The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always (1985)

From allmusic (4/5):

"With the band itself falling to bits shortly after the March 1985 debut of First and Last and Always, the album's place in the skewed history of the rise of goth rock would, on one hand, be permanently linked with that discord but, on the other, not impacted in the slightest, leaving the fractious set's success and structure to become a blueprint for an entire generation of up-and-comers. With static drumbeats and jangle-angled guitars backing Andrew Eldritch's atonic, graveyard vocals, the songs on First and Last and Always paid to play alongside the ghosts of myriad forgotten post-punkers as well as the band's own goth forebears. From the opening air-fire claustrophobia of "Black Planet" to the melancholy "No Time to Cry," Eldritch continually assured listeners that "everything's gonna be alright" — but, really, coming out of that mouth, did anyone actually believe him? Even on the occasional wobbly patches imbedded in the now classic "Marian" and the title track, where the song threatens to dissolve into irrelevance despite Eldritch's chirky vocal, they pull up wonderfully on the bass-driven, bee-stung guitar gem "Possession" and the closing "Some Kind of Stranger," an untouchable epic that, clocking in at over seven minutes, is the best of its kind from any time — period. "Some Kind of Stranger" not only became a love song for the doom and gloom crowd, but was also an anthemic, anemic declaration of intent laid bare in a haze of sonic smoke and mirrors. Copied to death, its brilliance has never been replicated. Indeed, the entire album remains unequaled in the genre, permanently granted top place on a pedestal from which it cannot be toppled."

Get it here.

Curve - Doppelgänger (1992)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Following a series of single and EP releases that had found chart success in the U.K. and indie credibility in the States, the British band Curve released their full-length debut Doppelganger on Dave Stewart's Anxious label. Led by lead singer Toni Halliday and guitarist Dean Garcia, both of whom had toured with Robert Plant, Curve enlisted production help from Flood for this record. Roaming the same sonic landscape as My Bloody Valentine, Doppelganger features the breathy, dreamy vocals of Halliday over top layers of throbbing guitar, dense keyboards, and sledgehammer drumming to create formidable aural textures. At times meandering and unrelenting, tracks like "Already Yours" and "Wish You Dead" are stellar workouts full of rhythm and attitude. The few slower numbers are a nice change of pace with the best results on "Fait Accompli" and the quiet, almost dirge-like "Sandpit," where the less dense instrumentation allows Halliday's vocals to become the focal point. At times menacing and dark and other times more playful, Doppelganger is a bracing listening experience that earned Curve well-deserved attention on both sides of the Atlantic."

Get it here.

Gang Starr - Daily Operation (1992)

Because there is a disturbing lack of hip hop.

From allmusic (5/5):

"On Step in the Arena, DJ Premier and Guru hit upon their mature sound, characterized by sparse, live jazz samples, Premier's cut-up scratching, and Guru's direct, unwavering streetwise monotone; but, with Daily Operation, the duo made their first masterpiece. From beginning to end, Gang Starr's third full-length album cuts with the force and precision of a machete and serves as an ode to and representation of New York and hip-hop underground culture. The genius of Daily Operation is that Guru's microphone skills are perfectly married to the best batch of tracks Premier had ever come up with. Guru has more of a presence than he has ever had, slinking and pacing through each song like a man with things on his mind, ready to go off at any second. Premier's production has an unparalleled edge here. He created the minimalist opening track, "The Place Where We Dwell," out of a two-second drum-solo sample and some scratching, but is also able to turn around and create something as lush and melodic as the jazz-tinged "No Shame in My Game" without ever seeming to be out of his element, making every track of the same sonic mind. For an underground crew, Gang Starr has always had a knack for crafting memorable vocal hooks to go with the expert production, and they multiply both aspects on Daily Operation. Every song has some attribute that stamps it indelibly into the listener's head, and it marks the album as one of the finest of the decade, rap or otherwise."

Get it here.

