Common Place Blog

Have you ever noticed that every time they show someone writing lyrics down in a book either in a TV show or a movie that they are writing it with a sharpie marker? This is unbelievable bullshit. Have you ever tried to write anything useful with a sharpie that wasn’t graffiti or a incoherent label on a disc, no of course not. If you did actually try to write a book full of lyrics with one you’d notice you don’t know what the fuck the first page says and everything after that is just smudged shit.

This makes me question if there is some kind of Mason-like underbelly, a conspiracy with sharpie and mainstream media. Ask yourselves, ask a friend, write a letter to sharpie and ask those whores because someone is lying to us all.

Here are the rest of my entries for my top 100 favorite albums. I already posted the first 50 albums and this is the rest. Your feedback is always welcome.

50. Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
Perfect combination of pop, hip-hop and electronica produces great results. The album is also full of guest spots and this helps to diversify the sound even further. All the songs sound diverse enough, yet they have similarities that make the album a great listen from start to finish. Plus, it’s just fun, and something different yet again.

49. Garbage - Bleed Like Me (2005)
I was never a big Garbage fan, but this CD really surprised me. Bleed Like Me is rocky, harder, edgier, and in my opinion better than all their previous work. ‘Why Do You Love Me’ always gets stuck in your head. And while Shirley Manson’s vocals are good, the best part of the album is the music and production behind it. The band is just a collection of industry-seasoned producers who know what to do in the studio, and it definitely shows.

48. Full Devil Jacket - Full Devil Jacket (2000)
Although many people want to throw this band in the orgy of nu-metal bands that came out in that time period, I would beg the differ. This album has some complex time signatures, great song-writing, diverse sound including one of my favorite acoustic songs - “Monster”. Don’t get me wrong, the albums is mostly really heavy, so if you’re not into that type of music you just won’t get it. But for me, there is much more going on once you get past the heaviness.

And of course, the biggest asset of this album is Josh Brown’s vocals. He’s got an amazing voice. I was wondering for a while what hapenned to this band, as they have not released an album since this debut. Then I heard a song on the radio, and I immediately recognized the voice. Turns out he’s got a new band - Day of Fire and their stuff is great as well; much softer though.

47. Collective Soul - Blender (2000)
These guys are just great songwriters. The music is a weird combination of sometimes heavy-metal riffs with the softest pop-vocals, which unfortunately does not make too many fans for this band. Usually they’re either too heavy for pop-crowd or too bubble-gum for the rock crowd. But for people willing to look past generalizations this is an awesome band. I don’t believe they ever wrote a bad song. Almost every song has great hooks and can be radio-friendly. Why Pt 2, is a standout for me on this CD.

46. Coldplay - Parachutes (2000)
While I was never a big fan of Yellow - the song that catapulted them into mainstream, I somehow got this CD from a friend. It was just great melancholic music and was something different from what I was into at the time. Trouble was the song that really stood out for me. It is still one of my favorite songs eva.

45. Deus - The Ideal Crash (1999)
What a weird and misleading album this is. At first, it seems like it’s just a bunch of pop-rock songs, but they just always seem to turn into some weird uncomfortable noise-filled instrumental direction. Great combination of radio-friendly hooks and experimental music that’s just un-like anything you’re quite used to. It’s always refreshing to find a new band that’s not afraid to bend the rules once in a while and still be good.

44. The Dissociatives - The Dissociatives (2004)
Dissociatives is a collaboration of Silverchair’s Daniel Johns and producer Paul Mac. Undoubtedly I decided to check them out since I’m a Silverchair fan and was really hooked on this CD. It does not sound anything like Silverchair at all. It’s mostly an experimental electronic-pop CD with hooky songs and stellar production. If you listen to all the albums Daniel Johns have played on, you would not think it’s the same person. I love the diversity - that’s what good music is about, to me.

43. Green Day - American Idiot (2004)
I was never much of a Green Day fan in the early days. Pretty much until ‘Warning’. For some reason that album got me interested. I guess it just had a more grown-up sound. American Idiot was another step in that direction. It is an awesome album on so many levels. Not only are all the songs great on their own, it seems almost like a concept album so that when you listen to it from start to finish all the songs flow together really well. Not to mention the 9 minute Jesus of Suburbia track that just seems against the punk-pop rules altogether as well as the unforgettable - Boulevard of Broken Dreams hook. Yeah it may have been overplayed to death by radio, but you know as soon as you heard it that it was something special.

42. (hed) PE - Broke (2000)
(hed) PE is not a very well known band; probably because they are a hip-hop-punk-heavy-metal-reggae-hardcore-acoustic-death-metal songwriters (I should patent that genre) that just don’t fit into any mold. They are also very obnoxious and don’t give a fuck about anything, which they proudly proclaim on several occasions. But hey, sometimes not all music needs to be serious. Even in rock music there is room for a party band. Broke is my favorite album by them. Even though this particular album probably resembles rap-metal sound than anything else it is also their most radio-friendly record (and that is not a bad thing).

41. Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (2006)
This album has really hit me. Snow Patrol really brings out the emotion in music. And nowhere it is as more evident as in “Make This Go On Forever” which has got to be one of my favorite songs ever. They just know how to write powerful songs and then produce the hell out of them to make them sound like you’re about to explode everytime you listen to it.

40. Tool - Ænima (1996)
Ænima is the album that probably jump-started the modern sound of Tool. Opiate and Undertow were still kind of rough-sounding, but this album really defined their sound to come. It was more tightly produced and even more experimental than before. Forty Six & 2 is probably my favorite song on this CD, but the whole album from start to finish is just stellar. I remember listening to it non-stop in my HS years and it still remains one of my favorite CDs. Oddly enough, I believe this was their most commercially successful CD as well.

39. Catherine Wheel - Wishville (2000)
Rob Dickinson has one of the greatest voices in rock music and it definitely shows on this CD. The songwriting is very mature and does not seem to follow the same old formula. There is something different about their approach to structuring a song. Even though the songs have great hooks, many have also weird time signatures and experimental sound that makes it all the more interesting.

38. Collective Soul - Youth (2004)
Now, this is more of a traditional songwriting band, which comes out with yet another collection of pop-rock songs. Youth is the first album they recorded on their own, without a record company. Even though the sound is undoubtedly Collective Soul, it does have some new elements, which make it an interesting record. Not sure if it’s the departure from the record label, or just a sign of maturity, but Youth is probably my favorite Collective Soul album.

37. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (2007)
I loved this album from the first listen and it grew on me even further since. Minutes to Midnight is just a whole new direction for them. While Meteora was more of the same, this CD just blew up the formula they got used to and started over. One of the best things about this album is that it is diverse, and if you read the rest of my entries, you know that I love diversity. For a band that helped jump-start the Rap-Metal genre, this CD only has 2 tracks with any rapping at all. The rest is a mix of all kinds of songs. Some songs are still just as heavy and screaming as some of the early work, while others are soft or more experimental.

