Tag Archives: 100 Albums In 100 Days

100: The Beatles

Posted by on 2/22/2011 No comments

99. The Beatles – Help 2/22
Please please help me. I think a lot of my connection to this album is thru the movie. Help is my favorite Beatles movie and I had a few classic moments a long time ago watching it. I just think it’s funny even if it is one of the dumbest movies ever. The time period of Help represents the cusp of when the Beatles were transitioning from the mop top Love Me Do phase to the shaggy haired psychadelia fused Tomorrow Never Knows phase. This was right before Rubber Soul. Treat me like you did the night before. Hey! you got to hide your love away. Love you all the time and never leave you. For I have got, Another Girl. You’re gonna lose that girl. But, she’s gotta ticket to ride. Cause you like me too much and I like you. I believe in yesterday.

100. The Beatles – Abbey Road 2/22
Right off the bat you can hear the difference between Help era Beatles and later day Beatles. There is so much more advanced production within this album. One thing I can tell you is you’ve got to be free. Come together, right now, over me. Something in the way she moves. Bang Bang Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. I’d like to be under the sea. I want you so bad it’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad. One day when I was a kid I made a mix tape containing about 15 repeated instances of Here Comes The Sun. Listening to that song over and over again was apparently something I wanted to do at the time. Because the world is round, it turns me on. I love the whole medley You Never Give Me Your Money -> Sun King -> Mean Mr. Mustard -> Polythene Pam -> She Came in Through the Bathroom Window -> Golden Slumbers -> Carry That Weight -> The End. Sundays on the phone with Monday, Tuesdays on the phone with me. And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

100: Rezi

Posted by on 2/21/2011 No comments

98. Rezi – Ritual Healing And Celebration 2/21
Love What Happened- Russ singing Hectar’s parts.. This album misses Hectar bigtime.
Had Rezi recorded a studio album in 2000 rather than 2001 you’d have Hectar on acoustic guitar and a couple more Hectar songs (What’s Next, Nueva Amore < -- the song that Rezi "clicked" for me, period.) I have loose understandings of where the songs came from in the early days and I'm sure Phil knows all that info but I first saw the band with Hectar and I think it would have gone slightly different after that, but who knows. Can't waste time speculating. With acoustic guitar gone, Russ Friedell became the new keyboard player and played on this album. I saw one of his first shows in March 2001,. Jose Cuervo is awesome. There's a lot of good songs on this album (Cuervo, Lemmings, and Runaway are the biggest live staples that stuck around, but you had to see Rezi live. Really sorry if you didn't. I really wanted to see Rezi record an album in it's peak (2003?) with some of the nastier deep dark danky road tested dusters on an album...I was going to write a fantasy album list but ended up just coming up with a random fantasy Rezi setlist and from this the material for like 2 or 3 albums was there

What Happened, Urraca Mesa, Cissy Strut, Rock Out, Neds Tune, Nueva Amore, Subterranean Tea Party, Doink, Waves > Scatterbrains > Runaway > Karibe the Mountain Lion > Drum Jam > Chemestry, Jose Cuervo

Tomonari > Concussion, Last Dance, The Nothing, Infection,The Birth Of Izer > Backwash > Mr. Oblivious > Lemmings > Tri Tone > Mr. Oblivious Jam > Summer of Sam > Squirrelman > Electrical Storm

I Am The Slime, Five Is Normal

Rezi Lineup for this particular show would be Phil Salvaggio on electric guitar/keys/clarinet/etc/vocals, Ned Brower on bass/didgeridoo/etc/vocals, Hectar Reiter on acoustic guitar/vocals, Packy Lunn on electronic drums/etc/vocals, Eric Imbrosciano on drums, Jason Press on keys/saxophones, Russ Friedell on keys/trumpet/vocals, Mark Caiola on percussion/bass/vocals

100: Geoff Hartwell, The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads

Posted by on 2/18/2011 No comments

94. Geoff Hartwell – Perfect Stranger 2/18
I got time to fit my ole buddy Jefe into this list for sure! I love this album! Will it disappear if I get too close? The album is a little journey in itself. Takes me back to being a freshmen in college and finally going to my first live rock and roll show and seeing Jefe with the band Mad Heed perform The Wall in it’s entirety. It was awesome. Mad Heed was my first live music (small bars) obsession. I went to see them play all over Oneonta and wherever else they would play whenever I could. The only sucky thing for me was that Jefe was only around for 1 more year. I saw as many Mad Heed shows as I could see. I have several recordings that were made on some really low-fi low-fi shit. Wish I could go back and use half of the low-fi equipment I have now in 2011. Yeah this was 1998/99. Some day I’ll dig thru that box of tapes and see if there’s anything of use. Geoff is still doing his thing and plays many live shows in the greater New York city area. Check him out and look up this disc and all of his latest efforts!

95. The Grateful Dead – Terrapin Station 2/18
I would be severly remiss if I didn’t include this. I listened to this album a million times when I first got into it many many years ago in high school. My time coming, any day.. don’t worry about me now. Though Estimated Prophet makes me want to move to California, I never did that. Some day I will have to check the log to see if there’s anything of any use within the piles and piles of scribbles while listening to this album. For a good stretch of half a year or so this and The Doors self titled were the two albums I listened to the most (along with Junta). It doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there. Some rise, some fall, some climb… to get to Terrapin.

96. Pink Floyd – The Wall 2/18
Let’s bust out another double album that is always a good time. All we are are just bricks in the wall. I haven’t typed much up at all listening to this now. For now, all that I can say is that this is a classic album. There must be some mistake, i didn’t mean to let them take away my soul, am i too old, is it too late??? Bring the boys back home.

97. Talking Heads – Remain In Light 2/18
First album I’ll actually listen to off a CD. That’s pretty sad and awesome. These 200 disc books are heavy, can’t believe I had to carry that around to do a Radio Show.. Now I’d use IPOD, External Drive, Phone.. Same as it ever was!

100: Nirvana, Sam Roberts

Posted by on 2/16/2011 No comments

92. Nirvana – Unplugged 2/16
I’ve spent a lot of time listening to this album. Right now it’s Daddy Daughter time, we are playing and listening to this. This is one of the very first CD’s I ever got, the same day I got my very own CD player. I listened to this and Nevermind a lot. A lot. I haven’t typed much while listening to this, this time.. and that’s okay. I’ll listen to it again soon. I love the album for what it is, but it was much later on that I found out more about the day they recorded this album and how sick Kurt was at the time. He is so perfect on this recording, but he was all sorts of ways wrong inside. I do wish the album included the full show and in their original played order. I wish I typed some of the great lines from this album but oh well. I still haven’t seen a repeated airing of the Unplugged on TV since MTV played it for an entire month around the time of Kurt’s very untimely death. I’m sure I’ve missed it, but I need a heads up on that or just order the dvd, ahh I see now they did finally put that out. They hadn’t last time I thought about it.

