercy – 2023

257. Kim Gordon – No Home Record – 2019

258. Alison Moyet – Other – 2017

259. Kurt Vile – Wakin on a Pretty Daze – 2013

260. Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol 10: Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) – 2013

261. Pye Corner Audio – Sleep Games – 2012

262. Cass McCombs – Big Wheel and Others – 2013

263. Jack White – Blunderbuss – 2012

264. Idles – Brutalism – 2017

265. Takashi Masubuchi – Disappearing Foliage – 2018

266. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two – 2011

267. Jamie xx – In Colour – 2015

268. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin – 2023

269. East River Pipe – We Live in Rented Rooms – 2011

270. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out at Jagbags – 2014

271. ARP – Zebra – 2018

272. Sleaford Mods – Divide and Exit – 2014

273. Pye Corner Audio – Stasis – 2016

274. Beach House – Bloom – 2012

275. Sleaford Mods – English Tapas – 2017

276. Manic Street Preachers – Futurology – 2014

277. Julia Holter – Loud City Song – 2013

278. John Cale – M:Fans – 2016

279. Destroyer – Poison Season – 2015

280. Lorde – Pure Heroine – 2013

281. SG Goodman – Teeth Marks – 2022

282. The Rural Alberta Advantage – The Rise and Fall – 2023

283. Tyler, the Creator – Flower Boy – 2017

284. Hiss Golden Messenger – Haw – 2013

285. London Grammar – If You Wait – 2013

286. Rina Sawayama – Sawayama – 2020

287. Chris Price – Stop Talking – 2017

288. Noname – Telefone – 2016

289. Rich Ruth – Water Still Flows – 2024

290. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service - 2016

291. Sweet Baboo – Wild Imagination – 2017

292. The 1075 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – 2018

293. Gruff Rhys – American Interior – 2014

294. Sarah Davichi – August Harp – 2014

295. Woods – Bend Beyond – 2012

296. Matthew Dear – Black City – 2010

297. Eat Static – Dead Planet – 2015

298. Joanna Newsom – Divers – 2015

299. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest – 2010

300. Snow Palms – Intervals – 2012

301. Hontatedori – Konata Kanata – 2018

302. Big Thief – Masterpiece – 2016

303. Frank Turner – No Man’s Land – 2019

304. Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs – 2019

305. Brockhampton – Saturation II – 2017

306. Dumb – Club Nites – 2019

307. Taylor Swift – Evermore – 2020

308. Marconi Union – Ghost Stations – 2016

309. Peter Perrett – Humanworld – 2019

310. Boz Scaggs – Memphis – 2013

311. Disclosure – Settle – 2013

312. Rebecca Gates & the Consortium – The Float – 2012

313. Beirut – The Rip Tide – 2011

314. James – All the Colours Of You – 2021

315. Arborist – Home Burial – 2016

316. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms – 2010

317. Metronomy – Love Letters – 2014

318. Low – Ones and Sixes – 2015

319. Sean O’Hagan – Radum Calls, Radum Calls – 2019

320. Lindstrom – Smalhans – 2012

321. Snapped Ankles – Stunning Luxury – 2019

322. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – 2013

323. Graham Coxon – A + E – 2012

324. Carla Morrison – Amor Supremo – 2015

325. Horse Lords – As It Happened: Horse Lords Live – 2024

326. Stornoway – Bonxie – 2015

327. James Tenney – Changes: 64 Studies for 6 Harps – 2019

328. Lambchop – Flotus – 2016

329. Olivia Rodrigo – Guts – 2023

330. The Bathers – Sirenesque – 2023

331. Badbadnotgood and Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul – 2015

332. Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball – 2012

333. King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon – 2013

334. John Grant – Art of the Lie – 2024

335. SZA – CTRL – 2017

336. These New Puritans – Hidden – 2010

337. Songhoy Blues – Music in Exile – 2015

338. Lonelady – Nerve Up – 2010

339. Robyn Hitchcock – Robyn Hitchcock – 2017

340. Kevin Morby – Singing Saw – 2016

341. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What – 2011

342. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The French Press – 2017

343. Richmond Fontaine – The High Country – 2011

344. Cashier No 9 – To the Death of Fun – 2011

345. Jeff Tweedy – Together at Last – 2017

346. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention – 2022

347. Charli XCX – Brat – 2024

348. Japandroids – Celebration Rock – 2012

349. Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters – 2020

350. Mark Stoermer – Filthy Apes and Lions – 2017

351. Loney Dear – Hall Music – 2011

352. Saint Etienne – Home Counties – 2017

353. Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B – 2022

354. Lindstrøm – It’s Alright Between Us As It Is – 2017

355. Snail Mail – Lush – 2018

356. Cate Le Bon – Reward – 2019

357. Alexander Tucker – Third Mouth – 2012

358. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding – 2017

359. Nagisa Ni Te – A Long Swim – 2014

360. Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club – 2021

361. Stornoway – Dig the Mountain! – 2023

362. Shellac – Dude Incredible – 2014

363. Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me – 2010

364. Fuzz – II – 2015

365. Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters – 2018

366. Paul Buchanan – Mid Air – 2012

367. Los Campesinos! – No Blues – 2013

368. Agnes Obel – Philharmonics – 2010

369. Echo Ladies – Pink Noise – 2018

370. Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From a Young Man – 2010

371. Ty Segall – Ty Segall – 2017

372. Bill Fay – Who is the Sender? – 2015

373. Merchandise – After the End – 2014

374. Lucinda Williams – Blessed – 2011

375. Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters – 2021

376. Wooden Wand – Farmer’s Corner – 2014

377. Junip – Fields – 2010

378. Susanne Sundfor – Music for People in Trouble – 2017

379. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – 2015

380. Slowcoaches – Nothing Gives – 2016

381. Dennis Johnson – November – 2013

