Nice blurb - and very true. I was fortunate enough to see 311 play Transistor in full at their Pow Wow festival in Florida in 2011 - (which Deftones also played at!) and is still one of the more memorable live music experiences of my life. I was a 311 'singles' fan until around 2001-ish, and when I first saw them live in 2003, I was converted forever. I completely understand them being the butt of some jokes from a 'music critic' perspective, they are definitely a pretty easy target. But they are also very self-aware, and I find that endearing. For those that may only know a few 311 songs, check out "Use Of Time", "Jupiter", "Stealing Happy Hours", and "Running" from Transistor. If you don't find something to like there, then it's understandable that this is not a band for you.
One of my best friends who is nearly 50, 311 is his favorite band (saw them in the 90's when they had the likes of Korn and Sugar Ray opening for them haha). Amazing the connection that band makes with people which is lifelong. I've always been a big fan but my complaint is that they play it WAY too safe, to the point where people can finish Nick Hexum's sentences live for him haha. Transistor is the one lone experimental release they've done and the, at the time, lukewarm reception essentially scared them enough to course-correct on Soundsystem while continuing to streamline on From Chaos and Evovler. Don't Tread On Me was a slightly interesting forray into lighter reggae-tinged music but, otherwise, it's just been refueling the tank for the tour since 2009.
The Hexum quotes are so true - especially on summer tours. "This next one goes out to all you "Beautiful Disasters" out there". LOL. And honestly - the last 3 studio albums have branched out a bit. I know they won't be gaining any new fans or having a random radio hit now, but I think they are keeping it interesting for the diehard fans. Voyager in particular has a really nice balance of the 'heavier/spacier' kind of tunes (Check out "Stainless"), and the 'chill/catchy' songs ("Good Feeling").
Yo - this is really good stuff too, I had never heard of this band, and I DID pay attention to alt-rock radio in 97-98. Did they have a 'minor hit' that I missed?
"Wash It Away" and "Time Ago" were all minor hits on both modern and mainstream rock radio in 97/98. Also, this was never on a proper album, but was a GREAT soundtrack song by them:
1. Radiohead - OK Computer 2. Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind 3. Oasis - Be Here Now ALSO Elliot Smith - Either/Or blink-182 - Dude Ranch The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West Daft Punk - Homework Lifetime - Jersey's Best Dancers The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever Green Day - Nimrod Deftones - Around the Fur Foo Fighters - The Colour & The Shape Dispatch - Bang Bang Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Everclear - So Much For the Afterglow Goldfinger - Hang-Ups AFI - Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes
1. Bjork - Homogenic 2. Mogwai - Young Team 3. Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out Homogenic replaces the variety and spontaneity of her first two albums, with a focused and consistent sound, with big classical strings and electronic beats. It's arguably the most beautiful of her records, with the songs absolutely soaring with her vocals and the string backing. Of all her albums, this is probably the best as a singular 50 minute piece of music - even if I'd just give Post the edge on it overall. Young Team is just a classic and often copied post-rock album, with the slow build ups leading to epic crescendos and really loud parts. Mogwai are a more dynamic band than a lot of the other early-ish post rock bands, and when this album gets loud, it's really loud. They were also by far the loudest band I've ever seen live, I wear ear buds at gigs, but my head and ears were rattling for days afterwards. Dig Me Out is just a really great bit of punk rock from Sleater-Kinney, and probably my favourite album of theirs overall. Loud and anthemic, full of attitude, but with absolutely great songwriting behind it to back it up. Honourable Mentions; Elliott Smith - Either / Or: The first great Elliott Smith album, and I can't separate this from the two that would follow, just beautiful folky music. Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole: Worth it just for opening track "Block Rocking Beats", which is one of the absolute best opening songs to any albums - guaranteed to blow the cobwebs away if you're feeling a little drowsy. Fugazi - End Hits: Just another wonderful and remarkable Fugazi record, an absurdly consistent band - they never miss. Radiohead - OK Computer: I have to admit, I don't listen to Radiohead that much, but every time I do, I think I should listen to Radiohead more often. And then I don't. Blink 182 - Dude Ranch: Not going to repeat the conversation earlier, but I listened to this and Blink pretty much constantly in my teens, so deserves at the very least an Honourable Mention. Green Day - Nimrod: Probably my least listened to "classic" Green Day record, there's a lot going on here and a lot of filler, but when it works, it's fantastic. Lifetime - Jersey's Best Dancers: A great, short and to the point record that's the middle ground between pop punk and hardcore. The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good: A fantastic second wave emo band who could write brilliant pop songs, and a shame that they never quite broke through like JEW or others did.
