#90s supergroups

[noideamyguy]

Mad Season

December 31 1994

[jarofalicesgrunge]

Mad Season live at the Crocodile Cafe April 22, 1995;

📸: by Lance Mercer

[chroniclesofnadia111]

Favourite song of all time 🖤

“My pain is self chosen

At least, so the prophet says. “✨

[ubiq80]

Electronic. 1990 Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr

[alchemisoul]

3rd Secret

"I Choose Me"

(Live from Seattle's Museum of Popular Culture | March, 2022)

(Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam/Soundgarden/Temple of The Dog), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Bubba Dupree (Void), Jillian Raye (Giants in the Trees), and Jennifer Johnson)

[myimaginaryradio]

High Enough - Damn Yankees - 1990

[jarofalicesgrunge]

That’s so great! ♥️

Saw this on Facebook

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

Quarterfinals, Match 2

expand to see all propaganda received! (wall of text warning oh my god this is a severe cautionary message)

Lauryn Hill:

"she paved the way and was hot as fuck the whole time"

"Girl c'mon. Look at her. You're gonna try and tell me that isn't the most beautiful and attractive person alive? Okay. You're lying but okay."

"if u freaks don't give ms. lauryn hill the respect she deserves..."

"actually one of the prettiest women ever I'm such a lesbian for her. like irl I'm already a lesbian but she is helping"

Damon Albarn:

"Don’t think Damon should be here? Why don’t you get your head checked by a jumbo jet? Maybe you’ll feel heavy metal and calm down."

"If Damon is in the “some guy” category, he’s the heavenly and heartbreaking version. Damon is the sort of significant stranger I’d see on the train out of Colchester but could never speak to, just a face seen in passing yet too radiant to be real. I’d fall in love for an hour and carry the ache for a month."

"Damon sets the standard for me. I think he’s the most fascinating man alive. What I find attractive in Damon is not just his gorgeous bone structure and boyish charm, but how wholly he’s committed himself to music. Damon is an artist who walked the walk: in one of his roughest years with some of his rawest songwriting, he said he was no longer excited by anything except the creative process. He was disillusioned with the celebrity of it all, with his relationships suffering for it, and only wanted to make art: nothing more, nothing less. He would go on to compose film scores, write operas and stage musicals, produce other artists’ records, form collectives to fulfill his passion for world music, and create some of the most globally successful music of his career in a completely innovative format that placed him as the phantom behind the characters. Whenever one band takes a break, he makes a solo record or puts together a supergroup to stay busy. He’s uniquely collaborative and still writes personal letters inviting artists to record with him, and yet can function as a one-man show, acting as a multi-instrumentalist, a singer-songwriter and a producer. He’s been a constant voice of bringing British music to the world *and* bringing world music into Britain. Sure, he’s won Brit Awards and a Grammy among others, but he also has a Guinness World Record and was named an Officer of the British Empire for his services to music; his long work with Africa Express earned him respect even from peers who’d previously dismissed him, and his commitment to support his Malian collaborators in the face of violence earned him the title of Local King in Mali. There is so much talent in the world, but there is truly no one else with a career that looks like Damon Albarn’s. Damon is far more than just a prettyboy to look nice on a magazine cover, but looks are the ultimate point of this tournament, so make no mistake: he was terribly, terribly pretty. You watch him performing in the 90s, you sift through photoshoots and interviews and documentaries, and it feels *cruel* how beautiful he was. If his talent was god-given, so was his face. To put a bow on this thesis: I don’t know if Gorillaz and Damon’s musical universe would be the experimental, globe-trotting, boundary-pushing community affair it is if Blur hadn’t become such a central figure in Britpop and if Damon had not been made such a media spectacle, and I don’t know if Damon would have been that spectacle if he wasn’t so ungodly pretty. The domino effect is that Damon’s cherubic face launched a thousand multimedia art school projects for decades to come."

"I wish I was basically any bloke in the 90s so I could tongue Damon Albarn down. Damon will see a man and ask “is anyone gonna kiss that?” and not wait for a response."