Also:
Gang Starr - Step in the Arena (1991)

Poe - Haunted (2000)

From allmusic (4/5):

"Seductive singer/songwriter and producer Poe returns with a bombastic second release Haunted, making for a mind-blowing intimate account of her relationship with her father, well-known lecturer and talented documentary filmmaker Tad Danielewski. Shifting around the gnarling reign of powerhouse femininity draped over her debut Hello (1995), Poe is much stronger on Haunted's layers of therapy, and that's certainly impressive for a sophomore effort. She splices in spooky stints of her late father's recorded voice to converse with him in an attempt at closeness, therefore making Haunted a story of sorts. It is more like a story anyway: Poe's novelist brother Mark Z. Danielewski wrote The House of Leaves (2000), and the music found on Haunted is an eerie account of the book itself, serving cathartic measures for both Poe and her brother.

The overall album is sexy, in fact hauntingly so with Poe's vocals growling and bellowing for self-appreciation and individualism, especially on the title track and "Control." The third song into the record, "Control" is an excellent track with crashing percussion and mysterious backdrops from her father, which are layered over goth-like string arrangements and Poe's emotional roar. The quick flamenco stylings of "Spanish Doll" are sheer in the face of the tempestuous "Walk the Walk," and "Wild" keeps up with the bold in the midst of its brisk, moody complexity due to Poe's self-searching process of acceptance and retaliation at being disregarded. Haunted's initial concept alone alone is brilliant. Poe has outdone herself creatively and artistically; the drum machines and overlapping guitar riffs among her sampled vocals and stretched lyrics make this album more of a modern-day epic. It is also a sweet tribute to her late father, and a nice composite to speak to him. Sadly, Poe's work might not be welcomed in the mainstream, which is disappointing because her original compositions have the makings for a new music revolution alongside the likes of Radiohead's Kid A. Haunted is in its own class of twisted intelligence and beauty."

Get it here.

Velocity Girl - ¡Simpatico! (1994)

From allmusic (4/5):

"The problem with Copacetic was the dingy production, so for Simpatico, Velocity Girl hooks up with the Smiths' first LP producer John Porter. Flaw corrected. Perhaps too much? Some have expressed the opinion that Porter has neutered them somewhat, and indeed, the rawer edges have largely been relinquished, but so what? They sound great now, much tighter, more convincing, more together. Constant touring has obviously toughened and synchronized them, so credit them for a lot of thankless, hard work. Simpatico, at the least, is a three-times-better version of their first LP, which is the small flaw now -- they don't seem to have enlarged their scope much, still clinging to the chiming guitar version of the Wedding Present meets the Shangri-La's they started with long ago -- remember when My Forgotten Favorite was on so many of our turntables? And the problem with narrow scopes is that some of the songs just aren't going to click as much as the better versions of the same thing. But if they aren't going to change their sound, or to a lesser extent, their style; at least they can keep getting better at it, and that is the case, so there are more big delights. "Drug Girls" has a sharp chorus, and the best song, "Rubble," adds a New Order bass and acoustic. "Hey You, Get Off My Moon" at least attempts a slow ballad, and "What You Left Behind" and the single "Sorry Again" are big-time hooky. Porter seems to have worked Sarah Shannon into singing stronger and more firmly. It's time to move on, but for now, there's plenty to enjoy. "

Get it here.

Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses (1986)

From allmusic (5/5):

"Throwing Muses' self-titled 1986 debut is still a startling collision of punk energy, folky melodicism, and Kristin Hersh's mercurial voice and lyrics. The violent, vibrant mood swings on songs like "Call Me" are a testament not only to Hersh's unique talent, but the elasticity of Tanya Donelly, David Narcizo, and Leslie Langston's playing. Even if the volatile moods on songs like "Hate My Way" aren't easily understood, they're easily felt; the twists and turns "Vicky's Box" and "Rabbits Dying" take are guided purely by the intense emotions they carry. Throwing Muses is almost as varied musically as it is emotionally, ranging from the scary punkabilly of "America (She Can't Say No)" to "Stand Up"'s angular, acoustic post-punk to the cathartic thrill of "Delicate Cutters"'s unsettling folk. Donelly contributes the surreal, ethereal love song "Green"; even at this early point in the Muses' career, it's clear that she is a more accessible, straightforward songwriter, despite the care taken to make the song sound more like the rest of the album. A powerful debut, Throwing Muses puts the work of most self-consciously "tortured" artists to shame; its fluid, effortless emotional shifts may not make for the most accessible music, but they're unquestionably genuine."

