Cover of Fashion Nugget I find myself quoting songs from Cake's Fashion Nugget (1996) quite a bit. There is something about that album Cake hasn't quite recreated since. Fashion Nugget is a finely crafted album of art rock with poetic vision and catchy pop and rock hooks. It's solid from the opening track, "Frank Sinatra" [...]
84: Avenged Sevenfold – City of Evil
Dec 29, 2009 By 2 Comments
85: Def Leppard – Pyromania
Dec 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Cover of Pyromania Admit it: you like Def Leppard's Pyromania (1983) as much as everybody else in the world. Yes their newer stuff is embarrassing and they can't pull off the old stuff like they did the first time. However, Pyromania was that one defining moment some bands have where they have relevance. They created [...]
86: The Dead Milkmen: Big Lizard In My Backyard
Dec 22, 2009 By 2 Comments
87: Larry Norman – Something New Under the Son
Dec 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
There are a couple of things about Christian rock I need to address before continuing. First, I grew up in Arkansas surrounded by a hostile Southern Baptist atmosphere. I got into Christian rock as an alternative to the mainstream music I was told would send me to hell (not joking). There's a whole story there [...]
88: Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show – Sloppy Seconds
Dec 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Cover of Sloppy Seconds When I was eight I was given Dr. Hook's Sloppy Seconds (1971). I can't remember the logic of giving an eight-year-old such a raunchy album. Believe it or not, I didn't get any of the meaning of the lyrics in this outrageous album but I played it relentlessly, memorizing every filthy [...]
89: Jellyfish – Spilt Milk
Dec 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Cover of Spilt Milk What happens when They Might Be Giants knocks up Queen and they have a precocious and gifted child? You might have something close to Jellyfish, a short-lived alternative band with only two albums under their belt before they broke up. Jellyfish's second album, Spilt Milk (1993) is worth seeking out and [...]
91: J – Blood Muzik
Dec 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Today's pick is obscure but full of awesome. J's Blood Muzik (2001) is one of my favorite albums since I first picked it up as an import at a local CD store in 2002. J was the bass player from Luna Sea, a Japanese visual rock band. His solo stuff is amazing. It's straight up [...]
92: Faith No More – Album of the Year
Dec 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Long Way From Home by The Heavy