too much writing about music
by Jeff Norman
a/k/a Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey



Reviews of:


Features

"Guilty Pleasures" 3 (an occasional column for A Common Sense): Iggy Pop's Zombie Birdhouse

"Guilty Pleasures" 2 (an occasional column for A Common Sense): Steely Dan's Two Against Nature

"Guilty Pleasures" 1 (an occasional column for A Common Sense): "MacArthur Park"

"Everything In Its Right Place, Indeed": a response to the critical backlash against Radiohead's Kid A (also appears in Milk)

"Twenty Dumb-Ass Questions" with Chris Lopez of the Rock*a*Teens (Milk #33)

an interview with Grasshopper of Mercury Rev (Milk #30)

an interview with Scott Miller of the Loud Family (Milk #28)

an interview with Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel (Milk #26)

an interview with Robert Schneider of the Apples in stereo (appeared in Milk #25)

A brief essay on annual top ten lists, with links to my top releases from 1996 through 2002

 plus: other stuff


vex the author
Reviews
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W,X,Y,Z

Abunai!: Abunai! Presents: The Mystic River Sound
Aden: Black Cow
Adventures in Stereo: Alternative Stereo Sounds
Aleutian: Frame Dragging
Alice Texas: Gold
The Aluminum Group: Plano
Tiffany Anders: Runnin' from No Place to Nowhere
Ant Farmers: Beautician
The Apples in stereo: Tone Soul Evolution, The Marbles: Pyramid Landing (& Other Favorites), The Orange Peels: Square
Arab Strap: Elephant Shoe
Ashley Park: Town and Country
Aspera ad Astra / Lilys: self-titled split CD
Ass Ponys: Lohio
various artists: Atmosphere Only Gets You So Far
Autohaze: Counter Clockwise
*
Anton Barbeau: A Splendid Tray
Anton Barbeau: 17th Century Fuzzbox Blues
Anton Barbeau: The Golden Boot (Antology Vol. 2)
JZ Barrell: Here's the Surprise
Andrew Beaujon: A Raw-Boned June
Bedhead Loved Macha / Macha Loved Bedhead: Bedhead Loved Macha / Macha Loved Bedhead
Belle da Gama: Garden Abstract
Belloluna: Livid and Loving It
Beulah: Handsome Western States
Beulah: When Your Heartstrings Break
The Bevis Frond: Vavona Burr
Bichos: Four Legs in the Morning
Black Box Recorder: England Made Me
Black Box Recorder: The Facts of Life
Black Box Recorder: The Worst of Black Box Recorder
Frank Black: Cult of Ray
Frank Black & the Catholics: Pistolero
The Black Watch: The Christopher Smart EP
BOB: Sonic Hedges
Boiled in Lead: Alloy
The Bonzo Dog Band: Cornology
Bows: Blush
Boxhead Ensemble: The Last Place to Go; Pinetop Seven: Rigging the Toplights
Brain Donor: "She Saw Me Coming" b/w "Shaman U.F.O."
Brando: The Headless Horseman Is a Preacher
The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Zero Songs from the Album Bravery, Repetition and Noise
Bright Eyes: Every Day and Every Night
Brother Weasel: Brother Weasel
Franklin Bruno: Kiss without Makeup
Buckethead: Colma
Bugattitype 35: Bugattitype 35
Bunnygrunt: Jen-Fi: 15 Popular Favorites
Buttercup: Love
*
Cake Like: Goodbye, So What
Calexico: The Black Light
Califone: Califone; Sin Ropas: Three Cherries
David Candy: Play Power
Vinicius Cantuária: Tucumã
The Caribbean: The Caribbean
The Caribbean: Verse by Verse
Paula Carino: Aquacade
The Causey Way: With Loving and Open Arms
The Causey Way: Causey vs. Everything
Charming Hostess: Eat
Chestnut Station: Chestnut Station
Chestnut Station: In Your Living Room
Chevy Heston: Come to Sterilized
Ciao Bella: 1
Abraham Cloud: Voyage to Afghanistan
Cobra Verde: Nightlife
Bobby Conn: Rise Up!
The Container: The Container
Julian Cope: Interpreter
Julian Cope: An Audience with the Cope
Cotton Mather: Kon Tiki
Cords: Hear! See! Feel! Taste!
