Pavement - Brighten the Corners

Thousands of adjectives could be thrown around to describe Pavement's erratic brand of 90's alternative rock, and not a single one of them would come close to hitting the nail on the head. While "Cut Your Hair" was their only true hit (Stephen Malkmus wasn't exactly too charming live), all of the band's albums were welcomed with modest commercial success and immense critical acclaim, save their 1992 debut Slanted and Enchanted, which has only sold around 150,000 copies since its inception. Hey, that's a hell of a lot more records than I could sell.

As if you could argue the band's consistency, the fact that Pavement diehards are in a constant state of debate over the group's best record only adds to the credibility of Malkmus and his boys. While they seem to have agreed that the early albums are slightly superior, the band's later work certainly doesn't get ignored, and although there isn't much to defend, today, I'll be making my case for 1997's Brighten the Corners.

What seems to be the most common gripe with Brighten the Corners is that the album, for the most part, doesn't do as much to keep the listener's attention as, say, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. As a result, it's often mistaken for being... well, snoozy. Coincidentally, these exact complaints are what keeps me coming back for me. It's exactly what I love in a record once in a while; laid-back, summery, all things desirable. It's not exactly the most radio-friendly stuff, but it's wonderfully catchy, and one of the rare albums I could probably listen to all day. But, like anything else, Brighten the Corners will always have its haters. They can talk to Stephen Malkmus about it. I don't think he gives a shit about anything.

What about the voice of Geddy Lee?
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?

The Top 25 Songs of the 00's, Pt. 2

I'm back for more. More milestones of pop culture from an era of iPods, internet hype, and boring, Pitchfork-approved indie pop that I can't seem to get enough of. So here it is; the second of five installments of my favorite twenty-five songs of the aughties, solely for your entertainment, pleasure, etc.


20. The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
from 2002's "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", released on Warner Bros. Records



I don't know where the sun beams end
And the star lights begin
It's all a mystery
And I don't know how a man decides
What's right for his own life
It's all a mystery


19. Jay-Z - 99 Problems
from 2003's "The Black Album", released on Roc-A-Fella Records



I heard "Son do you know why I'm stoppin' you for?"
"Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hats real low?
Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know
Am I under arrest or should I guess some more?"


18. Animal Collective - Brother Sport
from 2009's "Merriweather Post Pavilion", released on Domino Records



You got to weigh what he said
To help you shape the way you play
You gotta get rid of the mourning
Sort out the habits of your mind

17. The National - Mr. November
from 2005's "Alligator", released on Beggars Banquet Records



I wish that I believed in fate
I wish I didn't sleep so late
I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders

16. Interpol - Obstacle 1
from 2002's "Turn on the Bright Lights", released on Matador Records



It's in the way that she poses
It's in the things that she puts in my head
Her stories are boring and stuff
She's always calling my bluff

Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come

Fame can sometimes be cruel with its choices. For instance, why does hip-hop reward Usher and latter-day Eminem, but leave heroes and innovators like DJ Shadow and Deltron 3030 to die in quasi-obscurity, especially when the latter group has a much tighter grasp on the scene?

Unfortunately, Refused fall victim to this very phenomenon. Shunned by the mainstream, The Shape of Punk to Come was doomed to fail commercially from the beginning. Compared to its contemporaries (blink-182's Enema of the State and the Offspring's Americana, for example), The Shape of Punk to Come was far too long, far too aggressive, and far too experimental to make any kind of sudden impact on angst-ridden anarchistic high school kids, or anyone else who wasn't an Internet regular (a rarity at the time) or down with the post-hardcore scene.

Fortunately, The Shape of Punk to Come ended up being one of history's most prophetic album names, its wildly experimental and over the top music influencing underground and mainstream punk and hardcore years after its release. And despite the tremendous influence Refused have had, The Shape of Punk to Come still hasn't gotten quite the recognition it deserves. Kids who live and die by the lyrics of, err, fine wordsmiths like Mike Shinoda haven't even caught a glimpse of hardcore until the opening lyrics of "Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull" infiltrate their ears.

I've got a bone to pick with capitalism
And a few to break!

