Board 8 > Rank the Tracks 151: Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

(+) Yeah! (+)

Sheep007 week:
TV Girl - French Exit
vs.
Mitski - Be the Cowboy
vs.
Alex G - Trick

(Sheep007: All albums I've listened to due to Gen Z colleagues, nice and short to make up for Disintegration. It'll be interesting to see what B8 makes of any of them.)

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_2
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks_Set_3

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points. For albums with greater than 15 tracks, everything ranked below #15 will be given 0 points and the scale for the top 15 will be the same as a 15-track album. For albums with more than 20 tracks, you only have to list your top 15 (with 16-20, I still like having the average rank listed)
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, February 11th at 4:00 PM Central Time; the future week poll will close earlier, when I am putting up the next topic. If you do get in a vote after the deadline but before I post the results, I will probably include it.
7. You can sign up to be added to the user cycle (a new user will be added to the end of the current cycle as long as there are four weeks remaining) - the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).
7c. I have added a tiered vote structure - the least popular album will be removed and its backup votes distributed to the other two entrants.
8. Starting with the next cycle, every four weeks will be a competitive week where those listed choose a single album to face off against others.
9. Skits and tracks under 40 seconds will be excluded from the rankings unless argued otherwise

Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience track list:
1. Lost Horizons
2. Hey Jealousy
3. Mrs. Rita
4. Until I Fall Away
5. Hold Me Down
6. Cajun Song
7. Hands Are Tied
8. Found Out About You
9. Allison Road
10. 29
11. Pieces of the Night
12. Cheatin'

Current cycle:
2/11: MaxGalactica (Yoko Kanno - Ragnarok Online II O.riginal S.ound T.rack)
2/18: HBJDubs' bonus (Antimatter - Saviour)
2/25: Sheep007

Future Cycle:
3/3: HBJDubs
3/10: Fluttershy_Pony
3/17: Steiner
3/24: competitive week
3/31: Snake5555555555
4/7: ZaziGuado
4/14: firefdr
4/21: competitive week
4/28: Johnbobb
5/5: FoolFantastic
5/12: Seanchan
5/19: competitive week
5/26: Giggsalot
6/2: RyoCaliente
6/9: darkx
6/16: competitive week
6/23: neonreaper
6/30: Great_Paul
7/7: jcgamer107
7/14: competitive week
7/21: ChichiriMuyo
7/28: BlueCrystalTear
8/4: rwlh
8/11: competitive week
8/18: NFUN
8/25: StifledSilence

The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
firefdr (16)
FoolFantastic (18)
MaxGalactica (26)
Seanchan (26)
Sheep007 (28)
ZaziGuado (30)
neonreaper (34)
MarkS2222222222 (36)
darkx (38)
HBJDubs (40)
ChichiriMuyo (42)
Fluttershy_Pony (46)
Johnbobb (46)

General Album Comments

neonreaper: 93-95 was really good for TSP fans. Siamese Dream came out and was really, really good. Then everyone went back and listened to Gish which was also great. And then Mellon Collie came out - it was like having 4 albums in a couple of years.

FoolFantastic: An important album to me. Rock Band was what caused me to dive deeper into music, and Smashing Pumpkins was the first band I really latched onto. Siamese Dream sonically feels bigger than the alt rock that surrounded it. Where his contemporaries took more from punk, Corgan seemed to draw from the big arena rockers of the 70s. Sadly, I think Corgan's talents as a guitarist get overlooked these days - the songs that best show off his skills were not released as singles. However, that's not to detract from the comparatively straighforward hits - "Today" and "Disarm" are about as vulnerable as rock gets. This is just an impressive work from end to end, showing a wide range of styles and technical prowess.

Sheep007: Mellon Collie is one of my favourite albums, and I think Corgans vocals tending towards harsher and angrier really make that, for me? This is only the third time Ive heard this album in full, and in contrast, the relative softness and quietness here lets the guitar stand out. I don't think this hits the same high points, but it's still very solid.

MaxGalactica: Fantastic album. My top 5 in particular are big standouts to me, with Cherub Rock being one of the three TSP songs that I go back to extremely regularly (the others being 1979 and Tonight, Tonight). Love the strong shoegaze and grunge influences throughout, and Billy Corgan's voice is great. I probably like this album more than Mellon Collie as a whole, but Mellon Collie has more strong highlights. Glad we were able to cover this one.

ZaziGuado: Truly great album with some fantastic solos.

ChichiriMuyo: What a great post-break up album without being all sad girl about it. The chaos and confusion of it, quick and unpredictable changes in tone from song to song or even within songs. Billy was clearly going through it when he wrote this album. Ups, downs, turn arounds. That said, there are a lot of tracks I forgot and will again forget. The top half of the tracks carry the album and the bottom half just do not make themselves memorable.

HBJDubs: Great album where even the worst songs I would consider above-average

Seanchan: Generally good, though quite a few songs kind of glom together in my mind. I also tended to prefer the slower, more acoustic tracks over the harder, more rock ones.