Creeper Lagoon: I Become Small and Go
Creeper Lagoon: Take Back the Universe and Give Me Yesterday
Crescent: Collected Works
Crooked Fingers: Crooked Fingers
Crustaceans: Crustaceans
Cup 388: The Arthur James Conspiracy
Curbside Journal: Pacific Standard Time
Holger Czukay: Good Morning Story
*
DAAU: We Need New Animals
Damon & Naomi with Ghost: Damon & Naomi with Ghost
Darling: The Floating World
Richard Davies: Barbarians
Larry O. Dean: Throw the Lions to the Christians
Death by Chocolate: Death by Chocolate
Death by Chocolate: Zap the World
Deformo: The Queen Bazaar; Deformo
The Delgados: Peloton
Destroyer: Thief
Destroyer: Streethawk: A Seduction
Devil in a Woodpile: Devil in a Woodpile
The Diggers: Mount Everest
The Dinner Is Ruined: Ray Charles Kind of Party
Disque 9: Des Incurables and Touchcandy: The Nights of Touchcandy, Part 1
Dissidenten: Instinctive Traveler
Dolly Varden: The Thrill of Gravity
various artists: Doob Doob O'Rama: More Filmsongs from Bollywood
Double Nelson: Le Grand Cornet
Johnny Dowd: Pictures from Life's Other Side
Gordon Downie: Coke Machine Glow
Dream City Film Club: Dream City Film Club
The Dylan Group: Adventures in Lying Down; La Makita Soma: Monkey Island
*
Early Day Miners: Placer Found; Matt Mateus: The Year of Sinking Ships
Echo Orbiter: Laughing All the While
Eddie the Rat: Eddie the Rat
Mark Eitzel: The Invisible Man
El Guapo: The Geography of Dissolution
The Elysian Fields: Queen of the Meadow
The Embarrassment: Blister Pop
Engine 88: Snowman
Roky Erickson: Demon Angel: A Day and Night with Roky Erickson
Eskimo: Some Prefer Cake: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Essex Green: Everything Is Green
Eureka Farm: The View
*
Fabric: Woolly Mammoth
Jad and David Fair: Monster Songs for Children
The Fall: The Light User Syndrome
The Fall: Are You Are Missing Winner
Fall from Grace: Fall from Grace
Faust: Ravvivando
Fayman & Fripp: A Temple in the Clouds
The Figgs: Sucking in Stereo
Firewater: Psychopharmacology
Steve Fisk: 999 Levels of Undo
Five Mile Ceiling: Five Mile Ceiling (1997)
Five Mile Ceiling: Five Mile Ceiling (1999)
The Five Mod Four/The Wrens: split EP
The Fletcher Pratt: Nine by Nine
Floraline: Floraline
The Fly Seville: Carousel
Fondly: F Is for...Fondly
Bill Fox: Transit Byzantium
The Frank & Walters: Grand Parade
Freakwater: End Times
From Bubblegum to Sky: Me and Amy and the Two French Boys
The Frosted Ambassador: The Frosted Ambassador
Frum the Hills: Frum the Hills
Future Bible Heroes: Memories of Love
*
Rebecca Gates: Ruby Series
Howe Gelb: Hisser
The Gerbils: Are You Sleepy?
Giant Ant Farm: Dressed in Milk
Daniel Givens: Age
The Glenrustles: Fire at Night
The Go-Betweens: The Lost Album: '78 - '79
The Go-Betweens: Send Me a Lullaby
The Go-Betweens: Before Hollywood
The Go-Betweens: Spring Hill Fair
The Go-Betweens: The Friends of Rachel Worth
God Is My Co-Pilot: Get Busy
The Gourds: Stadium Blitzer
Grant Lee Buffalo: Jubilee
Grasshopper and the Golden Crickets: The Orbit of Eternal Grace
The Gunga Din: Glitterati
*
The Hal Lovejoy Circus: American Made
The Hang Ups: Second Story
The Hangovers: Slow Dirty Tears
Harmony Rockets: I've Got a Golden Ticket
George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
Blake Hazard: Little Airplane
Tim Hecker: Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do It Again
The Helio Sequence: Com Plex
Mark Helm: Everything's OK
Joe Henry: Fuse
Her Space Holiday: The Astronauts Are Sleeping
His Name Is Alive: Ft. Lake
Hopewell: Contact
Danielle Howle: Catalog
Neilson Hubbard: Why Men Fail
Lida Husik: Mad Flavor
*
various artists: I Wanna Be Kate: The Songs of Kate Bush
