The House of Hunt

Ah here we are. The last chapter in our latest musical saga. I’ve saved some solid albums for the end, so I hope you enjoy. Here we go…

U2 - Pop
Of all of the records on this list, I’ve been anticipating this one the most. Not because it’s necessarily my favorite out of all of these, but because I’m really curious to see what sort of response this pick gets. You see, I have a number of, shall we say, rabid U2 fans for friends and I’m almost positive that it will rankle them a bit that I chose Pop as my essential U2 album. But hey…this is my list, I do what I want! So why did I pick this one? At the most basic level, this is the one U2 album that I connect with the most. I don’t know what that says about me, but I’ll try to explain why. Part of it is nostalgia. As I mentioned with The Verve (and the Oasis album below), Pop hit right when I moved to France. I have very vivid memories of watching the various videos associated with the singles from Pop and I loved them. They were crazy and intense and visually stunning. Beyond that, this album fascinates me musically and thematically. U2 took their flair for crafting soaring anthems and basically inverted it. The songs of Pop are moody, dark, and introspective. Even the more bombastic tracks like “Discoteque” and “Do You Feel Loved” cry out for something deeper to believe in. Years ago I saw a retrospective of U2’s career (up to that point) and the writer compared this period of their work to the “Job years.” After riding the heights of music and life, this record (along with Zooropa) plumbs the depths, wondering if God really is listening amongst all the suffering and misery that is present in the world. There is a mood and an atmosphere on this album that almost palpable. I think it was a really bold record to create and I applaud them for it.

The Fire Theft - s/t
If you happen to recall the very first album in my list, you’ll remember my love for Jeremy Enigk and everything he does. That’s why this record is here. This is the project that Enigk started after Sunny Day Real Estate died its second and final death. Strangely enough, this band is basically 3/4ths of SDRE, as it also features Nate Mendel on bass and William Goldsmith on drums. The music of The Fire Theft is a little more straight-forward, a little more prog-rockish than that of SDRE, but it’s no less amazing. The instrumentation is beautiful and moving, but Enigk’s vocals are truly what elevate this record to another level. While he is not as well-known as Bono, I would put his abilities as a singer on the same plane, perhaps even a little higher. He simply has an incredible range and the power in his voice is unearthly. April and I had the joy of seeing him live in Charlotte a few months back and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen…even though it was only him on stage, alternating between guitar or piano. If I had to narrow this list down further to a Top 10 or Top 5, this record would be on both.

Led Zeppelin - IV
Much like my Beatles pick, there’s not much that I can add that hasn’t already been said about this album or Led Zeppelin. In typical Hunt fashion, I got to this party late and didn’t hear this record in its entirety until I was already in college. And really, what else needs to be said? This sucker rocks, pure and simple. From the opening riffs of “Black Dog” to the unbelieveably ginormous-sounding drums of “When The Levee Breaks,” Zeppelin takes no prisoners. All other rock bands: kneel before Zeppelin!

Oasis - Be Here Now
Here’s the third of my “France album” trilogy. Like the previous two, this one came out soon after I hit the European scene, and like the previous two, I latched on to it immediately. I remember being enthralled with the helicopter-centric music video for “D’You Know What I Mean?” and the overall bomb shelter aesthetic that it seems to convey. I had listened to Oasis before, but something in this album just clicked, and even though most critics panned it for being too long and too self-indulgent, I loved it for the extended jams and riffing. It’s all sorts of awesome and those critics can just eat it. You can tell them I said that.

Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
And finally, the coup de gracey. This bad boy is also all sorts of awesome and kickass-ness. I remember hearing about this record from one of my buddies in college and yet never really listening to it. And then the beautiful connection named Dave Grohl clicked in my head and I realized that he did drums on this album and I knew I had to hear it. I had never listened to Queens Of The Stone Age before, but I figured that they had to be pretty killer for him to join them, if only for a short time. And they are. They’ve quickly become one of my favorite groups across the board. In the same way that Pop is a mood piece, Josh Homme (lead singer/guitarist) manages to to make every QOTSA album a moody, grimy affair. This one is no different. It’s got sweet riffs galore and tons of dense, heavy sounds. He often builds his tunes on relatively simple rhythmic riffs, that simply continue and grow as the songs progress. It’s hard to describe without listening to it, so do yourself a favor and track this down. You’ll thank me later.

And so there you have it. My 22 essential albums. At least for right now. Until next year. Or next month. Hope you enjoyed it. I did. And that’s really all that matters.