Siamese Dream track ranking

13. Sweet Sweet (Track #12)
Score: 55 (Average Rank: 9.85/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): FoolFantastic, HBJDubs (#13)

ZaziGuado: I'm higher on this song than most. Wish there was an extended version

12. Spaceboy (Track #10)
Score: 64 (Average Rank: 9.15/13)
Biggest Fan(s): darkx (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): MaxGalactica (#13)

11. Silverfuck (Track #11)
Score: 65 (Average Rank: 9.08/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, ZaziGuado, Seanchan, MarkS2222222222, darkx (#13)

ZaziGuado: overstays its welcome and is easy to let fade into the background

10. Quiet (Track #2)
Score: 68 (Average Rank: 8.85/13)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Sheep007, ChichiriMuyo (#13)

9. Rocket (Track #5)
Score: 72 (Average Rank: 8.46/13)
Biggest Fan(s): darkx (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#12)

8. Geek U.S.A. (Track #8)
Score: 74 (Average Rank: 8.31/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, Sheep007, Johnbobb (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): firefdr, neonreaper (#13)

7. Hummer (Track #4)
Score: 79 (Average Rank: 8/13)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#12)

ZaziGuado: love the ending section

6. Soma (Track #7)
Score: 81 (Average Rank: 7.92/13)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#13) ZaziGuado: the climax here is wonderful

5. Luna (Track #13)
Score: 83 (Average Rank: 7.77/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): FoolFantastic, MarkS2222222222 (#12)

4. Mayonaise (Track #9)
Score: 140 (Average Rank: 4.15/13)
Biggest Fan(s): MarkS2222222222 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#10)

3. Today (Track #3)
Score: 143 (Average Rank: 4/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Sheep007 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony, darkx (#8)

2. Disarm (Track #6)
Score: 174 (Average Rank: 2.92/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Fluttershy_Pony, FoolFantastic, firefdr, neonreaper, ChichiriMuyo, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado, HBJDubs, darkx (#7)

1. Cherub Rock (Track #1)
Score: 176 (Average Rank: 2.54/13)
Biggest Fan(s): MaxGalactica, ZaziGuado, HBJDubs, Johnbobb, darkx (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Fluttershy_Pony (#6)

ZaziGuado: maybe the catchiest song in their discography

Mitski - Be the Cowboy > Alex G - Trick > TV Girl - French Exit

Mitski! "Nobody" off this album is my favorite song of 2018. "Your Best American Girl" from her previous album is also my #1 song from 2016; she's one of the few artists with 2 songs in my all-time top 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qooWnw5rEcI

I also really dig what I've heard from Alex G; don't know anything about TV Girl.

The topic for Rank the Albums 6 is now up: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80687849

For my three albums, I wanted to pick three kinda sad artists which I've picked up from my younger classmates in grad school over the past few months. I think they're pretty different from what I've seen in this topic series and have only listened to the albums once through in full myself, but I wanted to put together a selection with a theme (that wasn't just "good rock artists yet to be covered"). I also put a sample for each (mostly not from the listed album but it was difficult for Trick, which sounds pretty different to his other stuff) - I think these capture what the albums I listed sound like, for those unfamiliar.

TV Girl - French Exit: Probably the most unique of them, self-described as hypnopop, they're very repetitive, reliant on a lot of sampling, and amazing to listen to with headphones. Super distinct, a little melancholy and nostalgic feeling, capturing the feeling of a very late night.

Sample song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j6C9METNm0

Mitski - Be the Cowboy: I have heard her described as "femcel ballad singer" (she is actually cool as hell and doesn't deserve that label). Lots of very sad songs, beautiful voice, kinda folk rocky but the guitar tends to be a lot heavier than your usual in artists fitting that bill.

Sample song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHKTdlUyyko

Alex G - Trick: In my opinion not quite as unique as the other two, but still distinct as hell. Muddy, emo, slow indie bedroom pop is kinda how I'd describe it. Sounds a lil crusty, and it's one of the rare examples where I reckon that actually makes it better? Trick itself has a pretty unique sound, so I've taken a song from that album rather than a similar one from the rest of his discography.

Sample song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUKe6gihtx0

Tv Girl > Mitski > Alex G

1. Found Out About You
2. Hey Jealousy
3. Allison Road
4. Mrs. Rita
5. Lost Horizons
6. Hands Are Tied
7. Hold Me Down
8. Until I Fall Away
9. Pieces of the Night
10. 29
11. Cajun Song
12. Cheatin

When I imagine the 90s as a sound, it is the Gin Blossoms. They are the quintessential 90s band for me. I have flashbacks to when I was a kid when I hear these songs. Whether it be heading to school, or to the store, or wherever, songs like Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You were all over the radio at the time. This was especially true in my moms car, as she usually had on Mix 106.5, a station that played a lot of current stuff, mixed with select hits from other decades. If I had to make a soundtrack to my childhood, Gin Blossoms would have multiple entries. As time goes on, I become more and more nostalgic for those days. I miss them. And while Im making new, precious memories with my own kids, these songs take me back to a time where my mom and grandparents were making those memories with me.