93. Sam Roberts – We Were Born In A Flame 2/16
Though I might like Chemical City a little more, this is the first album I had of theirs and it hooked me. I didn’t type much while listening due to playing with the baby girl the entire time. Stay tuned for that movie someday!

100: The Grateful Dead, Kings of Leon, Rilo Kiley, The Smashing Pumpkins

Posted by on 2/16/2011 No comments

88. The Grateful Dead – American Beauty 2/16
1970. Any morning, any evening, any day. I’ve also befriended the Devil. There are so many good songs on this easy to listen to acoustic sounding album. We can discover the wonders of nature rolling in the brushes down by the river side. Sunshine Daydream. Operator, can you help me? I don’t know where she’s going, I don’t care where she’s been, as long as she’s been doing it right. Look out look out, the candy man. There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night. And if you go, no one may follow. That path is for, your steps alone. Attics is my least favorite track. What a long strange trip it’s been. I’d like to get some sleep before I travel, but if you got a warrant I guess you’re gonna come in. Jerry Garcia is featured on Steel Guitar for several songs. This album features the Dead starting to really lock in and become the iconic image that is the Grateful Dead today. The album best represents the Dead’s ability to fuse together elements of bluegrass, rock and roll, folk music and, especially, country.

89. Kings of Leon – Only by the Night 2/16
2008. I was going to listen to either this album or Because Of The Times and I chose this one cause there’s more 4 and 5 star songs on this than the other. I really really enjoy both albums though. And it’s coming Closer! You better learn to crawl before I walk away. You know that I could use somebody. Somebody like you. Don’t knock it, don’t knock it, you’ve been here before. To say I want you, just exactly like I used to. You can’t get enough. Good album. I enjoy it.

90. Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklights 2/16
2007. Hooray hooray I’m your silver lining. Hooray hooray but now I’m gold. It’s gonna be a close call. Ooooh. Air. Feels good to be free. This album makes me feel like I’m sitting in a dark room under the blacklights. Living in a dreamworld. Dejalo, nuestra cosa. I got a mind if you wanna waste it / I got a man if you wanna fake it / I got some wine if you wanna get wasted / I got a place if you wanna. Ready to go, just say so. Danger to the Smoke Detector.

91. The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 2/16
Double Album with High School written all over it. A few years after high school, I dipped back into this album whilst playing late night video games. I remember fondly the videos for Tonight Tonight, Zero, 1979, and Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Believe, believe. Tonight, tonight. Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me. I never let on that I was on a sinking ship. Back in the day I listened to only the hot cuts from this album, but when I redipped I listened to the album as a whole and enjoyed it much much more. The world is a vampire, set to drain. Secret destroyers hold up to the planes. Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage. Porcelina. Weird that the Vinyl version of this album has a totally different track order. I’m through Dawn to Dusk and am listening to the Twilight to Starlight disc now. Shake down 1979. Cool kids never have the time. Faster than the speed of sound. Not a tales of a scorched earth kinda guy. We Only Come Out at Night. Like many double albums, if the fat was trimmed, I wonder how great a single disc this all could have made. There’s definitely a few tracks along the way that I don’t really care for.

100 Albums Update

Posted by on 2/15/2011 No comments

As of last Saturday I’ve listened to 87 albums in 89 days.

So in other words, we’re almost there!! I just have to finish strong here and listen to about 10 albums this week.

Getting so close to the end, don’t know what will make it and what won’t.

Not quite yet ready to write my wrap up thoughts, but thought a little update would be nice. One thing I have learned though is that there are a lot of awesome albums out there.

I’m very thankful to all the musicians out there creating powerful wonderful music and not sure where I would be if the music didn’t exist.

Here’s the list to see where we are at so far, skip to the actual post by clicking the link next to the album where the date the album was listened to was recorded.

100 Albums In 100 Days

100: DMB, Mike Gordon, moe., Pink Floyd

Posted by on 2/12/2011 No comments

83. Dave Matthews Band – Before These Crowded Streets 2/9
I think the world of you. I enjoy Dave Matthews Band music very much. Crash was the first disc I really heard. I’m sure I knew What Would You Say before that but I specifically remember the night of the Prom I heard the album for the first time in the limo on the way. By the time I got to college this album came out and we were very very good friends. It is by far my favorite Dave disc and I had to squeeze it in here before we get to 100. This is the Last Stop. Love hearing Don’t Drink the Water at SPAC everytime I hear it there. There’s blood in the water. I like the little intro and outro bonuses all over this album too. Good stuff. Looking ahead the songs I’m not digging as much are, well.. just Crush. But The Stone, The Dreaming Tree, etc just really good DMB songs. For a moment this good time will never end. Never right side up or upside down, is this real or am I dreaming? Come in from the cold for a while, everything will be alright.

84. Mike Gordon – Inside In 2/10
Gotta fit this one in. Played this a lot when it came out. I remember doing a lot of work listening to this one. Good times. Me likey. What’s this all about? I just call it outside out! making photo copies of everyone I know and storing them under a file labeled no. always trying to survive the threat of vomit. you can go into an office and take a napkin.. She learned to play electric guitar from the soulfood military man. Some of the songs on this album are just instrumentals and this is the soundtrack to the movie Outside Out which you should also check out sometime :) Take me out.

85. moe. – Dither 2/10
2001. I really like this album. For a period of time it was all I listened to. Good stuff. The more things change the more things stay the same. This is the fifth studio album by moe. Captain America said you gotta be like more or you’re going to wind up dead. I still don’t understand why what sounded like the exact same version of Captain America was included at the very end of the disc as a hidden track. I haven’t done much research since the time to see if there was a reason behind that or something I missed. I remember trying to listen to both several times in a row and not finding any difference. There’s a lot of other songs on this disc I also like: Faker, Understand, TGORM, New York City, Tambourine, Rise. I basically like the entire disc. Okay I’m reading that it is an alternative version of CA at the end of the album, I couldn’t tell what was different ten years ago.

86. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon 2/11
I listened to this album the other day and didn’t type up anything while listening to it. Good job me! There’s not really much I can say though. It’s just one of those classic albums that has been written about a million times. I remember a couple years back talking about this album with someone and they had no clue about the whole Wizard of Oz thing. I was shocked and couldn’t believe someone had not heard about it. Then again, I guess everyone else didn’t have the same college experience I did. I still think it’s cool that I got a VHS tape of Oz with Dark Side pre-dubbed on the tape so I didn’t have to synch up at the third lion roar and now I guess I need a DVD copy of that. Or don’t need. Been there done that I guess. Though it is something cool to show someone whose never seen it before. Actually come to think of it, I imagine scenes from Oz when I listen to this album. Us and Them and the skipping down the yellow brick road, Money when the doors open to Oz and the movie turns to color for the first time. Great Gig In The Sky when the tornado comes.