382. Wet Leg – Wet Leg – 2022

383. Paramore – After Laughter – 2017

384. Sexual Objects – Cucumber – 2010

385. Autechre – Elseq 1-5 –C2016

386. Stephen Malkmus – Groove Denied – 2019

387. Aquaserge – laisse ça être – 2017

388. Robert Plant – Lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar – 2014

389. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach – 2010

390. Lindstrøm & Christabelle – Real Life is No Cool – 2010

391. Belbury Poly – The Belbury Tales – 2012

392. Boygenius – The Record – 2023

393. Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood – 2024

394. Allah-Lahs – Worship the Sun – 2014

395. Olafur Arnalds - …And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness – 2010

396. Beak> - >> - 2012

397. Beak> - >>>> - 2024

398. Alvvays – Alvvays – 2014

399. Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman – 2020

400. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die – 2012

401. White Denim – D – 2011

402. Sleaford Mods – Retweeted – 2014

403. Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles – 2019

404. Charles Lloyd & The Marvels – I Long to See You – 2016

405. Vic Goddard and the Subway Sect – Moments Like These – 2021

406. Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression – 2016

407. Blur – The Magic Whip – 2015

408. Chappel Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – 2023

409. Ezra Furman – All of Us Flames – 2022

410. Moses Sumney – Aromanticism – 2017

411. Broadcast – Berberian Sound Studio – 2013

412. Anderson .Paak – Malibu – 2016

413. The Dead C – Rare Ravers – 2019

414. Black Midi – Schlagenheim – 2019

415. Roddy Frame – Seven Dials – 2014

416. Max Richter – Sleep – 2015

417. The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears – 2019

418. Cass McCombs – Wit’s End – 2011

419. Atoms For Peace – Amok – 2013

420. Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic – 2021

421. Mhysa – Fantasii – 2017

422. Ellen Arkbro – For Organ and Brass – 2017

423. Benjamin Gibbard – Former Lives – 2012

424. Ben Watt – Hendra – 2014

425. Sunn O))) – Life Metal – 2019

426. Eiko Ishibashi – The Dreams My Bones Dream – 2018

427. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall – 2015

428. Frazey Road – U Kin B The Sun – 2020

429. Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation – 2010

430. Tierra Whack – Whack World – 2018

431. Rihanna – Anti – 2016

432. Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book – 2016

433. Julia Holter – Ekstasis – 2012

434. Metronomy – Metronomy Forever – 2019

435. The Early Years – II – 2016

436. Sexual Objects – Marshmallow – 2017

437. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love – 2015

438. Darkstar – News From Nowhere – 2013

439. Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle – 2013

440. Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us – 2024

441. Organum – Raven – 2018

442. Patrick Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyard – 2012

443. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots – 2014

444. Skinny Lister – Forge and Flagon – 2012

445. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace Is There – 2014

446. St Vincent – Masseducation – 2018

447. Tenniscoats – Papa’s Ear – 2012

448. Beth Orton – Weather Alive – 2022

449. Sia – 1000 Forms of Fear – 2014

450. Tirzah – Devotion – 2018

451. Corrupted – Garten Der Unbewusstheit – 2011

452. Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals 2015 – 2015

453. Josh T Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen – 2011

454. Disappears – Pre Language – 2012

455. Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart – 2013

456. Joan As Policewoman – The Classic – 2014

457. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place – 2011

458. Richard Dawson – The Ruby Cord – 2022

459. Alexandria – Cut of Cloth – 2017

460. Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans – 2014

461. Mirroring – Foreign Body – 2012

462. Steven Wilson – Hand, Cannot, Erase – 2015

463. Honeyblood – Honeyblood – 2014

464. Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness – 2017

465. Jenny Lewis – On the Line – 2019

466. Devo – Something for Everybody – 2010

467. Anna Van Hausswolff – The Miraculous – 2015

468. Valerie June – The Order of Time – 2017

469. Kutiman – 6AM – 2016

470. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station – 2018

471. Iggy Pop – Free – 2019

472. Julianna Barwick – Healing is a Miracle – 2020

473. Eddie Marcon – Kura-Kura Kurage – 2018

474. Phosphorescent – Muchacho – 2013

475. Four Tet – New Energy – 2017

476. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity – 2016

477. Oh Wonder – Oh Wonder – 2015

478. Primitive Parts – Primitive Parts – 2015

479. The Wedding Present – Valentina – 2012

480. Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie – 2018

481. Horse Lords – Comradely Objects – 2022

482. Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was – 2020

483. Cornershop – England is a Garden – 2020

484. Sarah Davachi – Gave In Rest – 2018

485. Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens – 2017

486. Brian Eno – Lux – 2012

487. Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg – 2021

488. Parekh & Singh – Ocean – 2016

489. Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II – 2012

490. The Coral – The Curse of Love – 2014

491. Floating Points – Crush – 2019

492. Arch Garrison – I Will Be a Pilgrim – 2014

493. The Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea – 2012

494. William Tyler – Modern Country – 2016

495. Perfume Genius – No Shape – 2017

496. Taylor Swift – Red – 2012

497. Jan St Werner – Spectric Acid – 2017

498. The Declines – The Imperial – 2019

499. Joan Shelley – The Spur – 2022

500. Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy - 2011