andconham's Diary

A pioneering album, that sounds a little bland by today's standards. The album rolls along quite nicely though, and there's some fun tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Most songs are quite brief, and give the album a good pace throughout. It's just not very memorable for me personally, and I don't think I'll be returning to much here. Favourite Tracks: - Linoleum - The Brews - Lori Meyers - Jeff Wears Birkenstocks - Reeko

It's not my favourite Pup album, but it's still enjoyable. Good punk energy throughout, but I find some of the songs messy and not so pleasant to listen to. For the most part it's a nice progression in their discography, but they would go on to do better. Favourite Tracks: - DVP - Old Wounds - My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier

Not my favourite JM album, but even then this is still a fun pop punk with some indie influence throughout. It's brief as all Manor albums tend to be, and never feels drawn out. I do prefer when their sound has a bit more of an edge to it though. Favourite Tracks: - Fighting Kangaroo - Think I'm Still in Love With You - Million Dollars to Kill Me

A bit of a step down compared to their previous (non spoken word) albums, but still enjoyable. Good aggression on most of these tracks, but some filler and a poor opening track hold it back. Favourite Tracks: - Black Coffee - Wound Up - The Bars - You're Not Evil

A lot of ambient tracks, with a handful of punk tunes scattered throughout. Nothing too standout out, but it all serves the movie well (the movie is great btw). I particularly enjoy the rendition of Nazi Punks Fuck Off. Favourite Tracks: - Prowling Leather - Nazi Punks, Fuck Off - Coronary - Sinister Purpose

Not entirely my flavour. There's some alright moments here, usually when they slow it down and let the songs breath a little. Promise for sure, and I'll check out more of their output going forward, but thos didn't really do it for me. Favourite Tracks: - Alice - Seven Degrees

A very self-aware and cheeky emo album, that is full of character. There's some bops here, but some of the lyrics are a bit to goofy for my taste. When showing a touch of restraint though, it sounds pretty good. Favourite Tracks: - Fine, Great - Rock Bottom - Your Graduation

The singles are great, catchy, pop-punk tunes. Even though I hate the hook from Self Esteem. Everything else is pretty filler though, and I find the vocals a bit grating throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Gotta Get Away - Cone Out and Play - Self Esteem (partially)

Social Distortion might be my favourite band that I have yet to rate above 6/10. I wouldn't call most of their music great or recommend it all that much, but it satisfies when I'm in a certain mood. Groovy pop punk here that sounds similar to their following two albums. Favourite Tracks: - It's The Law - Outlaw - Prison Bound - No Pain No Gain

Pretty good punk album, that is a little too of-its-time for me. It's pretty fun, but not as brash as their contemporaries at the time so a little less memorable for me. Still worth a listen if you're after some old school punk. Favourite Tracks: - Neat Neat Neat - Born To Kill - Feel The Pain - New Rose

A more mature sound leads to some unmemorable tracks on this album. Nothing bad, of course, but doesn't contain that same juice as their earlier albums. There is still some great moments here, and obviously some of Blinks most popular songs so it's not all bad. Favourite Tracks: - Feeling This - I Miss You - Always - All Of This

A noticeable decline in quality from their previous two albums, but still features enough energy and charm to carry it. There are a few bops here for sure, a bit of filler too though that I won't feel the need to revisit. Favourite Tracks: - Liar - MakeDamnSure - Spin - Error: Operator

A decent but overlong pop-folk album. The songwriting and general vibe evoke some nostalgiac feelings, and it is quite catchy in parts. A bit of a lack of variety across the near hour long run time do cause it to drag a little. Favourite Tracks: - Northern Attitude - Stick Season - Come Over - Homesick

I prefer this to their first album, but I still feel like I'm missing something with Interpol. Maybe you had to be there. Nothing really grabs my attention or makes me feel anything. Favourite Tracks: - Evil - C'mere

Has that classic Griselda sound that I enjoy, but I feel Gunn himself gets a bit overshadowed by his features her. Still and above average album, but not as instantly grabbing as other works. Favourite Tracks: - George Bondo - 327 - $500 Ounces

A hit and miss release from Rocky. For every good song, there's a forgettable song following not long after. Still worth a dive if you are a fan of Rocky, as the highs are pretty good. Just lacks consistency and coherence. Favourite Tracks: - Asap Forever - Fukk Sleep - Praise The Lord - Gunz N Butter - Kids Turned Out Fine

A chaotic, sometimes confusing offer that lands to varying degrees of success. Not everything here works, I even found parts of it a bit grating, but there is some bangers throughout. I appreciate them trying new things, but I still much prefer their earlier works. Favourite Tracks: - Kool Aid - Limousine - Darkside - Amen!

