Thursday, September 30, 2004
September 26: REM - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
After the "life" record, the "death" record, and the "sex" record, this is REM's "road" record, primarily recorded while on the never-ending Monster tour. It's also their last really good record, in my opinion.
Thematically, it's a bizarre cross between Monster and Automatic, with hard-rocking songs mixed with softer ones. I like the harder ones better, especially "Wake-Up Bomb," "Undertow," and "Leave," which I used to listen to really loud freshman year of college to piss off my roommate (it utilizes a siren effect the whole way through).
In a lot of ways, this is the last real REM record. It's the last with Bill Berry, it's the last with Scott Litt producing, and it's the last one where Jefferson Holt was the manager (he got fired right before the album came out after a bizarre sexual harassment incident). The REM that came back in '98 with UP was, in a lot of ways, a different band.
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Thematically, it's a bizarre cross between Monster and Automatic, with hard-rocking songs mixed with softer ones. I like the harder ones better, especially "Wake-Up Bomb," "Undertow," and "Leave," which I used to listen to really loud freshman year of college to piss off my roommate (it utilizes a siren effect the whole way through).
In a lot of ways, this is the last real REM record. It's the last with Bill Berry, it's the last with Scott Litt producing, and it's the last one where Jefferson Holt was the manager (he got fired right before the album came out after a bizarre sexual harassment incident). The REM that came back in '98 with UP was, in a lot of ways, a different band.
September 25: REM - Monster
The REM album you're most likely to find for $1 in your local used CD store.
I remember being pretty disappointed by it when I bought it in '94, and I think most people were, too, coming after Automatic for the People (which, as hardcore readers of this thing will remember, was my album of the '90s). Listening to it again, there's some good stuff on here, such as "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Star 69," but "Strange Currencies" is a grunge reworking of "Everybody Hurts" and way too many of the songs rely on one semi-cool riff from Pete Buck (who apparently had just discovered what happens when you combine the distortion and delay pedals).
As the story goes, Bill Berry threatened to quit the band unless he got to play some actual drums and the band made a rock record, so this is what resulted: the first and only REM album designed to sound good in arenas and stadiums. Michael Stipe shaved his head, Mike Mills grew his hair out long and started wearing weird paisley Western suits, and the band did a huge, worldwide tour. Then Berry had an aneurysm on stage, made one more album, and quit anyway. But that's a story for a different day.
I have a theory about "seedcorn albums," those albums that turn off your loyal fans. They might buy the seedcorn album, but it's like eating the seedcorn: the next album, they won't be back. Incubus is touring behind a seedcorn album right now, for example. And this is a textbook definition: kids who got into the band through the pop of Out of Time and Automatic weren't exactly down with weird pseudo-grunge tunes about sex. (if you're keeping track, this is the "sex" album)
An interesting what if?: Kurt Cobain, reportedly, spent some of the last week of his life frantically trying to get in touch with Stipe with the idea that they team up to make an acoustic record. Had that happened, this album might never have.
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I remember being pretty disappointed by it when I bought it in '94, and I think most people were, too, coming after Automatic for the People (which, as hardcore readers of this thing will remember, was my album of the '90s). Listening to it again, there's some good stuff on here, such as "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Star 69," but "Strange Currencies" is a grunge reworking of "Everybody Hurts" and way too many of the songs rely on one semi-cool riff from Pete Buck (who apparently had just discovered what happens when you combine the distortion and delay pedals).
As the story goes, Bill Berry threatened to quit the band unless he got to play some actual drums and the band made a rock record, so this is what resulted: the first and only REM album designed to sound good in arenas and stadiums. Michael Stipe shaved his head, Mike Mills grew his hair out long and started wearing weird paisley Western suits, and the band did a huge, worldwide tour. Then Berry had an aneurysm on stage, made one more album, and quit anyway. But that's a story for a different day.
I have a theory about "seedcorn albums," those albums that turn off your loyal fans. They might buy the seedcorn album, but it's like eating the seedcorn: the next album, they won't be back. Incubus is touring behind a seedcorn album right now, for example. And this is a textbook definition: kids who got into the band through the pop of Out of Time and Automatic weren't exactly down with weird pseudo-grunge tunes about sex. (if you're keeping track, this is the "sex" album)
An interesting what if?: Kurt Cobain, reportedly, spent some of the last week of his life frantically trying to get in touch with Stipe with the idea that they team up to make an acoustic record. Had that happened, this album might never have.
