90's who can remember?

10cc

The Things We Do for Love is an AM radio classic. Good Morning Judge should have been just as big. 10cc should have been better that known for making videos, the 2 songs mentioned above and I’m not in Love. This album shows why. Contained here are 12 really good pop songs. Yes most are on the lite side but none are filler. Interesting story about why they chose their name too. 3.0

Bad Brains

As someone who loves heavy music I have never understood why Bad Brains are always listed as one of those heavily influential and under the radar bands. Once again I give them the chance and I am left with the same feeling of its okay. The reggae songs are sort of cool, but the punk/metal stuff just doesn’t work for me. 2.0

The Black Angels

Dark atmospheric and memorable. The Black Angels are not a sunny day and a smile band, just the opposite. Sludgy may be the best description for the sound, but it’s played clean and with just enough crispness to let the music ring out. Garage yes, velvet influenced of course, but those are great things. Great ep. So good revisited their past stuff. 3.5

Notes and Scratches

Great opening tune brings to mine Mark Lanegan singing upbeat for once. Band has an interesting sound to it. Has an early two cow meets okerville vibe at times. There is the Mark Lanegan thing. Finally there is more than a snake cross thing going on especially at the end of the disc. What a wonderful choice of ingredients. 3.0

Okkervil River

At first listen was extremely disappointed with this disc. Uh oh these guys have discovered The Cure, and their depressing period at that. Maybe we were too spoiled by Black Sheep Boy and its shadow would taint the rest of these guys catalog. But I put it away and came back to it and found myself of changed thoughts. Yes the Cure has snuck in, but not to the point of disrupting their groove. The key to these guys is not to pay too much attention of what is up front, but it’s the wonderful things going on around the main melody and how it works into the song as a whole. Just listen to The Rider and you’ll get the idea. This is a cd that needs multiple listening to experience all it contains and surprises as you do it. 3.0

Hoodoo Gurus

Arguably the second best band to come out of Australia. They are Midnight Oil who lived in garage by the ocean, and preferred a sense of humor over politics. Just a great guitar based band that for 17 years have put out strong cds. In fact if I had known they had a cd out last year it would have made my top ten as it’s that good. As good as they are on record, they are even better live where as a four piece they just put incredible sound. An unsung pop gem of a band.

Top 10

1 Earth vs. Wildhearts, The Wildhearts

2 Everything Must Go, Manic Street Preachers

3 Puzzle, Dada

4 Vinyl, Dramarama

5 Girlfriend, Mathew Sweet

6 Goodbye Jumbo, World Party

7 Saigon Kick, Saigon Kick

8 Moseley Shoals, Ocean Colour Scene

9 Songs For The Rain, Hothouse Flowers

10 Trampoline, The Mavericks

Ones that would have probably fallen off:

· Buffalo Tom, Let me come over, Big Red letter days

· Cracker

· Jane’s Addiction Ritual de la habitual