My Favorite Albums of 2012

I don't even pretend to follow new music anymore. It isn't because I don't think people aren't still making music worth paying attention to or I am stuck in my ways or any of that other shit....ok maybe it's some of that, but honestly it's just that i have become really fucking lazy in my old age. also trying to decipher what the average record review is actually saying about the record it is reviewing is like trying to explicate a poem and i just have no time for that....BUT through the power of osmosis and from the recommendations of trusted allies I occasionally stumble upon new music that i enjoy.

Here are MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2012 in no particular order.

Every goddamned album Ty Segall put out this year. 

Ty Segall and White Fence- Hair

Ty Segall Band- Slaughterhouse

Ty Segall- Twins.

Ty Segall is one prolific motherfucker. Dude puts out a new album like every couple of months.  i am convinced that it is because he believes the world actually IS ending in 2012 and he wants to make sure every kickass song he ever wrote gets heard before an asteroid smashes into the planet and robs of the chance of hearing anymore quality jams from the bastard son of Nirvana's Bleach and Marc Bolan's psychedelic glam stomp. Ty Segall is running this psychedelic garage rock shit right now and i am good with that. if the world doesn't end i hope he's got another half dozen more records in 2013.

Slug Guts- Playin' In Time With The Deadbeat 

Slug Guts are an Australian band carrying on the proud traditions of their grandfathers The Birthday Party and Pussy Galore with an unholy amount of post-punk noise and deathrock rattle. i always just assume the Mad Max movies are documentaries of everyday Australian life…it’s the only way to explain why they do fucked up rock n roll better than everyone else.

The Walkmen- Heaven

my relationship with the Walkmen is turning into a sort of old married couple. the passion of the Bows & Arrow days might be gone and we don't fight and cry much anymore...but i know i can still count on them in the end. they are dependable as fuck. no bullshit. just great songs that you can lay around in bed and listen to. they put out an album, i buy it, i enjoy it, they put out another one and so on and so forth until the end of time.

Vincas- Blood Bleeds 

Athens, GA's best band put out probably my most listened to album of year. a gumbo mix of The Scientists' swamp rock boogie, Suicide's drone, and Scratch Acid's weirdness. rock music the way it should be. Dirty, Sleazy, and Noisy as fuck.

The Men- Open Your Heart 

the most straight up ROCK record of 2012 is all fucking balls and no fucking bullshit.

Maserati- VII

the post-rock scene doesn't have to be all emotional Explosions In the Sky Friday Night Ligths episodes... it can also be a dance-y instrumental space rock party that doubles as a soundtrack for Blade Runner 2: Blade Runnerest.

Crocodiles- Endless Flowers

Crocodiles are still pretty much a Jesus and Mary Chain cover band...but it's not like i am complaining. originality is fucking overrated. i love this glossy overblown shoegazey noise pop shit. this was my Summer soundtrack.

Wild Nothing- Nocturne

DIIV- Oshin 

my need for 4AD-ish shoegazey dreampop was fulfilled in 2012.

State Champion- Deep Shit 

this album actually came out at the end of 2011...but fuck it! i didn't hear it until 2012 and so i am gonna put it my list anyways. This is pure hillbilly garage rock n roll that's drunk as hell and has a lot of shit it wants to get off it's chest. these are some Kentucky boys that just wanna play you some sad ole' country songs but they can't help it if their amps are stuck on Dinosaur Jr. it reminds me of a time when Americana didn't automatically equal boring as fuck indie rock with some slide guitar added in for effect. if you are a fan of Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, Steve Earle, The Replacements, and good honest American Rock n Roll then this is a record for you.

Sic Alps- Sic Alps 

White Fence- Family Perfume vol 1&2

the best psychedelic garage rock records that Ty Segall didn't make. good job dudes, i love Syd Barrett and the Olivia Tremor Control too.

Pop. 1280- The Horror

goth, No Wave, noise rock, 3 guys 1 hammer, film noir, PiL records, and songs about dogs.

Moon Duo- Circles

droney psych and krautrock influenced shit that sounds like Spacemen 3 covering a Silver Apples record.

Spiritualized- Sweet Heart Sweet Light

i like Spiritualized, so as long as J. Spaceman can not die of cancer or drug addiction he is always gonna get a spot on a year end list.

Terry Malts Killing Time

kick ass catchy ass fuck power pop with the fuzz pedal cranked in the red. 

Ex-Cult- Ex-Cult

Psychedelic garage rock with a healthy mix of Wire's Pink Flag

Cold Showers Love and Regret

a gloomy post punk record that sounds like it was made by  kids who are just now discovering music by The Sound & The Chameleons or who think it's been enough years since Interpol was relevant that now was as good a time as any to steal their schtick. but as i say around here all the time, originality is overrated....which is good cuz ain't nothing original about this album. that's just fine with me, Cold Showers understand how to write a catchy gothy little pop song. check it out if you are into that sorta thing.

