2020: my top 10

Greetings. What can I say about new music in 2020? It certainly has been a weird year all around and the flow of new music has not been spared. Honestly, I didn't do the big exploration of new albums this year as I have in so many past years. I often found myself listening to audio books instead of albums for some reason. So, maybe this list should be 10 albums that got my attention because I did find myself spending time with them. I just feel like there's great music out there that I missed, which happens every year, but maybe more so this year. Still, these are all fantastic records and worthy of a top list.

With time at home, many musicians released more material than usual and often it was raw, uncut, lofi, and/or acoustic, and less produced. Cool, cool. But also a double edged sword. Sometimes there was too much and the albums were not representative of the best a band can make. I'm fine with that, actually. But I also found myself less excited for releases and getting bored at times if something didn't grab me right away.

In the end, I settled on this list. 10 great albums, in no particular order, that for me put the exclamation point on a difficult year that I'll never forget and will happily leave behind, but also paved way for some damn good creativity.

1. Local H - Lifers

I've been a huge Local H fan since high school and still think they're ridiculously underrated. Somehow their music speaks to me and Lifers is no exception. The song writing is quality and Scott Lucas continues to have a great voice. The music is simple but what's needed to deliver, and... that guitar tone.

2. Haunt - Mind Freeze

I am continually impressed by Haunt and their ability to make a pure kind of metal, and Mind Freeze has all the ingredients. Super tasty solos and songs that are crisp and concise. This is the kind of metal rock enthusiasts can enjoy. I'm convinced that Trevor Church is one of the hardest working musicians to be so prolific and impossibly good.

3. Myrkur - Folkesange

So, there's no way I can predict what Amalie Bruun will do next. She has a truly unique and memorable fantastic voice, and continues to impress with the versatility in ways she uses it. Songs on Folkesange are distinct and unmistakable despite the album being a far cry from the black metal Myrkur was initially known for. Mellow and operatic, this style is just as good as the metal ones and was one of those albums I ended up leaning on to get through this year.

4. Butcher Brown - #KingButch

I'd never heard of Butcher Brown before #KingButch came on my radar but liked the group right away. A fusion of jazz styles and hip hop makes their sound unique but what's impressive is that they do it all equally well, and blend the styles in a way that works extremely well. Great instrumentation is present throughout. I wouldn't have envisioned jazz and hip hop working together so well, but it makes sense and this album delivers.

5. Jake Kimberley - Shifting Obsession

I heard of this album because I follow Caustic Casanova, Kimberley's band. This is one of those albums that wouldn't exist without the imposed isolation of Covid. It's a solid album, somewhat melancholy and a little weird. Thematically there's some stuff about being isolated and I'm not sure how the songs will age over time. But I've sure been enjoying them lately. The music is good but would be nothing without the melodies and song writing. I hope Kimberley does more solo stuff, it's a nice contrast from the CC style that I also love.

6. Big Al and the Nice Goods - C.R.A.B.

Poetry and synthesizers, chunky guitars, Big Al and the Nice Goods make music for the people. The use of language in the lyrics keeps you on your toes and proves endlessly entertaining, and poignant. While the songs are surprisingly catchy. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this band.

7. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

Is there a group more in tune with the universe than Run the Jewels? If there is, I haven't run into them. This music is for now. The state of 2020 made for conditions for an album like RTJ4 to emerge. It's in your face and to the point, and uncompromising hip hop. It is relevant and deals with subject matter that affects real people, and it is really, really good.

8. Yuri Gagarin - The Outskirts of Reality 

If you've followed along with my lists from previous years, maybe this is the most predictable selection for 2020. This is one great album. Nobody does instrumental heavy psych better than Yuri Gagarin and this album delivers. It's got weirdness and space sounds, and grooves, and tasty guitar riffs and solos. When you need to tune out and visit another plane of existence for a while, here's your ticket. 

9. The Midnight - Monsters 

I've been a huge fan of The Midnight the last few years and honestly, I love their sound so much that it's hard to imagine them releasing something I wouldn't enjoy. Yes, there's a nostalgia factor with their lyrical themes. And the synth is so cool, and the beats feel good. But these songs will stick with you long after others in similar vein have faded away. 

10. Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open 

Sometimes I'm not sure what draws me to the music of Car Seat Headrest but I do consistently like their stuff. The indie sound reminds me of my college radio station days. This album is more approachable compared to some of their other stuff, with a cleaner and less rough around the edges sound. It's still them, though. I also like the smattering of beats sprinkled throughout that serve to break up the tracks a bit and keep it interesting in a different way.

This concludes my 2020 top 10. If you also loved one of these albums this year, let me know in the comments. If you loved some different albums, feel free to mention that as well. Stay safe and take care, and rock on. 

Eugene Local Music

The other day during a bout of Zoom Dungeons and Dragons, a side discussion came up regarding shows we got to attend before all of that kind of thing was shut down. When I brought mine up, it was commented that they sounded like "Oregon" bands. And, a couple of them certainly were. It's true that a band can have a name or musical sound that is reminiscent of a certain region, although it might be difficult to fully describe in words what makes it so. In any event, while I've been trying my darnedest to comply with the stay at home order for my home state, I've been going back to albums I've loved over the years by bands from my home town and state. All the bands I'm mentioning here have either had their heyday here in Eugene or are current local super star acts. Maybe you'll find something new to love or be reminded of a band you're ready to revisit...

In no particular order...

1. Boogie Chillen' - Chillen of a Lesser God

I had the fortunate experience of seeing Boogie Chillen' perform many times at the ever so popular 90's Eugene hangout, Cafe Paradiso. It was always a great show. They had mastered their blues sound, with all the classic riff and rhythm that would entail, and some very good harmonica and vocal parts. It was classic already at the time. I do wonder whatever happened to the members of the band and always wished they'd recorded more. To my knowledge, this was their only album.


2. The American Girls - In the Whiskey Ya-Ya's

There was a stretch of years where it seemed like The American Girls were playing someplace in Eugene every week. I went quite a few times to their shows and always had fun, despite how their songwriting was never that memorable. They were a good band anyway and it always seemed like they were on the verge of something, and releasing something new. Any one of their albums I put on now, it seems I get that "oh yea, I remember this song!" feeling. There's something to like about each of their albums, but this one is likely their best.


3. Sweaty Nipples - Thrill Crazed Space Kids Blasting the Flesh off Humans

I can still remember my excitement seeing the Sweaty Nipples 4 song ep in a Berkeley record shop (Amoeba? Rasputin? I can't recall... it was a day!) and thinking those guys are from Oregon, with excitement. I'm sad I never got to see them live. It seems like they were winding down as my show attending days were just winding up. Still, I had the fine opportunity to be an intern for Elemental Records when TCSKBtFOH was released and listened to the album quite a bit. It was one of the first metal/punk influenced albums I ever got way into and can look back with thanks now. I felt like I was listening to the music version of MAD Magazine back then, like I was getting away with something. It's still a very good album.


4. The Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Kids on the Street

No list of bands from Eugene could be complete without mention of The Cherry Poppin' Daddies. This is my favorite of their albums. While many might say they took off when they came out with Zoot Suit Riot, while many from Eugene would say that was the beginning of the end. They left their beloved fans and eclectic musical style for a spotlight on a national stage and being forever labeled part of the flash-in-the-pan that was the swing revival. I'm happy to say they've regained some of their local respect and have gone back to expanding their own musical horizons in more resent years. I still have a fondness for this album. It has a little of a lot of things and is fun all the way through. The songs on Kids on the Street are hugely entertaining and diverse, yet distinctively CPD. For anyone who only knows this band for their Zoot Suit Riot album, I encourage you to check out their other stuff. Start with Kids on the Street, then check out Ferociously Stoned and Rapid City Muscle Car. 