Before leaping into these next four albums, I just wanna say I hope you guys have been enjoying hearing these random thoughts on the music that’s really shaped part of who I am. I realized the other day (after a good conversation with Monsieur Nathan Rouse) that some of these records have had a profound impact on me…and as such, these entries have the potential to be the most self-involved and self-absorbed that I’ve written thus far in the short history of this blog. I certainly hope they don’t come across that way. One of the biggest things that kept me from starting a blog for years was the general impression that they were nothing but exercises in self-centered mental-mirror gazing and I had no desire to ever be a part of that nonsense. From the get-go, I wanted this small portion of Internet real estate to simply be a funny, encouraging, challenging and (at times) educational means of communication with the wider world. Yes, by it’s very nature, this blog will be reflective of who I am and what concerns my life, but hopefully there’s still a wide chasm between that and blatant self-indulgence.

At any rate, on to the music!

The Juliana Theory - Emotion Is Dead
This album is not only one of the best that The Juliana Theory ever wrote, it’s also one of the best albums that label Tooth & Nail has ever released. Among the hardcore/emo/punk set, this bad boy is usually regarded as something of a modern classic. Its reputation is well-deserved, as this is a solid listen from start to finish. While the music runs the gamut from indie rock to sugary pop, hardcore breakdowns to electronica, the vocals soar with multiple part harmonies. It’s a joy to listen to. Highly recommended.

Common - Electric Circus
Observant readers will have already noticed that this is the only hip-hop album to make it on my list. And there’s a reason for that. I’m not anti-hip-hop…far from it. I’ve recently been discovering more and more beat-heavy music and I love it. But hip-hop’s entry into my musical life is more recent than these other styles and it would feel disingenuous to try to fit more hip-hop into this list simply to see more diverse or eclectic. In a few years I have no doubt that the albums I’m listening to from Kanye, Mos Def, Jurassic 5, A-Trak, Rjd2 and others will have risen in their influence, but this gem from Common will suffice for now. I actually “discovered” Common after being assigned an article on him for Relevant’s premiere issue. I had heard of him, but I’d never listened to him and this record, having just been released, was my introduction to him. I’m not sure how it hit his long-time fans, but I absolutely loved it. It’s eclectic, strange, weird and all sorts of awesome. It’s not a typical hip-hop album and that’s why it stands out to me. He experiments with all sorts of instrumentation and styles. In the end, it’s more of a deep soundscape than just a rap record…tasty.

The Verve - Urban Hymns
This record is one of three on my list (Oasis‘ Be Here Now and U2’s Pop being the other two) that had a big impact on me when I first moved to France as a junior in high school. At the time, I was still listening to a ton of classic rock, i.e., The Beatles, CCR, etc. I hadn’t really branched out into much modern rock as much of what I heard didn’t appeal to me at the time. As a result, I discovered such things as “grunge,” “punk,” and “hardcore” through a rather round-about process. But that’s a story for another time. At any rate, I remember seeing the music video for “Bitter Sweet Symphony” and being thoroughly entranced and amused by the concept of a dude just walking down the street, not letting anything stand in his way. I checked out their then-new album, Urban Hymns, and thought that I had discovered a rockin’ new band. As I later found out, it was actually their third record. Silly me. But I loved their music, thinking of as a strange mix of Beatles-esque instrumentation and Bob Dylan-inspired vocals. Now looking back, I realize that those descriptions were probably due more to my limited vocabulary as music fan than their actual accuracy. Nevertheless, I knew I liked what I heard and this album, with all its influences, is one of my favorites. As an added bonus, I recently discovered this tasty treat from NME.com. It’s a brand new 14-minute jam session from The Verve, entitled The Thaw Session. Very, very cool. I can’t wait for their new album.

Switchfoot - The Legend Of Chin
Ah, Switchfoot. How you’ve changed. To be clear, this is not a typical “I knew these guys before they were famous but now that they’re everywhere on radio and tv I now hate them” rant. Just a few observations. I have been a Switchfoot fan for years…actually dating back to my time in France. What a special time. I got Switchfoot’s second album, New Way To Be Human, during one of my trips to Paris and I flipped over their sound. It was catchy, punchy, fun, and really well-written. I think Jon Foreman continues to be one of the best (and most under-rated) lyricists of our time. At any rate, I tracked down this record (their debut) at a Habitat for Humanity benefit concert in Raleigh, NC during my freshman year at Davidson. I had organized a group of people to go, due to my lack of personal transportation. Initially I was jazzed that the concert featured the following line-up: dc Talk, Jars Of Clay, Delirious?, and Burlap To Cashmere. To a young pup who was still into a lot that the CCM world had to offer, I couldn’t pass up a show like that. Little did I know that Switchfoot would be there. They played on a little stage near the entrance to maybe 100 or so people. It was just the Brothers Foreman and Chad Butler. And yet they were so tight and awesome live. I loved it and I got The Legend Of Chin on the spot…and Jon autographed it. Schwing! Anyway, this gem is a quirky killer of a debut. It’s a lot better and more mature that you might expect. And yes, I still love Switchfoot now that they’ve gotten bigger (in status and member-size), but there’s something special about this album and that’s why it’s on the list.