September 24: REM - Out of Time
The one with THE SONG ("Losing My Religion") on it. As Peter Buck once said, all of REM's history can be divided into pre-Losing My Religion, and post-Losing My Religion. This album propelled the band into the stratosphere, hit No. 1, and had two Top 10 singles. All without any touring.
See, after six albums in six years, then an 18-month tour for Green, the band was beyond exhausted. You can see it in their eyes if you watch the great video Tourfilm, which was shot the last night of the Green tour in Atlanta. And when they went into the studio for this album, apparently they only had two songs: "Low" and "Belong."
Even though this is one of their biggest albums, going back to it 13 years later, you notice how uneven it is. Get past "Losing My Religion," "Near Wild Heaven," and maybe "Country Feedback," and it's pretty weak. Having KRS-One in to rap on a song wasn't a very good idea, "Shiny Happy People" is so lightweight it's about to float away, and there's an instrumental smack dab in the middle of the album.
If anything, it's Mike Mills' album: he sings lead on two songs, and his backing vocals are way up in the mix elsewhere. With so little Michael Stipe and no tour to support it, it's no wonder there were malicious rumors around this time that Stipe was dying of AIDS (rumors that got worse given the death theme of Automatic for the People, the next album).
If you wonder what REM themselves think about this album, consider this: I've seen the band five times now, and the only songs off this album I've ever seen performed were "Losing My Religion" and "Country Feedback." and the only one on the greatest hits was "Losing My Religion."
Oh, if you're keeping track at home, this is REM's "life" album.
p.s. I realize I skipped Green, and I'm pissed off about it. I can't find my copy, and it's one of my favorite albums. I'm scouring the house for it now. If you have a copy to loan me, e-mail me at andrew@12pearls.net.
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See, after six albums in six years, then an 18-month tour for Green, the band was beyond exhausted. You can see it in their eyes if you watch the great video Tourfilm, which was shot the last night of the Green tour in Atlanta. And when they went into the studio for this album, apparently they only had two songs: "Low" and "Belong."
Even though this is one of their biggest albums, going back to it 13 years later, you notice how uneven it is. Get past "Losing My Religion," "Near Wild Heaven," and maybe "Country Feedback," and it's pretty weak. Having KRS-One in to rap on a song wasn't a very good idea, "Shiny Happy People" is so lightweight it's about to float away, and there's an instrumental smack dab in the middle of the album.
If anything, it's Mike Mills' album: he sings lead on two songs, and his backing vocals are way up in the mix elsewhere. With so little Michael Stipe and no tour to support it, it's no wonder there were malicious rumors around this time that Stipe was dying of AIDS (rumors that got worse given the death theme of Automatic for the People, the next album).
If you wonder what REM themselves think about this album, consider this: I've seen the band five times now, and the only songs off this album I've ever seen performed were "Losing My Religion" and "Country Feedback." and the only one on the greatest hits was "Losing My Religion."
Oh, if you're keeping track at home, this is REM's "life" album.
p.s. I realize I skipped Green, and I'm pissed off about it. I can't find my copy, and it's one of my favorite albums. I'm scouring the house for it now. If you have a copy to loan me, e-mail me at andrew@12pearls.net.
September 23: Green Day - American Idiot
Thought in between REM's IRS years and Warner Bros. years was a good time to get in this CD, which I just bought.
I was a pretty big Green Day fan 10 years ago, when I was in high school. But then I didn't buy the second album, I only got the third album because I was sent a free copy at the paper I worked for, and I ignored the fourth album. I've seen the band twice, once in the late '90s and once around 2001 or so, and wasn't impressed either time. But then I heard "American Idiot" on the radio, and it sounded like Green Day had finally recaptured that old Green Day sound. And their new album was advertised as a "punk opera" in the vein of Tommy or Quadrophenia by the Who. So I checked it out.
And... it is AWESOME. I'm not exactly sure what the story is, but it involves a kid named Jimmy, Jesus of Suburbia (who is either Jimmy's alter ego or his pal), and Jimmy's girlfriend, Whatsername. And like a true opera, two of the tracks have five different "movements" each. Highly, highly recommended.