Sex Church Somnambulist 7 inch

another band mining the 80s post-punk era for inspiration. droney/noisey garage rock trying it's hardest to sound like Swell Maps and The Wipers. killer. one of my favorite discoveries of the year. 

TEEN In Limbo

produced by former Spacemen 3 member Sonic Boom (aka Peter Kember), which makes a lot of sense because this sounds like a Spectrum album with a member of the Shangri-La's singing over it. In Limbo is an interesting combination of new wave keyboards, atmospheric dreampop, and the 60s girl group sound. it's just a wonderful mix of styles and influences i can get behind. other than having a band and record name combo that would probably get you some sketchy ass google search results, this is an excellent album.

Another Pointless Top 10 List About Music On A Blog About Sports

i used to really love making my year end top 10s...but as i have become old and no longer as obsessed with KNOWING about everything i have fallen into a pattern of only getting albums by bands that i've heard good things about from people i really trust. (i also realized i only listen to new music that sounds like old shit i already liked as a teenager). anyways 2010 might be the least active i have ever been in my whole life when it comes to discovering new music...regardless here are a list of albums that i liked a lot, listened to a lot, and will probably still like around this time next year.

1. Harlem - Hippies
probably the best power pop/garage rock band since The Strokes unleashed their first two albums on the hipster population of the United States is Austin, Texas' Harlem. this album is so fucking catchy it might as well have been called Herpes.

2. The Walkmen - Lisbon
my favorite band of the last 10 years just keeps chugging along with album after album of solid material. easily their best record since Bows & Arrows.

3. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
the best band from Atlanta, GA also happens to be one of the best bands in all of indie rock. Deerhunter are falling into their place as the Sonic Youth of the new generation.

4. Grinderman - Grinderman 2
my love for Nick Cave can not be understated. the man is truly one of my musical heroes and i consider him one of the great songwriters of all time in league with Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen...but it's still pretty awesome to see him cut loose in his 50s with a band whose music can best be described as dirty old man rock.


5. Zola Jesus - Stridulum EP
i always have and always will have a soft spot in my heart for weird goth chicks.

6. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
two of my favorite kinds of music are 60s girl group stuff like the Shangri-Las and Ronettes and 1990s indie pop. apparently that is also the chicks in Dum Dum Girls favorite two genres as well.

7. Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils
sounds like a 90s shoegaze band trying to sound like the Beach Boys. Surfgaze. solid.

8. No Age - Everything In Between
No Age are here to remind us that Husker Du and Sebadoh are fucking awesome.

9. Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
The Jesus and Mary Chain aren't just a band from the 80s who wrote "Just Like Honey" and had awesome haircuts, they are also an entire genre of music...or you'd think they were based on the amount of bands who have ripped them off the last 25 years. Crocodiles do it a lot better than most.


10. Best Coast - Crazy For You
summer music by chicks who just wanna smoke pot and go to the beach. good vibes rock and roll.

(BONUS pick) The Black Ryder - Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride
sounds like Mazzy Star. i loved Mazzy Star.

(double BONUS pick) Surf City - Kudos
all the best indie pop comes out of New Zealand. The Clean, the Verlaines, The Chills, Tall Dwarfs, Shocking Pinks, and now you can add Surf City to the list.

i’m sure i’m forgetting something i got this year that i really enjoyed. but anyways that’s my boring ass mostly indie rock favorite records of 2010.

music for the drunk and lonely. the best kind.

another Walkmen album. another record to get me through the winter. the most consistent band of the early 2000s New York indie boom has put out Lisbon today, probably their best album since Bows & Arrows (although to be honest i love all of them about the same). how these guys haven’t been more successful has always been of one of the great mysteries of the last decade. the Walkmen have done nothing to fuck up their young Dylan fronting a british post-punk band sound because smart bands don’t fuck with what works. if you are a fan then you will like it. if you aren’t a fan...well what the fuck is wrong with you?

SATURDAY, ATHFEST

Hey Athens

Friday, Feb 5th @ Go Bar. the Agenda and American Cheeseburger will be rocking the place for free. come out and have some fun.

The Agenda - "Only The Young Die Young" EP

besides writing this blog (poorly) i also sing in a band (poorly) and my band recorded a 5 song demo EP back in November. it is of the punk garage rock variety as i am a guy who grew on a healthy diet of the Ramones.

tracklisting
1. black knees
2. danger, danger love!
3. i just wanna know your name
4. suicide city
5. only the young die young

if you give a fuck here's a link here to download, for free.


apparently some folks have had trouble with the divshare link. here's a megaupload link that might work better. download.

