Uncle Zeke's Music Emporium

DIAMOND CUTTER: Volume 3

2012-01-30T02:24:00.000-08:00

1. PEARL JAM - "Alive"

When Pearl Jam's "TEN" was released in 1991, I didn't blink an eye. I was not what you would consider a fan of the "Grunge" movement. I had grown up with Progressive Rock, 70's AOR and 80's New Wave... the epitome of polished music. When Seattle began pumping out a new generation of bands that were giving the 80's music establishment the middle finger, I was less than enthused. I still remember the time in 1994 when I finally caved in and gave the album a listen. It was this song, ALIVE, that sucked me in. More specifically, it was the guitar. The thing that sets Pearl Jam apart from their peers (yes, Nirvana, I'm looking at you) was the fact that the members of the band were truly good musicians. Now, before you Nirvana lovers become Zeke haters, keep in mind that I have a lot of respect for Dave Grohl. A LOT of respect. He's talented. 'Nuff said.

2. SUN 60 - "Never Seen God"

Around the same time that Pearl Jam's "Alive" was finding it's way under my skin, another American band was doing the same thing. SUN 60 was a band that had a couple of minor Alternative hits before once again sinking back into obscurity. From Salt Lake City radio standards, "Merry X-Mess" was probably the biggest hit, but this track, "Never Seen God" was the one that knocked my socks off. At the time, I was employed at Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey) and would spend my day rocking out to discs on my Discman. I still remember the afternoon that I blasted this song, and kept pushing repeat... repeat... repeat. And, if that wasn't enough, I ended up having the pleasure of seeing them live. You think their charismatic singer can rock a microphone... you should see what she can do to a flugelhorn.

3. INSPIRAL CARPETS - "Two Worlds Collide"

The more I reflect on this portion of the mix, the more I realize that it is a mid-90's streak of songs... Porcupine Tree excluded. The mid-90's were an era of Brit-Pop. Bands like Blur, Oasis, Bush and others were beginning to erupt onto the music scene. Grunge was beginning to fade, and we were once again returning to a more structured sound. In the Brit-Pop movement, there were specific pockets... such as the "Manchester Sound". If I'm not mistaken, Inspiral Carpets were part of that group of bands. This song is still, to this day, one of my favorite songs of all time. I could never hear it enough. I don't know what it was... or is... that screams out to me, apart from the beautiful noise that erupts during the chorus. Whatever it is... it works.

4. PORCUPINE TREE - "Shesmovedon"

Again, anyone that knows me... or knows my love of music... knows my love of Porcupine Tree. To briefly explain my background with this band, I was an avid fan of No-Man (a parallel project from British musician, Steven Wilson) back in the mid 90's. As the 20th Century turned into the 21st Century, computer technology had expanded to include the wide use of mp3 files, not to mention file sharing services like Napster and Audio Galaxy. The latter was my choice of downloading options. The critics of these sites cited that the ability to download music for free was killing the music industry. For me, this could not be farther from the truth. In 2001, I finally decided I would investigate the music of Porcupine Tree, one of the "other" projects by Mr. Steven Wilson. I downloaded 16 tracks from Audio Galaxy, and compiled them all onto an mp3 CD. Upon my first listen, I was blown away by 15 of the 16 tracks. Being that I worked at a CD store, I promptly began ordering anything that was available by the band. Take that, critics of file sharing! Said sites actually INSPIRED me to purchase what would eventually become hundreds of dollars of purchases by this one amazing band.

Shortly after 9/11, I think I am safe to say that everyone's day-to-day life became more surreal. Experiences became more pronounced. To me, music did, too. One of the first Porcupine Tree albums to arrive was "Lightbulb Sun", which featured this song. I will never forget the first Saturday in October of that year. It's the day that I was first hit by this song. I listened to it over and over, become more and more consumed by the guitar solo. It wasn't that the solo was particularly technical or beautiful.... just moving. To this day, it still remains one of my favorite Porcupine Tree songs.

5. THE VERVE - "Sonnet"

Another mid-90's gem.... "Sonnet", by The Verve, has remained one of my favorite songs from the era, not to mention one of the first songs that I learned after picking up the guitar. There is nothing more to say..... it's a Pop masterpiece.

Uncle Zeke's Dream Come True: HAPPY RHODES

2012-01-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

For the better part of 20 years, I have been an avid fan of New York singer/songwriter, HAPPY RHODES. Happy is what I would refer to as the quintessential "Indie" artist. Her first four albums were merely compilations of songs that she had recorded between 1984 and 1988 (give or take a year or two).

The tracks were compiled and released on Aural Gratification Records, a label owned by her then boyfriend, Kevin Bartlett. I first discovered her music after reading a Billboard magazine record review for her 7th release, "EQUIPOISE". In the article, it referenced how Happy's voice range goes from a "near masculine alto to a near identical Kate Bush soprano". Indeed, her higher range is nearly identical to the legendary singer/songwriter Kate Bush, however, what the critic called a "near masculine alto" is actually a VERY masculine baritone. Truth be told, Happy Rhodes can sing lower than I can.... and to the highest of soprano ranges, without sounding screechy like.... ummm.... Mariah Carey?

Anyhow, for the past 19 years, I have had an immense desire to see Happy Rhodes perform live. The only problem is that, apart from an occasional festival in California, most of Happy's performing has been on the east coast. She has a hotbed of fans in Pennsylvania, among other eastern seaboard states, but where I live... out in no-man's land, Utah, we get nothin'.

Until now.

Thanks to the plethora of Happy Rhodes fanatics that have been very generous with their assorted YouTube clips, we have (for several years) had plenty of glimpses into the live world of Happy Rhodes. Now, we have complete concerts from some of her Pennsylvania concert appearances.

Keep in mind that these recordings were obviously done with amateur looking cameras, but they have enabled people like me to finally live the dream of seeing a Happy Rhodes concert, even IF it's 15 years after the fact. So, without further ado, I am going to post a couple of said concerts for your viewing entertainment.

TIN ANGEL 10/12/1996

Pennsylvania, PA

TIN ANGEL 03/15/1997

Pennsylvania, PA

LYNN GARRETT's HOUSE CONCERT
11/09/03
Toledo, OH

DIAMOND CUTTERS: Volume 2

2012-01-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

6. CHRIS REA - "On the Beach"

I discovered this song several years after it's release. I don't know how or why we ended up with the CD single (a European release) in the small CD store in which I worked, but we did. I remember playing that song and immediately being smitten by it's catchy hooks. In my opinion, it's a shame how Chris Rea has all but escaped success in the United States. He did have a hit way back when....Fool (If You Think It's Over)... and succeeded in having a fairly loyal following, but he never seemed to achieve the mainstream success of peers like Dire Straits.

7. DIRE STRAITS - "On Every Street"

Hey, did someone mention Dire Straits? This, the title track of their last album, is my favorite Dire Straits song, bar none. I know most real Dire Straits enthusiasts would probably disagree with me, but I always found something deeply stirring about the feel of this track. The soprano saxophone brings tears to my eyes... the way the song ebbs and flows always seems to connect...the moody guitar work that pierces the soul.... and then, when the song finally kicks in, it still manages to contain such beautiful elements, while seemingly more frenzied than the first 3/4 of the song.

As the song never featured an actual video, to the best of my knowledge, I have included this YouTube version.

8. YES - "I Am Waiting"

I am still fairly uncertain as to how this song ended up making it on to this list of hallowed songs. In 1994, when the album TALK was originally released, I found myself drawn to the album as a whole. It was the first time that the (as I deemed them) "90125 crew" had performed all together since 1987's "BIG GENERATOR". The difference being that this album was produced by guitarist, Trevor Rabin. Trevor's career with Yes was one of polarized opinions. While I deeply respect and love the guitar stylings of Steve Howe, I always found myself drawn into the guitar work of Trevor Rabin, on a more emotional level. They are two distinctly different guitarists, they are both masters at their craft... but Trevor does it for me.

The original "single" from the album was "Walls", and it was, for the longest time, my favorite cut on the album. Then, many years later, I found myself listening to this album with the right earbud headphones. When the bass line kicks in at the beginning of the song, my brain rumbled. I was so moved by the overall atmosphere of the rumbling bass with the piercing guitar playing of Trevor. I found myself listening to it over and over... and, to this day, am stirred with each and every listen.

Another homemade video, but I wanted you to hear the original studio version. Mmmmmm...

And the live version...

9. TRANSLATOR - "Un-alone"

This song, which hearkens back to the early 80's, was, for the longest time, my favorite song. End of story. That has changed, as I've grown older, and as my tastes have broadened, but it doesn't change the fact that this song still rocks... and still deserves to be a bigger hit than it actually was. I still remember my first exposure to the song. It would occasionally air on the fledgling MTV, but never caught on as a real hit. Whenever I would see Translator appear on the multitude of 80's compilations that plagued record stores, back in the 90's, they would always include the song, "Everywhere That I'm Not". Now I can't speak for all Translator fans, but that song is one of my LEAST favorite. Whether it's the angst ridden message of love and love lost, or the simple catchy hook, I love this song...

10. MUSE - "Map of the Problematique"

Several years ago, I was introduced to British group, MUSE. After hearing the song, "Hysteria" (which, by all rights, should be on this collection), I considered myself a fan. Fast forward a couple years, when I had the opportunity to see them live, I was rabid. This song, which hails from the "Black Holes and Revelations" album, is one that, out of the blue, knocked me flat on my arse. It has such an intense building of energy that I would almost liken it to aural sex. AURAL, people.

DIAMOND CUTTERS: Volume 1

2012-01-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest.... many of you are probably asking yourselves what a "diamond cutter" is, and, quite frankly, you're going to need to keep wondering. To sum it up in as clean a way possible, let me just say that when it comes to music, in my world, it doesn't get any better than a "diamond cutter".

It's a term that I was introduced to, back in 1985. A friend of mine shared the term with me, as well as it's source, and it was what we used to rate our music. The "diamond cutter" was the end all-be all of music. It was the cream of the crop.

A year and a half ago, I set out to compile the songs that I considered to be my favorite of all time... at least those that were, for the most part, post-1980. They had to include songs that, at some point in my life, had completely consumed me and moved me deeply. They were typically songs that, when said movement occurred, I would find myself listening to the song repeatedly, and in some cases, for hours.

The songs that will be included in this series of blog posts are from different genres. When I compiled the 3-CD set, 15 months ago, I tried to weave the songs together in a way that made them flow smoothly. The first disc opened with Camouflage and ended with The Verve, and included anyone from Pearl Jam to Porcupine Tree, in between.

As I have listened to this playlist over and over, during the course of the last 15 months, I have come to the conclusion that two songs need to be cut, and in their places, have two songs added. The reason being is that, while the songs were deeply impacting when they were released, I don't connect with them as much, at this point in my life. In their place will be two songs that not only mean more to me now, but will actually fit into the playlist better.

A few friends have copies of these CDs, and I'm sure, to them, they are just a collection of music. In the case of some of these friends, I'm sure there are only a few songs that they even enjoy. I have no apologies, as these discs are mine. They are part of MY heart and soul. They are the soundtrack of my life.... at least the last 25 years or so.

With that being said, I am going to do a series of posts that will include links to videos (or in some cases audio), with a brief description of when, where and why the songs are significant to me. I hope you find their stories as enjoyable as I find these songs...

Disc One - Track 1

CAMOUFLAGE: "THAT SMILING FACE"

I fell in love with this song back in 1989, shortly after the debut album by Camouflage was released. This track opened up the album and was partly a satire about the (temporary) death of vinyl, and the birth of the digital age. In the studio version, the CD begins with the sound of a turntable needle dropping into the groove of a record, followed by a laugh... then the magic begins. Unfortunately, all I could find was a 5 year old live performance of the song, so I hope it will suffice. I really don't know WHY this song is so special to me, but it has always had a deep impact on me. There are no people or particular memories attached to the song, simply the music.

Disc One - Track 2

HUBERT KAH: "The Picture"

I'm not going to lie... this video is creepy to me. The only thing worse than a "live" performance, lip syncing to a studio track, is lip syncing in German to an English audio track. However, this is the audio of the second song on my Diamond Cutter playlist. Like track one, there is no story behind this song. I heard it in the early 90's, several years after it was released, and immediately fell in love with it. Apart from the "Once Bitten" soundtrack, the English version was never released in the states... at least until a series of CDs including rare 12" mixes was released several years ago.

Disc One - Track 3

DEPECHE MODE: "It's No Good"

I guess you could say that the Diamond Cutter discs were Electro-Pop heavy.... at least, for the first three songs. That's as far as the electronic music made it into the collection. I put them all here, because I felt they were best lumped together. The Camouflage song was a natural set opener, since it had the vinyl popping/laugh/tasty music thing going for it... Hubert Kah and Depeche Mode were a natural follow-up. The reality is that there were several Depeche Mode songs that could have made this set. I selected this one because, out of the entire Depeche Mode catalog, this one moves me more than almost any other... with the exception of one song. That song is "The Sun and the Rainfall", from their second album, A BROKEN FRAME. It is an obscure song... never a radio hit... but my favorite Depeche Mode song. Because of it's segue to the previous track on that album, I was forced to leave it off. "It's No Good" was, in fact, a very good replacement. Instead of the original video, I am unfortunately forced to use this "substitute". I'm really sick and tired of record labels that disable the ability to embed videos. I don't understand.... do they NOT want their videos to get more exposure?

Disc One - Track 4

PETER MURPHY: "All Night Long"

When I returned home from my LDS mission, one of the first songs to catch my ear was the song "Indigo Eyes", by former Bauhaus frontman, Peter Murphy. I had no idea who Bauhaus was, I had no idea who Peter Murphy was, but I loved the song. I ended up buying the CD, it being one of the first few CDs that I ever purchased. The opening track on the album is "All Night Long". Not only did I absolutely love the song, but after seeing the video on MTV's "120 Minutes", I was moved. I loved the video, as it was one of the most artistic videos of the era.

Disc One - Track 5

TOTO: "Melanie"

Track 5 on my playlist is a song from TOTO, dating back to 1999. This was the first album to feature original vocalist, Bobby Kimball, after nearly 15 years away from the band. Ironically, he is not the vocalist on this song. This little gem is the work of band leader/songwriter/occasional vocalist/ALWAYS sensational guitarist, Steve Lukather. This song connected with me when I began working as a Clerk for the Postal Service. I remember having an array of emotions stirring through my mind one morning, as I traveled home. I had just finished working a 12 hour shift, and was driving home at 6:00 in the morning. The song lyrically (and, in my opinion, stylistically) has a "driving" feel. I still, to this day, have a hard time listening to this song without pushing repeat once or twice.

Do you remember what I said about record companies/artists disabling my ability to embed their videos? Yeah? Well, thanks, Luke. I guess I'll treat all viewers to a subtitled version of the video. I hope y'all like that.

UNCLE ZEKE'S TOP 21 of 2011

2012-01-02T04:05:00.000-08:00

Before I begin, I need to explain a little bit about my "Top (whatever) Lists". These lists compile my top 10 (or 20... or, in this case, 21) albums of a certain era in my life. Whether it be the year I was born, the year I graduated from high school (not yet posted) or 2011, it is a record of what I love right NOW.

