Small Brown Bike - Dead Reckoning

In my opinion, Small Brown Bike were one of the best to come from the mid-to-late 90s post-hardcore lot. If you were lucky enough to witness them live then you most likely would agree. They were undoubtedly one of the few who found a way to translate the energy, aggression, and sincerity of their kinetic live show to the recorded format. For me, this is the record that best represents what they accomplished in an all too brief existence.

When the record was released it was quite the event for a couple of friends and myself. It was the last summer before college. We hopped the train from the suburbs into Chicago towards the Fireside Bowl. We (being what I now recognize as a display of bad form) packed personal bottles of Dr. Pepper mixed with 151 to sneak into the show. At the time, there wasn't a whole bunch of "sneaking" that had to happen in order to get those past "security". Actually, anyone that ever went to the old Fireside Bowl would know that there wasn't much that you couldn't get away with at that place. What happened after we arrived still holds it's spot in my mind as one of the best shows I've ever been to. Maybe it was because every 18 year old kid has the time of his life at something like this. Maybe it's nostalgia. Whatever the case, the record remains one of my favorites.


try
buy

Schneider TM - The Light 3000

Here we have a cover that almost makes the original obsolete. German electronic artist Schneider TM reinterprets The Smiths "There is a Light that Never Goes Out". When's the last time that you heard a cover song that was better than the original?




Try

Buy

Schneider TM



The Smiths

Maps & Atlases - Tree, Swallows, Houses

Not every record needs a long winded explanation. I know this is their old one, but it reminds of the first time I saw my neighbors and their amazing band. It will forever sound like an awesome summer, hot basement shows, clap-alongs at Empty Bottle, drunken bike rides, 30 packs of PBR, fireworks, and backyard BBQs.


try

myspace

The Jesus Lizard - Goat

It's been over 15 years since I saw Nirvana play a live show. As a young man growing up in ultra middle class Long Island, it was hard to convince an overbearing and overprotective mother to let me tag along with some friends to see what would turn out to be the band of our generation perform at a venue that I'd later in life perform and work at many times. The floor was teeming with a mix of drunken teenage angst, drunken frat boy mosh rage, and people like myself who were indeed very curious about the opening band, The Jesus Lizard.

I knew a kid by the name of Bill, who later turned to heroin to ease/amplify his privileged suburban life woes. Bill used to sing the praises of The Jesus Lizard to me, and made sure we got there early to catch what would undoubtedly become my new favorite band. I will never forget the opening moments of the show as a shirtless, drunk David Yow ambled on stage, six pack in hand, introducing the band as "The Melvins, from Nova Scotia" before launching (figuratively and literally) into 'Boilermaker' off of their then newest record Liar, and David himself launching into the crowd. With my senses completely battered and all hope thrown into abandon for ever being able to tolerate semi-mediocre music again, I was faced with one pressing question. Do I steal David Yow's wallet out of his back pocket?

I didn't, but I did buy this record that, in a very time weary cliché, changed my life. Thank you Bill. Thank you Nirvana. Thank you David Yow. And, you know what... thank you Melvins.


try
buy



try
buy