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Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990: # 80 - # 71May 23 '07 (Updated Jun 13 '07) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Stay tuned for the 100 best alternative albums since 1990. This is the third entry and seven more will follow. Here are the 3rd group of ten--numbers 80-71.
By this point, it should be obvious that purpose of this series is to pimp the best albums from the best artists. Alternative is much more than a handful of examples and adjectives. Alternative music extends into the farthest reaches of rock and roll and goes places that may or may not be comfortable or familiar to you. If something sounds interesting, don't be afraid because I've used a word you're unfamiliar with. This is alternative music--anything goes. Sometimes it's soft, sometimes it is loud. Sometimes there are guitars and sometimes there may be a harmonica. Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Join me for the 100 most notable, important, and entertaining albums in alternative music from 1990 through today. Your favorite artist may not be listed, but there is something here for all fans of every level of familiarity. Like it or not, these are artists and recordings that are not willing to go away. The rules to qualify were simple--I must actually "like" the album, it must have had some effect on the industry, and it must have been released no earlier than 1990. Additionally, to narrow down bands I chose to not include industrial acts (though they do in many ways qualify as "alternative") and did not include bands that were mostly rock and roll (though "grunge" does appear). Finally, there are no greatest hits or best of compilations included despite my desire to include one particular title (Add It Up by Violent Femmes). Last but not least, these are all mainstream titles. You won't find indie titles--these are all widely available from whatever shopping outlet you choose. This isn't to say that there aren't excellent independent alternative albums from this era, it is just to say that I don't believe the ones I am familiar with to be as important/necessary/great as those listed. Sit back and enjoy and don't forget to comment. I would love to read comments about this topic especially considering that nobody should agree with me on every level. And without further ado, here are the # 80 - # 71 top Alternative albums. 80. Hot Fuss - The Killers (2004) http://www.epinions.com/content_166186028676 The most British band to hail from the United States, The Killers grabbed my attention with their 2003 debut Hot Fuss. The Las Vegas natives pieced together an upbeat rock laced dance-pop album that is just as ready for MTV as it is for clubs and radio. The fact that it is so widely appealing is part of why Hot Fuss, despite its imperfections, is still so important in a musical sense. There are plenty of "the" bands but The Killers are among the best. Check out my favorite song Somebody Told Me and don't ignore Andy, You're A Star, Mr. Brightside or Jenny Was a Friend of Mine. Front man Brandon Flowers may not be the most unique voice, but he does have a way with performance that helps set his band apart from the crowd. 79. Central Reservation - Beth Orton (1999) http://www.epinions.com/content_78238813828 Central Reservation is the epitome of perfection. It's a beautiful, sweeping, emotional, and musically unique release. Oddly enough Beth Orton's music still hasn't made a huge splash stateside. Her voice is different than anybody else I've ever heard. She is very dry and almost monotone but also cool and original. Central Reservation is her best release (her debut Trailer Park follows as a close second). The British singer-songwriter seamlessly combines folk, alternative, and trip-hop. The unlikely combo shines on tracks Stolen Car, Sweetest Decline, Couldn't Cause Me Harm, Love Like Laughter, and Devil Song. Even though I do have my favorites what really makes Central Reservation so wonderful is that I can't say anything bad about it. Sure it isn't the most influential release, but it is so good I can't help but include it here. 78. Moon Pix - Cat Power (1998) http://www.epinions.com/content_163685895812 Part of the job of a reviewer is to admit fault. One of my biggest is that I am not a fan of Cat Power. I have tried, but I cannot attach myself to her wan voice and apparent lack of vision. However with that said I must also admit to myself that she has a place on any top alternative list for good reason--she is talented. She stands aside some of my favorites (Rufus Wainwright, Grant-Lee Phillips) and definitely has found an audience. Chan Marshall (Cat Power is her stage name) makes pretty, delicate, and emotional songs. This is probably my biggest complaint but also the precise reason why people should be listening to her more. American Flag ranks easily as my favorite track on Moon Pix (her best album to date) and Say, Colors and the Kids, and Metal Heart also are pleasing. Regardless of my words and my hesitant backing I hope her place in the seventy-eighth position is enough to make people keen on this kind of music perk up. 77. The Alternative to Love - Brendan Benson (2005) http://www.epinions.com/content_189903638148 You may never have heard Brendan Benson's name, but you should know him--he's a part of the Raconteurs and is friends with none other than Jack White. His sound is certainly not reflected in that association. He actually makes gorgeously soft and wonderfully lovely alternative pop music. Benson, who hails from my home state of Michigan, has built up an audience with his handful of releases. The most important to date is The Alternative to Love. From start to end it is pleasing on every level. The only real complaint I have is that it ends. The modestly stylish album is made extra special by tracks Cold Hands (Warm Heart), Spit It Out, Get It Together, What