I know that there are albums that will be noticeably missing. I'm sure the moment Mark Clark (hi, Mark) reads this list, he will ask himself, "Where the @#*% is Steven Wilson?!?" It's no secret that I have loved everything remotely related to Steven Wilson, whether it be the first project I fell in love with (No-Man) or my "favorite band of all time" (Porcupine Tree). This year not only brought a new Blackfied album, but a second "solo" project. I wholeheartedly admire both albums (with the exception of track 2 on the Blackfield album), but I haven't completely connected with either album.......yet.

Chances are, if you were to ask my my favorite album of 2011, in a year's time, I might say "Steven Wilson's 'Grace For Drowning'", although that's bloody unlikely.... only because Fleet Foxes are THAT good. A comparable example would be Talk Talk's 1988 release, "Spirit of Eden". It has been 22+ years since it's release, and it only gets better with age. Upon my initial listen of that album, I was puzzled as to what they were trying to accomplish. Subsequently, 1991's "Laughing Stock" seemed like the band had completely derailed. When describing "Laughing Stock" to people, I simply say that it makes Pink Floyd's "The Wall" seem like Michael Jackson's "Thriller". It's that far out in left field. By 1988, Talk Talk had completely washed their hands of creating "hit singles" and focused on the art of their music. What began as an album that I barely tolerated has become one of my favorite, IF NOT my favorite album of 1988. Such may be the case for Steven Wilson.

Many albums that I intended to put on the list didn't even make it (My Morning Jacket, Warren Haynes, Booker T. Jones, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Big Harp, Blitzen Trapper, Death Cab For Cutie, to name a few). It is simply because the albums, although very much enjoyed, took a back seat to many of the other albums that crossed my path.

2011 has been a year of aural consumption. I've become more exposed to the world of Indie Rock and it has taken hold of me. The longer I play guitar, the more I associate with the heartfelt, pure sound that comes from many Indie singer/songwriters. Where I used to feed off of elaborate production and intricate rhythms, I now feed off of a solo, sincere, heartfelt voice and a simple finger-picking guitar style. I have no apologies for this change in my musical life, as I still embrace the beautiful, deep musical styles of the past.

With that said, let's get busy with my Top 21 of 2011. I hope you like them...

1. FLEET FOXES - "HELPLESSNESS BLUES"

For anyone that knows me, or pays the least bit attention to my music tastes, it will come as no surprise that my number one album of the year is "Helplessness Blues", by Seattle's FLEET FOXES. For many bands, the second album is one of the most difficult to put together. It's often said that, in the world of music, you have a lifetime to create the first album, but only a year to do the second. This album was anything but a letdown. Taking their signature harmonies (heavily influenced by bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and bringing both deeper sound and deeper subject material, they created an album that not only equaled their debut full length album, but, in some areas, surpassed it. If it weren't for some of the extravagant experimentation with various instruments (bass clarinet, anyone?), this album would have been flawless from start to finish.

I should point out that it's one of several to come from the notorious Sub-Pop label. Best. Label. Ever.

2. OTHER LIVES - "TAMER ANIMALS"

My second favorite album of the year comes from Oklahoma's OTHER LIVES. If I recall correctly, I discovered this album via the KCRW podcast, MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC. I was nothing short of blown away when I heard how amazing this band sounded live (in studio), and I felt a dire need to explore further. With what little birthday money I had, I hunted down this album and was amazed at what I heard.

It wasn't until just recently that I was made aware that singer Jesse Tabish was born and raised (to the age of 12) in Salt Lake City, Utah... my hometown. Really, that fact is irrelevant. Their sound, which features an eclectic array of instruments, says it all.

The funny thing is that I discovered them on my birthday, just a week after they had played Salt Lake. I had the opportunity to see them just last month, when they returned to Salt Lake City to play my favorite venue, The State Room. I was not only ecstatic to see them on this tour, but considering they were just asked to play a sizable chunk of Radiohead's forthcoming North American Tour, it was probably the last time that I would get to see them in such an intimate venue.

3. KATE BUSH - "50 WORDS FOR SNOW"

Kate Bush, British songstress that was discovered by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (at the age of 16) has been one of the most prolific singer/songwriters to surface in the last 35 years. Early in her career, Kate was churning out album after album of inventive, mind bending Art Pop. As her career progressed, her albums became more and more sparse, ofttimes going years between releases, yet the music remained poignant. Between the early 90's and mid 00's, Kate had completely disappeared from the music scene. Most of this time was spent starting her own family, but it didn't mean that she had disappeared entirely from the world of music.

Earlier this year, Kate released DIRECTOR'S CUT, which was a collection of reinterpretations of songs from her 1993 release, THE RED SHOES, in addition to material from 1989's THE SENSUAL WORLD. For those of us that have been fans of hers for nearly 3 decades (or, in my case 25 years), we enjoyed the new take on familiar work, but hoped that it wasn't the only material that we would hear from Kate for the next few years.

As 2011 marched on, buzz began to surface about a "Seasonal" album that Kate was working on. Would it feature traditional Christmas music? Would it be original material? Only time would tell. In the end, we were treated with a collection of new material that was, essentially, a concept album based around Winter and it's elements. The word Christmas is only mentioned once, and only in conjunction with snow. The album has a very deep Winter feel to it, and I know it won't be anything that I will listen to in the middle of Summer.

To put it in perspective, 50 WORDS FOR SNOW is probably my second favorite Kate Bush album of all time, behind 1985's HOUNDS OF LOVE. Now that I think about it, it may even be better...

4. BLUE OCTOBER - "ANY MAN IN AMERICA"

For those of you that have been listening to Blue October for any amount of time, you will be very aware that the aspect of the band that pulls you in is singer/lyricist Justin Furstenfeld's heartfelt, passionate lyrics. From early on, Justin felt that one of the best ways for him to deal with his clinical depression was to sing about it. Heck, folks, the name of the band is derived from the time Justin first spent "institutionalized".

What really sucks me into this album is the subject matter. Most of Blue October's earlier work dealt with Justin's depression, anxiety, mental breakdowns. 2009's APPROACHING NORMAL ended up being my least favorite album of theirs, and that was primarily because Justin was... well... approaching normal. The music didn't have nearly the punch that the earlier work did. It was good, yes, but it didn't pull you in like their more intense, personal work.

It wasn't until the events that unfolded following the release of APPROACHING NORMAL, and the subsequent touring, that their greatest work was to be unveiled to our listening ear. Between 2009 and the release of this gem, Justin's wife left him, and screwed him over in a custody battle over their daughter. I don't think I have ever heard an album with as much genuine venom as this album has to offer.

One may think that my affinity towards this album comes from MY recent life circumstances, and you may be right. That being said, Justin's experiences go a little lower than mine, and you hear it... dare I say FEEL it on each and every song.

5. ADELE - "21"

When I purchased this CD on it's release day, early in 2011, I had no idea how big the album would become. Like my number 4 album (Blue October), this album is fueled with a lot of passion stemming from nasty break-ups. Adele Adkins, if nothing else, wears her heart on her sleeve. And, if that isn't enough, has enough soul in her voice to make you FEEL the pain that she has been through. Typically, I shy away from albums that dominate the charts... because, typically, they suck. Such is not the case for this gem. This album bleeds soul, both in the lyrics and in her music. And did I mention her voice?

6. BON IVER - "BON IVER"

Bon Iver, otherwise known as Justin Vernon, may be best known in Popular music as an occasional collaborator with Kanye West. For those that listen to the burgeoning Indie scene, Vernon is a singer/songwriter that is not afraid to explore musical waters often left alone. His lyrics are very personal, very beautiful, and the songs, themselves, are a soundscape of wonder. It wasn't until this past month that I saw a review that pointed out that this album has some similarities to late-era TALK TALK. After a subsequent listen, I finally heard it.... and perhaps that is why this album struck a chord with me from the get-go.

7. CARY BROTHER - "UNDER CONTROL"

My seventh favorite album of the year comes from LA singer/songwriter Cary Brothers. Up until the time that I saw Cary open for his longtime friend, Joshua Radin, I hadn't the slightest clue of who he was, even though I owned the GARDEN STATE soundtrack, which features an earlier song by Brothers. It was during Cary Brothers' warm-up set at the Joshua Radin show that I was exposed to some of the catchiest Pop that I have heard in quite some time. I immediately went out to the merchandise table and picked up the LP record. It is an album that demands repeat listens, and one that does not get old with repeated listens. It may not delve into the intensely personal waters of some of my other favorite albums of the year, but it has a charm that few of the other albums manifest.

8. THE MIDDLE EAST - "I WANT THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS HAPPY"

Over the course of the year, I have gotten to be friends with a clerk at a local independent record store. During my association with said clerk, we have spent a certain amount of time discussing music, and sharing recommendations with each other. Young Craig told me about an Australian band that reminded him of Fleet Foxes, called THE MIDDLE EAST. Truth be told, all you need to do is say anything sounds like Fleet Foxes, and I'll be there. The reality is that there are only a couple of songs that remind me of Fleet Foxes, but the rest of the album draws me in every bit as much.

This album runs the gamut of sounds. Ambient, Folkish, simple and lush... it has it all. Not to mention one of the Bob-bitchinest album covers EVER. And the title? "I Want That You Are Always Happy"? Does it get any cooler than that?!? No wonder that banana is smiling.

9. AIRBAG - "ALL RIGHTS REMOVED"

This year's late bloomer is from Norway's AIRBAG. I was exposed to the music of Airbag last year. Well, two years ago, now. The best way for me to describe the music of Airbag is like this: imagine, if you will, that Pink Floyd had not all but dissolved after 1994's DIVISION BELL. Imagine that David Gilmour's voice had become a little more moody, and that his guitar work did the same. If you can wrap your mind around that, then you can wrap your ears around Airbag.

Yes, they have the dumbest name in the history of Rock music..... but they have the sound to make up for it.

Simply put, no self-respecting Pink Floyd fan should be without their last couple albums. In many ways, their albums exceed that of Pink Floyd. If you didn't weigh in the "creativity" factor, they would, in my opinion, be superior to Floyd. That being said, they are probably guilty of taking the Pink Floyd sound and trying to make it their own. And, in most areas, they succeed.

10. CITY AND COLOUR - "LITTLE HELL"

The best part of 2011 was the fact that my life has been surrounded by music enthusiasts. People that share the love of music to the extent that I do. For a guy like me, this is colossal. One such person is the nephew of my dear friend Mary. When you get Quentin and I in a room together, it's enough to send others running for the door. It's a good thing they just tune us out and let us go on with our conversation.

This year, Quentin has introduced me to several artists and bands. One such introduction was to CITY AND COLOUR. City and Colour is the pseudonym of Dallas Green, singer and guitarist for the post-Hardcore band, ALEXISONFIRE. This project is anything but hardcore. If anything, it can be simply summed up as very heartfelt, honest Folk music. Dallas wears his heart on his sleeve nearly as much as Blue October's Justin Furstinfeld. And his guitar playing.... wow. If I were good enough to be a singer/songwriter, I'd like to be City and Colour.

11. ST. VINCENT - "STRANGE MERCY"

ST. VINCENT, a.k.a. Annie Clark, is a singer/songwriter from Texas, by way of New York City. St. Vincent has a shoe-in to the hearts of Indie Rock fans based on the fact that she has both been a member of THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, as well as a member of Sufjan Steven's touring band. All that put aside, Annie Clark is creating quite a stir with her creative way of not only writing music, but playing it. There are are few guitarists, at least in the world of Indie Rock, that push the limits of the instrument as much as Annie Clark. If you were to talk music with a friend and discuss what "genre" St. Vincent would be, you would have a lot of silence, with the occasional scratch of the head. It's nearly impossible to pinpoint her sound.

If you were to ask me what she sounded like, I would ask you if you had ever heard Kate Bush's THE DREAMING. Assuming you would say yes (knowing you would really say "no"), I would say, THAT is St. Vincent. It's bizarre, it's chaotic, it's beautiful.

12. THE DECEMBERISTS - "THE KING IS DEAD"

At the tail end of 2010, The Decemberists released a 7" single with a song from their forthcoming album, THE KING IS DEAD. I think this was my first anticipated release of the year. I have been a fan of The Decemberists' quirky take on Folk music, for years now. Combining Folk music with the intensity and structure of Progressive Rock, they have created a truly unique sound. Most of their albums are concept pieces that tell bizarre stories foreign to most popular music. If you don't believe me, check out THE CRANE WIFE.

This album was a departure from their traditional sound, since it was simply a collection of unrelated, standard length Folk songs, many of which featured the unmistakable voice of Gillian Welch. What we had, in the end, was a great Folk album, from start to finish.

13. MARIA TAYLOR - "OVERLOOK"

This, the latest solo album by one half of Azure Ray, Maria Taylor, is a great collection of honest, heartfelt music from one of the purest voices to be found in the world of Indie Folk music. This album doesn't venture from her familiar sound, but, instead, wraps you up in her familiar warmth. If music were a blanket, it would be Maria Taylor.

14. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY - "TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE"

What can be said about Austin, Texas' EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY? Inventive? Yes. Textured? Yes. Noisy? Hell yes. Beautiful? Immensely!!

This album is nothing shy of classic EITS. For those of you not familiar with the band, you need to check them out. If you have been a longtime viewer of "Friday Night Lights", chances are you have heard them, as they are responsible for much of that show's soundtrack.

All instrumental, all guitars-bass-drums, all engaging..... that's Explosions in the Sky. Not to mention, they had the absolute coolest vinyl packaging I have ever seen.... hands down.

15. NICK 13 - "NICK 13"

This album, the solo "Americana" debut from Tiger Army's Nick 13, is one of the greatest Americana albums I have ever heard. While his voice may not have the sincerity of Johnny Cash, Nick 13 makes up for it with his incredibly moody guitar work. For those of you that like some nice moody steel guitar the way I do, this album is for you.

16. THE CIVIL WARS - "BARTON HOLLOW"

I feel like I was a little late to the Civil Wars party, but better late than never. Comprised of two singer/songwriters (Joy Williams and John Paul White), THE CIVIL WARS have taken the talents of two solo artists and turned it into something spectacular. You will be hard pressed to find more beautiful harmonies than those featured on this album. Both beautiful and heartbreaking, this album knows how to tug on your heartstrings.

Truth be told, the only thing that taints this album is that the name Taylor Swift is becoming synonymous with it, and will become even more so when they collaborate on a song during 2012.

17. LOW - "C'MON"

If it weren't for the fact that I just got this album a few days ago, this would probably be further up the list. Much further. This album grows on me with each and every listen. I've been familiar with LOW for years now, but hadn't known that much about them. I knew that they collaborated with TOMANDANDY on the song, HALF LIGHT, from the soundtrack of THE MOTHMAN PROPHESIES. In addition to that, I had also recently become aware that the band consisted of the core duo, Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, an LDS (that's the Mormon's, yo) couple, residing in Duluth, Minnesota. Whoduthunk that an LDS husband and wife from Duluth, Minnesota could create such beautiful, dark music... a genre typically known as "Slowcore"...on a label as cool as Sub-Pop?!?

18. THE HEAD AND THE HEART - "THE HEAD AND THE HEART"

Yet another Seattle band on the Sub-Pop label... go figure. Go figure that they are great! And have a kick-ass album cover. 'Nuff said.

19. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - "CEREMONIALS"

Another album that would probably be higher on the list, had I gotten it earlier. Thanks to Amazon.com for offering the mp3 download for $2.99. I'll try pert near anything for that price. And this baby did NOT disappoint. That isn't all, ladies and gentlemen. It's at least triple that. Heck, QUADRUPLE THAT!!

Daggum, that Florence has a voice. Like my good friend, Kate, if I were a woman, I'd totally be gay for Florence. Kate IS female, by the way. In case there was any confusion.

