2002
|
The Shroud
In The Garden |
The Shroud are another one of those Fresno fixtures whose continued activity, success and talent bring an unrelenting warmth to the heart. I love their dark melodies and wonderful pop-goth sensibilities. The project a live energy which few darkwave/goth acts can manage to pull off, and their musical abilities are some of the most surprisingly underappreciated. They have an international following, but have managed to maintain an underground presence and have stuck to their home town (my home town) for years. I am incredibly pleased to grant a local Fresno act the top spot for the second year in a row. |
2001
|
The
Sleepover Disaster
Staring
at Nothing |
A hard decision this year: new music from New Order,
Tool, Bjork, Depeche Mode, and more. Ultimately, thehyaena pick
2001 falls to a local Fresno band, whose music and scene has literally
changed my life. Staring at Nothing is the best group of songs I've
listened to this year. The fact that I've heard it all live time
and again just makes it all the more intriguing and sexy. These
guys are gonna be huge. You MUST own it! |
2000
|
Deftones
White
Pony |
The album's more than a year old, but still on heavy
rotation on my player. I've got a major crush on Chino Moreno, and
I think his voice is one of the most increadible in showbiz. O yes,
he WILL be mine one day... |
1999
|
Rinocerose
Installation
Sonore |
House music made without a single keyboard. Extremely
refreshing - perfect background music for my road trips. I saw them
at Area:One with NewOrder in July, where they opened up main stage.
Kicked Ass. |
1998
|
Tom
Waits
Beautiful
Maladies |
Inspired to include this on heavy rotation by my
visit to Monterey, where Waits and Steinbeck just seem to fit like
a glove. Waits has a unique talent for avoiding all the cutesy park-like
themes present in so much modern music. He needs to tour again... |
1997
|
Just
Desserts
Give
Up the Ghost |
After I saw "Habit", the indie vampire flick by Larry
Fessenden, I just fell in love with this disc. Sounds like a cross
between coffee shop rock and Tom Waits shitkickin'. Some of the
most impressive songwriting I've heard. |
1996
|
Tool
Aenima |
This was the year I fell in love with Tool. Although
I was never a very big fan of metal or hard rock, this disc saved
the genre for me, and inspired me to seek out the sharper side of
the music industry. I think Tool are so great because they are obviously
a metal band, but accessable enough to avoid any sort of narrow
subculture endoresement. This has definately paid off commercially
for them. Stand-out track: "Hooker with a Penis": 'All you know
about me's what I sold you/Dumb fuck/I sold out long before you
ever even heard my name/I sold my soul to make a record/Dip shit/And
you bought one...' |
1995 |
Adham
Shaikh
Journey
to the Sun |
Part of the 1995 Instinct Ambient monthly series.
My favorite disc from the series. It's the perfect trance album,
and like much of the old Instinct line, is refreshingly devoit of
anything resembling techno. |
1994
|
Everything
but the Girl
Amplified
Heart |
Lots of people say EBTG sold out when they commissioned
the remix of "Missing." I think it did wonders for them. This is
the disc that started it all. Listening to it, you would never know
that one of London's most influential and successful DJs would emerge
from the humble acoustic facade of songs like "Rollercoaster" and
(my favorite) "Walking to You". Even after nearly losing his life
to Churg-Strauss Syndrome, Ben Watt maintains that beautiful, sweet
melancholy which will always be the characteristic EBTG trademark. |
1993
|
New
Order
Republic |
Most New Order fans point to Republic as the least
charateristic and most unlistenable New Order disc. But for some
reason, it's my favorite. This disc solidified my love for New Order
and confirmed that they were, are, and always will be my favorite
band. "Liar" is the standout track, with its acidic references to
the economic and emotional ruin which resulted from the deceptive
and doomed life of Factory Records. A very 90s disc. |
1992
|
Sugar
Copper
Blue |
The first album I ever heard from the Bob Mould camp.
I think Sugar had the best material Bob Mould ever put out, though
Black Sheets of Rain is on my heavy rotation list as well. Copper
Blue is a very Summer disc for me, and makes great traveling music. |
1991
|
Electonic
Electronic |
Despite appearances by Pet Shop Boys on one of the
tracks, this is a very good album. Bernard Sumner (and definately
Johnny Marr) explore some of their most "dancey" material ever.
However, I never really thought of the Electronic as a dance or
techno band, and this has really been proven with their two subsequent
studio endeavors. "Reality" remains my favorite track. 'I don't
need you anymore/I'm not the man you're looking for' ad infinitum. |
1990
|
Depeche
Mode
Violator |
The disc that ended New Wave. Thank Gawd. Because
they were sort of the figureheads of New Wave, the genre tended
to mimick DM, and with Violator, they took a departure from the
glammed up 80s style for a bit gothier/rockier road. Thus those
who couldn't follow such a path simply fizzled out. I think this
is also about the time that MTV stopped playing music videos. Coincidence?
