The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site

/

Label: Epitaph
Genre: Folk Rock
Year: 2003
Recommended by: Abe Martinez

The first time I listened to The Weakerthans was because of their curling themed song "Tournament of Hearts". They are a Canadian Folk-Punk_Rock band. They are pretty great and I enjoy it every single time I hear a song of theirs. However, there is something that doesn't hook me in the way other bands do.

It's because they are Canadian I think.

The album is full of great songs. "One Great City!" is a pretty fantastic song, that is full of digs at the city of Winnipeg. It's great.

 

Lyle Lovett - Pontiac

/

Label: MCA
Genre: Folk
Year: 1987
Recommended by: Melinda Sherry

I first listened to Lyle Lovett after hearing the Dave Matthews Band cover "If I Had a Boat". The best thing that DMB has ever done for me is discover better music from the music they do cover, generally inferior to the original.

"If I Had a Boat" leads off this album and is probably my favorite song on the record. The biggest surprise track was "Walk Through the Bottomlands" with Emmylou Harris joining in on the chorus.

Through this process, I've learned I just want Country to become Folk music. 

Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen

/

Label: A&M
Genre: Rock and Roll
Year: 1970
Recommended by: Jeff Sherry

Joe Cocker is the best cover artist of all-time. He covers soul, folk, and rock. It's impressive considering his gravely voice that his performance is often the most well known of many of the songs he performs.

It's a great listen to live music, where Joe Cocker can be in his element, and it's great to hear covers on songs I already love. I loved both "Honky Tonk Women" and The Band's "The Weight". The Band is great and everyone should see The Last Waltz, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Jason Aldean - Night Train

/

Label: Broken Bow
Genre: Country
Year: 2012
Recommended by: Jillian Veenhuis

I still don't like country. I like that Jason Aldean is signed to an independent Country music label in Broken Bow. It still sounds like the rest of the country landscape.

Jason Aldean is a decent enough songwriter and his performance throughout the album is strong. It doesn't resonate with me at all. 

For example, "Take a Little Ride" starts by talking about baling hay. I'm going to guess that Aldean has only done slightly more hail bailing than myself. It's weird. "Drink One for Me" is a song I may be able to get into if the arrangement was a little bit different. It tries to go semi-ballad, when I think it would sound better if it was more upbeat and excited. But, I don't sell millions of Country albums so I know nothing.

All-American Rejects - Move Along

/

Label: DGC
Genre: Pop Punk
Year: 2005
Recommended by: Lauren Weidner and Chrissy Walker

Move Along, The All-American Rejects's second album, is a pretty fantastic pop rock record. 

It's not one of the greatest rock records and it's not one of the greatest pop records. Move Along is pretty accurate to it's time while still aging well. It's probably behind Bleed American in the best Pop Punk Album in my mind. It's a good listen. The only thing that hurts it from a "Pop Punk" sense, is that Tyson Ritter is just a little too good at singing.

 

Aerosmith - Get a Grip

/

Label: Geffen
Genre: Rock
Year: 1993
Recommended by: Kirsten Turnquist

I've got an issue with Steven Tyler. He's ruined every dance I have ever had in my entire life. "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" was always the last song of every dance I ever went to. The worst part, it's a terrible song. It goes on too long. It makes you think of the movie "Armageddon". No positives.

Get a Grip was Aerosmith's continued run of generic rock hits that made them a lot of money and allowed Tyler to buy more and more scarves for his mic stand. I don't dislike Aerosmith as much as I hate what mainstream rock was in the late eighties and early nineties. I am not huge on Bon Jovi or "Cryin" or "Livin' on the Edge". It was a good time for grunge.

Best Coast - Fade Away

/

Label: Jewel City
Genre: Dream Pop
Year: 2013
Recommended by: Marta Conlon

Best Coast's most recent release is an indie poppy gold mine. Bethany Cosentino does all of the songwriting and all the songs are exquisitely written. It's a spiritual successor to The Go-Go's. Fade Away portrays the underrepresented Girl Band aesthetic in the best ways. They have a fantastic rocking beat and a driving beat and lead guitar.

Now would be a good time to note that Best Coast is a duo of one woman and one guy. That said, Bethany Cosentino represents those 80s power pop girl band's better than anyone currently. Best Coast is great.

D'Angelo - Black Messiah

/

Label: RCA
Genre: Funk, R&B
Year: 2014
Recommended by: Alura Henry

This is album is funky, and great. It was universally loved by critics, commercially successful, and again it's great. D'Angelo wanted to release it in 2015, but RCA wanted it for 2014. Either way it was going to be the best album released that year. 

Politically charged, wonderfully orchestrated, and incredibly soulful Black Messiah succeed at everything it attempts and then some. It's really a joy to listen to, but where it succeed is indescribable. A feeling of synchronicity with everything seems to creep in. All problems are yours, but the solutions are there as well.

 

Radiohead - Pablo Honey

/

Label: Parlophone
Genre: Alternative Rock
Year: 1993
Recommended by: Paul Conant

Pablo Honey is the debut studio album from Radiohead. Radiohead has since become media darlings that can do no wrong. They were the first band to have a pay what you wish album in 2007 with In Rainbows (I paid $5) and most recently released The King of Limbs.

This record has "Creep", young Matthew Sherry's favorite music video, and many other fantastic tracks. However, "Creep" will continue to be the most covered song of Radiohead's. While the rest of the album falters more than a regular Radiohead album would, Thom Yorke's genius shines throughout.

Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming

/

Label: RCA
Genre: Rock
Year: 1994
Recommended by: Sarah Sherry

While some people in the US may be celebrating a cult holiday, I am listening to the one the only DMB!