20. IRON & WINE - "KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN"

I almost feel guilty for having this album so low on the chart. It's great. From start to finish. That being said, I largely ignored it this year. I have no excuse apart from the fact that there was always something new to listen to, and it seemed to have been swept under the carpet. Thank heavens for my exclusive Black Friday "Record Store Day" vinyl release of Iron & Wine's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" performance, which resurrected my interest in the release.

Unlike some of the other bands, Iron & Wine BEGAN his career (oh, yes... I&W is a HIM, not a them... HIM being Sam Beam) on Sub Pop Records. This LP was his first major label release (WB Records).

21. MATES OF STATE - "MOUNTAINTOPS"

Many may ask, "WHY 21 albums on the chart?" Because. As I told a Facebook friend of mine, "Necessity and surrealism are the step-daddy of innovation. I would not feel right if Mates of State were NOT on the list. Mates of State are hardly the groundbreaking artists of some of the aforementioned artists... people like Kate Bush, St. Vincent, Bon Iver, Low, etc..... BUT, they DO succeed at turning every album into a party.

Like LOW, Mates of State are a husband/wife duo, comprised of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. What The Black Keys are to drum/guitar Blues Rock, Mates of State are to Piano/Drums Indie Pop. With much of their music being limited to the piano/keys/drums combo, it is nothing short of amazing at how much sound they can create. Not to mention, they make it fun.

ROCKTOBER: Day 31 - OINGO BOINGO

2011-10-31T22:30:00.000-07:00

For the 31st (and nearly final) day of Rocktober, I dust off another one of my classic shirts. Classic in the fact that it's 16 years old, and classic in the fact that it's Oingo Boingo. This shirt was from the 1995 "Farewell Tour", which I'm sure you knew just by looking at the pictures. What you may not know is that this shirt was not official merchandise sold at the show, but actually a "bootleg" shirt being sold across the street from the venue. I think I paid $10.00 for the shirt. The irony is that this shirt, in MY opinion, is far cooler than the official tour shirts. The actual shirts sold at the show had some kind of Inca looking figure, while this shirt sports the classic logo and image from the album, GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL, which, to this day, is my favorite Boingo album.

I was first introduced to Oingo Boingo in the Summer of 1983. My cousin had a girl living in his neighborhood that was from Southern California. Her favorite groups were Oingo Boingo and Depeche Mode, both of which were new to me. It was within a couple months that I officially heard Depeche Mode for the first time (Everything Counts), but it was about that time that I was officially exposed to the Oingo Boingo album, GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL. The album was kitschy, it was cutting edge, it was fierce.

I first saw Oingo Boingo on the DEAD MAN'S PARTY Tour of 1985. They played at the Utah State Fairground Coliseum, with Wall of Voodoo (sans Stan Ridgway, who had departed on a solo career). The next Boingo experience for me was in 1988 (at Park West) following the release of BOINGO ALIVE, which was actually MCA Records (their second label) having the band revisit their early A&M Records catalog, live in the studio. Really, it's nothing more than a label trying to capitalize on songs that they don't really own the rights to. Either way, the show kicked butt. My third and final Boingo experience was in 1995, on the "Farewell Tour". The reality was that this show was one of only six concerts on that tour.

Oingo Boingo was known for their Halloween concerts in Southern California (where they are from), which had become an annual tradition. Their final concert was played on Halloween (I'm pretty sure it was actually on the 31st, but may have been a day or two before) in the Universal Amphitheater. When interviewed about the tour, leader Danny Elfman (best known for his film scoring, specifically with Tim Burton films) mentioned that their real fan base was limited to a few areas, specifically California and some West Coast towns. In an interview for X96 in Salt Lake, Danny pointed out that, apart from their hometown LA crowd, Salt Lake City was their strongest fan base. And that is no surprise... for Oingo Boingo has always been a favorite for people from my generation.

I chose to keep this shirt for Halloween, because Oingo Boingo is synonymous with Halloween. Not only was their music's subject matter fairly macabre (Grey Matter, Insects, Little Girls, Nasty Habits, etc.), but Danny Elman, himself, was responsible for music synonymous with Halloween.... the score to the Tim Burton film, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Not only did Danny score the film and write it's original music, but he did the singing vocals of Jack Skelington.

So, with this detailed background of MY history with Oingo Boingo, sit back and take a trip through THEIR history... from the Gong Show appearance of THE MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF THE OINGO BOINGO, right down to their final performance. And speaking of final performances, I must give the band props for one thing above all: when they said they were going to call it quits, they meant it. I have always been sickened by bands and artists that continually announce their "final tour", when it's merely a gimmick to get people out to their shows, followed by a 2-3 year hiatus, when they dust themselves off and hit the road on a "reunion tour". When Oingo Boingo walked off the stage at the Universal Amphitheater, they never looked back. So, to Danny, Steve and the rest of the boys.... thank you for some of the greatest, most energetic of the 1980's and 1990's... and thanks for the memories.

THE MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF THE OINGO BOINGO live on The Gong Show, circa 1976

PRIVATE LIFE

STAY

GRAY MATTER from the Farewell Tour

ROCKTOBER: Day 30 - MARIA TAYLOR

2011-10-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today's offering is actually the latest addition to the wardrobe. So recent, in fact, that it was just acquired late Thursday night at the Maria Taylor/Big Harp show at the Urban Lounge, a concert venue that has been a real staple in my "night life", as of late.

Maria Taylor is a singer/songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama, by way of Omaha, Nebraska, by way of Los Angeles, California. She is best known as half of the duo known as AZURE RAY. Both Maria and Azure Ray record for the Saddle Creek label, an Indie label best known for BRIGHT EYES.

The thing I like about Maria's music is it's sometimes melancholic feel, as well as deeply personal lyrics. Although, I do tend to laugh to myself when I listen to a cut off of the new album where she asks the question of what life will be like if she ends up being "59, with no child of mine", and she was in the early stages of pregnancy by time she made it to Salt Lake. Good news, Maria... I don't think it'll be an issue.

Anyhow, this shirt is a nice blend of three different types of fabrics, and comfortable as all get out.

I should also point out (in case you didn't notice) that I shaved my head before the official end of Rocktober. I knew that there would be very little difference between yesterday and tomorrow, so I opted to get rid of the hideous looking "head of hair" - or lack thereof - and get on with what it was really done for: THE BEARD.

So, with all that being said, let me see if I can find some music videos for your aural/visual pleasure.

"TIME LAPSE LIFELINE" from LADY LUCK

"A GOOD START" from LYNN TEETER FLOWER

"SONG BENEATH THE SONG" from 11:11

"CARTOONS AND FOREVER PLANS" feat. (Michael Stipe) from LADY LUCK

ROCKTOBER: Day 29 - RAY LaMONTAGNE & THE PARIAH DOGS

2011-10-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

For the 29th installment of Rocktober, I wanted to debut a shirt that I hadn't even worn until tonight. It was recently given to me by my dear friend, Mary, who also treated me to the Ray LaMontagne concert earlier this past Summer. Before seeing Ray, I had only ever owned his first album, which admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of at the time of it's release. Prior to the show, I had secured his latest album, and quite enjoyed it. Now that I own all four albums, I still find the first to be my least favorite, but still enjoy it quite a bit. The middle two are absolutely amazing, and the latest is not far behind. Ray is one of the most passionate singer/songwriters on the scene today, and has one of the most soulful voices AND songwriting styles that I have heard in quite some time. Like other similar songwriters, you either get him... or you don't. I didn't way back when, but totally do now. And I am ever grateful.

For those of you not familiar with Ray LaMontagne, he is rather reclusive. So reclusive, that when her performs, he actually prefers to stand on the edge of the stage, and out of the light, when he is not singing or standing out from a musical point of view. As far as I can tell, he also has a serious lack of "official music videos", so I will be including some performances from my favorite podcast, KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic". I hope you enjoy them...

"LET IT BE ME" from KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic".

"EMPTY" from "Morning Becomes Eclectic"

"EMPTY" from BBC4 w/ full band

"BE HERE NOW" (my personal favorite Ray tune) from BBC4

ROCKTOBER: Day 28 - FLEET FOXES

2011-10-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Fleet Foxes. I don't just love them, I adore them. No... no.... the more I think about it, I'm totally gay for them. Especially that Robin Pecknold. His smile makes me melt. And so do his songs. And then throw in the harmonies of the rest of the band? Sheesh. Fetch me a cold spoon. Please.

Now, I would like to clarify to all of you that DON'T know me... I'm not really gay (not that there is anything wrong with that)... but I love Fleet Foxes more than nearly any other artist to hit the music scene since 1991. I insist that, IF you like the music in these videos, you venture out and buy their albums. Or download them off the internet. Or have your friends make a copy. I don't normally (openly) condone file sharing, but Robin does... he's all for it. He wants you to get an illegal copy of his albums, and I support Robin in supporting that.

As for the shirt, it is (by far) the most detailed shirt I have ever gotten. I actually have a litho of the same image, that came with my LP when I purchased it. To sum it up... it's a sweet shirt... and an even sweeter band.

"WHITE WINTER HYMNAL"

"MYKONOS"

"HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY"

ROCKTOBER: Day 27 - U2 (Part Deux)

2011-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

For Day 27 of Rocktober, I am showcasing my latest, greatest U2 shirt. This shirt was from this past May's 360 Tour at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on the University of Utah campus. Here is how the story goes. The 360 Tour was supposed to visit Utah, back in 2010. Bono hurt his back, forcing them to postpone the tour so that Bono could undergo emergency back surgery. Last Winter, there was a rather heavy media blitz to sell tickets to the rescheduled show (with many people having sought refunds instead of holding on to tickets for the rescheduled show) and, after finding out that there were tickets for $30.00, I decided to buy a ticket for myself and a ticket for a good friend of mine, for her birthday (which was the day following the rescheduled show). As a return favor, she promised to buy me a tour shirt for MY birthday (although it wasn't until August). So, in commemoration of a great concert, here is a great shirt... one of many different styles available at the show, including one that actually had a blueprint of Rice-Eccles Stadium on the back. How cool is that?

In the meantime, enjoy the photos, and I'll see if I can drum up some video footage from the 360 Tour, for you personal entertainment...

"VERTIGO" from U2 360 Tour

"WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME" from U2 360 Tour

ROCKTOBER: Day 26 - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

2011-10-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Let me list the reasons why I love EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY:

1. They hail from Austin, Texas.

2. Their brand of instrumental, atmospheric music is completely creative.

3. Their latest album, "TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE" is the single most creative piece of vinyl I have ever seen.

4. The band insists that their fans not be overcharged for their merchandise. For example, when I have seen them in concert (twice), the shirts have never been more than $15. Not only that, but the latest vinyl box set (which retails on an average of $32.00) was sold for $20.00 at their free summer concert. They insisted on that price.

5. They rock. And roll.

Enjoy these video offerings, and you will see what I mean....

"LAST KNOWN SURROUNDING" from TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE

"MEMORIAL" live from Austin City Limits

ROCKTOBER: Day 25 - IMOGEN HEAP

2011-10-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

For the 25th day of Rocktober, I thought I would wear my Imogen Heap shirt. Truth be told, there is nothing significant about the shirt and the 25th of October, it's really just the fact that it's currently in the 40's, and I feel like bein' cozy in a long sleeve shirt and my pajama pants. I worked nearly 11 hours today... I deserve that.

Like my Trashcan Sinatras shirt (see Rocktober Day 1), this shirt was not purchased on the tour that it was promoting. I originally saw Imogen on the SPEAK FOR YOURSELF tour, but did not have sufficient money to get a shirt. I was happy to find this shirt on sale for the low, low price of $15.00, on the ELLIPSE tour.

For those of you not familiar with the music of Imogen Heap, she is a British singer/songwriter, who has built a steady following since embarking on a solo career following the breakup of her original duo, FROU FROU. The reality is, FROU FROU wasn't even a successful project until Zach Braff included the song, "LET GO" on the soundtrack for his film, Garden State.

Sit back and enjoy some tasty visual treats from Imogen Heap, as well as her previous project, Frou Frou.

"Let Go" by Frou Frou, this video featuring footage from "Garden State"

"Hide and Seek" from Speak For Yourself

"Goodnight and Go" from Speak For Yourself

"First Train Home" from Ellipse

ROCKTOBER: Day 24 - MUSE

2011-10-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

For my 24th Rocktober offering, I am once again including a shirt that I picked up at the Hot Topic.... again, in the discount rack. The thought of paying full price for a shirt at Hot Topic makes me want to yack, so I avoid it at all costs. Not to mention, both times I've seen Muse in concert, the shirts were a round $40. Ouch. Prices like that make me enjoy the Indie shows that much more.

For those of you that may not be able to read what the shirt says, it says: "You set my soul alight - MUSE".

And, for those of you that haven't had the experience of seeing Muse live, SHAME ON YOU! That being said, do your darndest to catch them, next time they hit the road. Believe you me, I have seen hundreds of bands perform live over the years, and few rival the energy that you find at a Muse concert. I will include a music video or two, as well as a live clip from their H.A.A.R.P. live album and DVD. To quote Bloody Mary in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, SOUTH PACIFIC..... "You likey, you buy?"

"INVINCIBLE" from H.A.A.R.P.

"MAP OF THE PROBLEMATIQUE" from "BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS"

(taken from Live @ Abbey Road)

"HYSTERIA" from H.A.A.R.P.

ROCKTOBER: Day 23 - PINK FLOYD (Part IV)

2011-10-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today's post is lame-o in ever sense of the imagination. Except for the shirt. It was purchased at Hot Topic, even though I don't like to get most of my music t-shirts there. I occasionally find treasures in the discount bin, and this may have been one of them. I don't remember. Regardless, for those of you who are Pink Floyd fans, you will recognize this picture from the UMMAGUMMA album which, admittedly, is my least favorite of the Floyd ventures. It was really a collection of pieces written by each of the individual band members, and as could be expected, the David Gilmour piece was the closest I came to enjoying any of them. Regardless, it has some killer artwork, courtesy of the legendary Storm Thorgerson.

And one last thing.... please forgive my bulbous nose.

ROCKTOBER: Day 22 - JIMI HENDRIX

2011-10-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

For Day 22 of Rocktober, we are going to keep things simple. This shirt is a new acquisition. One I found at the local Deseret Industries, a chain of thrift stores owned by the LDS Church, for the low, low price of $2.00. I was there with my daughter Briana, just this past week, looking for items for her school dance costume. I not only found this sweet Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, featuring the cover of his latest album, VALLEYS OF NEPTUNE, but two other sweet shirts... well.... three, but you will only see two others as part of Rocktober.

"All Along the Watchtower"

I know you may be wondering, "Latest album? But I thought Jimi was dead!", and you'd be right. Jimi was not only talented in life, but has been able to continue releasing albums, posthumously, more than nearly any other artist... with the possible exception of 2-Pac. But, he's not really an artist, so that doesn't count.

The third and final picture is of my shorts. Why is this included? Because the picture was accidentally taken, and I thought it looked kinda cool. As for the shorts, they are "Tony Hawk" shorts from Kohl's, and were purchased for approximately $15.00.

ROCKTOBER: Day 21 - THE CRYSTAL METHOD

2011-10-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Today's offering is from THE CRYSTAL METHOD, the Electronica duo that burst onto the scene in the late 90's, utilizing the occasional sample, guest vocalist and whatever equipment they had in their garage, taking the electronic music world by storm. In addition to four(?) albums of original material, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland have worked over the years as DJ's and remixers.

