Solid Guild - The Joggers (StarTime, 2003)
The Joggers were (are?) an awesome guitar rock band that I would have LOVED in college. Solid Guild is their 2003 debut LP, and it features angular, technical yet melodic guitars within the context of a more complicated pop song structure. I dig the vocals, though they can be a little too 2002-era Hot Hot Heat at times, and the barber shop-style harmonies that pop up every once in a while are a nice touch. The songwriting is good, but the real draw for me is the musicianship all around. I'm always a fan of the merging of technicality (almost to a mathy degree) and pop sensibility. Seriously, this is a great record.
Top jams: "Loosen Up," "Hot Autism," "Back to the Future," "Neon Undercarriage," "Natural Novice," "Oriental Alarms," "Blurred Digits," "Same to You"
The Punch Line - Minutemen (SST, 1981)
I can already tell that the insanity of the band Minutemen over their career is going to be a hard pill for me to swallow. I have listened to some of their seminal Double Nickels on the Dime, and frankly it is way too silly for me. Their debut, The Punch Line, on the other hand, as ridiculous as it is (18 songs in 15 minutes!), is quite enjoyable. It's still zany as hell with some tougher punk vocals, pretty sparse, almost post-punk guitar, and some ridiculously funky (and awesome) bass playing via Mike Watt. It's hard to separate each song and all that I like about them because of the way they are all jumbled together due to the quick and urgent nature of the record. These dudes were having a lot of fun being both artsy and punk, and it is a blast to listen to.
Top jams: "Search." "Tension," "Games," "Disguises," "Monuments," "Issued," "Song for El Salvador," "History Lesson," "Fanatics," "No Parade," "Straight Jacket," "Static"
Perfect Teeth - Unrest (Teenbeat/4AD, 1993)
I think it was around this time last year that I was spending some time with Unrest's Imperial F.F.R.R., which is too inconsistent, but, still has some outright jams. Perfect Teeth, their 1993 follow-up, is much more cohesive, has even more jams, and, is just generally the superior album. Combining post-punk rhythms with punk urgency and 90s indie rock dynamics and melodic styles, this is an album for me. Admittedly, it did not blow me away quite like I expected, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is excellent, and even gets better with each listen. The tracks that stand out the most are "Cath Carroll" and "So Sick."
Top jams: "Cath Carroll," "So Sick," "Light Command," "Make Out Club," "Breather X.O.X.O.," "West Coast Love Affair," Six Layer Cake"
Electr-O-Pura - Yo La Tengo (Matador, 1995)
As you all know, Yo La Tengo is one of the greatest modern bands around. It's insane how long they've been going, and still every three to four years they release an excellent album. That being said, I must say that 1995's Electr-O-Pura has to be my least favorite of theirs at this juncture. I do appreciate that it rocks a bit harder than 1993's Painful (even if I prefer that album), yet still maintains a lot of its moodiness. Don't get me wrong, it is a solid album, it's just that the number of standout tracks is fairly thin. However, a nice bonus here is that this is some of the strongest drumming I've heard from Georgia Hubley. Also to note - "Tom Courtenay" is one of THE GREAT Yo La Tengo jams. I love it when they do the melodic-yet-droney guitar thing.
Top jams: "Decora," "Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)," "Tom Courtnenay," "Pablo and Andrea," "False Alarm," "The Ballad of Red Buckets," "(Straight Down to the) Bitter End," "My Heart's Reflection," "Blue Line Swinger"
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