up your architecture.

MONDAY: Music and Sports

Alright superfans. Change of plans based on a great online meme and a picture from my mom I've bumped music and sports up to today and switched out Arts and Hobbies to Tuesday and Architecture to Wednesday.

I've found that I've been trying to branch out in terms of music since I've moved to the coast and found a lot out there that I've really enjoyed that I never previously listened to but surprisingly, you always come back to formative years when putting down your favorite or most influential albums and the music you listened to during the period with an album cropping up here and there that change your groove up. I once asked my Dad why he stopped listening to the radio and keeping up with pop music and he said pretty plainly "I just found enough music that I liked that I didn't really feel like I needed to".

Anyhow based on the following meme from a former co-worker here on the coast and the team leader of my favorite Americorps team: Blue 7 these are the 15 albums (in no particular order) that captivated me and were present at times of change, growth, emotion, and grief.

Atmosphere- Lucy Ford LP
I can't say enough about how influential this album was in re-crafting my tastes in hip-hop as well as giving me a renewed interest in all genres of music from my hometown of Minneapolis. Lucy Ford is considered by many to be Atmosphere's albums and it just kicked my ass from the moment it started to the moment it ended. I was hooked and have loved Atmosphere and the Minneapolis hip-hop scene ever since.

The Promise Ring- Very Emergency
This is a product of a relationship I had when I was a freshman in college and the band has stuck with me because of this album. Even though I wasn't nearly as fond of their later releases this one has special memories attached to it of a very special time in my life. Happiness is All the Rage and All of My Everythings are my standouts.

Beastie Boys- Hello Nasty
White Boys Rapping. It's not as though I had never heard of the Beastie Boys before this, but as I remember it there were only two albums I've ever skipped out of school to pick up and this was one of them due to a special release vinyl single that came with it. I jammed out to this disc every day that summer while I did landscaping work and love every second of it.

Beck- Odelay
Funny story. I belonged to the Columbia House music service when I was in junior high and received Mellow Gold by accident. I was like "what the hell is this?" and then I opened it up. Odelay came out a week later and I decided I liked this Beck guy enough to buy it and whammo. Hooked. Dear High School, Please add this to my favorite albums in the yearbook. Love, James

Ben Folds- Songs for Silverman
Another funny story. I listed to Ben Folds Five. I really did. But I never bought a Ben Folds album until I heard the leak Songs for Silverman. It re-opened the BF5 and solo libraries to me and I now own pretty much all of his music and count him among my favorites of all time.

Eels- Live @ Town Hall
This is another one of those strange albums that has a series of events that led to it that were entirely serendipitous. There used to be an amazing record shop on the north side of Pass Road just over the town line in Gulfport called Goldmine Records and if there was ever a shop that should be called that, this was it. It had wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling records and then some. So anyhow, despite almost all of their inventory is vinyl I always checked out their compact discs and tapes while I was there. It just so happened that I picked up The Eels- Beautiful Freak while I was there and was listening to it in the studio when my friend Jody looked over and noticed what I was listening to and mentioned to me that she had a couple of other Eels albums. Now I picked it up on a nostalgic farce to listen to a couple of songs I remember from back in the day and ended up wanting more and more. Much like Songs for Silverman that album inspired me to pick up everything I could get my hands on and Live @ Town Hall has a bit of all of that journey on it.

Reel Big Fish- Why Do They Rock So Hard?
I hate the Reel Big Fish. It was right there on the t-shirt they were selling at their merch table. While I don't think the self-deprecation in some of their stuff stands up to the test of time, I loved the departure from their ska roots as well as their great integration of the horn section into this album which I can always turn on when I just want to rock out and remember rolling around in high school with my friends.

Weezer- Pinkerton
Just over a half-hour was enough for Weezer to convince me that they had just released one of the best albums I've ever heard. A deeply personal feel and much more raw recording style made Pinkerton the live, honest step-brother of the bombastic, highly commercialized Blue Album and it totally kicked my ass. Even when people panned this album and to this day I maintain that this is the best album they have ever put out. It not only rocks, it rolls over in the bed and thinks about calling the girl but doesn't. Don't look further than Pinkerton for the advent of emo or the best way that it can co-mingle with power chords born of previous rockers such as KISS. Easily one of my "desert island top five" as Rob Gordon would say.

