Jan 12 2021
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
4
Jan 13 2021
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Somber and delicate melodies accompanied by piano and guitar. The first half wasnāt the most exciting for me personally. I enjoyed Electric Renaissance quite a bit. Decent album, but I prefer the Scottish Indie Pop groupās āWrite About Loveā, although it is like splitting hairs.
3
Jan 15 2021
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Solid Michael Blackson produced by Quincy Jones. Donāt Stop āTill You Get Enough will always be a song to grove to. Donāt sleep on the song Get On The Floor, the bass line is amazing. I even find myself enjoying the cheesier songs lime Girlfriend.
5
Jan 16 2021
xx
The xx
Imported from London, the simplicity in this album is so methodical and delicate it really goes to show less is more. Even in songs like Intro with no lyrics the melodies weaved are truly masterful. Band leader Jamie xx really punches a strong layered sound with minimal instruments.
4
Jan 17 2021
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
Not a bad album, you really hear their blues influence on āDoncha Bother Meā. Also had some of their hits like āMotherās Little Helperā and the the feminist disliked āUnder My Thumbā. Fun fact āUnder My Thumbā was the song The Rolling Stones finished up when Meredith Hunter was stabbed by a member of Hellās Angels acting as security after Hunter pulled a gun during the free Altamont Concert that left him dead in 1969.
3
Jan 18 2021
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Metallicaās 4th album is refined from earlier works. Itās clear they found their footing with their new bassist Jason Newsted following the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton in a tour bus accident. This album boats āOneā which is a beautifully crafted piece of work even for being over 7 minutes long itās easy to get lost in masterful guitar work. This is a solid thrash metal album (4th of 5 in a row masterpieces in their genre) from arguably the greatest Metal band ever assembled. Giving 4 stars, but would give it a 9.4 out of 10.
āHold my breath as I wish for deathā.
4
Jan 19 2021
Station To Station
David Bowie
Solid album from the Thin White Duke. The opening track, named after the title, was just over 10 minutes, but did include an intro mimicking a train station. Golden years is such a fun silly song and has always been one of my favorites and sounds like it influenced some of the new wave that followed like the Talking Heads. Overall Iād give the album a 9 out of 10.
4
Jan 20 2021
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
David Holmes album was a pleasant surprise. For something listed under the āElectronicā genre it wasnāt what I expected. Coming out the same year as āHomewarkā by Daft Punk I wasnāt sure what to expect. I hadnāt really heard of Holmes either. The album gives off a soundtrack vibe that sticks you into New York. The only vocals are that of New Yorkers in conversation that had been recorded by Holmes on a trip in the late 80ās. The music and style puts you there, some of the bass lines and drum beats are very late 80ās but can also have a 90ās flare. It is not in any way French house, nor is it meant to be. āRadio 7āā is the only song that I felt was a little cheeky. Essentially it is a remix of the classic James Bond film theme, it is well done. Overall Iād give this a 7.5 out of 10.
3
Jan 21 2021
Debut
Bjƶrk
Bjorkās debut solo album was definitely ahead of its time. Some of the songs have rhythms more akin to a club, then youāre sent to a new age Enya, then back to a psychedelic rock a la Jefferson Starshipās White Rabbit. For a bunch of songs that donāt seem like theyād fit together, they do.
3
Jan 22 2021
Palo Congo
Sabu
Papi Congo is Spanish Jazz, while I am not totally familiar with the genre Iāve heard it in other media. It definitely transports you to a different place, for me it reminded me of walking through some of the markets in Mexico while the dry heat engulfs you. Great music to have on the background while doing something around the house where you might find yourself moving to the beat.
3
Jan 23 2021
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
It felt like I was listening to a Bond soundtrack or something inspired by the circus at times. Admiringly this was one of my least favorite so far.
2
Jan 24 2021
Smash
The Offspring
I was pleasantly surprised by āSmashā. The album came out in 1994, The Offspring I grew up with never seemed to take themselves seriously with songs like āPretty Fly (For a White Guy), and āOriginal Pranksterā. Smash made me realize why people revered the band so much. Dexter Hollandās vocals are so recognizable and are a force on their own throughout the album. Noodles Wasserman, Greg K, and drummer Ron Welty worked masterfully together. Weltyās drumming really set the tone with him keeping the tempo at a blistering pace. Again I was more than surprised by the album and works give it an 8.3 out of 10.
4
Jan 25 2021
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
Fun album from New Wavers Devo. Known mainly for their mega hit āWhip Itā the band is so much more than that. They are one of the bands I think of when I hear the term āArt Rockā. They were clever in their theme and message they created as a group. I enjoyed āUncontrollable Urgeā and the cheeky song āPraying Handsā about masturbation juxtaposed to religion. Some real fun songs overall and out of 10 I would give it a 7.3
3
Jan 27 2021
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
The Kinks are one of the most under appreciated bands from the UK invasion. Itās easy to be overlooked with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as your peers. As a whole I much preferred this to the previously revised āAftermathā by The Stones. Itās clear that this album has been influential far beyond its release. Out of 10 I would give it a 9.1 out of 10.
4
Jan 30 2021
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
The White Stripes 3rd studio album released in 2001 was what made the DIY rock band gain notice. With contemporaries like The Strokes who wanted a more authentic sound, Jack White and Meg White made a fantastic throwback to the blues influenced rock of old. Nothing was overly fancy and everything was simplicity in its finest form. Itās got 16 songs in 40 minutes time, so quick songs but memorable none the less. This spawned mega hit āFell in Love With a Girlā and the Napoleon Dynamite featured āWeāre Going to Be Friendsā. I really enjoyed the opener āDead Leaves and the Dirty Groundā as well as āHotel Yorbaā. The only gripe I have is with the back half having some similar sounds, but gripe is being extreme. Out of 10 I would give it an 8.6.
4
Jan 31 2021
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
Itās obvious to hear the influence this album had on future artists. As a whole I found myself a little underwhelmed. Thatās not to say I didnāt find songs that I did enjoy. Out of 10 Iād give it a 7.4.
3
Feb 01 2021
Is This It
The Strokes
The Strokeās 2001 magnum opus āIs This Itā, was a prime example of being in the right place at the right time. Rock music was ready to undergo a change it hadnāt done so since the early 90s with the grunge era. The New York group quickly rose to prominence and gave way to the indie music revolution. It was a return to the fundamentals and the basics of what made rejecting main stream so cool. The strokes were able to make amazing melodies with fairly simple progressions and that in itself is what lens does band its signature sound. Overall I would give this album a 9.1 out of 10, āIs This Itā is an album that I still play regularly on vinyl front to back.
5