I've been talking
about doing this list for years and finally I'm
making it happen. I'm making it happen. This list is comprised
of albums that for one reason or another I have grown to love
over the years. Some of them date all the way back before I
was born. I was a child of the 80's. So most of the 80's entries
are kind of nostalgic.
Many
of these albums I dare to consider some of the best
ever written. I hope you enjoy the list and maybe even
feel drawn to check out a few that you are unfamiliar with.
50.
G. Love &
Special Sauce-
Philadelphonic
(Dreamin')
G. Love is the master of rhymes for the
summertime. Philadelphonic is filled with a number of bouncy pool party
anthems as well as cool laid back lazy summer day music. The appearance of
Jack Johnson is quite nice, and "Rodeo Clowns" is definately the strongest
cut of the album. Other strong tracks include "Dreamin'," "Do It For Free,"
and "Friday Night." Granted, this isn't exactly deep stuff, but its really
fun for breaking loose in the summertime.
49. Third Eye Blind- Out Of The Vein
(Blinded)
"Out of the Vein" is a solid third
album, securing 3eb's status as a valid rock band in today's society. While
songs like "Crystal Baller" and "Blinded" call back to the style and heavy
riffs of their self titled album, Stephan Jenkins and crew delve into
uncharted territory on the stand-out songs of the album. Jenkins enlisted
Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches to add vocals to "Self Righteous", marking
the first vocal collaboration on an album for them. The psychedelic "Palm
Reader" shows another facet of Third Eye Blind with its late-night,
post-party feel. The majority of Jenkins' lyrics are based around his
break-up with actress Charlize Theron, resulting in the most honest lyrics
to date.
48. The Brother Kite- Isolation
Having been a pretty big fan of Waiting, I was psyched to get a hold of
Isolation. It took me a few listens to really get into Waiting - it was only
by virtue of being hooked on the track
"Lay Down Your Burden" that I gave the album the requisite time to
really warm up to it. It only took me two plays through to go headfirst into
Isolation.
album review--->
47. One Republic- Waking Up
(Good
Life)
Let's get this
out of the way right from the start - sophomore slump? OneRepublic? Uh, no.
It doesn't take but a few minutes of their latest, "Waking
Up," to show these guys have gotten better and are far from done. It's a
hell of a lot more engrossing of a record, taking a page from recent work of
Eye Alaska
more than anything these guys have done in the past, but the change suits
One Republic's abilities.
album review--->
46. Fugazi- 13 Songs
(Waiting
Room)Fugazi's debut is a fury of anger and frustration. Maybe not the best way to introduce yourself to the world, especially if you're already labeled punk before you hit the door, but Fugazi definitely has their own agenda. On 13 songs you experience a lot of contempt for the B.S. the world has to offer but put together in a way that's almost catchy and rhythmically to die for. A good one for the first time Fugazi buyer, even better for a seasoned veteran who's never got around to this one. Visit the beginning and be blown away.
45. Seaweed- Spanaway
For those of you don't know them, Seaweed plays grunge/pop-punk with huge-sounding guitars and a whole lot of Quicksand influence (i.e., not entirely melodical, but still good) Seaweed's sound has evolved, changed about three times. Some folks gotta problem with that, I guess. Spanaway was a transitional album, moving away from the early hardcore sound which culminated in the brilliant Four, but toward a more complex sound, a sound that found its zenith with the polished, focused anger of A&I.
44. New Order- Waiting For The Siren's Call
To truly embrace 'Waiting For The Siren's Call', you need to accept that New Order are not the restless groundbreaking twenty-something electronic pioneers of before. They are elder statesmen pushing fifty with nothing to prove to anybody, and happy to settle into a comfortable musical middle age. With the loss of Gillian Gilbert, there is less emphasis on cutting-edge synth and electronica and a greater focus on guitar pop/rock. So if you're going to complain that there's nothing as innovative and brilliant as 'Blue Monday' on here, you might be right, but you're kind of missing the point.
43. Absinthe Blind- Rings
To say that Absinthe Blind have elements in common with their fellow Champaign, Illinois space-rockers Hum would be an understatement as both utilize sweeping guitars and distorted melodies to completely overwhelm the listener, but to say that Rings has any glaring similarities to You'd Prefer An Astronaut or Downward Is Heavenward would also be completely off base.
album review--->
42. Aunt Bettys-
S/T 
(Feel)
The
inception of Aunt Bettys was Michael
Knotts attempt at crossing over into the mainstream market. Well,
looking back years later, I guess it didn't quite pan out like he had hoped
it would. After decades of pumping out album after album, Michael has quite
a great catalog of good albums. In fact I've never stumbled across one that
I didn't like, maybe that's due to the fact that he never seems to take any
big kind of risks when writing them.
album review--->
41.
Violet Burning-
Demonstrates
Plastic and Elastic
(Gorgeous)
album review--->
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