Albums I like: pt. 2

Sorry for the delay, I've had actual paying work that took precedent over this silly little list. I'm going to try and get the remaining segments up on a weekly basis, but no promises, especially with the holiday this weekend. Anyway, enough with the excuses and on to the list.


80. Beck – Odelay
If you’re Beck, how do you follow up the unexpected smashing success that was Loser? Odealy was a great way to do it. It took all the elements of Mellow Gold and tightened them up, producing the album that he is now most known for. Beck has veered in many directions since, but all of his later musical mood swings can be traced, at least in part, back here.


79. Nas – Illmatic
Nas’ first album is a classic, showcasing everything that defined the East Coast hip hop scene at the time. Along with artists like Jay-Z, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Mobb Deep, Illmatic helped propel the East Coast back into the forefront of the national consciousness. Nas was on top of his game here, but like anyone who starts out so strong, he has had a hard time living up to the undeniable timelessness of Illmatic.


78. Lostprophets – Start Something
I almost want to say that I was young and didn’t know any better, but damn was I hooked on this album. For a very long time. The Welsh boys never really achieved success over here in the states but they got me hooked. Lostprophets made easily digestible, catchy rock music and Start Something really got to me. It’s not the type of album I’d consistently listen to now, but as a teenager who was still discovering where he wanted to sit in the musical theatre, there was nothing better.


77. Kanye West – The College Dropout
Kanye West—great producer, decent emcee. On his debut album, he makes up for his weakness by surrounding himself with much more proficient rappers. The result is nothing short of magical. While he has let his ego get on the way of his newer material, The College Dropout is pure unadulterated great hip hop.


76. Spoon – Gagagagaga
Spoon’s most complete album to date happens to be their latest. Easily digestible and wholly enjoyable. This is what pop music should sound like.


75. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
I’m beginning to think Mr. Yorke can do no wrong. While Radiohead was heading back towards guitars, Thom hadn’t gotten the electronica out of his system. While not as focused as Kid A (though I hate to compare solo work to that of his actual band, but it’s easy), it is miles ahead of Amnesiac. In fact, this could almost be the eighth Radiohead album, if not for the absence of Jonny Greenwood’s guitar, but it stands up well on it’s own, if it doesn’t add another layer of mystery to the enigmatic singer’s persona.


74. Nirvana – Nevermind
While this may be their most popular album, the one that cemented their place as one of the few bands that were able to change the face of rock forever, it is not their best. Not to say that this is a bad album, far from it. Every song on it has become a classic in its own right. This is the album that started the revolution (along with a sea of imitators) and for that, it will always be remembered.


73. The Coup – Pick a Bigger Weapon
Getting political in music works best when it’s basically all you do (see Rage Against the Machine). Couple that with a charismatic smooth flowing emcee and production that fits the mood of the songs perfectly, and you get a sense of why the Coup work so well. Boots Riley is pissed, sure, but he isn’t content in just letting you know about it, he wants you to feel it right along with him. And by the end of this record, you begin to do just that.


72. System of a Down – System of a Down
Serj and co. were one of the best things to come out of the whole alternative metal scene of the late 90’s. Political message aside, their unique sound was what kept them relevant for so long. This was the record that started it all, much rawer than their later efforts, but just as intelligent and moving.


71. DangerDoom – The Mouse and the Mask
An album based on a series of cartoons can’t be good, can it? Well, when the cartoons in question are the best of the Adult Swim lineup and the artists paying homage are Danger Mouse and MF Doom, then yes, yes it can. Doom’s at his tightest since Madvillainy, and DM’s beats are as eclectic as always. Add in some killer guest spots by Ghostface and Kweli and some show stealing skits, you have one of the best (if not nerdiest) hip hop albums of the past few years.


70. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
Ironically, this was the album that got me into Sonic Youth, not their earlier material. This actually turned out to work in my favor, as the albums accessibility made the transition into their earlier, more experimental works much easier. Pink Steam remains one of my favorite Sonic Youth songs to this day.


69. System of a Down – Toxicity
System took everything they did right on their first album and made it better. The result was a tighter, more cohesive album that catapulted them to superstar status.


