Hey folks!

With less than two weeks before nominations for the upcoming Best Album of 2001 tournament, time is running out to listen to new-to-you albums you might want to put on your ballot. Towards that, I have noted albums I’ve liked and not-so-liked in previous newsletters, and here’s a roundup of those.

• Here’s my list of absolute favorites from 2001, before I started surveying the year in proper. At the very least, I hope you give these a spin.

• Here’s the first batch of notes once I started surveying, which includes thoughts on albums by Cannibal Ox, Tricky, Eels, Le Tigre and more.

• Here’s the second batch, with notes on albums by Stone Temple Pilots, DJ Shadow, Windir, Robbie Fulks and more.

• Here’s the third batch from about a week ago, with notes on albums by Gojira, Techno Animal, Paul Oakenfold, Firewater and more.

And now… here’s the fourth batch! My rating system is Love, Like/Love, Like, Interesting/Like, Interesting, Lukewarm, and Leave. Please note that Like, for me, is the big fat middle of the bell curve — most albums are likable and Like-able.

Alien Ant Farm, ANTHOLOGY (Spotify, YouTube)

“Smooth Criminal” is a great cover of course, and “Movies” is a good single, but not a lot else here that’s super-memorable. What I mostly came away with is how singer Dryden Mitchell sounds like Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria… who wouldn’t release their debut for another year. Rating: Interesting/Like It.

Lost Horizon, AWAKENING THE WORLD (Spotify, YouTube)

Look, if you’re going to play power metal, the most ridiculous of all metals, then you might as well jump in head-first, dive right in. Your music may as well sound like you forced Iron Maiden to play the songs you wrote to soundtrack that boss D&D campaign you played in the ‘90s. You may as well name yourself things like “Transcendental Protagonist” or “Preternatural Transmogrifyer.” You left good taste at the door, so what’s to stop you? I mean really, what’s to stop you? Rating: Like.

Rilo Kiley, TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS (Spotify, YouTube)

As I noted on Bluesky, this is the best Death Cab for Cutie album in 2001. Has that same feel (the Barsuk effect?) but has more hooks than THE PHOTO ALBUM. Previously, I was only familiar with UNDER THE BLACKLIGHT (which is terrific), a very different-feeling album, and apparently this is considered embryonic Rilo Kiley? If so, I can see why they have such a following. Rating: Like/Love.

Entombed, MORNING STAR (Spotify, YouTube)

This is what’s known as “death n’ roll,” a combination of death metal and straight-forward rock n’ roll. That should be catnip to me, the transgressive unpleasantness of death metal married to the rock’s hooks. But this seems to circle around the hooks part, sniffing at it like a suspicious dog, while watering down the death metal part. If you’re gonna do that, then no half-measures, just give me full-on Cannibal Corpse.

Destruction, THE ANTICHRIST (Spotify, YouTube)

Destruction are one of the classic European thrash metal bands, one of those bands that if you’re not into metal you probably never heard of, but if you are, you maybe take for granted? Nothing much to say about this other than if you in the mood to bang your head to some thrash, this gets the job done. I’d even say this is as good as their classic 80s output. Rating: Like/Love.

Beulah, THE COAST IS CLEAR (Spotify, YouTube)

Looking for a just a really good pop-rock album, one that’s got a bright sound, full of interesting juxtapositions like Bacharachian melodies and fuzz guitar and country and whatever else can be thrown in? Looking for an album where every track sounds like it could be the opening theme for a CW show? And what if it had good lyrics to boot? Do you not see where this is going? Rating: Like/Love.

Joel Plaskett Emergency, DOWN AT THE KHYBER (Spotify, YouTube)

Good rock tunes heightened by excellent production, especially on the drums. I like live-sounding drums that feel like you’re right there in the studio. I have to confess, though, I don’t recall a lot about this weeks later, but I trust my past self, and my past self said Rating: Like.

The Fall, ARE YOU ARE MISSING WINNER (Spotify)

It’s The Fall. It’s great. It gets you really agitated. Rating: Like.

Emperor, PROMETHEUS: THE DISCIPLINE OF FIRE & DEMISE (Spotify, YouTube)

Rating: Interesting.

Unwound, LEAVES TURN INSIDE YOU (Spotify, YouTube)

Not sure why this gets slotted into post-hardcore, enough so that @OneTruePoster thought it necessary to note it as part of the Bare Minimum Tier of potential metal nominations. This, to my ear, is like if Slint stayed together long enough to get influenced by electronica/IDM, without actually playing electronica/IDM. And on that level, it’s pretty cool! I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to previous Unwound albums for the tournament, but this I think is the first that’s memorable, inviting me for return listens. Rating: Like.

k., NEW PROBLEMS (Spotify, YouTube)

The poster who clued me onto this one described it as “Aimee Mann meets Les Claypool?” and it’s easy to see why. Singer Karla Schickele sounds like Mann, and her bass tone is decidedly Claypoolian. But once you get past that carnival barker description (no shade, it works), what’s here is some wonderful indie pop that to my ear isn’t really like either of those artists. (Might even prefer this to Mann, tbh.) Fun Mamas & the Papas cover! Rating: Like, bordering on Like/Love.

The Fleshtones, SOLID GOLD SOUND (Spotify, YouTube)

I’m not entirely sure what the exact definition of “garage rock” is, but if it’s “sounds like it could be in the NUGGETS box set,” this is 100% garage rock. Rating: Like.

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, SPACESHIP ZERO: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (Spotify, YouTube)

Here’s the winner of the week! And a bit of a surprise to me. I’ve known about this band forever, but never took the plunge, exactly because our interests align. As you might be able to gather from the band name, they love them some Lovecraft, as do I, but I always assumed that they played some corny-ass filk bullshit. Coupled with the fact that this is a concept album, a fake soundtrack to a real tabletop role-playing game based on a fake movie based on a fake radio show… bleh, whatever, no way was I touching this with a ten-foot pole. So when @OneTruePoster noted that he was nominating it… with his track record, I had to give it a spin. And holy shit. Straight-ahead punk-inflected rock & roll, with hooks for days. OTP used Bad Religion as a comparison, and I second that, and would also add that they have a bit of a Slough Feg feel (another band that loves ttrpgs). But you know who I thought of as the record ended? Fountains of Wayne. That’s probably writing checks this album can’t cash, but the way this band effortlessly spits out three-minute banger after three-minute banger reminded me of Adam Schlesinger. I assume they never got big because of the niche they’ve lodged themselves in. Which is a shame. The Juice is With Them. Rating: Like/Love (not Love because it still has residual whiff of corny-ass filk bullshit. Maybe that’ll wear off in time.)

Airport 5, TOWER IN THE FOUNTAIN OF SPARKS (Spotify, YouTube)

Guided by Voices side project. Scratches the itch. Rating: Like.

Bebel Gilberto, TANTO TEMPO REMIXES (Spotify, YouTube)

This is pretty much the poster boy (poster girl) for “Most albums are likable and Like-able.” Gilberto over mellow electronica beats, Sunday-morning listening. I particularly liked “Mais Feliz” if only because I could easily imagine MF DOOM over it. Rating: Like.

The Dirtbombs, ULTRAGLIDE IN BLACK (Spotify, YouTube)

Garage rock covers of classic R&B/soul tracks. Took a hot minute to warm up to it, but got there eventually. Heresy alert: I think I prefer their version of “Got to Give It Up”…? Rating: Like.