87. Pink Floyd – Meddle 2/11
After Dark Star it only made sense to bang this out. I really dig this one as well. It’s probably my favorite pink floyd album, but not necessarilly the one I would choose if I could only pick one, if that makes sense. Since I don’t have to pick just one, this is the quintessential Pink Floyd right here. Still experimental. Still in your face. One of these days I’m going to cut you into little pieces. One of These Days and Fearless are great. Gotta love Seamus too. But the heart of this album is the full side two containing Echoes. I’ve been on a lot of journeys listening to Echoes in my day. This is again something you can synch up to the last scene of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001. I love after the song gets weird and returns back to the chorus of the song. I thank echoes for being a song I’ve used many times in the past to readjust my mood in a positive way. Nowadays these journeys and adjustments happen much less frequent but are still occasionally welcomed.

100:Vampire Weekend

Posted by on 2/4/2011 No comments

82. Vampire Weekend – Contra 2/4
2010. Their first album, self titled, was their break out disc but something about this album just hooked me better. I just like it. In December drinking Horchata. Holiday oh Holiday. In the shadow of your first attack / I was questioning and looking back / You were standing on another track / Like a real aristocrat. Run! Give Up The Gun is a good tune. I see you shine in your way. Go on, go on, go on.

100: George Wesley, The Killers, Bob Marley, Radiohead, Tenacious D

Posted by on 2/3/2011 1 comment

77. George Wesley – Timekeeper 2/3
Timekeeper is the lead in track and it’s a big party. Timekeeper you know you can’t cheat. I saw George Wesley Band at least a dozen in times during college and a few times after that. He is still doing his thing. And you gotta check it out. I need to go again! Dancing Reggae Party. Seconds turn to minutes, minutes turns to hours, hours they turn days, days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months, months to years, years to decades, and it’s a century then we’re out of here. All in that order! I saw a lot of shows with George doing all the guitar and keys it was great! I’m not sure but I think there is normally an actual keys player. Into the night! Love the horns on this album as well! Yesis we’re gonna party with. We’re gonna dance all night! Dance until the brand new light!! I want to party with you! Do what you like, all night! In the summer time when the weather is fine!! what a good time! yah george not right now!! ah well it might be snowed over outside but at least right now with George it’s summer time. What a good time! I also like the summertime.

78. The Killers – Hot Fuss 2/3
Straight into this album. I like it a lot. I’m Mr Brightside. Oops didn’t type much up while listening to this album. Was busy writing elsewhere on another topic. I also dig Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Somebody Told Me, Smells Like You Mean It, All These Things I’ve Done, and Midnight Show on this album. Anyway good times and I like the Killers studio albums I should check them out live some day.

79. Bob Marley – Catch a Fire 2/3
Going to go back to the Reggae to finish off what I started on the first one today. No sun will shine in my day today. Concrete Jungle. Catch a fire you’re going to get burned. Stir it up. Again didn’t type much. Just good times Bob Marley. Don’t have a particular favorite album of Bob’s they are all good so I just picked this one to play for the list. Good times.

80. Radiohead – Hail to the Theif 2/3
Two and two always makes a five. Sit down. Raindops. There’s some tracks on this album I really like (Go To Sleep, I Will, Myxomatosis, Scatterbrain). There’s some tracks on this album that literally put me to sleep.

81. Tenacious D – Tenacious D 2/3
Long as there’s a record deal we’ll always be friends. The self proclaimed greatest band in the history of rock and roll has a lot of cross over appeal but if you don’t like Jack Black you won’t like this band. I like Jables. I like his voice. Kyle Gass is an awesome guitarist and always shows up in bit parts of random movies Jack is in. I don’t care for the skits on this album so I deleted them. Plus I’m not a saxaboom kinda guy, can’t even remember if that made the disc or not, so if it did I deleted it. Wonderboy, Tribute, and a few other tracks are classic. With karate I’ll kick your ass. We’re talking double team, supreme. That’s the cosmic shame. Don’t quit your day job.

Currently 81 Albums in 80 Days

100: Blind Melon, Gnarls Barkley, Hot Chip, Oysterhead, Pearl Jam

Posted by on 1/31/2011 No comments

72. Blind Melon – Nico 1/31
1996. This album was released after lead singer Shannon Hoon’s cocaine overdose and subsequent death in 1995. The album was named after his daughter Nico Blue. It features several tracks that were started by Hoon and finished by the band, along with other unreleased tracks and a couple cover songs like The Pusher and John Sinclair. That being said, there’s a lot of excellent tracks on this album. God damn that Bible pushing man, which is a slightly different lyric than the original. I love this acoustic feeling No Rain. And it rips my life away. She was my Soul One. It ain’t fair, John Sinclair. They gave him ten for two what else can the judges do? Life ain’t so shitty. There’s a lot that you can be. Unfortunately Blind Melon’s story (like Sublime’s) is tragic and ending way way too early.

73. Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere 1/31
2006. Crazy was easily the song that summarized the summer of 2006, but the rest of this album is also very good. St Elsewhere is the debut album from the collaborative efforts of DJ and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton – Grey Album) and rapper/vocalist Cee-Lo Green. I remember, I remember when I lost my mind / but there was something so special about that place / even your emotions had an echo in so much space. Does you think I’m crazy? My heroes had the heart / to lose their lives out on a limb / and all I remember / is thinking, I want to be like them. Ever since I was little it looked like fun / and it’s no coincidence I’ve come / and I can die when I’m done. Maybe I’m crazy. As great as crazy is, there’s a lot of other good tracks on this album. And if it weren’t for you / I’d be without a care / setting sail to St. Elsewhere. Well what did you do? What did you say? Did you walk or did you run away? Where are you now? Where have you been? Did you go alone or did you bring a friend? Put on a smiling face. I really like Just a Thought. I transform, I transform. I’m a transformer. I could go on and on and on, but who cares? Don’t ask why, just live and die. When was the last time you danced?

74. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark 1/31
2008. Hot Chip are an English electropop band. There’s a hole in the world there. Some of the layers here sound like Nintendo music. This is not a bad thing. Before we go any further I’d like to show you a game we like to play, it’s called Sounds of the Studio. Good thing I am wearing headphones. Out and out and out shake the fists and let’s breathe within without. I’m ready to try this. Do it do it do it do it now. Say it say it say it now. Ready For The Floor is a hot track. I am ready I am ready for a fall. Bendable Poseable. My only weapon was my pen / but I traded it for my hand. Not a smart move, but my move / does this say I’m a man? I’m only going to heaven if it feels like hell. I’m only going to heaven if it tastes like caramel. There are some slower songs that don’t resonate as well on this album but overal it’s a fun time.

75. Oysterhead – The Grand Pecking Order 1/31
2001. After Phish broke up in 2000, Trey needed some new players to play with. Enter Les Claypool (Primus) and Stewart Copeland (The Police), and with Trey you now have a supergroup for the 21st century. As sad as I was that Phish disbanded and went separate ways, I was really happy to have something fresh from Trey. Admittedly I’m a Trey man, but Les certainly brought his own brand of uniqueness to this table. There’s also no diminishing Stewart Copeland’s role, dude is one nasty awesome drummer. From whoever wrote the wiki article, “The style and sound of the band is a collaborative eclectic mix of the bass-oriented funk metal music of Claypool, Anastasio’s jam band music and the Lebanese-influenced beats of Copeland with a focus of not “anything preconceived”. The result is different than any of their previous independent works.” When all else has been done and said, along comes Mr. Oysterhead. He’s an inspiration to us all. I was lucky enough to catch the Oysterhead show in Utica with my boy Snotty and enjoyed that very much. Trey even played his “special” guitar during this tour called the Matterhorn, that featured a full size deer antler on the end of it that allowed him to make theremin type sounds. I saw the Theremin documentary around that time so I got a kick out of that. The supergroup did that one tour in Fall 2001, released this one album, reuninted for one more show at Bonnaroo in 2006 and that was it. The Army’s on Ecstasy so they say, I read all about it in the USA Today. Rubberneck lions as I lie in bed. Used to get goosebumps when Trey sang his lines in this one, not so much any more, but still enjoying it. Still not a fan of Polka Dot Rose. You can come around but don’t you talk to me, I’m not in the mood for conversation, you can come around but don’t you talk to me. Gasoline Vaseline / Benzene Aphetamine/ All the chemicals in between / There ain’t no cure for suicide. I love the Owner Of The World song, so much so that my website still contains the tagline (though hidden), “I used to be the owner of the world” which has been on the site since 10 years ago when I first dug the first recordings of that song. Anyway, this album is still good, doesn’t quite hold up as well as it was received when I first got it but it still holds a special place deep inside my mind.

76. Pearl Jam – Ten 1/31
1991. Speaking of albums that used to embody specific moments in my life (which is the theme for a good chunk of the albums making this list), here’s another one. Once upon a time I could lose myself in this album. Unlike the previous listen, this album still holds up. Of Pearl Jam, I really love this album, Vs., and Vitalogy for the most part. I don’t know what happened after that, I just never got into any of their albums post those as much, some I still haven’t heard. Anyway, Ten is full of great tracks including but not limited to Once, Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy, Black. 1991/1992 was such a different time. Some of the videos to these songs are so memorable. I will never shake the memory of Jeremy video. He certainly did speak in class, that day. Pearl Jam is one of those bands that tours quite a bit too, yet I haven’t caught them live. I don’t know if it’s on my bucket list of acts I want to try real hard to catch but I’m sure it would be a good show. Oh, I’m still alive. Is something wrong? she said / well, of course, there is / you’re still alive, she said / oh, and do I deserve to be? / is that the question? / and if so, if so, who answers? who answers? I’m still alive! Didn’t type much else while listening. Still a good album to put on every now and then. Trust.

100: Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, Rusted Root, Beirut , Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen

Posted by on 1/29/2011 No comments

66. Paul Simon – Graceland 1/25
1986. Admittedly I haven’t spent much time with the deep cuts on this album.
i know what i know. The title track Graceland, You Can Call Me Al, and Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes are all classic. After this listen I became more aware of all these tracks I hadn’t heard that many times before. I like. Didn’t jot much down when I listened and as you can see I’m days behind even posting this but… Diamonds on the souls of your shoes will lose your walkin blues. Angels in the architecture. I have no opinion about that.

67. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed 1/25
1969. Gimme Shelter, Let It Bleed, Monkey Man, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, etc etc. I’ve never been the hugest Rolling Stones man, I’m more of a Beatles kinda guy, but this album literally just drips of blood. It’s a shot away. Maybe I really need to spend some time reacquainting myself with the Stones and their discography. Like all Stones’ albums, I’m probably more familiar than I realize.

68. Rusted Root – When I Woke 1/25
1994. This is one of those high school/college albums that I listened to a hundred times then and maybe 3 times since. I used a lot of these tracks during my radio show in college either as lead ins, fillers, or transitions to a different section of the show. There’s some really good songs on this disc, Send Me On My Way, Cruel Sun, Cat Turned Blue, Beautiful People, Lost In A Crowd. It’s just not something I put on all that often these days.

69. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup 1/28
Released in 2007. Added to my library in 2008. Weird, took me until now to realize my tracks were really mislabeled and not number so they never played in order until now. Nantes was labeled correctly and I’ve played that 34 times now. By far the most out of these tracks. I really like Beirut and I like this album a lot. A thanks again to Jeremy Sossei for introducing me to this band. It’s been a long time, long time now. Since I’ve seen you smile. — Nobody raise their voices /.. Just a very pretty pretty island. Once an island. Forks and knives in a hospital bed where I turn my life over again. It’s been a long time.

70. Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited 1/28
Once upon a time, then you. How does it feel?? Like a complete unknown. Like a Rolling Stone. You say you never compromise, now you realize. Do you want to make a deal? I am in the kitchen with those tombstone blues. You should be made to wear earphones. Something’s happening and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Jones? Not unless you mail these letters from desolation road.

71. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run 1/29
1975. Wow I guess I didn’t realize this album is that old. Like the Stones, I’m not the hugest Bruce fan. But I definitely respect the heck out of what he’s done and who he is. This album is great. It just rocks from top to bottom.

100: CSNY, Snoop Dogg, Flight of the Conchords, 311

Posted by on 1/19/2011 No comments

62. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu 1/19
I feel like I’ve listened to this before. I feel like I’ve been here before. We have all been here before. Released in 1970. Take David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash, then add Neil Young and you get CSNY. Classic classic stuff here. This is their first album with Neil Young. Kinda interesting, after this album all four members released their own individual albums yet there was still lots of overlap. CSNY with Young didn’t last long, but this album holds that moment in time forever. This is one of those albums my parents played a lot when I was younger. Carry ON! Jerry Garcia played steel guitar on Teach Your Children. Don’t you ever ask them why / If they told you, you will cry / So just look at them and sigh / And know they love you. Almost cut my hair, happened just the other day. Helpless, helpless. If I had ever been here before I would probably know just what todo. Don’t you? … Feel Like I’ve been here before / And you know / It makes me wonder / What’s going on under the ground. I’ll light the fire while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today. Too late to keep the change. Got to make you understand. Country girl, I think you’re pretty. Great album. Again, check it out if you somehow missed it the last 40 years. Everybody, I love you.