68. Green Day – Dookie
Looking back at this, I don’t know whether to consider it juvenile or brilliant. Whichever it is, Green Day could very well be the band of my generation (take that for what you will). No other act that came out of that time has remained relevant for as long as they have and they’re continuing to reinvent themselves today. Whatever you think about them, they deserve some respect.


67. Incubus – S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
While Incubus ended up pulling a RHCP (discovering an inoffensive sound and running with it) on their later efforts, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. was by far their most interesting effort. Mistakenly labeled nu-metal based on first single “New Skin,” they also employed elements of funk and electronica in their music. Plus, Brandon Boyd could actually sing, unlike many of his “contemporaries” at the time. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. was their breakthrough effort, but unfortunately their best since they achieved mainstream status.


66. Sevendust – Home
I’ll chalk this one up to Lajon’s voice. The man has such a smooth, almost soulful voice, it gave them a real leg up on the other heavy bands of the late 90’s, early 00’s. The music here was rather simplistic (compared to some of their later work), but in conjunction with the vocal work, it became movable, memorable heavy music.


65. Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals
While Holy Wood is Manson’s most prolific effort, Mechanical Animals is his most fun. Remembered by most for the interesting, um, style that he chose to portray, the music here holds up fine on its own. Yes, it is more poppy than his previous work, going from crunching industrial/goth guitars for a more electronic sound, but it was all part of his master plan. He took some heat from long time fans for doing that, but in hindsight, in the context of the world that he was creating, it worked perfectly.


64. Aesop Rock – Labor Days
This is one of indie rap’s quintessential albums. From Aesop’s complex and frantic flow to his lyrics that, by his own admission, don’t always make sense, Labor Days is a modern day masterpiece. Blockhead provides the perfect soundtrack for Mr. Rock’s musings and the result is the album that really the New York Def Jux crew on the national map once and for all.


63. Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape
These days I find it hard to get excited about a new Foo Fighters record. At this point, you know exactly what you’re going to get. The Colour and the Shape had Dave Grohl and co. in top form and spawned one of the greatest rock radio songs of the 90’s in Everlong. It’s a shame that they’ve gotten so predictable.


62. The Chemical Brothers – Push the Button
When the Chemical Brothers are on, damn are they on. Other than Galvanize, Push the Button may not have had the defining singles that they had earlier in their career, but it is just such a consistent album that it makes up for it. As long as they keep putting out catchy, danceable music like this, people will listen.


61. Radiohead – Kid A
After the masterpiece that was OK Computer, most bands would try and recreate that magic for another go around in an attempt to strike while the iron is hot. But Radiohead are not most bands. Kid A was a complete 180 from OK Computer, and not at all what people were expecting. Out went the guitars and in came the keyboards. While their previous works were more anthemic, Kid A was a much more abstract and minimalistic affair. This radical change of style could very well have backfired, but Kid A remains one of Radiohead’s most critically acclaimed and universally loved albums in their catalogue.

All Points West Saturday Report

This past weekend was the inaugural All Points West festival in Jersey City, NJ. I braved the crowds and bathroom lines Saturday to see what it was all about.

Chromeo
The day started with this electro-pop duo from Canada. I didn’t see what the big deal about them is. Their first few songs basically involved them repeating their name over and over, in case you forgot who you were watching. Someone I was with said it was one of the greatest moments of her life. At least someone enjoyed it. My old, crappy digital camera also decided to bite it after their set, so that was the end of my good pics.

Metric
They seemed solid, though I am unfamiliar with their music so I couldn’t really get into it. The lead singer made some quip about turning into a hipster band. Whatever.

Animal Collective
This was a weird set. It started off and ended well, but the middle was a muddled mess. The peak came at the end with “Fireworks,” but by the time they built up their momentum, it was over, leaving us unfulfilled. Maybe I needed to be on drugs to fully enjoy it, as there was a guy around us who seemed to be enjoying it a bit too much.