5. Floater - Acoustic

Floater remains one of the most legendary bands to ever come out of Eugene and in recent years, they've only improved. I chose Acoustics because I think it marked a clear departure for them from other stuff they'd been doing, what they were known for. They'd been firmly entrenched in a heavy 90s rock sound and they began to evolve. I've loved Floater in all their different styles. Rob, Pete, and Dave, always consistent and seemed like the perfect unit to compliment each others styles and strengths. I love how they can go from super heavy, making a room move in a massive mosh pit, to making you cry with emotion through a soft heartfelt song. They have a signature sound, with lead bass and lead guitars, and some of the best vocals I've ever heard. Every album is a distinct work of art. After Acoustics, for me, they showed they could go in any direction and do anything musically. I think Floater is the band I've seen live more than any other band, too many times to count.



6. Ingredients - Bears Driving Trains

Where did The Ingredients come from? I think they won a contest or something, then they were everywhere. They had two albums and then it seems like they disappeared. I really don't know. But, for a couple years they were basically the biggest thing I'd ever seen, at least here in Eugene. They even got the legendary Oregonian Mike Allred to draw the cover for their first album. Maybe it was because Carey, one of the members, worked at Nostalgia Collectibles, where Mike was a frequent visitor. I enjoyed more than a few conversations with Carey there at Nostalgia, myself. As for the music, it was weird and sort of indie, punk, rock, pop, or something else. It didn't quite fit in a category and wasn't quite catchy, but it was friendly and pleasant, and it was Eugene all the way. 


7. Halie Loren - After Dark

Practicing for a Junkyard All-Stars show in the house Luke lived in on Almaden Street, yes the same house where the Sugar Beets used to practice, Halie Loren came over and we worked on a song. Later, I can remember Luke saying wow she has really got a voice and I didn't really feel the gravity of Luke's comments. I mean, at that time, I just didn't get it. Halie did a great job playing with Luke and I, actually she stole the show, singing Angel From Montgomery, the John Prine classic with us down at Cosmic Pizza. I still have a recording of that night and it is still a special memory. Anyway, Halie went on to do much bigger and better things and on the occasion I have to run into her, it is always a great time. She's an amazing performer and truly does have an amazing Jazz voice, that has only gotten better over time. She's surrounded herself with top notch musicians and each of her albums is something you can't get enough of. I chose this one only because it is one I've listened to a little more than some others. 


8. Henry's Child - Mumbles and Screams

Henry's Child released a really good album called Clearly Confused in the late 90's that will stand as one of my all time favorites for many reasons and I've talked about them in other posts, however they released an album earlier than that, Mumbles and Screams, that is also very, very good. I had a chance to see them last year for a release party for a new album and they still put on one fantastic show. It is high energy and very evident that they have not stopped practicing. The songs they play off Mumbles and Screams are perhaps the best live. And, they're all nice guys. The new album, while not my favorite, has a lot to like about it and is still so much a Henry's Child album. Mumbles and Screams is their heaviest and while maybe the simplest song writing, it is killer. 


9. Yob - Catharsis

Pick whatever Yob album you want as a favorite, you'll get no argument from me. I have this one on vinyl and am impressed every time I listen to it. The sweeping guitar parts and heavy emotion filled vocals. Yob has managed to gain an international following and yet still feel like a local band, in some regards, although the musicianship is definitely worthy of the international stage. Catharsis is an earlier album, before they'd gotten so huge, and there's something of an emotional investment in the music that feels youthful. They were already impressive. This is an album for the ages. And if you're around town or at a show and fortunate enough to run into Mike Scheidt, if there's occasion to say hello you might consider doing so, he's got a soul that glows.


10. Jacob Marley's Ghost - No Crying

Jacob Marley's Ghost is another band I saw often for a stretch of years, usually at Cafe Paradisso but also a few times at the old Wild Duck. My sister and I both liked them a lot so it was something we enjoyed together. They had a sound I couldn't get enough of and it seemed perfect for the small venues that Eugene seems to have a plenitude of. If they'd released ten albums, I'd have loved them all. Alas it was not to be, as bands can be fragile entities, and when Ezra Holbrook tried to make that leap to the bigger stage, it just didn't work out for some reason. My sister and I had the chance to see him after he'd gone solo, up in Portland, and he still had a lot of the magic. And we chatted with him as we'd done in the past lots of times (not sure if he really remembered us but he always said he did). His voice and guitar was as good as it has always been but there was also a sadness and I think it was the void not filled by Jacob Marley's Ghost, playing with is brother, Jules, Robb, and Bones. They seemed to be having so much fun up there. 