Idiot Flesh: Fancy; Komar & Melamid with Dave Soldier: The People's Choice Music
Idlewild: 100 Broken Windows
IfIHadAHiFi: Ones and Zeroes
Immature Scientist Vacationist League: Pleasure Map
various artists: In My Living Room
Insanity Wave: Do the Worm
Insanity Wave: The Minor League
Diane Izzo: One
*
Jack Drag: Unisex Headwave
Jack Drag: Dope Box
Johan: Johan
Johnny Society: It Don't Matter
Mike Johnson: I Feel Alright
Jumprope: Bookshelf Adventures; various artists: Songs for the Jet Set Vol. 2
The Jupiter Affect: Instructions for the Two Ways of Becoming Alice
*
The Ken Kase Group: Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown
Kid Silver: Dead City Sunbeams
Kilopop!: Un Petit Goúter
King Black Acid: Loves a Long Song
Kings of Convenience: Kings of Convenience
Kiss My Jazz: In the Lost Souls Convention
Kleenex Girl Wonder: Ponyoak
Kleenex Girl Wonder: Smith
Koester: The High Highs, The Low Lows
Komar & Melamid with Dave Soldier: The People's Choice Music; Idiot Flesh Fancy
*
Labradford: E Luxo So
Laika: Good Looking Blues
L'Altra: Music of a Sinking Occasion
Shawn Lee: Monkey Boy
The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group: Sniff
various artists: Lemonlime Vol. 2
Lilys: Better Can't Make Your Life Better
Lilys: Services (For the Soon to Be Departed): The Tayt Overture
Lilys: The 3 Way
Lilys: Zero Population Growth
Lilys / Aspera ad Astra: self-titled split CD
Laurie Lindeen: A Pregnant Pause
Liquorette: When You Work I Sleep
Lonely Trailer: Multimeteor
The Lothars: Meet the Lothars
Lotion: ) "The Telephone Album"
The Loud Family: Interbabe Concern
The Loud Family: Days for Days
The Loud Family: Attractive Nuisance
The Loud Family: From Ritual to Romance
Lowkey: Osaka Economy; Shadrach Scat: Poor Man's Orchestra
Luna: Romantica
*
Macha: Macha
Macha: See it Another Way
Macha Loved Bedhead / Bedhead Loved Macha: Macha Loved Bedhead / Bedhead Loved Macha
The Maggies: Homesick
Magoo: From A to Z and Back Again,The Soateramic Sounds of Magoo
Major Organ and the Adding Machine: Major Organ and the Adding Machine
various artists: Make Way for No Karma
various artists: Many Miles Away (Police Tribute)
Maquiladora: The Lost Works of Eunice Phelps
The Marbles: Pyramid Landing (& Other Favorites); The Apples in stereo: Tone Soul Evolution; The Orange Peels: Square
Hannah Marcus: Faith Burns
Cole Marquis: Lightning in a Bottle; Snowmen: Last Days of the Central Freeway
Cole Marquis: Treasure Island Serenade
Mascott: Follow the Sound
Matt Mateus: The Year of Sinking Ships; Early Day Miners: Placer Found
Mavis Piggott: In a Dark Suit
Mazarin: Watch It Happen
Mazarin: Tall-Tale Storyline
The Mekons: I Have Been to Heaven and Back: Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Unpopular Culture Vol. 1; The Rock*a*Teens: Golden Time
The Mekons: Where Were You? Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Unpopular Culture Vol. 2
The Mekons: Journey to the End of the Night
The Mercury Program: All the Suits Begin to Fall Off
Scott Miller and the Commonwealth: Thus Always to Tyrants
The Minders: Hooray for Tuesday
Takako Minekawa: Cloudy Cloud Calculator
Mr. Blanding's Dreamhouse: Mr. Blanding's Dreamhouse
Mocket: Pro Forma
Month of Birthdays: Lost in Translation; Spy vs. Spy: Spy vs. Spy
Moon: Get it through Your Heart
R. Stevie Moore: Phonography
The Mountain Goats: The Coroner's Gambit
The Multiple Cat: Elements Of
The Multiple Cat: The Golden Apple Hits
Mumble and Peg: Wondering in Volume
Rian Murphy and Will Oldham: All Most Heaven
Muscadine: The Ballad of Hope Nicholls
The Music Tapes: 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad
My Scarlet Life: Buzzbomb
various artists: Mystique: A Benefit for the AIDS Action Committee
*
The New Grand: Incognito
The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic (with John F. Butland of Toast magazine)
Nightcaps: Split
Nine Wood: New Can of Ice
Nothing Painted Blue: The Monte Carlo Method
NovaSonic Down Hyper Space: Embracing Magnetics
Now It's Overhead: Now It's Overhead
*
Of Montreal: Cherry Peel
Of Montreal: The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy
Of Montreal: Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
various artists: Oh, Merge: A Merge Records 10 Year Anniversary Selection
various artists: OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music: 1948 - 1980
The Olivia Tremor Control: Black Foliage: Animation Music
The Olivia Tremor Control: Presents: Singles and Beyond
Olo: Still Life with Peripheral Grey
Jill Olson: My Best Yesterday
Optiganally Yours: Spotlight on...Optiganally Yours
Optiganally Yours: Exclusively Talentmaker!
The Orange Peels: Square; The Marbles: Pyramid Landing (& Other Favorites); The Apples in stereo: Tone Soul Evolution
Oranger: Doorway to Norway
Oranger: The Quiet Vibration Land
Outrageous Cherry: Nothing's Gonna Cheer You Up
*
Frank Pahl: In Cahoots
Parlor James: Old Dreams
various artists: The Patio Collection Volume Two
Paul K and the Prayers: Saratoga
Paul Newman: Re-Issue! Re-Package! Re-Package! Re-Evaluate the Songs!
Pele: Elephant
The Pennies: Come, We Go
Pere Ubu: Pennsylvania
Pere Ubu: St. Arkansas
Lee Scratch Perry: Techno Party
The Pets: Love and War
Louis Philippe: A Kiss in the Funhouse
Sam Phillips: Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop)
Sam Phillips: Fan Dance
Photon Band: All Young in the Soul
Photon Band: Our Own ESP Driven Scene (Singles, Comps, and Outtakes: '95 - '00)
Pinback: Pinback; Thingy: To the Innocent
Pinetop Seven: No Breath in the Bellows
Pinetop Seven: Rigging the Toplights; Boxhead Ensemble: The Last Place to Go
Plastics Hi-Fi: Sonic Vacation
Poole: The Late Engagement
Poole: Among Whom We Shine
Poor Rich Ones: Happy Happy Happy
Pop Canon: Pop Canon
Pop Canon: D'Art
various artists: Pop Romantique: French Pop Classics
Popcycle: Gool
Poster Children: New World Record
Pregnant: Unusual Lover
The Push Kings: Far Places
*
Radio Birdman: The Essential Radio Birdman (1974 - 1978)
Radiohead: Amnesiac
Mitchell Rasor: Waterloo in Reverse
Red House Painters: Old Ramon
various artists: Red Snerts: The Sound of Gulcher
Regular Einstein: Seven Deadly Songs
R.E.M.: Reveal
The Reptile Palace Orchestra: Hwy X
Ribbon Effect: Slip
Amy Rigby: The Sugar Tree
The Rock*a*Teens: Cry
The Rock*a*Teens: Baby, A Little Rain Must Fall
The Rock*a*Teens: Golden Time; The Mekons: I Have Been to Heaven and Back: Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Unpopular Culture Vol. 1
The Rock*a*Teens: Sweet Bird of Youth
The Rock*a*Teens: Noon Under the Trees
Rocket from the Tombs: The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs
Rube Waddell: Stink Bait
The Rusty Nails: The Rusty Nails
*
The Sadies: Pure Diamond Gold
Erik Sanko: Past Imperfect, Present Tense
Heidi Saperstein: The Devil I Once Knew
Saturnine: Mid the Green Fields
Sault Ste. Marie: Press & Drizzle
Screw Radio: The Best of Screw Radio
Cecil Seaskull: Whoever
Seely: Winter Birds
Sex Mob: Din of Iniquity, 3 Minute Hero: Everyday Ninjas
The Seymores: 1000 lb. Grr'lla
The Seymores: Treat Her Like a Show Cat
Shadrach Scat: Poor Man's Orchestra; Lowkey: Osaka Economy
various artists: Shanti Project Collection 2
Shark Quest: Battle of the Loons
The Shazam: Rev9
various artists: The Singles (1995-1996): Loverly Music