Dr. Dre - The Chronic

For all you fun-hating prudes who despise everything about hip-hop, you have Dr. Dre to thank. The godfather of all things gangster, the good Doctor has crafted an album too funky and offensive to be ignored. Dr. Dre gave birth to G-Funk. Dr. Dre single-handedly created Snoop Dogg's career. Dr. Dre is why your grandma hates black people.

Okay, perhaps that's a bit of a stretch. But denying the impact of The Chronic is difficult, if not impossible. This album defined '92. The L.A. riots, the civil unrest, the brutality, the racism. It's all here. "The Day The N**gaz Took Over" probably hits the hardest, its lyrics told in excruciating detail, and its news report-esque interludes chilling and eerie. And 18 years later, it can't shake the feeling of being just a little tacky.

Fortunately, Dre has Snoop at his side. Simply put, everything Snoop Dogg touches turns to gold. Providing a bit of a comic edge to tracks like "F**k Wit Dre Day" with his seemingly effortless and carefree flow, almost coming off as lazy at times. Snoop is perhaps the only man that can rap about fellatio and homophobia without a hint of emotion in his voice, a trait that only adds to his charm and appeal. He would later outstage Dre on 1993's phenomenal Doggystyle.

I won't deny that The Chronic sounds quite a bit dated in 2010, the albums that outclass it probably wouldn't exist without it. Laying out a blueprint for hip-hop to come, Dre's synth-heavy beats and biting lyrics are still prevalent in much of today's rap. I guess you could say his legacy is... chronic.

The Top 25 Songs of the 00's, Pt. 1

Every day I miss the zeroes (for lack of a better word) more and more.

I feel like it was easily the best decade for music, the forerunners of scenes like garage rock revival and indie pop taking the influences of their predecessors and tweaking them perfectly. It was a decade in which mainstream pop divas like Beyonce and Lady Gaga tore holes through the candy-coated radio rock stylings of Nickelback and Linkin Park.

So, without much further ado, here it is. Twenty-five tracks in all their glory. Maybe you'll agree, maybe you won't. I guess we'll see. It'll be five tracks a week for five weeks. And please, if you're reading this, leave a comment. Leave your thoughts. Leave criticism. Leave death threats. Leave whatever makes you happy. Come along for the ride.



25. Common - Be
from 2005's "Be", released on GOOD and Geffen



I want to be as free as the spirits of those who left
I'm talking Malcom, Coltrane, my man Yusef


24. MGMT - Time to Pretend
from 2008's "Oracular Spectacular", on Columbia Records



I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives

23. Wilco - I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
from 2002's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", on Nonesuch Records



I am an American aquarium drinker
I assassin down the avenue


22. Tegan and Sara - Call it Off
from 2007's "The Con", released on Sire Records



Maybe I would've been something you'd be good at
Maybe you would've been something I'd be good at


21. Jurassic 5 - A Day at the Races
from 2002's "Power in Numbers", released on Interscope Records



Get ready, for the ride, verbally hand-glide
Write and stay tight, mission's in sight
Murderer worldwide the stage is yo' knife

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

The one thing I hate about talking to people about music is the introduction. "What kind of music do you like?" My first instinct is to start spouting off artists, but I know that isn't what they want to hear. They're looking for genres. And frankly, I never have had a favorite genre. Maybe not even a favorite sub-genre. But recently, I began to develop an answer to this question. The Best Genre Award goes to "punk bands that rip off Springsteen".

But Titus Andronicus aren't your average Brucepunk band, and they aren't your average hipsters. They don't care much for writing poignant narratives about boys and girls and their artistic endeavors. And lyricist Patrick Stickles isn't the umpteenth incarnation of Jack Kerouac. No, they're far more interested in writing sprawling concept albums about the Civil War.

There'll be no more counting the cars on the Garden State parkway
Nor waiting for the Fung Wah bus to carry me to who-knows-where

That lyric comes from opener "A More Perfect Union", a masterpiece both musically and lyrically, and a serious contender for my favorite song of 2010 so far. I don't like to throw the word "epic" around, especially since its awkward recent integration with real life, pseudo-clever high school kids, but The Monitor is certainly worthy of the prestigious (albeit overused) term. There's a total of two tracks under five minutes long, both of which are little more than battle cries, and fourteen-minute closer "The Battle of Hampton Roads" has a bagpipe solo.

