Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#322 and #321)

(#322, Mag Earwhig! by Guided By Voices)

If you are a fan of GBV, and don't think this album sounds anything like their old stuff, it's because this is a Guided By Voices record only by name.  After the release of "Under the Bushes Under the Stars", the classic lineup of Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell and Kevin Fennell was disbanded, and Pollard hired the Cleveland band, Cobra Verde to be his new backing band.  So this record definitely sounds a lot different than its predecessors.  Like many Pollard penned albums, this record has a handful of really good songs, and a few that can be categorized as filler. Overall, I like that this is different from what I was used to.



This is "Bulldog Skin" ...

(#321, 12 Desperate Straight Lines by Telekinesis)

Matt Schewe, with another solid recommendation.  Micheal Benjamin Lerner plays all instruments and provides all vocals on this record, and I believe he will be a force to be reckon with in this industry.  His last two albums (this one, and "Dormarion" - which is #483 on this very list), are both in heavy rotation at Casa de Buchholz.









This is "Please Ask For Help" ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Elite Eight Match ("The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs The Rock)

Shawn Michaels beats The Rock, with 60% of all votes cast.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#324 and #323)

(#324, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco)

This was my introduction to Wilco back in 2003, and I did not like it at all for a few years.  It took listening to "A.M." a few times to get me to come back to this record.  Who knows what turned me off to it initially, but I consider it to be pretty solid now.  There are a number of records on this countdown that I did not embrace at first that became favorites over time.  I still refer to this album as "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel".  "War on War" from this record was the first ever song featured on a Paste sampler ...






And here it is, live from Letterman ...

(#323, Moms by Menomena)

Once again, I thank Matt Schewe for introducing this band to me.  The two gentlemen that make up this band planned on writing and recording an album with the theme of mothers in mind, and this is the fruit of that labor.  Great musicianship and nice batch of tunes, here.












This is "Capsule" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#326 and #325)

(#326, Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene)

Full disclosure?  I bought this at Best Buy because I thought the album art was cool.  I was familiar with this band, as they had been featured on Paste in the past, but really didn't know much about them, and didn't know what to expect from this record.  I didn't expect to spend the next month with it.  It's that good.  Paste even shared two tracks from this record shortly after I bought it.  Apparently, the band is on hiatus, but I look forward to whatever future they may have.








This is "Forced to Love" ...

(#325, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin by The Low Anthem)

I discovered this band on Paste in early 2009, and not too long after they were featured, Paste offered up this record for free download.  I took advantage of it, and really enjoyed it.  Had I known that Ben Knox Miller (the band's vocalist and lead guitarist) said, "The Darwin record was this record about environmental decay and social de-evolution and the death of morality and all these very grand things", I may not have downloaded it.  Doesn't exactly sound like a good time.   But music isn't always a party.  This is still great.  And Tom Jones covered them!





This is "Charlie Darwin" from Later ... With Jools Holland ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#328 and #327)

(#328, Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper)

Don't be fooled by this being ranked #328, I could listen to this record all day.  I love iTunes review ... "if you don't like what you're hearing, wait 30 seconds".  Wild Mountain Nation has a lot of things I look for in a great record.  The songs are eclectic, it comes in around 33 minutes, and it represents a unique sound.  Just a fantastic listen ...









This is "Wild Mountain Nation" ...

(#327, Figure 8 by Elliott Smith)

This ended up being the final album released before Smith died in 2003, however, there have been two posthumous releases since then.   I really wasn't familiar with Elliott Smith until he passed away, and I believe I ripped a few of his albums from a friend.  I couldn't really get into "Either/Or", but I connected with this one right away.










Here is "Son of Sam" from Late Night with Conan O'Brien ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Elite Eight Match (Hulk Hogan vs "Stone Cold" Steve Austin)

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin has beaten Hulk Hogan, with 61% of all votes cast.

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match ("Macho Man" Randy Savage vs HHH)

"Macho Man" Randy Savage has beaten Triple H, with 64% of the votes.

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match (The Rock vs Booker T)

The Rock has beaten Booker T, with 86% of all votes cast.

newgazzi Vol 14

A really eclectic playlist this month.  I hope you enjoy it !

Track #1 (The Bend by Real Estate, from the LP Atlas)

I discovered Real Estate on the Paste mPlayer in late 2011, and have been enjoying their latest album, Atlas, for the last few weeks.  If you're a fan, you'll have plenty of chances to see them on tour this summer, and for my friends in Chicago, they are playing The Metro on Thursday, March 27th!

Check out their website ...

Official Website of Real Estate

Track #2 (Iuka by The Secret Sisters, from the LP Put Your Needle Down)

This album comes out in mid April, but iTunes is currently making three tracks available for your enjoyment.  I'm not a huge fan of country music, so when you see a country tune on newgazzi, you have to know that I love it.

