1. TORTOISE - Standards
Thrill Jockey, 2001
The way this fucker explodes right out of the gate, spastic drums all over the place paired with that slithering python of a guitar line, but then there's a pause and BAM, it's razor-sharp; delicately chaotic, it unravels further and further with each listen, like great records do. Frankly, though (or perhaps because) these guys obviously know their way around their instruments, some of what they've done has been a little boring - emotionally stilted, innocuous instrumental post-rock begging for some kinda edge (it's foremost the production, beautifully overdriven, which absolves Standards of any hint of stodginess) - but this is the record we always hoped they would make, that someone would, at least, and that they probably will not come close to making again. A flippantly destructive end-transmission and a careful, loving homage to bygone days (and probably, a dire warning of some kind of terrible future). And it grooves! Boy, does it groove.
STREAM: Tortoise - "Seneca"
Tortoise is THE jam. I have been listening to TNT a bunch. I even gave it a little shout out on my sad, little blog last week.
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