Day 6 of listening to my entire CD collection…

38-39. Talking Heads - The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

Two CD set of live material ranging from 1977 to 1981. The first disc is earlier stuff and the second disc is the full setlist from the ‘81 tour. Includes songs like you would expect (”Once In A Lifetime,” “Psycho Killer,” etc.) and also early gems like “New Feeling” and “Memories Can’t Wait.” A stellar two CD set.

40. Snowden - Anti-Anti

Atlanta-based band that I heard for the first time back in November. The record is pretty good, but I enjoyed the live show even better. That being said, there are several stand out tracks on the album like “Black Eyes” (which has some cutting lyrics) and the title track. It’s not a record I can throw on everyday, but when the mood strikes, I really dig it.

41. Kodo - Ubu-Suna

I finally got to see them in concert last year. I’d been wanting to see them for a decade and it lived up to all of the anticipation and even surpassed it really. Kodo is a Japanese percussion group (but they also incorporate flute, shamisen and other stuff.) They have one foot in tradition and one foot in modernity. I really should listen to this stuff more, but it isn’t good background music. It’s music to be paid full attention too and like most people, I rarely have time to sit down and actively listen to music.

42. The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place

One of the first post-rock bands I got into. Jimmy LaValle teams up with one of the members of Sigur Ros for what is mostly a solid album (though I think their best work is Into the Blue Again.)

43. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

A friend and I got into a discussion about bands from Seattle on the morning commute and so I decided to fire up a Soundgarden record. Over a decade later, this one still holds up whether it’s the singles like “Outshined” and “Jesus Christ Pose” or deeper cuts like “Face Pollution” or “Room a Thousand Years Wide.” Even Johnny Cash covered “Rusty Cage” from this record. Some say this is where Soundgarden started to go down hill, but I just see it as an evolutionary step from a great band trying different things.

44. Starflyer 59 - Fell In Love at 22 EP

SF59 is one of those bands that will never be huge, but they have a big enough and devoted enough fanbase to keep making records. I can only think of one record in their long career that I’m not super crazy about, the rest of it is phenomenal stuff. This EP is titled for a track off of their The Fashion Focus album. It includes four other tracks including the over 10 minute “Traffic Jam.” It’s quite odd that they broke the 10 minute mark considering they can put out a 10 song album that clocks in at less than half an hour. Great EP that followed a fantastic album of shoegazer rock.

45. Broken Letters - LP

You know, I’m not even sure what this album is called. The drummer of this band is a good friend and they gave me a digital version of it because my record player was broken at the time and it was a vinyl only release. It includes five originals and one cover (the oddest Rush cover you’ve ever heard…stripped down and really slow, but very cool) but that’s not the main attraction. I can’t even really talk about their stuff objectively, so just suffice it to say that it’s good and I’m not saying that because they’re friends. I’ve had plenty of friends make dreadful records, they make good ones though.

46. Scientist - Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires

This is Scientist, not to be confused with Scientists or We Are Scientists. Scientist is a dub reggae musician and producer that put out some amazing amazing records despite their silly titles and cartoon covers. You may have even heard stuff off of this record and not even realize it. Apparently it was used for the reggae radio channel in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, at least that’s what my friend who first let me hear the record said anyway….