63. Snoop Dogg – Doggy Style 1/19
Now to completely switch it up. Wow, 1993 was so long ago. I remember having a friend make a copy of this on tape for me so I could listen to it. This and Dre’s The Chronic were classic tapes for me at the time. Good stuff. At one time I definitely had every single line on this album memorized. Time to get busy, like we do about this time. This is another story about dogs. Yeah and you don’t stop. This is just a small introduction to the G Funk era, every day of my life I take a glimpse in the mirror… searching thru the yard with a keen sense of smell. And if there’s any left over he rolls over and takes a doggy bone home. 20 years later, I could do without the peeing sound but whatever! Gin and Juice is classic, I won’t type random lyrics from it.. too many! Same with a lot of these tracks. 6 in the morning! 80 degrees. Laid back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind. Lodi Dodi we likes the party. That’s another thing about this album, I remember the videos so vividly. There were at least 5 or 6 videos made from this album that I remember parts of each very well. I says I am go axe my mother. Tik Tok you don’t stop. Couple skip-worthy tracks, like For All My N & Bs. Also don’t care for these short interlude skits that litter these gangsta rap albums. I usually skip or delete those. It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none. So remember to share. Inhale/exhale now you know. 1 for the money, 2 for the bitches, 3 to get ready, and 4 to hit the switches. Like 7UP. I never have I never will. It’s a doggy dogg world. Fly as a falcon, soaring thru the sky.

64. Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords 1/19
2008. Let’s mix it up even more. Okay, so it took an HBO TV show in the US for all us to wake up and get to know Jemaine and Bret, this incredibly talented duo from New Zealand. The HBO series was recommended to us and at first we were both like, wtf? But after a few episodes and getting to know the characters a little better, it became funny as heck! And then on top of their, their tonge in cheek humor added to their music has created several really really good songs. I’m a fan. The HBO series only lasted for 2 seasons which is just fine. I just hope they haven’t disappeared completely. By their own admission, most of their song material was all used up in Season 1. So writing season 2 took awhile since now they had to write new songs to build episodes around. It becomes a little discombobulated (much like me spelling that word, wow did I get it right? never wrote it before I guess) but it’s all good fun anyway. I will always treasure the band meetings between Jemaine, Brent, and their wonderfully underperforming New Zealand constituent manager Murray. Inner, Inner City Pressure. I never want knives and forks sticking out of my legs. Please remove these cutlerys from my knees. Just wanna do something special for all the ladies of the world. He’s gonna wake up in a smoothie. Oh pretty prince of parties, where’s the party now? The distant future is scary. Robots. Binary solo! Whose the boom king? A kiss is not a contract, but it’s very nice. You’re a legend Dave! You’re so beautiful, you could be a waitress (or a part time model -but you’ll probably have to keep your normal job). It’s Business Time. The official song of hump day. Bowie is in space enjoying astroturf.

65. 311 – Transistor 1/19
You’re a transistor, lightning resistor. Renegade sound system, 311. This is an early college album, the first 311 album I really enjoyed. This band can play any type of music and I found a spot for them to be played on many of my college radio shows (much like the sublime disc a few days ago). Twilight Zone, I’m floating in the dark alone. Hmm come to think of it, after the Live album they put out the year after this one, I haven’t really listened to any of their material. I wonder what happened there. Another thing about this album is that it’s great any time of day.. You can wake up to this album. You can listen to it late at night. Good stuff. Confusing Use of Time.

(this is in progress….)

100: Green Day, The White Stripes, DJ Shadow, Justice, Weezer, Sublime

Posted by on 1/18/2011 No comments

56. Green Day – Dookie 1/13
1994. This should be super quick and easy! In and out. Dookie was played a ton when it came out. Not so much since. I’m just perfect now and stepped in line to walk amongst the dead? Green Day became popular for a reason and this album was a hit. After I got into this album I seeked out and purchased their earlier albums 39/Smooth and Kerplunk. Which reminds me that my current itunes doesn’t have those, sidenote. This album went to number 2 on the Billboard Chart, this pretty popular. I don’t know you but I think I hate you. Love the breakdown and transition into Welcome To Paradise((edit- song before that)) . Call me pathetic call me what you will. Do you have the time? When I come around. I was all by my self.

57. The White Stripes – Elephant 1/13
Seven Nation Army is a strong way to start an album. Much of the rest of the album comes close to try to match this but aren’t able to top the first track. That’s not to say there aren’t other good songs, there are plenty. But this is the best one. I don’t know what to do with myself. In the cold cold night. You’ve got it in your pocket. Put it in a safe and lock it. Good solid album if you want something with a little edge to it.

58. DJ Shadow – Entroducing… 1/13
Didn’t write much while listening to this one. Got it in college, was great then, and still holds up today.

59. Justice – Cross 1/14
The best ever album to do dishes while listening to.. And that’s what I just did. There are about 20 moments on this album that I really really love and 50 others that are good too. An all around great time. Check it out if you are down.

60. Weezer – Weezer (The Blue Album) 1/18
1994. Talk about mid high school. This is it to a T. My Name is Jonas. Workers are going home! I thought everyone my age owned this album back in the day, I was wrong, my wife says she did not. What’s with these homies? Did you have to destroy my sweater? You’ll take your car to work, i’ll take my board. Say it ain’t so. In the garage, I feel safe. No one hears me sing this song. Let’s go away for a while, on a holiday. Only in dreams.

61. Sublime – 40 oz to Freedom 1/18
1992. I didn’t really get into Sublime until college when I quickly gobbled up everything they had. Unfortunately the career of Sublime was cut far too short when their lead man Bradley Nowell died of an overdose at too young an age. This album is quintessential. WOOF WOOF! Second gear was such a turn on. Not going back. Can you loan me a buck or two? A 40 oz to freedom is the only chance I have to feel good but I know I feel bad. She was living in a single room…. smoke cigarettes til the day she died. Badfish is a classic top 10 song for me, even though it’s not played as often any more.. It still takes me back. All the way back. Won’t somebody get me off of this reef?