What up House faithful? How goes it? This week will feature more Essential Album analysis (thanks for asking about that Nathan), more insanity and just more general idiocy.

But first off, I wanted to let you guys know about a new site one of my buddies just started.  His name is Wes Johnson and the site is called InsulinFunk. It’s basically going to be covering all that’s cool in Geek Culture, so naturally, I’ll be pitching in. I already made my first contribution, talking about the new Batman movie, naturally. So bookmark it, check it out, and enjoy. This should be fun.

And no, this is not replacing the House of Hunt, so no worries there. And yes, Wes has diabetes, hence the name. Obviously he has quite the sense of humor. Good times…

I love creative music videos.

The Hives - Tick Tick Boom

MuteMath - Paper Darren

Preambles are for pansies…

At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command
So this would be the At The Drive-In that I mentioned a few days ago. This came out when I was in college and I’ll be honest: I didn’t get it on the first few times through. I picked it up because I kept hearing about how innovative it was…how powerful, how moving, etc. And it just didn’t click. So I put it away for a while. Might have even been for a little over a year or so. One day I rediscovered it and everything just fell into place. The wails, the shrieking, the nonsensical lyrics, the angular guitars, the dry production…it all hit me like a freight train and I was floored. These guys were the real deal and burned out bright and fast. Thankfully, as I said before, they’ve since continued to create very compelling music. As Michael Scott would say, it’s a Win-Win-Win situation.

Copeland - Beneath Medicine Tree
Though the juxtaposition on this list was completely unintentional, I really couldn’t have picked a more diametrically opposed album to follow Relationship Of Command. This debut from Copeland is utterly beautiful, soothing music. Aaron Marsh’s falsetto is in a class of its own and it helps elevate the typical lyrical subject matter of relationships and love to a new level. The overall production is rich and full sounding. I still have vivid memories of getting a burned copy of this in the mail from The Militia Group in preparation for a phone interview with Marsh for Relevant. At this time, I was covering a ton of indie groups for Relevant and most of what was being submitted was sub-par at best. So I was blown away when I put this album on. It was (and remains) one of the best debuts I had ever heard. And then I had the fun awkwardness of telling Marsh how much I loved it, only to have him reply, “You have the full album? Even we haven’t heard it completely finished yet.” Whoops!

The Beatles - Abbey Road
Everything that I might have to say about either this album or The Beatles will probably sound incredibly trite (however true it might actually be in my life), so I’ll keep this short and sweet. The Fab Four opened up a whole new world of music to me, unveiling a way to meld the orchestral music of my youth (classical piano lessons for 8 years) with rock ‘n roll. It was a revelatory experience and their albums remain incredibly important to me, even as I’ve moved on to discover new musical avenues. Pure and simple, Abbey Road was a phenomenal way to close out an unprecedented career.

Model Engine - The Lean Years Tradition
From one of most famous bands of all time to one that you’ve probably never heard of…that’s how we do things at the House. Rising from the ashes of Black Eyed Sceva, Model Engine is somewhat hard to describe. There’s a slight grunge influence, but it’s not overpowering. Like a lot of the music that I like, the tunes are vocally-driven, questioning life, faith, and existence. This album is the perfect example of a band leaving you begging for more as it’s only record Model Engine released. It is a doozy. They tackle pornography, martydom, prostitution…all while name-checking Freud, C.S. Lewis, and Don Quixote. I think it’s officially out-of-print, but you can find it if you look hard enough. I would highly recommend it.

And here we are. The second installment in the earth-shattering Essential Albums series. I know you were waiting on this with baited breath. So I shall bait you no longer…

The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium
Now it might seem a little strange to be discussing this group/album before tackling the At The Drive-In record in my list, but that’s okay…I’m just crazy like that. For the uninitiated, ATDI was a force to be reckoned with for a few years within the hardcore punk community. The group from El Paso infused everything they did with a manic energy and creativity that was both stunning and intimidating. Alas, all awesome things must come to an end, but sometimes awesome things breaking up end up doubling the awesome. Confused? ATDI basically splintered into two subsequent groups: The Mars Volta and Sparta. Whilst I really dig Sparta’s work thus far, this debut album from TMV truly takes the cake. They took the mania from ATDI and blended it with influences ranging from Santana, Led Zeppelin, and more. This record is spacey, frenetic, propulsive, and downright mesmerizing. For you headphone junkies out there, it is blast to discover time and again the various layers going on throughout the album.