A bagpipe solo.

From start to finish, The Monitor is a mess of stirring sing-a-longs and euphoric celebrations of paranoia, coming together to create what very well might be the best record 2010 currently has to offer. I'd like to think I speak for all fans of the band when I say this... Titus Andronicus forever!

The National - Alligator

The National are so damn boring. I say this in the kindest way possible.

Sorry, National fans, but I don't really think you can deny it. Matt Berninger sounds like he's almost trying to be drab. Not to mention many of these songs sound awfully similar, his dry and languid voice blabbering about wine and late nights on the town. The kind of stuff you'd converse about at upper-class suburban dinner parties.

This isn't to say his voice is completely sleep-inducing; he does give some incredibly inspired vocal performances on "Abel" and "Mr. November", two of the album's finest and catchiest numbers. But on the other tracks, it just lulls along. (See opener "Secret Meeting").

So why is this album so enjoyable?

Actually, let me retract that last statement. It's great if you're in the mood for it. If you just pop Alligator at 6PM on a summer night, you'll get nothing out of it. This is not music for parties, or barbecues, or road trips. Rather, it's music for late nights, regrettable nights, and everything in between. And after a few listens, Berninger's voice is perfectly relaxing, ideal for the kind of music these boys play.

Long live the National. Long live tedious, hipster nightclub music that's flawless in the strangest way possible.

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

Lately, I've found myself listening to hip-hop and its subgenres an awful lot more than the alternative/indie stylings I'm used to. It's been a pretty fresh few months; I've heard a lot of classic albums and some newer stuff too. But one of the first rap albums I've heard still ranks among my favorites: De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising.

3 Feet High and Rising practically reinvents fresh. Released at a time when the hard-hitting sounds of N.W.A. and Public Enemy infiltrated the airwaves, the positive, jazzy rhythms and rhymes of Trugoy, Posdnous, and Mase shook up the hip-hop scene with songs about awkward sexual experiences, numbers, and talking animals.

One thing they certainly had a talent for was creative robbery, evident in the many samples this album contains. And there's a lot of them. Seriously, look at this. For the love of god, "The Magic Number" samples a Schoolhouse Rock song. Now that's talent.

It's a little heavy on interludes sometimes, but 3 Feet High is an absolute hip-hop classic that can't be ignored. No other album can make 65 minutes feel so short. Long live De La Soul.

Common - Be

Whether it's the one lone candle on the front of Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation or the cocky pose the boys from OutKast strike on Stankonia, album covers have always had an incredible way of conveying the music within. And in the same way that Iggy Pop's toothy grin on the cover of Lust for Life flawlessly illustrated his attitude toward life at the time, Common's smile on the cover of Be is the perfect setup for an album so full of street-smart optimism, Mr. Rogers would proud.

Common isn't exactly what the music industry has taught us to expect from a rap artist. He's humble and reserved. He relies on the jazzy, soulful style of production popularized in 90's East Coast rap rather than beats we see in much of today's top 40 music. It didn't hurt to have Kanye West and J Dilla produce the album, either. Be also prominently showcases a trait that many rap albums severely lack: brevity.

Clocking in at just over forty minutes, Be remains concise and consistent throughout, with no filler or wasted moments. It begins and ends beautifully, from the double bass that opens the title track to the passionate and sincere spoken word of Common's own father that plays over solemn piano to close out "It's Your World".

Be... eternal.

Tracks of the Week, 4/18/10 - 4/24/10

Another installment of Tracks of the Week? Time flies. Anyways, this week, spotlight's on Tom Waits, Icelandic post-rawkers Sigur Ros, and indie-rock idols Pavement. Thanks for reading, boys and girls!

I'm finally listening to Rain Dogs after being hounded to do it by a friend for quite some time now. I've only given the album a few spins, but so far, no song has hit me quite like "Singapore". Give it a listen if you aren't already a Waits fan; his voice is hard not to love.

While Sigur Ros are most famous for making ten-minute emotional epics, "Hoppipolla" proves that they can jam just as much emotion into a four-minute, Icelandic radio-friendly track and get twice the results. Rock on, Jonsi.

