One, Two

Two Hundred Thirty-Two

Artist - Dirty Three
Album - Cinder
Released - 2005
Label - Touch and Go Records
Genre - Instrumental/Folk Rock

Tracks:
This Side
Ever Since
She Passed Through
Amy
Sad Sexy
Cinders
That Side
This Might
Flutter
The Zither Player
It Happened
Other Side
Great Waves (feat. Chan Marshall)
Dream Evie
Feral
Doris
Rain On
Last Side
Ember
Michele
Too Soon, Too Late
Last Dance
In Fall

Dirty Three is a band from Australia who have definitely slipped under my radar.  Thank you to my lovely boyfriend for introducing me to this band and much to my surprise, after listening to this record, I discovered Chan Marshall sang on one of the tracks.  After I heard that, I had to look up who this band was and how I have managed to go so long without acknowledging their existence.  I immediately Google'd the name and when reading about the members in the band, I was instantly surprised.  WARREN ELLIS!!!  Though it's not Warren Ellis the Writer, because after seeing that I went to his Twitter which stated Not Australian Musician.  I instantly laughed at that.  Anyway, this album is Dirty Three's ninth studio album and by doing a little research, it was recorded in 10 days.  

Enjoy!

Where to Begin

My heart melted in 2002 when I heard his angelic voice, read those wonderful lyrics and set eyes on that beautiful face.  My one hundred sixty-third pick:

Artist - Jeff Buckley
Album - Grace
Released - 1994
Label - Columbia
Genre - Alternative Rock, Folk

Tracks:
Mojo Pin
Grace
Last Goodbye
Lilac Wine
So Real
Hallelujah
Lover, You Should've Come Over
Corpus Christi Carol (For Roy)
Eternal Life
Dream Brother

One of my ALL-TIME favorite records, Jeff Buckley's Grace is the epitome of what I love about music and lyrics, HANDS DOWN.  Another artist gone too soon, this record is the only complete studio album by Jeff Buckley.  Let me start by saying when I first heard this record, I swear I had it on repeat for months.  When I make mix CDs for my car, I always date them and I know between 2002 - 2004, Jeff Buckley's music was definitely on heavy rotation.  For that long until today, I've always been in love with his voice and his music.  Lover, You Should've Come Over, I think is what did me in.  How can a voice so angelic and so peaceful be so mesmerizing?  Not only that, Grace, Last Goodbye and Eternal Life round up more of my favorite songs.  A little quote about Eternal Life that I absolutely love, "This is a song about...this is an angry song. Life's too short and too complicated for people behind desks and people making masks to ruin other people's lives, initiating force against other people's lives, on the basis of their income, their color, their class, their religious  beliefs, their whatever..."  If that isn't the truth for you, than I don't know what to say.  A man who speaks his mind through his heart and his music definitely reflects that.

Enjoy!

Smooth, Powerful and Great

Everything sounds so much better on vinyl.  Call me a snob to the fact that regardless if I have the CD or not, if something catches my eye, I do what I can to make it mine.  So here, I present to you one of the best purchases in a long time.  One hundred fiftieth.

Artist - Bob Marley & The Wailers

Album - Confrontation

Released - 1983

Label - Tuff Gong/Island

Genre - Reggae

Tracks:

Chant Down Babylon

Buffalo Soldier

Jump Nyabinghi

Mix Up, Mix Up

Give Thanks & Praises

Blackman Redemption

Trench Town

Stiff Necked Fools

I Know

Rastaman Live Up!

Nothing is more relaxing than listening to a good Reggae record and Bob Marley & the Wailers is definitely one to put on.  Released posthumously two years after his death, Confrontation were songs compiled from unreleased materials and singles.  It's always sad when such a talented musician dies, but  it definitely true when they say their music lives on.  It wasn't too long ago where I had a Bob Marley weekend, just listening to all his music and thinking how amazing life is to live in a relaxed state.  I think, at this point, if you don't have any Bob Marley in your collection, it is a necessary item regardless  if you like Reggae or not.  His music/lyrics speaks for itself.

Enjoy!