Bleach - Astronomy
Now Bleach were a completely different animal. Fuzzed-out guitar rock, pure and simple. April and I love these guys and that’s part of the reason why they’re on this list. This album came out around the time that our relationship started getting serious and we often listened to it together and separately (before April moved to NC). The music isn’t overly technical or complicated…but it’s very well-done, punchy, upbeat rock. It’s an album full of hope and life and I love it. Great for driving, rockin’ out and so on. And on a personal note, I got thanked in the liner notes of this puppy, so that was cool. Jerry Morrison (bassist) and I became friends throughout a few reviews I wrote for them and shows that I attended…a theme that’s somewhat common in the next two albums as well.

The Beautiful Mistake - Light A Match, For I Deserve To Burn
This record is rather important to me, on a number of different levels. On a purely music basis, this is one of the first hardcore/screamo albums that I really got into. As you explore different genres, it can sometimes take your ears a little while to get accustomed to the various elements…the instrumentation, the singing style, the rhythms, whatever. The screaming elements of hardcore were like that at first for me, but for some reason, this album punched through all of that and connected with my jaw. This is one hell of a record, from start to finish. Tackling relational issues, allusions to Narnia, personal demons, pornography…there’s a lot here to digest. And then there’s the art. This was one of the first albums where I noticed something special about the paper, the printing, the overall design. A bit of hunting led me to discover Asterik Studio, the minds behind the art. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, check out their site and their latest venture, Invisible Creature. Chances are good you’ve seen their work without knowing it. They consistently produce some of the best graphic design I’ve ever seen. Finally, it was through my love of this album that I was able to get my first interview gig ever, talking to lead singer Josh Hagquist. Josh and I have kept in touch off and on since then and I still remember that rainy, cold day when we chatted outside Tremont Music Hall.

Stavesacre - Speakeasy
Ah, Stavesacre. If, according the proverbial set-up, I were forced gun-to-head to choose my favorite band of all time, I would be hard-pressed to pick between Foo Fighters, Thrice, and these guys. Though I’ve never had a chance to see them live (a fact that will hopefully change before they call it quits next year), Stavesacre has had an incredible influence on me and my musical tastes. Mark Salomon (lead singer) has one of the most unique voices in modern rock and his lyrics hit on all cylinders. And this album showcases Stavesacre at their peak. While I dig all of their work, this one (similar to The Colour and The Shape) is consistently solid all the way through. From the take-no-prisoners opening salvo of “Minuteman” to the quietly powerful anthem “Gold and Silver,” this record is stacked to the gills with classics. “This Love” might be one of the best closers ever written. And like Bleach and The Beautiful Mistake, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a member of Stavesacre (Mark) at length about his inspiration, his take on music, faith, and art. I think that’s one of the things that I appreciate the most about the punk/hardcore/underground rock scene. Your heroes remain approachable and real. It’s an inspiring thing.

Today’s random thoughts were inspired by a thread over the Relevant Boards. Namely, pick out the records from your collection that you consider to be absolutely essential. So here you go, faithful readers. I’m inflicting the list on you. And I’m going to attempt to write a bit about each album over the next few days to explain just what each one means to me.

First the list. I know this might seem a tad on the long side, but keep in mind that my music library numbers over 1,000 albums at this point. Narrowing it down to these 20-odd picks was a little tough…but I think it’s a pretty good representation of my tastes and such:

Sunny Day Real Estate - How It Feels To Be Something On
Thrice - Vheissu
Foo Fighters - The Colour and The Shape
The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium
Bleach - Astronomy
The Beautiful Mistake - Light A Match, For I Deserve To Burn
Stavesacre - Speakeasy
At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command
Copeland - Beneath Medicine Tree
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Model Engine - The Lean Years Tradition
MxPx - Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo
Five Iron Frenzy - Our Newest Album Ever
The Juliana Theory - Emotion Is Dead
Common - Electric Circus
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Switchfoot - The Legend Of Chin
U2 - Pop
The Fire Theft - s/t
Led Zeppelin - IV
Oasis - Be Here Now
Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf

And there you have it. Now for the whys and wherefores:

Sunny Day Real Estate - How It Feels To Be Something On
Talking about why I like this album is a little like trying to expound on why hot, fresh chocolate chip cookies and ice cold milk are so perfect together. You know it’s awesome, you know they’re meant to be together…just take it at that. Jeremy Enigk and Co. loom large in my musical influences. I love his voice and the art that SDRE created was incredible. Moody, moving, passionate, this was truly heartfelt music before the “emo” tag came along and completely trashed the scene. While I dig all of SDRE’s music, this record stands just a bit taller than the rest of their work…though it was really tough picking this over The Rising Tide (I tried to limit my picks to one album per artist. Otherwise this list would be two or three times as long).

