100 Favorite Albums of All-Time (Numbers 90-100)

To get this blog jumpstarted again, I decided to list my Top-100 Favorite Albums with a quick blurb about each one. To hopefully keep people interested, they are going to be posted every couple of days in installments of ten instead of all at once.




(There may be  a few unrelated posts in between)

Also, keep in mind these are my favorites albums. Some are so close. Even #85 has only a very slight edge over #98, #45 over #30, #10 over #1.

There are a few rules I set: 

1- There can only be one album per band. I would love to have multiple Beatles, Lemonheads, Descendents, and more albums but that would not leave enough more favorites to be included. 

2- No compilations or live albums. Only studio albums. No Minor Threat's "Complete Discography" or Buzzcocks "Singles Going Steady" sometimes pop up on these lists, although those band's studio albums may make another appearance on the list. Unfortunately (spoiler alert) The Rolling Stones are not on the list. There isn't a whole album I like by them. Most of the time I will reach for one of the "Hot Rocks" compilations. 

3- Only full albums. No "Extended Plays" (EPs). One of my favorite releases is Straight Ahead's Spirit of Youth 12" but it is only a few songs so can't be included (Although you can read my thoughts on it here)


Thank you for taking the time to read through these. I encourage anyone else to do a 100 Favorite Albums list of their own. Feel free to follow my rules or instill your own. We may never have this much time available again.


100 - The Strokes - Comedown Machine (2011, RCA) - I always describe this album as someone told the band to write a soundtrack for a modern movie that takes place in New York City in the 1970s. Each song has a sense of swagger I could picture a character strutting through Times Square when it was still gritty, ready to pull off some shady deals and street fights. There is even a song titled "Partners in Crime". I'm not sure why so many fans and critics repeatedly pan this album. I even heard it described as a contract filler. Singer Julian Casablancas shows more range on these songs than on any other of their albums. "One Way Trigger" was probably my most played song of the 2010s.

99 - Rip-Offs - Got a Record (1994, Rip-Off)- When Jon Von left the Mr. T Experience I was pretty upset. At the time the band was one of my favorite acts. Only now their sound became a lot thinner and the few songs Jon sang added a little variety to the band's repertoire. I was very happy to see him re-emerge in the RIP.-Offs with Greg Lowry from Supercharger, another band I had recently discovered. The Rip-Offs weren’t pop/punk like MTX though. They were a severely stripped-down garage band with just the right amount of lo-fi production. They also had this whole "criminal" motif going on. When they played live they would wear stockings over their heads like a bank robber, This was long before Masked Intruder was a twinkle in any punk rocker's eye.

98-China Drum - Goosefair (1996, Mantra Records) - I always give a little extra respect when their drummer is the lead singer. Even more when the band is as fast as the UK’s China Drum. Not many bands can keep the almost buzzsaw tempo and hooks going over 14 songs. Think a whole album of melodic Husker Du-style songs but each one catchier than the one before it. If you can try to get a physical copy because the Streaming versions don’t have their cover of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights”

97- Iceage - New Brigade (2011, What's Your Rupture) - For a long time I severely disliked the Danish band Iceage's first album. Something about it just rubbed me the wrong way. I think it may have derived from a very sloppy live set I saw of theirs online. Over a period of time, the album grew on me. There is definitely a Christian Death influence going on but I also hear an early Cure one too. Iceage put out one more noisy album in You're Nothing. (Read my review here). Then they tried (unsuccessfully) to turn into Nick Cave. Proceed with caution on the last two albums

96- Nada Surf - Proximity Effect (2001, Barsuk). I know I've said it in this blog as well as other places many times before but I believe Nada Surf may be one of the most underrated groups out there. So many people automatically think their almost gimmicky hit "Popular" when they are mentioned when in fact Nada Surf has been putting out great melodic indie-pop albums since this 2001 release. Proximity Effect contains some of the best time changes I've heard on an album before. Something that would become a signature on the band's albums all the way up to today. (Read my review of one of them here). 