The sound and the beats is still Linkin Park - just more mature. Mike Shinoda is also singing more on a few songs which helps to diversify the sound even further. I think this guy is the real brains behind Linkin Park and everything he touches has his patented sound, including the Fort Minor project.

I always knew these guys are capable of writing awesome music. Even though the early Linkin Park had more of a teen angst sound, you could hear that they are a talented songwriters/producers. And then there is the last track “The Little Things Give You Away” that just does not sound like Linkin Park at all. It’s got a non-standard beat and a great production. All in all, I think Rick Rubin really pulled out the best in these guys.

36. Nelly Furtado - Loose (2006)
OK, maybe it’s not well known but Nelly Furtado is legitimately one of my favorite artists. I know she is usually thrown into the batch with Brittneys and Fergies of the world, but this is just not so. She is just good. I don’t even know what it is about her, but there is something definitely different going on there.

Loose sounds very different from her previous work. It’s much more hip-hop oriented, since it’s produced by Timbaland. It’s got a whole new feeling, yet the music is still just as good. Although the single Promiscous is probably not the best representation of the CD and not one of my favorites, the rest of the album is outstanding.

35. Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Did I just follow up Nelly Furtado with Pantera? I believe so. Why? Cause that’s how I roll B.

Seriously though, Vulgar Display of Power is the best Pantera CD and is just sick. It came together at perfect time. I think Cowboys from Hell had a little too much of early Pantera days of glam rock with high pitched vocals, while their further albums fell more into “let’s make heavy music just to piss everyone off”. This album is the perfect in-between and shows that good songwriting and heavy music can coexist. ‘Walk’ is just a classic heavy metal song and is def one of my favorites.

34. Tool - Opiate (1992)
Tool’s debut EP - what can you say about it other than, this is what started it all. The sound is still raw, it only has 6 tracks, 2 of which are live; but it introduced Tool to the world. Even though you couldn’t tell yet at the time what a force this band will become, it certainly caught people’s ears. The songs had great hooks even back then, yet there was something different about them.

33. Brother Cane - Wishpool (1998)
Seems like Brother Cane never really got their due in the grunge-era of music. Their last album is probably their best - or at least my favorite. It’s just straight-up good rock and roll music with solid songwriting all around. The title track ‘Wishpool’ starts with a cool bass intro and then kicks into full gear, setting up the album perfectly.

32. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
If Parachutes introduced the band to the world, this album just catapulted them into a stratosphere and quickly made them one of the biggest bands in the universe… and rightfully so. It is my favorite Coldplay album. Every song is filled with emotion and passion which grabs hold of you. Of course the piano riff in Clocks quickly became the most recognizable piece of music in recent memory; and the opening track - Politik is one of the more powerful piano songs that I can think of.

31. Travis - The Invisible Band (2001)
Travis delivers just a great collection of pop-rock songs on this one. The opening track ‘Sing’ is probably my favorite song on this album. I wouldn’t say these guys are doing anything revolutionary. Sometimes just writing catchy songs with simplistic approach is all you need - if you’re insanely good at it that is. I am a sucker for catchy hooks.

30. DC Talk - Jesus Freak (1995)
These guys always seem to be great songwriters that were just ahead of the curve. They started out as a pop hip-hop act, and then added rock and soul to this album. In 1995 it still wasn’t a cool thing to mix rap and rock and these guys were doing it before anyone. Funny enough they abandoned hip-hop altogether in their next release, just as rap-rock was hitting mainstream. This CD is just a great mix of good songwriting, awesome vocal harmonies and a diverse sound that was unlike anything else at the time.

29. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
It is easy to overlook this album if you think of it in terms of “Well of course Nevermind is gotta be up there”. But if you forget about all the hype and all the historical propaganda you heard over the years and just listen to it as if you heard it for the first time, it’s just a great frigging album. Some people may hate on Nirvana just because they got all the credit in the grunge era and were probably the least technical musicians. But it ain’t about that. The great songwriting is what made this album and they should deserve all the praise they’re getting.

28. Sevendust - Animosity (2001)
Animosity has revamped Sevendust sound and introduced the next level for the band. This was a more mature and at times a softer album than before. Sevendust can do it like no-one else, mixing heavy metal and soul. I believe they also have a more original drum sound that helps this band stand out even further. Live Sevendust shows are off the chain. Lajon is probably the most charismatic front-man I’ve seen on stage. I’ve seen them many times and will always try to catch them when they’re in town, even after Clint left the band. Praise, Trust, X-Mas Day and of course Angel’s Son are my favorites on this CD.

27. 8stops7 - In Moderation (1999)
It’s a shame that 8stops7 only put out one major CD and then disappeared. They were a great hard rock band with an original sound. The originality of their sound came mostly from Evan’s non-stop vocal performance. I don’t know how this guy can last an entire show. Usually most songs have some instrumental breaks, but this guy just sings non-stop from start to finish in every song.

In Moderation does not sound all that polished, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing. The album has a raw feeling that helps to sell the band’s honest sound. Uninspired is one of my favorite songs on that album, and I still think this band could have had a big hit if they released it as a single.

26. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness (2003)
It’s hard to believe that this band used to be a death metal band early in their career. Even though this album is at times heavy, it does not have any death metal vocals at all. In fact the vocals is what makes this album stick out in your mind long after you listened to it. The vocal delivery and the pronunciation is a big part of the hypnotic sound on this album. The hooks and the experimental song structuring also add to the overall theme.

25. DC Talk - Supernatural (1998)
If their previous album marked transitioning, then I guess this album is where they ended up. There is no rapping on this CD at all - just straight up rock and roll. Far cry from the early days of ‘Nu Thang’. You can really say these guys have tried many things musically and it worked every time; mainly because they are just good songwriters. The production on this CD is awesome and songwriting is at the highest level compared to their previous work.

24. Sia - Colour the Small One (2004)
Although having an album full of sappy chick songs on this list may not be the coolest thing to admit for a manly dude such as myself, I just cannot help it. I love this CD. Most importantly I love Sia’s sexy voice along with the emotional music behind it. I gotta say ‘Breathe Me’ did catch my ear, and it’s a hard song to get out of your head once you hear it. Guys, sometimes it’s okay to like sappy music… if it’s that good.

23. Filter - Title of Record (1999)
After ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot’ labeled them as a one-hit-wonder, Filter comes out with this killer of an album. It’s a beast from start to finish. There are very few successful bands that can pull off industrial sound and Filter is one of them. Of course Richard Patrick’s voice is just unbelievable. It sounds like it was created in a lab just for this type of music. There are also a few soft spots on the record including a cross-over hit ‘Take a Picture’ which is one of my favorite songs as well.