I had the opportunity to see them perform live in an alleyway in downtown Salt Lake, back in 2001. In reality, it was the two men working with their elaborate computer/keyboard system, not to mention one of the coolest light shows I had seen, up to that point. This shirt is the souvenir from that fun summer evening.

Enjoy these two videos, the first featuring Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, and the second featuring Matisyahu. The Scott W. tune is also a good lesson in why you should never become involved with an inflatable sex doll.

"Murder" from Tweekend

"Drown in the Now" featuring Matisyahu

ROCKTOBER: Day 20 - PORCUPINE TREE

2011-10-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that Talk Talk was my second favorite band of all time. Some of you may have wondered who my favorite band of all time is, and so I thought I would make them my pick of the day.

Porcupine Tree was a "band" started by a young British musician named Steven Wilson, back in the late 80's, when he was just a teen. It essentially started as a young man experimenting in his basement, and became a project that was, for the most part, composed and performed by himself. Around the same time, Steven teamed up with Tim Bowness, and created a band called NO-MAN. In the early years, No-Man was Steven's main project, and Porcupine Tree was really just a side project to help make financial ends meet.

Fast forward ten years, and Steven had created an actual group of musicians, including Richard Barbieri, former keyboardist of the 80's New Romantic band, JAPAN. Over the years, Steven has continued to record with No-Man, but Porcupine Tree has become it's own monster. With an intensely rabid following, they are far more popular than No-Man ever was. Porcupine Tree has succeeded in having a stream of Gold albums, with little to no commercial radio airplay.

In addition to No-Man, Steven also records with Israeli singer/songwriter/political activist, Aviv Geffen, under the moniker, BLACKFIELD. He has also released albums of experiment ambient music under the moniker, BASS COMMUNION, as well as experimental Art-Pop under the name I.E.M. He just completed a second "solo" album, and has just announced a forthcoming project with the singer of Swedish Speed Metal band, OPETH. If you haven't figured it out, not only is Steven Wilson one of the busiest people in music, but he is also one of the most creative. If you were to listen to these projects side by side, you would never know that they were coming from the same individual.

As for Porcupine Tree, I discovered them shortly before 9/11 (as in the week before), after having listened to No-Man for 6 years prior. To this day, they have not performed in Salt Lake City, however, I did finally get to see them on the "Deadwing" tour, back in 2005. Two years later, my friend and I flew to Portland to see them on the "Fear of a Blank Planet" tour, which is where this particular shirt was acquired. People often comment on how eerie this shirt is, but it hails from the cover art of this album which is centered around the desensitization of today's youth. Between the internet, video games, television, mind altering mood stabilizers, many of today's kids are more "numb" than generations past, and it's addressed in this album.

I've also included a picture of the back of my head... just to see how my "pokies" are coming along... and see just how much hair I have lost over the years. Good times, my friends.... good times.

"Fear of a Blank Planet"

"Lazarus" from Deadwing

ROCKTOBER: Day 19 - TALK TALK

2011-10-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

For Day 19 of Rocktober, I am modeling a very special shirt of mine. It is a choice piece of my wardrobe for two reasons. First, it is a TALK TALK shirt, a band that I would consider my second favorite band of all time. The reason being is that Talk Talk, who started in the early 80's as Electro Pop New Wave band, gradually became more ethereal, abandoning all intention of creating "Pop" music. With each album, their music became less and less commercial. Without fail, especially after the second album ("It's My Life"), it would take months, if not even years, for me to completely embrace the music. By time 1991's "Laughing Stock" came out, their music was so far removed from the mainstream that it made Pink Floyd's "The Wall" look like Michael Jackson's "Thriller". I always had a great deal of respect for the band, because the only thing that mattered was the "art" of what they did... not selling records.

The second reason why this t-shirt is special is that it was custom made for me. Back in 2001, when I worked at the Tom Tom Music store in Bountiful, Utah, we had a regular customer that worked in a t-shirt silk screening warehouse. If you supplied the design, they would mass produce the shirts. As a gift to each of our store employees, he offered to make a t-shirt of an album cover. For those of familiar with Talk Talk, you will know that their artwork is very surreal, with each of the album covers painted by artist, James Marsh. I requested the "It's My Life" album cover, which features a very detailed painting of puzzle pieces and a butt-load of colors. Eric (said customer/t-shirt designer) said that it was going to be too difficult to do, and asked if I had any other ideas. I found this artwork from the first album, "The Party's Over". The resulting t-shirt was still surreal, but also minimalistic.

For your viewing pleasure, I am going to include videos from each of the first four Talk Talk albums. If you have the time, watch them and pay attention to how their sound altered throughout their career. Also, in the 2nd video ("Dum Dum Girl"), note that the vocals were recorded live when the video was being filmed. It will always be one of my favorite videos of all time.

"TALK TALK" from THE PARTY'S OVER

"DUM DUM GIRL" from IT'S MY LIFE

(This video, although intended to be the "dress rehearsal", was the version featured on MTV)

"LIVING IN ANOTHER WORLD" from THE COLOUR OF SPRING

"I BELIEVE IN YOU" from THE SPIRIT OF EDEN

ROCKTOBER: Day 18 - U2

2011-10-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I debut my first of two U2 shirts. All-in-all, I have seen U2 three times. The first two times were on the POPMART Tour of 1997, as featured on this shirt. The first was at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus on May 3rd. The second was on November 21st, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Superdome. I'm glad that I had both experiences to see them, for two reasons. Reason number one was that we were "lucky" enough to secure floor seats, and I ended up standing right behind one of the members of the University of Utah basketball team... he being close to 7" tall. If it weren't for the fact that the Popmart Tour boasted one of the largest video screens, if not THE tallest video screen, to have been featured in a Rock concert, we'd have been screwed. With the Superdome, we had great seats, but with only 35-40,000 tickets sold (more than what Rice Stadium held back in those days), the stadium was still half empty. Yes, that is how big that stadium is.

Another significant bit of trivia about the New Orleans show, is that it was the
same day that Michael Hutchence of INXS died. We saw the story on the evening news just prior to leaving for the show, and Bono gave Michael a touching tribute during the show.

In addition to that difference, the New Orleans show also featured an altered playlist from the Salt Lake show, which was the fourth date on the tour. The N.O. show featured less songs from the album POP, and more of the classic material. It was a far superior set, including a tasty acoustic version of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", performed by The Edge.

Also, you may notice that the shirt is fairly faded. Well... you'd be faded if YOU were 14 years old. Well, IF you were a shirt.

"POP MUZIK/MOFO" from POPMART

"GONE" from POPMART

ROCKTOBER: Day 17 - JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD

2011-10-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Of all the shirts I have posted thus far, this is probably the most obscure artist. For those of you not familiar with Jessica Lea Mayfield, she is an Alt-Country artist whose last couple albums have been produced by Dan Aurbach of The Black Keys. He also appears on the albums.

Where the story gets interesting is when Jessica came to town, earlier this Spring, playing a show at Kilby Court. I wanted to go to it, but something came up at the last minute and I missed the concert. I was bummed. A week later, I was shopping for music at Graywhale, in Taylorsville. The manager, Zane, was wearing a Jessica Lea Mayfield tour shirt. Not only was I covetous (naughty, naughty me), but I was REALLY bummed that I didn't get to go to the show and get a shirt of my own.

Fast forward to end of July. My dear friend, Mary, gave me a ticket to see the Avett Brothers, at the Gallivan Center, as a birthday present. After arriving at the concert, we started wondering who the opening act was, as we hadn't heard prior to the show. I asked Mary's nephew if he knew who was opening, when he casually said, "Jessica Lea Mayfield". I couldn't see straight, nor could I walk straight. I headed to the merchandise tent and stood in line for the better part of a half hour. I saw the beloved J.L.M. tour shirt hanging in the tent, and even better, it was only $15 dollars. As I approached the front of the line, I eagerly asked the woman for a J.L.M. shirt in an XL. She quickly told me that she only handled merchandise for the Avett Brothers, and that I needed to return when Jessica's "people" were there. I was a little agitated, but decided to come back during her set to get the shirt. It turns out that Jessica's "people" may, in fact, have been her mother. I didn't care... I FINALLY got my shirt. The shirt that you see here...

Enjoy it, as I have.... and if I can find some videos of Miss Jessica Lea, enjoy those, too.

"Is This Love" w/ Seth Avett

"Our Hearts Are Wrong" from the David Letterman Show

ROCKTOBER: Day 16 - PINK FLOYD pt. 3

2011-10-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

I believe the warning was placed, early in Rocktober, that I would have a plethora of Pink Floyd shirts to model during the month. I am trying to keep them on (or around) Sundays, just to keep them spread evenly. I will only model four of the seven that I have owned over the years. One may think that I'm an absolute fanatic, when it comes to Pink Floyd. I don't know if I would go to that extent, but I AM a big fan. I will listen to the more obscure albums every bit as much as I will listen to the pivotal albums... ofttimes, even more. Part of the reason that I gathered so many Pink Floyd shirts, over the years, was that I worked in a music store during the 90's, and Floyd shirts were one of our biggest sellers. I would even occasionally wear my ATOM HEART MOTHER t-shirt as my unofficial Winder Dairy milkman uniform, when I knew management wasn't around to bust my chops. What better way to advertise your product that having a large, spotted Holstein on your chest!

For this week's Pink Floyd shirt, I have opted for my favorite of the bunch. It was given to me, last Christmas, by my youngest daughter, who also shares a fondness for the music of Pink Floyd. I can't remember exactly where she bought it, but I know it was at Fashion Place Mall, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say Hot Topic, although it's infinitely much higher quality than many of the shirts there. It features the cover art of twelve of their fourteen studio albums. I found it odd that one of the two noticeable left from the album was one of their most popular....... THE WALL. I'm assuming that it was left off because of the brash color contrast that would have been present. Truth be told, I think I'm glad they did. What is left is a beautiful collage of much of the fantastic work done by the legendary Storm Thorgerson.

ROCKTOBER: Day 15 - THE WOLFGANG PRESS

2011-10-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are now (almost) halfway done with Rocktober. The month has flown by. For the 15th day, I am busting out another tattered long sleeve t-shirt, which I've owned for around 15 years... give or take a year. This shirt was purchased at a Wolfgang Press performance, one from the legendary (in Salt Lake concert circles) Zephyr Club.

The Wolfgang Press were a band on 4AD Records, which was best known for it's very moody, near Gothic bands like Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil (which was actually a project that featured most 4AD artists), Modern English, among others. For the better part of their early career, The Wolfgang Press fit into that mold very well. With 1995's "Funky Little Demons", the band nearly flirted with a mainstream Alternative Pop sound. It featured a couple of Alternative/College Radio hits, "Going South" and "Christianity". You may also note in the above photograph that I did, in fact, shave my neck. It was driving me insane... not to mention, it made me look like crap. Very literally, like fecal matter. I'm going to go with a semi-neat looking beard for the rest of the month, and will continue to grow it through the Winter months and into the early Spring. It's going to be "freakin' sweet" by then.

I will feature one or both of the videos for your entertainment.

"Going South"

"Christianity"

As a bonus feature, I am going to include a picture of my awesome mailman tan line.

ROCKTOBER: Day 14 - ST. VINCENT

2011-10-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

This shirt is the "freshest" shirt in the Rocktober wardrobe. Acquired on Monday, October 10th, this shirt is also one of the more surreal shirts in my wardrobe.

For those of you who aren't familiar with St. Vincent, it is a "she" and NOT a "them". Who is she, you ask? She is Annie Clark, a 28-year old singer/songwriter, from Texas, by way of New York. She has three albums out, the most recent being the critically acclaimed, "Strange Mercy.

Annie & Co. played at Urban Lounge and really rocked the house. Yeah... you heard me... they ROCKED THE HOUSE. I'm done sounding like Wesley Willis. No, I'm not. They really whooped a horse's ass.

I know I have posted these videos on my Facebook page, but I'm going to make sure that everyone else gets to enjoy these incredibly creative, artistic videos.

"Cruel"

"Actor Out of Work"

"Laughing With a Mouth Full of Blood"

ROCKTOBER: Day 13 - CHEAP TRICK

2011-10-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, you know that I love Cheap Trick. I don't just love Cheap Trick, I adore them. That notion, alone, may cause many of you to not only shake your heads, but possibly even throw up a little bit in your mouths. The fact of the matter is that Cheap Trick was the band that made me fall in love with music. I've told the story a million times, so I won't go into great details, but I can thank my cassette copy of "In Color", purchased in the bargain bin at Musicland for the low, low price of $2.88, for making me completely and utterly obsessed with music. All it took was the raw energy of "Hello There" for me to be hooked... and the rest is history.

My love for Cheap Trick never did wane much, although I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to their last few albums, with the exception of their interpretation of the entire "Sgt. Peppers" album. They're good... for the most part... but I always go back to the first five albums, which to me are Pop gold.

As for my Cheap Trick live experiences, I have had the privilege of seeing them three times. The first time was in 1985, on the "Standing on the Edge" tour. I used to own a beautiful tour shirt, although it was thrown away unbeknownst to me. It was a deep sea blue, and featured a large 2000-15 on the back.... their clever way of saying 1985. Fast forward to 1997, when Cheap Trick came and played a private party for Sundance. To make their trip worthwhile, they decided to throw a concert at Club DV8 the night before. The beauty of that show was that they focused mainly on the music from their first four albums, and didn't really have anything new to promote, although they did debut a song from their forthcoming (second) eponymous release. Another bonus for that tour was that it was shortly after the return of Tom Petersson to the fold.

My third Cheap Trick experience was in 2008 (as you will notice on the shirt), when they were the first in an all-star line-up, featuring Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey. I hadn't seen the latter two bands, and was excited to see both of them, but all it took was having Cheap Trick on the bill to push me right in line for tickets.

Okay... enough gushing. Enjoy the pictures of my sweet, albeit generic looking shirt, and these tasty music videos...

"It's Only Love" from 1986's THE DOCTOR

"Dream Police"

...and just in case Cathy Newton stumbles across this page, here is a "duet" with John Lennon.

ROCKTOBER: Day 12 - DREDG

2011-10-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dredg was not my first choice of shirts to do today, but I needed a good one-sided shirt, as I was home alone and couldn't deal with trying to photograph my own back. I tried that once and, believe you me, it didn't work out.

For those of you that know me, or have been looking at this blog for some time, you will know that, since 2009, I have been a huge fan of Dredg. This California based band was introduced to me by my older brother Ray. Ray has rather eclectic tastes, ranging from Prog Rock to Post Rock.

Somewhere smack dab in the middle lies Dredg.

This particular shirt was purchased at my second (of 3) Dredg shows, when they opened up for Circa Survive. I took a close up of the shirt so you could try and figure out what the graphic is, because I really am struggling to come up with an answer myself. I think I see children on swings... but you decide.

In the meantime, enjoy a couple fantastic videos of this great band. Take note on the "Information" video: Mr. Drummer plays drums AND keyboards simultaneously. What a clever boy.

"Bug Eyes"

"Information"

I have also included a photograph of my facial hair, 12 days in. If you look closely you can see how agitated the skin is on my neck. This is the first time I have let it grow down there, and my neck is being rather unforgiving.