An interesting listen. A bit of a genre mash up, with lyrics describing life within council housing estates. It works for the most part, though it is a little dated sounding at this point. I imagine resonates a bit more for others more than it did me. Favourite Tracks: - Ill Manors - I Am The Narrator - Playing With Fire - Runaway - Live Once

A little disappointed in this one. Tom's talent behind the instruments shines, and his voice sounds smooth as ever. The song writing just doesn't grip me however, which is a shame considering there's some obviously personal introspective lyrics here. It all just feels a little flat. Favourite Tracks: - Flowers In Bloom - Slow Tonight

The music is a good enough vibe while it's on, with nice trap beats and Cench's usual laid back flow. He's still not bringing a lot of variety to things though. That works fine on a shorter album like this, but doesn't really have me itching for a full length LP. Favourite Tracks: - Iceman Freestyle - Wagwan - DC10 - Maka

It's a long, moody, serious peice that didn't always hold my attention very well. Well crafted no doubt, but not an album I will return to all that much. Favourite Tracks: - Disillusioned - The Doomed - Talk Talk

Was after something a bit mellow this morning so put this one on. Not a bad album, works well enough as a backdrop while working. Nothing too standout and it's a bit long, but it all flows along rather well. Favorite Tracks: - Overtime - Summertime's Close - Ticking - El Dorado - Smaller Acts - Oklahoma Son

An album of two halves. Starts where Damaged left off, and decends into long, Sabatthy, doom metal tunes. It kinda works, but I prefer the focus of their previous album. Still, I appreciate the swing rather than sticking to one formula. Favourite Tracks: - My Way - Beat My Head Against the Wall - Nothing Left Inside

I feel this is probably an album that works better in the context of the early 2000s. For me, in 2026 there isn't much for me outside of the singles that I already know. Nothing necessarily bad, just uninteresting and forgetful. Favourite Tracks: - Nice To Know You - Wish You Were Here - Warning - Are You In

Harry pulls inspiration from an exciting combination of genres and scenes and at times it is fun, but a lot of it falls pretty flat for me. He really only touches the surfaces of these influences, as this album really calls for stronger, punchier production. As it is, we have a pleasant enough listen that I can't see myself returning too. Favourite Tracks: - Aperture - American Girls - Paint By Numbers

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (29/30) A solid New Wave, Alternative album here from Split Enz. They have a unique sound for sure, which is probably why they're still looked back on fondly today. It's not entirely my flavour, but enjoyable enough. Favourite Tracks: - Dirty Creature - Hello Sandy Allen - Six Months In A Leaky Boat

An interesting album for sure. I enjoy the melancholy tone and the storytelling in a few of these songs. I'm just not sure it's anything I will ever come back to. Favourite Tracks: - The Turning of our Bones - Compersion Pt 1 - Here Comes Comus! - Fable if the Urban Fox

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (23/30) A little over-stuffed, but this genre-bending albums has enough bops and character to carry it through. I feel the potential is there with Obongjayar, that has yet to be fully realized. Favourite Tracks: - Jellyfish - Sweet Danger - Just Cool

A fun, nostalgia trip of a pop punk album. It's quite short, but the songs are snappy and catchy enough that your left wanting more, even though no too much stands out. Favourite Tracks: - All My Friends Are So Depressed - I Used To Go To This Bar - Grey Guitar

A decent metalcore offering here, owing itself more to the 2000s brand of metalcore with similarities to Parkway Drive and Underoath. Will be a band to look out for, hopefully they can carve out a bit more of a signature sound on their next full length album. Favourite Tracks: - A Pure Expression - Bliss In 7 Languages - Future worth Dying For

Not my favourite from the boys. Starts off quite strong, but gets a little forgetful down the stretch. There is still plenty to like though, with Straits blending Rock n roll, Country, and blues super well. Favourite Tracks: - Tunnel Of Love - Romeo and Juliet - Sketaway - Expresso Love

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (15/30) It's not their best album, they would go on to release better stuff. But it's still decent, with a few bops on here. Much of it just falls a bit flat though, with the combination of DnB and rock feeling a bit sanitized and sterile. Still, though good songs go pretty hard, and I'm sure will rip live. Favourite Tracks: - Propane Nightmares - Visions - Granite

Saw these guys open for Viagra Boys last week and thought they were pretty good, so gave them a go. Some of the tracks struggled to stand out a bit here, but generally this is pretty decent. A pretty standard punk/post-punk effort with the occasional glimpse of further potential. Will be keeping an eye out for future releases. Favourite Tracks: - Smart Enough - Been A While - Mud

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (12/30) A vibey indie disco album here. It pretty, cruisy, and pleasant to listen too. Some tracks are a bit unseasoned and struggle to stand out but as a whole I enjoyed this. Favourite Tracks: - Missing You - The Colour of the Sound