100: Modest Mouse

Posted by on 1/10/2011 No comments

55. Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News 1/10
2004. Love love love this album. I was a little late to Modest Mouse. Well maybe not. In college it was Jeremy music, one of the bands that my friend Jeremy liked and would play for us along with Sunny Day Real Estate and others. I always enjoyed his music but didn’t have much of it. A couple years after that my cousin Josh told me how much he liked Modest Mouse (basically reminding me of it). I sampled some online and really enjoyed it. I went out and bought their previous three albums, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, The Lonesome Crowded West, and The Moon & Antarctica. When this album dropped, I also bought it. I instantly loved it and listened to it straight thru many many many times. For whatever reason, I’m not as into what they’ve released since Good News. And we’ll all float on okay, and we’ll all float on. Float On is probably their most well known song. It’s a good one even though I’ve heard it so so many times. Well that is that and this is this, you tell me what you want and I’ll tell you what you get. The ocean breathes salty won’t you carry it in, in your head in your mouth in your soul. You wasted a life, why wouldn’t you waste death. Please bury me with it. Good news for people who love bad news… As life gets longer, awful feels softer well it feels pretty soft to me, and if it takes shit to make bliss well I feel pretty blissfully. Are you dead or are you sleeping? The good times are killing me.

100: Tool, TV On The Radio, Tuung

Posted by on 1/6/2011 No comments

I went thru and separated a bunch of stuff and have a pretty good list of albums to listen to for a bit here… over the halfway hump now!

52. Tool – Undertow
Do onto unders what you want done to you do onto me now what has been done. For lack of any explanation I wasn’t all that familiar of Tool when I met Dave and Wayne at the very beginning of college. It didn’t take me long to become a fan and enjoy this. From Saxton all the way to wherever I am now this album puts me straight back into that memory. I thank Wayne and later Rob for introducing me to a whole world of music beyond Tool that I just otherwise didn’t know about or had heard before. As I listened to this album yesterday I let the entire length of the crickets on the last track play out. Otherwise, I’d be cheating.. This is Necessary.

53. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
I actually listened to this one and the next one yesterday and now again today. I didn’t type anything yesterday while I was listening and I didn’t type much this time either. I like this album. I need to listen to it even more. It’s the golden age. Lots of tracks on this album I haven’t spent enough time with until now. Like this a lot more now. This is begining to feel like the dawn of the loser forever.

54. Tuung – Good Arrows
I’ve had this album for a while now and haven’t listened to it all the way thru in quite some time. I almost forgot how much I like the rest of the songs I don’t hear every now and then as it were. Classified as Folktronica this album has an acoustic sound that’s transformed to a modern sound. It’s the only album I am familiar with of theres. I need to seek out more of their material.

100: Broken Bells, Fleet Foxes, The Black Keys, Blakroc

Posted by on 1/5/2011 No comments

48. Broken Bells – Broken Bells 1/5
2010. What happens when you mix the production value of Brian Burton (Danger Mouse/Gnarls Barkley) with the vocals and guitars of James Mercer (The Shins)? You get Broken Bells. This album is their debut album. Since it was so successful, they have plans to record a follow up at some point. It’s too late to change your mind. Good stuff.

49. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes 1/5
2008. Sticking with the self-titled theme, let’s hit this one up. Categorized as Baroque pop or folk rock this album landed on many many best of 2008 album lists. It’s very good and easy to listen to. This is another Sub-Pop album of which we’ve featured many before. No individual tracks are sticking out to my right now but if you want a cool relaxing album to enjoy a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning than this would fit in very nice.

50. The Black Keys – Brothers 1/5
2010. This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is Brothers. -declares the album cover art. ACcording to the wiki and another neat thing those of us that only listen to digital music can’t fully experience… When first opened, the label on the disc is almost entirely black. However, the label is heat-sensitive; so, when it has been in a disc player for a while, all or part of the label will be white and readable. The label can also be revealed by touching the disc. Pretty cool. But I’m here for the music and with our 50th album to mark the halfway point we have a pretty solid disc from start to finish. Maybe after you finished that cup of coffee with the previous disc you can toss this one on and get down and dirty. I like the Next Girl track among others. Tighten Up is also good. Sick for days / so many ways. Howlin’ For You has a very Doorsy lick to it. Something real crunchy about the guitar work on this album, I like it. You’re the only one. I’m not the one. The track These Days makes me want to take a nap, which isn’t a bad thing… I’m just hitting the 2pm snooze button. Okay. This album was produced by Danger Mouse (#48 above) so now to go one step further down this path…

51. Blakroc – Blakroc 1/5
2009. This album is a collaboration effort between The Black Keys and many R&B artists including Raekwon, RZA and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan, Jim Jones and NOE of ByrdGang, Mos Def, singer Nicole Wray, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, Billy Danze of M.O.P., and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest. Demon Dash is responsible for connecting the dots between The Black Keys and the guests who perform on this album. If it don’t make dollars then it don’t make sense.

So Far:
51 Albums In 51 Days

100: Cut Copy

Posted by on 1/4/2011 No comments

47. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours 1/4
2008. I love this album. Maybe it’s cause I’m a sucker for this electro-pop dancey synthesizer stuff that’s coming back and bigger than ever, but this album does it for me. Yes No Maybe is all I need to hear from you. You don’t know what to do. If I were sitting in front of my itunes I could tell you what my most played tracks are from this disc, but I’m a big fan of Out There on the Ice, Lights & Music, and Far Away. I love how this album flows smoothly from track to track making it feel like just one big awesome party.

100: Counting Crows

Posted by on 1/4/2011 No comments

46. Counting Crows – August & Everything After 1/3/2011
Let’s kick back into our listening efforts of 2011 with one of those time capsule albums from my past. Released in 1993, this was one of those albums I spent lots of time listening to whilst playing video games or riding my bike singing every single word. Round here she has trouble acting normal and she’s nervous. Lots of good stuff on this album. I like some of the Counting Crows efforst post this debut disc, but nothing got me as good as this disc got me at the time. Mr Jones still hits hard 20ish years later for me, love this song. I’d love to strike up a conversation with Mr Jones or be a fly on the wall while he strikes up a conversation with a black haired flamenco dancer. All of the beautiful colors are very very meaninful. Grey is my favorite color. I felt so symbolic yesterday. Also convinced it can’t get any worse than a 430AM on a Tuesday, yet I’d love to fall asleep in a perfect blue building at least once. It’s raining in Baltimore 50 miles east. I need a phone call and a rain coat.