Get it here.

The Afghan Whigs - Congregation (1991)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"The grunge era's most overlooked masterpiece, Congregation was the Afghan Whigs' breakthrough album, an incendiary and insidious set which bridges the gap between the noisy aggression of the band's early releases and the soulful swagger of their later work. Slipping with ominous ease into the sinister, self-obsessed Lothario guise which would serve him so well from here on out, Greg Dulli announces his arrival as a truly magnetic presence -- by turns predator ("Tonight") and prey ("I'm Her Slave"), he's the guy your parents always warned you about, delivering each syllable of his remarkable lyrics with equal measures of innuendo and venom. Equally startling is the Whigs' musical growth -- while still unmistakably a member of the Sub Pop stable, there's a greater maturity and depth to their sinewy sound, with a newfound grasp of mood and nuance on tracks like the opening "Her Against Me" and "Let Me Lie to You" -- the wah-wah guitar which dominates "Turn On the Water," meanwhile, offers the first taste of the funk ambitions to follow. It was hardly a surprise when the Whigs jumped to Elektra soon after -- Congregation was clearly their ticket to the big leagues."

Get it here.

Françoise Hardy - Ma jeunesse fout le camp... (1967)

Happy Bastille Day.

Simon Riley's review over on Amazon.com (5/5):

"This album is a must-have for any fan of 60s French pop. Avoiding some of the disingenuous disposability of her earlier "yeh-yeh" era songs and the occasionally maudlin element of her later work, "Ma Jeunesse" is an impressively even album. It captures that wonderful time in French music where the technical strengths of the chanson tradition were able to blend with the best influences in mainstream pop in the UK and US to produce something uniquely of its time. Although many of the songs are tinged with a sense of loss, the sobriety is lifted throughout by the strong melodies, written by Hardy herself and a rich variety of collaborators. The highlight is "Des Ronds Dans L'Eau" from the film "Vivre Pour Vivre", a cascading and haunting tune, beautifully sung by Hardy. Like all great albums, "Ma Jeunesse" never rests on its laurels and continues to twist and turn all the way through to to the wistful "C'etait Charmant". I would recommend it both to aficionados and starters in French pop. Sad though that the genre's period of true greatness was so shortlived."

moondoggieferg's review on RYM (4/5):

"Do you like beautiful, sad ballads? Move mountains to hear the title track of this LP, then.

Post the shoddily produced earlier 60s stuff - the stuff where you really need to be a fan - Francoise Hardy was a real star, one of the definitive voices of the late 60s.

One of her 3 or 4 best, I reckon."

Get it here.

The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk (1981)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"This time working solely with Steve Lillywhite, the Furs introduce a brighter, poppier side to their underground rock edge, with smashing results throughout. The group produces some powerful songs, even more rough-edged than before. Especially striking is "Dumb Waiters," with its queasy, slow-paced arrangement that allows both Kilburn's sax and Ashton's guitar to go wild. However, the six still create some undeniable pop classics. Most well-known is the lead track, "Pretty in Pink," inspiration for the iconic John Hughes film years later and re-recorded as a result. The original is still where to go, though, with Butler's catchy description of a romantically unsure woman matched by a killer band performance. Similarly lighter numbers on the record call to mind a rockier version of Roxy Music's output in later years: elegant, romantic angst given a slightly rougher edge in both music and vocals. "She Is Mine" is especially fine as a gently swinging number with some of Butler's best, quietly ruminative lyrics. Straight-up anthems abound as well, the best being the amazing "Into You Like a Train," which mixes the blunt desire of the title with a sparkling Ashton guitar line and a fast rhythm punch. Talk Talk Talk ends on another high with "All of This and Nothing." A soft, acoustic guitar-sax-rhythm combination introduces the song, then fades away for the main section to begin; Butler details bits and pieces from a lost relationship over a sharp full-band performance, and a final drum smash leads into a reprise of the start — a fine way to end a fine record."

