Grateful Dead - American Beauty

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Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1970
Genre: Folk Rock
Recommending Person: Tom Goszcynski

This album was much better than I was fearing. I'm used to the Grateful Dead that plays for a couple dozen minutes. The Album tracks are nice and short and sweet. The songs all have a nice hook with a fun rhythm and a enjoyable lyrics in the verses. I can see why they got so popular, especially with the way "Truckin" can get suck in your head all day.

The Smoking Popes - Get Fired

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Label: Johann's Face
Year: 1993
Genre: Punk Rock
Recommending Person: Alura Henry and Abe Martinez

I have long heard of Smoking Popes, but this is my first true Popes experience. My cousins had long told me of their general greatness, yet I refrained from dipping my toe into the water of the Chicago Punk Rock superstars. Get Fired is amazing. It may be the favorite album I have listened to so far this year. It still may only be a result of listening to it fresh without any nostalgia and the record refusing to allow me zone out at any single point. 

It also sent me further into their catalog where I listened to them cover "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. Which while it shouldn't be the number one listened song on Google Play by the Smoking Popes was still very enjoyable. 

Pele - Elephant

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Label: Polyvinyl Records
Year: 1999
Genre: Indie Rock, Instrumental
Recommending Person: Ryan Sullivan

This was a Sunday hangover listen from Ryan Sullivan. This album was a little more difficult for me than the the Prog Rock outfit I started the year with. I imagine it is mostly because the first track is too repetitive to start before the variance really kicks in. Eventually I enjoyed a few tracks, especially Little Hunts.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

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Label: Epic
Year: 1982
Genre: Pop
Recommending Person: Jeanne Haut

The best track on the record is PYT. This is an issue. Michael Jackson has issues when dealing with anything to do with young things. 

Every song is great. It deserved to sell as many albums as it did. The question is how should we consume art by people that should be met with disdain. Also, what is the cut off of morality if we should no longer enjoy the works of terrible people? Kanye West seems to be a crazy egomaniac, but we have no reason to believe he ever perpetrated rape. We have that reason for Michael Jackson and R. Kelly.

I'm not sure, maybe I should just separate the performers from people. I just know that we shouldn't watch Cosby Show re-runs.

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans

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Year: 2005
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Atlantic
Recommending Person: Karen Miles

Death Cab for Cutie came into my life at the perfect time. Transatlanticism was pretty big when I was in High School 2003. The Sound of Settling is one of my favorite songs of all-time. However, this is their more successful and in my opinion best album they ever released.

When I started this project I asked for recommendations from anyone and everyone. I wanted as an eclectic mix as possible for the entire year, to get out of the same routine of music I would constantly play on repeat, and to expand my horizons. However, I also wanted people I cared about to help me with the project as well. People helping me by giving me a personal, thoughtful endorsement will help me share something that is important to them. Karen (Wayne) Miles was the person who believed I should listen to this. I have to say initially I was a little bummed out.

Why? Karen and I were decently close in High School, She was there for me probably more than I ever was for her, and that always made me disappointed. We probably got a little more separated through Senior year, and then we both went to separate colleges. I visited a few times, but every time I saw her we both were different people. One time I remember seeing her in the day time, inebriated, it was probably during unofficial, and I ran up and gave her a big hug lifting her up. It was awkward, very awkward. I never really interacted with her that way in high school, we hadn't talked in a good while, she probably didn't even know I was in town, but it kind of just put the period at the end of our relationship. No one was at fault for the eventually lapsing of friendship, we were people who moved on and didn't try to stay in each others lives. I still care for Karen, she seems happy, and successful, and slightly warmer in North Carolina over Illinois. This suggestion just reminded me that I let a good friend go before I would have liked.

Yet, it was a great decision by Karen. She thought about it for a long time and it shows. The entire album is fantastic and it was beautiful. The album made me think of Karen and that made it perfect.

Junior Senior - d-d-Don't Don't Stop the Beat

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Label: Atlantic, Crunchy Frog
Year: 2002
Genre: Dance Pop
Recommending Person: CHRISSY WALKER!!!!

Don't stop, can't stop, Don't stop the beat NOOOOOOOOOOOO! This was a really fun listen. I listened to this in the car and just sat until the album finished. It was a beat that continued on through the day and Move Your Feet is the greatest dance song of all time. I love it and continue to love it.

