Here lies a list of some of my favorite albums. Over the years I have become attached to quite a long list of albums. In time I hope to share them all with you. I have a unique personal taste in music. Which floats all over the musical landscape. My ultimate goal is that some of you will get turned onto to some of these great unknown artists. That are out there going un-noticed by mainstream media. Many of these albums are essential albums that would make any music collection that much closer to being complete.
   

- Raspberry Jam- Oceanic

Countless times I've fallen asleep to the appropriately-titled "Oceanic" by the strangely-named Raspberry Jam. Subconsciously, I have even made myself exhausted by just reviewing the album (classical conditioning). The album appropriately fades in and you're tranquilized by the pulsing beats, droning guitars, and the lush vocals of Destiny and realize why the album was named "Oceanic". The transient beats continue during most of the tracks, but never lose the hypnotic effect. There is definitely warmth found throughout with the help of a soothing voice and lulling reverb.

"Can I" has the feel of Til Tuesday with Destiny's similar vocals. Each note carries out into an elongated drone along with her voice that leads into a chorus of noise close to Morella's Forest. "One More Time" consists of an eerie, reverbed riff that leads into an unexpected distortion that sounds like some Helmet riff. Phillip Kim appears this time, sounding like Layne Stanley (Alice in Chains), which actually works here. However, it is Destiny's angelic voice over the haunting sounds that attracts me the most. The blend of unearthly guitar notes and ghostly vocals floating over them is frequent during "Oceanic". The synthesizers also add a sense of drifting and continue the aquatic feel to the album.  Continue

 

 

- Beastie Boys- Check Your Head

In this grand melting pot of a decade, we've come to value originality more than ever. The artists we love the most are those who uniquely express themselves, rising above the ever-growing masses to do their own thing.

And when it comes to being original, the most adept artists in popular music over the last quarter of the century are New York City's Beastie Boys.

The trio's scorching debut, Licensed To Ill, was invaluable in shaping the early days of rap. They were snotty bad-boys with a chauvinistic but undeniably catchy rhyming style. Packing an ace hole of Rick Rubin's production, they helped bring the art of rap and sampling into a new era. 1989's Paul's Boutique was a revolution in itself, the Beastie Boys blossoming as artists and maturing into wise and funky chroniclers of pop culture, backed by the mezmerizing sound collages of the Dust Brothers.
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- The Prayer Chain- Mercury

By almost any standards, "Mercury" stands as a towering artistic achievement that few bands have accomplished. Recorded during a time of high tension and confusion within the band, they were still able to create a work of fierce beauty that utilized band talents in greater synthesis than any of their previous works. Andrew Prickett's guitars took a decidedly ambient turn, Eric Campuzano's bass became more eloquent, and the vocals and percussion both took on deeper subtleties than on their previous album. This band was something of an oddity within the Christian alternative scene because of their willingness to explore different worldviews and perspectives, but it resulted in moments that are challenging regardless of a listener's perspective. The descent into death described by "Creole" is not in any way soothing, but rather a frightening and chaotic soundscape; such exploration is scarce within the Christian alt-rock mainstream. Moreover, their usage of vocal drones to create suspended ambience in the opener, "Humb," was years ahead of its time. It is regretful that the band wasn't able to stay together longer, but their work resonates not simply as good religious music, but exceptional and brave music by any standard.   Continue

 

 

- MuteMath- S/T

This album is a little different than most that were released this year, because this album was really released twice. It has been a big rollercoaster ride for Mute Math and them putting out their debut full length. They released it earlier this year on tour, selling it at their shows and using their own money to fund that. September 26th was when the record was officially released by Warner Brothers.

The first song is an instrumental track which sets the stage for everything you can except to hear over the next 60 minutes. The drums are loud and raw and stick out, but in such a perfect way. The keyboard and guitar set the melody which is quickly added to with faint vocals which aren't words but rather is used as another instrument. The first song fades and the guitar comes in strong and leads you into the rest of the record.   Continue

 

 

- Paper Route- Absence

It's tough not to sound like a pretentious music elitist when you are discussing something you feel very passionate about. So, if I come across as one right now, I apologize right off the bat. If you can't find something to like in Paper Route, then you don't appreciate good music. It's even tough for me to try to convey my thoughts on this album when I can't even fully comprehend how complex it is.