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (10/30) Pretty good new wave album here. Not entirely my flavour but there is some good tunes scattered through here, and there is a nice eccentric sound throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Shark Attack - I Got You - Nobody Takes Me Seriously - Poor Boy

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (8/30) Not as high on this one as I was with their following album. At times feels a little derivative of other artists of the era, and lacks the character of their second album. Still there is some bops on here for sure, and you could do worse as far as dance albums go. Favourite Tracks: - Rendez-Vu - Jump 'N Shout - Red Alert - Bingo Bango

I remember not being very invested in this album when it came out. I preferred it this time around. A solid but slightly unmemorable effort from Deftones. There's some good peaks here, but a lot of it feels a bit safe and stripped of character. Favourite Tracks: - Acid Hologram - Doomed User - Hearts / Wires - Gore

Solid contemporary country debut here from Ty Myers. It's bloated, like many other country albums these days, so for every good track there's also a bland track. If the fat was trimmed, this would be a pretty great album imo. Still, I will be keeping an eye Myers going forward. Favourite Tracks: - Ends Of The Earth - Let 'Em Talk - Somewhere Over You - Drunk Love - Drinkin' Alone

This album works as a vibe, but nothing really stands out all that much. Glock has his style and he sticks to it, which is fair, but it means there isn't much variety to his albums. It does mean that it satisfies when I'm in a particular mood though, so there's that. Favourite Tracks: - Glockaveli - Sunny Dayz - Don Dada

An album of two halves here, featuring a handful of songs by Bleached Cross to start and True Faith to finish. The BC songs shine here, with an almost industrial goth rock sound that echoes Health at times. The True Faith songs are decent but nothing really stood out, still I will keep an eye out for future releases from both bands. Favourite Tracks: - Griefs Eternal Wound - Rain of Tears - The Weeping

Not their strongest output for me. Still, their unique gothic surf rock sound makes for a pretty breezy listen. There just isn't too much that stands out and will draw me back. Favourite Tracks: - Black Ice - Coffin Nails - Nothing To See - Don't Make It For Me

Starts and ends quite strong, but the middle section is a bit samey for my taste. It all still goes pretty hard, but some of it is just a bit unmemorable. The highlights are good though. I like Conways cadence and fairly nonchalant flows, paired with his dgaf attitude. Not big on a few of the features though. Favourite Tracks: - 1000 Corpses - Blakk Tape - Air Holez - Salute Me

Consistent, but missing the edge of his earlier records. It's a good listen through but there isn't too much that stands out and demands a relisten. Still, he keeps the bars coming and the beat selection is good. I think the fat could've been trimmed here to make a more succinct album. Favourite Tracks: - Nu Devils - Otis Driftwood - Attached

A good follow up to Reject 2, Conway keeps consistent with this release. Keeping it brief and relitively simple, Conway narrates his way through a small solid collection of dark grimey tunes. The only dud being the unnecessary Randy Savage DA skit. Favourite Tracks: - Devils Work - 8 Birds - Pavement

Decent thrash / nu metal combination here. Loses steam towards the back end, and doesn't match their earlier output but there's still a lot to like here. Favourite Tracks: - Disciple - God Send Death - New Faith - Bloodline - Here Comes the Pain

Decent but over-long HC album here. The some heaters on here for sure, but not enough variety to warrant a near hour long album for me. Still, the Hardcore/hip hop blend works well and there's some groovy riffs throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Chamber Spins Three - Punishment - Shades of Gray - Tears of Blood

Hard to rate this once, as it's mostly a compilation of instrumentals and ambient tracks. There are some more traditional Idles style bops on here though and they are enjoyable. Still, it's rad to see Idles curating a soundtrack for what ended up being one of my top movies of the year in 'Caught Stealing'. Favourite Tracks: - Doom - Cheerleader - Police & Thieves - Rabbit Run - Rabbit Run (Nick Zinner Remix)

Not really my flavour unfortunately. Some of the instrumentals are nice, and everything has a quirky Talking Heads vibe to it. But I just found the vocals quite grating. Not something I see myself coming back to. Favourite Tracks: - Taxes

In my opinion, a noticeable step down from their previous 3 albums. Lyrics and instrumentals are less memorable and/or hard-hitting, and the album as a whole feels fairly unfocused. Not bad by any stretch, but definitely not my go-to Sabbath album. Favourite Tracks: - Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener - Changes - Snowblind - Cornucopia - Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes

Rough around the edges, but I like the energy and angst in this album. This album has a much more manic, raw feel than their subsequent albums and it works to varying degrees. Favourite Tracks: - Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us - Skylines and Turnstiles - Early Sunsets Over Monroeville - Demolition Lovers