Get it here.

Joy Zipper - American Whip (2004)

From allmusic (4/5):

"Joy Zipper's second album American Whip is as sun-kissed and blissful as their first. Which is to say very much so. Sort of like a sunny take on the Jesus and Mary Chain circa Darklands, the band works the same straightforward noise-dipped-in-honey-approach as the JAMC. Only instead of Jim and William Reid's sneers, we get Vincent Cafiso and Tabitha Tindale's sweet as sugar vocals and harmonies. The catch is that the candy is a cover for the dark and gloomy subject matter of the lyrics. You may never hear bubblier songs about drug use, dying, Alzheimer's, feeling like a mannequin and madness. Whether this is a good thing depends on how you like your lyrics. Some may find the content a bit jarring. If you can hack it, though, this is a solid indie pop record. No surprises to be had but plenty of melody, harmony and hooks. Plenty of happy-when-it-pains tracks like "Christmas Song," "Ron" and "Valley Stream" to hum as you contemplate the dark underbelly of life. Perfect for a really creepy summer day."

Get it here.

Cranes - Forever (1993)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Bookended by two tracks that essentially are the same piece -- "Everywhere," a quicker, almost dancy number that still sounds uniquely Cranes, and the slower, stripped-down "Rainbows" -- Forever finds Cranes moving from strength to strength. Having reached a new level of variety and elegant restraint combined with brusque power on Wings of Joy, the foursome continued exploring such combinations on Forever without simply rehashing the previous album. If anything, the album went to extremes in both directions -- the quieter moments were even more hushed and shadowed, the louder points all that much more whip-snap cruel. "Cloudless" remains the album's most sweetly beautiful, truly haunting moment. Over what sounds like a synthesized combination of plucked violin and keyboards, doubtless played by Jim Shaw, sister Alison delivers a softly husky vocal that slowly grows in strength. More synth strings swell up in the background, just enough, followed later by gentle electric guitar and at the end distant drums. On a completely different tip, there's "Clear," its searing, blunt lead guitar line matched by a massive rhythm slam, only occasionally interrupted by a quieter moment or two before launching back into the full band attack. "Jewel" ended up being a surprise U.K. and U.S. hit, though thanks to a somewhat transformed remix courtesy of longtime fan Robert Smith (in fact, Forever takes its name from a Cure rarity of the same title). On the album, Jim Shaw's original rougher drums stand out, but the attractive poppy groove of the song remains the same, Alison Shaw's singing at her clearest yet over the simple but effective acoustic guitar rhythms and abrasive electric solo. Other highlights include the minimal piano-led "Far Away," with some of Alison's best vocals; the narcotic guitar chime of "Golden"; and the dramatic, blasting surge of "Adrift.""

Get it here.

Also:
Cranes - Wings of Joy (1991)

Pomplamoose

Yet another group that hasn't exactly materilized an album yet, but they are on the rise. Reason why they have gained populatity are from their youtube videos. I have a couple of songs I bought from them. They were that good that I had to spend money to obtain the mp3s. Hope that tells you something.

Download

They currently have more mp3s up on their myspace if you are interested

Mayer Hawthorne

(Lawl this man has a heart shaped vinyl, very orginial)

From Stone Throw's bio on Mayer Hawthorne (really the only information you really need to know what kind of music he makes):

Hawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never sang in the church choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. “I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,” says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.”

