Sure, I’ll blame Led Zep, especially for Whitesnake, But I like the '73-79 versions of AC/DC and Aerosmith too much to blame them for anything 
Jon
Currently on High-Rotation:
Albums
- Bright Eyes - Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Picked it up last week when it was on sale. Weird - when I first heard it about a year I hated it - I thought it was pretentious and overrated (called it prog-emo at the time). I still think it is pretentious, but certainly not overrated. Conor Oberst is extraordinarily ambitious, and while he doesn’t succeed in making the masterpiece he thinks he has, it’s a lot of fun listening to him try.
- De La Soul - Bionix
I’ve revisited this recently. It’s not perfect - some of the songs are only average, and the Reverend DoGood skits are really annoying. But there’s some really great stuff on there, too, and Simply Havin’ has got me in a summery mood. Must be the days warming up.
- Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants
I borrowed this to try and understand jazz. I dunno… it has its moments, but I’m not sure if I’m completely take by it. There’s some really good bits, but other times I just feel like I’m listening to a chillout record - ok to have on in the background, but not capable of completely capturing my attention. I’ll see how it goes.
- The Postal Service - Give Up
Great album. Definitely going to be in my top ten for the year, and could even get close to the no.1 position. Besides, it’s the only tape in my car. Not that I mind.
- The Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Old school punk. Loving it.
Songs (mp3s)
- Fountains of Wayne - Stacey’s Mom
It’s so damn catchy. Possibly the best chorus of the year. I’m sure I’ll get sick of it soon, but until then, I’m not going to be able to stop listening to it. Definitely going to have to check out the album.
- Dirt McGirt and Pharrell - Pop Shit
The Neptunes can do anything. They can make me listen to Justin Timberlake. They can make me listen to Britney Spears. They can even make me sing “Pop shit, nigga, what’s up?” all day long (when I’m not singing “Stacey’s Mom has got it going on!”).
- Broken Social Scene - Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl
Beautiful. This little affected-vocal mantra over and over for four and a half minutes that build and builds and is perfectly pop and perfectly fucked at the same time. Another disc to add to my “must check out” list.
- Outkast - Hey Ya
You know what? Dre doesn’t rap in this! You know what? I don’t care! What’s cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!
- Thalia feat. Fat Joe - I Want You
It must be the warming days I spoke of before, but I’m really enjoying this. That keyboard riff is just made for long hot summer days, so I’m hoping it doesn’t outlast it’s welcome before it gets to December and I can enjoy it properly.
My 5 in heavy rotation right now…
Edith Piaf - 30e anniversaire
Damien Rice - O
Hanged Up - Hanged Up
Nick Cave - compilation made by a friend
Boonie Prince Billy - compilation of “Ease down the Road” and “I see a darkness”
kraftwerk - the man machine
radiohead - hail to the thief
tom waits - swordfish trombones
manic street preachers - the holy bible
janes addiction - strays
**I just want to make an official protest to this thread. **
Normally I would be able to contibute with my current top 5 in rotaion. Unfortunately, I had decided a few weeks ago to listen to my entire CD collection before I repeat any CDs. This has been tough because some of the newer CDs I bought haven’t settled into my brain yet.
I must listen to at least 4 songs on the album before I can replace it on the CD player. It s been quite an experience. There are CDs I have that haven’t been played in years (some for good reason) and I wanted to get them back out of the case and into the player. I try to get through 3 or 4 a night when possible. At this rate I should be done by Early October.
Please either repeat this thread in a few weeks or keep this one going so I can contribute at a later date.
Thank you.
Top 5 as of the past two weeks, in no real order:
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin. I’m a Johnny-come-lately to them but I love their sound.
Sigur Ros - (). So beautiful and unearthly.
Holleycarbines - Glide Down Over Earth. First album (of many I hope) by a local band that includes two friends from high school. Above average relationship lyrics and I really like the music, plus they’re good guys. They’ve got a website, give them a look and listen.
Sun Ra - Strange Celestial Road. Finally decided to take the plunge and buy an album after hearing bits of him and the Arkestra for years. Not quite a favorite, but there is something hypnotic that keeps drawing me back for more and intrigues me enough to want to hear other albums.
Jerry Jeff Walker - Ultimate Collection. Just so fun and relaxing. A good pick me up after a shitty night at work, gets me to sing along and laugh. “Pissin’ In The Wind” feels like personal theme song material and makes me wish I had a band so I could cover it.
Alternate choices: Oar by Skip Spence and a mix CD burned by a friend that is mostly Os Mutantes. These two never pass out of circulation for me.
gex that might be the best Bright Eyes capsule review I’ve ever read.
In no particular order:
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers. Have had this for awhile but haven’t gotten bored of it yet!
**Saves the Day -**ummm, whatever album Nightengale’s on. Ditto as above, but with less consistent song-writing.
Siouxsie and the Banshees- Some best-of (they’ve had at least 4.) I didnt think they would, but several of these songs I hadn’t heard before have made it into some of my favorites.
Schascle/Twinkle- Gemini. While not officially “undiscovered”, she is absolutely the best non-bestselling singer ever (and at worst my fourth favorite behind Bjork, Butler and McCulloch.) If she comes by your next of the woods and you like bluesy-rock with phenomenal vocals, SEE HER!
Yaz - Upstairs at Erics - What can I say, I just got this album.
