David Bowie – 1.Outside

David Bowie was a musical chameleon who never shied away from the weird. He reached his zenith of “weirdness” in 1995 with the release of 1.Outside (or just “Outside” or, if you’re feeling long winded “1.Outside – The Nathan Adler Diaries: A Hyper-cycle”), which is a dark and twisted art-crime rock opera. It’s like Columbo, but with incredibly brutal murders portrayed as art. It’s very obviously inspired by Twin Peaks and it perfectly fits with the mid-90s “grimdark” aesthetic. Originally a much more experimental double album (which can be heard on various places on the internet where legality is not ensured), the commercial album we now know and love is a dense and ever-changing soundscape. It veers from extremely heavy almost-techno (Hallo Spaceboy) to thoughtful ballad (the reused Buddha of Suburbia track “Strangers When We Meet”) with creepy character segues in between (all voiced by Bowie, who clearly had WAY too much fun with the voice modulation software). Every track has tons of layers and tiny bits thrown in to discover like clues at a crime scene, making it a fun and surprising listen, especially on headphones.

This album is one of my all-time favorite albums, hands down. I’ve purchased it four times over the years and I STILL find new things to love about it. Yes, it can come off as slightly pretentious in its overt weirdness, but that’s part of the fun. It revels in the grimdark trend of the time (which is something I could write a whole book about) while both looking back at David’s career as well as forward. It’s a perfect capsule of the mid-90s aesthetic and a MUST for any music collection.   

Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030

The turn of the millennium was a great time for music. As I’ve previously mentioned, the year 2000 was part of an era of great experimentation and ground breaking in the music world… It was also the perfect time to release a concept album about a futuristic rap warrior fighting against an oppressive regime. Deltron 3030, a supergroup consisting of Del Tha Funkee Homosapian, Dan the Automator, and DJ Kid Koala, did just that. This album’s concept is dark, but never quite takes itself too seriously with Del lacing things like Gamera references into his signature in-the-pocket rhymes in between segues which include a mutant’s review of the movie Strange Brew. All of this is over Dan and Kid Koala’s slick beats and choice samples. It’s like The Terminator, but while on acid and with rap battles. Oh, and a concept album of this caliber wouldn’t be complete without some choice guest stars, including Damon Alburn, Sean Lennon, and MC Paul Barman to name a few.

Anyone who has heard Gorillaz’ hit single “Clint Eastwood” has heard Del Tha Funkee Homosapian. That’s where I first heard him and that now-iconic performance is what led me to discover his music and this album. His blend of humor and nerdy subjects, which he delivers without pandering, is right up my alley and his killer rhyme delivery is some of the smoothest you’ll ever hear. This album is unique and a perfect jumping on point for his music as well as essential listening for anyone who wants something fresh and fun in the hip hop genre.   

Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

While 1994 was arguably the beginning of the end for the Grunge music boom, it was (also arguably) the start of Indie music’s rise to prominence. It was also the year Pavement released one of, if not THE greatest Indie albums of all time. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Pavement’s second album, refines their sound to a winning mix of dissonant chords, just the right amount of feedback/distortion, and frontman Stephen Malkmus’ unique vocal delivery. It’s a sound that is both complex and attainable. It keeps you guessing yet never feels inaccessible or like you’re missing some high-concept nuance in the dissonance. It all works perfectly well together for a record that has not aged a day in almost 30 years.

Fun fact: I bought this album having never heard of Pavement. Back in the day, Borders bookstores had album sampling kiosks in their CD sections. You could scan the UPC on an album and listen to 30 seconds of a few tracks. I did this with Crooked Rain after grabbing it off the shelf based on its Fluxus-style cover art. After 30 seconds of Silence Kid (not Silence “Kit,” which is something I only learned this week) my mind was blown. It was a revelatory experience. I immediately bought the album and was enthralled with Pavement and the Indie scene. This led to discovering many other bands (like New Pornographers and LCD Soundsystem to name a few) and a whole new world of sound was open for me to explore. I’ve had a few musical revelations over the years and hearing this album was certainly one of the biggest. That moment is etched into my memory and something I remember fondly. So if you haven’t yet heard Crooked Rain, Crooked rain, do yourself a favor and listen to it. Right now… Right after this sentence… OK, off you go. Enjoy!   