95- feedtime – Suction (1989, Aberrant/Rough Trade) I'm not sure if it still does but Rolling Stone Magazine's last page used to have all the latest music charts. Among those charts, each month the magazine would pick a different college record store and show their top 10 sellers. Reading these charts is where I first heard of at least two artists on the lists, Australia's feedtime being one of them. One of the things that first caught my attention when I did manage to locate a copy was that it was produced by Butch Vig who I knew from his production of bands like Killdozer, Laughing Hyenas, Die Kreuzen, and a few others (He had yet to produce that huge album that we all know) but that was all the info supplied on the tape. Playing it I was floored. More growly voice, a grungy drone than almost any other band I had heard up to that point but also mixed with some blues. I have to admit the previous album Shovel may be a little better but I did not have that total element of awe of hearing something new when I found a copy of it a few years later. Luckily for everybody Suction, Shovel, the self-titled debut, as well as the covers album Cooper-s are now available together as “The Aberrant Years” on Sub Pop Records.  

94- Dillinger Four – Midwestern Songs For the Americas (1998, Hopeless)- Before Midwestern Songs Dillinger Four put out a few 7's that were unbelievable. Songs were a combined urgent, poppy, heavy, and hooky in a way no band had really done before. Three singers singing and shouting their hearts out. They also had some of the best lyrics you could sing along with and song titles that kept the music interesting. When I read they had signed to Hopeless, at the time more of a straight pop/punk label, I was worried they would lose some of the edge that made them so great. Boy was I wrong. The thirteen songs on this album are all perfect. The hooks are still there, even more bountiful than the singles. Plus the classic pop culture samples between each track really frame each song perfectly. 

93- Supernova – Ages 3 and Up (1992, Amphetamine Reptile) – The label AmRep has a logo that says “Amphetamine Reptile: Noise” but on Supernova's album it is changed to “Nice”. This is because Ages 3 and Up is 19 very poppy, hook-filled songs, very far removed from the mostly more abrasive bands on the label's roster. Supernova also possesses a very strong Sci-fi theme. No time to get too into it but check out their Wikipedia page. I saw them twice in one day, both show they wore different forms of space attire. You may also remember Supernova's song “Chewbacca” from the movie Clerks.

92- Ceremony – Violence Violence (2006, Malfunction) Ceremony is now more of a post/punk sounding band. Their last album while being very good is in more of a Wire/Devo/Gang of Four sound. But they did not always sound like that, Over the past 12 years or so their sound developed but back in 2006 they were one of the heaviest hardcore bands out there. Their songs were short, loud, and angry. Just short of power violence. The whole album is just a little over 13 minutes long (20 if you get the CD . which includes the Ruined EP) is the perfect length for the onslaught. Violence Violence also has a cover of one of my favorite hardcore songs “Pressures On” by the D.C. Band Red C.
(I reviewed a couple other Ceremony albums here and here.)

91- Guns 'N Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987, Geffen) An album that really needs no introduction. Every song is a classic, while so many of their contemporaries have only a handful of good songs on each album. I think there is only one other album of this genre on this list, but it's a lot further down the line. 

90- The Kills - Keep On Your Mean Side (2003, Domino) -I think the British/American duo The Kills had been around for at least a year before I learned the American half of the group, singer "VV" was Alison Mosshart. Her previous band Discount was a favorite of mine. When I bought Keep On Your Mean Side instead of the pop/punk of Discount I found a stripped-down minimalist blues-influenced sound with Alison's voice a hell of a lot more mature than they had been in the past. I was pretty floored. The album has gone on to be one of my favorite releases from 2000-2010.

Stay Tuned for 89-80

One Bloggers Opinion 2012's Lucky #13 (or 14) Favorite Releases of the Year .

Top 13 or 14 Favorite Releases of 2012. One Blogger's Opinion


The time has come again when every music blogger will unleash what they think were the best releases of the year. In my opinion, 2012 was a fantastic year for music and I had trouble narrowing my choices down to just fourteen. Here they are in no particular order

The Vaccines – Come of Age (Columbia Records) – Hands down my favorite album of the year. Guitar hooks and pure pop for now people that would make Nick Lowe very proud. This album could hold up to be my favorite album of the decade.

Converge (Epitaph Records) – All That We Love We Leave Behind – Converge never seems to fail me. Pun intended of course. Sixteen years since their landmark Petitioning the Empty Sky they can still put out fresh-sounding albums in their math/metal style while most of their contemporaries either became bland, changed styles or gave up.

Diiv – Oshin (Captured Tracks) – On about a third of the tracks on the late 80’s/early 90’s band Chapterhouse’s Whirlpool album they played music notes and riffs that were as close to sonic perfection as any shoegazer has gotten The Brooklyn band Diiv manages to hit perfect notes and riffs on all thirteen tracks of the Oshin album.