22. Fort Minor - The Rising Tied (2005)
Oh man. In a very short time this became my favorite rap album. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that it is masterminded by Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, but the music and the beats behind this, is just unlike anything I heard before, in a rap genre. Even though Dr. Dre’s influence is apprarent, it’s definitely not the only thing that’s present here. The hooks are amazing as well, and there are quite a few guest spots on this album. Jay-z is an executive producer and even he admitted that this is some next level shit. “The music is so big” he says in the intro.

There are many stand outs on the CD, but one of my favorite ones is ‘Cigarettes’ where the whole song is about how gangsta-rap is just a product being fed to us by record companies. Little Mike got some balls taking on stuff like that.

21. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
Once again, I think Pink Floyd is a timeless band that is just as big today as it ever was. It’s popular today even with the young people who were born after Pink Floyd’s prime years, like myself. I’m usually not too big on giving classic bands their props, but these guys are just on a level of their own. They were never the greatest technical musicians, but just the level of imagination and creativity in their music has not been achieved before, and has influenced many artists to come.

‘Welcome to the Machine’ is a huge favorite of mine. I mean when you hear the intro with all the build up and then the voice comes in with the “Welcome my Son, Welcome to the Machine”, you’re just like “Oh my God, this is the greatest thing I ever heard. If I die right now, I would not be disappointed”.

20. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step (2003)
I read that when it came time for Maynard to record this CD and he listened to the early cuts of Billy Howerdell’s music, he told Billy it needs to be redone, as the music was too heavy, and Maynard had plenty of that with Tool. The result is a more interesting and diverse record than their previous one. A Perfect Circle is without a doubt more mainstream and more accessible band than Tool. But it still offers plenty of experimentation and innovation on top of the radio-friendly hooks. Thirteenth Step is for the most part a bit softer and more melancholic then the debut Mer De Noms, with a few exceptions. Speaking of which…

19. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms (2000)
When this album was coming out everyone was on Maynard’s case for not recording more Tool music and instead dicking around with this “side-project”. Well, the “side-project” turned out to be a beast in its own and has spun a following all by itself. Maynard’s alter ego is perfectly captured on the album, since you can still clearly see that it’s him, but yet he does things with APC he would never dream of doing in Tool. ‘Magdalena’ is one of my favorite songs on the album. I think it represents perfectly what APC is all about.

18. Poe - Haunted (2000)
A pop concept album? Say what? really? I guess these things can be possible when good minds work together. This album is definitely a great exception in the pop genre. It has some of the most innovative and creative songs, and they all flow together well. I mean when ‘Wild’ one of your more catchier songs goes on for 9 minutes and doesn’t even feel that long, you know you’re breaking some new ground. Don’t get me wrong, the creative concept albums have been around forever, just not too many in a female electronic-pop genre. I’m guessing all this innovative experimentation is probably what got her in trouble with her record company, who probably expected the same old formula so that they can stamp out the records and rack in the cash; but instead got… this.

17. Opeth - Ghost Reveries (2005)
Opeth is one of the most innovative bands out there, but when I heard that this album was not produced by their long time producer Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree), I thought “Uh-oh”. For some reason I had this image that Steven Wilson was holding them in place; away from being overly heavy. And now that they are free to run around they’ll just be screaming and sacrificing animals all over the place. Well, the sound is definitely different from the previous albums, but the level of creativity I believe is at the all time high, and that is saying something for a band that’s already known for it’s creativity.

While death metal growling vocals are indeed present, they are offset by singing just as much. This album is actually more melodic than their previous work (except for Damnation) and the dynamics on the CD is tremendous. The soft ‘Hours of Wealth’ is one of the saddest songs I’ve heard in a while.

16. Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004)
Tears for Fears was a pop-icon group of the 80’s, but in 04 they decided to return with an album that has a very different twist on something familiar. I really fell in love with this CD and couldn’t stop listening to it. ‘Call Me Mellow’ was the song that caught my ear and the rest of the album was just as good. It has more guitars and less electronics then their previous new-age-esque sound, but the great songwriting and willingness to experiment stayed the same.

15. Vast - Nude (2004)
Successfully mixing dark electronic, pop rock, with some heavy metal riffs thrown in, this album takes Vast to yet another level. Not as many chants though as on the previous work :). ‘Thrown Away’ has just one of the most memorable riffs ever and gets stuck in my head all the time. I just saw them live few days ago too, and it was the heaviest show I’ve seen from any band that has a fat-guy frontman with an acoustic guitar.

14. Nelly Furtado - Folklore (2003)
This was such an unkown commercial flop that it’s just a shame, as I think it’s without a doubt her best CD out of the 3. The first album was definitely cool, but when this one came out I was really hooked. It has more of a pop-rock feeling and not too much of that hippity-hopping going on. I always say that I don’t care about genres and generalizations. If a pop-female artist can come out and do something different and make records this good, she’s OK in my book. I like music, period. ‘Powerless’, ‘Try’ and ‘Island of Wonder’ are some of the standouts on this CD.

13. Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Master of Puppets is the quintessential metal record. Not much to say. I remember when I got hooked on Metallica and thought it was the greatest thing since… well… ever. Master of Puppets still stands the test of time and is one of my favorite albums to date. I mean, the title track ‘Master of Puppets’ is one of the most innovative metal songs. The riffs on that song are insane and then of course it has that soft passage that brings it all together. As a guitar player you have even more respect for Metallica, as they introduced a level of speed and complexity to the genre that influenced a generation of musicians to come.

12. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
I mentioned earlier that it’s hard to pick an album from The Beatles as their entire catalog is so good. But Sgt. Pepper’s is without a doubt one of my favorite albums from start to finish. It is a bit different from the rest of The Beatles albums. Even though they do tons of experimenting on other CD’s as well, this just sounded like they went off into a whole other universe. It is so diverse. It has elements of psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, or whatever else you wanna throw in there. Of course at the time there was no such thing as those genres. The Beatles were one of the first bands to span these genres into life. Also, the title track has that pop drum beat that has been copied and over-used ever since. But even if you forget all about the historical importance of the CD and just listen to it, the music sounds unbelievable even for a young dude like myself who did not grow up listening to The Beatles in the 60s.

11. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (2000)
I can already hear people laughing uncontrollably and cursing my name for mentioning Linkin Park along with The Beatles and Metallica in the same sentence. But hey, this post is not titled ‘The Greatest Albums of all time’, it’s my favorite albums. And this CD does score tons of points on a personal connection scale, even if it lacks in the music critics love department.

Actually, when I first heard ‘One Step Closer’ I was far from impressed and really didn’t think anything special of it. I somehow got the CD by mistake and after listening to it, I just couldn’t believe how good it was. I think ‘One Step Closer’ is actually their worst thing ever and did not represent the band accurately at all. The rest of the CD was much better though. The sound was entirely original. It was much different from the rest of the rap-metal bands at the time. I believe it’s because it is layered with terrific samples that are entirely their own. The album may have been overplayed and hated to death, but these kinds of factors do nothing for me when it comes to judging music. I don’t care if they’re on every 16 year old girl backpack or if they have gay sex with Nsync. The music is the only thing that matters to me.