Tim Curry – Fearless

To celebrate his 77th birthday this past Wednesday, this week I’m going to talk about an album by the legendary Tim Curry. Did you know before he was a Hollywood icon, a young Tim Curry tried his hand at rock and roll? He did! With his 1979 album Fearless (the second of three albums he’d release), Curry decided to up his game and get into songwriting after having released a full album of cover songs. Curry teamed up with Dick Wagner to write six of the nine tracks on Fearless and every track, even the Joni Mitchell cover, oozes Curry charm with his signature style front and center. He’s not hamming it up and the music isn’t cheesy. (Well ok, “Do The Rock” is… But it works!) The sound of the album is late-stage glam rock with hints of disco and soul sprinkled throughout. Altogether it creates a sound that might not have stood out much back in 1979, but has become an interesting and enjoyable listen in 2023.

As someone who is very familiar with Tim Curry’s acting career, I couldn’t believe it when I first heard he had a music career back in the day. In hindsight it makes perfect sense (Rocky Horror, anyone?), but at the time I was shocked and quite excited to hear his music. I ended up tracking down all three of his albums and legitimately enjoy them on a regular basis. His charm really does shine through on each track and some of his covers are quite interesting (his cover of ” I Put A Spell On You” on his third album, Simplicity, is perfectly on-brand). These albums are well worth seeking out because they are more than just a curiosity; they’re fun and they rock and they deserve a spot in your collection.

Milemarker – Frigid Forms Sell

At the turn of the millenium the world was ready for something new. Everything from fashion to fine art to music was changing and looking to the future. Milemarker was no exception to this creative evolution. On their album, Frigid Forms Sell, Milemarker took their previously (fairly straightforward) hardcore sound to a whole new level by adding synthesizers to the mix, creating a unique futuristic punk sound that turned quite a few heads on the underground scene. Songs about the terrors of technology and insect mating are formed with diodes and wires welded to the bones of hardocre punk. The addition of singer/keyboardist Roby adds a haunting quality to many of the numbers as they sway from ethereal to heavy and back again. It’s a juxtaposition that would serve them well over the next few years as they became staples of the underground punk scene.

I’m a longtime fan of Milemarker, especially this period in their career. At the time their sound was nothing like I’d ever heard before and their live shows were highly energetic and something to experience. Unfortunately their output has slowed considerably over the years since and they haven’t released a new album since 2016, but their electro-hardcore punk sound can still be heard today in countless acts, both mainstream and underground. They might not have been the first to plug in a synth in a punk band, but their brand of electro-punk sure left a mark on the scene. 

Girlschool – Screaming Blue Murder

Back when metal was largely dominated by oversexed men with an increasing interest in hairspray and makeup use, Girlschool kicked in the doors to the heavy metal boys club and made themselves at home. Their third album, Screaming Blue Murder, is chock-full of thick bass and powerful drums with raw, fiery guitar and vocals/lyrics that are pure attitude. Clocking in at a tidy 31 minutes, Girlschool brings a somewhat punk energy to their brand of metal, keeping the songs tight and powerful with no wasted time on extended solos or overly-long intros. Just pure fist-pumping, floor-stomping heavy metal.

I first heard Girlschool on the split EP they did with Motohead, which was included on one of the re-releases of Ace of Spades. I found them interesting because they were a rarity on the metal scene of that time and helped pave the way for acts like Lita Ford (who would release her solo debut the year after Screaming Blue Murder) and many others. Girlschool is a group of hard-hitting ladies who know how to bring the house down and are a must for any metal fan’s collection.

The Mountain Goats – In League with Dragons

With the release of the Dungeons & Dragons movie this week, I thought it might be a great time to highlight The Mountain goats 17th album, In League with Dragons. Inspired by tabletop games like D&D, In League with Dragons incorporates a lot of fantasy references as well as references to playing these types of games, wrapped up in an incredibly lush presentation. Every track is chock full of interesting lyrics and diverse instrumentation that together build a very full-bodied listening experience. John Darnielle’s full-band albums are obviously going to be much bigger sounding than his lo-fi solo efforts, but Dragons is possibly his most sonically dense effort to date. This is accomplished not only by choice use of strings/horns/etc., but even the “simple” songs sound HUGE with some expert use of reverb, giving them something of an ethereal quality. It’s an excellent example of songcraft and production and well worth repeated listens.