Best Music Of 2009

10 Albums i haven’t deleted from my itunes yet

The Horrors Primary Colours
Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz!
Japandroids Post-Nothing
Girls Album
Black Lips 200 Million Thousand
Smith Westerns Smith Westerns
Rowland S. Howard Pop Crimes
Pissed Jeans King Of Jeans


10 jams i really enjoyed in 2009

Phoenix "1901"
Crocodiles "I Wanna Kill"
The Horrors "Sea Within A Sea"
Crystal Stilts "Love Is A Wave"
Neon Indian "Deadbeat Summer"
Animal Collective "My Girls" (as much as i hate Animal Collective, i can admit that this is a pretty killer song)
The Big Pink "Velvet"
Bat For Lashes "Daniel"
Dinosaur Jr. "Over It"
Japandroids "The Boys Are Leaving Town"

2009: the year i became too old to give a fuck about music that i don't already like. which might explain why every newish band i listen to sounds like something i used to love in high school (The Horrors = My Bloody Valentine, Pains Of Being Pure At Heart = Shop Assistants/The Pastels, Crystal Stilts = Black Tambourine/ UK Dream Pop, Crocodiles = J&MC, etc...)

Top 100 Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

01. The Strokes- Is This It
02. Radiohead- Kid A
03. Spoon- Kill The Moonlight
04. Fugazi- The Argument
05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever To Tell
06. Wilco- Yankee Foxtrot Hotel
07. The Walkmen- Bows & Arrows
08. White Stripes- White Blood Cells
09. Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights
10. Outkast- Stankonia
11. Radiohead- In Rainbows
12. TV On The Radio- Young Liars EP
13. The Faint- Dance Macabre
14. The Strokes- Room On Fire
15. Ted Leo & Pharmacists- Hearts Of Oak
16. Jay Reatard- Blood Visions
17. PJ Harvey- Stories From The City Stories From the Sea
18. Deerhunter- Microcastle
19. White Stripes- Elephant
20. Q and Not U- No Kill No Beep Beep
21. Spoon- Girls Can Tell
22. Primal Scream- XTRMNTR
23. Black Lips- Let It Bloom
24. Broken Social Scene- You Forgot It In People
25. Hot Snakes- Suicide Invoice
26. Radio 4- Gotham!
27. Elliott Smith- Figure 8
28. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead- Source Tags & Codes
29. Yo La Tengo- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
30. M83- Saturdays = Youth
31. LCD Soundsystem- Sound Of Silver
32. The Unicorns- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
33. The Stills- Logic Will Break Your Heart
34. The Icarus Line- Penance Soiree
35. The Warlocks- Phoenix
36. The White Stripes- De Stijl
37. Jay Z- The Blue Print
38. The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow
39. Ted Leo & Pharmacists- The Tyranny Of Distance
40. The Rapture- Echoes
41. No Age- Nouns
42. Converge- Jane Doe
43. Comets On Fire- Blue Cathedral
45. The Fucking Champs- IV
46. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
47. Liar- They Threw Us All In A Trench and Stuck A Monument On Top
48. Shocking Pinks- Shocking Pinks
49. Black Mountain- Black Mountain
50. Lightning Bolt- Wonderful Rainbow
51. High On Fire- Surrounded By Thieves
52. The Ponys- Laced With Romance
53. Arcade Fire- Funeral
54. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Show Your Bones
55. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Abattoir Blues/ Lyre Of Orpheus
56. TV On The Radio- Return To Cookie Mountain
57. Pleasure Forever- Pleasure Forever
58. Sonic Youth- Sonic Nurse
59. The Horrors- Primary Colours
60. The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart- Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
61. The Walkmen- Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone
62. The Libertines- Up The Bracket
63. The Lilys- Precollection
64. The Radio Dept.- Lesser Matters
65. The Shins- Oh, Inverted World
66. Whiskeytown- Pneumonia
67. The Exploding Hearts- Guitar Romantic
68. The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
69. !!!- Louden Up
70. Kanye West- the College Dropout
71. Modest Mouse- Moon & Antarctica
72. Grinderman- Grinderman
73. Dead Meadow- Dead Meadow
74. Les Savy Fav- Go Forth
75. Dinosaur Jr.- Almost Ready
76. Albert Hammond Jr.- Yours To Keep
77. Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
78. Danger Mouse- The Grey Album
79. The Reigning Sound- Time Bomb High School
80. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
81. The Drive By Truckers- Decoration Day
82. Crystal Stilts- Alright Of Night
83. The Hives- Veni Vidi Vicious
84. Daft Punk- Discovery
85. Spoon- Gimme Fiction
86. The Murder City Devils- In Name and Blood
87. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Howl
88. The Panthers- Things Are Strange
89. Dismemberment Plan- Change
90. Death From Above 1979- You're A Woman and I'm a Machine
91. The Kills- Midnight Boom
92. A Place To Bury Strangers- A Place to Bury Strangers
93. Devendra Banhart- Rejoicing In Hands
94. Pissed Jeans- Shallow
95. Blonde Redhead - Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
96. Beck- Sea Change
97. Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand
98. Boris- Pink
99. Lil' Wayne- Tha Carter III
100. Out Hud- S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D.

