Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People (Indie Rock)
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Chris Isaak - Always Got Tonight (Rockabilly)
I’m totally a closet greaser and once upon a time wore my hair in a pompadour. There are actually three and a half VERY different Rockabilly albums on my list for 2002!
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Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (Alternative Rock)
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Counting Crows - Hard Candy (Alternative Rock)
You know? I fell in love with Counting Crows when they first broke out in 1993… and I NEVER would have predicted their longevity.
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Eminem - 8 Mile (Soundtrack - Rap)
Say what you want about Eminem… but he’s a talent. I’m not a huge fan of his… more… shall we say, ‘violent’ themes, but his work on ‘8 Mile’ showed a lot of maturity.
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Frou Frou – Details (Electronic)
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Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakroom (Alternative Rock)
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Johnny Cash - America IV: The Man Comes Around (County/Rockabilly)
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JXL vs. Elvis - A Little Less Conversation (Electronic/Rockabilly)
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Moulin Rouge! (Soundtrack)
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Sum 41 - Does this look infected? (Post-Punk)
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The All-American Rejects - The All American Rejects (Pop Punk)
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The Reverend Horton Heat - Lucky 7 (Rockabilly Revival)
The Reverend puts on the BEST shows. I’ve seen him three times live and each time is better than the last.
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They Might Be Giants - No! (Children’s)
Seriously, life isn’t just good, but GREAT when one of your favorite bands puts out a children’s album that you can share with your kids! God bless They Might Be Giants! BTW: on the video, just after the guys announce the name of their next song you can hear a bunch of kids cheer and distinctly hear on kid say, “I know this one!” Awesome!
A couple of things have been going on behind the scenes at SchutzHappens.
First, people have been asking me a lot about music. I tend to prattle on and on about television and movies, but I almost never talk about music… which is a key component to my monthly Family Videos and most months I’m getting emails regarding music choices.
Second, I’ve been on this whole ‘decade in review’ kick… so, it’s only natural to start throwing some of my favorite songs, albums, and musicians your way.
But don’t worry, I can guarantee to things up front:
1) No in-depth analysis: I don’t follow the music industry AT ALL, so I don’t really have anything enlightening to say about… anything. I just know what I like and that’s what I like. Music is a pretty chill part of my life… which leads me to my next point…
2) An easy pace: My pace for the Oscars and my Top 25 Movies posts was pretty darn frantic. I’m not in a hurry… so who knows how long it will take me to honor a decade of music, but at any rate… here we go!
TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2001
Ben Folds – Rockin’ the Suburbs (Alternative/Singer-Songwriter)
I absolutely adore Ben Folds. I have his entire discography on iTunes and I swear every one of his songs is rated at four or five stars. “Rockin’ the Suburbs” is epic. Every song on this album is amazing, but one stands out with the largest play count: ‘The Ascent of Stan’
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Blink-182 – Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (Pop Punk)
That’s right folks, Blink-182. Hands down, they are a great band with a lot more depth than people gave them credit for when the broke onto the scene with their trademark naked videos and concerts. It’s not just fun and games for the Blink-182 guys, the deal with some deep issues, like “Stay Together for the Kids”:
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CAKE – Comfort Eagle (Funk Rock)
CAKE put on a tremendous show AND they insist on playing at non-smoking venues, which is always a plus!
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David Gray – White Ladder (Folk Rock)
As you quickly realize, although I have an eclectic taste in music, it leans pretty heavy to the mellow singer/songwriter. When I first heard David Gray’s song ‘Sail Away’ from White Ladder I knew I would be a fan for life. And like Ben Folds, I have his entire song list loaded in my iTunes.
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Destiny’s Child – Survivor (R&B)
Surprised you on this one, huh? Yes, I am man enough to admit it. I REALLY like ‘Survivor’… the song. I can’t really say much for the rest of the album ‘Bootylicious’ isn’t really my style, but ‘Survivor’ is a solid R&B Hip-Hop song and the song, itself, is strong enough to put the album on my top 15 list.
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Dido – No Angel (Adult Alternative)
Dido is my female David Gray. Brilliant.
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Enya – A Day Without Rain (New Age)
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Jack Johnson – Brushfire Fairytales (Folk Rock)
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Jimmy Eats World – Jimmy Eats World (Alternative Rock)
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Muse – Origin of Symmetry (Progressive Metal)
I <3 Muse. When I need to listen to something a bit harder, this is my go to band.
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Sum 41 – All Killer No Filler (Pop Punk)
What can I say? I dig the Pop Punk movement… they’re great for hitting the gym.
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System of a Down – Toxicity (Alt-Metal)
Okay, I misspoke before. When I’m in the mood for something hard Muse is my go to band when in mixed company. However, if I have my headphones on and I’m looking to tear up the gym… System of a Down wins every time.
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Soundtrack – O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? (Country, Bluegrass… Old Timey Music)
Yes, even a soundtrack is allowed to make my list. This is one of the best country music mixes available.
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The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (Garage Rock)
There is something incredible special about Jack White. He’s an incredible song writer and ‘Hotel Yorba’ is my FAV!