10. Earthsuit - Kaleidoscope Superior (2000)
Earthsuit is a very little known band so people may be wondering - who the hell is that. To be honest, I’m surprised myself that this album actually made into my top 10, as I really didn’t see it coming. It’s just that when I sat down to organize the list I realized how much I love this CD and I would rate it higher than the other 90 albums on this list.

The music is pretty hard to describe. It’s electronically driven, but has elements of progressive rock, hip-hop, reggae and pop. The sound is just catchy as hell, and every song sounds a bit different. So it’s hard to generalize the sound of the album as a whole. Sadly this was their only release. Although the mastermind Paul Meany went on to form Mute Math who are now more popular than Earthsuit ever was.

9. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
What can you say about Jeff Buckley - probably the greatest singer of his generation who inspired and influenced countless artists with this one CD. The album is the collection of songs Jeff performed many times on live coffee-shop circuit in NYC. But when the songs are finally put together with a full band, production and studio recording it really brings them to a whole other level, that couldn’t be achieved with just him and a guitar.

There is not much to describe about CD. You just gotta listen to appreciate the voice and the music. The music has some jazz influence, but also has moments of psychidelic rock and very unconventional experimental songwriting.

Sadly this was the only real studio album Jeff Buckley made before he passed away, even though the record label is constantly trying to release any kind of material they can get their hands on.

8. Metallica - …And Justice For All (1988)
This is definitely my favorite Metallica album, and has been for a while. It’s appealing to me on a few levels. First, the music sounds great, even today (20 years later). Second, it has a personal connection. I listened to this CD alot when I was growing up. Third, as a guitar player I used to know how to play most of the songs on the CD, and that only made me a better guitar player and a made me have better respect for the complexity and difficulty of playing metal riffs.

The sound on this CD is also a bit different from other Metallica albums. The whole album has the chunky guitars that strip out the mid frequency, giving it a very recognizable sound. The riffs and time signatures on this are at its highest level for Metallica on this CD. Must have taken alot of practice and memorization to get it all right. I also love the Metallica attitude overall. Even today, I may not like the music as much (and I know that everyone says that), but the attitude of ‘we don’t give a damn what you think, we’ll be making the kind of music we want’ is what I can respect.

7. Opeth - Damnation (2003)
Opeth is a melancholic jazz-folk band, who thrive on catchy hooks, well written harmonies and very interesting chord progressions… Well, actually, no - they are usually categorized as Death Metal band from Sweden, but just from listening to this CD you could never guess that and just classify them as the former. There is absolutely nothing on this CD that can be classified as Metal or even Rock.

Opeth has always been about dynamics, combining heaviest of the heavies with soft jazz passages and everything in between. This time, they decided to create an album to showcase their soft side, and the result is so good that it has many people scratching their heads asking ‘why won’t they do this all the time, why do they need to growl on other CDs and scare half of the sane population away’.

Well in actuality this album is not that different if you break it down. It still has insanely complex and unconventional guitar work, great hooks, perfect production. So it still keeps all the best elements of their music and just eliminates the heavy part. It’s full of melancholic songs, that seem to have jazz and folk influences. I think everyone should give this album a listen. You won’t be disapointed. And don’t worry, there is no cookie-monster screaming going on on this album. Just beautiful (and mostly sad) music all around.

6. Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream (1999)
Before progressive metal fully became a part of Porcupine Tree’s sound, there was this transitional album. It mostly consists of some unconventional pop songs with elements of progressive rock/metal thrown in sparsely here and there. The songwriting on this album is just amazing, even for Porcupine Tree. The hooks and harmonies really make this album. ‘Piano Lessons’ is probably my favorite song on here.

5. Tool - 10,000 Days (2006)
As with all Tool albums, it is hard to listen to it and make up an opinion right away. I actually did not like the album too much from the first listen. But there is something about this band, especially later albums, that the more you listen to it, the more you get sucked into the music by this almost hypnotic connection. It’s not easy for everyone to get into Tool, but usually for people that do, they stay hardcore fans for life.

This CD is the most complexely structured album from them yet. So it’s even harder to get into from the beginning. However, once I got familiar with the music, it’s like a whole new world opened up and you’re really taken on a journey complete not only with great music, but also with Maynard’s voice and his story-telling on this CD. I mean the whole concept of 10,000 days seemed like it was written by a hollywood writer. Maynard’s mother has been hit with Paralisys but was able to live for 27 years with the disease until she passed away. 27 years is roughly 10,000 days, and Maynard keep coming back to this theme throughout the album.

4. Tool - Lateralus (2001)
Barely edging out 10,000 Days, I gotta put Lateralus slightly ahead. Once again, it was not an easy album to get into at first, but after a couple of listens it drew me in. The album is not as complex as 10,000 days, and has more radio appeal, but the progressive experimental sound was definitely there. I always thought that if you break down all the individual members in rock and roll, I would put Maynard as having best voice and Danny Carey as best drummer of all time. So if you think about it that way, having 2 of the best musicians in their field in the same band is pretty insane.

I love how rhythmically oriented this album is. The time signatures seem complex and unnecessary at first, but once you’re familiar with the songs it makes all the sense in the world. ‘The Grudge’, ‘Schism’ and ‘Ticks & Leeches’ are my favorite tracks on the album.

3. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
This double album is just full of great music, and it’s tremendous on so many levels. Obviously, it is best if listened to in its entirety from start to finish, as it has many passages that don’t even constitute as a song on its own. But also, it has many great songs that have become classic hits on their own, such as Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), Mother, Young Lust, Hey You, Comfortably Numb, and others.

I think most people are familiar with the concept of the Wall, which is about a broke-down rock star going through a crisis. The Wall is a metaphor for a few things on the album, and it is a central theme that brings everything together. The Wall is something you build around you to prevent anyone from coming inside. The Wall is also a metaphor for the education system that builds “clones”, where you’re nothing more than just another brick in the wall. In the main character’s case his mental Wall is the cause of all of his problems. He emotionally isolates himself away from everything around him while building the Wall and eventually trying to get out of it. I’m usually don’t get too much into lyrics, as I am more of a musical person, but the concept here is very interesting and thought provoking. The movie is great as well and it helps to tell the story that much better.

2. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (2002)
This was the first album I heard from Porcupine Tree, and it is still my favorite without a doubt. First of all, I don’t think there is a bigger album that influenced me more to go out and find more different types of music than from what I was used to. I remember I was looking around for new bands to listen to on the internet, and after having found Opeth, I learned from their community about Porcupine Tree. After I got this CD, I just could not believe how a band that I never heard of before sounded so grand as if they are seasoned veterans (which they were by that time). I think the first question everyone asks about Porcupine Tree when they get into them is “how the hell are theses guys not huge”?