JAWBOX REUNITED!!! = Me Stoked

how come nobody told me about this?!?! goddamn you all to hell.

last night one of my alltime favorite bands of my youth, Jawbox, reunited and played their classic "Savory" on the Jimmy Fallon Show. it was the band's first performance in 12 years. i don't even wanna guess how many girls in high school got a mix tape from me with this fucking song on it.

if this blog was a movie it would be a teen melodrama

sometimes i like to pretend that my blog is a teen melodrama set sometime in the late 80s or early 90s in some boring suburban town. it’s kinda like a mix between the existential ramblings of Dazed and Confused and the dumb party scenes of Can’t Hardly Wait with maybe some class warfare stolen from the Outsiders for good measure….you know something that wouldn’t do well in the theater but would get a nice cult following on DVD.

there’d be a smart ass angsty kid who would be the hero, and a hot chick with the face of Rachel Leigh Cook and the ass of Blake Lively that our hero pines for, and his friends would be a nerdy sci-fi/horror loving guy, a punk rock dude, and a smart awkward chick who we all know he’s gonna end up with in the end.

and it would have a killer soundtrack

Sonic Youth- schizophrenia
The Verlaines- pyromaniac
The Undertones- teenage kicks
The Replacements- sixteen blue
The Strokes- barely legal
The Nerves- when you find out
The Beach Boys- girl don’t tell me
The Lemonheads- if i could talk i’d tell you
The Clean- i wait around
Teenage Fanclub- star sign
Lilys- will my lord be gardening
Shocking Pinks- emily
The Jesus & Mary Chain- happy when it rains
Velvet Underground- there she goes again
The Seeds- can’t seem to make you mine
Buzzcocks- love is lies
Thin Lizzy- romeo and the lonely girl
Neil Young- everybody knows this is nowhere
Tall Dwarfs- baby it’s over
Husker Du- i apologize
Turf War- cheers to the years
Johnny Thunders- you can’t put your arms around a memory

for your downloading pleasure a link.

for no apparent reason: My Top 100 Favorite Songs of the Decade

Pitchfork made their top 500 songs of the decade list...I guess it's safe to assume nothing in these last 4 months is gonna be worthy of inclusion, whatever. Anyways I agreed with some of their picks, others I thought they totally dropped the ball on. Anyways if VH1 asked me to put together a list of the Top 100 songs of the decade then this would be mine.