My list is constantly changing. Right now, I’d list:
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The Band – Greatest Hits – For some reason, the Band is criminally overlooked – surprising, since they were a major act in their day and their songs are as fresh today as they ever were. But they get little airplay on “classic rock” stations (they never had a really big hit single, though they had four top ten albums), so plenty of people have never heard of them. Very sad.
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Lyle Lovett – Live in Texas – Lovett is an amazing live act, and this features some of his best songs.
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Otis Taylor – White African – Taylor is a terrific talent, a blue musician whose music is as dark as it can be. He sings of lynchings, death, starvation, and other fun topics, but in a way that is far from a downer. The fact that he’s an amazing acoustic guitarist helps.
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Dvorak – String Quartet No. 12 “American” and Piano Quintet, Op. 81 – Just plain great classical piece. Fell in love with it when I heard Itzhak Perlman play it.
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Beethoven – Symphony #9 – Quite symply, the best symphony ever written.
Others I’d list would include A Chorus Line, The Who Live at Leeds, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (Denver Symphony), and Lullabye of Broadway: The Best of Busby Berkeley at Warner Brothers – though it’s actually not about Berkeley (who, after all, is a visual artist, but is rather a fine collection of songs by the great Harry Warren.
Grateful Dead - Wake of the Flood
Jackson Browne - For Everyman
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Buffalo Springfield - Retrospective
Loggins and Messina - On Stage
I’m so laid back, I’m damn near ready to topple over.
Thea Gilmore - Avalanche (I know you haven’t heard of her; just buy it, OK?)
Cowboy Junkies - Best of
Cowboy Junkies - Lay It Down
Donnie Darko OST
Lush - Best of
I guess I’m on something of a female vocalists kick right now.
The classic rock radio station here (Rock 101) just played a track an hour from the Doors’ first album on Monday, then played the whole thing later that night… it’s a very good album, to be sure.
Tanaqui, glad to know we have something in common. 
NYR407, why don’t you just bump this thread up in a few weeks or so?
F_X
- Tool’s Aenima
- Michelle Branch’s The Spirit Room
- Red Hot Chili Pepper’s By The Way
- Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy
- Nirvana’s Nevermind
At the moment I am mostly listening to:
The Darkness-Permission to Land
Full blast in the car, grr arg, falsetto singing and loud guitars.
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
New album, loving “Venus and Serena”, listened to this a lot in Amsterdam the other week…it’s very chilled.
The Thrills-So much for the city
God love them, they’re Irish and trying very hard to be the Beach Boys. Nice and summery, makes me happy.
Soulwax-Too many DJs
Because Peaches, the Velvet Underground, 10cc and Destiny’s Child and Dolly Parton mixed together is the way to go before a night out.
Damien Rice-Volcanoes
Irish, brilliant, I loved his old band Juniper, I love Bell X1, the band they formed when he left, his voice is amazing. Nice indie guitars, it makes me cry.
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site (I get to see them next Thursday, and I’m giddy like a schoolgirl)
The New Pornographers - Electric Version
The Buena Vista Social Club - The Buena Vista Social Club OST (very helpful when teaching someone to cha cha)
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter
That’s a hell of an idea! I’m surprised I never thought of it. I might try that but I think I’d have to alter the rules for myself. I have a ton of Time-Life CDs which all have at least two (usually many more) great songs. I can groove on two great songs I haven’t heard in a while for weeks. I could see “no repeats” lasting me years! Maybe I could alternate, one “no repeat,” one of my choice.
I’ll tell you what F_X, how about I list the 5 I played last night.
Pat McGuire - Big Brown Sofa
George Harrison - Live in Japan
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Bruce Springsteen - The River
Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong (Live)
I must say this was a particularly good night on the CD player. I’ve had times where I couldn’t wait to stop the CD.
if6was9, do it how ever you like. There are no rules you can break if you make the rules.
Sorry F_X, I am not trying to highjack your thread.
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Ween - Quebec - Their newest and any Ween fan will enjoy it.
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Donald Fagen - The Nightfly - My recent quest to be a Steely Dan completist led me to this CD. Some great tunes here…and not one bad one.
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Pink Floyd - Animals - Picked this up recently for Pigs (Three Different Ones), but definately a great, underrated Floyd record.
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Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle - My stepdad gave me this CD recently and it turns out that early Bruce kicks ass!
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Chris Robinson - New Earth Mud - Hard to describe. Not really like the Black Crowes, but cool in it’s own way.
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Led Zeppelin - How the West was Won - I know this is six, but this album cannot be excluded. Everything you hear about the record is true.
Control Machete: Artilleria Pesada
Gets better each time I listen to it. To call it Mexican Rap is a grave injustice. It is musical perfection. Will also make you proud to be Mexican (even if you’re not).
Refused: The Shape of Punk to Come
They were only together for one album. That was enough. Shouty fun.
Morrissey: Kill Uncle
The Mozzer’s least appreciated masterpiece. I started listening to it again to confirm if it is as bad as everyone says. Some clinkers but mostly musical genius. Not for beginners (try Vauxhall instead).
Belle & Sebastian: Tigerlily
Masterpiece debut album. They’ve never been able to top this one.
Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights
Even though it’s only been out a year or two, I had already forgotten how good it is.
Los Lobos; “The Neighborhood” (Going to see them Tonite!)
Dwight Yokum; “Guitars and Cadillacs”
Ry Cooder; “Bop till you Drop”
The Blasters; “American Music”
X; “Los Angeles”
(I seem to be stuck in L.A. in the late 70’s)