It's truly a shame I never noticed this song on my first 2,000 listens to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain; Malkmus's voice is at an all time high during the verses of "Gold Soundz", which boast perhaps some of the finest melodies Pavement has ever composed.

Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

Turn on the Bright Lights was relatively well-received upon its release. Critics praised its isolated and barren atmosphere, backed by some of the most awkward lyrics of the decade and song titles like "Obstacle 1". But like anything else, it wasn't universally acclaimed. The finicky bloggers and journalists who didn't quite dig Paul Banks' act criticized the album for being a shoddy Joy Division imitation. Perhaps they said this to deter hopefuls from listening to Turn on the Bright Lights. But frankly, if Interpol are just a cheap mockery of their influences, then I really need to listen to Joy Division.

Like I briefly mentioned earlier, an aura of horrific desperation and loneliness pervades throughout Turn on the Bright Lights, namely on the void and vacant "Untitled" and bittersweet ode to the Big Apple "NYC".

Maybe if I'd been to a big city I'd understand it better. The emptiness, the heartbreak. Maybe then I'd understand the album more. Pitchfork described it as "the product of a bygone New York City filled with dank alleys and smoke-choked dives", words that mean nothing to someone like me, someone who hasn't even caught a glimpse of what makes this album so relatable to some people. And yet I can still feel the magic in the closing chords and gasps of "PDA", or the cries for acceptance in "The New". Maybe that's why Turn on the Bright Lights is as good as it is.

X - Los Angeles

Everything about X seems so generic at first glance. The band's name is just a letter, and their debut album, Los Angeles, shares a title with about 10,000 other songs already in existence. One of the band members goes by the name John Doe. Seriously, John Doe. From the eyes of an outsider, they're just another punk band to be forgotten in time. But as anyone who's heard this album in full could tell you, they have every reason to be distinguished from the pack of hard-nosed punks to emerge in the early '80s.

John Doe and Exene Cervenka, the dual leads of X, have crafted a unique blend of the 3-chord punk of their era and bluesy, '50s rock-and-roll riffs, prevalent in songs like "Johny Hit and Run Paulene", a dark and anarchic masterpiece so immediate in its message that it almost comes off as ironic. Los Angeles has no secrets, and at certain points, it almost feels like it was created to be as relentlessly blunt as possible, lyrics and music alike. It's by no means the best album ever spawned from the infamous California punk scene, but it's easily one of the most original and finely tuned the genre has to offer.

Final Score: 84/100

Tracks of the Week, 4/11/10 - 4/17/10

It's yet another installment of my favorite tracks as of late. This week, I spotlight Bruce Springsteen's Minneapolis disciples, the latest from everyone's favorite one-man dance-punk wrecking crew, and one of Canada's finest indie-rock collectives.


The Hold Steady - Constructive Summer

What better way to pay tributes to your elders than directly referencing Clash frontman Joe Strummer and naming your song after one of Husker Du's most popular tracks? The Hold Steady pull together all their influences for a three-minute thrill ride on the opening track to 2008's Stay Positive.


LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

It's certainly no "All My Friends", but if "Drunk Girls" is any indication of the quality level of the up and coming LCD Soundsystem, then it's surely shaping up to be one of the most eagerly anticiapted records of 2010.


Arcade Fire - No Cars Go

Some say they lost their magic on Neon Bible, but you wouldn't be able to tell from hearing "No Cars Go". A track originally featured on their self-titled debut EP, the band somehow reworked the song to be even more bombastic and emotionally charged than before. Rah rah, Canada.


Once again, thanks much to all my readers.

Until next time...

The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me

Sellouts? Not a chance.

Unfortunately, that's what Paul Westerberg and his gang see themselves as on Pleased to Meet Me, one of their first albums on a major label. Frankly, they have every right to; we've watched the slow demise of many indie darlings who hit a creative rock bottom under the immense pressure of larger record labels (see Liz Phair's self-titled album for a heartbreaking example of this). Luckily, the 'Mats did not fall victim to this pseudo-curse, and produced what is probably the best straightforward collection of songs in their discography.