1. The Walkmen- The Rat
2. The Rapture- House Of Jealous Lovers
3. Outkast- Hey Ya
4. The Strokes- Last Night
5. The White Stripes- Fell In Love With A Girl
6. Spoon- The Way We Get By
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Maps
8. Phoenix- Too Young
9. Franz Ferdinand- Take Me Out
10. Interpol- PDA
11. TV On The Radio- Staring At The Sun
12. LCD Soundsystem- Losing My Edge
13. R. Kelly- Ignition (remix)
14. M.I.A.- Paper Planes
15. Kanye West- Flashing Lights
16. Radiohead- Idioteque
17. Jay Z- Big Pimpin'
18. Outkast- B.O.B.
19. Youngbloodz- 85
20. The Exploding Hearts- Throwaway Style
21. Bloc Party- Banquet
22. Grinderman- No Pussy Blues
23. No Doubt- Hella Good
24. The Strokes- Hard To Explain
25. The Lilys- Will My Lord Be Gardening
26. The Shins- Kissing the Lipless
27. Arcade Fire- Wake Up
28. Broken Social Scene- Cause = Time
29. Radiohead- All I Need
30. Justin Timberlake- Like I Love You
31. The Killers- When You Were Young
32. MGMT- Time To Pretend
34. Dr. Dre- Still D.R.E.
35. LCD Soundsystem- Someone Great
36. TV On The Radio- Wolf Like Me
37. The Radio Dept.- Pulling Our Weight
38. Silversun Pickups- Lazy Eye
39. Ted Leo & RX- I'm a Ghost
40. Andrew WK- Party Hard
41. Lil Wayne- A Milli
42. Kanye West- Gold Digger
43. Death Cab for Cutie- Soul Meets Body
44. White Stripes- Seven Nation Army
45. M83- Don't Save Us From The Flames
46. Air- Playground Love
47. Yo La Tengo- You Can Have It All
48. Beck- Lost Cause
49. Sonic Youth- Incinerate
50. Morrissey- The First Of the Gang To Die
51. Jay Z- 99 Problems (Dangermouse grey album version)
52. Gnarls Barkley- Crazy
53. Dinosaur Jr.- Almost Ready
54. Bat For Lashes- Daniel
55. Phoenix- 1901
56. David Byrne & Brian Eno- Strange Overtones
57. Wilco- Jesus, Etc.
58. No Age- Teen Creeps
59. Death From Above 1978- Romantic Rights
60. Radio 4- Dance to the Underground
61. Chromatics- In The City
62. LCD Soundsystem- All My Friends (Franz Ferdinand remix)
63. The Faint- Agenda Suicide
64. The Rapture- Out of the Races and Onto The Tracks
65. Jimmy Eat World- The Middle
66. Belle & Sebastian- If She Wants Me
67. Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma
68. The Strokes- New York City Cops
69. Deerhunter- Nothing Ever Happened
70. Devendra Banhart- Lover
71. The Clientele- We Could Walk Together
72. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Cheated Hearts
73. Broken Social Scene- Lover's Spit
74. MGMT- Kids
75. Mike Jones- Still Tippin'
76. Maximo Park- Apply Some Pressure
77. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead- Another Morning Stoner
78. !!!- Heart of Hearts
79. Spoon- Everything Hits At Once
80. The Icarus Line- Party The Baby Off
81. Shocking Pinks- Emily
82. Jay Reatard- Always Wanting More
83. The Libertines- Don't Look Back Into The Sun
84. Q & Not U- A Line In The Sand
85. The Stills- Lola, Stars and Stripes
86. Modest Mouse- Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
87. Missy Elliott- Get Your Freak On
88. Lil' Scrappy- No Problem
89. The Warlocks- Shake The Dope Out
90. Fugazi- Full Disclosure
91. Interpol- NYC
92. Guided By Voices- Glad Girls
93. Spoon- I Summon You
94. PJ Harvey with Thom Yorke- This Mess We're In
95. Mobb Deep- Get It Twisted
96. The Strokes- Under Control
97. Black Lips- Dirty Hands
98. Ariel Pink's Haunted Grafitti- For Kate I Wait
99. The Killers- All These Things I've Done
100. Elliott Smith- A Fond Farewell

for Pitchfork's list go here.

ANOTHER SHAMELESS PLUG

shameless plug for my show tonight. come out tonight if you can. fun times.

it's not like you got shit else to do in Athens tonight.

Hey Athens, Next Friday Get Your Face Rocked

Friday Aug 14th @ The Caledonia. The Agenda and The Dumps. come for the garage rock and the falling on the ground and silliness. stay for the brutal metal onslaught. for the 10 people in America who ever liked The Agenda, you will be happy to know we've actually written new songs and will be debuting them at said show. should be a fun night, come out and get your rock on.

i know Auburn started practice. i'm sorry i haven't been blogging about football. i promise my profanity laced rants and stupid attempts at humor will return soon.

Space + Pop = Spacepop?

this is the video for Mark Mallman's new jam "Invincible Criminal"...currently it is my job to pimp said video out to the internets...also i happen to think it's a pretty awesome pop song that sounds like what it would be like if Elton John and that band The Darkness had a baby together...or something. so yeah, watch it...love it...repost it elsewhere. thanks.

Positive Vibes Friday: Headin' For A Showdown

ELO's "Showdown" aka the song i'd have play whereever i went if i could have my own theme song.

Positive Vibes Friday: Bye Bye Buddy System

this Saturday, my friends (and one of the more fun and entertaining Athens bands) the Buddy System is calling it quits. sad sad sad. the cartoon rockers are gonna bring their animation-pop one last time on Saturday night @ The Caledonia, so come out and have some cartoon style fun. and hey you might get to see me do "Party Hard" with them again too.

so wait, did Michael Jackson die?

how sick am i of Micheal Jackson on the fucking news? well obviously not sick enough to keep me from listen to "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and the now dead King O' Pop this morning. Michael has the top 7 albums on Itunes right now. what the hell? he doesn't even have 7 good records....and who the fuck didn't already own Thriller and Off the Wall or a Jackson 5 Hits comp?

it was a busy last few weeks for me, but now Athfest is over and i'm healed up from Saturday night...thanks to anyone who came out to CINE' and watched me flail around and sweat my ass off. had a great time and got a nice review from the Flagpole. so yay to that. my profanity fueled sportsblogging will return in full now.

