How I Learned How To Stop Worrying, And Love The Bomb

Hands Up If You Feel You're The Only One

The Only Ones fall into that weird gap between over-done arena rock, and stipped down power-pop. A pleasant oddity in the evolution of rock during the 70's. This is the best of both worlds; you have professionalism, and great songwriting coupled with the grittiness and urgency that were missing from bands like Blue Oyster Cult or Kansas. I am a fan of the guitar solo and they deliver the goods, but it isn't always segued by some dramatic synth/acoustic guitar bridge or whatever. Plus the lead singer has one of those voices that immediately strikes a chord, kinda like Johnathan Richman or Daniel Johnston. It's just a very individual voice, he can't hit all the notes, but he can convey emotion. They are one of those bands that could have only happened during the 70's, a band at a musical, and stylistic cross-roads.

Git It

Originally found on this blog.

You've Been Warned

Where oh where has this band been all my life? If only there was any meaning to the word Hardcore nowadays. Because when I say this band is Hardcore I mean it as the highest compliment and term of endearment that I can muster. When I say Hardcore I mean to distinguish this band from 95% of all music that claims to be punk or metal or hardcore or any combination of the three. In a parallel universe where punk and hardcore never got watered down or transmogrified into a million meaningless genres this band would be nothing special. However, we live in a world where Fallout Boy gets cred cuz the drummer was in Vegan Reich, and New Found Glory is practically as seminal Youth of Today because their guitarist sang in Shai Hulud for a year. So you better believe that sounding like a carbon copy of the year 1984 is near and about's the most original thing you can do.
Government Warning has main themes of paranoia, depression, anxiety, and confusion. Yet listening to them brings me feelings of clarity, and relief, kind of like scratching an itch you didn't know you had, and didn't know you could scratch.

Paranoid Mess

Myspace

Archetypal "two stars in the sky" type shit

Curiouser & Curiouser

Hands down one of my favorite albums of all time. Vaguely dark, synthy pop bands with female vocals are kind of dime-a-dozen. But don't let the genre's clutter turn you off. Broadcast are serious heavyweights and I think this is their best record by a long shot. I don't think this band gets enough credit, and this album especially. To me this album is an EVENT. A high water-mark for the decade and the style of music they play. I just read that the lead singer says this album is about "letting go". No wonder I dig it so much, for the last two or so years this album has been a pillar of reason in my life.

Broadcast-Tender Buttons(2005)
1.)I Found The F
2.)Black Cat
3.)Tender Buttons
4.)America's Boy
5.)Tears In The Typing Pool
6.)Corporeal
7.)Bit 35
8.)Arc Of A Journey
9.)Michael A Grammar
10.)Subject To The Ladder
11.)Evil Is Coming
12.)Goodbye Girls
13.)You And Me In Time
14.)I Found The End

Tender Buttons

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She Sang That Old-Time Religion

Almeda James Riddle
Super emotional and personal a-Capella hymns and things. It's this kind of stuff that makes you hate the Faith Hill's and Tricia Yearwood's of the world. I have a real soft-spot for this kind of stuff. It's really raw and visceral, I guess. I don't know how true it is, but I feel that these kinds of songs have more power than the ones getting churned out nowadays. But then again, that sounds like something someone would say nowadays.

How Firm A Foundation

This record was originally posted by this badass blog.

Long Live Dead Prez

This is the third in the "Turn Off The Radio" mixtape series. It came out in June, and they honestly haven't put out any crap material with this being right up there with the first two albums. The stand-out track is Don't Hate My Grind, with a chopped up Bun B chorus-I swear Bun B choruses are the new Auto-Tuner. Which is a good thing in my book. Some people may not see the need for new Dead Prez material. But with a new president, the Great Recession, and the ever present problems of being oppressed by a soul-less Capitalist rape-machine, I believe that their insight and perspective is always welcome.

Dead Prez and DJ Green Lantern Present:Pulse Of The People(2009)
1.)WRBG
2.)Runnin' Wild
3.)Don't Hate My Grind f/Bun B
4.)Warpath f/RATFINK
5.)Gangsta Gangsta f/Styles P
6.)Afrika Hot!
7.)NYDP f/Johnny Polygon
8.)Summer Time
9.)Refuse To Loose f/Chuck D and Avery Storm
10.)Life Goes On
11.)Helpful
12.)Pulse
13.)Stimulus Plan
14.)Dirty Valentine

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Kill Whitey