100: Amy Winehouse, Band of Horses

Posted by on 12/29/2010 No comments

44. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black 12/29
Released in 2006. A few months after getting my ipod late summer 2007 I dipped into this album. Was hesitant at first cause I usually don’t go for something so mainstreamy, but I heard it at a party and liked it. The album was in heavy heavy rotation for the rest of 2007. I spent a lot of time in my recubicle days with headphones on and this playing. So many times that many of it’s tracks still rank very very high on my list of top play counts in itunes. I don’t have to care for who she is to enjoy the music on this album, and the music is fantastic. Not sure where she disappeared to after this break out, other than not going to rehab, and occasionally performing here and there. You know I’m no good. I cheated myself like I knew I would. I told you I was troubled. You know that I’m no good. We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times, you go back to her, and I go back to, I go back to…. Back to Black is my favorite track on the album. I’m a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside. This album seems so written from such a dark place, but I guess that makes sense within the context of this album knowing what this album is all about considering it’s title. It’s to no surprise that this lady needed some help after all this. She’s so vacant her soul’s been taken. Reading on the wiki page that the US version did not include Addicted as it’s final track. That’s a bit silly. Good thing my version has it. Never really understood why UK and US versions of so many albums have slightly different tracks or bonus tracks. But whatevs. So now that I’ve listened to it from front to black again for the first time in a year or two I can’t say I like it as much as I did during that one time period of heavy rotation but it’s still good and holds up pretty well.

45. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin 12/29
2007. I could sleep. When I lived alone, was there a ghost in my house? This album has great pacing and flows nicely together. In a few minutes I’ll look down and I’ll probably already be a half dozen tracks into this. I also had a period of time a few years ago where I spent a lot of time with this album, not quite as significantly as the previous album, but still a good chunk of time. Along with Justice-Cross this was a big dishwashing album for me for a while. The world’s such a wonderful place. When things start splitting at the seams and now the whole thing’s tumbling down. So random to have a song named after Detlef Schrempf. Yep see, album already over. It’s a quickie. Like it lots though. Haven’t gotten into their other albums as deep quite yet, will have to try harder at some point.

100: Kings Of Leon, Regina Spektor, Black Sabbath, Jimkata

Posted by on 12/28/2010 No comments

40. Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown 12/28
First listen. Really like the previous two albums. Ride out the wave. I’m going back down south now. So far I like the previous two better than this one, but I have a feeling this album will get better with age. The album debuted at number one in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The album did reach #2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and #1 on Rock Albums/Alternative Albums Billboard charts for whatever that’s worth. Looks like people like the Kings of Leon. Another quick fun listen that I’ll have to relisten to at some point.

41. Regina Spektor – Far 12/28
2009. First listen. Born and raised in Moscow, Regina and her family left the Soviet Union when she was 9. Originally interested in only learning classical piano, eventually Regina became interested in hip hop, rock, and punk. Eet. It’s like forgetting the words to your favorite song. This is all there is. Blue lips. Blue veins. Blue. The color of our planet from far far away. Blue. The most human color. Hooked into machine. Two birds on a wire, one tries to fly away, and the other… I like her style and this album, I’ll have to go back and check out some of her earlier works. Good is better than perfect, scrub til your fingers are bleeding. Eat a small lump of sugar and smile at the moon like you know her.

42. Black Sabbath – War Pigs 12/28
1970. The second studio album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. I read Ozzy’s autobiography this past year. I really enjoyed it. The book was very easy to read and contains so many crazy stories about detailing how Black Sabbath got extremely popular so quick and how Ozzy slipped further and further into madness until finally (spoiler alert) getting a grip on his life and surviving the madness. This album contains some of Black Sabbath’s most signature tracks with War Pigs, Iron Man, and Paranoid. Paranoid was written in the studio at the last minute at the record label’s request for a single. Good stuff.

43. Jimkata – Burn My Money 12/28
2009. From Ithaca NY. Been friends with Packy (drummer) since the summer of 2000 when I first met the Rezi guys. Rezi disbanded in 2005, Packy left the band in 2003, and years later Packy formed a new band in Ithaca with childhood friends Aaron and Evan. Dave Rossi was added on bass to round out the band, and I didn’t get a chance to see them live until March 2009. The rest is history, as I’ve made all efforts to catch them whenever they are somewhat close. This past year in 2010 I recorded 5 or so full shows on video and uploaded them to the youtube and I plan to get as many if not more next year. Good times. Burn My Money is their first full length album release and sounds great. We all feel stuck some times. We feel stuck up stuffed up sticky like we’ll never get out. We should not be afraid of Release. Pretty sure this was the first song I heard live by Jimkata. One to Ten is great. He’s a fighter. He sees fist to fist not eye to eye. Hoping for the best. Life seems longest when you think its short and the pressure is on. Call it what you call it. There’s something to be said about Jimkata’s lyric writing abilities. They’re good. Evan’s voice sounds good to me too. It says a lot to have the words of these songs on par with the music. But enough about how much I love Jimkata and how this past year I’ve spent A LOT OF TIME listening and seeing Jimkata. I usually groan mildly when I hear Baby, Put It On Me only cause i’m not a huge fan of the sampled loop but it usually has a nice breakdown jam type thing in it. It’s kinda like my Jimkata’s version Limb by Limb, not what I’m chasing but content when it’s playing. I think Greyhound is my least favorite track on this album. Ping Pong is a straight banger. Intermission. This album is broken into two parts. The first half is more songs that stand out on their own, while the second half is more for songs that flow together. All I need is a minute to chill. All I need is a minute. All I need. Trunkaphonic > Drums Won’t Guide is what I’m talking about here. Drums won’t guide you into the room. Aaron Gorsch, the father of the Chalice trilogy, is a mad scientist behind the sounds that make Jimkata what they are.

Update: Where are we at? So far, pretty close to being on pace….
43 Albums In 43 Days

100: Mumford & Sons

Posted by on 12/23/2010 No comments

39. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More 12/23
2009. But apparently I’m a little slow as I am finally listening to this thru for the first time. The Cave sounded really familiar, was it used in a movie or tv show that I’ve seen? Probably, is my guess. This listening experience is aided by my mom singing along. Little Lion Man is her favorite and she wants me to turn it up. Again, this one sounds familiar too. According to these people they beep the swear word on the radio and it sounds like crap, which obviously it would. Spare me your judgments and spare me your dreams. Good album, will have to listen again.

100: Matt & Kim

Posted by on 12/22/2010 No comments

37. Matt & Kim – Grand 12/22
2009. Heard of this duo a month or so ago and sampled a little bit of their work at the time. They have almost a reverse phantogram thing going. Also a girl/boy duo but instead of keyboard/guitar, they are a drums/keyboards combo with Matt on keys and Kim on the drums. It’s good dancey pop indie rock type stuff. I’d catch them live next time they come thru the area. Color me impressed, they are touring Australia at the end of January > February for 8 shows with a stop in Honolulu on their way back. Then in late March they are touring Europe. That’s pretty impressive, guess I’ll just have to stay tuned. Here we stand with a wolf like shadow, here we stand in the end. Hey New York, here’s a wolf like shadow. Hey New York, our old friend.

