If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Tujiko Noriko Album : PON Quick Thoughts : I try to give the first impressions of music with this type of post, but I find Tujiko Noriko to be difficult to describe in comparison to others. It's not quite experimental, but it's not ambient, either. There's a lot going on here, and all I know is that I keep coming back to it and finding something new to love. Worth your time, if only to see if it's your thing. Songs of Note : "Only on Love," "Knife of Yondr," "Boku Wa Obake," "Kareki Ni Hana," "Quarz Rework," "Kazeyo Pon," "Kikoeru Pon" Artist : Pussy Riot Album : CYKA Quick Thoughts : Yes, this is a proper album, and the first full-length from the Russian protest group, and it's great. It has the anger and rage you'd expect, but is also sonically interesting, with hints of electroclash and hyperpop mixed in. Given that Putin is still kicking around, Pussy Riot remains ...

BIG|BRAVE rewired my brain. Allegedly they're doom metal, but I don't hear it and genre doesn't matter with something this compelling anyway. It's got experimental elements, it's got weaponized feedback and distortion, it's got beauty in its madness. I recommend it to people who don't mind being a little more on the adventerous side, and they love it. It's an intense record that feels like an experience , which is unique and largely speaks to the strength of releases this year that it somehow dropped to my #6. I feel like BIG|BRAVE is one of those hidden musical gems out there that is the secret no one wants to keep. A Chaos of Flowers will probably stick with me for years to come, and I intend to shout it from the rooftops. Songs of Note: "i felt a funeral," "canon : in canon"