ROCKTOBER: Day 11 - EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

2011-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

When the 2011 Twilight Concert Series was announced in Salt Lake City, there were a few bands that I wasn't quite familiar with. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros was one of these bands. Two of my dear friends, Mary and her son, Max, were more excited to see Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros than nearly any other band... and this series included a stellar line-up, with the likes of The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, Explosions in the Sky and more.

At first, I had a difficult time tracking down some music from the band, and I eventually caved and purchased the album on Amazon.com. The real irony was that the entire time, I had the solo album by Alexander, leader of E.S.&t.M.Z, sitting on my filing cabinet at home. For those of you unfamiliar with the band... or dare I say, "collective"... Edward Sharpe is NOT a "him". It's a them. A rather large group of eccentric, hippie-type individuals. Alexander Ebert is the leader of the vocalist- he, himself, coming from the power Pop group, IMA-ROBOT.

This shirt was purchased at the concert (which was free of charge), and worth every penny. I mean, look at that graphic. Are these not the sweetest bunch of hippies you've ever seen? Huh??

I need to also point out that this picture was taken shortly after returning home from work. The day after Columbus Day is notoriously the heaviest mail day of the year... at least, in MY experience. Today was no exception. If I were a betting man, I would say that my mail was heavier today than any other day I've carried mail... and it shows in the picture.

So, without further adieu, I am going to fire up the video for the song, "Home", taken from the album "Up From Below", by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Since the actual music video is disabled from embedding, I am including these two performances of the song: one from KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and the other from NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" series. Both are fantabulous.

NPR - "Tiny Desk Concert Series"

KCRW- "Morning Becomes Eclectic"

ROCKTOBER: Day 10 - ALAN PARSONS

2011-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been Alan Parsons fans as long as I have (since his time with the Alan Parsons Project in the 70's and 80's), you may recall that the Alan Parsons Project did not tour. They felt that it was not possible to replicate their sound out on the road, so they opted to be a studio band. And the reality was that they weren't even really a band.... they were, in fact, a project. The core of the project was Alan Parsons, legendary producer and studio engineer who had worked with the likes of The Beatles, in addition to garnering a Grammy for his work on Pink Floyd's DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. Also, the other main figure in the Alan Parsons Project was Eric Woolfson, who was the main songwriter and regular vocalist. The Alan Parsons Project included vocals from several vocalists over the years, some famous...some not. They also utilized the talents of a couple members of Kate Bush's regular line-up (Ian Bairnson on guitar and Stuart Elliott on drums) on a regular basis, including into the "solo" era of Alan Parsons. Parsons also produced other hit records, including Al Stewart's "The Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages", two of my favorites from the 70's.

Although "On Air", the 1996 concept piece based around the concept of flying, was the second album in the Alan Parsons solo era (the only pivotal difference being that Eric Woolfson had left to pursue his own interests), it was my first opportunity to see the band. I don't know if technology had come along far enough to where Alan Parsons could take his music on the road, or that Eric Woolfson was the "no-tour" instigator, or even a combination of both, but by 1996 Alan Parsons not only had his band on tour, but they were proudly sponsored by DTS, as you will note on the bottom of the t-shirt.

This shirt was acquired at the concert, which was held in October of 1996, at Abravanel Hall, in Salt Lake City. My only complaint about the entire concert was that it was, in fact, too loud for a venue with as pristine acoustics as Abravanel Hall. For those of you not familiar with this great concert hall, it is said that if one were to drop a pin on the stage of Abravanel Hall, you would be able to hear it in any seat in the house. However, all that was made up when I actually had the opportunity to go backstage (I went to the concert with a friend who is friends with a fan club member, and we were all able to go backstage) and meet Alan Parsons and his band. Not only were they ALL incredibly nice blokes, but Alan Parsons is one tall individual. 6'6", if I'm not mistaken. The humor for me was that the gentleman I went to the show with (a friend, Craig Rackley) spent his time backstage asking Ian and Stuart what it was like to work with Kate Bush..... but hey, I can't knock him for that.

This shirt has noticeably many holes, although they may not be visible in the pictures. It is the perfect shirt to wear with a pair of pajama pants when it comes time to retire... and today is kind of a "pajama pants" day.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures... and I hope you enjoyed the stories. Now, sit back and enjoy some classic Alan Parsons video footage....

The following is a track from the Alan Parsons album, ON AIR. It's a track called, "Brother Up in Heaven", which was written by Ian Bairnson about his cousin that was the only pilot in the Allied forces to lose his life in Operation Desert Storm. A heartfelt song, to say the least. This performance is taken from a concert in Belgium in 1997.

And lastly, this touching video put to the music of "Silence and I", from the Alan Parsons Project album, EYE IN THE SKY.

ROCKTOBER: Day 9 - PINK FLOYD

2011-10-09T20:33:00.001-07:00

As you will discover by month's end, I have several Pink Floyd t-shirts. Today's offering is the second in the series. This shirt is an actual 1994 Division Bell Tour shirt, purchased at their performance in Phoenix, Arizona. Before you ask if I was fortunate enough to see the '94 tour, I was not. However, I did work at a music store in Salt Lake City and may or may not have sold a copy of The Division Bell to a loyal customer (and avid Pink Floyd fan) a few days before it's official release. Said customer may or may not have reciprocated the favor by bringing me home this souvenir tour shirt from the concert.

It is a sad side-note to report to my Salt Lake peeps that Pink Floyd was interested in playing in Salt Lake on that tour, but Rice Stadium was not big enough for the stage. Bummer for us. Especially since the band has all but officially broken up.

As Pink Floyd is notorious for keeping a tight reign on their videos, I have found my single favorite moment in the Pink Floyd cannon to include on this post. It is the guitar solo from the VHS/Laser Disc/DVD release of PULSE, taken from the song Comfortably Numb. It gives me chills with each listen, even to this day...

As a side note, if you get on YouTube, you can find video from this year's surprise performance of David Gilmour playing atop Roger Water's WALL. Not the best solo of Gilmour's career, but a stellar moment nonetheless.

ROCKTOBER: Day 8 - MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

2011-10-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

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Although I am technically a half hour late for Day 8, I am here to post it. In reality, it's still getting to my West Coast friends (as well as many others this side of the International Date Line) before Day 9 technically starts up. So, let's just pretend that, here in my sanctuary in the Mountain Daylight Time Zone, it is STILL Saturday.

For Day 8, I have selected another jacket. It's been rather brisk... nearly Winter-like... and I felt that the Michael Franti & Spearhead jacket was the best option for a cool day like today. Although I have seen Michael Franti & Spearhead twice, and Michael Franti solo-acoustic once, I actually purchased this jacket as a Christmas present, via his website. I love it... not just because of its stylish design, but because of the "powerful" message on the back. For those of you familiar with Michael Franti, you know that his message is not only powerful, but all about peace. From his 2006 documentary, "I Know We're Not Alone", where Michael personally goes behind the scenes in Baghdad to interview the locals about the devastation brought about by the "War on Terror" to the Palestinian front, where he confronts meets the locals and the military personnel, Michael consistently tries to bring his message of peace where it is needed most. There is nothing I like more than to have this message plastered across my back, whenever I am wearing this jacket.

The following are is an example his urgent message of global peace, and an example of the positive, upbeat message of love that Mr. Franti has to offer. Enjoy...

Time To Go Home

The Sound of Sunshine

ROCKTOBER: Day 7 - AZURE RAY

2011-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

For the 7th shirt in my Rocktober Blogapolooza, I opted for function over style. I DO find this hoodie to be immensely stylish, but it is, without a doubt, one of the most simple shirts in my wardrobe.

First, let me explain who Azure Ray is. They are the collaboration between Birmingham, Alabama natives, Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. They met as teenagers and eventually relocated to Omaha, Nebraska to participate in the "booming music scene"*. There, they recorded for the Saddle Creek record label, as well as appearing on many of the releases by their label mates, including Bright Eyes.

I had the chance to see Azure Ray after they reunited on a "semi-permanent basis", when they performed at the State Room (Salt Lake City's coolest concert venue) on October 30th, 2010. I purchased this hoodie, as it was actually cheaper than many regular concert t-shirts.... and, because it's comfortable AND stylish on top of that.

The following is a sample of the music that Azure Ray has to offer. I hope you enjoy it...

"Don't Leave My Mind"

"Make Your Heart" (Live)

"Don't Leave My Mind" (Live)

* a lyric taken from the final album by fellow Omaha Indie Rockers, RILO KILEY

ROCKTOBER: Day 6 - PETER MURPHY

2011-10-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

.

The year was 1995 (I think), the venue was the infamous Utah State Fairgrounds Coliseum, and the show was the "Cascade Tour" of Peter Murphy, with opening act, a relatively unknown, Jewel. I know, I know... I tell people that I saw Peter Murphy with Jewel, and they look at me like I'm on some kind of hallucinogenic. Trust me, people, I'm not... nor was I.

This shirt, although very old (note the last picture, with the ragged holes in the sleeve), is one of the more artistic shirts I have ever gotten at a concert. Not only is it long sleeve, but it features the cover art of "Cascade" (painted by a Turkish artist), the word "Cascade" down the left sleeve, AND poetic lyrics on the back side. Rest assured, friends, those are NOT tour dates.

For me, October is a month for the music of Peter Murphy. While some of his songs and imagery are somewhat Gothic in nature, it was in October of 1988 that I first discovered the music of Peter Murphy. First, the song "Indigo Eyes", and next, the song "All Night Long" (the video featured below) which, to this day, is still one of my all time favorite songs AND music videos. Enjoy...

All Night Long

ROCKTOBER: Day 5 - ANBERLIN

2011-10-05T18:55:00.001-07:00

My history with Anberlin is that of a storybook romance. I was at Wal-Mart (I know... icky, but without it, I may never have discovered one of my favorite bands of the last 5 years) browsing through their CD stations. This was during a time when Wal-Mart "tried" to have pride in their music selection... a time before they came to some kind of conclusion that they needed more space for just a few more barrels of $5.00 DVDs. Besides, what's more amusing than seeing a swarm of entertainment starved, white trash dumpster dive (let's face it, that's what it looks like) for random, crappy DVDs. "Hey, look here what I founded!! HALLOWEEN 3!!" Lest, I digress....

So, back in the day, Wal-Mart used to have listening stations, where you could scan the UPC code on a disc and give it a day in court. Not real court... not even the People's Court. Just your own personal court, where you are serving as judge AND jury. I found a copy of Anberlin's CD, CITIES. I don't know what it was about it... other than possibly the price tag of $8.88... but, I scanned the bar code and was amazed at what I heard. I kept tracking through the songs and it never stopped tapping it's way right into my soul. It was that night that I fell in love with the greatest band ever to hail from Orlando, Florida (by way of Seattle). Every 18 months or so, Anberlin releases a new album... and every 18 months or so, I'm blown away at how consistently they put out good music.

Originally hailed as a Christian band (they originally recorded for the famous Christian Alternative label, TOOTH & NAIL), their songs have always been uplifting both in lyric and sound. They aren't Christian like Amy Grant is... or WAS... Christian, but they are in spirit. Lead vocalist, Stephen Christian (okay, that DOES sound Christian) is notorious for doing welfare "missions" in 3rd World countries, when the band is on break. That, my friends, is Christian.

Anyhow, enough of that... let's get crazy with the shirt, shall we? This shirt was purchased during my second time seeing the band. Shortly after discovering them, they played at the Great Saltair, followed by another performance at the Warped Tour that summer. The next year, they once again played Warped, and then returned a couple years back for the X96 (a local SLC radio station) "Nightmare Before Xmas". In between all those performances, we even managed to catch an intimate acoustic performance at a local record store.

One this is certain... as my love for the heavier Alternative music has eased over the past few years, my love for Anberlin has not.

Here, friends... why don't we all sit back and enjoy some fine, fine music.

IMPOSSIBLE

THE FEEL GOOD DRAG

THE UNWINDING CABLE CAR
(for those of you who want a little "mellow", and a some deep things to ponder)

PAPERTHIN HYMN

ROCKTOBER: Day 4 - BLITZEN TRAPPER

2011-10-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Plain and simple.... my Blitzen Trapper shirt is one of my favorite. EVER! It's comfortable... looks great with my navy blue and gray casual cotton athletic shorts... and it has some of the campiest artwork I have ever seen. Not just that, but the illustration you see was done by Blitzen Trapper songwriter/vocalist, Eric Earley.

This Portland-based band played a handful of dates, preceding the release of their latest album, "American Goldwing" (on Sub Pop Records). The dates are listed on the shirt, next to the awesome artwork. Salt Lake was the first of 10 dates over an 11 day period. These boys were not only working hard, but were apparently shooting their first video from the album... although, I can't see any evidence of the Salt Lake show, which took place at Urban Lounge on July 19th.

The best part of this show was the fact that my admission was free...... from a certain point of view. Local record store, SLOWTRAIN, was giving away spaces on a guest list, with each purchase. I secured two spots for myself and my dear friend, Mary.

So... to celebrate day 4 of Rocktober, enjoy these pictures AND the latest video release from Blitzen Trapper, previously featured in another blog post. Heck... you can never enjoy good music too many times.

Love the Way You Walk Away

ROCKTOBER: Day 3 - THE CURE

2011-10-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

ROCKTOBER: DAY 3 - THE CURE

For day three of Rocktober, I have decided to keep things very casual. While my daughter slumbered in the next room (leaving me to my own devices), I decided to shoot the pictures by myself. At least the first two... I did need her to take care of a shot of the back side of my shirt. Unfortunately, I haven't found myself to be flexible enough to take pictures of my back. At least from the angle that I would like it.

This shirt comes from The Cure's SWING TOUR of '96. This was my second time seeing The Cure, and as usual, I was not disappointed. Cost for the shirt was probably $25-$30, since that was the norm for large venue shows. I hope those boys enjoyed the profits from that shirt.

I would like to point out that the following picture is simply intended to give you an idea of what the back side of the shirt looks like. I, by no means, want to give you the impression that I am going to a) kiss the framed litho of Peter Gabriel, or b) worship the framed litho of Peter Gabriel. I'm just happy that Peter could be part of Rocktober, since my beloved Peter Gabriel shirt from the US era disappeared many years ago. And trust me..... it rocked.

Beginning today, and continuing every few days, I will take a close up picture of the facial hair, so you can get a better idea of what the scruff is looking like. Believe it or not, this picture was entirely accidental. While trying to get a picture of my face and t-shirt, I inadvertently zoomed the lens to take the following stellar shot. I hope you enjoy it. Please... try to enjoy it.

ROCKTOBER: Day 2 - TRASHCAN SINATRAS

2011-10-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

For Day 2 of Rocktober, I have selected my "Weightlifting Tour" shirt, which was NOT purchased during the Weightlifting Tour, but subsequently during the August 2009 performance at Club Vegas, preceding the release of their latest, "In the Music". It was on sale for $10, as it was from the previous tour. What can I say.... I'm a bargain shopper. I should probably point out that I DID see the Sinatras on the Weightlifting Tour, but didn't have it in my budget to purchase a t-shirt at that point in time. I was ever grateful for the clearance merchandise the next time I saw them.

The Aeropostale plaid shorts were purchased at Plato's Closet for the low, low price of $5.00. What can I say.... I'm a bargain shopper.

It must also be pointed out that the facial hair on my chin was trimmed following the photo shoot, enabling the coming razor stubble to blend in a little better. I must apologize for the shadow of my daughter in the first picture. I would have not included it, but we needed to showcase the thrift store shorts.

It must ALSO be pointed out that the pattern on the shirt is a silhouette of laundry blowing in a breeze. I know you were all wondering exactly what it was. You're welcome.