Once in a While

One Hundred Fortieth

Artist - Devo
Album - Are We Not Men?
Released - 1978
Label - Warner Bros.
Genre - Post-Punk, New Wave

Tracks:
Uncontrollable Urge
Praying Hands
Space Junk
Mongoloid
Jocko Homo
Too Much Paranoias
Gut Feeling
Come Back Jonee
Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')
Shrivel-Up

I have to admit, this album is such a fun album.  I vividly remember SXSW 2009, I was at Austin Music Hall seeing Datarock perform and Devo was next.  All the Devo-heads were out and about, wearing their Devo headgear and prepping for the show.  As a matter of fact, here is a photo:

Anyway, back to the album.  As of late, with all my ESPN watching, Uncontrollable Urge has been getting a lot of play, so in honor of all things wonderful in the world of sports, this pick deserves some playtime today.  Are We Not Men? is Devo's debut album.  A few talented artists of this time took interest in what Devo had to offer and I believe that is what made them the interesting group that they are.  

Enjoy!

Yesterday

It's official, this week had to be the busiest week in a long time.  Closings, document control, emails, phone calls, coordinating, running, working out, etc.  I was mentally exhausted and when I came home I forgot I invited some friends over for dinner, so I immediately had to start cooking.  That being said, Kevin had to pick my eighty-fourth pick, here it is.

Artist - The Edgar Winter Group
Album - They Only Come Out At Night
Released - 1972
Label - Epic
Genre - Rock


Tracks:
Round & Round
Undercover Man
Hangin' Around
Alta Mira
We All Had A Real Good Time
When It Comes
Free Ride
Rock'n'Roll Boogie Woogie Blues
Autumn
Frankenstein

The third album by The Edgar Winter Group, They Only Come Out At Night is your classic rock record.  Many might recognize Free Ride, since that song and Frankenstein helped them climb to the No. 3 on the Billboard charts.  Don't let the cover fool you though, this record is great!!

Enjoy!

Back to Back, Part I

What a hot day!!  Well I guess I can't complain because it was in the high 90's instead of the low 100's, so I'll take that over 109 ANY DAY!  So for my sixty-first pick, I picked a man who will grace us with his presence in October for Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Artist - Neil Young

Album - Comes A Time

Released - 1978

Label - Reprise

Genre - Country Rock, Rock, Folk Rock

Tracks:

Side One

Goin' Back

Comes A Time

Look Out For My Love

Lotta Love

Peace of Mind

Side Two

Human Highway

Already One

Field of Opportunity

Motorcycle Mama

Four Strong Words

Neil Young's ninth album, Comes A Time is a soft and subtle record with stripped down songs.  Just him and his acoustic guitar and his voice.  I'd like to think that Neil Young speaks to me in his songs, since I feel I am a hopeless romantic in a sense, but to be honest, I just love the sound of his voice.  Him as a person is another story, but his music makes me feel good.  Comes A Time and Look Out For My Love are two of my favorites on this album along with the other remaining songs.  No matter how I see him, I know I can just close my eyes, relax my mind and listen to him sing, it puts me in a trance.

Enjoy!

In Vacation Mode

Since I am currently en route, heading to the lovely city of Seattle, I decided to make this post simply about Mr. Seattle himself.  Here it is, my twenty-seventh:

Artist – Nirvana

Album – Bleach

Released – 1989

Label – Sup Pop

Tracks:

Blew

Floyd The Barber

About A Girl

School

Love Buzz

Paper Cuts

Negative Creep

Scoff

Swap Meet

Mr. Moustache

Nirvana is a band that gained much success in 1992 after their 2^nd record, Nevermind, changed the face of music as we know it today.  They are labeled one of the best musical groups of all time, and then shortly after, their lead singer, Kurt Cobain, killed himself with a shotgun wound to the head.  Before all the hype, glitz and notoriety, in 1989, Nirvana released their debut album, Bleach.  As a huge Nirvana fan, I would have to say that not a lot of people are very familiar with this album as much as the other two albums that had mainstream success, but by far, this is my favorite records (next to In Utero).  It wasn’t until after the success of Nevermind that Bleach was re-released on Geffen Records., which it was originally released on Sub Pop.  When first debuted, it received great reviews by critics, but did not do well in the United States.

When I first bought my guitar, About a Girl was one of the first songs I learned, so imagine how many times I had to hear that song to perfect it, as Kurt Cobain himself did.  It was obvious, with a title so to the point, About A Girl was about Kurt Cobain’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend.  As you continue to listen to each song on this record, you can hear the heavy sound of guitar that almost sounds as if this record was intended to be a deep, heavy metal record.  Kurt Cobain was inspired by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and other artists on how he wanted this record to be perceived.   Most of these songs were based on his life and the experiences he went through.  During numerous interviews, when asked about this album, he admitted to just writing about whatever he thought, which are exactly what you would expect.