I am posting what is 4 songs, which are the only songs he has out as of now, but I have played out these songs so many times because they are very good. Soulful shit you won't find anywhere else unless you fire up a John Bulton record, something of the like. Mayer Hawthorne will be going places and once you hear these songs you'll know why. He will soon have an LP released 9/9/09. I am the first one in line to get it.

Download

Selda - Türkülerimiz 1 (1995)

I'm sure you're familiar with Selda; you've probably heard Oh No sampling "Ince Ince" on those Skate 2 commercials, or, more recently, Mos Def rapping over this same beat on his latest album The Ecstatic (first track). I may get around to posting Selda later, but for now Türkülerimiz 1 will do.


"What a voice this girl has! Very well played fusion/mix of turk-arabic roots and folk-european pop...
I have no idea if this is mainstream or not, but it sure is news and fresh to me, and with lovely strange words like; Bülbül :)" - Lilleboll (4/5)

"I usually compare Selda Bağcan to Violeta Parra and sometimes Mercedes Sosa because they arranged folk songs with modern style.This is the characteristics of the genre of their music. Nuevo Cansion and Anadolu Pop (or Rock) did the same thing (I guess Anadolu Pop were a bit late as 5-10 years late This is maybe they (Turkish counterparts) followed this kinda intenational cultural movements or just it was re-produced in the conditions of that era .I don't have the album right beside me so i can't write which songs belongs originally to whom, but Bağcan mostly covered folk artist Neşet Ertaş and Mahsuni Şerif.Some songs are anonymous such as "Kalenin Dibinde Taş Ben Olaydım" and "Gesi Bağları".There are some that written and/or composed by Selda Bağcan such as "Çemberimde gül oya".But i should note that the songs which covered are played with the guitar(and/or other pop/rock instruments) which is not local musical instruments and therefore hadn't been used in the original versions.Thus one can never ignore The Selda factor which made the songs into a brand new form and made the songs known by broader audience particullarly the youth which is familiar with the westerner popular pop/rock music." - Moremun (4/5)

Get it here.

Spoon - Girls Can Tell (2001)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Time may not exactly heal all wounds, but it can lend the perspective and strength to channel pain into something positive. Such is the case with Spoon; their perennial indie rock underdog status and disastrous stint on Elektra have focused and tempered the trio's brash energy instead of crushing it. Their third full-length, Girls Can Tell, reflects the group's lean, hungry stance in its spare, spiky, immaculately crafted songs. "Take the Fifth" and "Take a Walk" take Spoon's smart, bouncy, slightly tough signature sound to another level; while the ghosts of the Pixies, Nirvana, and Elvis Costello still haunt songs like "Lines in the Suit," Girls Can Tell's sharp wordplay, barbed guitars, and appealingly raw vocals prove that the group embraces their influences without becoming slaves to them. Britt Daniel's increasingly eclectic and expansive songwriting comes to the forefront on "Everything Hits at Once," a taut, brooding pop song driven by vibes, keyboards, yearning, and pride; "Me and the Bean" suggests the direction alternative/indie rock should have taken after Nirvana's implosion. This album is also Spoon's most emotionally eclectic collection of songs, ranging from "Anything You Want," a sunny pop song drawn with just a few artfully placed strokes to "1020 AM," a brooding, slightly psychedelic piece of folk-rock that recalls Daniel's Drake Tungsten side project. "This Book Is a Movie," an appropriately tense, filmic instrumental, and "Chicago at Night," a slightly spooky pop song with winding guitars and an off-kilter melody, complete Girls Can Tell, making it Spoon's most mature, accomplished work to date and a fine balance of fire and polish."

Get it here.

