October's Album of the Month: Sukierae-Tweedy

Once again, I have decided to utilize the album of the month to highlight something new.  This time it is Tweedy's Sukierae. A double-album solo project by Wilco frontman, Jeff Tweedy.  With his son, Spencer, manning the drums & percussion, the album is released under the familial moniker of 'Tweedy'.  As the singer and primary songwriter/musical director of Wilco, Sukierae sounds, unsurprisingly, like a new Wilco album with, perhaps, a bit more focus on stripped down acoustic numbers (particularly on the second disc).  That being said, the album has some of the best tunes Tweedy has penned in years, especially the delightful "Low Key" which, I think, has already pretty much become my favorite song of 2014. The video is pretty awesome as well.

Key Tracks: "Low Key", "World Away", Diamond Light, Pt. 1", "I'll Sing it", "Fake Fur Coat"

Album of the Month: Led Zeppelin II

In anticipation of tomorrow's release of newly remastered versions of Led Zeppelin's first three albums, I thought I would make this month's pick my favorite of these: Led Zeppelin II.  It's a far more streamlined version of its predecessor; while the first album relies on extended blues explorations like "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times", Zeppelin II is far more direct in its approach and the band mission statement couldn't have been more clear in "Whole Lotta Love"; a plodding dirge of pure sex.  In addition, "Thank You" might well be the first 'Power Ballad' and "Heartbreaker" was probably the best riff Jimmy Page ever wrote (and that's saying A LOT). Also, I would be remiss on a blog dedicated to general geekery if I didn't mention the casual reference to Gollum and Mordor in the excellent "Ramble On".  It was this album that laid the foundation of hard rock for the next 40 years.
Key Tracks: "Whole Lotta Love", "Thank You", "Heartbreaker", "Ramble On"

May's Album of the Month: Radiohead- Pablo Honey

Ok, so we all owned Pablo Honey at some point in 1993, and we mostly just owned it for one reason: "Creep". By 1994, most of us had traded that CD back in to the store thinking that Radiohead were flash-in-the-pan, one-hit-wonders. But, there was that one friend, who was really into the album who insisted that there was more to the band than "Creep" and that they were the future of rock.  Turns out, of course, that he was right.  By 1995, Radiohead released The Bends and showed everyone that they were a force to be reckoned with.  However, at least stateside, their debut album remains vastly underrated (I did some checking and, as it turns out, the album did have a bigger impact in the UK).

The Bends is usually held up as an exemplar of the group as a 'rock' band, however, in many ways, Pablo Honey actually rocks harder; The Bends was a great leap forward for the band, and it's definitely a bit more polished but Pablo Honey is more raw, more immediate. Thom Yorke's vocals have never soared quite as high as they do on this album, especially on more recent albums where he tends toward more subdued vocals or falsetto. Also, it is also a lot more ambitious than people remember; the guitar freakouts on this album could be just as avant-garde as anything on Kid A or Amnesiac.

Key Tracks: "You", "Creep", "Anyone Can Play Guitar","Thinking About You", "Ripcord", "Blow Out"

April's Album of the Month: Teeth Dreams- The Hold Steady

I going to change things up for this months album of the month and plug my favorite new album, Teeth Dreams, by the Hold Steady.  This is an example of the band doing what they do best, combining early-Springsteen-style narrative with 90's alt rock guitars.  The aforementioned happen to be two of my favorite things so I'm currently in love with this album. The addition of a second guitar player has added to the bands crunch and, on a few tracks, the guitar playing borders on hair-metal extravagance.

Key Tracks: "Let's Get On With The Business", "Big Cigs", "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You", "Almost Everything"

March's Album of the Month: December's Children (And Everybody's)- The Rolling Stones

After a month of Beatlemania on my part, I decided to give a little air-time to their greatest rivals in the competition for greatest rock band of all time: The Rolling Stones. 

December's Children (And Everybody's) is one of my favorite early stones records for one reason and one reason only: "She Said Yeah", a cover of a Larry Williams B-side, is perhaps 95 seconds of the purest rock and roll ever recorded; fast, load, and raucous--- it's perfect.  It might even be the best thing the Stones ever recorded!

However, that isn't all this album has to offer; as the band's first real follow-up after their stateside breakthrough earlier in the year with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", it helped solidify the Stones' reputation as the harder rocking, bluesier alternative to the Fab Four (would that make them the first alternative rock band?).  But, more importantly, it saw Jagger/Richards continue to grow as songwriters.  The lovely ballad "As Tears Go By" would be a hit for Marianne Faithful but, quite frankly, I've always preferred this version.



Key Tracks: "She Said Yeah", "I'm Talking About You", "Get Off of My Cloud", "I'm Free", "As Tears Go By"

January's Album of the Month: Wrecking Ball- Bruce Springsteen

  

In anticipation of Bruce's new album, High Hopes, being released next week; I thought I'd take a look back at his last album, Wrecking Ball.  Of all of the Boss's albums released in what has turned out to be, perhaps, his most productive decade, this is probably his most ambitious.

He looks forward by looking back; he takes the traditional folk instrumentation and arrangements that he experimented with earlier in the decade on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and fuses it with 21st century sounds and technology.  The result is something that is simultaneously unique and familiar.

Key Tracks: "Wrecking Ball", "Death to My Hometown", "Land of Hope and Dreams", "Shackled and Drawn"