Billy Raygun – s/t (LP People of the Woods, CD John Wilkes Booth Records) – Chunky-sounding pop/punk band out of New Hampshire. Dual vocals, which they just added to this album, add very much to this young band’s already fast-maturing sound. Great stuff if you like early Jawbreaker, Crimpshrine (if they had better vocals), or Dillinger Four.

The Men – Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) – The Men sound just like they were yanked out of the early 90’s New York Scene (think Unsane, Surgery, Loudspeaker, etc) where bands straddled different underground genres like punk, metal, and good old rock and roll. On “Open Your Heart”, The Men combined all of them with a dose of the Ramones rearing its head from underneath. Check out the Stiff Little Fingers “Suspect Device” “Influenced” riff on the album's opener.

Roomrunner – Super Vague (Fan Death Records) – The Baltimore area’s Roomrunner plays 90’s influenced grunge better than many of those 90’s bands who played grunge. I wish I still had a car because I bet these guys are great to listen to while driving.

Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory (Carpark Records) – A young band that knows when to get poppy and knows when to get noisy. The Steve Albini production totally enhances whichever way they choose to go.

Ceremony – Zoo (Matador) – For the past 5 years Ceremony has been my favorite hardcore band. On Zoo they change their sound to more of a Wire/Joy Division-influenced sound and become my favorite post-punk band. But don’t worry, they still play the hardcore ragers live.

Nada Surf – “The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy” (Barsuk) – It’s hard to believe that when many people think about Nada Surf they still think about their minor hit “Popular”. It’s unfortunate because those people missing out on sixteen years of some great hook-filled power pop. “The Stars…” is a fantastic addition to their five albums (and one covers record) post “Popular” discography.

Pig Destroyer – Book Burner (Relapse) – These guys remain the only grind/thrash/etc band that can hold my attention over an entire album. Make sure to pick the two-disc version with awesome covers of Black Flag, Void, Misfits, Angry Samoans, and more. No animals were harmed in the making of this record.

Wild Moth – “Mourning Glow” Ep(Asian Man Records ) and  S/T Ep (The Ghost is Cleat – digital, Suitors Club – 10”) – San Francisco hardcore/punk band that is not afraid to add an effects peddle and some feedback. Sometimes they verge into Iceage territory but pull off that sound better than the Danish band has been able to. (Both Eps are also available on Bandcamp)

Jack White – Blunderbuss (Thirdman) – I disliked everything the White Stripes ever released almost as much as I disliked everything Led Zeppelin, the band the White Stripes tried to sound like, released. Let’s face it, if the Raconteurs and Dead Weather did not have the names in the band that they did, no one would really care about them. I was totally surprised to find out I liked this album and ended up listening to it regularly over the rest of the year. But then again I loved the Robert Plant solo album (with Alison Krause) from a few years back too.

Pop 1280 – The Horror (Sacred Bones) – Many a band has attempted to raise the furious sound of The Birthday Party but have all fallen flat on their face in the process. This Brooklyn band succeeds where almost everyone has failed. I’m sure even Nick Cave himself would be impressed.

Forgetters – s/t (To Small To Fail) – Blake of Jawbreaker/Jets To Brazil fame’s newish band (finally) released an album recorded by (Jawbox frontman) J. Robbins. Did you really think this album would not be on this list? 

Ceremony - ZOO :One Bloggers Opinion

The California band Ceremony has been one of my favorite newer bands since I first stumbled upon their cover Red C’s “Pressures On” (one of my all-time favorite punk songs) off of their 2006 brutal debut album Violence Violence. From then on I have watched the bands progress over two more albums plus a few eps and a covers collection, even catching them live a few times they came through town.

When I heard the band signed to Matador Records I was pretty psyched. Even though Ceremony’s previous label Bridge 9 Records was a strong force in the industry I always thought being on a hardcore record label would hold back the possibilities of what this band could be come. The 2010 album Rohnert Park already showed serious signs of Ceremony expanding on the hardcore battery of their two previous records, showing the influences of post-punk groups like The Fall, Joy Division, (early) Cure or Wire. Plus a much larger label like Matador will allow Ceremony exposure too many listeners way outside fans of hardcore music.