The following picture is entirely irrelevant, but I thought you might like to see what a flock of charging ducks looks like. Again... you're welcome.

"Weightlifting"

ROCKTOBER: DAY 1 - Pink Floyd

2011-10-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

For day one of Rocktober, I decided to model one of my several Pink Floyd t-shirts. Why, you ask? Well, simply put, it's because I own at least 4 Pink Floyd t-shirts, and I will be modeling each and every one of them. I thought I would spread them out so you wouldn't be Pink Floyd fatigued before we even really got some kind of momentum rolling.

Was this a tour shirt? No. I was 13, when The Wall was released. As much as I would have loved to see Pink Floyd back in 1980, it wasn't even a remote possibility. First off, my parents wouldn't let me go to concerts (unattended) until I was 16... although, they caved when I was 15.

This shirt actually came with the Best Buy Exclusive version of THE WALL. It contained the remastered (not the latest remaster, mind you) 2 CD version of THE WALL, housed in a fat double CD jewel case, in addition to this sweet t-shirt. The best part of this set is that the t-shirt was produced on a high quality Hanes XL t-shirt, unlike several of the European t-shirt box sets that I have seen (or purchased) over the years.

So, to summarize: A pretty sweet Pink Floyd t-shirt, and a freshly shorn head. Stay tuned for another surprise tomorrow.... or today, since it is nearly 2AM on October 2nd.

ROCKTOBER: What to Expect...

2011-09-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

During the month of September, a friend of mine (Cathy Newton) participated in a project called, "SKIRTEMBER". During Skirtember, she (and the other members of the group) posted a picture of herself wearing a different skirt, oft times with a short summary of where the skirt came from. I found myself fascinated with the array of skirts, often finding that my favorites were actually "thrift store" purchases.

During the month, I commented on one of Cathy's pictures, stating that 'the best thing about Skirtember is the fact that Rocktober is right around the corner'. Cathy was intrigued about Rocktober, wondering what it entailed. Truth be told, Rocktober was just a name given the month of October by a local car stereo company, who would have sales through the month of October. Not one to let a good opportunity slide by, I put my mind to work. How clever, I thought to myself, it would be to do like Cathy did with "Skirtember", except utilizing skirts, I would pose for a picture every day of the month with a different Rock/music oriented t-shirt. IF ONLY I had 31 shirts.

Well, after taking an inventory of my wardrobe, I discovered that I DO, in fact, have more than 31 music t-shirts. Excited at the prospect of being able to do 31 different t-shirts, and being one to never waste an opportunity to do something crazy, I added one more tier to my Rocktober fun and games. I would enter the month with a cleanly shaven head and a very minimal amount of facial hair (a neatly trimmed chin goatee). For the entire month of October, I would not utilize a razor at all. The exercise would not only give you, the reader, a look into what t-shirts I have acquired over the years (and in many cases, HOW I acquired them), but it would give ALL OF US (myself included) the opportunity to see what my hair (or lack thereof) looks like... what color it is... and how scruffy my beard can get during the course of the month.

There is no doubt that, by the end of the month, I am going to look scruffy. That being said, this is most certainly going to be an adventure... if not for you, most certainly for me.

So.... join me here, tomorrow (October 1st) for the beginning of the best Rocktober ever.

Zeke's Latest Discovery: CITY AND COLOUR

2011-09-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

I can thank my good friend, Quentin Hughes, for introducing me to this artist. Hailing from Canada, this "band" makes some very endearing music... some of the finest that I have heard in quite some time. Enjoy this video, taken from their latest album.

"The Girl"

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week: DAFT PUNK

2011-09-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Why? Because I like it.

Zeke's Latest Discovery: THE CIVIL WARS

2011-09-14T15:21:00.001-07:00

I'm speechless. I've only heard two songs (live, in-studio) and one half of one music video, and I'm speechless...with tears in my eyes. And with that, I'm going to shut up and let the music do the talking....

"Poison & Wine"

"Barton Hollow"

"Falling"

New-Release-apalooza: BLITZEN TRAPPER/MATES OF STATE/ST. VINCENT

2011-09-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Daggumit. When it rains, it pours. I've been sitting in a funk of stale music for the past month, anxiously awaiting today, Tuesday, September 13th. At first, I was only eager for the new BLITZEN TRAPPER album, "American Goldwing". Then, I come to find out that the third album by ST. VINCENT was being released today. Holy cow. How am I going to afford TWO albums? Keeping in mind that I prefer to buy the vinyl releases, when available... most retailing for $15-$25 a piece. And, if that weren't enough, I just found out that the latest release by MATES OF STATE just came out today, as well. I'd better get saving... or trading... or something. Here are videos from each of my anticipated releases.... I hope you enjoy them.

MATES OF STATE: "MARACAS" from the new release, "Mountaintops"

BLITZEN TRAPPER: "LOVE THE WAY YOU WALK AWAY", from the new release, "American Goldwing".

ST. VINCENT: "CRUEL", from the new release, "Strange Mercy"

Video o' the Week: WESLEY WILLIS

2011-09-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Who can really rock Saddam Hussein's ass? Wesley Willis can. That's who. Well... he could... back when they were both still alive.

May Wesley R.I.P.

JONSI: Go Quiet

2011-09-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you that may have been reading this blog for some time, you know that it was a year ago that I began getting into the music of Jonsi (Jon Por Borgisson) of Iceland. Jonsi is the (former?) singer of Post Rock darlings, SIGUR ROS.

In conjunction with his 2010 Tour, supporting his album, "GO", Jonsi released a DVD which featured intimate acoustic performances recorded in his home. Here is a smattering of those performances. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

"Sinking Friendships"

"Tornado"

"Sinking Friendships"

"Boy Lilikoi"

"Grow Till Tall"

"Around Us"

"Go Do"

"Hengilas"

Another Sub-Pop Favorite: THE HEAD AND THE HEART

2011-09-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

What do I love so much about Sub-Pop Records, based out of Seattle? Is it the fact that they consistently release some of the most interesting music out there? Possibly. Is it the fact that their vinyl releases contains high quality 180 gram vinyl, and often times include some bonus goodies... like otherwise unreleased tracks, E.P.'s and remixes? Sure. Is it the fact that they are the label of one of my favorite bands of all time, FLEET FOXES? Heck, that is a definite bonus.

I guess what I REALLY like about Sub-Pop Records, especially as a blog writer, is the fact that they allow me to embed their videos... like this tasty little nugget from THE HEAD AND THE HEART, yet another swell band to hail from America's Northwest. Enjoy it, as I have done....

Video o' the Week: BLITZEN TRAPPER

2011-09-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm excited. How excited, you ask? Pretty darned excited! Why for, how come? Well... let me tell you.

On Tuesday, September 13, 2011, Sub-Pop artists, BLITZEN TRAPPER will be releasing their highly anticipated new album. Until then, however, let's enjoy one of their earlier hits, "FURR", taken from the album by the same name.

Steven Wilson: "Track One", From Forthcoming 2nd Solo Album....

2011-08-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Once can only assume that Steven Wilson is the busiest man in the music industry, and arguably the most creative (Wilson is involved with 6 different bands/projects), so it is no surprise that he would be releasing his second solo album in between PORCUPINE TREE releases. Wait... didn't he just release a BLACKFIELD album a few months ago? Yes... right... and it's been a few years since the last NO-MAN, which means there should hopefully be another one of those in the next 12 months or so. If I'm lucky.

Anyhow, as stated, this is the first single from the forthcoming solo album, "Grace For Drowning"..... called, "Track One". This one is going to take some time for me to get into. That's not a bad thing, and often means it could end up being something that I continually enjoy throughout my life. It does feature a very dense sound, which causes me to wonder exactly which direction Mr. Wilson is now going in his musical journeys. With him, only time will tell...

What's on My Turntable? JIM MORRISON

2011-08-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

I just secured the LP of "AMERICAN PRAYER", the posthumous production featuring the spoken word of Rock legend, JIM MORRISON, as well as the groovy (yes, it is in fact, VERY groovy) music of the surviving members of THE DOORS. This album also featured a wonderful track, "GHOST SONG". The following is the video for that song, the opening track of this great album.

THE BELLE BRIGADE: The Talented Offspring of John Williams

2011-08-03T12:40:00.001-07:00

First off, let me apologize for going a couple of months with little to nothing, just to come back and do three posts in one day. I was reminded of BELLE BRIGADE, another band that I discovered on KCRW's "MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC", quite possibly the greatest podcast on Planet Earth.

This video, "LOSERS", is taken from the debut album of The Belle Brigade, an LA based band formed by siblings, Ethan and Barbara Gruska. As the siblings are the grandchildren of legendary film composer, John Williams, it might possibly be evidence that talent is a genetic offering. Enjoy the video for "LOSERS", with it's touching animal rights theme.

Another Recent Discovery: AGESANDAGES

2011-08-03T11:45:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity of going to see Portland, Oregon band, BLITZEN TRAPPER (on the Sub Pop label) at a local bar. The headliners were awesome, but the opening act was equally good, if even a little more "infectious". The band is AGESANDAGES, who also hail from the Portland, Oregon area. Attached are a couple of live acoustic performances in Seattle, recorded at live at The Woods.

"Alright You Restless"

"No Nostalgia"

"So, So Freely"

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week: TRASHCAN SINATRAS

2011-08-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be saying, "Yeah, yeah.... something besides THAT song, Uncle Zeke." Truth be told, the complete version of this video has not been available on YouTube for well over two years.... .and it IS, after all, my favorite song of all time. I love the melancholic feel.... I love the play on words.... I love the counter-melody. I love EVERYTHING about this song.

Zeke's New Discovery: OTHER LIVES

2011-08-02T18:12:00.002-07:00

Just yesterday morning, I thought I would finally catch up on some of the "MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC" podcasts that I had uploaded to my iPod. For those of you that don't know, Morning Becomes Eclectic is a program on LA based, community radio station, KCRW 89.9 FM. It is a show that features up and coming Indie (and underground) artists, usually including about 30 minutes of performance and 10-15 minutes of banter. The program always satisfies and leaves me, in many cases, on the hunt for some new music. This is no exception, as I just picked up their latest album, TAMER ANIMALS, for my birthday today.

The following is the "official video" of the track, FOR 12, taken from TAMER ANIMALS.

The following is a live, acoustic performance of a track taken from their first (self-titled) album...

For those of you that like what you see, get their albums straightaway. FANTASTIC! For those of you that like what you see, support MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC by subscribing to their podcast or, even better, becoming a member of their station.

What's on My Turntable? EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

2011-07-03T23:21:00.001-07:00

What is on my turntable? Only the absolute coolest vinyl release I have ever seen. The latest EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY album, "TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE" features 2 180 gram LP records, with music on the first three sides and a beautiful etching of brick artwork on the fourth side. In addition to the ultra cool vinyl, this baby features a quadruple gatefold cover, which actually creates the four walls to a rustic cabin, with the inside being a wooden floor board. When placed in the proper position, the cabin will have four walls on the inside and four walls on the outside. It also features a poster that can be placed underneath to create the effect of underbrush. So, simply put, this is the perfect rustic cabin for Barbie and Ken.

(Barbie and Ken not included)

Favorite Albums of My Life: 1983

2011-04-27T21:40:00.001-07:00

1. CHINA CRISIS: "WORKING WITH FIRE AND STEEL - Possible Pop Songs Volume 2"

Not only my favorite album of 1983, but my favorite album of all time. This album is the epitome of everything I look for in music: melodic, well produced, original, emotional, well made. This album has been through relationships, break ups, every facet of my life since I was 16 years old. I have listened to it as I have gazed up into the summer skies at night. I have listened to it as I walked the sandy beaches of Waikiki, looking at the countless stars and the city skyline reflecting off of the water. For years, I could listen to the album and discover small nuances that were previously unnoticeable to me. It was probably lumped in with many of the British Electro-Pop albums of the time, but this album stood apart from the rest. It featured Classical instruments like oboe, flute, flugelhorn, grand piano. The production by Mike Howlett is, in my eyes, the finest I have ever heard. I don't know what more I can say about this album, apart from the fact that it is not only my favorite album.... but, it's a part of me.

2. NICK HEYWARD: "NORTH OF A MIRACLE"

Most people know Nick Heyward (albeit not by name) as the original vocalist of the quirky, British 80's band, HAIRCUT 100. After the commercial success of Haircut 100's "Pelican West", Nick left to pursue a solo career. (Although Wikipedia has no reference to the matter, I believe I remember seeing something on VH-1's "Bands Reunited" that addressed the fact that Nick had suffered nervous exhaustion and bowed out because he wasn't ready to resume the rigors of Haircut 100's success. That being said, what resulted is nothing shy of a complete work of art.

"North of a Miracle" was produced by legendary producer, Geoff Emerick, and contained a much more mature sound than that found on the previous Haircut 100 work. Dealing with some intensely emotional subject matter (divorce, heartbreak, etc.) and featuring a plethora of horn and string arrangements, this album moves me both musically AND lyrically.

3. YES: "90125"

Many die-hard YES enthusiasts would probably criticize my love of 90125. For many fans, if it didn't feature Steve Howe (guitarist, NOT featured on this release), it wasn't good. This album was definitely a departure from earlier Progressive roots, but it succeeded in conforming to the music of the day AND being extremely progressive, thanks to the immaculate production of Trevor Horn (ABC, The Buggles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood). Trevor Horn had actually been vocalist for YES on their album, DRAMA, after Jon Anderson temporarily departed to pursue solo projects and collaborations with other artists. Following yet another shift in band members, a few of the surviving members had created a group that was to be called "CINEMA", featuring Alan White, Chris Squire, and a talented, yet relatively unknown South African guitarist named Trevor Rabin. After the initial work on the new material, Jon Anderson returned to the fold and YES was once again reborn. Retaining Trevor Horn to produce, now with Jon Anderson once again on vocals, and Trevor Rabin on guitar, a new era in the legendary band had begun.

Although most people are familiar with the hits, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Leave It", it's the deeper material that truly blows me away. The song "Changes" has always had a significance to me, especially during times of heartbreak and loss. Like the two previous albums listed, I can't say a bad thing about this record.

4. BOW WOW WOW: "WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING"

Annabella Lwin was only 13 years old when Malcolm McLaren (manager of the Sex Pistols) discovered her singing in a laundromat. From there she was immediately thrust into the spotlight as the underage temptress fronting this band of hooligans (two of which who had played with Adam & The Ants). Although best known for their hit, "I WANT CANDY", this album is by far my favorite of their repertoire. "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" was the most mature and, sadly, their final album. (Annabella was only 18 years old when the band threw in the towel, although she did continue on with her own solo career.)

I still find myself amazed at the musicianship on this record. Between the bass playing of Leroy Gorman, the mad drumming of Dave Barbarosa, and the frenzied guitar of the late Matthew Ashman (he passed away several years ago to complications related to Diabetes), there is nary a dull moment on this album. It even pauses for a ballad, which was previously foreign to Bow Wow Wow albums.