White Stripes- Elephant
Straight out of the gates this album slaps you in the face with the fat licks of Seven Nation Army and takes you on a rock and roll, rhythm and blues fueled extravaganza. This record made me remember what it felt like to be really excited about a band releasing an album again. While I have the rest of their catalog this one is a standout all the way through.

Johnny Cash- American IV
The soul in John's voice in these records produced with Rick Rubin is filled with a lifetime of love, excess, regret, and joy and in this album I rekindled a low burning flame which turned into a wildfire of searching through and for albums long since dusty of my parents and others at record shops to get to know the entire library of the Man in Black. This is such an amazing piece of music that I can't imagine all the time I went without Johnny Cash in my life.

Nirvana- Unplugged in New York
Despite the fact that I had and loved both In Utero and Nevermind, this album opened up my eyes and ears to how dynamic Nirvana really was. The soulful delivery of these songs that just rip through you on the other two albums cemented my love for the band and looking back was the greatest of the unplugged series.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion- Orange
My friend Aaron introduced me to JSBX and so many other bands while we were friends and although he liked them I heard something that first time in his basement and fell hard for the exceedingly primal production and recording of the band. Bellbottoms remains one of my favorites to put on a mix CD or just rock out to in the car. While the production has cleaned up with later albums this and his other early albums which are more reminiscent of his days with Pussy Galore have a soft spot in my heart.

Slowreader- Self-Titled
Dear Bliss, You're a strong and wonderful friend. You also give me gifts like Slowreader and Badly Drawn Boy. One breaks down everything and the other builds it back up. That's just the type of music you need to help get through certain things. Thank you.

Radiohead- The Bends
You'll probably scoff at this pick just like everyone else does but I love the struggle that occurs on this album as Thom Yorke goes from the grungy, rock sensibilities of Pablo Honey on his way to the ambient brilliance of OK Computer. For that and the melancholy tenor of The Bends it will always have a special place in my heart.

The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band/Let It Be
I'm not sure how I can express my love for the music or pick just one album so I put these two on here as placeholders of different times and eras of the Beatles and their musical production. From high concept to home-spun and raw these two albums are amazing examples of my favorite band of all time. Ironically they ended up being added on my list right after Radiohead who I view as the closest to the Beatles in terms of their successful musical experimentation.

+15 More, let's call this the B-side of my life

Brian Wilson- Smile
Something that I shared with my Dad and that re-ignited my love of the Beach Boys

Gin Blossoms- New Miserable Experience
If you lived in the 1990's and don't love this album then f*$& you.

Tom Petty- Wildflowers
Another album that has great memories of my dad and I bonding over music

Peter Gabriel- Secret World Live
Amazing concept and execution. Peter Gabriel's arrival party.

Daniel Johnson- Welcome to My World
I hadn't heard of Daniel Johnson for the longest time and now count him as a favorite.

Badly Drawn Boy- About A Boy
This is another attached to a friend and reminiscent of a period of great friendship for us.

Smashing Pumpkins- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Patrick and I bonded over our love of rock music and comics in American History AP and he's still one of my lifelong best friends.

Foo Fighters- The Colour and the Shape
Another rock album shared with Pat and his love of all things Foo which would also provide added incentive to conversation with another best friend RJT.

No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom
Tell me you didn't love this album and I'll buy you another in it's stead. This album stands up over time as one of the best pop-ska recordings of the time and brought horns to the masses. Skalicious.

H20- Faster than the World
Punk music was a big part of my high school experience and I can't count on two hands the number of times I saw H20 live during that time. They toured like mad and I made sure to see them every chance I could.

Green Day- Dookie
When masturbation's lost it's fun you're fucking lazy. Can't bleep that here friends.

Billy Joel- The Stranger
He's got a lot of energy and a lot of love for his culture and hometown. I like that. Plus, I like to whistle.