Tupac - All Eyez on Me

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Label: Death Row, Interscope
Year: 1996
Genre: Rap
Recommending Person: Tom Reding

I love this album, both discs. I believe that it is mostly because of nostalgia, but It is fantastic. This is a great two disc album, but would be one of the best album's of all time if it was just one disc. There is not enough for 26 fantastic songs. It has about 13 undeniable songs and 12 or so just okay songs. Still, loved listening to it.

TLC - CrazySexyCool

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Label: LaFace, Arista
Year: 1994
Genre: R&B
Recommending Person: Sarah Sherry

Everyone knows Waterfalls, but this album also had Creep and Red Light Special as successful singles from the Album. I am glad that current Albums have dropped the Interludes and skits from their records. I'm unsure who decided those are necessary, but I'm glad they have pretty much been eradicated. And now for all TLC references in "The Other Guys".

​

Rent - The Original Broadway Cast Recording

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Label: DreamWorks
Genre: Showtunes
Year: 1996
Recommending Person: Kirsten Turnquist

First, I would suggest you listen to the best of Rent rather than the entirety of the music, without any acting context, the Voicemails and small vignettes that are used lose pretty much anything that you would deem enjoyable. However, many 90s and 2000s albums had terrible interludes that almost everyone skipped over after their first listen. It would be the same with Rent. I have never seen Rent live, I have not seen the movie with actors that they try to make sing, and I have not seen any taping of a live performance.

However, Rent is part of the cultural conscious and I have heard many jokes about the merits of the protagonists arguments, and of course the song Seasons of Love (Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes). The songs don't really catch you until Tango: Maureen, and then it fades out until Sante Fe. From there on out the songs are catchy and get you emotionally attached. I never participated in any stage or Drama anything as I was always trying to not be a loser, but I was always jealous of those who did.

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

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Label: SideOneDummy
Year: 2008
Genre: Indie Folk, Punk Rock, Indie Rock, Heartland Rock
Recommending Person: Chris Neseman

Let's just sit and examine how many genre's Wikipedia claims this album to be in. Couldn't we just stop at Rock and Roll? That's pretty much all that this album is, and that is not demeaning in anyway. I've had a good run of albums starting with Danger Mouse, to Parliament, and now The Gaslight Anthem. The '59 Sound reminded me of Social Distortion with a more conventional singer. I love Social Distortion, so I loved this album. Gaslight Anthem was always that band that people said they liked and I just agreed without having listened to any of their music. I'm glad I finally did, it was enjoyable all the way through.

Parliament - Mothership Connection

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Label: Casablanca
Year: 1975
Genre: Funk
Recommending Person: Ralph Brendler

We got the funk! My first experience with the great George Clinton was courtesy of the '90s forgotten classic PCU, featuring Jeremy Piven, Jon Favreau, and David Spade. Favreau plays a stoner who gets lost on his way to a Clinton concert only to find out that Piven has absconded the band to play their crazy party! 

Anyways, I was able to listen to this album, before I had to go curling in Appleton, Wisconsin. It had a positive effect on my energy from the long night previous. It was a welcome change from all albums previous. It was just straight out a lot of fun.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul

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Label: Capitol/EMI
Year: 2010
Genre: Indie Rock
Recommending Person: Rob Yaple

This album features rock and roll icons, legends, and even David Lynch! I am sure we are all very excited for Twin Peaks to return, but in 2010 David Lynch was creating a 100 page book that had a visual narrative with the music. I did not have access or knowledge of the book prior to listening to the album but it seems like something I should do another time. My favorite track was probably the first song with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. The album has many tonal shifts because of the collaboration with a different artist on every track. However, the only song that feels impenetrable is David Lynch's track to finish the record. 

Fun back story, EMI had a dispute with Danger Mouse on distribution, so Danger Mouse sold the David Lynch Book and a blank CD-R with no music saying, do with it what you will. He had leaked the album digitally a few weeks before.

The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good

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Label: Jade Tree
Year: 1997
Genre: Emo
Recommending Person: Dan Henry

This album seems a bit dated, but it reminds me of the albums I listened to throughout high school. You wish the singing was a bit better, but it's part of the feel of much of the genre and makes it easier to sing along when you feel the need, some call it the Bob Dylan effect. I only listened to the album twice instead of the 3 I was aiming for to feel confident in a review. 