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I was a pretty big Green Day fan 10 years ago, when I was in high school. But then I didn't buy the second album, I only got the third album because I was sent a free copy at the paper I worked for, and I ignored the fourth album. I've seen the band twice, once in the late '90s and once around 2001 or so, and wasn't impressed either time. But then I heard "American Idiot" on the radio, and it sounded like Green Day had finally recaptured that old Green Day sound. And their new album was advertised as a "punk opera" in the vein of Tommy or Quadrophenia by the Who. So I checked it out.
And... it is AWESOME. I'm not exactly sure what the story is, but it involves a kid named Jimmy, Jesus of Suburbia (who is either Jimmy's alter ego or his pal), and Jimmy's girlfriend, Whatsername. And like a true opera, two of the tracks have five different "movements" each. Highly, highly recommended.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
September 22: REM - Eponymous
The first greatest hits album, put out by IRS Records when the band's contract was up. This one's worth buying just for "Romance," which was put on some obscure indie-film soundtrack instead of a regular album, but is (I think) one of the band's best songs of the '80s. Also, you get "Finest Worksong" with horns.
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September 21: REM - Document
The breakthrough album, the one with "The One I Love" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It," which has sort of become REM's theme song. Also the first produced by Scott Litt, who did all their big albums. I like parts of it, but most of the second half bores me.
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September 20: REM - Life's Rich Pageant
The one where the band start to run out of material. It's 1986, and they're working on their fourth album in four years, this time with Don Gehman, who produced John Mellencamp (and later produced Hootie and the Blowfish and Better than Ezra). Of the 12 tracks, there's one quasi-instrumental, one cover ("Superman"), one song left off of Reckoning and one song left off of Fables. The other eight? They're pretty good. One of my main complaints about this album is that the track listing on the back isn't right, and I think it's on purpose. I have the European reissue, which comes with bizarre covers of Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic" and the Everly Brothers' "Dream (All I have to do)".
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September 19: REM - Fables of the Reconstruction
Or Reconstruction of the Fables, depending on the version you own, apparently. REM are the textbook example of my albums theory, where second album builds on the first's sound, then third gets dark and weird, then fourth has a whole new sound. Fables is the third album, where they went to London to record with an old '60s folk producer, hung out with Morrissey and the Smiths, and made a dark record. But it has my favorite REM song on it, "Green Grow the Rushes," and it's one of their better albums.
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Monday, September 20, 2004
September 18: REM - Reckoning
I'm a little distressed, because I can't find Murmur, the band's first album. So I skipped ahead to Reckoning, from 1984. One of the great things about REM is that they put out an album a year for six years in a row. This one is sorta Murmur Part II, but that's OK. I have the European reissue edition with three extra live tracks and two b-sides, including a bizarre cover of "Moon River."
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September 17: REM - Chronic Town
I'm showing off my geek credentials here, but everytime a new REM album comes out, I have a little ritual where I like to listen to all of their old albums in order. Well, the new REM record, Around the Sun, comes out Oct. 5, so I figured it was ritual time. This is the band's first-ever EP, from 1982, and all five songs are great, classic jangly early REM. Check it out.
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September 16: OKGo - (self-titled)
Hearing that OK Go track on the Future Soundtrack for America made me want to dig out their album. I got into this band a couple of summers ago when they opened up for the Vines, and blew 'em off the stage (not that it was that hard; the Vines were freakin' terrible). Their album is really good, and sounds a bit like the Fellowship Students with a decent recording budget. Also, they're apparently obsessively into ping-pong. If that doesn't scream "rock star," I don't know what does.
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Saturday, September 18, 2004
September 15: Bowling for Soup - A Hangover You Don't Deserve
Gotta love Hastings, and gotta love that sell pile. I took four CDs from the ol' pile, and got a fresh, free copy of Bowling for Soup's brand-new disc, A Hangover You Don't Deserve.
First impressions? This CD is LONG: 17 tracks, plus TWO hidden tracks. And honestly, six or seven of them could have been cut out for quality control purposes.
Second, Bowling for Soup have some famous friends; the album credits read like the '90s Alt-Rock All-Stars. They co-wrote songs with Butch Walker (Marvelous 3), Mitch Allan (SR-71), Zac Maloy (the Nixons), and Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga (Fastball). Best song is obviously "1985," but there are some other winners on here, including "Ridiculous," "Ohio," and "My Hometown."
