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On this week’s episode, we dig into the eponymous third album by the “Queen of Americana” 1988’s Lucinda Williams. 

After a move to California, Lucinda Williams found herself in the middle of a burgeoning roots rock scene, where traditional music was being performed with a punk-rock attitude. She formed a band of ace musicians and began making a name for herself as part of the scene. Eventually signed by Rough Trade after several labels passed, Williams recorded a self-titled LP that is the work of a pioneering artist who has finally found her voice. Its a transformative album that is genre-defining; deftly blending country, blues, and folk to create a sound that is accessible and compelling. Williams' voice and songwriting are on full display here, creating songs that are personal, heartbreaking, defiant and utterly unique.

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On this week’s episode, its another “Listener Pick,” the band and LP that gave the world Glam Rock: 1971’s Electric Warrior,  the second album by T. Rex.

Marc Bolan, T-Rex's charismatic front man played a pivotal role in early 70’s British rock. Forming the folk-rock duo/band Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bolan would embrace the shortened moniker “T. Rex” at the dawn of the 1970’s, as well as a more flamboyant look, attitude, and sound, essentially ushering in the Glam Rock era. Bolan and T. Rex became huge in the UK, even rivaling the Beatles in popularity.

Considered by many to be the first true Glam Rock record, Electric Warrior is the culmination of everything Bolan wanted to accomplish with T. Rex. and is lauded as one of the most iconic and influential albums of all time.

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On this weeks episode, we take a listen to the third album by Wilco, 1999’s Summerteeth.

Wilco rose from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo trying to find its  footing in the shadow of Son Volt, the band  Jay Farrar founded. Wilco lead singer and main songwriter Jeff Tweedy had the vision of letting multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett play just about any keyboard he could get his hands on while he and the rest of the band provided strong backing that let the songs sound like pop tunes from another time, even though lyrics could be dark and, in some cases, disturbing. While a transitional album for the band that portends what is to come, it stands on its own and contains some of Tweedy’s most compelling (and catchy) songwriting. 

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 On this weeks episode, we discuss one of the most underrated albums by one of the most underrated bands of the 1990s: Spilt Milk by Jellyfish.  Only the band's second outing, Spilt Milk is a fully realized collection of of meticulously crafted pop songs, with orchestration and lyrics that elevate those songs way above your normal pop fare.

After a critically acclaimed, but commercial disappointing debut, the creative core of the Jellyfish- Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning Jr - set out to create their masterpiece. Supported by a veteran producer and engineer, and backed by a number of top notch studio musicians, many believe the band succeeded in that goal.  Released at a time when record buying public was more interested in the distorted guitar and vocals of grunge than a band drawing critical comparisons to Queen and the Beach Boys, the the album  fared worse the charts than its predecessor. This, combined with the toil of making the "perfect" album took its toll on the band. Spilt Milk  was not only their crowning achievement, it was to be their last album. 

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On this week's episode, we talk about the third LP from the Steve Miller Band: 1969’s Brave New World. 

Considered by many to be the most consistent album from his early years, it is an album that foreshadowed the path Miller would take in subsequent albums. It's a mix of swampy blues, gurgling synths, and psychedelic overtones. But most of all it's a guitar album that shows off Miller's considerable chops on the instrument. 

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On this week’s episode its another "Listener Pick." We talk about the last album by Nick Drake, 1972’s Pink Moon. Upon its initial release, the album  was a both a critical and commercial failure, but it has grow in stature and appreciation for both critics and fans in the decades since.  

The album is quiet, mostly just Drake and his acoustic guitar, with lyrics steeped celestial imagery about loneliness and and heartbreak. Reclusive by nature, Drake did little to support the album by way of touring or interviews and passed away soon after its release. It took a Volkswagen commercial in 1999 featuring the album’s title track to revive his career and bring back to the attention of the music buying public. Since then, Pink Moon has found itself on several “greatest albums” lists. Pink Moon is a beautifully stark album of note, full of songs that are elegant and beautiful, and bleak and unsettling, often at the same time. 

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So this is it, we’ve hit 100 album reviews (or whatever it is we do on our little show). We decided that the only way properly celebrate was to talk about an album by the most influential rock band in rock and roll history - the Beatles - and their fifth studio album: 1965’s Help! .

Released at the height of Beatlemania, Help! is the last album of what is typically considered “Early period” Beatles. Tied to the movie of the same name, Help! is too often dismissed as just a soundtrack album and as a result, often gets overlooked. But  it is worthy of further discussion.  Help! is a transitional album that moves the band away from their 60s pop oriented tunes towards a more mature sound influenced by Bob Dylan and utilizing the studio in in a way not done previously by a rock band. And it contains “Yesterday,” a song that holds the world record for the number of covers recorded at 2200 and counting. Help! is a true underrated Beatles' gem worthy of additional attention and listens. 

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Here's a phrase you don't read very often: One of the biggest bands to ever come out of Iceland. Sigur Ros have gone through numerous personnel and style change since its formation in the 90s, but their music has always been unique. This album, their fourth, is difficult to categorize. It is atmospheric and ethereal, with guitars played with bows (instead of picks), drums that aren't designed to keep rhythm, lush orchestration, and an abundance of chiming sounds. The songs on this album have found their way onto soundtracks, sports television themes, and commercials more than they have the radio. But there are songs here, just maybe not in the conventional sense of the word. 

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On this week episode, we dive into one of the top selling albums of all time, 1976's monster from the Eagles Hotel California. Much maligned by This Is Vinyl Tap in the past, in the spirit of the times we decided to take an unbiased critical look at the album and discuss it for it merits (that last bit was very difficult to type with a straight face). 

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This week, we delve into what many contend is the blue print for 1990's power pop, the 1991 LP by Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend. Things were not looking particularly up for Sweet as he worked on his third album. Professionally he had no label, and personally his marriage was falling apart.  Having released two competent, but commercial disappointing albums for 2 different labels, no one expected what came next.

Tentatively titled Nothing Lasts, the album was rechristened Girlfriend after actress Tuesday Weld objected to her image being used for an album called Nothing Lasts. Having used a drum machine on his previous albums, Sweet decided to go with real drums and to record most of the album live in he studio. With the help of guitar virtuosos  Television's Richard Lloyd, and former Voidoid guitarist and Lou Reed sideman, Robert Quine, Girlfriend is equal parts loud and jangly. Its the perfect soundtrack for Sweet's sweet vocals and harmonies (pun intended) and an unparalleled guitar pop tour de force. 

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