With a band as prolific as The Mountain Goats, it’s hard to pick a jumping on point. There are so, so many excellent albums to choose from. But I feel In League with Dragons is one of the most fun albums John and the group have released. This makes sense because of the reference material for the album. Something as fun and social as tabletop gaming requires a joyful and rich listening experience. In League with Dragons more than delivers this and is a great place to start if you’re looking to take a deep-dive into the cavernous collection of Mountain Goats music.  

Death From Above 1979 – You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine

Death From Above 1979’s first full-length album is a masterclass in creating tight noise rock songs with solid melodies and massive riffs. This Canadian power duo (you know I love power duos, right?) hammers out a fat sound with bombastic drums and the best fuzzed-out bass the Great White North has to offer. Right out of the gate the album opener “Turn It Out” grabs your attention and tells you what it’s all about in no uncertain terms. From there you’re taken on a raucous journey that’s fun and slightly horney, making for a wild ride where someone will probably get hurt. 

You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine is an album I’ve listened to countless times. If you wanna rock out, this is the album for you. There’s so much to love here and each time I hear it I find some fresh nuance to enjoy. It’s an incredibly solid album that doesn’t easily wear out the listener, despite it being on the noisier side of the rock spectrum. It’s an album bursting with energy and requires playback at MAXIMUM VOLUME. So pop it on your turntable and if your windows aren’t rattling, IT’S NOT LOUD ENOUGH. 

Kraftwerk – The Man Machine

The world of music has had many innovators. However, it is a select few who can claim they birthed an entire genre. I’m not talking a weird, obscure sub-genre, either. I mean a whole dang pillar of popular music. Kraftwerk is one of those innovators as they effectively created the electronic pop music genre, and in 1978 their album The Man Machine was released as a perfect capsule of what they are about. This album has everything you’d think of when picturing of this iconic German band. All the beeps and boops are there, but now their brand of pop is packaged in a cleaner and tidier, or, more accurately, robotic way. Which is the point. Gone is the beauty of nature seen from the windows of your car or a train. In are automation and industry. Opening with the iconic “The Robots” and closing with the (also iconic) title track, The Man Machine is 36 minutes of (what was at the time) the future pressed onto vinyl.  

Kraftwerk is up there in my list of all-time favorite bands. Their musical experimentation and innovation has certainly left its mark and their sound has indeed crept into my own musical output. I was even lucky enough to see them perform live back in 2004 (I’ll never forget one of the animatronic robots malfunctioned. Even robots can have a bad show!) I see them as an interesting case: One of a band being SO GOOD at what they did they became SO INFLUENTIAL and inspired an army of clones. These clones then all made similar music and eventually evolved to outpace their originators. However, even though there may now be millions of electronic artists out there, the respect and admiration for what Kraftwerk did is incredibly strong. They created the future and everyone knows it. Their work is an important milestone in the history of popular music and a must for any music aficionado’s collection.  

Dinosaur Jr. – Sweep It Into Space

Dinosaur Jr.’s latest album, Sweep It Into Space, is a perfect capsule of the band’s sound over the years. Consisting of their original power-trio lineup, the album’s 12 tracks bring to the table everything you imagine when thinking of this band. Fuzzed out guitars with kickin’ solos, great melodies, and a cohesive-yet-varied sound all mesh together perfectly to show a band that isn’t resting on their laurels and are just as creative and original now as they were 30+ years ago. You have tight, fuzzed out rock numbers next to country jams with a power pop number thrown in for good measure. It’s no wonder this band influenced countless musicians the years.

I have a confession to make… I chose to feature Sweep It Into Space not only because it’s an amazing album (it very much is), but because the cover features my favorite kaiju, Hedorah. I mean, how could I NOT buy this album?! TRML bait aside, Dinosaur Jr. has long been a band that I pop on whenever I need to cleanse my musical palette. Their music is something I can listen to with no strings attached that I know I’ll enjoy simply and thoroughly. Their jangly-yet-fuzzed out guitars and tight melodies delivered by J’s unique voice (or occasionally Lou’s voice) clears away all the musical junk that tends to clutter up my ol’ noggin. It’s a strange-yet-satisfying effect. And while Dinosaur Jr. likely won’t have that same effect on you, I certainly recommend giving them a spin on your turntable as their brand of “ear-bleeding country” is well worth it.