I'd give it a 6 out of 10; not as good as their last album, but still pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised to see it debut quite high on the Billboard charts next week.
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First impressions? This CD is LONG: 17 tracks, plus TWO hidden tracks. And honestly, six or seven of them could have been cut out for quality control purposes.
Second, Bowling for Soup have some famous friends; the album credits read like the '90s Alt-Rock All-Stars. They co-wrote songs with Butch Walker (Marvelous 3), Mitch Allan (SR-71), Zac Maloy (the Nixons), and Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga (Fastball). Best song is obviously "1985," but there are some other winners on here, including "Ridiculous," "Ohio," and "My Hometown."
I'd give it a 6 out of 10; not as good as their last album, but still pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised to see it debut quite high on the Billboard charts next week.
September 14: Sloan - Pretty Together
This album has been my emergency in-the-car album for the last eight months. If I was ever somewhere without a CD, I'd pull out Sloan. Well, I finally had cause to pop it in. And... I think I'm going to sell it. See, I watched a big documentary about Sloan on MuchMusic USA like two years ago (it was on MuchMusic because Sloan are Canadian, dontcha know), and got really into the band and went out and bought their then-new album (this one). And... it's obvious that Sloan are really, really into the Beatles. Except on two tracks, where it's obvious that Sloan are really, really into Kiss. I like the Beatles and Kiss, too. But not this much.
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Friday, September 17, 2004
September 13: Guster - Lost and Gone Forever
This album and I have a long history, most of which I'd rather not go into in a public blog. But it's still a great, great album, and Guster is a great, great band. I pulled it out after getting an e-mail from them last week that their long tour for their most recent album was finally over. I think my favorite part of this album is the typewriter interlude on "Barrel of A Gun." 12 Pearls thought about using a typewriter for their interlude on their new song, "You Don't," (listen to it at this link, kids!) but ended up deciding against it, as we were too lazy to search that hard for a manual typewriter.
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September 12: Our Lady Peace - Spiritual Machines
I was really into this album when it first came out, in 2000. It's kind of a concept record, having to do with robots who develop souls, and there are several spoken-word intros by author Ray Kurzweil, who has apparently written a great deal on this subject.
Listening to it again, though, there are definitely some weak spots. I still think "Life" is probably the best Our Lady peace song ever, and "Right Behind You," "In Repair," and "Are You Sad?" are all really good, but the rest is a bit mediocre. For all you trivia buffs, Matt Cameron of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam fame plays drums on "Right Behind You" and "Are You Sad?" after Jeremy Taggart got hurt during recording.
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Listening to it again, though, there are definitely some weak spots. I still think "Life" is probably the best Our Lady peace song ever, and "Right Behind You," "In Repair," and "Are You Sad?" are all really good, but the rest is a bit mediocre. For all you trivia buffs, Matt Cameron of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam fame plays drums on "Right Behind You" and "Are You Sad?" after Jeremy Taggart got hurt during recording.
September 11: Various Artists - Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2
Not quite as good as Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1, but definitely more star-studded: Green Day, No Doubt, and the Foo Fighters!
So let's recap: these artists have come out publicly for Kerry and against Bush: REM, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, John Fogarty, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Sugarcult, Yellowcard, Rancid, Bad Religion, No Doubt, Blink-182, Black-Eyed Peas, They Might Be Giants, Flaming Lips, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fountains of Wayne, Sum-41, the Ataris, the Get Up Kids, the Offspring, Ministry, New Found Glory, and Social Distortion. And pro-Bush artists include... uh... Toby Keith, Ted Nugent, and Alice Cooper. No editorials here, just presenting the facts.
Also, this album has the best song title of all time: "Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair" by the Dillinger Four.
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So let's recap: these artists have come out publicly for Kerry and against Bush: REM, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, John Fogarty, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Sugarcult, Yellowcard, Rancid, Bad Religion, No Doubt, Blink-182, Black-Eyed Peas, They Might Be Giants, Flaming Lips, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fountains of Wayne, Sum-41, the Ataris, the Get Up Kids, the Offspring, Ministry, New Found Glory, and Social Distortion. And pro-Bush artists include... uh... Toby Keith, Ted Nugent, and Alice Cooper. No editorials here, just presenting the facts.
Also, this album has the best song title of all time: "Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair" by the Dillinger Four.