Sister Sonny: Lovesongs
Sixteen Deluxe: The Moonman Is Blue
Sixteen Deluxe: Vision Take Me, Make Me, Never Forsake Me
Sixteen Horsepower: Folklore
The Sixths: Hyacinths and Thistles
Sky Cries Mary: Fresh Fruits for the Liberation
Slackjaw: Darkest Hour
Sleepyhead: The Brighter Shore
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum: Grand Opening and Closing
Slider: Sudden Fun
Smart Brown Handbag: Just Like Driving Backward
Snowmen: Last Days of the Central Freeway; Cole Marquis: Lightning in a Bottle
The Solipsistics: Jesus of the Apes
various artists: Songs for the Jet Set Vol. 2; Jumprope: Bookshelf Adventures
various artists: Songs for the Jet Set 2000: Vol. III
Songs: Ohia: Axxess & Ace
John Southworth: Mars Pennsylvania
Sparklehorse: Good Morning Spider
Minton Sparks: Middlin' Sisters
Spoozys: Astral Astronauts
Sportsguitar: Happy Already
Tobin Sprout: Let's Welcome the Circus People
Spy vs. Spy: Spy vs. Spy; Month of Birthdays: Lost in Translation
Star Period Star: Star.Star
The Starlight Mints: The Dream that Stuff Was Made Of; The Waxwings: Low to the Ground
Stars of the Lid: The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
Stereolab: Sound-Dust
Stereo Total: Stereo Total
The Stratford 4: The Revolt Against Tired Noises
Stratotanker: Gambit
Ken Stringfellow: This Sounds Like Goodbye
The Styrenes: We Care, So You Don't Have To
The Sugarplastic: Resin
Sulfur: Delirium Tremens
Sunset Valley: The New Speed
Sunset Valley: Boyscout Superhero
The Sunshine Fix: The Future History of a Sunshine Fix
Swell Maps: Sweep the Desert
System and Station: Pictures Found in Paragraphs
*
Tarwater: Remix EP
The Teacups: This Will Come Back to Haunt You
The Terrifying Experience: Search for Omega Minus
Thingy: Songs About Angels, Evil, and Running Around on Fire
Thingy: To the Innocent; Pinback: Pinback
Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra: Futuremuzik
Those Bastard Souls: Debt & Departure
3 Minute Hero: Everyday Ninjas; Sex Mob: Din of Iniquity
Throneberry: Squinting Before the Dazzle
Thrush Hermit: Clayton Park
Touchcandy: The Nights of Touchcandy, Part 1; Disque 9: Des Incurables
Trailer Bride: Smelling Salts
Trailer Bride: Whine de Lune
Traindodge: Torch EP
Tram: Heavy Black Frame
Tram: Frequently Asked Questions
Tram: A Kind of Closure
Tri-Danielson: Tri-Danielson!!! A ("alpha")
Tripping Daisy: Tripping Daisy
Trunk Federation: The Curse of Miss Kitty
Twigs: Epicure
The Twin Atlas: The Philadelphia Parking Authority Must Die
*
Ulan Bator: Ego:Echo
U.S. Saucer: Hell, Yes!
*
Gus Van Sant: Gus Van Sant
Vandermark/McBride/Drake: Spaceways Incorporated: Thirteen Cosmic Standards by Sun Ra and Funkadelic
John Vanderslice: Mass Suicide Occult Figurines
John Vanderslice: Time Travel Is Lonely
Velocette: Fourfold Remedy
Virginia Dare: Baby Got Away
The Virgins: West 7
Vitesse: What Can Not Be, But Is...
Chris Von Sneidern: Wood and Wire
*
W.A.C.O.: Darling Clementine
The Wallmen: Electronic Home Entertainment System
The Wandering Stars: The Wandering Stars
The Waxwings: Low to the Ground; The Starlight Mints: The Dream that Stuff Was Made Of
Brenda Weiler: Trickle Down
Whistler: Whistler
The White Octave: Style No. 6312
Windy & Carl: Consciousness
Wire: Read & Burn 01
Wolf Colonel: Vikings of Mint
Wolfie: Where's Wolfie?
Hawksley Workman: For Him and the Girls
The Wrens: Abbott 1135
The Wrens: Secaucus
The Wrens/The Five Mod Four: split EP
*
XTC: Apple Venus Volume 1
*
various artists: You'll Never Eat Fast Food Again
*
Zoobombs: Welcome Back, Zoobombs!
*

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W,X,Y,Z



irk the author

April 2, 2003