The Anniversary - Your Majesty

Have you ever listened to a recording artist and wonder why they never got big?   I sorta feel that way about the band the Anniversary.   They sorta remind me of the New Pornographers without feeling that they were heavily influenced by them...

At the hight of the emo backlash - Pitchfork Media gave this album a 2.0.  A rating thats kinda funny to look back on because the band was guilty of being on "Vagrant Records" and therefore guilty of sucking on arrival.

What I recall most about this record was thinking how un-emo it was when I listened to it for the first time.   I didn't really think about this record a lot until my ex found it in my collection and took a liking to it.

She asked me to tell her some stories about the band and recall discovering them because they had a song called The D in Detroit.

I ended up spinning the record and fell in love with the record all over again.   I now go out of my way to listen to it once or twice a year.

Stand out tracks:

Artists: The Anniversary 
Album: Your Majesty
Producer: Rob Schnapf
Label: Vagrant Records
Recorded: Sonora Recorders

The Hippos - Forget the World

Much to my surprise, this Hippos album is not available on Spotify.  I wondered how many days I would possibly go before I selected in my collection that I wouldn't be able to share it.

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Anyhoo... I picked this Hippos album up during the height of the third Ska wave.  If you give any of the songs a listen, you'll lazily label them as a Real Big Fish facsimile.  Which is equal parts unfair and pretty spot on.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for any of the stuff they released this album....  However this album brings the GOODS.   I've listened to the album all the way through twice tonight and I can't get over how fucking amazing this record is.   If you've never heard it, you should go out of your way to give it a listen.

Artists: The Hippos
Album: Forget the World
Producer:  The Hippos, Rich Zahniser
Label: Fueled by Ramen/Vagrant
Recorded: G-Son Studios

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

Woke up today in hopes of streaming one of two albums:

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  1. Broken Bells - After the Disco
  2. Sun Kil Moon - Benji

Neither were available on Spotify... so I ended up checking out a band I had never heard of called Bombay Bicycle Club.  I was immediately drawn in by the artwork of the album, there's a silhouette of a guy walking at sunrise on the 12 O'clock position and a silhouette of him walking in the moonlight at the 6 O'clock position.  The stages of the sun and moon fill out the 8 adjacent spheres and there appears to be a silhouette of a woman in some spheres within.

I truly didn't know what to expect of their music.  I would lazily describe it as "style-hoppy"?  edm/hip-hop production elements can be heard on nearly every track.  There isn't anything excitingly new, but it's still pretty well put together.

There's a track in the middle of the album Luna that I really took a liking too....  It's begging to be listened to when the weather gets a little warmer and I'm drinking on the apartment porch with friends.

Stand out tracks:

Artist: Bombay Bicycle Club
Album: So Long, See You Tomorrow
Producer: Jack Steadman
Label: Vagrant
Recorded: ?

Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About

When I woke up this morning, I knew I needed to select an album that had a little pep.  I wasn't feeling very motivated to get out of bed and I really just wanted the weekend to start.

When I saw the spine to Something to Write Home About - I knew that this would be an ideal album to listen to while getting ready for work.

Unlike the first two selections, I actually revisit this album every now and again...   I have a lot of fond memories of this album.

I really dig finding these mail order catalogs in these old CD's.  I'm hella tempted to fill one out and see if they fulfill the order.

My favorite memory is listening to this album on New Years Eve 1999, on a levy with Chivo and Jaime...  If I remember correctly Chivo passed out in the backseat of his car with this feet hanging out of an open door.  We connected a small disc man to his car stereo and we listened to the album pretty loudly while he slept it off.  

I don't recall a lot of what Jaime and I talked about...  he undoubtedly got pissy eyes about his girlfriend (now wife) but I do remember both of us reflecting on how good the album was.

The Get Up Kids were roughly the same age we were so there was something really special about seeing someone in our peer group release a record like Something To Write Home About.

Admittedly, I feel like I've outgrown a number of the early songs on this record...   I could go about the rest of my life without ever hearing Red Letter Day.  

we're loyal like brothers, just us versus all the others
i trusted misleading promises worth repeating
how could you do this to me?

Ick right?

The latter half of the album however has a number of really good songs that still hold up well tho'.  One's that I highly recommend you check out.

Artist: The Get Up Kids
Album: Something to Write Home About 
Producer: The Get Up Kids, Chad Blinman and Alex Brahl
Label: Vagrant Records
Recorded: Mad Hatter Studios