Okay, so I lied last week. One day off isn’t too bad.
Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts of the Great Highway
[Jetset/Caldo Verde; 2003/2007]
Every time I listen to this record, by the time I hit the wonderful “Carry Me Ohio”, I need to be on the open road. The record’s title itself evokes images of the wide ranged highways of the American west, and the ghost towns on the side of the road in Texas and Arizona. Sometimes it will work in the passenger seat of a car flying around South Carolina with my friend singing along with Mark Kozolek, no matter how badly we fail to recreate his incredible strain. The feelings put into these incredible lyrics make them all the more powerful, no matter how much you can’t understand them.
The album can go from intimate acoustic pieces like opener “Glenn Tipton” to the Crazy Horse-esqe “Salvador Sanchez”. The two best songs are easily the ones with sweeping, majestic electric guitar lines. “Carry Me Ohio” contains at least three as well as the imagery I described earlier. “Riding back where the highway met dead end tracks” just completely gives me the feeling of an all night drive headed back somewhere important. And then there’s “Duk Koo Kim”, which might scare you with its fourteen and a half minute length (it’s that way because that’s how long said boxer lasted), but in reality it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Almost a total parallel to “Carry Me Ohio” in terms of imagery and guitar work (again, just stick me on Interstate 10 or 40 or something), but it’s the total opposite lyrically. One of the finest love songs ever, with some of Kozolek’s best lyrics (the “Woken up from a dream..” part is one of the best lyrical passages ever), the song seems so short when I listen to it, but it could go on for much longer than it’s fourteen minutes. In fact, it can go on as long as I drive.
-Ryan Nichols
Editor’s note: no Lala player available for this album
Liars – Drums Not Dead
[Mute; 2006]
Drum’s Not Dead is the third full-length release by experimental rock band Liars composed of Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill, and Julian Gross. As indicated by the title, the album is very drum-heavy, but what stands out about them are the multitude of effects that they are run through. The band was heavily influenced by Henry Cow drummer, Chris Cutler’s electrified drum kit, and insisted on using this unique style both on the album and in live performances, as displayed in the CD booklet for the album. Gross’s dark and heavy drums are the foundation of Drums Not Dead and create the perfect atmosphere for Hemphill’s gnarled guitar drone and Andrew’s austere falsetto vocals.
-Evan Kaloudis
Official Website | Stream on Lala
Tool – Lateralus
[Volcano Records; 2001]
Lateralus can be perfectly summed up by the albums packaging alone. It is a record that really goes for all or nothing – it’s a complete package. For some, this might be a turn off. The album is rather lengthy, and there are some stretches where the band uses some psychedelic sounds to really push the theme of the album, which is about the exploration of the mind, body and spirit. The album opens up with the sound of a patient being lowered on an operating table, and kicks into Tool’s signature prog guitar chugs and tribal drumming. Lyrically, the album is rather dark, but is a great album to listen to when you want to get lost in the music. Which is really the only way to listen to Lateralus. You have to be willing to give a lot – and thankfully, the album has a lot to give back.
– Brent Koepp
Editor’s note: no Lala player available for this album
Sonic Youth – Goo
[Geffen; 1990]
Although it is not often viewed in as high regard as one of the classic Sonic Youth albums of the 1980’s, Goo is the perfect starting point for any new Sonic Youth fan. Their first release on Geffen records finds them making songs of a more accessible nature but with many of the no wave elements of their earlier work still intact. Songs are a lot “catchier” with hooks and grunge influenced riffs. A perfect example is “Kool Thing” which was recently released via Rock Band; a short rock song with a killer guitar line and simple vocals. Once a new Sonic Youth fan has tackled this album they can move on to any of their other releases and not feel daunted.
– Rob Hakimian
Official Website | Stream on Lala
Editor’s note (last one, I swear): Sean and Chris’ picks will be posted shortly
