2017 Music Log

Best Of The Year:

1. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis-10.0
2. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., Bruce Springsteen-10.0
3. Crash, Dave Matthews Band-10.0
4. Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel-10.0
5. Neferateri, Miles Davis-10.0, *Barnes and Noble
6. Let’s Stay Together, Al Green-10.0
7. Demon Days, Gorillaz-10.0

It’s groovy time again. Also I’m currently doing a Public Library challenge where I check out what I want to listen to in alphabetical order. Nothing in A interested me I guess:

January

1. Why Are You Okay?, Band of Horses-8.0
2. The Haunted Man, Bat for Lashes-9.0
3. Radio City, Big Star-9.0
4. California, blink 182-9.5
5. Buffalo Springfield Again , Buffalo Springfield-9.5
6. Yellow Submarine, The Beatles-9.0
7. Third/Sister Lovers, Big Star-8.0
8. Crash, Dave Matthews Band-10.0
9. Going Out In Style, Dropkick Murphys-8.0
10. John Wesley Harding, Bob Dylan-8.5

February

11. Embryonic, The Flaming Lips-7.5
12. Major Lodge Victory, Gin Blossoms-5.0
13. Like Drawing Blood, Gotye-9.0
14. Strangeland, Keane-8.0
15. Only By The Night, Kings of Leon-9.5
16. Aim and Ignite, Fun.-9.5
17. Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel-10.0

March

18. Let’s Stay Together, Al Green-10.0
19. Appetite For Destruction, Guns N’ Roses-8.5
20. Rid of Me, PJ Harvey-9.5
21. Lex Hives, The Hives-8.0
22. Hozier, Hozier-9.0
23. Mezzanine, Massive Attack-8.5
24. Battle Studies, John Mayer-8.0

April

25. Misfits, The Misfits-9.0
26. Road To Ruin, The Ramones-9.5
27. Art Official Age, Prince-8.0
28. Life’s Rich Pageant, R.E.M.-9.5
29. Out Of Our Heads, The Rolling Stones-9.5
30. Off!–7.5, Off!
31. Beard, Wives, Denim, Pond-8.0
32. Actually, Pet Shop Boys-9.0 *Half-Priced Books

May

33. The Body, the Blood, the Machine, The Thermals-9.0 *YouTube
34. Coral Fang, The Distillers-8.5 *YouTube
35. The Distillers, The Distillers-9.0 *YouTube
36. Sing Sing Death House, The Distillers-8.0 *YouTube
37. Happy Trails, Quicksilver Messenger Service-6.5
38. Milo Goes To College, The Descendents-9.5 *YouTube
39. Give It Back To You, The Record Company-8.0
40. Mother’s Milk, The Red Hot Chili Peppers-8.5
41. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions but Were Afraid to Ask, Sea Lions-7.0
42. Heartworms, The Shins-8.5
43. Valtari, Sigur Rós-9.0
44. Surburban Lawns, Surburban Lawns-9.0 *YouTube
45. The Stooges, The Stooges-9.5
46. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., Bruce Springsteen-10.0

June

47. Black Celebration, Depeche Mode-8.5 *Half-Priced Books
48. Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks, Modest Mouse-9.0 *Barnes & Noble
49. Suburban Lawns, Suburban Lawns-9.0 *YouTube
50. Manhunter OST, Various Artists-9.5 *YouTube
51. Bauhaus 1979–1983 Vol. 1, Bauhaus-9.5 *Half-Priced Books
52. Hot Thoughts, Spoon-8.0
53. Baby (EP), Suburban Lawns-9.5 *YouTube
54. Strange Mercy, St. Vincent-8.5
55. Lonerism, Tame Impala-9.0
56. Love You To Death, Tegan and Sara-9.0
57. The Doors, The Doors-9.5 *Google Play

July:

58. Dire Straits, Dire Straits-9.5 *Barnes & Noble
59. Walking On a Pretty Daze, Kurt Ville-9.5
60. Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes-8.0
61. Blackstar, David Bowie-9.5
62. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis-10.0
63. The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five-9.0
64. For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver-9.5
65. Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, Cold War Kids-8.5
66. Clouds Taste Metallic, The Flaming Lips-9.0
67. Making Mirrors, Gotye-8.5

August:

68. Starr Stuff, Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2-9.5 *YouTube
69. Starfish, The Church-9.0 *Half-Priced Books
70. The Heart of Saturday Night, Tom Waits-9.5
71. Hesitant Alien, Gerard Way-5.0
72. Close To The Edge, Yes-9.5
73. Neil Young, Neil Young-9.0
74. Hunting High and Low, A-ha-8.0 *Half Priced Books
75. People Are People, Depeche Mode-9.5 *Half-Priced Books
76. Music For The Masses, Depeche Mode-9.5 *Half-Priced Books

September

77. English Oceans, Drive By Truckers-9.0
78. Honeymoon, Lana Del Rey-8.5
79. High Violet, The National-9.5
80. Painted Ruins, Grizzly Bear-9.0 *Barnes and Noble

Rest of the Year:

81. Evil Empire, Rage Against The Machine-9.5 *Barnes and Noble
82. Neferateri, Miles Davis-10.0, *Barnes and Noble
83. Tenacious D, Tenacious D-9.5, *Barnes and Noble
84. Demon Days, Gorillaz-10.0
85. Noctune, Wild Nothing-9.0
86. Sister, Sonic Youth-9.5
87. Graduation, Kayne West-9.5
88. How Big How Beautiful, Florence + The Machine-9.0
89. Everything Now, Arcade Fire-8.5
90. Kick Out The Jams, MC5-9.0
91. Lust For Life, Iggy Pop-9.5
92. II, Unknown Mortal Orchestra-7.0
93. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Lucida Williams-9.0
94. Home Of The Strange, Young The Giant-9.0
95. Little Creatures, The Talking Heads-9.0
96. The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, The Traveling Wilburys-9.5
97. The River, Bruce Springsteen-9.5
98. Songs From The Big Chair, Tears For Fears-9.5 *YouTube
99. A Deeper Understanding, War On Drugs-9.0
100. Tonight’s The Night, Neil Young-9.0

January 7, 2017 0

Musical Madness: A Favorites Albums List

Favorite Albums in Some Order (list artists only once, no soundtracks or bests of allowed)

Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (70s, prog rock)
Blood On The Tracks, Bob Dylan (70s, folk rock)
Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division (70s, post punk)
Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin (70s, metal/hard rock)
In Utero, Nirvana (90s, grunge)
Straight Out of Compton, NWA (80s, rap)
At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash (60s, country)
War, U2 (80s, alternative rock)
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse (2000s, alternative rock)
Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones (70s, hard rock)
Making Movies, Dire Straits (80s, country rock)
Parachutes, Coldplay (2000s, alternative rock)
Born To Die, Lana Del Rey (2000s, pop rock)
We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes, Death Cab For Cutie (2000s, alternative rock)
In Rainbows, Radiohead (2000s, alternative rock)
My Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kayne West (2000s, rap)
Loveless, My Bloody Valentine (90s, alternative rock)
Autoamerican, Blondie (80s, pop rock)
Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles (60s, psychedelic rock)
The Woods, Sleater-Kinney (2000s, alternative rock)
Axis: Bold As Love, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (60s, psychedelic rock)
Hunky Dory, David Bowie (70s, glam rock)
Invisible Touch, Genesis (80s, alternative rock)
Murmur, R.E.M. (80s, alternative rock)
Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol (2000s, alternative rock)
Ghost in the Machine, The Police (80s, pop rock)
Saturdays=Youth, M83 (2000s, electronica)
Excitable Boy, Warren Zevon (70s, pop rock)
Damn The Torpedoes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (70s, hard rock)
No More Stories Are Told Today, I’m Sorry They Washed Away // No More Stories, The World Is Grey, I’m Tired, Let’s Wash Away, Mew (2000s, pop electronica rock)
Who’s Next, The Who (70s, hard rock)
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory, Oasis (90s, alternative rock)
In Pieces, Garth Brooks (90s, country)
Rumors, Fleetwood Mac (70s, pop rock)
The Chronic, Dr. Dre (90s, rap)
Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen (80s, folk rock)
License to Ill, The Beastie Boys (80s, rap rock)
The Battle of Los Angeles, Rage Against the Machine (90s, rap rock)
Pure Heroine, Lorde (2000s, pop)
This Time, Dwight Yoakam (90s, country)
More Songs About Buildings and Food, The Talking Heads (70s, pop rock)
The Surbubs, Arcade Fire (2000s, alternative rock)
Sandinista, The Clash (70s, punk)
Moving Pictures, Rush (80s, prog rock)
Welcome Interstate Managers, Fountains of Wayne (2000s, pop rock)
The Hurting, Tears For Fear (80s, New Wave)
Magic Potion, The Black Keys (2000s, blues rock)
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, Ben Folds Five (2000s, pop rock)
Plastic Beach, Gorillaz (2000s, rap rock)
Sports, Huey Lewis and the News (80s, pop rock)
Sam’s Town, The Killers (2000s, alternative rock)
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Sex Pistols (70s, punk)
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips (2000s, electronica rock)
Zuma, Neil Young and Crazy Horse (70s, folk rock)
Thriller, Michael Jackson (80s, pop rock)
Violator, Depeche Mode (80s, alternative rock)
Omni, Minus The Bear (2000s, alternative rock)
Chutes Too Narrow, The Shins (2000s, pop rock)
Shields, Grizzly Bear (2000s, alternative rock)
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis (50s, jazz)
Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth (80s, alternative rock)
Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird (2000s, folk rock)
Loaded, The Velvet Underground (70s, hard rock)
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Smashing Pumpkins (90s, alternative rock)
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco (2000s, folk rock)
Secret Diary, College (2000s, electronica)
Boxer, The National (2000s, pop rock)
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel (90s, pop rock)
Oracular Spectacular, MGMT (2000s, electronica rock)
Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem (2000s, electronica rock)
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Devo (70s, post punk)
Power, Corruption & Lies, New Order (80s, New Wave)
4 X 4=12, deadmau5 (2000s, electronica)
Discovery, Daft Punk (2000s, electronica)
Moondance, Van Morrison (70s, rock)
18, Moby (2000s, electronica)
Toys in the Attic, Aerosmith (70s, hard rock)
Manners, Passion Pit (2000s, electronica pop)
Blink-182, Blink-182 (2000s, alternative rock)
Under The Iron Sea, Keane (2000s, rock)
Dead Can Dance, Dead Can Dance (80s, post punk)
Paranoid, Black Sabbath (70s, heavy metal)
Night Moves, Bob Seager and the Silver Bullet Band (70s, hard rock)
For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver (2000s, folk)
Fragile, Yes (70s, prog rock)
Dizzy Up The Girl, Goo Goo Dolls (90s, alternative rock)
Broken Bells, Broken Bells (2000s, electronica pop rock)
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend (2000s, alternative rock)
Give Up, The Postal Service (2000s, electronica rock pop)
Odelay, Beck (90s, alternative rock)
Songs For the Deaf, Queens of the Stone Age (2000s, heavy metal)
Illinois, Surjan Stevens (2000s, pop folk)
A Blessing and a Curse, Drive By Truckers (2000s, country rock)
Kill ‘Em All, Metallica (80s, heavy metal)
Days of Future Passed, The Moody Blues (60s, psychedelic rock)
Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (2000s, folk)
Z, My Morning Jacket (2000s, alternative rock)
To Bring You My Love, PJ Harvey (90s, alternative rock)
You Forgot It in People, Broken Social Scene (2000s, alternative rock)
Transference, Spoon (2000s, alternative rock

August 30, 2016 0

Selling Out Is Too Easy To Do….Possibly

“The saddest thing about selling out is just how cheaply most of us do it for.”

― James Bernard Frost

In some ways that is rather true. A good friend of mine and I were discussing bands and how some of them say they haven’t sold out when they clearly have. Selling out is the main fear of all artists, and yet all of them do it in the end save for those who never made it in the first place.

There hasn’t been an opportunity for me to sell out because I’ve never made money off of writing, although I did get paid for being an editor at my local community college’s newspaper once, so I guess that counts. One of my favorite moments in mocking selling out history is when The Who released a great double LP The Who Sells Out, which had joking commercials included and was the band admitting to a degree that even they had become capitalist slaves, too.

Sure there are people who have never given in, yet those folks were either lucky, incredibly talented or rich. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, even Bob Dylan and Nirvana arguably all gave in, and Metallica was bashed by their fans for daring to make music videos, not to mention The Black Album, the point where the band reportedly “Sold out.” I love REM but there is simply before and after Losing My Religion, where the band went from being indie darlings to breaking into the mainstream. How does one contrast making art with the need to pay the bills, all without selling one’s soul in the process?

Its a rather difficult balancing act. Yet there is a difference between someone like Quentin Tarentino, who has become a famous success while still making great or good movies, and Brett Ratner, who has no talent and only makes films for money. I think that’s the difference. Maybe.