Consuming in 2024: My Favorite Music

Finally. As of this morning you can listen to my buddy Dan and I wax rhapsodic about our favorite non-metal albums of 2024 wherever you get your podcasts, which means it’s time to finally get down to bees-niss and sum up the year in new music. I already recapped most of the metal selections in my various (Un)Focused Definition playlists, and of course you can hit the “best of 2024” tag to read the reviews for many of them regardless of genre. We’ll use a lot of same categories I used back in 2021, and add a few more to talk about the stuff that wasn’t completely reviewed here on the site. Let’s get to it below the jump.

ChrisJanuary 19, 2025January 20, 20253 Comments

Playlists

(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 33: Where My Ears Went This Week

I created one of those Smart Playlists on Apple Music that would tracks all the music I listened to for the last week. And then I realized it wouldn’t track any of the vinyl, CDs, or cassettes I was listening to. And then I tried to stream the physical media while I listened to it, and realized a lot of what I buy (especially the Japanese jazz/fusion) isn’t typically on the streaming platforms – that’s why physical media is so important, y’all. And then David Lynch passed away, and I spent a ton of time living in Julee Cruise’s world, so that’s going to bookend this week’s edition of (Un)Focused Definition.

ChrisJanuary 18, 2025January 18, 2025Leave a comment

Vinyl

Tool: Fear Inoculum (2019)

Hey…it took Tool 13 years to follow up 10,000 Days, so I figure another six for me to actually get around to really listening to it isn’t going to bother anyone. And honestly, I’m glad for the extra time because all the insane hype and commentary around what Fear Inoculum turned out to be versus was fans wanted it to be was more than a bit distracting and intense. And not just the album: with the rise of YouTube “content creators” it seems everyone has an opinion about the band – they were only good on the EP, they write music that makes you have to “think” too much – I literally just watched a video where that was the complaint. It’s too complex to have any real emotion – that’s another I just saw. I needed to get away from all the rhetoric and just sit back and listen. And guess what? It’s a Tool album, which means for better or for worse to your ears it’s exactly what Maynard, Adam, Justin and Danny wanted it to be. I like it.

ChrisJanuary 15, 2025April 21, 20252 Comments

Vinyl

Judas Priest: Rocka Rolla (1974)

“Where would you be, without music?” It starts with Tipton’s guitar, panned hard right laying out the basic riff. On the next measure John Hinch’s kick comes in, reinforcing the beat. Downing’s so eager to get into it you can hear his amp kick in, the hum warming up before the pick slides and one of the most famous dual guitar lineups in heavy metal history join together. But Rocka Rolla, the debut by the immortal, the forever Judas Priest really starts with that lyric, maybe the greatest opening lyric in modern rock history. And while the opening salvo from the Metal Gods largely gets overshadowed by literal decades of incredible albums, including a sophomore powerhouse that would solidify their stature, it’s important to remember, 50 years on, where it all started.

ChrisJanuary 12, 2025January 9, 20251 Comment

Playlists

(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 32: Holiday Acquisitions

So much for a fresh clean start to 2025. Fires are rampaging all across Los Angeles, devastating families and friends, so if you’re one of the few people who check out this blog (thanks, BTW!) affected by that, my heart goes out to you. I’m still getting over a linger case of pneumonia, about the only thing I’ve been able to focus on besides YouTube shorts is the plethora of new music that’s come in over the last month. It’s almost stupidly massive, exacerbated by the holidays, so I guess it’s time for yet another round of “What’s come into my house” for (Un)Focused Definition. Let’s get to it.

ChrisJanuary 11, 2025January 11, 2025Leave a comment

The Hunt: Thrill Of The Kill (1982)

One last go-round with The Hunt, Canada’s rocking combo that couldn’t hold with the proggy classic stylings of their self-titled debut, fumbled with the slick processed AOR of their sophomore release, and in their third incarnation settled on a slight if enjoyable amalgam of hack rock and proto-hair metal with The Thrill Of The Kill. The music is further streamlined into simple rock arrangements but there’s a consistency in identity that makes this a step up from Back On The Hunt. I honestly don’t know how often I’d turn to this record as opposed to dozens (if not hundreds) of bands that did it better, but as an alternative to the big hitters I’ve worn the grooves and tape out on, it’s certainly not the worst alternative, and overall is pretty fun, especially when they stick to their guns…and their own songs.

ChrisJanuary 9, 2025January 7, 2025Leave a comment

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Month: January 2025