Check out their website for tour dates, and where you can pre-order the record ...

Official Website of The Secret Sisters







Click here to hear a sampling of "Iuka".

Track #3 (Lemon Squeezer by The Soft White Sixties, from the LP Get Right)

This is a pretty cool name for a band, and it's what got my attention to check out their music.  Lesson #1 for all you up and coming bands out there :  have a memorable band name.  It worked for these guys, as they are now featured as track #3 on newgazzi Vol 14.

The Soft White Sixties will be all over the map touring, check out their website to find out when and where ...

Official Website of The Soft White Sixties

Track #4 (Noises by Mike Mains & The Branches, from the LP Calm Down, Everything is Fine)

This was the the first band I chose for newgazzi Vol 14.  I found their music on NoiseTrade, as they made their previous album, Home, available for free download.  They will also be playing in Chicago on Thursday, March 27th, at Beat Kitchen.

Check out their NoiseTrade page here ...

Mike Mains & The Branches on NoiseTrade

Track #5 (Hot and Cold by Ex Hex)

I don't know much about this band, I found them while browsing on iTunes one evening, and as soon as I heard this song, I knew it would be featured this month.  Fun track, can't wait to see what they do next ...

Check out their website to learn more ...

Official Website of Ex Hex

Track #6 (No Heart Beats Alone by Andrew Osenga, from the Heart EP)

Last summer, Andrew Osenga successfully funded a KickStarter campaign with intentions of releasing four unique EPs, "Heart", "Soul", "Flesh" and "Bones".  The Heart EP was recently made available to all of his backers, and it will be available on iTunes very soon.  The Heart EP features six songs in the singer/songwriter genre, and I've really been enjoying it for the last week. I can't wait to hear the next three.

Here's Andrew's website, for more information ...

Official Website of Andrew Osenga




Check iTunes on Tuesday, April 1st for your chance to hear and purchase the Heart EP, featuring "No Heart Beats Alone"

Track #7 (New York Morning by Elbow, from the LP The Take Off and Landing of Everything)

These guys have been around for 17 years, but I am hearing them for the first time.  This is one of my favorite songs that I've chosen this month, and I will have to check out more of their past discography.

Check out their website for more information ...

Official Website of Elbow

Track #8 (James by Sam Brookes, from the LP Kairos)

This is another artist I am not too familiar with, but I've learned recently that Sam Brookes has a lot to offer musically and lyrically.  There were a number of songs from this record I could have chosen, but I connected with this one the most.

Official Website of Sam Brookes

Track #9 (Under the Pressure by The War on Drugs, from the LP Lost in the Dream)

Every month, I get to the point in searching for songs to feature on newgazzi where I need one more "heavy hitter", and this was final song I chose for newgazzi Vol 14.  This is from their third album, which was just released last week.

Official Website of The War on Drugs

Track #10 (Blue Moon by Beck, from the LP Morning Phase)

Beck is one of the few musicians on earth that I am blindly loyal to.  Even if I've been disappointed with a recent album, whenever I hear that he's done something new, I'm first in line.  His latest release is very similar to Sea Changes, but in no way is it a duplicate.  While the songs may have a similar feel, there is definitely growth in content and musicianship.

I'm sure you are all familiar with Beck, but if not, here's his website ...

Official Website of Beck

Track #11 (Happy by Pharrell Williams, from the LP  G I R L)

Loyal readers of newgazzi are probably perplexed as to why I am including the #1 song in the country on newgazzi.  Isn't this supposed to be for artists who need the exposure ?  Yes, the spirit of newgazzi is to put lesser known artists in the spotlight, but I also wish to celebrate great new music, no matter how many twitter followers they may have.  As it turns out, this song was played at the Sweetheart Dance that I took my daughter to recently, and she said, "This has to be on newgazzi, daddy!".  If I didn't love the song, I'd come up with a clever reason why I couldn't include it, but the fact is, it's one hell of a fun song ...

Track #12 (A Truth is Gonna Be Revealed by Hong Hong Kong Kong, from the Hong Hong Kong Kong EP)

This is another artist I found on NoiseTrade this month, and another one of my favorites from this month.  My daughter loves the album art, too!

Click here to see them on NoiseTrade

Track #13 (Tommy Boy by Beth Israel, from the LP Dental Denial)

This may be the most unique track I've ever featured on newgazzi.  When I saw that a song on this record was called "Tommy Boy", I wasn't expecting to hear actual lines that Chris Farley used in the movie, reimagined in spoken word over fuzzy guitar riffs.  This is brilliant, and I can't wait to hear the entire record.

Read Pitchfork's review of the record here








Click here to hear a sampling of "Tommy Boy", then check this out ...

