The Doors - For the longest time, this band just seemed to slip out of my mind. How could I not discover 'em earlier? I got the debut album and L.A. Woman (both remastered) for cheap. It's amazing how this stuff still holds up today. Jim Morrsion was a force of nature on vocals. There's some mysterious quality about his voice I can't really put my finger on. It's so dark and even creepy sometimes. And not to mention the psychedelic keyboards, which also played a huge part in the band's sound. The song L.A. Woman is 8mins of mindblowing rock & roll and blues. Mojo risin'.
Billy Joel - Another artist that I really wanna see live, especially with Elton John. No one writes about New York better than he does. I stumbled upon 52nd Street remastered, and it's as good as The Stranger. Not to go into much detail here, but I think this album is just flawless, from start to finish. Some great horns on this one too. Song Of The Week -- Zanzibar.
Soundgarden - Got the 'greatest hits'. I thought they were quite similar to Pearl Jam's music. Boy I was wrong, but pleasantly surprised though. They sound a bit more heavy metal than grunge. Chris Cornell is undeniably the best singer of his generation (sorry Eddie). Glad to see 'em reuniting, but hopefully not at the expense of Matt Cameron permanently leaving PJ!
Court Yard Hounds - Basically, it's a bit like the Dixie Chicks, minus Natalie Maines. Still Emily Robison and Marty Maguire can hold their own with their singing. It's an enjoyable album, but nothing really special here. I particularly like the one where Jakob Dylan sits in.
Band Of Horses - I've never heard their earlier stuff before, only their most recent Infinite Arms. My first impressions are they sound like Fleet Foxes with a more rock sound, not that there's anything wrong. This is really catchy music. There's also bit of My Morning Jacket in here. The Beach Boys' influenced pastoral harmonies and soothing organ & guitar melodies are worth revisiting. The last song, Neighbor, is a beautiful way to end the album.
The Dead Weather - I'm a big fan of Jack White and I'll always get what he puts out. His 2nd project is a stunning departure from The Raconteurs. I was blown away by Horehound. The new release, Sea Of Cowards, is a bit more of the same gothic, low-fi, dirty blues sound. Still great, but I didn't really eat this one up.
The White Stripes - Still on the subject on Jack, I think The White Stripes concert film, Under Great White Northern Lights, is one of the best of its genre in recent times. It's beautifully shot with lotta nice black & white scenes, and it's really unique in that we get to see the duo play in the weirdest of places (boat, bowling alley, log cabin). Definitely lotta WTF moments. Watching those live concert scenes make you feel like you're onstage with the band. Jack White has got the ghosts of all the old delta bluesmen in him when he sings and plays.
Neil Young - I got this newly published illustrated biography of Uncle Neil. I've always been a casual fan, but after seeing the man live, I wanna delve into his obscure and early stuff. This book is a great way to find out more about him and his legendary career. There are lotta great pictures I've never seen before, including some awesome looking tour posters that probably inspired Pearl Jam to do the same. Neil never followed any trends in his professional life and still doesn't. He did whatever he felt like doing, and didn't care about the consequences. He's the perfect role model I think. The song PJ song, Off He Goes, best sums him up. I'm really looking forward to his new album with Daniel Lanois.
