This week, we here at onethirtybpm are unveiling a new feature: Weekly Recommendations. Basically, each week, every writer gets to choose any album they wish and write up a recommendation to the readers. Without further ado…
[Stones Throw; 2008]
In anticipation of Cryptomnesia and the newly anticipated Mars Volta album (read about them both here), I’ve been going through Mars Volta guitarist/mastermind Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s solo catalog. His latest release, Old Money (oddly released on independent hip hop label, Stones Throw Records) is a clear standout. From immediate opener “The Power of Myth” to the powerful title track and closer, Old Money manages to be expansive and showcase Omar’s wide-ranged guitar skills without being masturbatory as illustrated on previous solo efforts. But more importantly Rodriguez-Lopez has made a record that simply put, rocks hard.
Rodriguez-Lopez has alluded that Old Money was a potential follow up to the 2006 Mars Volta release Amputechture until he changed his musical direction. A flurry of mixed emotions strikes me when I think of what that album could have been.
-Evan Kaloudis
Official Artist Page | Purchase on Stones Throw | Stream on Lala
[BMG; 1997]
One of the most underrated albums of Bowie’s career, and the peak of his mid-’90s creative renaissance. After bouncing back from the brink of irrelevance with 1995’s Outside, Bowie updates his sound with the help of his new friend Trent Reznor. Bowie’s songwriting is as strong as ever, and the industrial and drum’n’bass touches on “Dead Man Walking,” “Little Wonder,” and “I’m Afraid of Americans” show the man, possibly more so than any other ’70s icon, able to stay relevant and current.
-Sean Highkin
Official Website | Stream on Lala | Stream on Last.fm
[Warner Bros.; 1996]
R.E.M.’s major label years of the 1990s often get overlooked in comparison to their 80’s output. However New Adventures in Hi-Fi to me, is one of R.E.M.’s best albums. The sound of the music (which was recorded in arenas for the most part) is as wide open as the album’s cover and artwork. Almost instantly you can be transported to a desert scene by listening to “Leave”, “Undertow”, or “Low Desert”. There is a major lack of pop singles on the record compared to Monster or Automatic for the People, but nonetheless “So Fast, So Numb” and “Electrolite” are extremely catchy, and mysterious lead single “E-Bow the Letter” gives us one of the most chilling moments in the R.E.M. catalog, with its Patti Smith chorus of “I’ll take you over/I’ll take you there”. If its the landscape of this album, for sure I’ll go with her.
-Ryan Nichols
Official Website | Stream on Lala
[Message, Shanachie; 1977]
While one of Augustus’ most played albums, East of the River Nile remains a fairly underexposed gem. Augustus was a humble man and one of the first musicians to adopt the melodica, then thought of as a children’s toy, as a legitimate instrument. On “Jah Light” he shows his mastery of this previously underrated instrument. From this album on, music history saw an increase in use of the melodica as a legitimate instrument, especially in ska, reggae, rock and even jazz. This album is in my mind a hallmark of dub reggae and I have a new fascination with it and the associated genre. While at times it can feel old, probably due to the subpar recording equipment of the Jamaican Islands, it maintains a spacey meditational feel throughout. There is not one lyric throughout the album. Additionally, East of the River Nile also features various members of The Wailers, the infamous Jamaican band that backed Bob Marley.
-Chris Woodall
[Columbia; 2009]
At the age of 74, Cohen shows no signs of getting old – although he won’t admit it. Throughout this incredible show, Cohen cracks many jokes about his age. But that is what makes this performance so captivating, as Cohen is very humble. At the same time, he is charming, and proves that he is a great showman. The performance sounds very intimate, and they did an incredible job with recording the show, as each instrument and vocal has a crisp sound. From the opening strumming of Suzanne to the explosive rendition of Hallelujah, this live album thrills song after song. Cohen is old, but he takes the experience and wisdom he has obtained over the years, and keeps his audience hanging on his every word.
-Brent Koepp
Official Website | Stream on Lala
[Saddle Creek; 2005]
Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is often seen as the something like the “evil twin” of I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, because it was released on the same day and features some of Bright Eyes’ more experimental and electronic ventures. I feel this is unfair, purely from description this might seem akin to Sufjan Stevens’ Enjoy Your Rabbit album, but unlike that album this one actually has plenty of hooks and of course prominently features some of Conor Oberst’s typical vivid and emotional lyrical imagery.
The opening track “Time Code” is an instant hurdle for those more used to the folk style of other Bright Eyes releases; complete with muffled breathing, heavy drum machine use, and finishing with a ticking countdown to a ringing alarm clock it’s not what one would call “catchy” but it is the perfect opener in its own right and repeat listeners will learn to love it. The heavy drum machine use stays constant throughout the album, but not always in the same style. “Arc of Time”, one of the album’s more instantly accessible numbers features electronic noodlings over a tribal beat whilst the beat stays more simple on the following track “Down A Rabbit Hole”. The heavy use of electronics on almost all of the tracks makes them dense and difficult to penetrate but there are some striking melodies and meaningful lyrics to be heard when you engross yourself. The sparse instrumentation coupled with Oberst’s sinister vocals on “Devil in the Details” make it one of the creepiest, intriguing and finest songs Bright Eyes have ever recorded whilst “Easy/Lucky/Free” is certainly one of the greatest songs ever to close an album.
On the whole Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is a dark, cold and brooding album which fits perfectly with the evil twin analogy. It may not be the successful and fun one that everyone will remember in the future, but it is the more interesting one once you get to know it.
-Rob Hakimian
Official Website | Stream on Lala
[Epic; 2008]
Criminally overlooked due to a poor score from Pitchfork (6.0), this album is one of my favorites from last year, and has seen more plays when the warmer weather showed up with the leaves. In the past few weeks, it’s become something of a ritual to board the bus to campus listening to the epic “As Tall as Cliffs” from this album (easily one of the best songs to come from 2008). But the album isn’t all about the high points, as the ballad-y “Broadripple is Burning” provides a haunting, emotional tale of a man driven to drinking (“And if my woman was a fire//she’d burn out before I wake// And be replaced by pints of whiskey//Cigarettes and outer space”) and eventually suicide. If I had one complaint about the album, it’s that it never regains the momentum found in “As Tall as Cliffs.” With that being said, this is a record full of lush arrangements and inspired lyrics–certainly an overlooked album worth a listen.
-Larry Weaver
