The Promise Ring - Very Emergency

"I got my body and my mind on the same page
and honey now
happiness is all the rage"

The opening lyrics to the Promise Ring album I have hate listened to for nearly 15 years now...  I purchased this record the day it was released.  I would be lying if I said it didn't disappoint me upon my early listens... 

It was indescribably different from their earlier stuff.  I mean, the Promise Ring always had a pop-sensibility to them, but this felt formulaic tho'.   I don't know if this was their attempt to gain "mainstream" interest or if the band was genuinely looking to unload a number of songs that had a bubblegum feel to them.

A number of these songs are amazing to hear live.  Take for example the Deep South.  Not only is it one of the albums best songs, but its possibly one of the best songs that the band every penned.

I just recall feeling a certain level of excitement after listening to the Boys + Girls Ep - right before this album dropped and I genuinely felt like they were going to be the R.E.M. of my 20's.   They've always sorta been in my little mind and heart... they just didn't exactly knock it out of the park.

This album has a number of infectious songs tho'.   

Artists: The Promise Ring
Album: Very Emergency
Producer: J. Robbins
Label: Jade Tree
Recorded: Inner Ear Studios

Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary

Another terrible day...  another Jade Tree album to provide me comfort.  Just when the work load began to seem insurmountable, I had the lyric "I typed for miles" pop into my head and decided to stream Orange Rhyming Dictionary by Jets To Brazil.

Couple of quick facts:  

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  • JTB got their name from a poster that can be seen in Breakfast At Tiffany's.  
  • I learned about the band through a friend (Josh Freeman) in College while taking a film appreciation class together. 
  • I  spent a good part of a summer in Detroit playing the game Banjo & Kazooie and always played this album while completing every portion of that game.  It's hard to listen to the song Chinatown and not picture honeycombs. 

In recent months, I've sorta seen a number of people reference this band and album...   which is a little weird because it always felt like people were incredibly dismissive of this band.  I don't know if people were apprehensive to like them because of their love of Jawbreaker or if they didn't want to be associated with "emo" or Jade Tree.

Stand Out Tracks:

Yup.  My album is signed by every member of JTB.

Yup.  My album is signed by every member of JTB.

Artist: Jets To Brazil
Album: Orange Rhyming Dictionary
Producer: J. Robbins
Label: Jade Tree
Recorded: Easley McCain Recording

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