Paper Route is a four piece band from Nashville, Tennessee that was formed in 2004 after several other bands had disassembled. As of late, the band has been touring with music scene heavyweights such as Paramore, Jack's Mannequin, and Copeland. Audiences and fans alike have been thoroughly impressed and have had nothing but great things to say about the band, mostly because they have only been touring on a couple of EPs and haven't had a lot of material to work with, which brings us to the present place and time, April 28, 2009. Paper Route's debut album Absence is officially available. So how does it stack up? Let's just say that it's one of the best albums of the year so far.
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- Duran Duran- Rio

To this day, the mere mention of Duran Duran in the rock press brings with it much disdain, if not outright dismissal. Classic rock purists sometimes believe their word is gospel, so you won t find many who dare to stray from the guitar-based genre they hold in such high regard -- that is, anything with synthesizers is evil. You'd be very hard pressed to find any Duran Duran album in an American list of top rock albums.

However, if you were to ask a British or pop music journalist about Duran Duran, you'd get a different story. They were, after all, one of the bands involved in the second British invasion of America. Not since The Beatles had a music group ever become so successful so quickly over here, and like the moptops it was the female population that latched on to the band. Over the years, the band has lost members and their standing, but at some point critics will have to show Duran Duran some love -- if for no other reason than their endurance in a precarious rock scene.
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- The Police- Zenyatta Mondatta

A&M was keen for a new set of material and a return to touring. Somewhat rushed, Zenyatta Mondatta came out late in 1980. It became the Police's North American first really big album, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. and Canada. In England, the album spent a month at number one.

Zenyatta Mondatta was originally going to be called Trimondo Blondomina, meaning "three blond guys (dominating the world)," but the band did not want another title referring to "blond" so that title was dropped. They reached a consensus with Zenyatta Mondatta. Zenyatta Mondatta is supposedly a composite of several things. "Zen" comes from the eastern religion. "Yatta" is rumored to have ties to Kenyatta (the leader of the Mau Mau's of Congo-Zaire-Kenya). "Mond" comes from "Monde" - the French word for world. The whole thing was then articulated in such a way to sound like "Reggatta." Another possibility is that the title came from "Zenith" and "Monde," which means "Top of the World." A third theory: In Japanese, Zenyatta Mondatta allegedly has a somewhat rude meaning: "gave money, gave a massage."    Continue

 

 

- The Listening- Listening Lp

From the opening moments of The Listening LP, it's clearly the band's name change is not merely cosmetic. Lush keyboards and almost-lazy synth bassline bring the record in as hushed, throaty vocals deliver line after line in a hypnotic cadence. "Glory of the Feared" is one of twelve outstanding tracks that drip, sweat and bleed passion, agony, heartache and hope. Lyrically, Gabriel Wilson is in top form, a romantic wordsmith using potent imagery to convey the depths of despair and the quiet resurrection of hope. With nearly every song topping five minutes, the music has an unrushed, natural quality to it. Chiming vintage toned guitars and stripped down drums combine with synthesizer low end and lots of wonderful keyboard tones . Nothing is forced, transitions are gentle yet dynamic. The listener, in many ways, is akin to a fortunate fly on the wall as four talented men create brilliance on the spot.   Continue

 

 

- Red Hot Chili Peppers- By The Way

If the Red Hot Chili Peppers have come to realize anything over a career of nearly 20 years, then it's that enough shallowness eventually starts to make you pretty deep. Over that time there have been drugs, there have been girls, and there have almost certainly been parties now we find the group in the unenviable position of surveying the aftermath, and trying to clear up the mess. 

Or we would, were this 1999, and this a review of the band's 'Californication' album  confessional, occasionally heartbroken, and containing a song about going surfing with your friends. The thing is, so monstrously successful was this often downbeat record, it feels that with 'By The Way' the group have got the confidence to do exactly what they want again. Their hearts are on their sleeves, for sure, but their hearts seem to be in their work as well.  Continue

 

 

- Jimmy Eat World- Chase This Light

The Mesa, Arizona band who acquired their name from a poster on which the little brother (Ed Linton) of the band's guitarist - Tom Linton - made exclaiming Jimmy Eat World, expressing some hard feelings in the most protesting manner he could think of towards the Linton's other brother Jim, has been a moniker that has outlasted those hard feelings with the band's newly released fifth studio album Chase This Light. The foursome of Jimmy Eat World spearheaded the emo-rock movement with the support of a number of bands like themselves back in the late '90s.  Continue

 

 
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