"I have a pillow with his face on it. I sleep with it every night 😊"

"“I’m more homosexual than Brett Anderson, always have been. As far as bisexuality goes, I’ve had a taste of that particular fruit, or have been tasted you might say…” is just the rawest most Shakespearean statement ever"

"he is the ultimate Pretty Boy ™. his glorious golden locks, his electric blue eyes. he is if Princess Diana was a Britpop Dude. he is the Regina George of Britpop. he is if Aphrodite took male form. Zeus would come down to earth to fuck him if he knew. he is a caffeinated orange cat let loose. he is deranged. he is unhinged. you never know what will come out of his mouth. he had sexual tension with every single man who knew him. he pulled justine fucking frischmann. his aura knows no bounds. he is a siren. he is a weird guy. but being so gorgeous stunning ethereal didn't stop him from also being one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation"

"THE MAIN BLUR"

"literally where do i even begin. i could write entire essays on this man. a good place to start would be the beetlebum music video, i suppose. i'll never forget the first time i watched that music video. something in me changed, my brain chemistry was altered, my life was never the same, i view the world a lot differently now. and a lot of the viewing i'm doing is of pictures of damon albarn's face because of boy do i have a lot of those saved. every time i try to look for a photo of something on my phone i can't find it because there's so much damon. okay that's maybe an exaggeration but this man has the most unfathomable beauty ever. his eyes? HIS EYES. god dammit i love his eyes i want to stare at them until the end of time like nothing else exists. i'm so normal about this man (lying) and while i'm usually very shameless about my interests i'm actually incredibly glad this propaganda is anonymous because otherwise. yeah. but the world deserves to see damon albarn's beauty and also hear his fantastic voice because what the fuck. his voice is literally the most gorgeous sound ever produced like bro sounds like that and expects me not to fall in love? i want this man to sing his silly songs and talk absolute nonsense to me until the sun eventually blows out and the world ends. cmon damon girlies let's demolish this tournament i know there are a lot of you."

"He’s beautiful. He’s a little rat. He’s a sweetheart. He’s a dickhead. He’s a musical genius. He’s a dumb bitch. He’s a jock. He’s a weirdo. He’s real. He’s an illusion. He’s everything. He’s just Damon."

"DAMON DAMON DAMON where do I begin oh jeez I've hyperfixated on this man for a solid 4 years and still going strong. Damon makes me wish that British people are real. That says A LOT. This man created a whole ass ANIMATED BAND WITH A SHIT TON OF LORE as a SIDE HUSTLE??? Not to mention, what other man has collaborated with Stevie Nicks, MF DOOM, Del the Funky Homosapien, Snoop Dogg, AND Beck?! People, we're literally in the presence of a god. And he's STILL GOING. Anyways, TL;DR, damon is so so so neat and cool and he should definitely win this competition. Thank you."

"Okay 90s Damon is The Perfect Boy yes yes, but the people who parrot the Daily Mail and say "he's ugly now" will never understand. I would still suck every drop from him on his deathbed."

"Vote for whoever you want to. But Damon is so pretty."

"i did not spend hours admiring this beautiful man's face on pinterest just to see him lose."

"Damon Albarn just brings me joy. When I'm watching him perform, following along as the camera lingers on and adores his pretty face, I get butterflies like I'm 15 again. It's nice to still feel that totally unguarded giddiness sometimes."

"God let the intrusive thoughts win making Damon. What if he's a beautiful blond twink with eyes like saucers and dick to his knees, he reads Herman Hesse and plays footie and is insufferable about both, he'll be the most prolific musician of his generation and write operas and seminal albums in 5 different genres and also he's gonna be the dumbest bitch alive? He'll also be kinda bi, but only kinda. And send."

"when i found out about his existence, my life was changed forever. i wish i could use him like the hannah montana boot milk pillow and chuck him at the wall so he makes a loud thud"

"Think of the drama and anon fights it'll cause if Damon wins it all! And think of how quiet it'll get after Damon's out. You'll miss him when he's gone, like memories of a noisy house years after it's grown silent. Choose Damon, and keep the messy train chugging."

"Even the Gallagher brothers have the hots for him."

"Kiss kiss I love him also you can't vote for any of the Seattle men they're literally copy and paste it's not fair. We need Brit representation"

"I want to take care of him, I want to provide for him. I need to gauge his baby blue puppy dog orbs out to I can clean them with wood varnish, paint shades of Pantone 320 C in his eyes, spray eau de parfume by dior in them and sew it back into his eyes like that scene in Toy Story 2."