Another biased summarization of this record, since I am a fan of Nirvana and everything that came to be about the music that forever changed the world.  Getting to know more about Kurt Cobain as a person, through reading his biography, I believe he was a very talented musician with a lot of deep seeded issues.  All in all, this is a great record and since I’m heading over to what was once labeled the GRUNGE CAPITAL, I thought this would be a good ode to Seattle.

Enjoy!

Feed the Animals

My nineteenth pick goes to show you that good music never dies!

Artist - The Beach Boys
Album - Pet Sounds
Released - 1966
Label - Capitol Records
Produced by Brian Wilson


Tracks:
Side One
Wouldn't It Be Nice
You Still Believe in Me
That's Not Me
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting for the Day
Let's Go Away for Awhile
Sloop John B
Side Two
God Only Knows
I Know There's an Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline No

One of the most influential records in the history of popular music.  That is a FACT (in my opinion of course)!! I remember first hearing The Beach Boys when I was a kid, watching Full House (since John Stamos' character was obsessed with them) and Flight of the Navigator.  There are so many good songs on this album and the harmonies of each member of The Beach Boys make it that much better.

Listening to this album makes you think of all the musical artists that were inspired by The Beach Boys and Pet Sounds.  This being their 11th album (yes, they formed in 1961 and this is their 11th album), they introduced a surfer type style to music using different types of instruments and sounds, such as the electro-theremin, which is an AWESOME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT!

It's hard to believe that this album is 46 years old.  I can't even believe it.  When you listen to Wouldn't It Be Nice, the lyrics are so sweet and loving (Happy times together we've been spending\I wish that kiss was never ending\wouldn't it be nice).  Another great song that is so melodic and soft is God Only Knows.  The ultimate love song you can probably ever think of.  This is, by far, definitely a top 10 album in my collection.  Pet Sounds is one of those records you can play and just enjoy to the very end.  It's hard to think that there are people out in this world that do not like The Beach Boys.  I think no matter how much you dislike them, you have to respect their longevity in the music industry and the influence they even have on today's music.

Enjoy!

To Be Young Again...

I absolutely idolized my eighteenth pick.  As a little girl, still in elementary school, I used to watch MTV (back when MTV actually played MUSIC VIDEOS) and when I would see Tina Turner's videos come on, I would be glued to the television.  I had the hair, not as BIG as hers, and I would try to dance like her.  When I listen to her, I think about the mid 80's.

Artist - Tina Turner
Album - Private Dancer
Released - 1983
Label - Capitol Records


Tracks:
I Might Have Been Queen
What's Love Got To Do With It
Show Some Respect
I Can't Stand The Rain
Better Be Good To Me
Let's Stay Together
1984
Steel Claw
Private Dancer

I loooooove Tina Turner.  Not only is she a talented musician and basically has the best legs in the business, she is a tough woman.  Her success started in the early 70s and after time she married her performance partner, Ike Turner, who was also abusive to her. Tina Turner divorced Ike, but kept the name Tina Turner, which was her stage name.  After the divorce, she made an impact on the world going solo.  Private Dancer is her fifth studio album and one song that stands out is What's Love Got To Do With It.  I feel that every song hits a chord with love and relationships, but it will definitely make you want to dance.  Also, the Al Green cover Let's Stay Together is personalized with Tina's touch.

I just love love love this album.  Brings me back to the 80s with it's 80s sounds.  Tina Turner is definitely a great artist!!

Enjoy!

A Common Cure

In my not so healthy state, I was trying HARD to think about what I can post for my sixteenth record.  What would make a hangover go away? What would be the common cure?

And it hit me...

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE, of course!!

Artist - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Album - Rust Never Sleeps
Released - 1979
Label - Reprise


Tracks:
Side One
1. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)
2. Thrasher
3. Ride My Llama
4. Pocahontas
5. Sail Away
Side Two
1. Powderfinger
2. Welfare Mothers
3. Sedan Delivery
4. Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)

I don't know what it is about Neil Young.  I DON'T KNOW!!  But what I know is that he always makes me happy.  Every time I'm in a mood or I just feel like crap, I can always count on Neil.  His music just soothes me.

I've never had a chance to see him live, but I have listened to some of his live records and I know that I would very much enjoy seeing him in the flesh.  Music is always good when you listen to it over the radio, from your computer or out of speakers connected to your receiver, but seeing a live performance with the raw sound and the stage presence of an artist just makes the experience that much more intense.  All the feelings of excitement and anticipation and preparation can almost be unbearable (in a not so unbearable sense, if that makes sense).

Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) is so great!!! ROCK AND ROLL WILL NEVER DIE!

Enjoy!

Mystery Man

The thirteenth is pretty stellar if you ask me!!!

Artist - David Bowie
Album - Low
Released - 1977
Label - RCA


Tracks:
1. Speed of Life
2. Breaking Glass
3. What In The World
4. Sound and Vision
5. Always Crashing in the Same Car
6. Be My Wife
7. A New Career In A New Town
8. Warszawa
9. Art Decade
10. Weeping Wall
11. Subterraneans

When I hear this record, I know exactly where I am.  In Hollywood, Florida at my duplex with my mattress in the living room, sleeping there because I was studying for the LSAT and watching TV on the big screen at night.  I remember it like it was yesterday, but in all honesty, it was about 5 years ago.  Man does time fly.  Flies right by you and before you realize where you are, you realize it went fast.


Listen and enjoy!

Yes, those are flowers

This is my eleventh post and I was thinking, how are people really going to know that I'm posting about vinyl records?  I take a picture of every record, yes, but usually from an above angle where you technically cannot see the awesomeness of what is a vinyl record.  Am I robbing the lovely readers of this website by NOT posting the actual vinyl record itself?  We have to think that with my massive amounts of vinyl I've collected (along with Kevin's count) that I would actually deceive the very readers I have with not posting it?  I'm rambling on what I fear that I'm robbing you of.  I'm not sure, but after this one post, I will make sure I actually view the vinyl itself along with the cover art to let you know that I mean business.  VINYL RECORD BUSINESS.  That being said, I might do little dedications with each post.

For this lovely eleventh post, I want to dedicate it to a friend that broke up with me because his ex-girlfriend was a self-centered, paranoid, insecure little girl.  I won't put your name on blast, but Alfredo, I dedicate this entry to you!  I miss you and our friendship.

Beach House - Devotion, Label - Car Park Records
Released in 2008

Tracks
Wedding Bell
You Came To Me
Gila
Turtle Island
Holy Dances
Heart of Chambers
Some Things Last
Astronaut
Darling
Home Again

Now, the reason why I dedicate it to Alfredo is because he turned me on to Beach House.  He's the one that told me to listen to them, so I did, because that's what great friends do.  So when I told Alfredo that I was going to go to an ACL after show and they were opening for Grizzly Bear, he was stoked.  As a nice friend that I am, I even got him a PERSONALIZED autographed CD from the band.  That's how good our friendship was.

But enough about that non-existent friendship, Beach House is one of those bands that you feel like can set a trend.  Quiet, quaint and humble, they are really great musicians. Hailing from Baltimore, they have definitely made a name for themselves.  Listen to this record, put on Gila, lay in bed and just take it in.  They will blow your mind with their different, raw sound.

It's just been that kind of day

Per Kevin's request, this will be my ninth showcase. This album was released before I was born.



ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (Spanish for Three Men)
Released in 1973, Label - London

Tracks:
1. Waitin' For the Bus
2. Jesus Just Left Chicago
3. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
4. Master Of Sparks
5. Hot, Blue and Righteous
6. Move Me On Down The Line
7. Precious and Grace
8. La Grange
9. Shiek
10. Have You Heard?

The most popular being La Grange, this album is a classic yet still serves to be one such a great record in our time. Even though it's a mere 34 minutes long, it delivers a good sound of blues and southern rock.  

Everything In Between

It's Saturday, it's Robbie's birthday and he requested that I showcase No Age - Everything In Between, so here it is:

Released 2010, Label - Sub Pop

Tracks:

1. Life Prowler

2. Glitter

3. Fever Dreaming

4. Depletion

5. Common Heat

6. Skinned

7. Katerpillar

8.  Valley Hump Crash

9. Sorts

10. Dusted

11. Positive Amputation

12. Shred and Transcend

13. Chem Trails

We had the pleasure of seeing No Age live in January of 2011 and never have I ever felt so much pain in my ears the next day.  The show was phenomenal and I even moshed when I requested that they play Boy Void (from their 2007 album Weirdo Rippers).  Just a drummer and guitarist (and newly added keyboardist), No Age can put on one hell of a show with their towering wall of amps that is usually displayed behind Randy Randall.

One of my favorite songs on this album is Common Heat and Life Prowler, but all are relatively as good as my favorites.  I would definitely recommend this album.