The new album, the John Goodmanson produced Zoo is set to be released on next week. Luckily I was able to track down advance copy so I can tell you my opinions about the album which will be annoying my neighbors for weeks to come.

The first track “Hysteria” (actually releases as a single in January) blasts off with a few monster guitar riffs and thundering drum roll, letting you knows the band is back. Then the beat gets steady and Ross Farrar’s biting vocals come in. With its great chorus and gang “oohoohooh”s towards the end it's definitely a great way to get the ball rolling, especially when it is followed by Track 2 “Citizen” with Ross’s manic vocals over the twin guitar attack.

On Track 3 “Repeating the Circle” the tempo gets slowed down a little and you can hear the band's Joy Division influence come out.

When track 4 (the next single) “World Blue” comes on it definitely becomes apparent that the guitars on Zoo are looser then on past albums. Also producer Goodmanson, who in the past has worked with some of my favorites (ie:Sleater-Kinney, Team Dresch, The Treepeople) seems to have toned the bass down a bit. This allows the songs to be more varied sounding and not just pummeling like the pre Rohnert Park albums.

Track 5 “Quarantine” has a little bit of a swagger going on reminiscent of The Cure’s “Meathook” but a lot more upbeat.The song actually has me dancing down the street, in my living room or wherever I am when the song comes over my headphones.

On Ceremony’s cover collection ep of some of the bands biggest influences, one of the songs done was “Pink Flag” by Wire.  You can definitely here an (early) Wire influence shining through the guitars ands vocals of Track 6 "Brace Yourself".

After another rager, Track 8 “Hotel” slows it down with some Jesus Lizard style guitar and vocals. When it returns on track 10 “Nosebleed”, its make me wonder if Steve Albini would have been a better fit as producer over Goodmanson.

Track 11 “Community” gets upbeat in the same vein as “Quarantine” but instead the swagger is replaced with a bounce. Like track 5, this one always has me dancing and my head bopping during  the morning subway ride to work,

The Joy Division influenced (Ceremony after all is named after one of their songs) comes out again for the albums closing track “Video”. The slower, very bass heavy song with its early Pixies style surf guitar is the perfect closer for the album.

The only downside to the record is on almost every song Ross Farrar's vocals have a bullhorn effect going on. I'm not sure whether this was the band's intention or the result of Goodmanson's production job, either way the the effect would have a little more appeal if it was used on maybe just a few of the songs and not of all 12 Tracks.

Zoo definitely proves to be a great progression for Ceremony. There are some explosive raging tracks showing Ceremony does not wish to totally abandon their hardcore background but also a few toned down songs  and a few post punk sounding songs too.

Judging by insane crowd reaction at the sold out show at Le Poisson Rouge (seen in the video below) a few weeks back, Ceremony has already built a larger fan base since the much smaller show at The Cake Shop last year. When Matador Records unleashes Zoo on to the world next week there will be no end to how out of control it will grow.

My 2011 Listening Pleasures, In No Particular Order

The end of the year is coming on fast. Now is the time for every magazine, website, blogger of whatever to come out with their “Best Of 2011” or their “Top 10 of 2011”. One thing about these “Year End Lists” that always made me wonder was the variation of types of music. I could never figure out how a person’s list would have an artists like the Black Keys at #6 followed by Lady Gaga at #5, then Bon Iver at #4 and Kanye West at #3. How do the people writing these lists decide which act should edge the other one out of the higher position? Obviously they play TOTALLY different types of music, probably at the best of each of their genres too. At anytime during the year these two artist’s names will most likely never be uttered in the same sentence much less in the same magazine article or blog posts.

Plus when are these artists going to come out with bad albums? (Most of them at least). If the Black Keys put out an album this year, chacces are it’s going to be pretty good. Why not just assume that it is and let another artists/band who releases and album way better than any they have released before? 

So now that I have lifted that off my chest I bring some of my 2011 picks but not in any “Top Ten” or “Best of”. These are just my favorite releases, which some people may have missed, that I have been “Rockin’ Out” too over the past twelve months. Some of these may look failair since I have been praising many of them all year round.

In no particular order:

SMITH WESTERNS – Dye It Blonde – a little bit of Pop, a little bit of Glam, but all Rock and Roll

THE VACCINES – What Did You Expect? – Pure Pop mixed with a slight surf sound. Toss in a bit of The Who ("Think I Can See for Miles"). Great debut album

BARE WIRES – Cheap Perfume – Power Pop rock and Roll chock full of hooks. You just know they have smiles on their faces while playing.