Track #14 (Owen by Frankie Cosmos, from the LP Zentropy)

I found a review for this on Pitchfork, just like the previous album, and was intrigued that Frankie Cosmos is actually Greta Simone Kline, the 19 year old daughter of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates.  Apparently, she's written over 40 albums worth of material (did I mention that's she's 19 ?)  This album clocks in at just over 17 minutes, so try not to blink, but it's definitely worth listening to.

Here's that Pitchfork review.






Click here to hear "Owen" ...

Track #15 (About the Weekend by The Jellybricks, from the LP Youngstown Tune-Up)

My daughter and the lady who makes the Kool-Aid both thought this was Elvis Costello, and I can definitely hear the vocal influence.  This is a great song to end the playlist with, and another band and album that I look forward to becoming more familiar with.

Check out their website ...

Official Website of The Jellybricks










Thank you for checking out newgazzi Vol 14 !  Keep coming back every day for more of Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums, and we'll hopefully see you again for newgazzi Vol 15, which will be unveiled on Thursday night, April 24th !

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#330 and #329)

(#330, Standard Gargoyle Decisions by Robert Pollard)

Your typical Pollard record.  17 songs, 38 minutes, some fantastic songs, some real stinkers.  This album was released on the same day as "Coast to Coast Carpet of Love" (which was poppier in sound), whereas this record rocked a little harder.  As it turns out, the good far outweighs the bad, as this is my second favorite Pollard solo album of all time.  And one of my favorite album covers, too.








This is "Motion Sickness Ghosts" ...

(#329, Be My Thrill by The Weepies)

As previously mentioned a few times so far in Fugazzi Grand III, The Weepies have become favorites of mine over the past 7 years.  This is one of my daughter's favorite albums.

We're pulling for you everyday, Deb!












This is "Red Red Rose" ...

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#332 and #331)

(#332, Plans by Death Cab for Cutie)

When principle song writer and lead singer Ben Gibbard was asked what the theme of this record is, he responded by saying, "How do you make God laugh?  You make a plan.  Nobody ever makes a plan that they're gonna go out and get hit by a car.  A plan almost always has a happy ending.  Essentially, every plan is a tiny prayer.  I really like the idea of a plan not being seen as having definite outcomes, but more like little wishes."  Well said.

Pound for pound, I believe their playing on this record is the best of their career, the production value is top notch, and there are some great songs.  This is one of my favorite bands, so there are a number of their records that will rank higher than this one, but we are starting to get into the essential albums territory of this list.  I listen to this album quite a lot, and like most of their stuff, these records will continue to be staples in my earbuds for a long, long time.

This is "Soul Meets Body" ...

(#331, Summerteeth by Wilco)

I don't think there is another band on this list that I have a more hot and cold relationship with than Wilco.  Was introduced to them in 2003, didn't like "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" at all, kind of gave up on them, then heard "A.M.", and loved it, decided to give "YHF" another spin, decided I liked it, found this album, "Summerteeth", instantly loved it, fell in and out of love with "A Ghost is Born", fell in and out of love with "Sky Blue Sky", never really embraced the last two records, and then grew to really like "YHF".  The two constants have been that I've always liked this one, and I still love "A.M."  I don't really understand the 23 seconds of silence (kind of annoying when I land on it during shuffle), but all in all, this is the goods.




Here's "Via Chicago", via Nashville, TN ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match (John Cena vs Bret "Hitman" Hart)

Bret Hart has beaten John Cena, with 53% of the votes.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#334 and #333)

(#334, Sound City: Real to Reel by Sound City Players)

This is the last album ever recorded on the Neve console that Dave Grohl purchased from Sound City Studios.  This soundtrack to the documentary features Grohl and a who's who of rock demigods.  I love that Dave Grohl has become the custodian for the spirit of rock n roll in the 21st century.  When the Grammy's need a rock band, they call Dave.  When Sound City's story needed to be told, Dave stepped up.  There's something on this record for everyone.







Here is "You Can't Fix This", featuring Stevie Nicks, from Letterman ...

(#333, Imperial Bedroom by Elvis Costello and the Attractions)

This is considered by many to be Costello's magnum opus.  It's no secret that Elvis Costello has become my favorite artist over the past ten years or so, and I still haven't heard all of his albums yet.  It seems like once a year, I buy something from his back catalogue, and there's always something tasty to hear on the records.  I bought this about five years ago, based on many of the reviews I've read, and front to back, this is a solid listen.






This is a live version of "Shabby Doll" featuring Fiona Apple ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match ("The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes vs "Stone Cold" Steve Austin)

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin beats Dusty Rhodes, with this third straight shutout, and advances to the Elite Eight vs Hulk Hogan.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#336 and #335)

(#336, Highway Companion by Tom Petty)

Tom Petty is perhaps my favorite artist that I've never seen live.  And while he's best known as the front man of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, I have all three of his solo records represented on Fugazzi Grand III, while only two of his Heartbreakers records made the final cut.

