Part of a 12-month celebration of my favorite musical people, places, and things from the past 25 years.

Choosing a limited number of albums I’ve loved over the last quarter century was even harder than I thought it would be. And I knew it would be plenty hard.

Even harder was sticking to the “25” theme for my choices. So, I cut myself a little slack and expanded to 31. It could easily have been fifty! (Which I guess would’ve made more sense, since it’s double of 25.)

So, here’s the second installment of my list, presented (for the most part) alphabetically. If you missed Part I, you can find it here.

Let’s go!

GRIZZLY BEAR, Shields (2012). I don’t listen to nearly enough “indie”-type music. This album helped to bring me back into that fold.

I wish I could remember how I learned about this band. Maybe I stumbled across them on Bandcamp. That seems most likely. It doesn’t matter. They’re part of my world now, and I’m better off for it.

It’s funny: I can’t seem to listen to Grizzly Bear without playing The National (more on them shortly) almost immediately after. The sound borders on lo-fi, but the music is quite sophisticated. Both bands seem like parts of a symbiotic pairing.

Something tells me these albums and those like it are designated for “hipsters.” Well, I openly admit to having a mild hipster streak. So, this is a record for me.

HAKEN, L1ve (2018). It’s not every day a live album makes me a band’s fan, but Haken managed to pull it off.

This is progressive metal along the lines of Dream Theater or Riverside. Melodic metal is also a good way to look at it. The music is heavy, but the vocals soar. Which is funny, because I’ve often said a little Dream Theater takes me a long way. But Haken hits me differently. Their music sticks to my ribs. While there are, from time to time, lengthy instrumental passages, they don’t seem quite as flashy as the other bands. They’re more like means to a musical end.

Perhaps it’s the voice of Ross Jennings and the way it intermingles with his supremely talented bandmates. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. I love this record, which sent me right into their wonderful studio catalog.

HIROMI, Move (2013). Probably my favorite recommendation to come from my Facebook group. Hiromi Uehara is an absolute powerhouse of a piano player. Her chops are simply astounding.

On this record, Anthony Jackson (bass) and Simon Phillips (drums) round out Hiromi’s trio. Not only are they supreme players as individuals, but their interplay is fabulous. The live video of this album’s title track is mind-blowing! They’re playing like mad and smiling hugely while they do it. They’re having a blast and it shows.

This album sent me down yet another musical rabbit hole. It’s all but impossible to be disappointed by Hiromi’s musical efforts. This album is an ideal takeoff point.

MIKE KENEALLY BAND, bakin’ @ the potato (2011). A friend of mine put it perfectly. “Mike Keneally is so talented, I just wanna kill him!” Truer words have never been spoken. Keneally is a supremely talented singer/songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. One can’t help but marvel when he’s playing in front of you. Here’s just the opportunity to experience just that.

Keneally recruits top-tier talent, as this live release presents as evidence. They come out blistering and only get hotter from there. The intimacy of the venue is just as important as the music. It’s as though you’re practically onstage with the band.

I was shocked to learn this performance took place on a Wednesday! Why? Bands may not slack off onstage, but their energy always seems highest during weekend performances. Maybe it’s just me. I’m frightened at the thought of Keneally’s band playing this material on a Friday or Saturday. They could very well have blown the audience right out of the building!

KING CRIMSON, The Power to Believe (2003). Take a moment and play a bit of King Crimson’s 1969 debut In the Court of the Crimson King. Then play this record. It boggles the mind that this comes from the same band. In name, anyway.

By the time of his release, Crimson founder and guitarist Robert Fripp was the sole original member of this band. Guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew had been with the group since 1981. Trey Gunn (Warr Guitar) and Pat Mastelotto (drums) were nearly a decade in, having joined in 1994. The charming (albeit somewhat dated) sound of the band’s debut had evolved into something that bordered on metal.

Crimson was being heavily influenced by Tool, and vice versa. In fact, the two bands toured together on a brief tour. Power … positively rips through the speakers, making it all but impossible to ignore. The rhythm section’s youth no doubt played into the use of loops and electronics, completely modernizing the band’s sound. It’s not for fans nostalgic for the “classic” sound. But those with open minds and ears are in for a fantastic experience.

LIVING COLOUR, Shade (2017). For far too many casual listeners, Living Colour starts and ends with “Cult of Personality,” the hit from the band’s debut album, Vivid. Real fans, however, know that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Living Colour has created some amazing music since then, and continue to do so. Their 2017 album Shade ranks among the best. The band embraced the blues and took them to some of the heaviest places possible. They also reworked a soul and a hip-hop classic, bending those tunes to their will.

Most of all, Living Colour continues to put their social consciousness on display at every turn. Corey Glover’s high-octane voice leaves no room for doubting what’s on the band’s mind. Vernon Reid is a master guitar shredder, while Doug Wimbish (bass) and Will Calhoun (drums) absolutely bomb the mix with their rhythm work.

It’s time for those who’ve been sleeping on Living Colour to wake up and rejoin the party.

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (2019). Jazz musicians are well known for jumping from band to band, recording and releasing albums with a variety of other musicians whenever the opportunity presents itself. There’s something to be said for the Jazz band that stays together, develops and maintains chemistry, and makes the most of it.

Such is the case with the Branford Marsalis Quartet. With a few years experience already under their belts, they positively tear through The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul. Familiarity has produced an almost psychic connection within the band. They play it relatively straight like the post-bop of the sixties, and they push things to the limit like free jazz.

The band’s interplay keeps the listener on their toes, demanding you dig in and really appreciate what’s going on. This is already a normal requirement in jazz. But this album takes things up a few notches. This is also a jazz album one would be encouraged to play LOUD.

MOLESOME, Be My Baby Tonight (2022). This will no doubt be the shortest write-up for any album I discuss. Why? Because the music on this album defies description. It’s amazing! It’s also undefinable. The best music often is.

First it’s this, then it’s that. The opportunity to settle in and anticipate never comes. Go to Bandcamp and check it out. That’s really all I can say.

MUSE, Black Holes and Revelations (2006). I wasn’t looking for Muse. I was familiar with a couple of their tunes, but didn’t have any real interest. That was until a friend introduced me to their live album HARRP. Like the people in attendance at Wembley Stadium that day, I was blown away.

The live album was from their Black Holes and Revelations tour. It only made sense to dig into that album. Muse may be pop darlings these days, but this album has a serious progressive rock streak in it. I was captivated.

Muse may have altered their sound a bit over the years, but some moments are worth revisiting again and again. This is one of them.

THE NATIONAL, Trouble Will Find Me (2013). Another “SNL discovery.” I was casually watching Saturday Night Live when The National was introduced as the musical guest. I didn’t know a thing about them. By the time the song was over, I wanted to know everything.

What seems like laid-back indie smolders like nobody’s business underneath. Gravelly vocals, sparse guitars, ethereal rhythm work … The National had carved out their own space, and it was hypnotizing. I’ve been a fan ever since. Trouble Will Find Me in the ideal place to launch a fresh musical obsession.

Stay tuned for Part III.

#cirdecsongs

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