While Pleased to Meet Me is undoubtedly more polished than its predecessors, the Replacements still manage to retain a bit of their D.I.Y. punk roots, flaunting rigid guitar riffs on tracks like "I.O.U." and "I Don't Know"; Westerberg wants you to know that the band hasn't gone completely soft. On the contrary, the album has no shortage of sentimental gems; "Skyway" is as poignant as it is short (and it's really short), and "Never Mind" is perhaps one of the most oft-ignored songs of the 1980s. But as great as it is, it will be living forever in the shadow of its forerunner, 1983's Let it Be.

Let it Be was a great album by all means, but on a song-by-song basis, it just doesn't hold up to some of the band's later efforts. But it blows their early work out of the water. By the time the band got around to working on a new record, they had tired of writing hard, fast punk, and decided to drop it in favor of something "a little more sincere". So they did, and spawned something very sarcastic, very raucous, and extremely influential. It received acclaim from every critical outlet imaginable, and while it was relatively unknown to the public at the time, it has since garnered much attention from fans of alternative rock everywhere. It's everything you could ask for in a college rock album; honesty, rawness, and even a little inconsistency... these are all the things that made it so perfect.

Why do I like Pleased to Meet Me more if it truly is inferior as an album? Maybe it's the grandiose way that the flawless "Can't Hardly Wait" closes the record. Maybe it's the slow, charming pseudo-jazz of "Nightclub Jitters". Maybe it has something to do with the ominous, sinister atmosphere of "The Ledge". Perhaps I'm crazy for preferring it. But there's something about this record that keeps me coming back for more.

Final Score: 90/100

Tracks of the Week, 4/4/10 - 4/10/10

I've decided to do a weekly segment dedicated to spotlighting songs I've really been digging lately, new or old starting this week. It will hopefully consist of three to four songs per week, complete with links from lala.com for you to hear the songs. Thanks for reading, and I hope you get to hear some new stuff!


Kanye West - Homecoming

One of my favorite songs in Kanye's discography is "Homecoming", a sincere ode to West's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Kanye tells the tale of a girl called "Wendy", a rather clever metaphor for Chicago's notorious winds. My only complaint is that the heartfelt lyrics are masked by top-notch production and a piano riff Chopin would be proud of.

Big Star - September Gurls

After hearing about Big Star frontman Alex Chilton's tragic death a few weeks back, I was finally inspired to listen to some of the band's work. Radio City was my favorite from first listen, and no song stuck out like the jangly power-pop masterpiece "September Gurls". Hopefully this band will never be forgotten, and frankly, with songs like this, they shouldn't.

Tegan & Sara - Someday

The closer from Tegan and Sara's latest release, Sainthood, "Someday" manages to have a wonderful, anthemic pop hook without going too over the top. It's beautiful in its relative simplicity, and the sisters' voice sound great all through the track.

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

I'd like to forewarn you, my readers, that this review will at some point probably spiral into me heaping praise onto this album in a rather repetitive fashion. If this does not sound like your cup of tea, finish this paragraph and close the browser window. However, I will try my hardest to stray away from this, and instead, address the album from a completely objective point of view. Thank you for your attention.

We all have a favorite album, and whether it's something clichéd like Led Zeppelin IV or just something that reminds you of better, simpler days (I still have a copy of All Star Smash Hits by Smash Mouth around here somewhere...), our favorite albums hold a special place in our hearts, perhaps to never be dethroned. We get an adrenaline rush of powerful nostalgia when we hit the play button, and sing along wistfully as all the memories associated with the notes coming out of your stereo fill your brain. These are the albums that we play whenever it seems like nothing is going right in the world. And sometimes, I feel like no album will ever overthrow Born to Run as my personal favorite.

Bruce Springsteen is by no means perfect. His records have their shortcomings, just like any other. His voice can be a bit gritty at times. But what he has created on his 1975 commercial breakthrough is nothing short of an epic, pompous masterpiece, towering over the other urban poets of his own generation. Bruce has poured his soul into this album, from the delicate piano notes that open "Thunder Road" to the grand, theatrical final moments of "Jungleland". His incredible lyrics, epitomizing life in the backstreets of Jersey, bleed with sorrow and romanticism, but are dwarfed by the man's incredible ability to write a song. Just listen to the way he bridges the gap between the slums of the East Coast and bright lights, big city aesthetic of New York on "Meeting Across the River". Listen to the way the piano duels with the saxophone at the end of "Thunder Road", and try not to fall in love.