In Absentia was their heaviest album to date. It seemed to have introduced the Prog Metal sound fully into their vast collection of styles. But yet it offers plenty of beautifully crafted passages as well. The vocal harmonies are unlike anything I heard before. It is somewhat reminiscent of Queen and Alice in Chains in terms of layering voices, but yet I think they might have even outdone those bands on this album.

The perfect mix of rhythmically oriented riffs and not too complex time signatures combined with catchiest hooks and ambient sound give this album a very unique feel. They differ vastly from other prog-rock bands in that, they try crazy stuff, but yet they manage to keep the simple catchy pop-hooks at the same time. Other prog rock bands just want to take it to a whole new level of craziness and at some point as a listener you can just start to lose interest. But there is no fear of that with this album.

I wanted to list the standouts, but then realized that it would be more than half of the album. So just do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I have yet to find a person (who’s into rock music) that would be disappointed with this one.

1. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (1999)
I was never a big fan of Nine Inch Nails before this album, even though I thought the first album - Pretty Hate Machine was pretty cool. It had alot of New Age influences and Head Like a Hole was an awesome song. But then all that stuff Reznor did since then, I just did not get at all. Sounded just like a bunch of noise, screaming and overall nothing that appealed to me. And then he came out with The Fragile and the whole world changed for me.

This double concept album does remind you of the Wall somewhat. It has a common musical theme that keeps coming back throughout. Yet it has many songs that can stand on their own. It goes on a journey of dynamics and adds the patented electronic samples as only NIN can deliver. It does have a few heavy songs, but most of the CD is not as heavy as previous work. If you can get past the first song, you should be all right.

Sadly, I believe this was one of their worst selling albums and it fell out of the charts pretty fast. It’s funny that I hear music from this CD in various movies that came out since, like Final Destination, Man on Fire, and of course 300 trailer which single-handedly brought this album back to everyone’s attention. The album does seem to be full of tracks that can be used to reflect all kinds of moods suited for film. It has quite a few instrumental passages that fit with the overall album perfectly. All in all, it should be listened to from start to finish to appreciate the vastness of the sound. But if you’re not into heavy music at all you may probably have some problems surviving through a couple of the tracks.

We get asked about our musical influences all the time. And I always say that we all listen to different types of music. I think what makes our band interesting is that we’re not influenced by one particular genre of music.

I decided to put together a list of my 100 favorite albums. I think some of my other bandmates might do their own lists and that will show the differences (and similarities) in our musical preferences.

I started listening to rock music in late 90’s. So many of the albums are around that time period. I got nothing against classic rock music, in fact I do listen to many artists, but I cannot honestly say that most of what is considered “classic” records by music critics is my favorite. Plus some of these newer albums have personal stories that makes them memorable for me.

Feel free to comment, share, bash or praise.

Without further delay here is the beginning of my list:

100. Fuel - Something Like Human (2000)
Very solid rock album. Superbly written songs. I love Brett Scallions’ voice. It’s interesting that Carl Bell, the guitar player is the primary song writer for the band and Brett is more of a voice. “Down” is one of my favorite songs with that crazy main riff and changing time signatures.

99. Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams (2005)
Great collection of some of my favorite, mostly acoustic, songs. This guy is just an awesome songwriter. The only downside is that most of the songs start to run the same after a while, but individually they’re all great. “Good People”, “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing”, “Staple It Together” are some of the standouts on this CD.

98. 3 Doors Down - The Better Life (2000)
I remember my HS history teacher played “Kryptonite” at a break in class. He said that this new band is gonna be huge. About 3 weeks later “Kryptonite” hit the radio, and of course he was right. It’s a pretty solid debut record for a band that just barely played together.

97. Ian Brown - Solarized (2004)
Ex-Stone Roses frontman has some intricate and original music to offer on this CD. Most of the songs have catchy hooks, and I’m a sucker for those. He also uses some unconventional instruments and experimental MIDI sounds that are definitely new and that makes it stand out from other electronic-pop music. “Keep What Ya Got” is the song that caught my ear on Pandora and made me check out this album.

96. Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996)
STP started to move in a new direction with this one and the songs got all the more interesting. You still have the old STP in songs like Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart, but many others are opening up some new frontiers.

95. Frou Frou - Details (2002)
Yodeling never sounded more cool. Perfect combination of Imogen Heap’s patented vocal style and Guy Sigworth’s electronicly fused music, produce some awesome songs on this CD. “Let Go” is great opening song and catches your ear right away. “Shh” is another one of my favorites.

94. Injected - Burn It Black (2002)
Injected’s debut is great hard rocking CD with stellar vocals. Reminds me of Stone Temple Pilots in a way. I’m not sure what’s going on with these guys now as they haven’t put out a record since this one. I still remember seeing them live and the guitar player was cursing out the bouncer on stage for not letting the kids rock out too much.

93. Aqualung - Strange and Beautiful (2005)
I got this CD after hearing “Brighter Than Sunshine” and loved the whole thing. Sometimes I’m in the mood for this melancholic, Coldplay-esque music. Just really good songs all around. The first song “Strange and Beautiful” is one of my favorite songs ever.

92. Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth (2005)
Six years after “The Fragile” Trent Reznor finally comes back with a great CD. This one is not as ambitious as “The Fragile”. It has a more simplistic approach, but nonetheless the riffs, the trademark sound and the hooks are unmistakably NIN.

91. Air - Moon Safari (1998)
Air is like The Beatles of their genre. When I think of chill electronic music, Air is the first artist that comes to mind. This album just has great production and some of the most memorable melodies. Chances are, even if you never heard of Air, you probably heard their songs somewhere and didn’t even realize it.

90. Snow Patrol - Final Straw (2006)
I frigging love Snow Patrol. They got some of the most powerful, epic, soul-gripping music. This album was the first one I heard from them and it was a pleasant surpirse. “Run” was their biggest hit at the time and what really got me into them. When I first heard it, the vocals reminded me of Katatonia’s latest releases - even though the music is totally different. And the epic orchestra ending to that song is just insane.

89. The Beatles - The Beatles (1968)
The Beatles is one of my favorite bands, but it was hard to pick specific albums to be on this list. The White Album though is definitely one of my favorites. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Helter Skelter” are the standouts for me. Once again, Beatles just showed a whole other side of themselves with this one. It’s just amazing how in a span of 7 years they were able to accomplish so much and help span so many different genres of music.

88. Sevendust - Seasons (2003)
The fourth album from Sevendust is a perfect mixture of heavy metal and soul. I think it’s superbly written, it really sounds like the band is really together on this one. The first 2 albums were definitely heavier and the third CD was a revolutionary step for them. This album was just the next step for them. Sadly, Clint left the band after this album and I don’t think they have put out anything significant since then.

87. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (2007)
The latest full album from Porcupine Tree delivers big time. Steven Wilson is not even trying to write any radio-friendly songs for this album. It’s just great music from start to finish, including a 17-minute long centerpiece “Anesthetize”. Whoever knows me, knows that Porcupine Tree is one of my favorite bands. I think they are a Pink Floyd of our generation - perhaps a bit more heavy at times and rhythmically oriented.

86. Depeche Mode - Exciter (2001)
Depeche Mode takes you to yet another direction with this album. This CD has more of an industrial sound than previous work. I always thought that early Nine Inch Nails borrowed from Depeche Mode and later Depeche Mode borrowed from Nine Inch Nails. “Dream On” is just a great song with that catchy guitar sample riff, that gets stuck in your head for days.

85. Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains (1995)
AIC is by far my favorite band of the grunge era. Their dark vocal harmonies with Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell were never heard before in such a way and I don’t think anyone will come close to sounding like that again. It is hard to pick an album from them to be on this list, since their whole catalogue is great as a whole (much like the Beatles). “Heaven Beside You” and “Over Now” helped with that choice though.

84. Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways (1995)
If you listened to Fear of a Blank Planet (mentioned above) and this album, you would probably not even think it can be the same artist. And that is a big reason why Porcupine Tree is such a force - diversity. They rarely make the same album twice - from Electronica, to Soundscape, to Pop, to Singer-Songwriter, to Art Rock, to Heavy Metal, to Progressive Metal, to God knows what else they were classified as, these guys can do it all and the scary part is - it is always good.

The Sky Moves Sideways is a long non-radio-friendly Rock Soundscape album that takes you on a ride of emotions. It definitely reminds you of Pink Floyd era of when an album was great as a whole and needed to be listened to from start to finish.

83. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (2007)
The latest album from NIN (not counting the remix) is frigging awesome. I think it is the best one since The Fragile. It is a concept album that tells a story set few years in the future where the government has too much control of our daily lives, which unfortunately seems to be where we’re heading. Interesting thing is that Trent mentioned that he wrote and recorded this album very quickly, which is unusual for him, since we needed to wait many years in between his previous albums.

82. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
Muse came back with something new this time. Many of the songs sound different, which is great. “Supermassive Black Holes” track is infused with some dance beats. “Starlight” is an instantly recognizable piano riff. “Knights of Cydonia” is like a frigging cowboy song on steroids. I love it.

81. KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope (2006)
One of the best female singer-songwriters in most recent memory delivers some of the most interesting songs on this one. Overall just good songwriting and a new spin on the old genre. In addition to some of the songs are in the non-standard time signatures, which is rare in the pop music genre.

80. Depeche Mode - Ultra (1997)
It’s interesting that Depeche Mode is the band mostly known for their work in the 80s, yet I picked two of their albums from 90’s and 2000’s. I guess unlike most of the classic bands, these guys just never let up and only continued to explore more musical ground and evolve their sound over the years. When “Barrel of a Gun” kicks in you just can’t help but get into it. I’ve seen them live just few years ago and it was one of the best shows EVA.

79. Staind - Dysfunction (1999)
This is one of those personal albums that means alot to me. I remember listening to it all the time in high school. I definitely did not think a heavy metal band like this could get as popular as they did, and was shocked when their next singles were all over pop radio and their next CD was #1 selling CD. I guess they always wrote catchy songs. It’s just that when they showed their softer side the masses noticed.

78. Silverchair - Neon Ballroom (1999)
This was Silverchair’s 3rd album and a big step up from the band’s previous sound. I think it represents the transitioning period of what Silverchair would later become. From 14-15 year old kids that recorded their first heavy grunge/rock cd to amazing musicians and growth that was shown on Diorama and Young Modern. Neon Ballroom seems to fit perfectly in the middle.

77. Vast - Music for People (2000)
Vast is an interesting and original band. It’s got elements of Rock, Acoustic songs, Electronica and boy do they like chanting. The overall hypnotic sound is completed by John Crosby’s vocals. I think the title of the album is very fitting. I remember hearing “Free” long time ago on the radio and thought it was really cool, but never bothered to pick up the album. One day I just saw it sitting amongst hundreds of CDs in Dannys collection and finally decided to check it out. Vast has been on of my favorite bands since.

76. Linkin Park - Reanimation (2002)
Ah - you probably did not see this one coming. First, yes, Linkin Park is one of my favorite bands. I don’t care that 14 year olds love it or that it is overplayed to death, or that musical critic snobs think that this band is responsible for destroying music forever. I love Rock and Hip-Hop and I think this band has their own original sound. And second, not too many people actually know about this album. To say it is a remix album of the first CD, is probably too much of a generalization. It is more of a revamping of an album, with a hip-hop flavor to it. New melodies, new production, and overall new look on the songs that is just as good as the original, is a rare feat.

75. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
Opeth is pretty much the only death metal band I listen to. Not only that, they are definitely one of my favorite artists in all of the genres. Usually Death Metal bands are hard to distinguish amongst each other and it all sounds the same. These guys however, bring a level of musicianship, songwriting and innovation to a whole new level.

Come to think of it, I don’t even think throwing them into Death Metal category is right. They certainly have elements of that, but it is only one of many elements. They also bring in traditional Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Acoustics, Pianos, Elements of Jazz, etc. And all of these elements have been captured flawlessly on this album. Blackwater park is considered by many to be their best and most accomplished album. What I also love about them is the ability to fuse hooks and insanely difficult riffs and leads all in one. Rarely can a band do both at the same time.

74. Muse - Absolution (2003)
This is the album that broke Muse in US. Full of radio-friendly rock tunes with a pretty original sound. Although they do get comparisons to Radiohead and Jeff Buckley I never thought those were justified. They got their own thing going. I love the bass effect they use on the CD. Ever since then I call it the muse effect whenever I hear someone playing it.

73. Incubus - Make Yourself (1999)
Just like the previous entry, this album broke Incubus to the masses. It is definitely a growth from the early days of SCIENCE and Fungus Amongus. The songs on this album are much more polished. “Drive” is coincidentally my favorite song on the CD and it is their biggest hit. Just goes to show you that sometimes the public gets it right

72. Evanescence - Falen (2003)
I heard the single like everyone else - you know the one that was on the radio 24/7. I thought it was a pretty cool tune, but I didn’t think the rest of the album would be this good. What strikes me the most is that this is their debut album, and the production on this is through the roof. The piano/orchestra background they have over the guitars just sounds epic. Most of the bands do not have such great production on their debut albums. But this one sounds like it was made by a movie soundtrack veteran composer.