So, there you have it. Ten bands from Eugene with Ten albums. Listen to them and think about my great little city of Eugene, OR and then maybe think about what your favorites are from your home town. I'm sure I could go beyond ten and maybe I will in another post, but these will always be some of my favorites.

-Jason

Gateway Metal: Ten Albums

Something I get asked about once in a while is how I got so into metal. Well, it took quite a long while and was a process, and a progression, a journey through lots of music that eventually led to the massive appreciation of lots of metal. Of course, metal is a varied and vastly diverse genre of music, and there's lots of metal that I can't get into even the slightest bit. But, sometimes I play the tunes I am into and people around might say... wow it's so heavy, the vocals are so harsh, or it's so loud. How'd you ever get into this stuff? In this post, I'm gong to share some of the stories about how I got there. It's how I came to believe that metal musicians comprise perhaps the most concentrated group of raw musical talent and skill. Nobody casually learns metal music, it takes dedication and loads of practice. It takes physical skill, orchestration, and song writing that I just don't see so consistently present in most kinds of music. Not that it doesn't take lots of talent and skill to play other types of music, it certainly does. And, great musicians and song writers can be found creating every genre. In other words, I'm not hating on anything. I'm simply showing how I got to my love for metal...

By the way, I want to mention a special thanks to some specific individuals who helped shape my METAL appreciation, in no particular order: Adam, Matt Croda, Mark Hite, Wayne Versace, Carl Swanson, Rob Pierce, Ryan Bass, and Noah Hadnutt.


1. Mr. Big - Lean Into It
 

 

Somebody I need to mention in regards to this album is my good friend Puck. He worked for MTV Taiwan before I met him and the experience of watching him interview Mr. Big was a great joy of my senior year of high school. What a hoot. And it led me to seeking out the album and actually listening to it. I'd already heard the hit, To Be With You, and thought of it as a pretty cheesy song that I kind of didn't want to admit I actually liked. I did like it, though. And, the rest of the album is pretty good for what it is, too. It also happens to have shredding solos. Probably more of a rock album than a metal album, as many on this list may be considered, you can tell the dudes in the band are ready to rock. I've never branched out further from Lean into It as far as listening to Mr. Big is concerned, but this album will always remain dear to my heart. By the way, if you ever get a chance to ride around in the car with Puck and listen to him tell stories, it's an unmatched experience. And let him pick the tunes... you won't be disappointed. Favorite Song: To Be With You

2. Van Halen - Balance

 

Haters are always gonna hate on some Van-hagar. I don't care, Balance will most likely always be my all time number one favorite Van Halen album. It came out when I was in middle school and a classmate had it, and I had the chance to check it out. The excitement was over Van Halen releasing something new. Nobody knew what they held in their hands at the time. For me, I'd never heard a guitar tone like that and also had never heard guitar playing like that. It's so super smooth and sexy and clean, and pure. Yes, the Van-hagar is in full effect and this is a very cheesy album at times, looking back. But, it's also a huge album. You can easily imagine these songs filling a stadium. The songwriting is actually excellent, too, which is why I kept listening to it. It had been a while and I listened to it today, each song is so familiar to me that I was amazed at the sustaining power it has had over the years for my psyche.   Favorite Songs: Amsterdam, Feelin', Aftershock, Take Me Back (Deja Vu)

3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

 

This is a doom classic, but I picked it up thanks to the ever so notorious BMG Music Club, where I had to pick out a certain number of albums to get a super sweeeet deal on them. So, I basically got Black Sabbath's self titled album for free. I'd no experience with Sabbath except I was a Led Zeppelin and a Jimi Hendrix fan and a friend in high school (thanks Ryan!) had told me that the next step was Black Sabbath. So, there I was having my hair blown back, sophomore year of college, listening on my little CD boombox. I listened to this a lot. I suppose I could list Zep and Hendrix as influences to my metal tastes too, but in my mind Sabbath was where it began for real. Isn't all music connected? One thing to the next, to the next, to the next...
Favorite tracks: The Wizard, Behind the Wall of Sleep, all of them...

4. Guitar Wolf - Jet Generation

 

Guitar Wolf isn't metal, is it? Punk? Rock? Who knows? One thing is for sure, it is loud and it is awesome. I think it is metal, actually. These guys have poured their hearts and souls into being the loudest and rockin-est band in the universe. Mark Hite and I, when we worked together at WSKB, made a wall poster shrine to this band (and another to Nashville Pussy!!) because of how hard their music hits. I had no exposure to this kind of thing prior and it opened up new doors of exploration for heavy music for me. When I had a chance to see Guitar Wolf live, well it was the same kind of experience. That concert could have gone on 10 hours and it would have still been too short. There's so much appeal to their look and the band members' charisma is near intoxicating, you can't help but get interested. I also liked how D4 covered one of their songs in a more ear friendly fashion. I also loved Wild Zero, the Guitar Wolf movie, that will appeal to any who love a good sci-fi zombie musical post apoc romp of weirdness. Jet Generation came out right around the time I was helping to make that wall collage. So, there. Favorite tracks: Kung Fu Ramone, Teenage UFO, Roaring Blood, Summertime Blues

5. Black Label Society - Hangover Music: Vol. VI

 

Sometimes I get the feeling I'm always mentioning this album, BLS Hangover Music: Vol. VI. It really is a very good album. Before this album, I had considered BLS too heavy for me, as something I'd never be able to digest musically. I read an article about it in a guitar magazine when it came out, a magazine I can't remember but had a subscription to at the time. The article made the album sound like something I'd enjoy and I was already into some Sabbath and Ozzy, so Zakk Wylde having played with Ozz was a detail of interest. I purchased the album and brought it with me to visit my friend Adam down in Medford at the time, we listened to it and talked about it and listened to some Sabbath, and our minds were expanded and continued to expand for quite some time. The next time I saw Adam, he'd picked up other BLS music and all of a sudden it wasn't too heavy anymore (although it was almost too heavy!). We liked it. We listened to it. We drank it in. The music on this album is like metal without the distortion. If somebody says they don't like metal, I sometimes play them this. It really is metal for the uninitiated. Favorite Tracks: Queen of Sorrow, House of Doom, She Deserves a Free Ride (Val's Song), Won't Find It Here

6. Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest for the Wicked

 

I don't have much to say about this album, No Rest for the Wicked, except at some point somebody I was buddies with didn't want the cassette tape of it and it ended up in my car. I didn't know how to handle this music and had no other exposure to Ozzy or related artists, at that time (high school dayz). I can remember listening nervously and laughing at some of these songs, but secretly thinking this is some damn good stuff. It was put in the player often for a couple summers and requested a lot when visitors got in my car. It's a cool weird album and so Ozzy. I wish I could recall who it was that handed No Rest for the Wicked off to me. But, thank you! Favorite tracks: Miracle Man, Bloodbath in Paradise, Devil's Daughter, Crazy Babies


7. Metallica - Black Album

Metallica's Black Album was the first of a few recommendations I got from a good college pal, Matt Croda, during my freshmen year of college. He had an uncanny knack for checking out a person's CD collection or listening to what a person was into, then making the absolute perfect recommendation of where to go next. The guy knew (and probably still knows) a lot about music. Anyway, he listened to all kinds of heavy stuff that I was in no way ready for (I remember a huge Pantera poster on his wall), but he was able to say, you know what... check out Metallica's Black Album. I think it might be what you'd get into. And, dang it he was right. These songs became familiar very quickly. I'd been friends with some people in high school (Ryan and Rob!) that liked Metallica but personally always thought they were a band a little too heavy for me. Nowadays, I think it's funny that Metallica is often categorized as rock simply due to their immense popularity. I mean, they have "metal" in their name! Still, they're one of the all time greatest metal bands, or rock bands, or whatever you wanna call it. And this is an all time classic. Favorite Songs: Sad But True, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven

