A Grand Don't Come for Free - Ænima

A Grand Don't Come for Free by The Streets

This is a fantastic album, no doubt about it. In 2004, the concept album was functionally dead in virtually all genres, and virtually non-existent in anything resembling hip hop. Sure, there was Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in the 90s, among a few others, but nothing really told a cohesive story as well as A Grand Don't Come for Free, nor as relatable. The protagonist loses a thousand pounds, and goes through the many ups and downs of life - framed mostly by his disastrous relationship with a woman named Simone - before finally finding the lost money in the end. The entire story is backed by production that fits the particular segment of the story to a T, making the entire experience wonderful to listen to.

A is for Accident by The Dresden Dolls

I feel like it is exceptionally rare for a band to have its full length debut be a live record, but then again, the Dresden Dolls aren't exactly a common band. In most every way, this fits the duo. They built up a reputation for their live performances, and this album gives listeners an ample taste of what those early shows were like - intimate, raucous, risque. Lots of whaling on the piano. It's a great entry point to their music; after listening, you'll either love them or you won't. And really, that's what makes it a great debut.

Abandoned Language by Dalek

Abandoned Language is good, but it could be better. Dalek is a very capable lyricist, and the production is good. The beats aren't memorable, and I can't say that I recall any lines that jumped out at me. This is perhaps the result of the album coming in around 62 minutes. It's just too long, even if it is pretty good head-noddin' music.

Abbey Road by The Beatles

What can I say about this that hasn't been said a thousand times over? It is almost always either #1 or #2 in my ranking of Beatles albums. It's almost perfect. I think if you took out "Octopus' Garden", it's a 10/10 album. As it is, it's still 9.7+. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is just brilliant. It's so vastly different from every other Beatles composition. It's long, brooding, utilizes variation and repetition, and then, it just ends. That's it. The perfect way to end the first side of the album. The second side opens with "Here Comes the Sun", which feels like the dawn after a tumultuous storm-filled evening. You then go into the medley, which is something like 17 minutes long and truly wonderful throughout. I'd go on at length, but these are supposed to be brief.

Absolute Value by Akrobatik

Another album by a local artist. Akrobatik is perhaps most famous for his work in The Perceptionists, or for his work narrating the video game Amplitude. He is a very capable MC. Nothing overwhelming, but a good, solid MC. He, like his friend and collaborator, Mr. Lif, is generally a socially conscious rapper, though Ak tends to be much less political than Lif. Generally, he's preaching the value in getting along, being respectful, that sort of thing, and he does it pretty well. Where he really shines is when he goes off of that script and does a track extolling his own awesomeness or about everyday life. If he can continue to diversify his subject matter, he's bound to break out.

Accipio by Mountains in the Sky

Man, I don't even know what to say about this one. It is like a neon carnival populated by children and robots. It's not bad... just weird. Really weird. I can't even begin to explain it better than I already have. If someone else wants to, by all means, please go ahead. That's what the comments are for.

Ace of Spades EP by Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves

Apparently the early A's have quite a few local acts in them. This is a gem. Eli Reed and co. cover Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", The Miracles' "Bad Girl" and Merle Haggard's "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can", and throw in two live cuts of their own. You would never know by listening to his soulful wailing that Eli Reed is a Jewish kid from Brookline. His voice could rival the soul greats - Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, you name it, his voice is on that level. He's not quite the writer that they were, but he's young. He's been singing in blues joints since he was 18. He's only 28 now, and just got signed to Parlophone. I think you can expect great things from Mr. Reed in the future.

Acrobatic Tenement by At the Drive-In

At the Drive-In is a tricky band. Sometimes, I listen to them, and wonder how on earth they became the principal parts of The Mars Volta. Other times, I listen to them and the jump is clear as day. Acrobatic Tenement is mostly the latter. It's a good album, mostly. Typically loud, complex. It's not beautiful music, but nonetheless, it's very enjoyable, at least to my ears. I can easily see the jarring percussion, the jagged guitar, or the manic vocals giving people headaches, but man, do I enjoy it.

Act III: Life and Death by The Dear Hunter

This is a weird album. I have no idea why I have it. Presumably it was recommended to me and I actually got it. But I can't tell you who recommended it to me. No idea. Musically, it's a bit odd. It feels sort of like it would work well with visuals by Tim Burton. It's a bit dark, a bit odd in terms of instrumentation and composition, but in good ways, usually. It seems to be part of an overall narrative (as you may conclude from the title), but I didn't really pick up much plot from the lyrics. This is one I'd have to classify as "listen for yourself". Can't recommend it, but I can't tell you to avoid it either. You be the judge.

Ænima by Tool

Ænima is almost certainly the best Tool album there ever will be. Danny Carey's drumming propels the listener, the band, and everything in between through 75+ minutes of music that is both guttural and intelligent. Maynard James Keenan, at this point in time, sounded just crazy enough; I think in recent years he has pushed his lyrics a little bit too far into the fringe. Ænima is fairly accessible, thanks to that (at least relative to other Tool albums).