September 10: Various Artists - Future Soundtrack for America
This is a semi-indie-rock compilation benefiting MoveOn.org, and other pro-Kerry organizations. There's a lot of good stuff on it, including one of the last songs Elliott Smith recorded before he died, some acoustic Fountains of Wayne, some live Flaming Lips, and a special mix of "Final Straw" by R.E.M., which is supposed to also be on their new album next month. My two favorite songs on it were David Byrne's "Ain't Got So Far to Go" (you know, the guy from Talking Heads) and Mike Doughty's "Move On" (you know, the guy from Soul Coughing).
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September 9: The Divine Comedy - Regeneration
I've mentioned before my fondness for the Divine Comedy. I sold back Chronic Future, Steriogram, and a couple of others to get this one at Hasting's, and it's... different. Neil Hannon, previously a one-man band, expanded to a seven-piece for this one and got Radiohead and Beck's producer to produce. And it sounds a little too much like if Radiohead and Beck got together and tried to write a symphony. But there's good news: Neil fired the other six guys, went solo again, and put out a new album last month. I ordered it, and I'll let you know how it is. Not that any of the rest of you like the Divine Comedy at all. But I do.
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September 8: Ingram Hill - June's Picture Show
No matter how hard radio programmers try, you just can't keep country and rock separated. Bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed and our pals No Justice are moving towards rock from the country side of the bridge, and then bands like Ingram Hill are moving towards country from the rock side. These guys are from Memphis, and I saw 'em open up for Better than Ezra back in February. They were pretty good. And this CD's pretty good, too. Not tell-all-your-friends, follow-the-band-in-a-van good, but pretty good.
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September 7: Six by Seven - The Way I Feel Today
There was also a lot of British media hype for this band, and after listening to the CD, I a) want my $3 back, and b) no longer trust British media hype. The whole thing is droning and poorly produced... according to allmusic, they recorded the whole thing live to sound more "raw" (instead, it sounds more "crappy"). One hook; could I just have one hook? Apparently not. Sell.
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September 6: Longpigs - The Sun is Often Out
I remember hearing good things about this band years ago when I was working for the Tulane paper, and they had the album in the Amoeba used bin for $1, so hey. This came out in '97, and was the first album on Mother Records, U2's boutique label (actually, as far as I know, this may be the only album ever on Mother). The band had a whole lot of British media hype behind them, then they kinda flopped. "On and On" is a great ballad, but that's about it. Easy come, easy go. Sell.
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September 5: Steriogram - Schmack
What's wrong with this album? The same that's wrong with Chronic Future: RAP-ROCK. In this case, rap-rock from New Zealand. Argh! Go away! Now, it does have "Walkie Talkie Man," which is in those new iPod commercials and is pretty good. But the rest is lame. Super, super-lame. Another sell.
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September 4: Chronic Future - Lines in My Face
This album, I didn't like much at all. I got it because their song "Time and Time Again" is on the new MVP Baseball video game, and it was getting played on KROQ when I was in L.A. So I figured, hey, $3. Why not?
There should be a warning sticker on this album: Beware - Rap-Rock! Yes, the genre that I thought went away two years back is still around. Unfortunately. Only it's not rap-metal anymore, it's more rap-punk, like Linkin Park if they weren't as pissed off. This went straight into the sell pile.
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There should be a warning sticker on this album: Beware - Rap-Rock! Yes, the genre that I thought went away two years back is still around. Unfortunately. Only it's not rap-metal anymore, it's more rap-punk, like Linkin Park if they weren't as pissed off. This went straight into the sell pile.
September 3: Go Kart Go - Flying
Did you ever wonder what the world would be like if the Replacements had gotten huge instead of R.E.M. and Nirvana? It would sound a lot like Go Kart Go, apparently. These guys owe Paul Westerberg some money. I may sell this one back.
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September 2: Lucky Boys Confusion - Commitment
This album was a close second. Although they've probably got the worst band name ever, they're really, really good, punk-pop with fantastic melodies, some good sing-along parts (check out "Hey Driver") and a touch of reggae. I also recommend "Mr. Wilmington," the happiest song ever about suicide. If you get really interested, also download "Fred Astaire," off their first album.