Apart from Bread (my first concert, at the tender age of 11), this was my first "real" concert. I still remember the concert, May of 1983, at the Olpin Union Ballroom on the University of Utah campus. I have two vivid memories of this show. First, that guitarist Matthew Ashman played both a Gretsch hollow body guitar AND a Fender Stratocaster. While playing the Fender, he would simply stand and chew his gum (as if he were a cow chewing it's cud), while looking serious at his left hand working the fretboard... however, when he picked up the Gretsch, he was a madman. Rolling on the floor, taking wild stances, showing no mercy, he was a force to be reckoned with. My second memory was of my friend's father who was kind enough to take us. He owned a record label and recording studio in Salt Lake, and was interested in working with the opening act, a local band called '004'. I remember Mr. Simpson standing in the back of the ballroom, wearing a green plaid blazer, with his arms crossed. He showed no emotion. Following the show, he walked up to Kim (his son) and I and simply said, "I noticed that most of their songs were about sex." Yes, Ron... you're right. That poor little Annabella Lwin should NEVER have been subjected to singing such lyrics. But, speaking as a 15 year old boy... I'm glad she did.

5. MARSHALL CRENSHAW: "FIELD DAY"

On Field Day, Marshall Crenshaw's sophomore effort, he continued down the path started on his successful (self-titled) debut album. Beginning with his hit, "Whenever You're on My Mind", this album was a journey back in time. A journey back to a day when music was innocent.... when songs were melodic.... when lyrics celebrated the innocence of youth.

6. OINGO BOINGO: "GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL"

The Summer of 1983. The sounds of European SynthPop had begun to change my life. Thompson Twins, Yaz, Depeche Mode, Human League.... these were the things that dreams were made of....these were the things I was familiar with. Then along came a new girl, who had moved into my cousin's neighborhood. She was from California, a land that seemed light years ahead of Utah. And for a reason. When my cousin, Chris, asked her who her favorite band was, she immediately stated, Oingo Boingo. Never had I heard a more confident answer. Never had I heard such a bizarre name for a group.

Although Oingo Boingo was the vehicle which carried Danny Elfman from obscurity into the musical spotlight, they started as an extremely quirky band of troubadours. So quirky, in fact, that their earliest televised performance was under the moniker, "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo", where they performed on the legendary program, THE GONG SHOW. At that point, Danny's brother was the leader of the ensemble (which had to have featured a minimum of 10 people) and Danny simply stayed in the background playing a horn. However, between that time and the early 80's, Danny took charge and created the band that we all fell in love with. Although my cousin's friend had fallen in love with their earlier work (most probably ONLY A LAD), it was GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL that changed MY world. Energetic, quirky, powerful.... GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL is, in my opinion, the quintessential Oingo Boingo album.

7. TEARS FOR FEARS: "THE HURTING"

Although not the most musically talented group to come out of the early 80's New Wave/Modern Music movement, Tears For Fears were arguably the most passionate. An album that took much of it's thematic material from the problematic childhoods of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, THE HURTING delved into such social issues as child abuse, neglect and depression. As for me, one to never pay much attention to lyrics, I was mesmerized by the wonderful music, under the watchful eye of producers Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum.

8. SPANDAU BALLET: "TRUE"
The "New Romantic" sub-genre of the New Wave movement may have been spearheaded by bands like Duran Duran, Roxy Music, ABC and the like, but it was mastered by Spandau Ballet. To this day you will still hear the title cut "TRUE" being played all over the world. To me, it is the perfect example of a ballad....romantic, beautiful, lush. It has even been said that the legendary Miles Davis said it was the "perfect Pop song". That, my friends, is a compliment.

9. DEPECHE MODE: "CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN:

The first Depeche Mode album to feature Alan Wilder (who was credited as the real "architect" of the Depeche Mode sound, during their most successful years), this album broadened the horizons of our favorite Synth Pop group. On "CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN", Martin Gore's songwriting really began to mature, taking on themes such as the environment ("The Landscape is Changing") and labor ("Pipeline"). It also featured the first American "hit" for the band, "Everything Counts". In addition to these great songs, it even features the first use of an acoustic guitar in their music ("And Then"). There was, in my opinion, a new level of maturity on this album, previously not found in their music.

10. THOMPSON TWINS: "QUICK STEP AND SIDE KICK"

Although known as "Side Kicks" in America, a fan of this trio would undoubtedly recognize the cover of this classic early 80's album. The album that helped push them into American culture, "Side Kicks" featured the early Thompson Twins hits, "Love on Your Side" and "Lies". And if you weren't hip enough to know those songs, by time 1984 rolled around, you undoubtedly would have heard the romantic song, "If You Were Here", in the closing moments of the John Hughes classic, "16 Candles".

11. NAKED EYES: "NAKED EYES"

There were only two albums released by the duo, NAKED EYES. This, the self titled (in America, at least... the European release was titled, "BURNING BRIDGES") album by them, was their first. Although the first single (and biggest, for that matter) was a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's classic, "Always Something There to Remind Me", this album featured some of the warmest songwriting to be found in early 80's SynthPop. The album also contained the hit, "Promises, Promises", in addition to some lesser known, but equally good tracks like "When the Lights Go Out" and "Emotions in Motion" (NOT a Billy Squier cover).

12. U2: "WAR"

On WAR, the third release by Ireland's native sons, U2 continued their collaboration with producer Steve Lillywhite to create an album that would help break them in the United States. Featuring classics like "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" (I must point out that I prefer the live version found on "Under a Blood Red Sky" to be FAR superior to the studio version) and "New Year's Day", this album combined depth with an original sound. At the time, U2 may not have been the finest musicians on the planet, but they had one of the most fiery spirits to be found in popular music. That has continued on to this day, nearly 30 years later.

13. FLESHTONES: "HEXBREAKER"

America's premier party band followed up "Roman Gods" with an album that was equally alive and vibrant. Hexbreaker featured the classic, "Right Side of a Good Thing" (okay... "classic" in MY eyes) as well as some other festive ditties, and successfully earned a spot in my Top 20 of 1983.

14. TALKING HEADS: "SPEAKING IN TONGUES"

Like some of the other bands in 1983 (U2, Echo & The Bunnymen, etc.), "SPEAKING IN TONGUES" was the album that pushed America's Post Punk darlings, Talking Heads, into mainstream American culture. The album featured the classic, "Burning Down the House", in addition to some other quirky, yet equally wonderful (if not MORE wonderful) tracks like: "Making Flippy Floppy", "Swamp" and "Naive Melody". If only the entire album was as fantastically awesome as those songs, this baby would rank higher.

15. VIOLENT FEMMES: "VIOLENT FEMMES"

Wisconsin's native sons.... Violent Femmes.... the band that changed the face of early-to-mid 80's Alternative music. These guys were Punk in lyric, as well as Punk in spirit.... but they played acoustic instruments. Acoustic guitar... acoustic bass... and even a simple little drum kit. Yes, I could go the rest of my life, die and get to the next realm of being and it would STILL be too soon to EVER hear "Blister in the Sun", but the other tracks on this album? BRING 'EM ON!

All I can say about this era in American music is, thank heavens for SLASH Records. If it weren't for them signing bands like Violent Femmes, The Blasters, Los Lobos, Rank & File and others, this era in American music would be much more bleak.

16. X: "MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD"

Those of us who are my age remember the late 70's/early 80's war between East Coast Punk and West Coast Punk. Who was better? It was similar to the whole West Coast/East Coast Rap rivalry of the early 90's, but significantly better music. Just sayin'.

This album was produced by former Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek. Ray knew what he was doing when it came to working with Punk bands and when it came to playing a bitchin' organ. With X, he did both. Although this album was significantly mellower than what many would consider "Punk" of the day, it was more. It had depth. It had a variety of sounds. It had a dab of anger and a dab of sarcasm. It also had the vocal harmonies of John Doe and Exene Cervenka. What more could you ask for?

17. ABC: "BEAUTY STAB"

On "BEAUTY STAB", ABC's sophomore effort, the band entirely shifted gears. The image changed and the sound changed. This was to be a continued trend with the band, but in "Beauty Stab", they found a niche that was a little more Rock, a little less Glam. It doesn't mean that they completely abandoned their trademark sound, as it can be found on the cut, "S.O.S." (NOT an ABBA cover). That being said, I loved the direction that this album took. No, I didn't like it as much as it's predecessor (thanks to the immaculate production of Trevor Horn on "Lexicon of Love"), but I loved it nonetheless.

18. BURNING SENSATIONS: "BURNING SENSATIONS"

Another album that I can thank my (junior year in high school) girlfriend, Susan, for introducing to me. Suzie had an amazing taste in music, one that was foreign to most Utahns (she hailing from Lodi, California). One of the bands that I had never heard of was Burning Sensations, a group that hailed from the Bay Area. Although the song, "Belly of the Whale" would eventually make it's way into Modern Music radio rotation, this album always dwelt on the verge of obscurity. To my knowledge it has never been released on CD. Perhaps I should look into the digital domain. Either way, if side 2 would have been as solid as side 1, this record would be one of my top five for the year. For me, it still contains some of the most memorable music of the year.

19. BIG COUNTRY: "THE CROSSING"

This album is an anomaly to me. It always dwelt on the outer perimeter of my listening pleasures, but was never at the forefront. It wasn't until later on into the 90's that I began to fully appreciate some of the tracks found deeper in the album. And then, when I was researching my favorite albums of 1983, I listened to it again. And was blown away at how good it was from start to finish. Yeah, the whole Scottish bagpipe guitar thing may have been a little kitschy, but it did separate them from other bands of the time. And what remains to this day is an album that maintains a crisp, refreshing sound.

It should also be pointed out that this is the third album on this list to have been produced by Steve Lillywhite. The previous were U2's "WAR" and Marshall Crenshaw's "FIELD DAY". Daggum that guy is good.

20. ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN: "PORCUPINE"

I almost feel guilty having this album as low as number 20, so let me explain. First, let me point out that this album features some of my favorite material to ever come out of Echo & The Bunnymen, who were also one of my favorite bands of the 80's. "The Cutter" and "The Back of Love" anyone? So why is it sitting at number 20? Well, it was as simple as this. For me, I made emotional attachments to certain records. This was not one of them. It's odd, really. My younger brother had purchased this album and "Crocodiles", my sister had purchased "Heaven Up Here", I had "Ocean Rain". Stay tuned to 1984 to see where "Ocean Rain" sits, but in the meantime, let me continue my explanation. With "Porcupine", my brother owned the album and I always felt like it was HIS album. My heart and loyalties were with "Ocean Rain". Yes, I enjoyed this album... but it belonged to Rich. So, Rich... not that you are even reading this... but thanks for letting me borrow some of your album to more deeply enrich my life.

Uncle Zeke's Top 20 Albums of 1982

2011-04-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

1. RUSH: "SIGNALS"

As I debated as to what should be my number one favorite album of 1982, I actually found myself battling over numbers 2 and 3. It wasn't until quite some time into my research, and finally listening to "Signals", that I realized that without a shadow of a doubt, this album by Rush has been, and will continue to be, my favorite album of 1982. It has everything I love in music. A concept. Talented musicianship. Melodic songwriting. Great lyrics.

It is tough for me to decide which of Rush's albums are my favorite... at least between "Moving Pictures" and "Signals". These two albums were the pinnacle of their career, in my opinion. The trio from Toronto had settled in to a quirky hybrid that bridged the classic Rock sound of the 70's, Progressive Rock, and lastly (but not least) the rising New Wave sounds. Classic Rush..... classic Rock.

2. ABC: "THE LEXICON OF LOVE"

The Lexicon of Love. It's something that has plagued mankind since Adam knew Eve (in the non-biblical sense.) It unfortunately took 1982 years A.D. before ABC could try and make some sense of it. Did they succeed? No... it's impossible. However, what they DID succeed at is creating one of the most memorable albums of my lifetime. Most people know this album for the hits, "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love", however one really needs to sit down and listen to this album from start to finish to truly realize and appreciate it's scope. Produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, this album took the talent of a few young lads from Sheffield, England and turned them into the definition of suave and, if I may steal the term from the album, debonaire.

3. ROXY MUSIC: "AVALON"

In deciding which album ranked higher, ABC or Roxy Music, I had a very difficult time. First off, I had to give points to Roxy Music, because without their influence, ABC wouldn't even exist. Bryan Ferry and Co. were the "fashion" movement of the early 80's. Martin Fry (of ABC) seemed to emulate everything that Bryan Ferry was, on stage. That being said, it was ABC that I first fell in love with... and, even to this day, find to be the most satisfying listen for me, at least from start to finish. There are moments of Avalon that outshine those of Lexicon, but as a complete package, I hesitantly give ABC the higher spot.

It should also be pointed out, if for no other reason than something to put in your "gee whiz file", that this album was the first CD that I ever purchased.

4. TALK TALK: "THE PARTY'S OVER"

Talk Talk....... where do I begin? I guess I should point out that Talk Talk is (currently) my second favorite band of all time. With the possible exception of this album, they continuously forged new territory in the world of music, never playing by any rules. This album, on the other hand, was fairly Pop oriented... had catchy Pop hooks... and didn't push any extremes. That being said, it is AMAZING.

For the better part of my music listening life, I have dwelt mainly on the melodic elements of music, and often the voice delivering the words. I have dwelt very little on the lyrical content of the music that I listen to. For me to be overwhelmed by an album (at least, until about 2008) it needed to have great production, catchy hooks and a voice that I can connect with. However, in 1984, when I really began giving this album some serious listens, I was moved nearly to tears by the lyrical content of one song in particular. That song is, "Have You Heard the News?", where singer Mark Hollis sings from the perspective of someone who has hit and killed somebody in an auto/pedestrian accident. The lyrics were so poignant and the song was so somber that for years I asked myself if he had, in fact, killed somebody. Mark's lyrics continued to get deeper and darker over the years, and he has often said that they aren't necessarily autobiographical, but they are so stirring that it always makes one wonder.

5. DONALD FAGEN: "THE NIGHTFLY"

I suppose that, after seeing Mr. Fagen's former (and current) band's album, "GAUCHO", topping my Top 10 of 1980, it isn't any surprise to see his solo debut, 1982's "NIGHTFLY" sitting in a fairly comfortable position. Many people think that this solo debut not only continued on the legacy of Steely Dan but, in many ways, exceeded that of Steely Dan. There are two albums from the 1980's that are full of nostalgic memories of the two decades prior to my birth. This is the first. It delves into the paranoia of Kennedy-era nuclear scares, the innocence of the late 50's being turned upside down by the crap going on in the world, all while being carried by some extremely catchy, well produced music (courtesy of Dan producer, Gary Katz). It should also be pointed out that (if my information is accurate) Donald Fagen's "THE NIGHTFLY" was the first digitally recorded album......ever. That "Gee-Whiz File" that I mentioned previously? Yeah... stow that little nugget away in the file... it may entertain some family members at your next gathering.

6. XTC: "ENGLISH SETTLEMENT"

What can I say about the eccentricities of this trio from England? Probably not enough. XTC were anything but stereotypical when it came to their approach of music. After initially trying to tour in their early years, they spent their career in the studio. Singer Andy Partridge suffered from such extreme stage fright and anxiety that they were never able to tour. Being that the live side of any musical artist is one of their best methods of exposing and, subsequently, selling one's music, it is truly a testament of the talent of these lads that they could not only be considered one of the most talented "alternative" acts of the 80's, but one of the most consistent bands of that generation.

"English Settlement" was my first exposure to this talented lot, thanks to my high school girlfriend, Susan. She moved to Utah from the cultural Mecca of Lodi, California and proceeded to turn my musical world upside down. Utah had a blossoming "Modern Music" market, thanks to radio stations such as "Super 107" and KCGL, but Susan knew people that we had never heard of. XTC? Blancmange? Burning Sensations? Who were these bands? Soon enough, each and every one of them would surface as fairly prominent acts in the early to mid-80's, but Susan (and her tastes in music) seemed light years ahead of what I had been exposed to. That being said, this album STILL remains just as fresh... just as original... as it did back in the early 80's. It features music of many genres.... Folk, Ska, Punk, British Invasion early 60's Rock.... it had it all.