I'm Looking For, and Feel Like Myself. If you enjoy largely upbeat alt-rock singer-songwriters then Benson is for you. 76. The Soft Bulletin - Flaming Lips (1999) http://www.epinions.com/content_161003835012 Arguably the most heralded album of the Flaming Lips' career, The Soft Bulletin is really and truly cutting edge. The Oklahoma-based band and Wayne Coyne in particular seem to relish trying new things. Coyne is a perfectionist and performer, madman and mystic. This album is everything about The Flaming Lips I love with no pretentiousness (which, on occasion, they are guilty of). The Soft Bulletin plays a trick on listeners--it makes you think you are listening to really mainstream material. In truth it is symphonic, lush pop music with an artsy air. The moving album ranges from whimsical to melancholy, but regardless of leanings it is always lovely. Check out A Spoonful Weighs a Ton, The Spiderbite Song, Waiting for a Superman and The Gash for a few reasons why this album is so memorable. 75. Maxinquaye - Tricky (1995) http://www.epinions.com/content_111011991172 Tricky is one weird dude. He is one of the founding members of Massive Attack and came to be known for his trip-hop and electronica prowess. I personally am probably moved slightly more by his work with his former band, but I think Maxinquaye is probably the most important and influential album of his career. Smacking of genius on Overcome, Brand New If You're Retro, Hell is Around the Corner, Aftermath and Black Steel, it really is impossible to ignore Tricky even if at other times songs are painfully atonal. His risks are what land Maxinquaye on this list--plus it's a trip to pull apart his songs to find out if and what he sampled. Great music from a master artist. 74. Live Through This - Hole (1994) http://www.epinions.com/content_40532283012 The inclusion of Live Through This should not be a surprise. What should shock is that it isn't higher. Courtney Love is most notoriously Yoko to Kurt Cobain's John Lennon. She may have had a bit of help because of this connection, but her own abilities as front-woman of Hole shine through particularly on this release. While sometimes the loudness and angst prove overwhelming, I still am drawn to Doll Parts, Miss World, Violet, and Rock Star. The fact that Love is so clearly a talented icon is an important precursor to some of the female fronted rock bands (both good and bad) to appear in the late 1990s through today. Regardless of who was influenced by Hole, Live Through This remains a classic alternative/grunge/punk/rock album. 73. Poses - Rufus Wainwright (2001) http://www.epinions.com/content_121421532804 Music does not come more beautifully presented, sung, or packaged than on Poses. Rufus Wainwright comes by his talent naturally as the song of folk singers, but his music wanders around pop waters. He isn't a straight (ha-ha) singer-songwriter, his words are expressive and weird at times and his melodies are unexpected. The reason he so obviously belongs on this list in this position is because he has the innate ability to please both ears and hearts. Poses is impossible to pigeonhole (thus "alternative") and timeless. Songs Poses, Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, California and One Man Guy are the best of the bunch but all twelve songs (the thirteenth is a reprise) are excellent. 72. Oh, Inverted World - The Shins (2001) http://www.epinions.com/content_170039545476 Concise, beautifully crafted, and intelligently arranged the songs on The Shins debut Oh, Inverted World are among some of the best recorded in the last few years. At the center of the band is singer-songwriter James Mercer who along with his band mates keenly writes minimalist and organic songs that also are immediately entertaining. This is the best kind of alt-pop. The overall album is so good I have problems coming up with favorites, but I tend to gravitate toward New Slang, Caring is Creepy, One by One All Day, and Pressed in Book. Please don't just rely on my words--discover this understated gem on your own terms. If alt-pop is your thing, this one deserves to be atop your to-buy list. 71. White Blood Cells - White Stripes (2001) http://www.epinions.com/content_75045441156 Before you call me out on it, let me get this out of the way. White Blood Cells is not my favorite White Stripes CD. However because it came very early in the new wave of garage rock it is certainly one of their most influential. Ex spouses Jack and Meg White are the only members of this Detroit-based rock band. Their sound is definitely not multi-layered. White Blood Cells is actually a simplistic record with simple instruments and straight-forward pop/rock melodies. This straightforward approach to music is also what makes The White Stripes so striking. Jack White knows how to write concise, energetic songs. Fell in Love With a Girl, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Hotel Yorba, The Same Boy You've Always Been, and The Union Forever are my picks but this is definitely one worth hearing from beginning to end even if it's not the band's best work to date... ___________________________________ Stay tuned for all the upcoming installments of Lambchops' Top 100 Alternative Albums Since 1990. # 100 - # 91: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 90 - # 81: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 80 - # 71: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 70 - # 61: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 60 - # 51: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 50 - # 41: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 40 - # 31: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 30 - # 21: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 20 - # 11: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990 # 10 - # 1: Top Alternative Albums Since 1990  |
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