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September 1: The Kicks - Hello Hong Kong
So, like I said, I went to Amoeba Records in L.A. last month, and now I want to move to L.A. just so I can go to Amoeba more often. That place is freaking awesome. For one thing, they've got a ton of promo copies of new albums that people have sold back and you can buy for like $4 each. I bought a bunch. The best of 'em was this one from the Kicks, who are from Little Rock, but sound like they should be from someplace way cooler. Imagine Weezer if they were a lot harder, but kept the occasional keyboard. I like it. A lot.
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Thursday, September 02, 2004
Andrew's August, or "I Loved the '90s"
August 1: Bush - Sixteen Stone
August 2: Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
August 3: Aerosmith - Get a Grip
August 4: Live - Throwing Copper
August 5: REM - Automatic for the People
August 6: Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory?
August 7: Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry
August 8: Toad the Wet Sprocket - Fear
August 9: Marvelous 3 - Hey! Album
August 10: Elastica - (self-titled)
August 11: Toadies - Rubberneck
August 12: Counting Crows - August and Everything After
August 13: EMF - Schubert Dip
August 14: Goo Goo Dolls - Superstar Car Wash
August 15: Beck! - Odelay
August 16: Weezer - Pinkerton
August 17: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It
August 18: Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow
August 19: Wakeland - to see the sun
August 20: Collective Soul - Dosage
August 21: Various Artists - The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience
August 22: The Nixons - Foma
August 23: Sunny Day Real Estate - How it feels to be something on
August 24: Everclear - So Much for the Afterglow
August 25: Local H - Pack Up the Cats
August 26: Sponge - Wax Ecstatic
August 27: Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine
August 28: The Refreshments - Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy
August 29: Deep Blue Something - Home
August 30: Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut
August 31: Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Best album: Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory
Worst album: Marvelous 3 - Hey! Album
Well, I think I accurately captured my personal '90s musical experience (although I should have done a Better than Ezra album... oh, well). Can you feel the premature nostalgia? For September, I've got a stack of CDs I bought in L.A. to get through, plus there's some exciting new titles coming out this month: Green Day, Better than Ezra, etc. So I guess September will be a bold voyage into the 21st century.
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August 2: Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
August 3: Aerosmith - Get a Grip
August 4: Live - Throwing Copper
August 5: REM - Automatic for the People
August 6: Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory?
August 7: Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry
August 8: Toad the Wet Sprocket - Fear
August 9: Marvelous 3 - Hey! Album
August 10: Elastica - (self-titled)
August 11: Toadies - Rubberneck
August 12: Counting Crows - August and Everything After
August 13: EMF - Schubert Dip
August 14: Goo Goo Dolls - Superstar Car Wash
August 15: Beck! - Odelay
August 16: Weezer - Pinkerton
August 17: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It
August 18: Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow
August 19: Wakeland - to see the sun
August 20: Collective Soul - Dosage
August 21: Various Artists - The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience
August 22: The Nixons - Foma
August 23: Sunny Day Real Estate - How it feels to be something on
August 24: Everclear - So Much for the Afterglow
August 25: Local H - Pack Up the Cats
August 26: Sponge - Wax Ecstatic
August 27: Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine
August 28: The Refreshments - Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy
August 29: Deep Blue Something - Home
August 30: Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut
August 31: Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Best album: Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory
Worst album: Marvelous 3 - Hey! Album
Well, I think I accurately captured my personal '90s musical experience (although I should have done a Better than Ezra album... oh, well). Can you feel the premature nostalgia? For September, I've got a stack of CDs I bought in L.A. to get through, plus there's some exciting new titles coming out this month: Green Day, Better than Ezra, etc. So I guess September will be a bold voyage into the 21st century.
August 31: Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Might as well finish '90s month with a great album. Some albums you listen to so much that you have concrete memories of them. For me, it's riding in the back seat of a car on the way back from Pensacola, Fla. in the fall of '97, half-dazed from lack of sleep, staring out the window watching the Gulf and listening to "Hey, Johnny Park!".
The best Foo Fighters album? I happen to think so. Although I wish the later, X-Files the Movie version of "Walking After You" had been on here instead of the wussier version.
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The best Foo Fighters album? I happen to think so. Although I wish the later, X-Files the Movie version of "Walking After You" had been on here instead of the wussier version.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
August 30: Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut
Also one-hit wonders, but what a hit! "Stars" is on my top 10 of all time. No, really. It's that great a song. If you forgot about it, that's not my problem; go download it and be blown away. It's too bad the rest of this album is droning and forgettable.
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