71. Stone Temple Pilots - Core (1992)
Speaking of debut albums, Core is my favorite STP album. The original STP was just crazy. I think every single song off of this CD was a radio hit, which is just unprecedented. “Creep” is definitely one of my favorite songs of all time.

70. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (2005)
“In Absentia” set the bar pretty damn high and it was the first album that got me into this band, so when Deadwing Album rolled around I was definitely psyched. It was probably not as good as In Absentia; I mean it’s hard to top it, but nevertheless it was yet again - something new from the band. It seems that after this album it was evident that the Progressive Metal sound introduced by In Absentia is here to stay. The middle section of this album is still some of the best music you will hear; especially considering what was on the radio at the time.

69. Outkast - Stankonia (2000)
There are not too many hip hop CD’s on this list. I do like hip hop, but I think most of it sounds too much the same to stand out in my mind. Well… these guys are different. As soon as I heard Bombs over Baghdad, I was like “what the hell is that?” It certainly was different from any other cookie-cutter rap CD. The rhyming was just incredibly fast, the hook was killing, and then in the end it just goes off into this 2 minute rocking guitar solo followed by some epic chants of “Power Music Electric Revival”. I was like - “hell yeah - now that’s how you do it”. Hip Hop and good music should not be mutually exclusive, you just need to put some effort in it and quit sampling other people’s music.

68. Tool - Undertow (1993)
Speaking of ‘different’ Tool just took the music scene by storm and inspired a whole new genre. Best part is they just don’t give a shit about what traditional radio-friendly music is supposed to sound like and yet they still get tons of airplay. It is hard to believe that these guys are actually this popular. Most bands that try something different don’t get this big. Undertow is probably my least favorite Tool album, but that’s like saying Bobby is my least favorite child (sorry Bobby, that’s just how it is). “Sober” is just an insane song. And what’s in that box?

67. P.O.D. - Satellite (2001)
I had the Fundamental Elements of Southtown and thought it was a pretty good CD. Satellite however came out leaps and bound above that. The production and the songwriting have just skyrocketed here. Of course there are some people that just will never look past the Rap-Rock genre of that era, but it’s hard to deny that these guys have done something original from other groups of that time. “Youth of the Nation” is a definite standout and I heard even the haters who said that song was “all right”. Sadly Marcus left the band after this CD and he was a huge part of their sound, so they haven’t sounded the same since. Although he may be coming back now, or so I hear? Hope they have another one in them.

66. Dr. Dre - 2001 (1999)
Hands down the best hip-hop producer, period. Everything he touches is just gold and no-one else comes close. This CD is full of memorable beats that have been reused and played out since. Once again, I may be sounding like a broken record, but what I love about most of the albums here is diversity and being different from the rest of the scene, and Dr. Dre is definitely different in the Hip Hop genre.

67. Finger Eleven - Greyest of Blue Skies (2000)
I love every song on this CD. They got some awesome hooks and powerful songs. This album got some experimental stuff, but not as much as the latest two releases from Finger Eleven. This one is just full of great rock songs.

64. Creed - My Own Prison (1997)
OK, I know it’s a cool thing to hate on Creed now-adays, but I remember when things were different when this CD was released. I still remember seeing hardcore metal heads at the first Creed show, which were abruptly changed by teenage girls in pink in subsequent years. This album was very personal to me, and I still think it’s Creed’s best. The next 2 CDs I can do without, but this one is just good. I don’t care what anyone says. And you can say anything you want about Scott Stapp (I guess he just rubs people off the wrong way), but Mark Tremonti is one of the best Rock Riff writers ever. That dude never stays on one chord and always looking to spice it up with some extra notes behind each chord.

63. Korn - Korn (1994)
Their first and probably their best effort was a classic in its own. I guess they started the whole post grunge/nu-metal movement with this CD. This album manages to be heavy as shit and yet still have some great hooks at the same time.

62. Enya - A Day Without Rain (2000)
Something completely different yet again. I love how her vocals are recorded on this CD. Makes it sound as if she’s a ghost. Everytime she sings it sort of fades in and out in a very cool way. Not sure if that’s the studio magic or if that’s how she really sings or combination of both. Enya is a weird mix between pop music and classical, but sounds so good, you just can’t ignore it.

61. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (1999)
John Frusciante is back. Let’s celebrate by recording the greatest album of our lives. I’m pretty sure that’s what they were saying back then. OK, maybe BSSM is their best in the eyes of many, but this one is my favorite. It’s fairly long and got all kinds of different songs. This one still has some funk in them left, too; unlike the subsequent releases.

60. Rob Dickinson - Fresh Wine for the Horses (2005)
After Catherine Wheel’s breake-up Rob Dickinson emerged with a collection of some innovative pop-rock songs. It’s quite different from Catherine Wheel, but just as good. He’s got one of the best voices that is just meant for that kind of music.

59. Silverchair - Diorama (2002)
I remember when I heard this CD, I was like what the hell are these guys smoking. This definitely did not sound like Silverchair I know. Completely different band emerged with this one. The songs were very ambitious and complex. The orchestra sound was added on many of the songs. Far cry from early days of 15 year old angst rock. I guess they have finally grown up on this album and decided to make the music they want. I think this album made me explore other musical avenues at the time, instead of the same old stuff I was used to.

58. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
What can you say about this album that hasn’t been said already. Considered, by many, to be one of the greatest albums of all time, Pink Floyd is just masterful on this CD. When you put this CD on, you just phase out in to a whole other universe. They were just amazing at what they’ve done and were ahead of their time. What amazes me about Pink Floyd is that they are different from most of the classic rock bands in that their albums are still just as good today and do not sound dated at all.

57. Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip (2002)
For those who don’t know, Jerry Cantrell was pretty much Alice In Chains. Most of the elements that made AIC great are indeed present here. The albums is like a psychidelic trip, which is unusual for a heavy rock album. Jerry does have a great voice, it’s just that Layne had an out of this world supernatural voice, which made AIC bigger than life, but Jerry can definitely hold his own, as evident on this album.

56. Coldplay - X&Y (2005)
These guys just deliver with every album. Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands in the universe, and in my opinion deservingly so. Perhaps they do stick to one genre, but yet this album has some different things that they are trying out. This kind of music is just good for the soul. To me, music is all about diversity, so Coldplay for me just fills that soft, melancholic void by being one of the best bands in that genre.

55. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
I guess if Coldplay fills the chill, calm mood, this album fills the psyco, crazy void in me. When Eminem first came out, I thought he was like a Weird Al Yankovic of hip hop, just making joke songs and what not. This album though changed all that. First, as I mentioned Dr. Dre is the best producer and this album is filled with some of the best beats. Second, this dude can definitely rap over anyone and I love his flow. Once again, it is something way different from traditional hip hop. And of course Eminem is just out of his mind. Some stuff he says is weird insanity.