My Top 20 Favorite Punk Albums Of All Time

London Calling and Nevermind the Bollocks are both great, don't get me wrong, but for me...these are the true greatest punk albums of all time.

1. Black Flag- The First Four Years

this album is what it says...a collection of all Black Flag's singles/eps/etc. from their first four years as a band. all of it is pre-Henry Rollins. the band went through several different vocalists (their 1st one Keith Morris does a pretty fucking good Johnny Rotten impression). every song on this is a hardcore punk classic with "Nervous Breakdown", "Wasted", & "Six Pack" being some of my favorite songs ever written. this is the sound of Hardcore being born. nihilism, paranoia, depression, isolation, despair, the sound of the city of LA closing in around you. whenever i put this on i just wish i was a 15 year old skater who could go out and vandalize something.



2. The Stooges- Fun House

recorded in May of 1970, Fun House was the Stooges 2nd album. the band recorded everything live in the studio with no overdubs, so it's the closest thing to capturing their live fury of any of their other records. after their debut's basic garage/psych approach (if you could really call it basic) the band decided to indulge in their love of free jazz. most of the songs are basically just a riff with the rest of the band and Iggy just doing whatever they want. this is the sound of the apocalypse and next to the Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat is one of the first truly punk records ever recorded. "Tv Eye", "Loose", & "1970" are the highlights...but honestly every fucking song on this album is a chaotic masterpiece.

3. Gang Of Four- Entertainment!

okay, so this is more of a post-punk record to be honest, but there's enough punk rock attitude on this album to let that slide. equal parts political manifesto and dance record, Gang of Four took the sound of 70s punk and mashed it together with funk to create a sound totally original. they influenced the likes of the Minutemen, REM, & Fugazi and basically spawned an entire genre of music (Dance Punk) that exists today. "Anthrax", "Damaged Goods", & "At Home He's a Tourist" are some of the highlights...but every song is memorable.

4. Suicide- Suicide

has there ever been an electronic record that sounded darker, scarier, and more punk rock? Ministry and Nine Inch Nails can go fuck themselves. Suicide pre-dated the New York Punk scene by a number of years and their live shows were the thing of legend. singer Alan Vega is like an Elvis on bad cocaine and Martin Rev just keeps the drone going. they influenced EVERYONE. the Jesus & Mary Chain, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, Spacemen 3, Chrome, Big Black, The Screamers, Bruce Springsteen (yeah the Boss credits them for the inspiration to Nebraska), and every single band that ever decided to make music with just a singer and a drum machine. "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA", and "Girl" are among the best tracks on this album and the 10 minute plus "Frankie Teardrop" is one of, if not THE, most fucking harrowing songs put to record.

5. Wire- Pink Flag

easily one of the most original bands of the UK punk explosion, Wire are part art project, part lesson in minimalism (in both sound and song length), and part fucking awesome. this record is the beginning of indie rock as it's pretty obvious that Pavement were fans of this. intelligent, strange, catchy, sometimes abrasive...a true classic. "three girl rhumba", "strange", and "ex lion tamer" are my favorite tracks...but honestly there isn't a single song of the 21 on here that aren't awesome.

6. The Clash- The Clash

the Clash's debut record combines the band's love of reggae, 50's rock and roll, and British pup-rock and delivers one of the greatest records of all time. London's Calling gets all the press, but THE CLASH is the album that defines who the band are and what they've got to say. both the US and UK versions of this album are both chock full of classic hits. the US version has a couple of UK singles added and a few album tracks missing from the UK version. honestly it's just better to buy the US one and download all the missing tracks from the British version.

7. The Birthday Party- Prayers On Fire

take the Stooges noisey freakouts...add an even darker and crazier frontman (a young Nick Cave), stick it in a meatgrinder, crank the murder/sex/death/rock up to 11 and then you've got the Birthday Party. this is as punk as goth ever got.

8. The Misfits- Static Age

sounding like a scary version of the Undertones and Ramones...Static Age is the ultimate Misfits album. horror cartoon punk. the soundtrack for any high school kid worth a shit's night on the town. EVERY SONG IS A CLASSIC. "attitude", "hybrid moments", "last caress", etc....


9. The Gun Club- Fire Of Love

swamped out hill billy punk...like of Creedence Clearwater Revival had grown up Black Flag fans. this is LA roots punk at it's finest. better than anything X ever recorded by a mile. this album had a huge influence on the coming Alt.country scene as well as The Meat Puppets, The Flaming Lips, & the Pixies....plus the White Stripes owe them a dept as well. "sex beat" (which has maybe the best line ever: "we can fuck forever but you'll never get my soul."), "she's like heroin to me", and "for the love of ivy" are the choice cuts.