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt

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Label: Reprise
Year: 1998
Genre: Alt Rock/ College Rock
Recommending Person: Adam Miller

I once heard that when assembling an album you do not want to put the big hit first, because it shows you do not have confidence in the rest of the record. Barenaked Ladies start out with One Week, the biggest hit from the record, but I enjoyed most of the album. BNL vary up they styles and their ballads are always very strong, One Week is grating only because of it's overexposure, but overall right when you are about to check out another track grabs your attention. Also, my favorite comedy podcast, COMEDY BANG BANG, uses "It's BEEN" as a repeated joke.

Taylor Swift - 1989

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Year: 2014
Label: Big Machine
Genre: Pop
Recommending Person: Sarah Sherry, and many other through word of mouth.

2014 was the year of Taylor Swift. This album was praised by critics and loved by the masses. Each individual song is enjoyable on it's own and is wonderfully produced. It feels to me that the artist herself had not made much of a change, but it's just produced in a much more slick fashion. I'm sure there will be more singles from this record, but I didn't love it. It felt like when one of your friends is obsessed with one guy and won't shut up about that one person and there is no real relationship to speak of. I feel like if the Album was reordered it could have told a more coherent story, but it was just thrown together in a concert order to calm down and then pump up a crowd. 

Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit

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ALKALINE TRIO - GODDAMNIT

Label: Asian Man
Year: 1998
Genre: Punk Rock
Recommending Person: Abe Martinez and Alura Henry

End of the Day Rating:

I think I will come back and write more on Alkaline Trio later. Until then, I love the album. It's probably because it reminds me of when I first listened to them in high school, although I was listening to their more heavily produced work in Good Mourning. And this is a great place to show everyone Emo Game! This guy made a game about the entire history of Emo, well actually 3 and one was a mini-game of Alkaline Trio in Hell! (NSFW or around children.)

Suggest an Album!

What Does Ziggits Think?

Benny Goodman - 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert

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Label: Columbia
Year: 1938
Genre: Jazz
Recommending Person: Jim Sherry

This historic concert is often cited as allowing Jazz to be accepted by mainstream audiences, at least according to Wikipedia. It is one of the best selling Jazz albums of all-time and possibly the most famous concert in Jazz history. This was the first performance at Carnegie Hall that had integrated performers. 

I do not listen to Jazz. Never made the attempt, I enjoy it, but it always reminds me of New York City. I'm not sure if that's because of Woody Allen movies, the TV show Louie, or because directors associate Jazz with the city. However, whether it's been imprinted on my mind, throughout the album I was imagining a drive through the Five Burroughs. That's when I felt like an idiot. On the 2nd disc from the 1999 re-release Benny Goodman has introductions to different parts of the album. He talks about how they went through 20 years of Jazz starting with Dixieland Jazz performing the song "Sensation Rag". 

I feel like an idiot, because Benny Goodman is trying to take the listener through the History of his most beloved musical Genre. It's a journey of TWENTY years. On my 2nd listen it is so obvious how contrasting the styles are from one song to another, they are as different as The Beatles and Def Leppard.  The change from "Shine" to "Blue Reverie" is the transformation of Jazz music of the time changing from entertainment to emotion. The happy go lucky, and likely racist, Shine is about a braggart who we are supposed to laugh at, Blue Reverie is a beautiful song that seems tense and with a sense of love lost. The song releases pure emotion without the responsibilities to purely entertain an audience. 

The album gets better every time you listen. The number of solos on my first listen is just what I thought Jazz was, determining a backdrop and everyone gets a turn to play off that line, but much of what was written about the event talks about the rarity that these individuals got to perform solo's. Once again, I know nothing.

This was a fantastic listen, especially with additional context, and I am thankful to my grandfather for the recommendation. If I had any foresight I would have put this on January 16th, the 77th anniversary of the Concert. Fun note: 77 Years before this concert, America was about to go into the Civil War.

Best Time to Listen: Anytime really, but again because all but one song are instrumental it's a nice album to work with, but I would say that this album is enjoyed more thoroughly if you sit back and listen with headphones on.