44 Leningrad - Zarapina (1995) [Germany]

I first heard this album in 1999. It took most of a day to download on a very slow rural dial-up connection. It was a random selection from an FTP and given it was the first album listed, I just went with it. I believe I referred to it as "Russian polka metal" the first time I heard it and had mixed feelings between intrigue and confusion. It grew on me after awhile and has become one of my favorite albums, helping me develop an appreciation for the much maligned accordion as a valid instrument.

YouTube / Internet Archive

Tier List for 2022 (July & August)

*August additions in bold.*

Monthly Average Rating:

July - 4.0 (A)

August - 3.8 (A-)

Favorite Album of Month (& 2 Runner-Ups):

August - 

(1) Plini - Homemade Cities (2016)

(2) Maykretch - 帰りのない旅 (2022)

(3) Ed Harrison - Valley (2022)

July -

(1) Negativland - True/False (2019)

(2) Juergen Reiter - Dead on Arrival: A Junktime Journal (2009)

(3) Yīn Yīn - The Rabbit That Hunts Tigers (2019)

S-Tier:

Chelsea Wolfe - Birth of Violence (2019)

Ed Harrison - Valley (2022)

Geoff Scott - Asheron's Call 2 Legions Promo CD (2005)

Juergen Reiter - Dead on Arrival: A Junktime Journal (2009)

Maykretch - 帰りのない旅 (2022)

Negativland - True/False (2019)

Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The Moe I Love You (2013)

Plini - Homemade Cities (2016)

Yīn Yīn - The Rabbit That Hunts Tigers (2019)

Zola Jesus - Arkhon (2022)

A-Tier:

Ariana Sahara & Flight Behavior - From the Wild (2022)

Emma Ruth Rundle - On Dark Horses (2018)

Geoff Scott - Oblivious (2012)

Heather Farrier - From the Ashes (2022) 

Karl Hector & the Malcouns - Non Ex Orbis (2020)

Marriages - Kitsune (2012)

Risa Takeda - Pandora (2018)

Robohands - Violet (2022)

Rizomagic - Voltage Raizal (2021)

B-Tier:

Advanced Corpse Materials - Travels (2022)

Arrington de Dionysus - Emergency Ritual to Avert Nuclear War (2022)

Arrington de Dionysus - Abraxasaxophonic Smooth Jazz Vagina (2001)

Diamanda Galas - Broken Gargoyles (2022)

Flightless Birds Take Wing - Taking Flight (2022)

Geoff Scott - Asheron's Call 2 OST (2005)

Himiko Kikuchi - Flying Beagle (1987)

How to Disappear Completely - Aural Stream (2022)

Marine Eyes - Chamomile (2022)

MAYAEWK - The Village (2022)

Roxanne Olivia - Accordion Crumbs (2012)

Senor Kino - Aurora Boreal (2021)