Another day, another album! This time around, Matthew Sweet's 1991 power pop / alternative rock masterpiece Girlfriend. While Nirvana and Soundgarden were grunging it up in the early 90s, and Trent Reznor and Ministry were shattering eardrums, Matthew Sweet came along with a perfect contemporary pop album full of love songs. Don't get the idea … Continue reading “Girlfriend” by Matthew Sweet (No. 72)
Month: July 2016
“Mother Love Bone” by Mother Love Bone (No. 73)
At the intersection of glam rock and grunge, you've got Mother Love Bone, a band that burned out before its first and only studio album was released. Mother Love Bone, a compilation that includes the full album from 1990 (Apple) and 1989 EP Shine is a fitting tribute. Pearl Jam fans will find a certain … Continue reading “Mother Love Bone” by Mother Love Bone (No. 73)
“The Depths of a Year” by Ehren Starks (No. 74)
Today's album was discovered by rummaging through the Magnatune catalog. This one is The Depths of a Year by Ehren Starks. Magnatune lists Depths in several categories: jazz, instrumental, neoclassical, piano, and cello. It's the last one that grabbed me. I realized sometime in the early 2000's that I really love the sound of cello. … Continue reading “The Depths of a Year” by Ehren Starks (No. 74)
“Spike” by Elvis Costello (No. 75)
Spike features Elvis Costello's highest-charting single, "Veronica" – co-written with and featuring Paul McCartney. That's just the cherry on the sundae for this album, though. Spike ("the beloved entertainer," it says on the cover), bangs the door down with "…This Town…" It begins with a powerful drumbeat and then pulls in other instruments one by … Continue reading “Spike” by Elvis Costello (No. 75)
“Standing on a Beach / Staring at the Sea” by The Cure (No. 76)
Today's pick is a look at the early work of The Cure. Standing on a Beach and Staring at the Sea are co-sharing the pick for #76, because the titles are almost the same album. Let me explain… My introduction to this was in the late 80s, when I was still really new to The … Continue reading “Standing on a Beach / Staring at the Sea” by The Cure (No. 76)
“Free” by Concrete Blonde (No. 77)
Free, the second album from LA-based Concrete Blonde is today's pick for my top 100 favorite albums. Concrete Blonde sits in the 80s/90s "Alternative/Indie" bucket, which means they're not exactly top 40, not exactly hard rock, and they didn't have a major label behind them for their first few albums. Free was released by I.R.S., … Continue reading “Free” by Concrete Blonde (No. 77)
“Evolution” by Journey (No. 78)
There are many sins in programming music on radio stations, but here are a few biggies: "Train wrecks," where the second song is jarring and takes the listener out of the moment; "Ramps," when the deejay talks over the instrumental lead of the song; and failing to program Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" and "City of … Continue reading “Evolution” by Journey (No. 78)
“Ekstasis” by Nicky Skopelitis (No. 79)
On the off chance that anyone is actually playing along at home, I feel bad about listing records that you can't easily find on Spotify, Google Play, or other digital music services. Yet, like Prison, I can't really leave Ekstasis off the list. (You can find it on Bandcamp, though.) Ekstasis is in a similar … Continue reading “Ekstasis” by Nicky Skopelitis (No. 79)
“Whip-Smart” by Liz Phair (No. 80)
Liz Phair's Whip-Smart is a perfect Saturday afternoon album. By happy accident, that's when I'm re-listening to Whip-Smart and writing this post. Whip-Smart is not a radio-friendly album, unless the radio station is an early 90s alt-rock station with a penchant for pissing off the FCC. Unusual at the time, Phair drops more than a … Continue reading “Whip-Smart” by Liz Phair (No. 80)
“Hack” by Information Society (No. 81)
Hack may, in fact, be the only album to sample a Walt Disney read-a-long album and James Brown on the same track. The fact that it works is just the icing on the cake. The follow-up to their self-titled album, Information Society put out Hack in September of 1990. This one Takes on a decidedly … Continue reading “Hack” by Information Society (No. 81)