Françoise Hardy - La question (1971)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Throughout her career, most of Françoise Hardy's arrangements have tended toward the lush, though in a good way. La Question is lush too, but it's one of her most sparsely produced efforts, usually finding her voice accompanied by little more than an acoustic guitar, touches of bass, and very subtle orchestration. Much of the record's lights-low ambience could be attributed to Tuca (no last name given), who played guitar, co-arranged, and co-wrote most of the tunes (though Hardy did contribute to the composition of a few tracks). It may be her best post-'60s effort, songs like "Chanson d'O" and "Le Martien" featuring some of her most whispery, seductive vocals. As fireside romantic music goes, it beats the hell out of José Feliciano."

sizeprize's review on RYM (5/5):

"Francoise Hardy could have been slotted into the typical French chanteuse category, surviving on her looks and singing easy standards. But while sex appeal and songs written by others are her fare, she delivers on that more than others, and adds to it a sincere artists' sensibility that makes her the opposite of an ingenue, but rather a smart, sexy, arty, womanly force.

The first word of this album is a come-on: "Viens..." delivered with smoldering boudoir sexuality that sets the mood for the whole album. The songs are of longing, doomed romance, loving like it's the only thing on earth. Hardy's voice and personality carry these smartly written songs, but the mood is built by the wonderful orchestration that surrounds them, not layering over the directness of the voice but enhancing it.

This is an amazing record."

Get it here.

Shiina Ringo - Shouso Strip (2000)

Since I posted Tokyo Jihen's Adult earlier, it only made sense to upload one of Ringo's solo albums. Once again allmusic fails me, so here are some reviews from Rate Your Music:

"A great pop/rock album, that's exciting, exuberant and very, very catchy. The powerful, emotionally-charged vocals are a treat, and the little experimental tweaks in the instrumentation keep things vibrant and interesting. The chorus of "ギブス" (aka "Gips") is so uplifting it should lift the roof off your house. Highly recommended." - tommo (4.5/5)

"First of all in order to describe this to you, I must digress that on my initial experience with Ringo I couldn't put my finger on which side of the pretentious, over produced pop, mish mash/genius obscure rock album line this thing fell on. So of course I listened to it non-stop for days, researched everything I could find out about her and this album and now I can safely say that this falls on the latter side of that line.

It's a crazy, shape shifting experience, full of great, sly, mysterious guitar lines very reminiscent of Jonny Greenwood [partially due to the fact that I believe the guitar player (her boyfriend at the time) uses a Roland Space Echo or a similiar effect]. One other impressive thing about Shoso Strip is that although it's a solo album, the focus is on the music and atmosphere as a whole and not solely on Ringo.My theory about the album is that she had gone to the U.K. during the release of O.K. Computer, which had to have an influence on her music, she returned to Japan, and came out with this gem. While a slight few of the pop laden tracks get a bit average the rest of the album makes up for them. And although Ringo's voice can be a little annoying when she does her Alanis Morisette impression, she can really emote, create some memorable melodies, and shift along to the intricate changes with ease. Sometimes she does sing in a style similiar to Fiona Apple as well. On top of all that, this album is so skillfully produced that it just flows so effortlessly through all the chaotic and beautiful changes, it almost requires multiple listens.I do have a gripe with some of the guitars on here which can be really genius, but on a few tracks they seem overly simple, with your basic four chord, perfect fifth rifffage...but I'm being a bit hypercritical. Ultimately this is pretty amazing and seriously near perfect, which means a lot coming from me because I really had little affinity for female vocalists until I heard this." - TheWestWind (4.5/5)

Get it here.

Bullion - Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee (2007)

I really don't think a review is necessary for this album. I mean, look at the title: Pet Sounds vs. J Dilla. How can that be bad at all? Mad props to Bullion on this one. One of the best things about this album (and really, any great album) is that you can easily listen to it all in one sitting.

"I am in love with this. I'm an idiot, so I don't get how exactly this was made, but this sounds like Jay Dee personally remixing the Pet Sounds sessions, and that makes it absolutely incredible. It's fucking beautifully done, and I can listen to the whole thing. In one sitting. I praise Bullion. "God Only Knows" and "You Still Believe in Dee" are the best. I have eargasms just thinking about how well this was done. So much better than West Sounds₁." - jjjonatron (4/5)

Get it here.

