2001: Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American

This album is Bleed American, after 9/11 they had to change it to be a self titled album and I decided to post that cover just to show how fucking dumb of a change it was. The original cover had the JEW part in smaller font with Bleed American right next to it. SO OFFENSIVE! Anygay, this is like the quintessential American Rock record with singles up the ass and good music all around. Self recorded and platinum certified, this was such a significant album in the way that it showed artists that they didn't have to do whatever labels told them, even if some bands forgot that COUGHcoheedCOUGH. It very well may be the catchiest album of all time, as anyone from ages 8 to 50 can appreciate any song on the album.

Key Tracks: A Praise Chorus, Sweetness, The Authority Song

2000: Kind of Like Spitting- Nothing Makes Sense Without It

I actually just got this album in the past couple of months, but I like it a lot and I couldn't find anything else good from 2000 aka the time of nu metal and Eminem. Singer-songwriter Ben Barnett wrote an album of songs that could easily be confused for early Brand New demos as they do sound much alike. Wailing slow songs of cynicism and drawing comparisons to Elliot Smith and Billy Bragg, Barnett seemed to have bridged the gap between the early midwest emo sound with the newer label stamped on anything with feeling to it. I'm finding it hard to keep writing while trying to pay attention to the Bears so this one's a little short, but check it out if you like Brand New or just good heartfelt music in general.

Key Tracks: Short Story Long, Birds of a Feather, Out of Harm's Way... Finally

1999: 3- Paint By Number

The debut and my personal favorite album of 3, Paint By Number is a funky as fuck, fun-riff driven album by the now Prog Metal band. Every song is something you can nod your head or tap your foot too, with really no weak songs on the whole album. I actually made a cd for a friend recently with the song Old Grey Dog on it, since his dog who was probably my favorite pet in the entire world had died recently. He loved it, and when I listened to it after his dog dying it actually struck harder with me of how great of a song it is.

Down, boy

You're too old to be jumpin' for joy

Turn your eyes to me

So clouded they barely can see

That you've grown

Much older than dogs get to be

Come and take just one last walk with me

Key Tracks: Wrongside, Astroknot, Heart Attack

1998: Queens of the Stone Age- Self Titled

That's right I'm so committed to this blog I'm even posting on my birthday. And fuck imageshack for not giving direct links to images anymore, like I'm not going to just get it off the dumb fucking "show your friends" link. Hey, friend, look! I'm posting this image on the internet and I wanted to show you first! Alright, enough of that. This album rocks balls, it's that simple. The debut album and aftermath of Kyuss, QOTSA came out swinging with this post stoner rock album. Trading in boring, repeating riffs with monotone singing Josh Homme came back with awesome, repeating riffs with great vocals. I know their later album Songs for the Deaf is a concept about driving through the desert, but this album has the same feeling to me. It was basically Josh Homme and Alfredo Hernandez pounding out all of these songs, as Hernandez played drums and Homme played everything else, credited as himself and Carlo Von Sexron. At the end of the last track "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" a voicemail can be heard of future bass player and all around asshole Nick Oliveri saying he would love to join the band. So do yourself a favor and get one last gasp of summer by throwing this album on and drinking a couple beers while the sun's going down.

Key Tracks: Avon, If Only, Mexicola

1997: Mark Mulcahy- Fathering

When picking out my list I wanted to try not to have any bands or artists have more than one appearance through the years, but this is the exception. Previously appearing in the 1989 post with Miracle Legion, Mark Mulcahy later went solo after they and Polaris became defunct. His first solo album, Fathering is his best to date. I found this album at a very confusing and dark time of my life and it helped me get through my problems, so each song has a special meaning to me. From the moment I pressed play and opening track, Hey Self Deafeater, started, I knew I had found something special. At that moment in time the lyrics were exactly what I had needed to hear, and I'll forever be grateful for Mulcahy writing this music, "Never mind overjoyed, just start with happy, there's no more silent nights, and no more horrid fights, just got a new place and put a thousand miles between you and your wrong impressions... Hey self defeater, you're underrated by yourself so quit looking down, and look up." Most of the album tells tales of love lost and fictional men, but it's all beautifully arranged and shows how talented of a musician Mulcahy is. Proven by the fact that Thom Yorke has admitted to Mulcahy being a large influence of his and even went as far as to dedicate a song to him at a Radiohead show in Boston. With spacious, echoing guitar riffs the song Ciao, My Shining Star eerily resembles an unreleased Jeff Buckley song as Mulcahy showcases his falsetto. The album's not as upbeat as most of his other work, but it's easily his best.

