LWA Blog

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Day edition of Record of the Week. This week, the Randomizer is serving up The National's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers. This "Vinyl Me Please" reissue from 2017 is the copy I'll be listening to today. Released in 2003, their second album is kinda The National forming their Sad Dads schtick that is very much their brand today. Very indie, a little bit rock and slightly veering into alt-country territory at points. This album, I think, is kinda underrated in The National canon, which is now 10 albums deep (not counting live albums). It just doesn't seem...

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Record of the Week. This week, the Randomizer serves up The Dead Weather's Horehound, released on Third Man Records in 2009. This is the copy in my collection that I'll be listening to. As far as Jack White non-White Stripes projects go, I think The Dead Weather might be my favourite. Alison's vocals really do it for me. She sounds aggressive and venomous; like a cobra poised to strike. Side note, I do love the Stripes, but I think I'd love them more if there were more Meg vocals. Jack's vocals show up here occasionally,...

This week, the Randomizer brings us the Beastie Boys' stone cold 1989 classic, Paul's Boutique. This is the copy I'm playing today, on two gorgeous, violet discs. It's funny, I didn't even get into hip-hop right away. I was a rock n' roll kid, and it took me a bit to find my way in. But by the end of the 80s, my holy trinity was Public Enemy's Nation of Millions (1988), De La Soul's 3 Feet High (1989) and Paul's Boutique. Played those to death and they still sound great today as far as I'm concerned. There's not much...

This week, the randomizer gave me a box set, so I ran it again and it presented this album, Band of Horses' Everything All the Time. Band of Horses rose up out of the ashes of the great Carissa's Wierd (whom I love love love). Everything All the Time was their first album, which landed in 2006 (this is my copy). I remember when this came out and I first clicked play. It was like an indie-rock explosion in my ears. Expansive widescreen dreams, perfectly balanced...and heartfelt as well. I played the hell outta this album for many years. Of...

This week, the Randomizer gives us 1995's The Bends, by Radiohead. My copy is this 2016 reissue which sounds pretty great to my ears. Man, what can I even say about this album that hasn't already been said? This is a bona fide (I always thought this was one word, btw) classic. Look at that tracklist. Top to bottom bangers. All of 'em. I don't really like rating stuff but, gun to my head, I'd say it's at least a 9.5/10 if not a 10/10 album.  I remember when Creep landed. Cool song, right? Puts Radiohead on the map instantly....