All in all, Springsteen and the E Street Band have created a truly lovely portrait of the woeful and heartbreaking life that inspired the Boss to create this masterpiece, one that will certain stand the test of time. Thank you very, very much for listening to me ramble.

Final Score: 100/100

Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album)

Pork And Beans (Album Version)...

Anyone who was on the internet the weekend of May 23rd, 2008 can probably recall the first time they saw Weezer's music video for the first single from their third self-titled release, called "Pork and Beans". The video was essentially a three-minute thrill ride through the best and worst memes and isms that the world wide web has spawned since its birth. This catchy little piece of pop culture brought a new hope to Weezer fans worldwide; the same fans that had essentially given up on the band after a series of mishaps, namely 2005's miserable Make Believe and Rivers Cuomo growing an ironic mustache. All was good in their power-pop kingdom, and The Red Album was expected to be their best since the murky sound of 1996's cult classic Pinkerton.

But their dreams were cut short upon the album's release, when we discovered that this was Rivers' attempt at producing his very own White Album, and the initial steps of the band's transition into the tweenybopper/pseudo-trendy vibe that plagued last year's Raditude, an album whose biggest highlight is the overly ambitious dog on the cover. The Red Album is riddled with tracks about getting dangerous, making trouble, and even features the other members of Weezer singing on a few songs; however, I regret to inform you hopefuls that the colorful and lively "Pork and Beans" is probably the best the album has to offer.

Rivers' enigmatic desire to be hip and trendy is a recurring theme throughout the ten tracks. In "Troublemaker", he sings of being edgy and "marrying a bee-otch/having seven kids". In "Pork and Beans", he stops at nothing to make sure he gets his point across; he will do the things that he wants to do, and he doesn't have a thing to prove to you. He even refers to himself as 'the greatest man that ever lived' at one point, a title that will likely never be bestowed upon him unless he gives up on becoming a high-school quarterback-esque figure that 'can't stop partying' and goes back to the persona he carried on the group's first two albums: the guy that got his ass beat by the high-school quarterback.


"You wanted arts and crafts?
How's this for arts and crafts?
WANAAUANUAUAAUANUANANUUNNUNNUNNN
That's right!"

-Rivers Cuomo


Final Score: 55/100

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade isn't as much of an album as it as a journey. That journey is a tumultuous, bleak one; the album tells the story of a boy who leaves a troubled family life only to discover, after a series of misfortunes and mistakes, that the world outside his home is even worse. Breaking new ground in the genre, inspiring entire generations of offbeat alternative rockers, and, to some extent, even the modern emo scene, Zen Arcade is undeniably one of, if not the most, influential albums of the 80's. Instead of limiting themselves to the hardcore punk that populated their previous albums, so reckless and raging it could smash a brick wall, lead songwriters Mould and Hart branch out a little bit, incorporating folksy acoustic ditties, monotonous psychedelic tape loops, and a feedback-heavy jam called "Reoccurring Dreams" that's almost fifteen minutes long.

This isn't to say that the album is without it's flaws. You simply can't have a magnificent, sprawling punk opera without your fair share of filler, and Zen Arcade is no exception. However, some of the album's lesser songs work exceedingly well in capturing and building the mood of this furiously theatrical masterpiece. We get an introspective look at the pains of separation and divorce in "Broken Home, Broken Heart", glimpse heartbreak in "Never Talking To You Again", and feel an overwhelming sense of adventure as soon as "Chartered Trips" kicks in. The middle provides some interesting albeit repetitive material, but the record's truly memorable moments occur within its closing tracks. "The Tooth Fairy and the Princess", a mesmerizing piece of pseudo-psychedelia, provides the perfect segue into the album-defining "Turn on the News", Bob Mould's brash views of the media's tendencies to hype modern horrors for fun profit. But these pale in comparison to the record's closer, "Reoccurring Dreams"; never has an album's music felt so tied to its artwork like the pale, lonely cover of Zen Arcade is to the frantic, rushed sounds of a fourteen-minute jam session that terminates an ungodly sprawl of musical numbers. Zen Arcade reigns today as the Bible of alternative rock, a title it may never lose.

