Radiohead -- Kid A & Amnesiac

  Just to be clear I am a little iffy about Radiohead, they're kinda hit or miss for me, but these two albums marked the plateau of their career.  I decided to do them simultaneously because they are one and the same, as well as they were intended to be counterparts.  Kid A is a future-scaped Kraut drenched masterpiece.  While Amnesiac stays to form, but has more of a minimalist guitar driven sound.  I remember when Kid A first hit the streets, the music sounded like it had popped outta the future, but my 2012 listen kinda made it sound dated, not in a bad way, just had an early 2000 quality to it.  While Amnesiac had more of a long lasting scope, it felt atmospheric, with the exception of the tracks I plainly had to skip, you could put it out today and no one would bat an eyelash.  With that being said in the end Kid A is still the superior release, but Amnesiac has some of my favorite Radiohead songs of all-time.  Let`s call it a tie ...

Sigur Ros -- Takk ...

  All I could think the whole duration of this album is, one, what the hell are they saying and two, it sounds like Dream Pop mixed with Shoegaze, in the best possible way!

Love And Rockets -- Earth, Sun, Moon

   This is a damn fine record, a healthy mix of Psychedelic Folk Shoegaze with some 50's kitch!  You can definitely hear where alternative music got some ideas, primarily Jane's Addiction ... point is, this is their best album and was a total surprise!  My only real complaint was that I found the lyrics a little juvenile, but who cares, I never remember the words anyway! 

John Coltrane -- A Love Supreme

  Totally clean and filled with love for God, John Coltrane decides to record this album as an offering to the supreme being.  A Love Supreme sounds like Coltrane in his most natural habitat, his notes and style can be hard to follow, scattering pieces everywhere.  Clearly Coltrane's skill and creativity are legendary, but at the same time I am humbled to listen to a man's gift to God ...

The Misfits -- Walk Among Us

  Horror Punk pioneers, what can I really say ... they sound like the Ramones fronted by satanic Elvis!

The Pogues -- Rum, Sodomy and the Lash

  Lets get the first thing outta the way, I am not a fan of Celtic music ... at all ... meaning I don't dig most of this record, with the exception of Dirty Old Town.  Originally this tune was penned by the  Dubliners, but The Pogues, mainly MacGowan, re-vamped the song to epic proportions.  Funny enough Dirty Old Town has become a minor hit in my area, mainly with the aging hipster crowd ... why, you ask ... because we live in a Dirty Old Town, so the lyrics reflect our thoughts, feelings and wishes.  I remember all night jam sessions with the gang where every number we played always ended with Dirty Old Town.  So let's all, "dream a dream by the old canal," because we live in a, "dirty old town, dirty old town!"

Back In Tha Day

  So my Halloween costume this year was a 1980's break dancer, and Back In Tha Day was my soundtrack to get in character.  This comp features, almost, all the great rappers of the golden years ... but what gives ... no Run DMC ... bummer.  Down to the brass tacks I do not like Rap music, I have my few exceptions and guilty pleasures, which, some, are featured on this album.  Otherwise I fell like the music had it's time and it's place, late 70's, 80's and early to mid 90's.  After that the genre turned onto itself and became a fat, bloated, greedy marketing idiot, tossing it's integrity out of the window and becoming part of the corporate machine! BEH!