"Seeing as simply filling the page with ‘Damon’ written 10000000 times isn’t going to cut it 😅 may I admit/submit: I DO have him tattooed on my being (no descriptive, is this anon?); he’s inspired somewhat unhinged late night/early morning fandom conversations in which I’ve served as ‘parish’ priest hearing confessions from all manner of folk about what they’d like to do to him/receive from him; sadly I lost an essay where I detailed why the letters that make up his name suit him so well, and described him as the hot caramel sauce to Graham’s cool vanilla ice cream. He’s a faerie princess with a nose that makes people weep and a voice that feels like the warmest home and he gives amazing hugs. He loves trains and chickens and his tuxedo cat. He’s annoying and sweet and somewhat unhinged and his music saves people and all this is on top of that fantastic dick. He’s a dream yet very real and we’re fucking blessed to be on earth at the same time as him, amen"

"Damon Albarn was a beautiful, beautiful boy. The world saw that, regardless of if every individual reading this has the same taste in men; it felt like a truth of the universe at the time. They don't make celebrities that angelic in face and erratic in personality anymore."

"I need to touch his eyebrows, nose and prostate just one time JUST ONE TIME COME ON"

[burlveneer-music]

Palomatic - Trill - vinyl-only reissue of 1995 techno album by Koji Takahashi (I wish I'd discovered it back then instead of just now because I love it, but better late than never)

Feedback Waves — the new imprint from independent label Rings of Neptune — is proud to present Trill, the first and only album by Palomatic. Almost thirty years after its original release on CD in 1995, this beautiful nine-track work is now available on vinyl for the first time. Palomatic is an alias of Koji Takahashi, an active member of the bubbling Japanese electronic music scene of the early-to-mid 90s. Besides his solo work, he was a core member of Takahashi Tektronix (with Nic Yoshizawa) and Mutron (with Kiyoshi Hazemoto, aka Interferon), as well as working as a synth programmer for supergroup Denki Groove. Following the release of his debut track ‘Halo’ on Syzygy Records in 1993, Takahashi made a series of contributions to compilations on the scene-defining Transonic label. His first and only full-length album, Trill, combined these tracks with original material to form an absorbing and versatile standalone statement of the Palomatic sound. From the oscillating lilt of ‘Flutter’, which opens proceedings at a measured 104bpm, through to the symphonic epilogue of ‘Soar’, Trill is rooted in the fertile territory between organic and synthetic sounds — ground that was nourishing the work of many likeminded producers worldwide at the time. West Coast psychedelia and East Coast funk, the moody bass weight of Bristol trip-hop and Sheffield bleep, and the chemical rush of German techno and Belgian trance: with a distinctly Japanese sensibility, Trill drew these strands together into an elegant musical tapestry. The result is timeless — indeed, album centrepiece ‘Foaming Waves’ would sound right at home on the faster-paced dancefloors of today.

[aholefilledwithtwigs]

And God She Created Civilization by Meg Lee Chin has the best use of the word ‘jizzum’ in a song

Oh and for the music gear nerds she is who started Gearslutz (now called Gearspace)

And she was one of the singers for Pigface (the 90s industrial metal supergroup of rotating members)

[jarofalicesgrunge]

Layne Staley Performed w/Front 242 in Lakewood, July 25, 1993.

[greensparty]

Concert Review: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band

Wed. 9/18/24 @ Chevalier Theatre (Medford, MA)

Sir Ringo (center) and his All-Starr Band

What more can you say about Sir Ringo Starr? At 84, he is still an active musician and performer in his own right and not just the drummer for The Beatles who occasionally sang on select songs. I have been fortunate enough to cover not only The Beatles (most recently with the reissue of the Red and Blue albums late last year), but also Sir Ringo's solo output including 2019's What's My Name, 2022's EP3, 2023's Rewind Forward, and this year's Crooked Boy. I was lucky enough to see him live in 2010 on his 70th birthday where his old bandmate Paul McCartney came out for the encore and performed "Birthday" with him. For my second time seeing him in 2022 he was at the Boch Center and it blew me away to see someone in his 80s singing and drumming like he was in his 20s. At the very last minute, I got to cover Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band's only MA show on a Fall tour in the same week I got to see Jane's Addiction and Pearl Jam. What a week!