38. Matt & Kim – Sidewalks 12/22
2010. This album continues where the last album left off. So far I like sidewalks a little better than Grand. It’s like New York in the late summer time. Either way, both of these albums are pretty good and easy to listen to.

100: Best Coast, Cee Lo Green, Kanye West

Posted by on 12/21/2010 No comments

34. Best Coast – Crazy For You
2010. I listened to this yesterday while I was cleaning. I didn’t write anything at the time.

35. Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer
2010. F**k You! This album has a lot of good catchy songs I can see why a lot of people like it! Already at the end, didn’t type much but thought this was a real good nice album.

36. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2010. Pretty decent album from Kanye, a little more like Graduation rather than the 808′s so I’m okay with that. I think at first listen I prefered the Cee Lo album but there’s good tracks on both.

100: CCR, Primus, Radiohead, Ween

Posted by on 12/13/2010 No comments

30. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River 12/13
Not much finer than blasting a little CCR for that soul. This is their third studio album and was released in August 1969. This albums packs a lot of punching for being under 30 minutes in length, there are are several tracks shorter than 3 minutes. Bad Moon Rising and Commotion made it to #2 on the Billboard chart, and the album itself made it all the way to #1. One of my favorite football players back in the day was Andre “Bad Moon” Rison. I also remember a lot of times borrowing my dad’s car in high school and listening to the Creedence tape that was in there over and over and over again. Wikipedia classifies this CCR album as ‘swamp rock’, further defined as “highly emotional, lovelorn lyrics, tripleting honky-tonk pianos, undulating bass lines, bellowing horn sections and a strong rhythm and blues backbeat.” Which is pretty accurate I suppose. There is something so simple and natural about what CCR does making it very appealing. Wrote a Song For Everyone, even you. Seeking my fame and fortune looking for a pot of gold. Admittedly there’s a few of these songs I don’t hear that often: Tombstone Shadow, Cross-Tie Walker, Sinister Purpose. These tracks don’t often reap the glory of this album, but they are just as deserving as Green River, Commotion, etc. Good stuff.

31. Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese 12/13
Released in 1991, their second studio album. I like Les Claypool and Primus, I’m just not as educated as I probably should be about them. I’ve listened to them here and there, but I haven’t spent time front to back with one of their albums so let’s do this. Here they come. Here Come the Bastards. Les Claypool is certifiable, that’s why he’s so great. I haven’t seen Primus live mostly cause they’ve been on hiatus for 10+ years, but I did see Les Claypool with Oysterhead. He has such a commanding stage prescense that you can’t help but feast your eyes and ears on. Fish on is pretty epic and part of their Fisherman Chronicles which are continued on later albums. Los Bastardos esta aqui. Freaks!

32. Radiohead – Kid A 12/13
Released October 2000. I dig Radiohead, but again I haven’t spent enough time with this album. Which is exactly the goal of this #100AlbumsIn100Days concept. To force myself to spend time with these albums. I certainly do not require an arm twist to listen to this one. This project will make a big difference in the coming months as to which albums I end up hanging out with more as a result of this. I have a feeling that this album could fall into that territory. Everything in it’s right place. Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon. So why haven’t I spent much time with this one? I didn’t really sink into Radiohead too deeply until 2003 with Hail to the Thief. Ok Computer and Kid A get a lot of praise. Kid A has made a lot of Top-100-Album type lists, and even ranks right at the top on several Top-100-Of-The-2000s type lists. Credit. I’ve mentioned layers before in this project, but here’s another example of an album that has so many layers to it. I’m listening with headphones today at a moderate volume, but I suspect there’s even more layers to this with even better headphones and a louder volume. Maybe this is my issue with this album, I’m already at the end of it and no individual tracks popped out for me. I like it, I guess it’s just that individual tracks don’t often play that long when they pop up on shuffle because this album is much more about the sum of its parts rather than the individuality of it’s tracks (for me). With that being said, I did enjoy the first two tracks Everything in Its Right Place, Kid A, as well as the track Idioteque more so than the rest. Not sure what’s up with all the dead air at the end of the last track, I get that they added this bonus “sound” but there’s even more emptiness after that.

33. Ween – White Pepper 12/13
Also released in 2000. Here we find Ween with a very polished album that sounds great from start to finish. This is their 7th studio album and last on Elektra Records. Where as Kid A started with “Everything In It’s Right Place”, this album startes with “Exactly Where I’m At”. Again, this is another album I haven’t spent a considerable time sitting with, but as I’m listening it’s sounding more familiar than it is. Flutes of Chi sounds very familiar. I love you even if you don’t. I had the pleasure of seeing Ween live several years back, it was a pretty crazy show. Stuck in my cabana living on bananas and blow. Speaking of, I have a banana I’ll eat right now. Part of what makes Ween Ween is their bizarre sense of humor mixed into songs that are actual songs. It’s great. As evidenced in a song like Pandy Fackler. Not many bands can release a song like that. Good stuff. Good album.

100: Phish Junta

Posted by on 12/10/2010 No comments

29. Phish – Junta 12/10
(JUNE-tuh) Recorded and released in 1988. In the cool shade of the banana tree… The first album of this band that I ever listened to, albeit about five years or so after it’s release. “It contains symphonic-like epics, large-scale improvisation, and multi-part progressive rock suites.” Lots of so many classic songs. YEM, Golgi Apparatus, David Bowie, and Fluffhead are all live phish staples and basically the epitomy of what Phish is. Like it or leave it, or be one that loves it, there’s so many layers to this musical nonnion (was going to right onion, but thought about choppin onions and how withstanding ones standing becomes so the layers to this music is more like a non-onion, like an onion but without the quenched face muscles).. then again, there’s a lot of face melting which is a whole other topic this short thought bucket isn’t ready for so I digress. Beauty of mid Esther jam is soothing and not often heard since this song is seldom played live. If I could only have 5 minutes of this band and that was it, I’d probably go with Golgi. Everything is right there. The weird lyrics, the fist pumping, and the beautiful breakdown. I saw you with a ticket stub in your hand…. Listened for a long time with no typy… Written by the great and powerful…. “Union Federal” was recorded at Paul Languedoc’s home during one of the band’s Oh Kee Pa ceremonies. “Sanity” and “Icculus” were recorded live in concert at Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont on July 25, 1988. This was my intro to this band and clearly I never looked back.