Thrice - Vheissu
Thrice blew me out of the water with this one. Again, I love just about everything they’ve ever released. But this album took the hardcore/metal/punk foundation that the band laid on their first few releases and transformed it into something transcendent. This record moved beyond the boundaries of the genre game by blending new influences (electronica, music boxes, piano/keys) into the mix. Dustin Kensrue (lead vocalist/guitarist) also brought his lyrics to a new level. Pulling influences from Scripture, literature, C.S. Lewis and many more, he infused the songs with depth and true pathos for the human condition.

Foo Fighters - The Colour and The Shape
And finally (for today), my beloved Fighters. I’m sure you guys are getting sick of all my talk about them lately, but did you honestly think I’d have a list like this and not mention them? In simplest terms, I think this album is one of THE best rock records. Ever. From front to back, this bugger kicks out the jams and just keeps going. While I love everything Foo Fighters has put out, there are just too many classics on this bad boy. Monkey Wrench, Walking After You, My Hero, Everlong (the best romantic rock song ever), February Stars, New Way Home…every track fits and leads perfectly into the next. One of the things that has always appealed to me about Dave Grohl’s writing is that he strikes a terrific balance between being pissed off and yet hopeful. That’s the theme of this album and I feel like, in many ways, that’s the theme for much of my life. I guess that’s why this strikes the chord that it does for me.

Tomorrow: More albums! More goodness! More useless opinion!

Unbelievable.

I had high hopes for the Foo Fighters show. Very high hopes. You see, I love and adore the guys of Foo Fighters like no other mainstream rock band. But if you’ve ever had a conversation with me about music, you know that I’ve got fairly eclectic tastes and most of my concert-going experiences are centered around smoke-filled dives and hole-in-the-wall venues. I’m used to tickets being $15 or below and often interviewing one or more of the bands that I’m going to see.

So the thought of seeing one of my favorite bands in a bigger venue (and for a much more expensive ticket) seemed like a strange prospect. I really wondered if the show would suffer due to having to watch FF from a bit of a distance (i.e., not 10 feet from the stage), how they would sound live, etc. All these fears were allayed the minute they walked out on stage and tore into their set with “Let It Die.” For the next two hours they held the Charlotte audience captive, moving deftly from throat-shredding rockers to quiet and simple acoustic jams.

Speaking of jamming, they rocked out a few of their numbers extra-long, especially during “Stacked Actors.” Dave was hilarious, gracious and rather self-deprecating, particularly at the start of this number, as he completely spaced and forgot the first half of the first verse. It was stellar. So he simply made up lyrics on the spot about possibly having one too many before the show and screwing up a song. But after that minor trip-up, they proceeded to dismantle the tune and put an extended solo duel between Dave and lead guitarist Chris Shiflett in the breakdown. Dave proceeded to leave the stage, climbed up into the crowd in the stadium seating and rocked out inches from the fans. It was awesome.

It was also very cool to see Pat Smear along with Rami Jaffee, Drew Hester, and the girl on violin/cello (Steve K., what’s her name? The crowd noise drowned out Dave when he introduced her). They filled out the live sound for the songs with greater instrumentation beyond the two guitars, bass, and drums. They popped in and out at different times, but were on-stage for the longest period of time during the acoustic mini-set (”Skin and Bones,” “Marigold,” “See You,” and “My Hero”).

All in all, it was a great show with a terrific song selection. They can rock out like noone else, with Dave alternating between his great singing voice and his patented hardcore yell. He mentioned that they might be back in the spring. I can only hope that they will hit Charlotte again. I tried to post what I could remember of the setlist in the correct order (they played for about 2 hours), but regardless, it’s one hell of an amazing concert. Go see them. Or don’t. And regret it for the rest of your life.

Setlist:
Let It Die
The Pretender
Long Road To Ruin
Times Like These
The One
Learn To Fly
I’ll Stick Around
Cheer Up Boys (Your Make-up Is Running)
Monkey Wrench
Stacked Actors
Breakout
Skin and Bones
Marigold
See You
My Hero
Everlong
All My Life

Encore:
Aurora
But, Honestly
Best Of You

HELL.

YES.