All-Starr Band with their starry background

Over time it has become cool to poke fun at Sir Ringo, but his solo career is criminally underrated. As a member of The Beatles, he gets loads of respect, but as a solo artist he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. He has to live up to the Fab Four and each of their solo careers, but he has actually made some great solo albums. In 1989, Starr toured with a supergroup Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. Each of the band members takes turns doing some of their hits in addition to backing Starr as he does his solo and Beatle hits. The line-up of the All-Starr Band has changed over the years, but the group is still going strong. This lineup features Toto's Steve Lukather (an All-Starr since 2012), Men at Work's Colin Hay (an All-Starr in 2003, 2008 and since 2018), Average White Band and Paul McCartney's band (in the late 80s/early 90s) Hamish Stuart (an All-Starr 2006-2008 and since 2018), David Lee Roth alum Gregg Bissonette (an All-Starr since 2008), Kansas and Toto alum Warren Ham (an All-Starr since 2014) and Aerosmith touring member Buck Johnson (newest All-Starr). The only difference in this lineup since I saw them in 2022 is that Edgar Winter wasn't there, Buck Johnson was filling in. Ringo did his solo hits "It Don't Come Easy", "I'm the Greatest", "Back Off Boogaloo", and "Photograph" as well as Beatle hits "Yellow Submarine", "Octopus's Garden", "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "With a Little Help From My Friends". He also did cover songs he's closely affiliated with like Carl Perkins' "Matchbox" (which The Beatles did in 1964), and The Shirelles' "Boys" (which The Beatles covered in 1963). Each member got their chance to shine too with Lukather singing Toto hits, Stuart doing Average White Band hits, and Hay doing Men at Work hits. Of all the non-Ringo / Beatle songs, I found the Men at Work hits to be the strongest.

Sir Ringo singing

Sir Ringo drumming

I don't know how much longer Sir Ringo is going to be touring and performing for, so any chance to see him is exciting. He sings lead and sometimes plays drums and he's a born entertainer! There is an element of a Vegas show vibe to this, but what's wrong with that? I do wish they'd incorporate some of Ringo's output since the 70s into set, but he's giving the audience what they want. This was my third time seeing the All-Starr Band and it was a blast. The first time is among my most legendary concert moments ever to get to see two Beatles onstage together. The second show I got to see in the same week as a Sir Paul concert. Bottom line: it's hard to compare to both of those concert experiences, but this was quite a show!

For info on Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band

[happinessismusic]

Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller has something to say about Blake Shelton, but he knows Shelton isn’t going to like it.

"He’s absolutely brilliant," Miller, 65, tells PEOPLE from his home studio in Nashville of the country music superstar. "Blake has this ‘Jethro Bodine’ part of his personality that's just kind of goofy, and he wants you to think that, but he’s really smart and he has this incredible memory. He can blow me away with the recall he has of records and songs, especially from the '80s and '90s."

It’s this recall and memory that made itself known as Shelton joined with his musical heroes Sawyer Brown to produce their brand-new album Desperado Troubadours.

"Blake is such a historian of the band and such a fan,” says Miller of the '90s hit-making band also made up of Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, Joe “Curly” Smyth and Shayne Hill. "He's also got great instincts. To be a producer, you have to have the instinct in the studio to be able to lead and navigate through a song."

xxx xxx

Not only was Miller impressed with Shelton’s talents, but also with his incredible work ethic during the making of Desperado Troubadours.

"We used to tease him that he used to get there and let the help in because he was always the first one at the studio and he was the last one to leave,” says Miller, who recently authored the book The Boys and Me: My Life in the Country Music Supergroup Sawyer Brown.

xxx xxx

“Blake and [his wife] Gwen [Stefani] flew in from Los Angeles, and we just literally camped out in the studio for three or four days,” says Miller, who also worked with co-writers such as Mac McAnally, Cody Jinks and Tennessee Jet on Desperado Troubadours.

[broke-bruce-wayne]

My Top 50 Albums of 2023

Finally got around to putting this together, the first time I've been able to have a list like this in...a long time. At least a decade. So, here we are. I tried to listen to a lot, but of course there will be things I wasn't able to get to. Let me know if you think something is missing, and I'll be sure to check it out, if I haven't already gotten to it. I tried to give a succinct blurb and a key track for each album too, to make it easier to check out.