1: Yeah, West Sounds (which is just the College Dropout mixed with Pet Sounds) doesn't compare to this.

Pizzicato Five - Happy End of the World (1997)

The reviewers over at RYM are a lot more helpful than the people over on allmusic/pitchfork, etc. From now on, RYM reviews take preference over professional reviews.
Anyway, let's get on with it:

"A Japanese masterpiece. The album opens with "The World's Spinning at 45 R.P.M", which is one of my favourite pop song titles ever. The song begins as a pseudo-psychedelic and Beatlesque pop track, before becoming a typically irresistible P5 number. The vibe has been set. "The Earth Goes Around" is nearly as nice, while "Trailer Music" and "Love's Prelude" are nothing but interludes – however, quite interesting ones. "My Baby Portable Player Sound" is the first smash on the album, followed by "Mon Amour Tokyo" which sounds very international in its adult-contemporary pop-schlager tripping. "Collision and Improvisation" is one of those numbers which simply sound wonderful, however inappropriate they may seem. "Arigato We Love You", finally, breaks P5 into a classic quality level; while most of this album's content reminds me of Saint Etienne, I wonder if Saint Etienne has ever made anything this catchy. "Happy Ending" leaves me quite happy, perhaps except for the ending of the song which typically consists of a long pause and a few tens of seconds of something quite non-musical. Beside that, "Porno 3003" (the title possibly inspired by the Sushi 3003 compilation?) is the only filler on the disc. All the other stuff is more or less fascinating: soundtrack to a reality film I would feel superb acting in." - fairyeee (4.5/5)

"When I was in school and the cool kids were all about Nirvana and RATM and The Manics and... well, I don't really remember, I was scrabbling around record shops looking for Pizzicato Five and Melt-Banana albums. Why this happened to me I've never been entirely clear, and it never won me any friends, but for better or for worse, Happy End Of The World ended up being one of the defining albums of my youth, and pretty much everything about it has influenced pretty much everything I'm done, musically or otherwise, for the past 12 years.

Maybe having hunted around for it so long, it could never be anything other than gold, but years later, the sweet demented vocals and the slick élan and the cut-up drums like bloody cannons are just about all I want from music. Without P5, I'd probably think the Blood Brothers were a sack of crap, and where would we be then?" - Fotzepolitic (5/5)

Get it here.

Tokyo Jihen - Adult (2006)

東京事変 (Tokyo Jihen), which translates to Tokyo Incidents, is Shiina Ringo's current main project. I don't feel like writing my own review (which I'll get around to someday), so here are some words from some fellow RYM-ers:

"I dunno, there's this certain charm about Shiina Ringo that's lacking in some J-pop singers. It's either that or she's backed by really good musicians on this album. Now I'm not that familiar with her other releases, but I got hooked on this one when I first took it for a spin. The pop and rock elements work well together, and hints of jazz and bossa just make it more worthwhile. Some of my favorites include "Himitsu", "Tasogare Naki", "Blackout" and "Tegami" (because I'm a sucker for ballads). " - Happymeal (4/5)

"Tokyo Jihen's previous album had flirted with a certain smoky jazz bar atmosphere but it is in this album that they truly embrace it. Adult finds the incidents [sic] a lot more polished and a lot more comfortable with their own sound. They tackle standard pop/rock tunes from a new jazzier angle as well as doing straightforward piano ballads, flirting with lounge and bossa nova. They can do it all. Anyway, Shiina Ringo's vocals are fantastic as always and while this record lacks the eccentricities of her solo work, it is nonetheless essential for any Shiina fan. Hell, any pop fan in general. There is a lot to love here." - ninjavsself (4.5)

Me? I gave it a 4.5/5. It's a whole lot of fun, and pretty chill. If I had more than three hours of sleep in the past two days, then I'd be a lot more articulate. Meh. Take our collective recommendation.

Get it here.