GIRLS – Father, Son, Holy Ghost- Vocal focused laid back heartbreak rock with great guitar solos.  Not one girl in the band but all the songs are about them.

NIGHTBIRDS – Other Side Of Darkness -  This band makes me very nostalgic for those times when I was 14 and discovering skate punk bands like J.F.A., The Faction, The Crucifucks and many more.  Also make me dance down the street.

FORMING – s/t 7” Ep – Restored my faith in Punk N Roll. Early Replacements vibe. Lots of beer and hooks. Get it free here: http://vitriolrecords.bandcamp.com/album/forming-s-t-7

TY SEGALL – Goodbye Bread – Very young but a veteran of a dozen Bay Area garage bands. On this album Ty becomes a bit more focused. (Full Blog entry on this album in the near future)

PUNCH – Push/Pull – Female fronted, very sincere hardcore band. Imagine a younger Kat Bjelland (from Babes in Toyland)

PSYCHIC BLOOD – Demo, Leaves (cassette) and Strain Ep – It’s good to see a new noisy yet controlled band. They are from Mass but could fit right into Pacific Northwest rock history. Can’t wait to see what they do with a real studio and release. Download all three releases for free here: http://psychicblood.tumblr.com/

CEREMONY – Covers Ep – Usually covers collections wouldn’t make the cut but these tracks really are incredible. Best Pixies cover (“Nimrod’s Son") I have heard. Plus Wire, Crisis and more. Can’t wait to see what CEREMONY does this year now that they are on Matador Records

MR. DREAM – Trash Hit – Heirs to the Big Black, Shellac, Jesus Lizard, Tar and the rest of the (now defunct) Touch and Go Records roster’s throne. Totally ruled opening for Archers of Loaf last July.

MILK MUSIC – Beyond Living – BEST ALBUM  RELEASED THIS YEAR. ‘90’s era Boston fuzzed out rock and roll but these guys are from Olympia, Washington. Nice salute to their heroes in the album title. Vary  hard to find a physical copy but you can get it digitally here: http://ongakubaka.blogspot.com/2011/01/milk-music-beyond-living-12.html

MALE BONDING – Endless Now – This UK band made an album leaps and bounds over their debut album last year, which was one of the best. A bit of a Ned’s Atomic Dustbin vibe. “Channeling Your Fears” is my favorite song of the year.

WILD FLAG – S/T and The Corin Tucker Band – 1000 Years – Two ex-Sleater-Kinney bands that don’t sound too much like their old band. Wild Flag (Carrie Brownstein, also of the TV show “Portlandia”, and Janet Weiss) get a little WIRE-y. Corin Tucker Band (Corin Tucker) gets a little introspective. Both albums incredibly catchy.

VOID – Sessions 81-83 – Compilation of all this very influential hardcore band’s pre Dischord records stuff. Sounds a bit more human then the classic Split album with The Faith. Vital music here from this Columbia, MD (My hometown) band

ROZWELL KID – s/t –Remember when Weezer was in their garage listening to Buddy Holly records and trying not to destroy their sweaters? These guys do. Download it free on Band camp here: http://rozwellkid.bandcamp.com/

THE DUM DUM GIRLS – He Gets Me High EP– Fuzz Pop at its finest with singer Sune Rose Wagner’s dreamy voice up front. My favorite Smith record gets covered at the end. Not telling which one, you'll have to go find out yourself. Get this but be cautious of the WAY too Pretenders sounding album that followed.

COLD CAVE – Cherish The Light Years – Wes Eisold’s (ex-American Nightmare, XO Skeletons, Some Girls and many more) second album sounding straight out of 80’s post-punk/dark wave/industrial dance/almost Goth England. Much improved over the 2009 debut

HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL – Mergers and Acquisitions – Is the new Wilco album too boring for you? Check out this young Florida band’s fresh sound. I love the band’s name too.

TOTAL CONTROL – Henge Beat - Guitar noise with definite pop hooks lurking underneath. Throw in a bit of Kraut Rock and you have this Australian band’s album.

SUNDIALS – Never Settle – very J Church inspired catchy  pop punk. Also check out their earlier stuff on their Band Camp page