Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I

The skies were gray and temperatures hovered around 40 degrees all day, so I decided to listen to one of my favorite dead of winter albums - Emergency & I by the Dismemberment Plan.

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What I remember most about this album was that it came out the same year that The Flaming Lips released The Soft Bulletin and Built to Spill released Keep It Like a Secret.  Picking ones favorite from the three varied just as much then as it does now.

The album captures the pains of being 20 something, possibly better than any other album I have in my collection.  The sounds on the record are simply amazing and it happens to be co-produced by one of my favorite producers - J. Robbins.

Had the pleasure of catching this band play live in Detroit once and it was one of the best shows that I had ever attended.  It may have also been one of the only indie shows that resulted into a freakish dance party where everyone in attendance looked amazing.   I recall a girl who was wearing clogs and a mid century flight attendant outfit...

Standout Tracks:

Artist: Dismemberment Plan
Album: Emergency & I
Producer: J. Robbins, Chad Clark
Label: DeSoto Records
Recorded: Water Music Studios

Jawbox - My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents

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When I'm not feeling particularly well on the inside... I know I can always count on a couple of albums to sorta match my mood.

Jawbox's album, My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents is a collection of compilation songs / outtakes / covers / split single sides / john peel sessions.   

The track listing is pitch perfect.  The album also contains my favorite Jawbox song - Apollo Amateur
Here are the opening lyrics... 

time to drive out to nowhere special
just to believe you're thinking straight
soothed by the blurred and interstitial
happy to ruminate on hate
slurring the words to half a love song
shamed like the amateur on stage
mouthful of coins for penny candy
dreaming there's nothing more at stake

J. Robbins can do no wrong...  met him once in Detroit, but I'll save that story for the day I talk about his other project - Burning Airlines.

Stand out tracks:

Artist: Jawbox
Album: My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents
Producer: James Robbins (a.k.a. J. Robbins)
Label: DeSoto Records
Recorded: ?  (compilation recordings/john peel sessions)