Final Score: 95/100

Weekly Countdown: Five of Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs

Hip-hop has garnered its fair share of fickle hate from people everywhere, the oppressors of the genre claiming that it takes zero skill to spout off line after line of clever internal rhyme and create some of the most beautifully bleak urban imagery ever heard in music. Others will defend the genre's "golden age", and dismiss the more modern workings as pure garbage. I understand that music in itself is entirely subjective; you decide what you enjoy and what you don't, and if you don't like rap, that's your decision. But give the genre's finest a spin; maybe it'll change your mind.

5. Public Enemy - 911 Is A Joke



4. Jay-Z - 99 Problems



3. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)



2. OutKast - B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)



1. Nas - N.Y. State of Mind

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

Chips Ahoy - The Hold Steady

Letting your influences control your sound can lead to disastrous results. Just look at Nickelback, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, and... well, the entire genre of post-grunge. On the contrary, it is entirely possible to overcome this curse and carry the sound of your heroes while still remaining fresh. The Hold Steady are a wonderful example of such a band. They manage to blend all the spirit and energy of punk rock with some of classic rock's most famed and prominent motifs. Packing heavy use of the piano and massive guitar riffs that only add to the moving force that is Craig Finn's voice, the poignant stories of desperation and heartbreak in the big city are brimming with emotion; a special kind of emotion that refuses to stop at any point throughout the forty-minute thrill ride that is Boys and Girls in America.

Finn's style of singing is rather coarse, almost akin to Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk. But in a similar comparison, their voices both fit the music performed by their respective bands extraordinarily well; they utilize driving, passionate vocals and raw power to elevate their music to a whole new level of emotion. Finn's songwriting should not be ignored either; "Stuck Between Stations", the album's breathtaking opener, sounds almost like a modern "Born to Run", minus the saxophone solo.

Holly "Hallelujah", an enigmatic hoodrat from the band's earlier works, makes an appearance on the tender ballad "First Night", one of the album's two softer songs (the other being "Citrus") that render a balance to the album and provide the perfect complement for songs like "Same Kooks".

It should also not be disregarded that "You Can Make Him Like You" is, in fact, the greatest song about women ever.

Final Score: 89/100

Andrew W.K. - I Get Wet

Party Hard - Andrew W.K.

Let me briefly address how hilariously boss this guy is. He met his wife in a class that teaches heavy-metal vocals. He acts as a motivational speaker when he's not out making brutal faux-metal anthems. He acted on a television show called Black to the Future. He released an entire album consisting of covers of Japanese pop songs. During a photoshoot for his debut album, I Get Wet, he hit himself in the face with a brick to give himself a bloody nose and produce this image:



Andrew W.K. has created what should objectively be the worst album ever created. But it comes off as being impossible to hate; it's too much fun. For God's sake, there's a song called "Party Til You Puke". The lyrics sound like the dissident, rebellious writings of a tweenager fresh off a weekend without his cell phone ("You better get ready to die/You better get ready to run"). The guitars in the background ferociously churn, as some metalhead named Donald pounds relentlessly on the skins and provides a glorious backbeat for the crowds that assist in the sing-a-long choruses that are so abundant on I Get Wet.

But Andrew W.K. delivers it so perfectly, cementing this album's place as a flawless collection of ideal party anthems, so tongue-in-cheek you can hardly tell he's joking.

He's joking...
Right?

Final Score: 80/100

Weekly Countdown: Top 5 Singles of 2009

2009 was quite the year for music; we saw comebacks from grunge giants Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, the emergence of glam-pop prima donna Lady Gaga, and we watched auto-tune slowly take over top 40 radio. It also brought an end to the decade that many called 'the downfall of music as we know it'; a statement that's downright foolish for anyone with a computer to say. While I must admit that there was an influx of shoddy mainstream rock bands who put more of a focus on image than music, it was an incredible decade for pop music, both independent and commercial. Without further ado, I present to you, my reader(s), my top 5 singles of 2009 (keep in mind that these are singles, not just any arbitrary album cuts).

5. Lady Gaga - Poker Face



4. Girls - Lust for Life



3. Animal Collective - Brother Sport



2. Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)



1. Phoenix - Lisztomania

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

Great Expectations - The Gasli...

