Albums for Fall

So, maybe the title of this entry is no longer relevant as the weather in Madison has, in a matter of seconds, turned from cold to bitter. Although fall may be on it's way out, the following albums certainly translate into the winter season and will assuredly aid you in plowing through even the most drab and isolating of months (Ahem, February) With all that said, best to disregard the above title. And so in it's place I offer, Albums to Get You Through Winter Hell. Onward!



1. Poison Dog (2009)- Thee Oh Sees
An album that contains what may be one of my favorite lyrical lines in music, "I can't pay you to disappear, so could you do it for freeee?" This albums packs a mean punch that is guaranteed to knock any minute trace of monotony from your life. It's a blizzard of fuzz, grime, and sounds like that of an alien's gun. On the oxymoronic track Dead Energy, Dwyer's voice resembles that of someone vomiting. Yet, through all this cacophony, that ever-present flute manages to keep this mess at bay.

2. Odessey & Oracle (1968)- The Zombies
It's cliche to say but it's the time of the of season to dig this one out or, if you're like me, simply give it a light dusting as you've been playing it year 'round. In my opinion, it's a work of genius that too often gets overlooked. Odessey & Oracle has managed to capture the sound and mood of the psychedelic 60's era in a fashion completely unique to the Zombies. Their influences are noticeable in each track but the distinct harmonies and pristine musicianship take precedence. The Zombies may have had a short stint in the music scene, just long enough to concoct a masterpiece.

3. Unicorn (1969)- Tyrannosaurus Rex
An album deemed by a friend as the perfect winter soundtrack. It's true, this album takes on a whole new meaning with the winter air in which the songs have the ability to place you in a unique time and place. Enchant and entrance it will. I prefer to down the entirety of this hefty, sixteen track gem in one sitting.

4. Unknown Pleasures (1979)- Joy Division
Joy Division's debut album is a bleak one. The drums seem uninterested and Ian's voice drones on in a methodical fashion. Everything about this album is so very blase that it lacks any dramatics of the school girl nature. Thank god.

5. Devotion (2008)- Beach House
Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are the masterminds behind Baltimore's Beach House. It's a romantic album but don't expect flowers ans sunshine as it borderlines the world of morose and melancholic feelings. Victoria's sultry vocals will send you swooning into a fog of ghostly synths and mystery. I nursed this album through out the entire duration of last year's winter, yet, as I find myself returning for a second round, it's apparent who (or what) is really nursing who. It's therapeutic and certainly beneficial to one's sanity.

6. Gal Costa (1969)- Gal Costa
Gal Costa is the debut album of the Brazilian tropicalismo singer. So much of this album radiates smoothness, the kind that can only be achieved by a well-dressed, omnipotent gangster. The contrast of polished and raw elements are gracefully balanced. At times, the strung-out guitar sounds misplaced only to be quickly returned to the context of the album through the looming Bossa Nova tendencies. If a trip to the tropics is your desire, Gal Costa awaits

7. Horses (1975) - Patti Smith
The Patti Smith Group's debut album, and personal favorite. "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Patti blended Beat-style poetry with three-chord rock jams to create something so innovative that millions of lives have been saved! Oh no? You disagree? Well, without Horses, there probably never would have been the Smiths (and you know how crazy Smiths fans are). She's androgynous, something that was very popular for men in the 70s (David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and plenty of other glam rock acts), but as the "Godmother of Punk" kicked down the door for women, in a world that was primarily male. There are no words I could say to prove my point about how influential and inspiring Patti Smith and this record are, so I'll just have to show you.

8. Door, Door (1979) - Boys Next Door
If you have been paying attention, I am obsessed with this record. As we all know, Nick Cave went on to the Birthday Party, a driving force in Australian post-punk. However, before the darkness of the Birthday Party, there were the Boys Next Door, a poppy celebration of the music that came before punk (e.g. David Bowie, Lou Reed, Roxy Music). My favorite part of this album is the saxophone, a constant throughout, that is often used as another voice, that sometimes even steals the spotlight from Nick. As much as I was inspired by Patti, I am equally as inspired by this record. In these dreary months, we need all the inspiration we can get! On that note, "Shivers" gets me through most of these dismal days.

9. ...And Don't The Kids Just Love It (1980) - Television Personalities
This 1980 debut comes from England, and blends everything in the world that I consider a favorite. Group leader Dan Treacy combines dark and light, dissonance and pop, anachronistic psychedelia within the punk music of the time. At times dark, though overall uplifting.

10. Milo Goes To College (1982) - Descendents
So it looks like these past four albums are debuts, oh well, get over it. Lead singer Milo Aukerman received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and I have never been more proud to grow up in that same town for that very reason (and maybe we were even here at the same time?!). Of course I listen to punk music regardless of the season, but during the fall and winter timez, I find myself listening to more and more hardcore punk, as opposed to the standard Ramones or Stooges. This debut record is about twenty two minutes in length, and is over much too quickly (so I listen about three times in a row, usually). I find the Descendents to be much more melodic than other hardcore bands at the time, and most of the melody is carried in the bass parts (much like Television Personalities, cool, huh?). The Descendents are like Blink182's cool older brother; you go thru middle school, high school whatever, hanging out with Blink182, thinking he's a pretty cool dude. Then one Friday night in your senior year, you go with Blink182 to his older brother's apartment for a party (of course you tell your parents you are sleeping at Brad's house). Blink182's brother, Descendents, is about 25, and you spend the whole evening drinking cheap beer surrounded by him and his friends, realizing that your life before hanging out with only Blink182 was meaningless. After this occassion, you start hanging out with Descendents behind Blink182's back, because that is all in the past now.