A recent album, and one that I haven't spent much time with. It's very good, but there's not enough diversity. I know Dessa isn't originally an MC by trade, but it feels like she sometimes lacks any power in her delivery. The beats are perfunctory, but nothing special. Vocally, I liken her to Lauryn Hill, but without the fire (and probably half the pipes). I could see Dessa making an album of a similar style to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - from a different perspective - but she needs to dig deeper, to really want it, I think. She doesn't always do that here, and it gets frustrating at times.
Blasphemy alert - Soundgarden is the best band from the grunge era. Nirvana may have the influence, Pearl Jam may have the longevity, but Soundgarden, they were the greatest band out of Seattle. This is their greatest album, a perfect meld of grunge's lyrical themes and the pacing and musicality of metal and hardcore punk. All the components of the band are at their peak. Cornell's voice soars, it growls, it sears. Thayil's guitar licks are blistering. Cameron and Shepherd thunder along. It's one of the best albums of the last 20 years, no doubt.
Balance by Akrobatik
And with this, we have our first artist discography finished. This is Ak's debut, from 2003. It's pretty straightforward, fun hip-hop. Makes good songs rapping about relatively mundane activities. I think it's more...well, balanced than Absolute Value. Beats are a little stronger, his lyricism is better, and he never feels as message-driven as he does there. Good album, but I have to say, Ak is best when he has accompaniment - more on that when we get further into the letter B.
Man, why didn't I get into The Band sooner? This is a fantastic album. I don't even know what to write about it. I don't think I could write anything new about this one. Robbie Robertson's songwriting is incredible here, pretty much from cover to cover. The only song I don't love is "Jemima Surrender", which was co-written by Levon Helm... Maybe there is some credence to the whole "don't let drummers write songs" trope. Not that it's a bad song, but it does feel like a bit of a snag in the middle. That said, Helm's drumming is so nifty throughout that it's hard for me to be bothered too much. Great great album.
I'll admit, until recently, I didn't have this. Why? I have no idea. I have long loved the title track; it is one of my favorite McCartney songs. The whole first side, from that title track to the wonderful "Let Me Roll It", is as good a stretch of 5 songs as there is on many Beatles albums. Truly impressive. The second side is no slouch either, with a gem in "Helen Wheels" sitting squarely in the middle, before "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" brings us full circle. Almost indefinitely the best album any former Beatle has put out.
Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut
This is a really fun album. It's quick, it's messy, it's got top notch hooks and simple catchy riffs. There's nothing deceptive about the lyrics, no hidden meanings, really. Bang Bang Rock & Roll just hums through a dozen sweet sounding garage rock songs in under 35 minutes, and you can't help but love it.
Bang Camaro and Bang Camaro II by Bang Camaro
For the sake of convenience, I am combining these two albums into a single entry, because they are so similar and no one wants to read the same thing twice. Bang Camaro are a local band composed of two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and something along the lines of fifteen vocalists. Most of their songs are in the 80s glam metal tradition of soaring solos and big choruses, and they have it down to a perfect science. Combine that with a great sense of humor - see song titles like "The Ballad" or "The Hit", or the lyrics to "Night Lies" - and you have some very enjoyable music. But listening to these back-to-back? No thank you.
Baseball by Say Anything
This is the only Say Anything album that I like from cover to cover. It's also the album that has ensured that I will probably never see Say Anything live - Max Bemis (who incidentally, I think looks like he is related to LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy) has notoriously avoided playing songs from it live for almost a decade now. It's very much a Rivers Cuomo/Pinkerton situation. Both are very emotional albums (and very good albums) that presumably hurt a bit to revisit. Hopefully, like Rivers, Max will come around in the future and embrace Baseball for what it is - a great, emotional alternative album.
The Battle of Los Angeles by Rage Against The Machine
The third and most recent of RATM's "traditional" studio albums, The Battle of Los Angeles is also the worst, I think. There is a caveat though - it's still really good. It's every bit as incendiary as their self-titled album. It is, however, a bit less memorable than its predecessors, which is a shame, because Tom Morello's absurd guitarmanship is really on display here. There are no real great hooks, nothing quite as anthemic-sounding as "Bulls on Parade", except "Guerrilla Radio", which is arguably the strangest combination of pop sensibilities, anger, and politics as rock has produced in many years. Great album. Hope they make another, now that they have reunited.
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