The opening lines of 2008's The '59 Sound read as follows: "Mary, this station is playing every sad song/I remember like we were alive/And I heard and sung them all from inside of these walls/Of the prison cell where we spent those nights". With those few lines, The Gaslight Anthem set the tone for the rest of the record; bittersweet and picturesque. But what's really incredible about this is that the Bruce Springsteen flashbacks, allusions, and comparisons are just beginning.

The Gaslight Anthem draws very heavily from its influences, whether it be tales of heartbreak and lust in the streets of New Jersey or nostalgic, doleful numbers like "Here's Looking at You, Kid", one of the album's standout tracks, and a clever Casablanca reference. Brian Fallon definitely comes off as a Springsteen-esque youth with a defiant, daring edge, who can be quite the romantic or poet when duty calls.

While The '59 Sound comes in with flying colors, it begins to drag a bit after "Film Noir" ends, and hits an all time low at "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues", a downright disappointment to every bit of emotion the band had built up to that point. Fortunately, the band picks things up again on "Meet Me By The River's Edge", a song about young lovers that go down to a river to wash away their sins, and last year's nominee for Most Cliches in a Song. The album wraps it all up on a rocking note with "The Backseat"; while it's not the best album closer, it certainly serves its function quite well, and ends a great album, albeit an inconsistent one, on a grand note.

Final Score: 77/100

The Strokes - Is This It?

Hard To Explain - The Strokes

The Strokes are, in essence, the bastard child of Sonic Youth, garage rock, and all the cocky swagger that Pete Rose ever had. Julius Casablancas is an absolute animal on the microphone, belting out line after brash line on anthems for hipsters and the common man alike in "Someday" and "Hard to Explain". The man is so confident, he even lets out a little chuckle at the beginning of "New York City Cops", under layers of atrocious production that give these New Yorkers their unmistakable charm.

Speaking of the Big Apple, it's a shame that Americans that bought this album early in its lifespan were robbed of New York City Cops, whose chorus claims that these urban authority figures "ain't too smart". It's truly one of the record's best tracks, epitomizing the anxious, arrogant mood present throughout each of its perfectly constructed numbers.

But let's not kid ourselves here. These guys are not revolutionaries and did not usher in a new era of monumental and brilliant music. It's no Revolver or Sgt. Pepper's, but it's a damn strong album that's almost perfect from beginning to end. Is it the most important piece of media to be released this century? Doubtful. Is it one of the best albums to be released in the last 10 years? Almost certainly. Will it be remembered as one of the best straightforward rock records of our generation, that managed to blend the past with the present to create something so remarkably simple yet unforgettable? Absolutely.

Final Score: 97/100

Kanye West - The College Dropout

The New Workout Plan - Kanye W...

When The College Dropout, ahem, dropped in 2004, it was met with enormous success from the public and the critics alike, the latter giving it almost universal acclaim and proclaiming it as the savior of hip-hop. The album's status as a christ-like figure for rappers in the second half of the decade is still up for debate, but it remains a crowd favorite, a turning point in the genre, and stands as a template for what was to come.

Upon listening to the album for the first time, it becomes hard to deny West's wit and downright talent as both a rapper and a lyricist, whether you're a hip-hop fan or not. His rhymes are as clever as they are catchy, and his lyrics create the perfect blend of stupid and cunning, mixing bleak tales of family and urban life with dark, twisted humor that's literally laugh out loud funny.

While it can be a bit heavy on interludes at times, they act as perfect pit-stops between the more striking tracks ("Get 'Em High", "Family Business") and inject some fresh banter into what would otherwise be a gargantuan chunk of music to take in.

I still firmly believe that much of the appeal of this record lies in its incredible power to grab you from your very first listen, and only gets sweeter each time you hear it. Some of the hooks are just so damn tasty and memorable (namely the chorus of "We Don't Care"), and the grooves are too sweet to resist (see "Slow Jamz"). Perfect as either a whole experience or broken down as individual songs, The College Dropout is unarguably a benchmark of hip-hop with a few minor flaws that keep it from being a perfect album from start to finish

Final Score: 91/100