Notes on my rankings: This is based on around 60% how much I personally liked the album, and 40% how objectively good I thought it was. Therefore there will definitely be things on here you won't see on other lists, and probably some albums that would be expected, that won't show up. Also, I only took into account albums specifically released in 2023, unlike lists from most publications (so no SZA album, which would've been top 10).

Anyway, here we go. Full list under the cut.

50. The Whaler - Home is Where: Starting off with a Midwest Emo album is so typical of me, but this one was good, if a little odd at times (not a bad thing). Key Track: Yes! Yes! A Thousand Times Yes!

49. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey: Good but not great, this one was just a bit too long and samey in the middle for me. Still a solid listen though. Key Track: A&W

48. Jaguar II - Victoria Monét: A pop tinged R&B album, full of good beats and solid lyricism, this one had its fair share of bangers on it. Key Track: Smoke

47. Voir Dire - Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist: Earl Sweatshirt is one of the best lyricists out there, and he continues on this collab album full of fun tracks. Key Track: The Caliphate

46. Guts - Olivia Rodrigo: I liked when this album really leaned into the punchier, pop-punk tinged tracks, but I felt that a few of the ballads on the back half were a bit lacking to rank it higher. Key Track: Bad Idea Right?

45. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan: The flip side of the previous album, I really liked when this album had more room to breathe in the middle of the album, whereas the more over the top pop tracks were more hit or miss for me. Key Track: Casual

44. I Killed Your Dog - L'Rain: Modern day psychedelic rock, this was a good time, though my biggest complaint is I wish a lot of the songs were a bit longer. Key Track: Pet Rock

43. The Record - boygenius: A supergroup album that definitely sounded best when it really leaned into the fact that it was a supergroup album. Key Track: Not Strong Enough

42. Blondshell - Blondshell: These next two both fall in the genre of indie that is best described as 90s alt revival, and considering I like 90s music, I thought both these were good. Key Track: Sepsis

41. Lucky For You - Bully: I thought the highs on this one were a bit higher than the previous, and just a really good time throughout. Key Track: All I Do

40. No Joy - Spanish Love Songs: One of the albums I was most looking forward to this year, it met all my expectations while shifting genres into something I've seen lovingly described as Heartland Emo. Key Track: Clean-Up Crew

39. Time Ain't Accidental - Jess Williamson: This was a break up album that was less about the break up and more about moving past, a nice wrinkle for a country album. Key Track: Hunter

38. Life Under the Gun - Militarie Gun: This album has grown on me more than just about any other from my first listen. I didn't think it was that special on first listen, yet I kept finding myself going back to it. Key Track: Never Fucked Up Once

37. Fountain Baby - Amaarae: Just a really fun, summertime album. A really, really easy album to dance to. Key Track: Counterfeit

36. Model/Actriz - Dogsbody: This album sounded like if NIN made music even more specifically for gay clubs, a fascinating industrial listen. Key Track: Mosquito

35. Red Moon in Venus - Kali Uchis: A great, groovy modern R&B album with some high highs but also a few that tracks that were just fine. Key Track: I Wish You Roses

34. This is Why - Paramore: As someone who is admittedly not too big on their earlier work, I've enjoyed their shift into post-punk revival. This was a good time, especially the second half of the album. Key Track: This is Why

33. The Enduring Spirit - Tomb Mold: I did not expect to get into a death metal album as much as I did this one, but it was surprisingly melodic, and the guitar shreds throughout. Key Track: Fate's Tangled Thread

32. The Greater Wings - Julie Byrne: A soft, peaceful folk album, featuring minimal production that allows her vocals to truly shine through. Key Track: Lightning Comes Up From the Ground

31. The Window - Ratboys: Nothing groundbreaking, just really well put together, perfectly executed, and diverse sounding indie rock. Key Track: The Window

30. Oh Me Oh My - Lonnie Holley: Probably the most interesting album I listened to all year, this was an emotional whirlwind. Almost felt like listening to a history lecture set to music at times. Key Track: Mount Meigs

29. Why Would I Watch? - Hot Mulligan: This year I finally bought into the hype around this band. I probably listened to it more than just about most albums on this list. Perfect mix of pop-punk and midwest emo. Key Track: Shhhh! Golf Is On

28. Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling - Slaughter Beach, Dog: Music to sit outside in the summer evening, relax, and drink a beer to, all the makings of a great alt-country album. Key Track: Strange Weather

27. Madres - Sofia Kourtesis: House music isn't necessarily my genre, but I couldn't help dancing along with this one. A great time. Key Track: How Music Makes You Feel Better

26. But Here We Are - Foo Fighters: In my opinion, the best Foo Fighters album in about 25 years, as Dave Grohl worked through his grief through passionate songwriting. Key Track: Rest

25. Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume - Yves Tumor: A psychedelic post punk album with cool guitar work and great vocals, all which form a winning combination. Key Track: God is a Circle

24. Erotic Probiotic 2 - Nourished by Time: A very catchy, albeit sort of odd, experimental R&B album, not quite sure how it worked, but it did. Key Track: Shed That Fear

23. Heaven Knows - PinkPantheress: I couldn't help but have a good time with this one, a great album to dance to, very fun. Key Track: True Romance

22. Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? - Kara Jackson: With beautiful vocals singing great, passionate songwriting, this was a fantastic folk album. Key Track: Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?

21. Let's Start Here - Lil Yacthy: The most surprising album of the year for me, a genre shift into a more psychedelic rock sound worked out amazingly well for him. Key Track: Reach The Sunshine.

20. Heaven is a Junkyard - Youth Lagoon: This was an extremely introspective indie pop album, following a major health scare for the artist, with the emotion shining through with every word. Key Track: Prizefighter

19. Scaring the Hoes - JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown: An experimental hip hop album from two guys full of tongue in cheek internet jokes and all kinds of random references, this one was a fun time. Key Track: Kingdom Hearts Key

18. Softscars - Yeule: A fun mixture of dream pop and electronica, the opening track is one of my absolute favorites of the year. Key Track: X W X

17. The Land is Inhospitable and So are We - Mitski: A beautiful, mellow, and emotional album (and my first introduction to her work, surprisingly). Key Track: My Love Mine All Mine

16. The Loveliest Time - Carly Rae Jepsen: I shouldn't be surprised that she managed to put an album of b-sides out that surpassed the previous album, and yet... Key Track: Psychedelic Switch

15. That! Feels Good! - Jessie Ware: Disco revival? Disco revival! This one is just a great time throughout, a ton of fun. Key Track: Free Yourself

14. Weathervanes - Jason Isbell: One of the best modern country songwriters has done it again, an easy listen even with the long run time. Key Track: Cast Iron Skillet

13. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? - McKinley Dixon: Beautiful jazz based production as well as very personal raps, this one reminded me quite a bit of some of the rap albums I loved growing up. Key Track: Run, Run, Run

12. After the Magic - Parannoul: A Korean shoegaze album with more than a hint of emo, as well as extremely captivating vocals. An extremely well layered album. Key Track: Arrival

11. Lahai - Sampha: Alt-R&B album with experimental, almost atomspheric production and very smooth vocals, a very crisp listen. Key Track: Suspended

10. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek: I'll be the first to admit that outside of actually being in a club, pop music isn't necessarily my thing. But there was something about this album that was a lot of fun. The production here is outstanding, varying between traditional and experimental sounds, and her vocals are fantastic too. A really fun time. Key Track: Welcome to My Island

9. Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan: My highest ranking pure country album of the year, this one was just so well put together. Forgoing the modern country sound for a more slowed down production, it really let the strong vocals and genuine emotion shine through. Key Track: I Remember Everything

8. Enola Gay - Asia Menor: This was the debut album from this Chilean band, which got a lot of buzz online, but less so in traditional media outlets. Which is a shame because it is just a lot of fun musically. A solid mix of indie post-punk, with more than a fair share of math rock and emo/post-hardcore thrown in. One of my favorite listens of the year. Key Track: La Naturaleza

7. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips - Armand Hammer: The first of two billy woods related projects in my top 10, this one was such a fascinating listen. A rather experimental project, this mixed conscious raps over almost ambient beats. It took a second to get used to, but once you do, it really shines. Honestly, it probably shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but it really really did. A great time. Key Track: Y'all Can't Stand Right Here

6. My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross - ANOHNI and the Johnsons: One of the last albums I listened to this year, this one was beautiful and heart wrenching and just fantastic. With a 60s soul sound mixed with modern flourishes, the instrumentals were great. They were soft when they needed to be but grandiose at all the right times, perfectly matching her emotionally heavy vocals. A fantastic listen. Key Track: Rest