Looking at these songs from a present-day lens, I appreciate them in new ways. As a kid, I thought the song Hey Jealousy was called Hey Josie for some reason. I meanhes singing to a girl. It kind of fits. But anyways, the title of New Miserable Experience definitely fits here. Akin to my own nostalgia, the members of the band seem nostalgic to the past. They long for old relationships ended, old places left behind, and even old time periods. Id drink enough of anything to make this world look new again, a line from Lost Horizons, paints that picture extremely well. The radio-friendly alt grunge has a signature upbeat despair, with the singer sounding like he has hit rock bottom while the band jumps ahead. Its beautiful in a way, the sadness on display.

Not a bad song here, although Ill admit the random country jam, Cheatin was a bit strange blended in with the others. The singles are very strong, with two of them being easy choices to go 1 and 2. It was hard to place the others, however. They are all quite good.

1: Found Out About You
2: Lost Horizons
3: Hey Jealousy
4: Until I Fall Away
5: Cajun Song
6: Pieces of the Night
7: Hands Are Tied
8: Allison Road
9: Mrs. Rita
10: Cheatin'
11: Hold Me Down
12: 29

I quite like this album

Alex G - Sarah:
https://youtu.be/wQSxzUvQY7k

Posted link seems to be dead for me, so here's another one.

Nom Votes:

Mitski - Be the Cowboy > Alex G - Trick > TV Girl - French Exit

Be the Cowboy > Trick > French Exit

Mitski is an artist I've wanted to dive more into after listening to her album from last year. The other two albums were good too.

Bump.

And one more.

1. Found Out About You
2. Until I Fall Away
3. Hey Jealousy
4. Allison Road
5. Hold Me Down
6. Cajun Song
7. Mrs Rita
8. Lost Horizons
9. Hands Are Tied
10. 29
11. Pieces of the Night
12. Cheatin

Didn't really do it for me. A few toe tappers but not super memorable nor a particularly unique sound. It taped off a little at the end for sure.

Hi

Tv Girl > Mitski > Alex G

Ranking this album was difficult because I kept forgetting the song I'd been listening to seconds after it ended. That sounds like an insult, and I guess it is, but it's not untrue. Normally I'm a big 90s alternative guy, but this album just kinda felt really samey. Hey Jealousy is still a bop though.

1. Hands Are Tied
2. Hey Jealousy
3. Cajun Song
4. Found Out About You
5. 29
6. Allison Road
7. Hold Me Down
8. Mrs. Rita
9. Lost Horizons
10. Until I Fall Away
11. Pieces of the Night
12. Cheatin'

1. Lost Horizons
2. Found Out About You
3. Hey Jealousy
4. Mrs. Rita
5. Pieces of the Night
6. Allison Road
7. Hold Me Down
8. 29
9. Hands Are Tied
10. Cheatin'
11. Cajun Song
12. Until I Fall Away

Not sure how I feel about this one. Lost Horizons is the only track that stood out to me, and the rest of it was fine and palatable, but it's not really anything that I'd ever want to go back to on my own. Just kind of an album that exists to me.

1. Hey Jealousy
2. Hold Me Down
3. Found Out About You
4. Until I Fall Away
5. Pieces of the Night
6. Hands Are Tied
7. Allison Road
8. 29
9. Lost Horizons
10. Cajun Song
11. Mrs. Rita
12. Cheatin'

1. Hey Jealousy
2. Found Out About You
3. Cajun Song
4. Allison Road
5. Mrs. Rita
6. Pieces of the Night
7. Hands Are Tied
8. Until I Fall Away
9. Hold Me Down
10. Cheatin'
11. 29
12. Lost Horizons

Sometimes there's the perfect word to encapsulate your feelings on an album. That word, for me, is anodyne. This is the quintessential 106.7 Lite FM of an album. It is acceptable, fang-less, decent in the moment, and forgettable minutes later.

As others have said, it all gloms together, which makes doing a ranking difficult. And then there's that one completely out of place country song; no idea what to make of that one.

So, I know the next topic isn't up yet, but is that another Youtube only album?

I see Max has got a Youtube playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFmJIKrD-o8&list=PLgBAXaMeVtypplCB5e9bOngS0plQw0c9s

but maybe someone knows if it's on Spotify?

I looked, but I only found covers

Hey Jealousy
Pieces Of The Night
Found Out About You
Hold Me Down
29
Mrs. Rita
Lost Horizons
Allison Road
Hands Are Tied
Until I Fall Away
Cajun Song
Cheatin'

Good ole contemporary rock. Not a memorable album outside of Hey Jealousy, but it's an easy listen.

As usual when I'm late, you don't have to include this in your rankings if you already started compiling, but I just wanted to put my list out there

Seanchan posted...

So, I know the next topic isn't up yet, but is that another Youtube only album?

https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/ragnarok-online-ii-original-sound-track

I still think KH Insider is the best way to listen to game soundtracks, so that should be an alternate option.