Key Tracks: Hurry Please Hurry, In the Afternoon, Bill Jocko

1996: Alice In Chains- Unplugged

I believe this was the third CD I ever owned, after the aforementioned Kerplunk and Paul's Boutique. It was the first album I bought upon moving to Illinois after my parents separated, so understandably it holds a lot of memories and sentiment to me. When Alice In Chains recorded this, singer Layne Staley was going through a vicious bout with heroin addiction, and if you've seen the broadcast or DVD of this night you can see it had taken it's toll. With dark rings around his eyes the frail Layne, sporting pink hair, looked like he wouldn't had been able to lift a guitar had he needed to. But his voice, my favorite voice ever, that was still intact. At the time the original broadcast aired this was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in my young life, but now it's almost painful to watch. Layne's is just such a sad story. But this album was his swan song, his last gift to everyone who loved him. He and Jerry Cantell provided some of the best harmonizing to ever be shown on MTV, everything about the entire set was perfect. From the songs chosen to the performance to the visualization, it will always stand the test of time.

Key Tracks: Brother, Down In A Hole, Over Now

Bonus- Video of Down In A Hole from the broadcast.

Anyone know what song this samples?

It's off the special 80's version of the Louis Logic album Sin-A-Matic, and even with me being a somewhat specialist with popular 80's songs I have no idea what it is. Lil' help?

Idiot Gear

1995: Dre Dog- I Hate You With A Passion

Quite possibly one of the grimiest albums made since the emergence of the Wu Tang Clan, this was the last album released by Andre Adams under the name Dre Dog, as he later changed it to Andre Nickatina. The staple of the Dre Dog era was gritty beats and rhymes about the darker side of the rap game, and this album exemplified it all. With production by TC among others, and features from Black C of RBL Posse, Cougnut of IMP, and Totally Insane, the Bay Area star power of this album is what makes it such a classic. But Dre Dog didn't need too much help from others, as the solo songs put so much emotion and despair into glorifying a lifestyle which seemed to be taking it's toll. It's like watching the conflict of Dre being so caught up in what he's doing that from song to song you see both sides of it all. From partying with drugs on "Powda 4 The Hoes" to the repercussions of his habits on "Situation Critical". You hear it all on this album, and it gives a great view into what was going on in San Francisco in the early to mid 90's.

Key Tracks: Muthafucka (Ft. Cougnut), Killa Whale, Mind Full of Hatred

1994: Weezer- Blue Album

There's not a lot to say about this one, everyone knows and loves it, but I never realized how fucking funny the cover is until right now. Look at a bigger version here. Patrick looks like a frog, Rivers looks like he just got out of 7th grade gym class, Matt looks like he dressed up for the annual big barn hay bail jamboree and is about to ask Cindy Lou if she wants to dance to Cotton Eye Joe and Brian looks like an extra from Swingers.

Key Tracks: Everything, but especially Only In Dreams

New Wax On Radio... Stuff

Probably my favorite band from Chicago, Wax On Radio has been posting video clips lately of them making some new music. And if you hadn't heard, Luke Dent (Ex-The Dear Hunter) is in the band now.

Over man and animal, I grew too tall;
Now when I speak—no one speaks with me at all.

I grew too high and too lonely —
I wait: on what do I wait only?

Close by, the clouds are sitting:
I wait on the first lightning.