1. Blink 182 - Dude Ranch 2. An album nobody cares about 3. Another album that won’t crack the top ten in voting.
I'm gonna be trying to listen to more stuff while these threads are happening. I've heard The Lonesome Crowded West and Perfect From Now On before a long time ago but they're both standing out to me a lot more than they did back then. Built to Spill especially sounds like something I should have been listening to for a while.
Around the Fur Lonesome Crowded West Third Eye Blind OK Computer and Perfect From Now On would probably round out my top 5.
Gotta be honest I don't know as many albums from this year as I did '96. 1. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape 2. Blink-182 - Dude Ranch 3. Shania Twain - Come On Over 4. The Offspring - Ixnay on the Hombre 5. Green Day - Nimrod I feel like I'll hurt Craig's feelings if I don't listen to Third Eye Blind.
1. Fleetwood Mac - The Dance 2. Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind 3. Ben Harper - The Will to Live Others I love: Metallica - ReLoad Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call Raidohead - OK Computer Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club Our Lady Peace - Clumsy Good ones: Whiskeytown - Stranger's Almanac Mineral - The Power of Failing Smoking Popes - Destination Failure The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good Everclear - So Much for the Afterglow Old 97s - Too Far to Care Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie Elliott Smith - Either/Or Green Day - Nimrod Chantal Kreviazuk - Under These Rocks and Stones Megadeth - Cryptic Writings Savage Garden - Savage Garden The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile Afro-Cuban All-Stars - A Toda Cuba Le Gusta Erykah Badu - Baduizm Oasis - Be Here Now Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death Aerosmith - Nine Lives Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen Boyz II Men - Evolution U2 - Pop Sister Hazel - Somewhere More Familiar Will Smith - Big Willie Style Elton John - The Big Picture Not a fan: Sevendust - Sevendust Creed - My Own Prison Targets for listening: 2pac - R U Still Down? (Remember Me) Mariah Carey - Butterfly Daft Punk - Homework Days of the New - Days of the New Death Cab for Cutie - You Can Play These Songs with Chords Faith No More - Album of the Year Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Michael Jackson - Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix Blur - Blur The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole Cornershop - When I Was Born for the 7th Time The Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love Finley Quaye - Marverick A Strike David Holmes - Let's Get Killed Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly Primal Scream - Vanishing Point Prodigy - The Fat of the Land Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space Supergrass - In it for the Money The Verve - Urban Hymns Robbie Williams - Life Thru a Lens Robert Wyatt - Shleep Bjork - Homogenic Shania Twain - Come on Over Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One Loreena McKennitt - The Book of Secrets Steve Earle - El Corazon John Fogerty - Blue Moon Swamp Garth Brooks - Sevens Natalie Imbruglia - Left of the Middle Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West David Bowie - Earthling Deftones - Around the Fur Pavement - Brighten the Corners The Weakerthans - Fallow George Strait - Carrying Your Love With Me Puff Daddy - No Way Out Blink-182 - Dude Ranch Guster - Goldfly Matthew Ryan - May Day Limp Bizkit - Three Dollar Bill, Y'all $ Mogwai - Young Team Mase - Harlem World
I'm late posting my list ONE time and you knobs start nitpicking each other's taste. Cut that shit out. Love you all.
Always worth a watch if you haven't seen it before, is the incredible music video for Bjork's All is Full of Love (Song is 97, video is 99, so doesn't quite count for this...); Even 20 + years later, it still looks and feels remarkable and far ahead of its time. Absolutely worth 4 minutes of your time if you haven't seen it before. Edit: Oh wow, flagged as "age restricted" by Youtube. How bizarre.