7. HAIRCUT 100: "PELICAN WEST"

One of the soundtracks of my adolescence, Haircut 100's "PELICAN WEST" was the epitome of fun. My first exposure was the song "Boy Meets Girl (Favourite Shirts)" which featured the quirky lads in a bowling alley. I love this album from start to finish. I love everything about it... except, truth be told, I have never pondered the lyrics... I can't tell you if they are good or...well... sucky. The horns, on the other hand? FANTASTIC!

8. SIMPLE MINDS: "NEW GOLD DREAM"

Although Jim Kerr and his band of Scottish laddies had been around for several years, this was the breakthrough album on many levels. Where their earlier work had not replicated, but had elements of the raw sounds of Punk, this album took on a brand new, completely polished approach. Produced by one of my favorite producers of the time, Peter Walsh, this album boasted such hits as "Promised You a Miracle" and the title cut, "New Gold Dream". My LP record of this is one of the crown jewels of my vinyl collection, as it is a beautiful purple and gold clear, marble vinyl. Stunning to the eye... equally so to the ear.

9. DEPECHE MODE: "A BROKEN FRAME"

Depeche Mode's second album, "A BROKEN FRAME", probably remains their least appreciated... and one of my favorites. Recorded after the departure of Vince Clark (who reportedly left during a cigarette break, after introducing his new song "Only You" to the boys, only to have them scoff at it.... with the song going on to be a huge hit for Vince's new act, Yazoo) and composed entirely by Martin L. Gore, this was definitely a transitional phase for Depeche Mode. I first purchased this album when I was in Hawaii with my high school choir. I made it a point to try and purchase a "souvenir" cassette whenever I went on a trip. This was my Hawaiian souvenir. Do I find this album to be great from start to finish? No, absolutely not. Truth be told, my least favorite songs on this album were the ones that were released as hits. However, tracks like "My Secret Garden", "Leave in Silence" and "The Sun and the Rainfall" (probably my all time favorite Depeche Mode track) more than make up for it.

Also, while we are busting out little nuggets of trivia for your "Gee Whiz File", I would like to point out that the cover photograph of this album was featured on (if I recall correctly) LIFE magazine's "best photographs of the 20th Century" issue, at the turn of the century. It was photographed by Brian Griffin and conceived by legendary album artwork mastermind, Martyn Atkins.

10. INXS: "SHABOOH SHOOBAH"

I still remember how I felt the first time I saw the video for the hit song, "Don't Change". The video featuring the boys of INXS in an empty warehouse (or airplane hanger, I am not sure), belting out four minutes of blissful energy... with no exaggeration, I was smitten. I immediately ran out and purchased the 7" 45 of the song. I just put the LP on, a few days ago. It was my first listen of the record in probably 15 years, and I STILL found it an incredible listen. Solid writing, solid musicianship, and let us not forget one of the most charismatic singers in the history of popular music. All said and done, even though not an album in heavy rotation in my music library, it is STILL one of the finest offerings of 1982.

11. TOTO: "IV"
12. ASIA: "ASIA"
13. MARSHALL CRENSHAW: "MARSHALL CRENSHAW"
14. DEVO: "OH NO, IT'S DEVO"
15. ULTRAVOX: "QUARTET"
16. RANK & FILE: "SUNDOWN"
17. JOE JACKSON: "NIGHT AND DAY"
18. THE CLASH: "COMBAT ROCK"
19. THE ENGLISH BEAT: "SPECIAL BEAT SERVICE"
20. YAZOO (a.k.a. YAZ): "UPSTAIRS AT ERICS"

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week (part deux): LET'S ACTIVE

2011-04-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

As I was watching my previous video post (Bill Nelson), the woman in the video reminded me of the drummer of Let's Active. Whether you are a fan of kitschy American 80's Alternative Pop or simply love puppy dogs, you will enjoy this video from Mitch Easter and Co.

(Side note: Mitch Easter, in addition to being the leader of Let's Active, was a critically acclaimed producer of American Rock from the 80's. Most notable of these credits would have been the early work of fellow Georgians, R.E.M, on their album RECKONING.

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week: BILL NELSON

2011-04-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

This time of year always reminds me of Bill Nelson. Whether it was the first time I heard this song (probably back in 1984), or the fact that I purchased the cassette tape (in Alamosa, Colorado...probably at the Wal-Mart, in Spring, 1988) this time of year, I don't know. What I do know, however, is that I love this song... and I love that Bill, himself, shot the video... and for less than five hundred dollars, if I am not mistaken. Of the five hundred dollars, apparently the bulk of that budget went to the special effects creating the colorized flame in the middle of the video. Way to go, Bill. Way to be an artist in the true sense. Unlike too many of our current Top 40 stars...

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week: FITZ & THE TANTRUMS

2011-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Put on your dancing shoes, my friends.... Fitz & The Tantrums are rockin' the house, and they are bringin' the groove.

Favorite Albums of My Life: 1981

2011-04-16T23:47:00.001-07:00

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1981

1- RUSH: "MOVING PICTURES"

I still remember when I purchased this cassette tape, where I purchased it, and exactly how much I paid for it. Yes, it was at Musicland, nestled deep within the corridors of Valley Fair Mall. It was in a bin marked for the low, low price of $2.88. The crazy thing was this was a new release, but for some reason Musicland was selling several Mercury Records cassette tapes for that price. I picked up Moving Pictures, as well as two tapes by Scorpions. What? You're not interested in all those silly details? Well, then...

This album, in my opinion, is the pinnacle of Rush's career. It was also a turning point of sorts. After a few albums of honing their skills, Rush dove into a series of "concept albums", which included 2112, A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. By time Permanent Waves rolled around, they had mostly abandoned the 20 minute epic pieces in exchange for songs that would be a little more radio friendly. Moving Pictures featured a little of each... not only does it contain classics like Tom Sawyer and Limelight, but it features my personal favorite Rush song, "The Camera Eye", an epic piece, in it's own right.

2. SAGA: "WORLD'S APART"

It was the Fall of 1982, when MTV made it's way to the sleepy suburban town of West Valley City, Utah. One of the first videos I remember seeing was a song by an unknown band from Canada, called Saga. The singer wore knee pads over his pants, a sleeveless t-shirt, and had a mustache that Freddie Mercury would have been gay for. The song was "On the Loose", and featured some of the freshest sounds I had ever heard. Before MTV, my exposure to New Wave music was limited (Human League, Devo, B-52's), but never had I heard music that crossed genres to sound somewhat New Wave, but also be technical and, for lack of a better word, Rockin' like Rush. What was it in that Canadian drinking water?

This album was produced by producer Rupert Hine (who also worked with Rush, The Fixx, among others) and was a flawless blend of melody, energy and fresh sounds. To this day, this album holds up as one of my favorites of the 80's.

3. ECHO and the BUNNYMEN: "HEAVEN UP HERE"

Echo & The Bunnymen were an anomaly in my household growing up. Apart from my older brother, the rest of my siblings and I were fascinated by this band. Heck, I was obsessed with this band. That being said, my younger brother and younger sister each collected albums that I should have been collecting. I had "Ocean Rain" and it's preceding 5-track e.p. featuring the hit Never Stop and the incredible live version of "Do it Clean"; Rich (my younger brother) had managed to acquire "Porcupine", "Crocodiles" and "Songs to Learn and Sing"; my even younger sister Kristy had managed to acquire this album. Of all the early Bunnymen catalong, this was probably the one I was least familiar with. However, when all is said and done, apart from my beloved "Ocean Rain", this is probably my favorite Bunnymen album. This has an energy that strikes a chord with me. Songs like "Over the Wall" and "A Promise" still ring as some of the freshest music by this legendary band from Liverpool. Okay. You're right... legendary OTHER band from Liverpool.

4. THE FLESHTONES: "ROMAN GODS"

I can thank my adolescent friend, Kim Simpson, for introducing me to America's premier party band. A group that invented and perfected the Rock and Roll sub-genre, SUPEROCK, The Fleshtones were hell bent on keeping the energy of 60's bands like The Kingsmen (Louie, Louie) alive and kicking. And that they did. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing The Fleshtones open up for Echo & The Bunnymen on the Ocean Rain tour, and they rocked the house. I still see, in my mind's eye, Peter Zaremba (vocalist and tambourine player, extraordinaire) standing atop a stack of amps, his Mod suit, shirt opened at the collar, shaking his legendary bangs. These guys may have sounded like they belong in a garage, but really, they should be bleeding out of every radio in the country. But only your transistor or AM radios... because that is the inspiration... and sound... of The Fleshtones.

5. DEPECHE MODE: "SPEAK & SPELL"

I'm still trying to remember when I first came across the music of Depeche Mode. I know that it was when "Construction Time Again" (their 3rd album) was the most recent release. I don't remember if it was the single, "Everything Counts", from the aforementioned album, or "Dreaming of Me" (from Speak & Spell), which was included on a classic K-Tel (kids, ask your parents... they'll explain the K-Tel thing) LP record which I owned.

One thing that many of you may not know about the album, Speak & Spell, was that it was primarily written by original member, Vince Clarke. Vince brought to the table a very unique sound, and the marriage of classic electronic music from bands like Kraftwerk and French synth artist Jean-Michel Jarre with Pop sensibility, creating one of the most unique sounds of the day. 1981 seemed to be the year that Synth-Pop was truly born, as you will see by time you are done reading this list. For those of you NOT familiar with Vince Clark, his career with Depeche Mode was very short lived. In a fairly recent interview, Vince explained the reasoning behind his departure from Depeche Mode after only one album. He never had his heart completely invested in the project, but after bringing a new song to the other band members... a little ditty called, "Only You"... and having them turn their noses up, telling him the song was crap, Vince excused himself, telling the band that he was going out for a smoke... and he never returned. If Paul Harvey were here, he would simply say, "... and now... you know... the rest of.......the story."
Of course, Vince took "Only You", found husky Brit female vocalist, Alison "Alf" Moyet, created the duo "YAZOO" (Yaz, in America) and the rest is history. As was Yazoo, after the first album was a success, and the second album had barely been recorded. One would think that Vince couldn't hold a relationship, but his marriage (figuratively, NOT literally.... although one would wonder) to Andy Bell in 1986, with the formation of Erasure, has proven to be a most successful relationship, as Erasure still lives on, 25 years later, always finding ways to keep their music fresh... including doing an album of Country/Americana versions of their own music. Yeah. It was awesome.

Wait... we're not talking about Erasure, are we? No... Depeche Mode. Right. This album had a unique sound. At least, to the discerning ear. And included some of my favorite DM songs, including "Any Second Now (Voices)".

6. JOURNEY: "ESCAPE"

This album was released in the Spring of my 9th grade year. I had been quite a Journey fan that year, and this album only cemented my love of the group. This was also the first album with keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who had replaced founding member, Gregg Rolie. While the songwriting of Cain brought some of the biggest success of the band's career (with songs like "Open Arms", it was also the beginning of the end. Many people don't know that Journey was formed by Neil Schon and Gregg Rolie, who were both part of the late 60's/early 70's line-up of SANTANA. The first few Journey albums were more Fusion than Rock, and were completely absent of Steve Perry, the man that would eventually become the "voice of Journey". While I should be a tad embarrassed to have this album sit at a respectable spot like #6, it has always remained very fresh to me, featuring some of the finest musicianship of the day. Heck, with an extremely talented guitarist like Neil Schon and the immaculate drum stylings of Jazz trained, Steve Smith, you cannot go wrong. At least for another couple years....

7. SPLIT ENZ: CORROBOREE (also known as WAIATA)

I still remember the first time I heard (and saw, for that matter) Split Enz. It was on the late night television show, FRIDAYS. A short while later, I stumbled across them on the PBS program, "AUSTIN CITY LIMITS". Between my first exposure to them and the Austin City Limits performance, I had fallen in love with a song called, "I GOT YOU". I remember when seeing them on Austin City Limits how disappointed I was. Most of that performance featured Tim Finn (the elder of the Finn brothers) on vocals, and it didn't sound like the Split Enz that I had been falling in love with. Sure enough, right at the tail end of the show, young Neil Finn stepped up to the microphone and sang, "I Got You". Because of the unsettling opinion of the ACL performance, I went years without purchasing any of their music. It wasn't until 1985 that I purchased the cassette of "Waiata". I was hooked. It quickly became one of my favorite albums of that year and, as you can tell, one of my favorites of 1981.

8. DEF LEPPARD: "HIGH'N'DRY"

Another album from my 9th grade year, High'n'Dry was (and still is) one of my favorite Heavy Metal albums EVER. To this day, it remains the one Def Leppard album that I listen to with regularity, and the album that I consider to be my favorite of their discography. This album was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had just finished working with AC/DC on their classic, "BACK IN BLACK". The Leppards may have still been teenagers when they recorded this album, but they rocked like veterans.

I still remember the extreme disappointment when I found out that Def Leppard was coming in concert to the Salt Palace in Salt Lake.... opening up for Native American Hard Rock outfit, BLACKFOOT... and my father wouldn't let me go. I had to be 16 before I could go to concerts on my own, and I sat home broken hearted the night of the concert. Now, before I continue on, let's ponder that for a moment..... Def Leppard, who were arguably one of the most successful bands of the 1980's... opening up for Blackfoot... one of the most obscure bands in the history of Hard Rock music. Yeah, it's hard to believe... but, oh so true.

9. U2: "OCTOBER"

The second of what I like to refer to as the "Lillywhite" albums (they being produced by famous 80's producer, Steve Lillywhite), this album featured a more mature side to this Irish band of teenagers. Their debut album, BOY, was immature sounding, yet deeply mature for a band their age. This album included songs like the title cut, which showed a deeper side to what these lads were capable of.

10. HEAVEN 17: PENTHOUSE AND PAVEMENT

Ah, the debut album from one of my favorite Synth Pop bands of the 80's... "Penthouse and Pavement". Heaven 17 was formed in the early 80's by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, both previously members of The Human League, a band that had broken through the radio airwaves of America the same year. As I look over this list of my favorite albums of 1981, I am amused by the relating factors of some of these albums. Heaven 17 and Human League (10 and 11) both featured the same founding members, and were both from Sheffield, England; the top two bands were both from Toronto, Canada... as will be the case with number 14 (stay tuned).

11. HUMAN LEAGUE: "DARE"
12. DEVO: "NEW TRADITIONALISTS"
13. THE CURE: "FAITH"
14. APRIL WINE: "THE NATURE OF THE BEAST"
15. THE BLASTERS: "THE BLASTERS"
16. QUINCY JONES: "THE DUDE"
17. MEN AT WORK: "BUSINESS AS USUAL"
18. THE POLICE: "GHOST IN THE MACHINE"
19. RICKIE LEE JONES: "PIRATES"
20. ORCHESTRAL MANEUVERS IN THE DARK: "ARCHITECTURE AND MORALITY"

Uncle Zeke's Video o' the Week: ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION

2011-04-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

Lo, and behold... I turn on the television tonight to discover that the new album by Alison Krauss & Union Station came out yesterday. I knew it was to be released in the coming weeks, but had no clue that it had already come out. So, all you fans of beautiful Americana music, you have some new music to keep you warm and fuzzy....