The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

Lee Newman said:
I had a friend in college who had an enormous music collection at that time. Like I maybe had a 100 CDs and the 75 or so records that still live in my collection and 100's of cassettes. This dude had a trunk in his fucking dorm room. Anyhow, he was into American Music Club. I know I've listened to the Everclear album, no idea what else. We also smoked a lot of pot in that dorm room.
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Pretty sure their contribution to No Alternative is the only thing of theirs I've ever heard. Or at least that I can identify and remember as such.
 
Lee Newman said:
I had a friend in college who had an enormous music collection at that time. Like I maybe had a 100 CDs and the 75 or so records that still live in my collection and 100's of cassettes. This dude had a trunk in his fucking dorm room. Anyhow, he was into American Music Club. I know I've listened to the Everclear album, no idea what else. We also smoked a lot of pot in that dorm room.
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Wait. I'm lost. What does American Music Club have to do with Everclear?
 
Lee Newman said:
08/29/23
7bf16fcb2a5d48fba8c70c54b9d4b5ad05131fc6

Portishead - Third



www.allmusic.com

Third - Portishead | Album | AllMusic

Third by Portishead released in 2008. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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This was really not what I expected. I had only heard Dummy before, and this was more aching to post-rock like GSYBE or Sonic Youth-esque soundscapes than trip hop. Wasn't bad, all in all, but on a bucket list of albums you must hear? Nah.
Score 3,5/5 (Good)
 
Lee Newman said:
08/30/23
ab67616d0000b2735d2e82130a3ec3ed33127950

American Music Club - California

Doesn't appear to be on Spotify or Apple. Here is the YOUTUBE link:


www.allmusic.com

California - American Music Club | Album | AllMusic

California by American Music Club released in 1988. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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I got into AMC with San Fransisco in 1994 (still a great album IMO), which also turned out to be the last album before they split up. I really like Mark Eitzel as a songwriter and his solo stuff are pretty great as well. I saw them live when they reunited in 2005 and I remember they were really great live too!
I haven't heard this album before though, which is due to the first three albums being really hard to find on cd in the mid-90s so I just never got around to listen to them. I found "Engine" on vinyl last year though, which felt like striking gold at about €10.
Anyhow, this is a bit softer and more americana-tinted than their 90s efforts. I like it fine, but still think Everclear is a better album to have on this list, since that's where they found a more unique sound.
I will try to pick up this on vinyl as well though, as I think it will grow on me.
Score: 4/5
 
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Lee Newman said:
08/30/23
ab67616d0000b2735d2e82130a3ec3ed33127950

American Music Club - California

Doesn't appear to be on Spotify or Apple. Here is the YOUTUBE link:


www.allmusic.com

California - American Music Club | Album | AllMusic

California by American Music Club released in 1988. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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I've actually never heard of this band but I like a lot of the bands they seem to be associated with so I'm looking forward to it. The 2nd song kind of sounds like a raw Counting Crows.
 
dbarila said:
I've actually never heard of this band but I like a lot of the bands they seem to be associated with so I'm looking forward to it. The 2nd song kind of sounds like a raw Counting Crows.
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Yeah, this album pitches them as forerunners of sorts to the whole alt-country/americana boom in the mid-nineties, and I can totally hear the Counting Crows-similarities too!
 
Lee Newman said:
08/30/23
ab67616d0000b2735d2e82130a3ec3ed33127950

American Music Club - California

Doesn't appear to be on Spotify or Apple. Here is the YOUTUBE link:


www.allmusic.com

California - American Music Club | Album | AllMusic

California by American Music Club released in 1988. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
Click to expand...

Well that was a fun new discovery. Too bad it's not on streaming because I would definitely give it more listens. 4/5.
 
Lee Newman said:
08/29/23
7bf16fcb2a5d48fba8c70c54b9d4b5ad05131fc6

Portishead - Third



www.allmusic.com

Third - Portishead | Album | AllMusic

Third by Portishead released in 2008. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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4/5
I remember this being jarring for some when it came out - the scope of sounds is definitely much broader than their earlier releases. That said, it's friggin' brilliant! I don't know whether their entire catalogue made this list or not, but it certainly deserves to - they didn't miss. Beth Gibbons voice is majesty in and of itself, but the soundscapes Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley provide her to move it through are rich and engrossing. "Silence," "Nylon Smile" and "We Carry On" were particular favourites for me on this one
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Lee Newman said:
8/23/23
View attachment 180599
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
- Winter in America



www.allmusic.com

Winter in America - Gil Scott-Heron, Gil Scott... | AllMusic

Winter in America by Gil Scott-Heron, Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, Brian Jackson released in 1974. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, aw...
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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As much as Pieces of a Man gets possibly the most recognition from Gil Scott-Heron's catalogue, Winter in America is, to me, his absolute best.
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5/5
 
Lee Newman said:
8/28/23
View attachment 180965
The Verve - Urban Hymns



www.allmusic.com

Urban Hymns - The Verve | Album | AllMusic

Urban Hymns by The Verve released in 1997. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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I never really gave these guys a chance when this came out because "Bittersweet Symphony" was SO overplayed I just decided that the band and everything they did pissed me off. Nuance wasn't always a huge part of my teenage music criticism! Anyway, it's fine enough fare if a tad too long. Some nice symphonic bits here and there. "Bittersweet Symphony" IS actually a pretty good song when you're not hearing it every damn where you turn.
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3/5
 
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