Well,
after 278 different rambles and one nasty site
suspension I've finally hit the one year mark.
I doubt many of you have actually been around for
the entire existence of SOTO, but whatever amount of time that
you've spent here has been super appreciated.
I mean, I may not be much of a numbers kind of guy,
but I would
be lying if I said I didn't like knowing that a
couple hundred of you stop by everyday.
Thanks.
I tried coming up with something amazing to share
with everyone today, but the one cool idea I had
came a little too late and I didn't have time to put
it together how I would of liked. Fortunately,
it dawned on me that since I'm always rambling about
what's coming up or currently going on that I've
never actually taken the time to showcase what got
me here and why I created this blog. So, allow
me to finally elaborate.
Way back when I was in high school I use to tell
people about bands all the time. In hindsight,
many of those were awful modern rock groups that
were flying just below the radar, so I feel a little
bad about doing that even though I didn't know any
better at the time. Anyway, after I moved onto
college I expanded what I was listening to and
somewhere in my second year I started paying a lot
more attention to stuff that wasn't on MTV, the
radio or Billboard's weekly charts. It was
then that seeking out more indie artists became
something of an obsession (which resulted in a fury
of downloading and time spent with headphones on)
since I'm a perfectionist freak who needs to know as
much as possible about anything that interests me.
Somehow, this ascension into good music managed to
come about as the Music Director job was available
at my college radio station, KSAU 90.1. After
I got that position I was exposed to so much that it
would take me a year to describe how wonderfully
helpful it was, so I won't bother trying. What
I will do though, is say that I wouldn't have this
blog if it wasn't for that job because once it ended
I didn't have an outlet other than the internet to
share music with people, which brings me to now.
Below I picked 10 albums (they're in no particular
order) that hit me over the head
and jumpstarted what will inevitably be my livelong
dedication to good music. All of them were
released within the last five years, so it's easy to
see that my interest hasn't been that strong for too
long, but I guess everyone has to start somewhere.
So, take a look and see if we had a similar
interests in the beginning.
Enjoy.
By the way, I'm also not posting until Monday. After a
year's worth of work I think I deserve a three day
weekend.
The Mars Volta - De-loused In The Comatorium (2003)
Honestly, I bought this without knowing a single song because the packaging
said it had members of At The Drive-In. I had no idea that it was
going to be an hour of blistering prog rock, but from the first moment I put
it in my CD player until now it has been one of my favorite albums of all
time. I still listen to the brilliance of it at least once every
couple of weeks or so.
:The Mars Volta - Cicatriz ESP:
The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)
Ben Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis are solely responsible for my
sure-to-be never ending love of electronic pop music. I don't remember
how this album entered my life, but I do know it knocked me on my ass.
Personally, I almost don't want them to make a sophomore effort since I
doubt it will even come close to how amazing this one is.
:The
Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight:
Cursive - The Ugly Organ (2003)
I came about Tim Kasher and Co. in the strangest of ways. I had heard
rumors that either the Mars Volta of Cursive were going to be opening for
the A Perfect Circle tour. I knew TMV, so I looked into seeing what
the big deal was about the other band, and I've been a diehard fan ever
since. Domestica is as good as it gets, but this will always
rank a little higher for me.
:Cursive
- Sierra:
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlantacism (2003)
"I wish the world was flat like the old days/I could travel just by folding
a map." This was one of the first albums that made me sit down and
pour over each and every lyric. In fact, to this day I still find
myself utterly amazed with how brilliant Ben Gibbard's songwriting was on
the disc. I don't know if he'll ever be as good as he was during that
time.
:Death
Cab For Cutie - The New Year:
Rilo Kiley - The Execution Of All Things (2002)
I found out about this album after I had gotten into Cursive and Saddle
Creek, so I would say it was somewhere around a year after it had been
released. Anyhow, I was immediately amazed by the charming
arrangements and the way Jenny Lewis could shift from playful to intense
without a moment's notice. If the new album has at least one song that
reminds me of this disc then I'll like it.
:Rilo
Kiley - My Slumbering Heart:
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
At first I didn't think this band was all that great. In fact, I
didn't even purchase the debut until I saw it for $5 at a music store
closeout sale. Once I had it my hands though it became something that
I listened to on repeat for a couple of months. I still don't think
that the group has ever mustered as much raw energy as they displayed here.
:Interpol
- PDA:
The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me (2004)
I was already listening to a lot of indie music when I saw this disc listed
in a Spin article that detailed a few albums that they thought had been
overlooked throughout that year, but it still had a huge impact on me.
Nobody sounds or tells stories like Craig Finn. Also, I don't care
what anyone says, their debut is and will always be their best record.
:The
Hold Steady - Positive Jam:
Athlete - Vehicles And Animals (2004)
Of all the albums in the this mini-list this is one that I have revisited
the least over the last couple of years. I think it was my
disappointment in their sophomore effort, Tourist, that soured me a
bit on the group, but in listening to the debut yesterday I remembered why I
loved it so much. It has such a sincere feel in the sound and in the
songwriting that's incredibly welcoming.
:Athlete
- You Got The Style:
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2002)
Remember that Lego video for Fell In Love With A Girl? Well,
that nifty little piece is pretty much responsible for my love of all things
Jack and Meg. It made me seek out more of their work, which even then
there was plenty, and I still can't get enough. Oddly enough, I think
for others that song was the start of the whole garage rock phase that was
immensely popular for awhile.
:The
White Stripes - Offend In Every Way:
The Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
Much like case with the Hold Steady album, I was already listening to a lot
of indie music when I came across this. Still, for some reason it
really made me want to look for artists on the verge of making their
Funeral, and not just the ones who had already put out critically
acclaimed efforts. In other words, Win Butler's super popular release
made me want the less popular. Weird.
:Arcade
Fire - Wake Up:
-
John Laird -
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