Girls Rule, Boys Drool

Staying on the girl pattern here for maybe the next few days, I'm debuting Vivian Girls' Share the Joy.  If you don't already know, the name Vivian Girls comes from the author Harvey Darger who based a manuscript called  The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion (which is a whole other story).  This three piece from New York graced us with their musical talent in 2007 and are still presently together, although Katy Goodman has a side project.
Here is the lovely no. 5:

Released April 2011 (Third Studio Album), Label - Polyvinyl Records


Tracks:
The Other Girls
I Heard You Say
Dance (If You Wanna)
Lake House
Trying To Pretend
Sixteen Ways
Take It As It Comes
Vanishing of Time
Death
Light In Your Eyes


I've had the pleasure of seeing Vivian Girls live last year at Emo's in Austin and they were great.  I hope, if you do decide to listen to the vinyl records I post, you'd take a listen to this one.

Totally 80's

This is one album that I can totally jam to.  A group of four wild girls tearing it up, being like boys and partying hard like they do too.

Debut Album
Released July 1981, Label - I.R.S.

Tracks:

1. How Much More

2. Tonite

3. Lust To Love

4. This Town

5. We Got The Beat

6. Fading Fast

7. Automatic

8. You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)

9. Skidmarks On My Heart

10. Can't Stop The World

I like this record because it's performed by females.  In the 80's you had Madonna and some other female artists/groups, but I think this group did a good job at being women in a mans world.  I believe it was on VH-1 that I saw an I love the 80's episode or somehow The Go-Go's came up and they had cameras backstage at one of their shows.  Anyways, they just talked about their behavior at that time.  Good for them though, you know.  Being a woman, I know how hard it is to even be taken seriously without someone wanting something more.  

This one goes out to all the powerful ladies in the world.  Do what you want and when you have all the power, you take what you want!! 

Rhythm

Though I have little time to make a full and worthy submission about my third pick, I must admit that I wish I did because I absolutely love this record.  I know you’re probably thinking, “man, this girl sure loves a lot of records,” but that’s not necessarily true.  There are some records that I just like one song and hate the rest, but this one in particular is a great one through and through.  Therefore, here is my third:

Released in November 1993, Label :Jive/BMG Records

Tracks:

1. Midnight Marauders Tour Guide

2. Steve Biko (Stir It Up)

3. Award Tour

4. 8 Million Stories

5. Sucka Nigga

6. Midnight

7. We Can Get Down

8. Electric Relaxation

9. Clap Yours Hands

10. Oh My God

11. Keep It Rollin’

12. The Chase, Part II

13. Lyrics To Go

14. God Lives Through

Picking

When I first thought about doing this blog, I didn't think it would be so difficult.  I mean how hard could it be to pick one vinyl record a day and write about it, right??  Well this is definitely a challenge, especially since I do a lot of things during the day, but I'm going to make the most of it.  I want to do this to get the word out there.  So this is my second:

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, released February 1970, Label: Vertigo

Tracks:
Black Sabbath
The Wizard
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
Evil Woman
Sleeping Village
The Warning
Wicked World

Did you know the length of this album is 38 minutes and 12 seconds long?  Amazing, right?  This is one Kevin's records and when I play this, I hear the sounds of today.  This album was released in 1970 and it sounds so modern, so today.  While I played this record, I was thinking about Ozzy Osbourne today being the Ozzy then.  Time is a tricky son of a bitch ya know and now 42 years later, I am sitting here listening to this album and sharing it with you!  One of my favorite songs besides Black Sabbath is definitely Evil Woman.  These  lyrics were considered dark for their time, but now it is much appreciated.

HAPPY RECORD STORE DAY!!!

Today is Record Store Day and I'm hoping everyone is going out to participate and support their local record shop.  As for me, I will be hanging around North Loop checking out one of my favorite record stores in Austin, Breakaway Records (http://www.facebook.com/BreakawayRecords).  Breakaway is a small, intimate record shop with a lot of style.  They have a variety of vinyl records, as well as artwork and equipment.  I think what I like the most about Breakaway is that one of the guys makes these mix CDs from 45s.  Someone who is passionate at what they enjoy and love and putting the time and effort to do that.  So this afternoon I will be down there and DJ Chicken George (http://www.facebook.com/djchickengeorge) will be Djing.

Tonight I will display my first ever vinyl record.  I decided to start with this one because I really cannot express the love I have for this artist.  Their music, lyrics, I don't know.  It just makes me think about all things non-stressful!

See y'all tonight!!