10. Bad Brains- Bad Brains

the holy grail of hardcore punk was created by four black kids from Washinton DC who decided to take their jazz chops and play the fastest punk rock music ever at the time...and with some little reggae numbers thrown in to change things up a bit. Bad Brains moved to New York and basically changed the punk scene to hardcore overnight. LA metal and thrash owe a huge dept to Bad Brains as well. "attitude", "banned in DC" & "pay to cum" are the hits.


11. The Damned- Damned Damned Damned

the first UK punk band to hit the airwaves and easily one of the best. thrashy rock and roll and Stooges influenced garage rock. "Neat Neat Neat", "New Rose", and "Stab Your Back" are classics. they also do a Stooges cover for good measure.

12. The Nation Of Ulysses- Plays Pretty For Baby!

teenage rebellion as a political manifesto. the band's 2nd album took their love of the MC5, free jazz, artrock, and hardcore punk and then just took the whole thing up about 20 notches. angry, witty, and full of passion. Image isn't everything...it's the only thing. listen to "shakedown"...if you don't get it after that then you never will.

13. New York Dolls- New York Dolls

predating the punk scene by a few years, this American glam band took what T.Rex and Bowie were doing in England and made it seem dangerous. Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry riffs being played over songs about sex, decadence, drugs all done sloppy and violent. THIS IS THE MOST ROCK AND ROLL ALBUM EVER. The Dolls were New York's first and their finest. "personality crisis", "lookin' for a kiss", "trash", "jet boy"...every single song is perfection.

14. Ramones- Rocket To Russia

the 3rd and the best of all the Ramones albums. cleaner production and more hooks plus the best songwriting to date. iot's the perfect combo of their love of 60s girl group pop, surf rock, and chuck berry. "rockaway beach", "sheena is a punk rocker", and "teenage lobotomy" standout...but every single song is a classic.

15. Black Flag- Damaged

the band's debut album with Henry Rollins as it's full time vocalists. their sound now was perfected after years of writing and touring. the strongest lineup the group ever had with 2 guitarists and a killer rhythm section. every song is like an angry man balling up his fist and then fighting in a blind rage anything that comes near it. "gimmie gimmie gimmie", "tv party", & "rise above" can peel paint off the wall and "depression" is the birth of noise rock.

16. The Wipers- Is This Real?

mostly unheralded Oregon punks whose first 3 albums are basically the sound of Grunge being invented. Seattle was paying attention. this album is their first and best. tons of great songs, "Return of the Rat" and "D-7" (both covered by Nirvana) are the best known, and "Mystery" is a perfect little power pop love song that clocks in under 2 minutes.



17. Stiff Little Fingers- Inflammable Material

Belfast punks who took the Sex Pistols sound and cranked up the political unrest 20 notches with their debut record. probably the angriest UK punk record of the 70s. "Suspect Device" and "Alternative Ulster" are the hits, but every song is a classic. "Barbed Wire Love" being my personal favorite.

18. Mudhoney- SuperFuzz BigMuff

combining Mudhoney's first EP with their early singles, Sub Pop released the definitive grunge record of all time. Mudhoney combined their love of the Stooges, Northwestern garage (the Sonics), and hardcore punk into a fuzzed out, primitive, feedback drenched sound. 12 songs of perfect rock and roll...with "Touch Me I'm Sick", "In and Out of Grace", and "Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More" being the most well known. this is the album that made me fall in love with garage punk.

19. The Saints- Eternally Yours

the Saints 1st record is a classic of punk rock/garage energy, but it's the follow up that shows off that they could do equal parts oldschool rhythm & blues and even shameless power pop. the song "This Perfect Day" may very well be the greatest punk anthem ever written. "Lost & Found" is a pure garage burner and "Know Your Product" sounds like a soul record on speed with big horns and mighty hooks. Nevermind the Sex Pistols...it's the Saints who showed punks how to rock and roll.



20. The Cramps- Bad Music For Bad People

most people would probably pick their debut album as the place to start but for me this collection of singles and b-sides released in 1984 is the perfect intro to the kings of garage trash punk....it probably has something to do with me hearing this first. it's just 31 minutes and full of debauchery and everything is a fucking gem. the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valetnine, The Dwarves, the Horrors, and every band who ever played garage trash afterwards owes this band a lot. classic cuts "human fly", "garbage man", and "new kind of kick" all fucking rule.