5. Rat Saw God - Wednesday: Probably the album I debated the ranking on the most, as I've had it everywhere between 5 and 15, but I just kept coming back to it. The very intense vocals, the mixture between alt country and noise rock, and the fantastic guitar work throughout, all make this one of the highlights of the year for me. Key Track: Chosen to Deserve

4. Quaranta - Danny Brown: Danny Brown's second appearance on this list (two 2-timers in the top 5 too), this one was my favorite of the two releases he was involved in this year. He took a more low key (by his standards) approach to his usual delivery style on this one, and it allowed his words to have the added emphasis they needed. A great rap album. Key Track: Jenn's Terrific Vacation

3. Hellmode - Jeff Rosenstock: To those of you who know me well, you probably already know that this was my personal favorite album of the year. Jeff is the most innovative artist in the pop punk realm, and he managed to put together an album that was diverse and layered and better on every listen. Seeing him perform the whole thing in its entirety was the highlight of my music experiences this year. Key Track: 3 Summers

2. Maps - billy woods & Kenny Segal: The second of two billy woods appearances on this years list, this album was, in my opinion, both more easily accessible and technically better than the Armand Hammer release. Beautiful mixture of jazz and atmospheric beats with superb storytelling, just a great listen. Key Track: FaceTime

1. Javelin - Sufjan Stevens: As soon as I listened to this one, I was almost certain that it was going to be my album of the year, and nothing else I listened to after really made me question it. Truly a beautiful expression of love and grief and loss. No other choice in my opinion. Key Track: Shit Talk

[mannytoodope]

Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson, December 23, 1964) is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and one of the three guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. Eddie and his band were powerful during the "grunge "rock movement" in the "'90s. Af'90smost of those bands disbanded or faded away. Eddie has stayed relevant and kept busy playing with other bands and making music for films. During the '90s, I '90sin high school during that whole. "Grunge era "everything. "Their thing was about Nirvana or Pearl Jam.   During the mid-'90smid-'90s, I was part of the supergroup Temple of The Dog, with members of different alternative groups. He released his first solo album in 2007. Eddie is a down-to-earth guy who respects his fans. He used to try and reply to every fan letter he received early in the band's Ten years after Vedder released his first solo album, Vedder and Pearl Jam were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He has made music for several films. Outside of music, he is a passionate activist working for several causes. He incorporated some of it in his lyrics. Eddie Vedder will always be remembered for his impact on grunge and alternative music during the '90s and '90s today.

[thirdworldrockout]

Compact Memories Best Albums 1999-2002

System of a Down (1st album). Gave me the idea that there is more music out there than what's presented in front of you, you know the super mainstream "burger-fries-cola" combo, think out of the box.

Nirvana- In Utero. This was their masterpiece. Sure, Nevermind had the hits and Bleach had the buzzsaw guitar punk-rock sound but this was what Nirvana was supposed to sound like, melancholy, full of angst art-rock.

Black Sabbath- Paranoid. It's all about hearing Iron Man for the first time and thinking the world's going to end soon. Teenage years... Sheesh!

Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power. Cooler than anything Metallica put out in the 90's.

Nine Inch Nails- The Fragile. Double album with lush sounds and trippy songs. It's a concept album about walking towards the edge of the world and thinking it might be better to completely disappear.

Deftones- White Pony. Be cool. Listen.

A Perfect Circle- Mer de Noms. Perfect album to rock to and have some artsy thoughts linger right after.

Danzig (1st album). Metal + Danzig = Great.

Faith No More- Angel Dust. They had their own sound and vibe. Fascinating how much music landscape they covered. Being like a reverse RHCP band was a huge plus for me.

Entombed- Wolverine Blues. Entombed's most mainstream thing was the Wolverine in Wolverine Blues. It wasn't a thing. What made Entombed cool was they didn't have to, they just were, from death metal to death n' roll, that's the band.

Down- NOLA. A rare gem from a supergroup. Swampy southern/stoner metal.

Slayer- Reign in Blood. This was on every list of must-have records for metal heads. I think to this day, whenever I discover metal bands I haven't heard of, this album is what I compare them to.