8. Danzig - Danzig

I had the fortunate experience of helping out with a class project for some friends in high school, the making of a movie called Dead Space. It was a heck of a lot of fun being part of that production and the movie came out okay, but what stuck with me was the closing credits song... Danzig's Mother. I started thinking, what is this glorious song? Danzig's self titled album has a lot of appeal and is probably the best thing he ever created, unless you happen to be a die hard Misfits or Samhain fan. Still, I'd say this is the best (although I have a great fondness for Danzig II nowadays). So, what makes the album so great? I think it's because it's an ideal gateway metal album. It has broad appeal and rocks, and lots of fans probably don't think of it as a metal album at all. But it is. If anybody doesn't like it, it's likely due to hearing the songs overplayed. I still love it. Favorite Tracks: Mother, Am I Demon, She Rides

9. Dio - Holy Diver

This is the other album I can recall Matt Croda introduced me to. He kept talking about Rainbow and Rainbow in the Dark, and I'm not sure he knew how all the pieces fit together. He did know about how much influence Dio had over the development of metal and the transition many bands made (Judas Priest comes to mind). And, he knew it was what I would need next. I got this one and then not much later, The Last in Line and while Dio's strange lyrics made me pay attention (they reminded me of Beck somehow... I was a big fan of Mellow Gold and Odelay). So, I kept listening. Dio's voice is still one of my all time favorites and he had a knack for assembling high quality musicians around him. Favorite Songs: Holy Diver, Invisible, Rainbow in the Dark, Don't Talk to Strangers

10. Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands

This was the first metal album I ever heard that told a story and I loved the concept. It was also the first fantasy metal I listened to. Recommended by a roommate and good friend, Wayne, it was the first step on a voyage of love for epic fantasy metal. I love when a band's genre is mentioned on a sticker or somewhere on the cover, especially when it is extremely specific. On the cover of this album, a sticker read "The grand masters of Symphonic Epic Hollywood Metal strike back with their 2nd album! Album of the month in several European magazines!" Oh, I know because I saved the sticker! The bold was added because it was on the sticker. A couple things, first I wanted a taste of this movement for symphonic metal that I'd never heard of. Yes! Next, what is Hollywood metal? I still don't know. Finally, what were these "several European magazines" that were mentioned? Ohhh.... they must know a thing or two! Well, I was hooked. Favorite Track: Emerald Sword

There you have it... a glimpse into my metal journey. I hope you have your own or will in the future! Rock on metal brothers and sisters!

 

90s Grunge

Sometimes it's a shocker to me to realize how much my tastes in music have been shaped by grunge. I love the songwriting, the style, the presentation... the total package. It all resides in my heart along with the memories, of which there are many.

Riding in my friend Puck's green Ford Taurus and listening to Over Now or watching the Runaway Train video on MTV. I can remember when I first heard Kurt Cobain died, I was in gym class and even though I hadn't become a fan yet, he was a cultural icon and it hit me. Every time I hear Dinosaur Jr I think of my cousin. Every time I hear Pearl Jam I think of my friend Bobb, and I also remember Bobby's forever plan to start a Blind Melon cover band. Every time I hear Nirvana unplugged I think of high school and my friend Beth. RHCP reminds me of freshmen year of college, but also of 5th grade when I saved up to buy a cassette, and of Adam when he gave me Freaky Styley. There's a whole lot more, too.

This week when I happened to be driving with my parents, listening to Nirvana's Unplugged album, my mom asked if it was me singing, listening to my own stuff. I just replied "I wish". But then we talked about how yea, I've borrowed some sounds from there with my own tunes or at least somehow my subconscious has tried. Every one of those performances, so raw and perfect, yet simple. 

It's just interesting how our music shapes us and resides within us, and helps define the years. Tonight, sitting in the hot tub with Without a Sound playing... a little too loud for my neighborhood at this time of night... all I can think is damn, the solos are underrated.

Here's some of my favorites:

Play it loud!