Bonus Pick:

21. The Zeros- Don't Push Me Around

i hate to put a compilation cd on this list but for The Mexican Ramones i will make an exception. Bomp records collected this comp of Zeros recordings from 1978-1980. if this isn't the best pop punk of all time then it's right up there with anything the Undertones, Buzzcocks, or Ramones ever committed to tape. includes the classic cuts "Don't Push Me Around", "Wild Weekend", and my personal favorite..."She's Just A Girl On The Block"

punk

20 Underrated Albums of the 21st Century

20 Albums that are a bit overlooked, underrated, or just didn't get the love they deserved and have been a little forgotten....but each one is an indie rock gem for a music lover to enjoy.

1. The Strokes- Room On Fire

the 2nd Strokes record is far superior to the 1st in both song writing, production, and quality...yet the hype from the 1st album and backlash buried any chance this album had of being a huge success.

2. The Icarus Line- Penance Soiree

this is the album that reminded me how fucking awesome rock and roll could be. a perfect combination of The Stooges, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Jesus Lizard rolled into one nice big fuck you of a record. the sound of sex, drugs, and rock n roll.

3. The Stills- Logic Will Break Your Heart

the Canadian answer the Interpol...only with a better pop sensibility. when you listen to the singles "Still In Love Song" and "Lola, Star and Stripes" you can only scratch your head and wonder how these guys weren't fucking huge.

4. Shocking Pinks- Shocking Pinks

this is a compilation CD to introduce this fantastic New Zealand band to the United States but most people i know who would be into them have never even heard of Shocking Pinks. a perfect combo of Clean and Verlaines styled Kiwi Pop and My Bloody Valentine shoegaze...with some dance punk thrown in for good measure.

5. The Radio Dept.- Pet Grief

shoegaze is alive and well in the form of this Swedish band. like if New Order, My Bloody Valentine, and the Pet Shop Boys decided to start a band together. lush and beautiful...the perfect music for a mixtape for your girlfriend.

6. The Warlocks- Phoenix
the only band i hear get compared to the Velvet Underground that i actually agree with. perfect drugged out drone rock.

7. The Lilys- Precollection
one of the under rated indie bands of all time finally released their most solid record.

8. Dead Meadow- Shivering King & Others
this makes me wanna start smoking pot again.

9. The Black Lips- Let It Bloom
the best album by the best garage band of this decade. Atlanta represent.

10. Pleasure Forever- Pleasure Forever
coming out of the San Diego hardcore scene, Pleasure Forever dropped this dark, sexy, and creepy rock album that sounds like Black Heart Procession doing their best Birthday Party impression.

11. Pissed Jeans- Shallow
the return of noise rock. the next best thing to the real The Jesus Lizard.

12. Death From Above 1978- You're A Woman, I'm a Machine
snotty and dancey Canadian dance-punk duo unleash sonic pop assault, date Kelly Osbourne, tour with Nine Inch Nails, and then break up...typical.

13. Hot Snakes- Suicide Invoice
the best album by the best hardrock band of this decade.

14. Q and Not U- No Kill, No Beep Beep
the last great Dischord band. i thought these kids were gonna be huge...but like most things i was wrong. like if Fugazi decided to make a disco record. handclaps, woo hoos, and catchy fucking songs.

15. The Kills- Keep On Your Mean Side
Pj Harvey and the Jesus & Mary Chain making a secret record together that makes you wanna fuck.

16. The Ponys- Laced With Romance
full on ripping off Richard Hell and The Voidoids....but i love it. excellent guitar rock.

17. Radio 4- Gotham!
dancepunks with a message. like a combo of The Clash, Gang Of Four, and Mission of Burma. a political album that you can party to. one of my top 10 albums of this decade.

18. Grinderman- Grinderman
Nick Cave and a few of his Bad Seeds rediscover the punk rock youth with this noisey garage record that's about 8 thousand times better than what most bands half their age are trying to pull off.

19. The Rapture- Pieces Of The People We Love
the 2nd Rapture record expands on the promise of the 1st album with more solid song writing and a ton of catchy dance songs...too bad dance punk never happened.

20. Out hud- Let Us Never Speak Of This Again
after releasing their instrumental funk rock debut, Out Hud decided to make an album that sounded like Liquid Liquid backing up the girls of ESG. if you can't shake your ass to this then you're probably dead.

Hey Athens

my old band THE AGENDA! is playing our first show in 5 years in a few weeks. we're the opening band of the Kindercore Records Showcase @ CINE' (that's the arthouse theater downtown) during Athfest 09 on June 23rd. the show is supposed to start at 10.

i think all of that info is correct.

anyways if you love things that are dumb/simple/drunk then come out an enjoy some old dudes trying to recapture their youth and playing loud obnoxious garage rock like it's still the year 2002. if anything the potential train wreck is worth it...also you get to see me roll around on the floor and jump off shit like a maniac and possibly hurt myself, all for the love of rock n' roll.