I think not. |
1989
|
The
Cure
Disintegration |
The best album ever by the Cure. I doubt you'll find
a Cure fan who thinks otherwise. The emotional intensity of the
disc and the track-to-track cohesiveness are unmatched on any other
Cure album, and few other bands can even compete with the composing
talents and broad imagery of such tracks as "Lullaby" and "Homesick". |
1988
|
Morrissey
Viva
Hate |
Morrissey's debut as a Professional Bastard.
Morrissey is one of the few artists who can be mysterious, ironic,
smart, deviant, snobbish, and self-effacing all at once, and not
seem n any way pretentious. Actually, I think the fact that he's
obviously being pretentious is why he commands such respect. It's
hard to make fun of someone who's their own worst critic. |
1987
|
New
Order
Substance |
An essential part of any real music fan's catalogue.
All of the most influential New Order tracks from 1981-1987, along
with their b-sides on the second CD. I would say "Thieves Like Us"
is my favorite, but then I realize that it's actually "True Faith",
but then I realize that it's actually "Blue Monday", but then I
realize that it's actually "Temptation".... |
1986
|
The
Smiths
The
Queen is Dead |
It came out about 7 years before the fact, but this
is the soundtrack to my First Love (and, consequently, my first
rejection). I'll always be a bit hung up on that period in my life,
unapologetically. It's such a personal album that I don't really
feel that I have to explain much why I'm including it as a DID.
It's still my favorite Smiths disc. I doubt it will ever have any
competition. |
1985
|
Einsturzende
Neubauten
Halber
Mensch |
Neubauten has a very interesting musical history.
Despite their influence, they are relatively unknown, except around
the real hardcore punks or krautrock crowds. This is their masterpiece,
though I didn't discover it until I'd heard several other discs
by them. However, Ende Neu definately offered immense competition. |
1984
|
Everything
but the Girl
Eden |
The debut from the pairing of Ben watt and Tracy
Thorn. The lyrics throughout the album are very self-reassuring
and liberating. I think this is the perfect soundtrack to a break-up,
especially a mutual or self-initiated one. |
1983
|
Bauhaus
Burning
from the Inside |
An original of the species, Bauhaus demonstrates
a culmination of the darker side of the late '70s goth-punk contingent.
Nine Inch Nails managed to reproduce the effect to a small extent
in the '90s. I think the music of this period and genre speaks for
itself in terms of its impact on the listener. Those who don't go
for it won't understand the profound effect it has on its true fans
(but they're not hopeless - I've definately turned a few people
on to Bauhaus/Joy Div/Banshees stuff - you must have to be ruthless
about it!). |
1982
|
Tracy
Thorn
A
Distant Shore |
Sparse and dreamy, you can combine this disc with
Ben Watt's solo effort (North Marine Drive) and the Marine
Girls tunes into a seaside soundtrack. Albiet for the cold seas.
Thorn's acoustic deadpan rendition of the Velvet Underground's "Femme
Fatale" is definately special enough to buy the disc for all by
itself. |
1981
|
The
Cure
Faith |
Nothing could compete with Faith until Disintegration
came along, as far as the Cure are concerned. "All Cats Are Grey"
displays Robert Smith at his vocal and lyrical best, and the atmospheric
superiority of the album is unique and very difficult to match for
anything in the early '80s. |
1980
|
The
Specials
More
Specials |
The Specials were among my first exposure to Ska.
I think Let's Go Bowling does a better job at the genre, and in
fact are themselves superior to genre-ism, but the Specials are
somewhat a signature band for ska and the times it makes me remeniscent
of. |
1979
|
Joy
Division
Unknown
Pleasures |
What would become one of history's most legendary
bands debuted when I was only 2 years old. Joy Division also contained
three of the four members of what would end up my favorite band
of all time: New Order. I'd point to Shadowplay as the stand-out
track, though the whole disc is very cohesive and still listenable. |
1978
|
Siouxsie
& the Banshees
The
Scream |
What I would consider the best disc to come out of
Bromley's whole punk clan. Forget the Sex Pistols. This has not
only the characteristic Brit-punk sound, but a darker and more refined
aroma of talent - something noticebly lacking in much of the punk
scene. Punks don't tend to mind this, but that's why I'm not a punk. |
1977
|
Pink
Floyd
Animals |
I was just born, but many years later I would realise
that this was the best record released that fateful year. It remains
my favorite Floyd disc. Dogs and Pigs have some of the most inspired
lyrics ever written. |