54. David Aaron - Poor Wally Pipp (2005?)
This is the only non-major label release on my list, but yet it is still one of my favorites. It’s just a collection of great songs all around. “The Mourning” is one of the songs that you know should be a hit. The production is great for a non-major CD and the usage of different instruments is great. “Waiting” is one of my favorite songs of all time and I think stands out on this CD. Dave’s voice sounds different on that song for some reason.

53. Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below (2003)
I think it’s the best Outkast album, and I love the concept too. The double album is more of a 2 different albums. Andre’s side - the Love Below is not even Hip Hop anymore. The dude just went off into some experimental wonderland and came out with some of the greatest music. Big Boy’s side is still Hip Hop, filled with some great original music behind the Rap. These guys are truly an exception in their genre.

52. Stereophonics - Just Enough Education to Perform (2001)
I think what stands out most about this album to me is the vocal performance of Kelly Jones. I just love this guy’s rugged voice. It sounds like he’s been in miserable pain for eternity. Reminds me of Johnny Cash in a way. I get really emotional whenever I listen to this CD.

51. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)
System of a Down just broke all the rules with this CD. I always laugh when Danny says that this band sounds like they’re just playing a practical joke on everybody. Like “Let’s see how much we can get away with”. Love it or hate it, most people do admit that this band is at the least “original”. They got their own thing going. “Chop Suey” definitely got everyone’s interest, some loved it, some hated it, but everyone took notice.

Stay tuned for the top 50 albums coming next week.

What a night it was… there were laughs, cries, drinks, WINGS!, and of course quality rock and roll music. Heres a little run down of the evening from outta my head

we kicked things of at 7:48 and half sharp and played what i thought was a pretty good set. I suppose Common Place’s set is better left to comments seeing as i am generally way to hard on us. Our new tunes got a positive reaction which was a really huge confidence boost going into recording season and all.

Next up were two of my favorite Virginia rock bands in a combination that can only be called , The Johnson Push Experience … or the Johnson Five… or Push Johnson Alive! Ok you get the point. Davie was supposed to play with his band Maya but it didn’t quite work out this time. So the guys from PUSH (who just happened to be on their way up to good ole nyc) joined Dave for this one and i have to say it worked really well. They all seemed a natural fit together and had good chemistry (and harmonies). Big props go out to Brian from Push who showed alot of versatility in changing up his guitar sound. instead of the usual sonic bombast and behind the back flashy goodness im used to seeing he was very subtle in his lead work this time and it really fit Dave’s songs well. As for Mr. Dave Johnson, what even needs to be said? The man has the most incredible voice I’ve ever heard! I’d place a serious bet on a dan dave collaboration in the near future.

after that was Gods Of Fire and i have to admit to missing most of their set running around getting interviews and dealing with a friend who was having a bit of a tough night. We have played with them before though so i know they can bring it in that “DEATH to false METAL!!! style.

Next up the MC himself Mr. Jody Dobson and his sledgehammer of a rock and roll band CLYDE. I am always impressed with how together they have their sound. These guys probably rehearse half as much as we do and yet they are always on point. they showcased a bunch of songs from the upcoming record and in my opinion if this is an accurate sample of the song-writing we’ll be hearing on said record its going to leave Blank Stares And Dialogue Reruns in the dust. Their opening song (Light On?) in particular has radio gold written all over it

and finallyTHUNDERCOCK! Holy Crap!! WOW what in the blue hell? Really i don’t even have the words to explain how insane they were just go listen. bass and drums like I’ve never seen before… just AWESOME

All and all it was an awesome night spent with a growing stable of great peers and friends and i am so grateful to have been blessed with such wonderful music and conversation.

Videos soon

Clyde Fest 4 April 11th

peace
danny axel

Hey guys,

Common Place just got back from a trip to Virginia Beach, VA, where we played 2 shows on Friday at the White Horse Pub and Saturday night at Phil’s Grill. We all had a blast and it was a fun road trip.

I think one of the best things was that we played with a bunch of awesome bands and Artists.

Dave Johnson - singer of Close to Never, which apparently broke up, did an Acoustic set. That guy had an amazing voice and the songs were killer. I especially enjoyed the Alice in Chains cover.

Push - was a very technical experimental rock band with great musicians. Those guys are really skilled. We all tried to figure out how the singer can play those complex riffs and sing at the same time.

Finally, Clyde - the band that invited us for these shows is frigging amazing live. They bring great energy and put on an awesome live shows. They had a mix of original songs and cover tunes that had everyone going crazy.

They invited KBanger and Dave Johnson to do an awesome cover of Bulls on the Parade as well as few original Clyde songs. And then a whole lot of people ran on stage to sing along to Dirty Deeds cover.

Our sets were great for the most part. During the second show, I ran into a number of technical problems during the first song. I had to deal with a faulty cable, snapped strap and 2 strings that broke separately. I just stole Dan’s guitar and had to tune it up while they were playing other songs, cause that guy always has a million guitars all with different tunings Plus there were no monitors so you couldn’t really hear yourself sing. But we pulled through it somehow.

All in all it was awesome and we hope to share a stage with those bands again at some point.

Here is a short video clip of Bulls on the Parade with Shin jumping in the front and few pics:

Later,

Vic

Here I am, sitting at my computer, attempting to retrace my horribly drunken steps from last night, and it has just hit me… George Lucas is, in fact, the devil! Now, you may be asking yourself what one has to do with the other. Well, allow me to explain..

Last night, in a drunken haze Rashid, Catherine, and I decide that it’s time to boot up the ol’ emulator and whoop up on some NES.
Good plan so far
Then we start reminiscing about the games of our youth
uhhh ohhh
And what do we decide must be played??? Only the most sick, twisted, evil, masochistic game of all time

STAR WARS

Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever played this particular game, but let me tell you IT IS HARD! So after 20 mins of going at this we decide correctly that it is just not possible to play fair and square, not with the NES deck stacked so clearly against us. So Cat fires up the lappy and gets us some game genie codes. PERFECT! How can we fail?!!! HA
Fast forward a few hours and after many a death defying leap, spine tingling shoot out, and game genie ass-saving, we come to the famous trash compactor scene. As we jump and jump narrowly avoiding death there’s a hideous beast popping out of the muck water below, and blast as we might, the thing just will not die!! Another hour goes by and Cat decides she’s had enough and pulls out a walkthrough thank you gamefaqs and to the shock and horror of us all, she finds that in order to defeat this beast you need to get the lightsaber from Obi-Wan in the FIRST STAGE!!!!!!!!!! Sobbing, crying, pain and finger pointing all ensue, but we ban together under the notion that NES is evil and really enjoys the suffering of all mankind.
Looking to put this all behind us, we decide Rashid needs to see the Star Wars Robot Chicken special, so we head to youtube and THIS is what we find

I HATE EVERYONE!! especially george lucas

danny axel

as a bonus here are some accidental screen shots taken during gameplay