This was apparently supposed to be Petty's final record, but the Heartbreakers came back four years later and released "Mojo", and it sounds like there's another one in the making, coming later this year.

This is a record that I've come to love to listen to while I'm in the car, especially in the summer months.  There really isn't a weak track on this record.  Some of my personal favorites are "Saving Grace", "Square One", "Jack", "Damaged by Love" and "This Old Town".

This is "Saving Grace" ...

(#335, Call off the Search by Katie Melua)

This was recommended by Sue Benson, and at the time, I hadn't heard of her.  I think I spent an entire weekend with this record, and was just blown away by her vocals, and these songs.  Jamie Armata came through for me with a number of her other albums a few years later, but none of them have been able to touch her debut.











This is "The Closest Thing to Crazy" ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match (The Undertaker vs The Ultimate Warrior)

The Undertaker beats The Ultimate Warrior, with 71% of all votes cast.

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match ("Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels)

Shawn Michaels beats Roddy Piper with 83% of all votes cast.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#338 and #337)

(#338, A Winter Tale by Bobby Long)

This was the definition of an impulse buy a few years back.  I was working at the Mayfair UW Credit Union branch, and after work, I wanted to burn a gift card I recently received, and this was on sale for $6.99.  Never heard of the gentleman, wasn't really inspired by much else on the shelf, and was intrigued by the song titles, and perhaps was hoping for another Bon Iver type experience.  While I cannot put it in that same category, it is a very pleasant listening experience.







Here's an acoustic version of "Dead and Done" ...

(#337, The Suburbs by Arcade Fire)

I was afraid that this might not live up to the hype, after "Neon Bible" put these kids on the map in 2007.  But this is a very good record that certainly did live up to expectations.  I really can't explain why I'm in the minority when it comes to their debut album, "Funeral", which I never really got into, nor have I listened to "Reflektor" yet.  That being said, this is a sonic joy that needs to be heard.









Here's the title track ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match ("Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs Chris Jericho)

Ric Flair beats Chris Jericho with 67% of the votes.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#340 and #339)

(#340, At Some Point, Birds and Flowers Became Interesting by The Special Goodness)

AKA as "The Pinecone Record", this was their self-released album from 2001, which I believe had a very limited release and is currently out of print.  The Special Goodness is the brain child of Patrick Wilson, Weezer's drummer, and he proves on this record that he's a pretty decent guitar player as well.  This album has a certain charm that the two records that followed this lacked.  My favorites are "You Know I'd Like to See...", "The Story is Wrong", "Life Goes By", "Say It", "Reason to Worry" and the album closer "Happy".




Here's a live version of "Life Goes By" ...

(#339, Dig Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)

I wasn't too familiar with Nick Cave when I heard him on the Paste samplers in 2008, but I liked what I heard enough to ask Jamie Armata to throw a copy of this my way.  Since I haven't heard any of his other records, I'm not sure if his spoken word approach to vocals is the norm for him, or specific to this record, but it works here.










This is the video for the title track ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Sweet Sixteen Match (Hulk Hogan vs Edge)

Hulk Hogan takes every vote against Edge, and advances to the Elite Eight.

Fugazzi Grand III : My Top 500 Albums (#342 and #341)

(#342, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion by The Black Crowes)

Another great rock and roll record by The Black Crowes, this has been a favorite of mine for some time now, and a frequent companion of mine in the car.  This became the first album ever to have four singles reach #1 on the Album Rock Tracks charts, "Sting Me", "Remedy", "Thorn in My Pride" and "Hotel Illness".










Here's "Remedy" ...

(#341, KOHUEPT by Billy Joel)

This disc documents the best of Billy Joel's tour of the Soviet Union in 1987, which was historic as he became the first rock n roll artist allowed to play in the Soviet Union.  Some of my favorite live versions of Billy Joel's catalog are from this album, "Prelude/Angry Young Man", "Stiletto", "Big Man on Mulberry Street" and "Big Shot", and Billy's cover of "Back in the USSR" was the first single he had released that he did not write.

This is being re-released in May as "A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia, which is a documentary about the tour, and will include the full concert from the Lenin Sports and Concert Complex on CD and DVD.



Here is Billy's cover of "Back in the USSR" ...

Legends of WrestleMania: Second Round Match (Bruno Sammartino vs "Rowdy" Roddy Piper)

Roddy Piper beats Bruno Sammartino with 71% of the votes cast.

Legends of WrestleMania: Second Round Match ("Macho Man" Randy Savage vs Randy Orton)

Randy Savage takes every vote against reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton.