Five Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now
'80s college-rock revivals, a still-awesome R.E.M., and the best concept album you've never heard.
Every two weeks, titans of the mediasphere give Hooksexup their music recommendations. This week: Aaron Driggers, who celebrates the weird, wonderful, and beautiful through photos, zines, and music, at tsurufoto.com, nudiezine.com, and tsururadio.com respectively.
1. Mother Mother, Eureka
This album's quirky, and not in a Zooey Deschanel-wearing-a-sequined-American-flag-unitard-while-playing-the-tuba-in-a-empty-high-school-football-field way. Eureka's more like the oddball music you might have caught in the late '80s, but with a decidedly modern feel. What I mean is, this ain't Devo, Dead Milkmen, Violent Femmes, or They Might Be Giants, but if you liked those twists on "alternative music," you might find yourself grinnin' and bobbin' to Eureka. On top of that, the lead-off track, "Chasing It Down," gets a little proggy in the middle, and that just warms the cockles of my heart.
Listen: "Chasing It Down"
MP3
2. My Morning Jacket, Circuital
I haven't noticed a lot of love out there in the internetland for Circuital by My Morning Jacket. I have no idea why. I've only been mildly into these guys, liking a song here and there over the years. But when Circuital came out and I casually pushed play on my metaphorical tape deck, a literal gong rang, my ears perked up, and seconds later I was hooked. Sounding like a long-lost classic-rock album, it's slow-cooking, yet badass.
Listen: "Circuital"
MP3
3. Summer Fiction, Summer Fiction
Bandcamp creepin' is a favourite pastime of the missus and me. If you're a band and you're still using Myspace as your landing page for potential new fans, tsk tsk. Bandcamp's prettier and makes it so much easier for me, the listener, to purchase and share your awesome songs! No brainer. Baby found Summer Fiction while cruising about, and their sweet melodies, perfect harmonies, and lovely imagery have soundtracked our warm spring and summer days.
Listen: "By The Sea"
MP3
4. Hard Drugs, Hard Drugs
Hard Drugs is the best little concept album you've never heard. Cracker meets The Rocky Horror Picture Show to tell a story about a drug dealer, his prostitute girlfriend, and their plot to kill her pimp and start a new life away from Terminal City. It's a rootsy wild ride of drugs, death, angels, guns, and, of course, true love. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it's a story you'll listen to again and again.
Listen: "The Proposal"
MP3
5. REM, Collapse Into Now
Well, Chris DeLine took my real fifth pick: Let England Shake by PJ Harvey (possibly my album of the year). But it's cool. This is the year of the old farts bringin' the heat. For all your Yucks and Odd Futures sucking up bandwidth over at Pitchfork, you've got your wrinkled up and greying old-timers I grew up listening to showing these kids how it's done — PJ, David Lowery, Cake, and today's pick, R.E.M., with Collapse Into Now. Note: If you're about to post a comment saying something like "REM's sucked since Bill Berry left," dude... it's been fourteen years. Get over it.
Listen: "Oh My Heart"
MP3
Commentarium (37 Comments)
REM has always sucked ass.
BLASPHEMY!
@The Baltimoron - Normally, names aren't that descriptive.
The Baltimoron has always sucked my ass. Saves me washing it once a week.
what Scott said.
I was excited to see Mother Mother on here, it is about time they got some recognition. Make sure to check out their first 2 albums.
I was excited to see your mother on here, posting comments. Such utter filth. It brought stiffness to my member. Want any pics of her?
You seem like quite the huge jerk, Aaron. You really want to refer to PJ Harvey, who has never stopped being brilliant, as one of the "wrinkled up and greying old-timers?"
Yes I do because, like me, she is (hell, she's only a couple years older than me). Are you implying that by saying someone is wrinkled, grey, and getting old in the years that is the same as saying that person is not-brilliant? Rather jerky leap.
I love PJ Harvey, I've been a fan since Rid Of Me back, and my crush on her knows no bounds. Same with REM, though it's more of a man-crush on Stipe. They are all awesome and this year all the old farts are, as I wrote, showing the p4k-hyped kids how it's done..... It's a good thing.
Being wrinkled up and greying just explains the experience and the awesome, weathered nature of the entire persona. I find it a more appealing thought to listen to a greying old fart than a prepubescent schwantz. Tsuru, you hit the nail on the head with this article!
What a hack and cliche list!
Another great issue of this feature. Love it.
Another great comment from a poster. Shove it.
Hell yeah, Mother Mother! Everybody listen!
Casey Anthony would love Mother Mother. Too soon?
Too soon. No jokes until next Tuesday (1 week moratorium). ;)
This feature is always pretty bad, but this is even worse than usual. What a bunch of crap.
Yo, where is your feature at David?
All over your sister's face.
Yeah David. People should all listen to your music! Unless you were trollin. Are you trollin'?
@David - my ass is all over your sister's face.
I want you all in my mouth. Urgently. (Only men with meat need apply.... sorry, julian.)
OH DAMN, I GOT OWNED
You're kinda used to that, though, aren't ya?
I love Mother Mother so I'm pleased to see it on your list. And I just heard Summer Fiction for the first time the other day. Pretty.
Sipe is starting to look more and more like Jon Malkovich's slightly younger brother.
hmmmm nothing here for me....time to move on
What were you looking for?
Something meaningful. All I see here is another hack and cliche list.
Geez people on the internet are mean, Mother Mother rocks!
Yeah, I'm not gonna bite on R.E.M. I hung in there through Automatic for the People, but they lost me after that. Sorry, Michael. But that Summer Fiction record is catchy and worthy, so thank you... though it did just make me want to turn on Papercuts...
That Hard Drugs album is fantastic. But all I can find are digital copies...I demand a hard copy for my troubles!
I picked up on vinyl when I was up in Calgary seeing them for the Sled Island festival..... quite quite noice!
summer fiction rules
Collapse Into Now is a fantastic R.E.M. album and is the best since Bill Berry left. Enjoyed it immensely and Uberlin is the best song I've heard all year so far.
Thanks for filling the otherwise empty and meaningless void of the internet with your heartfelt deepest thoughts, Jack Handey. Now go smooth the teeth marks out of your pillow.
Wow after reading through these comments...I will never visit hooksexup.com again!
People are immature and music is subjective.....let it be......keep your misdirected hate to yourselves!