The Roots
Just to start, I want to say how much of a travesty it was that they got put on the second stage and ended a mere 15 minutes before Radiohead. I’m sure there were more than a few people who sat through Kings of Leon instead of seeing the Roots just so they had good seats for Radiohead. That said, they missed a hell of a show. The last 35 minutes started with a 15 minute epic version of “You Got Me,” complete with tuba and (a killer) guitar solos. It didn’t let up from then until the end of the set. Set list, for all those who want to know what they missed out on, was as follows:

Rising Up
Mellow My Man
Criminal
Long Time
You Got Me (super extended OMG version)
The Seed 2.0
The Next Movement
75 Bars (we left a minute or so into this, so I’m not sure if there was anything else)

Radiohead
Well, what can I say, it’s friggin Radiohead. It wasn’t the most personal show I’ve ever been to (what can you expect with 20,000 people?), but it was extremely rewarding. The set as very In Rainbows heavy, but also included a nice variety of older material, including a nice amount from Kid A. Highlights included “The National Anthem,” “Fake Plastic Trees,” “Exit Music (For a film),” and “Weird Fishes.” The lights were exceptional as well and just added to and excellent performance.

Overall, APW was very hit and miss. The Roots ended up stealing the show, and between them and Radiohead, the ticket price was warranted. However, everything leading up to those two performances was a very mixed bag, and it seemed the same way for the Friday and Saturday shows. Next year, hopefully they get a few more A-list acts and stagger the set times a bit better.

Albums I like: pt. 1

So I had an epiphany one night recently as I was contemplating my upcoming 25th birthday and scouring my music collection for something to fit my mood. That’s when it hit me: I’ve listened to more than my fair share of music over this past quarter century, some of it great, a lot of it, not so much. Right then and there I decided to make a list of the albums that defined my musical taste up until this point. Not necessarily the greatest albums of all time, but the ones that shaped me at some point in my life. The idea grew from a handful of albums to the list of 100 that I will be posting here over the next few weeks, using a flawless, top secret scientific method to choose them. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Or, at the very least, I hope you’re able to discover something new.

100. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Oasis will probably be remembered for two things: Liam being a total dick and for basically being a Beatles cover band. The later is funny to me, as I think the Beatles are a bit overrated (that sound you hear is no one reading any further). But for some reason this worked. Despite the sometimes laughable lyrics (Slowly walking down the hall/faster than a cannon ball?), this is a great album. It’s the best record the Beatles never made.

99. Beck – The Information
Beck + Dust Brothers = Pure win. While this album goes on a bit too long and outstays its welcome, the first half of this album sees Beck at his best.

98. Stabbing Westward – Wither, Blister, Burn and Peel
Many consider Stabbing Westward Nine Inch Nails light. Sure they are more poppy and take less risks than Mr. Reznor’s act, but to call them a generic rip off would be selling them short. Sure, they may not be the most original act on the planet and their pseudo elctro-emo imagery isn’t the deepest, but this album is just too damn catchy to forget about. Between this and it’s follow up, Darkest Days, Stabbing Westward deserve to be remembered, not for what they couldn’t be, but for what they were, a good alternative/electronica act that was fine while we were all waiting for the next Nine Inch Nails record.

97. The Prodigy – Fat of the Land
Electronica’s time in the limelight was short lived, but the Prodigy put out one of the scene’s best records in Fat of the Land. It captured the best elements of the genre, driving guitars, intense hip-hop beats, and those at times nonsensical lyrics. It was an album made to be played on 11 and just lose yourself in. That, and it sparred on of the greatest videos of the 90’s, for “Smack my bitch up.”

96. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Bowie is known as the great chameleon, but nothing stands out quite like this (with the possible exception of Station to Station). While this may not be his most challenging effort, it is one of his most consistent, and the one that introduced me to the genius that is David Bowie.

95. A Static Lullaby - …And Don’t Forget to Breathe
This is one of those albums that looking back on it, wasn’t as good as it was when I was really into it. Regardless, I was into this scene for much of my late teens, so to do it no justice would not reflect my past musical persona. I actually picked this up at a show of theirs, before they got signed to a label. For the genre it was pretty good, very raw and emotional. Then they got signed, it got overproduced, and they sounded like every other band at the time.

94. Death From Above 1979 – You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Normally, when one hears the term drum and bass, all one can think of is shitty club music. But with just a bass guitar and a drum set, this Canadian duo crafted one of the most original, danceable albums of the past few years. It’s just a shame they disbanded before we could see what else they had in store.

93. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand might be too hooky for their own good. From the ultra memorable riff to “Take me out” to the singable choruses to just about every song on here, Franz showed that this new indie/dance rock revival could be a lot more fun than whatever the Strokes were doing.

92. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
While I’m still not a fan of Funeral, the Arcade Fire get it right here. Maybe it’s the subject matter, maybe it’s the beautifully layered music, but Neon Bible is the real deal. Here’s hoping they can keep it up.

91. The Used – The Used
Whatever you want to call their scene, the used were the kings of it, if only for a short while. Bert’s vocals were what attracted me to them in the first place, and while I may not listen to them as much any more, his voice still has a very pleasing aesthetic quality to it. After their second album failed to live up to this, I gave up on the boys from Utah, but as far as angsty teenage records go, the used holds a special place in my heart.

90. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine
Potential. That is the word that first comes to mind when you listen to Pretty Hate Machine. It’s a good pop-industrial record with some damn catchy tunes. But you know Trent is capable of much more, here he barely scratches the surface. Luckily this is just a taste of much greater things to come.

89. Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth
It was hard to choose between this and Shadows on the Sun, but The Undisputed Truth ultimately won out because it’s a more focused effort. All of the same elements are here, the non-cocky braggadocio, the social commentary, just perfected. He’s still unsure, even when he’s on top of the world, but that just adds to his legend. Brother Ali is a master storyteller, and this entry really stands for his whole body of work, not just this album.

88. Marilyn Manson – Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Before this record came out, Manson described it as his version of the White album. While it will never reach the mythic status that the Beatles achieved with it, Holy Wood is indeed an epic undertaking. Slated as the third part of his trilogy (Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals being the first two), and his first album since the Columbine tragedy, Manson takes on all comers. It takes on issues such as our fascinations with fame and religion and shows his disdain for American pop culture, Hoy Wood is Manson at his smartest, at exactly the time when he needed to be.

87. Burial – Untrue
This is my first step into the world of dub step, and I can’t get enough of it. Minimalist yet highly emotional, Untrue grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. This is an album that you need to digest alone for maximum impact, but something that you feel the need to tell everyone you know about. I can’t wait for what else he has in store.

86. Sage Francis – Personal Journals
Sage cemented himself as one of the underground’s best wordsmith’s with this record. While it is a little uneven in places, most of his lines are pure genius. Sage straddles the line between slam poet and rapper beautifully.

85. The Roots – Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart is the sound of Black Thought et al. finding themselves. This, along with Phrenology, were their transitory records, from hip hop jam band to the tour de force that they are currently. Some of the best tracks here invoke some of hip hop’s heavy hitters (You Got Me, Ain’t Sayin’ Nuthin” New), but like good guests should, they never overpower the band, only complement them. In Things Fall Apart, we see the spark (no pun intended, really) that turned the Roots into one of the best hip hop acts of all time.

84. Metallica – St. Anger
St. Anger? Really? While their first few albums were indeed excellent (Kill ‘Em All through Master of Puppets), you knew what you were going to get. For the most part, one could take any song off of one of those albums, throw it on to one of the others and it wouldn’t feel out of place. St. Anger sounded nothing like Metallica had ever done before, and is unlikely to do again. Yes, it sounded as if Lars was banging on trash cans, but the dirty, gritty sound, not being Load or Reload, and the fact that it stirs up such a passionate response from fans (in either a positive or negative light), this deserves to be on here.

83. OneBeLo –S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.
OneBeLo almost makes me forgive Michigan for unleashing Kid Rock upon the world. He’s one of the most gifted emcees on the scene today and it’s a crime that he isn’t more well known than he is. While his efforts tend to suffer from too much bulk, there are enough gems on S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. to show how serious about his craft that he really is.

82. Boysetsfire – After the Eulogy
From the opening notes of After the Eulogy, you can just tell that this album is going to kick all sorts of ass. This is boysetsfire’s masterpiece. It goes back and forth from blistering anthems to melodic pieces, all along fighting for the plight of the working class. This falls with the best politically charged albums of the last 20 years due to the fact that it connects with, rather than preaches to the listener.

81. Metallica – Metallica
Sometimes albums that sell real well are pieces of crap (I’m looking at you, Nickelback). In some cases, they are fully warranted, like here. This is the album that catapulted Metallica into the stratosphere. Sure, they were big before, but now they were musical gods. Some hate them for switching up their sound. Others say this was their last good album. I just say this is an extremely solid hard rock record from front to back.