The guy who once dumped his crap into the Chicago River. Only there were people there. Ooops Dave.

This album is actually pretty strong. I always hear these songs as album tracks are so much better than whatever live version that people always play. "Satellite" is actually a very good song when it doesn't go on for fourteen minutes and Dave Matthews sounds like he knows the words.

Nirvana - Nevermind

/

Label: DGC
Genre: Grunge
Year: 1991
Recommended by: Abe Martinez

Nevermind is the Nirvana's follow up to Blew.  It was their breakout hit and their first album with one DAVE GROHL. 

It's a great album, people my age will know all the songs. I want to talk about the secret song. With every technical advance you lose something fun about the old system. Secret songs on CDs were a lot of fun. Sure you had to wait 20 minutes to hear "All by Myself" by Green day or 30 minutes to hear "Endless, Nameless" at the end of Nevermind, With everything being digital and seeing the track listing you don't get the fun secret song.

Instead we just get the cloud where I never have to re-purchase an album again. So, there's that.

 

 

 

JD McPherson - Signs and Signifiers

/

Label: Rounder Records
Genre: Rockabilly
Year: 2012
Recommended by: Todd Tompkins

I first heard JD McPherson on the SklarBro Country sports podcast. They played the lead track "North Side Gal" and I immediately loved the song. The thing I don't love his the Denim Dan look. 

JD McPherson is one note. He does that note really well. I would like to hear what he can sound like with some clean production. It seems like he is hiding talent by having a rough sound for no apparent reason, but a faux-oldie sound.

Velvet Underground - Loaded

/

Label: Atlantic
Genre: Rock
Year: 1970
Recommended by: Ralph Brendler

Lou Reed has become a Rock N Roll god. He was the impetus to the fun book The Advanced Genius Theory. Basically, it states that once a person has demonstrated brilliance enough, that future work that seems awful, is actually art that is beyond the traditional capability of acceptance by it's audience. It's a fun read and great exercise in general to practice with some all time great artists.

The Velvet Underground was never a commercial success, but were a critical success. For this album Atlantic wanted it "Loaded with hits". Coincidentally, this was the last album Lou Reed would record with the Velvet Underground.

This is a great record. I can't say anything that hasn't been said by better writers and more well rounded people.

 

Spice Girls - Spice

/

Label: Virgin
Genre: Pop
Year: 1996
Recommended By: Lauren Weidner

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE! Wait, that is from the follow up album. The debut of the Spice Girls brought girl power across the world. Weirdly, when listening to the album there wasn't all that much girl power happening. I guess at the time Women having a say in a relationship was revolutionary.

There are some creepy songs on the record too. The song "2 become 1" is some next level R. Kelly weirdness. It's weird. "Love Thing" takes a line from the sisters act in White Christmas. It's a rather sexual album, I'm surprised it was such a hit in my elementary school sock hops. I'm waiting for them to release a Spice Women album. It needs to happen.

Prodigy - Fat of the Land

/

Label: XL
Genre: Electronica
Year: 1997
Recommended By: Ryne Henrich

I've kind of always had a problem with "Smack My Bitch Up". Not just because the it sounds like the score to the Matrix, but because, you know, Misogyny. Wikipedia has cleared that up for me:

“The band defended the song, saying that the lyrics were being misinterpreted as misogynistic and the song actually meant “...doing anything intensely...”
— wikipedia

So there. Prodigy is not Floyd Mayweather Jr. They are Tom Cruise.

X - Los Angeles

/

Label: Slash
Genre: Punk
Year: 1980
Recommended by: Paul Conant

The only time I have previously heard of X was when people talked about bands coming out of Los Angeles or California.

X is an influential Punk Band from LA who's debut album was produced by Doors Keyboard player Ray Manzarek. The most famous LA band basically helped the 2nd most famous LA band who titled their album Los Angeles.

The record should be used as the definition of punk. Lo-fi, angry, but happy, and overall energetic. The energy continues throughout the entirety of the album. Also, all the band members decided to rename themselves. I still find that weird about punk, but whatever, I guess the whole world's a stage.

 

Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View

/

Label: Atlantic
Genre: Dad Rock
Year: 1994
Recommended By: Jeff Sherry

I am of the belief that Hootie & the Blowfish brought back Dad Rock. Steely Dan has long had the corner on Dad Rock, but Hootie & the Blowfish brought it back into the forefront. Nothing is wrong with Dad Rock, it's just that Dad's love it. Pearl Jam has become Dad Rock. 

Hootie has since gone solo and only found country success covering popular songs. The other members have become successful musicians, but not famous. 

Before all that they made a record which sold more than any other in 1995. I believe between Hootie & the Blowfish and Blues Traveler Dad Rock was king for 1994 and 1995. Good job Dad Rock.

Weezer - Pinkerton

/

Label: DGC
Genre: Emo
Year: 1996
Recommended by: Abe Martinez

Wikipedia has constructed the most Weezer sentence in history. Let me cite it here, "After abandoning plans for a rock opera titled Songs from the Black Hole, Weezer recorded Pinkerton between songwriter Rivers Cuomo's terms at Harvard University, where he wrote much of the album." 

I always go back and forth between Pinkerton and The Blue Album as my favorite Weezer record. I think the Blue Album is a better introduction into Weezer, but Pinkerton has the stronger songs overall. 

I'm unsure how people can hate Weezer when they released two amazing albums right off the bat. In March I reviewed their latest offering and it is also awesome. Love Weezer, it's okay to admit it.