Teenage Fanclub - A Catholic Education

Like a lot of my favorite albums "A Catholic Education" by Teenage Fanclub doesn't really fit neatly into any category. This is probably the reason that they gained popularity so quickly and why so many consider this record a classic. In my opinion this record is a perfect marriage of the better aspects of britpop in combination with a big star influence which would play a bigger role in later albums. One thing I enjoy about this album is that throughout the album the songs are actually pretty varied but the songwriting and musicianship stay consistent. For some reason the term "solid" always comes to mind when I think of this album because it really seems like everything came together perfectly. Even if you have heard "Bandwagonesque" or "Thirteen" and felt like Teenage Fanclub weren't your thing I would recommend giving "A Catholic Education" a try.

Teenage Fanclub - A Catholic Education

Jay Reatard 1980-2010

It's pretty much impossible to write something that will do Jay Reatard justice. So instead of writing much of anything, I'll let his music do the talking. I'll post a few of his records that I enjoy. Luckily, he released a lot before his passing. 22 full length records for a 29 year old is insane. I'll post his first record on Matador and as a solo artist "Blood Visions", Lost Sounds' "Black-Wave", and Nervous Patterns' "Nervous Patterns". Everything he released is worth checking out but these records are a little sampler of his talent. He went far too soon.

Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
Lost Sounds - Black-Wave
Nervous Patterns - Nervous Patterns

Death - ...For the Whole World to See

Happy New Year everyone. For our first post of the new year I'll give everyone something to seriously jam to. This record was originally recorded in 1974. After being out of print for far too long it was finally released in 2009 by Drag City. Comprised of three brothers from Detroit, they changed their sound from an R&B group to a punk sound after hearing fellow Detroit acts MC5 and The Stooges. After releasing this record, Death got an offer from Columbia Records. After refusing a name change, they decided to change their style once again and disappeared until now. In my opinion, "...For the Whole World to See" could have ranked up there with MC5's "Back in the USA" and The Stooges "Fun House". Since this record came out, I've been listening to it and thinking that it is already climbing the record ranks in my mind and may soon reach the greatness of the best material MC5 and The Stooges released. These Detroit bands were ahead of their time considering a lot of bands today are copying their sound. The song "Freakin Out" is a great punk jam that reminds me a lot of early 80's punk bands and of what bands today are trying to sound like. "Politicians In My Eyes" is a great tune that could have been a hit had this band had the recognition they should have had when this record was released almost 40 years ago. Enjoy.

Death - ...For the Whole World to See