Slime Girls - Vacation Wasteland

kurtkurtkurt:

Holy shit this album is so awesome.

Really I don't know what to say. This is a chiptune album (featuring the occasional guitar and real drums). I listen to it and get a warm feeling in my soul that tells me everything is okay.

RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 10/10

Operation Ivy - Energy

kurtkurtkurt:

This is gonna be so cliché for me to give this album a perfect rating but I can't help it. This album fucking rocks. These guys essentially made ska/punk sound like it does today. There really aren't any songs that I don't like on this album. I never want to skip a single song when it comes onto my playlist. Stuckski might remember, but we covered Knowledge (poorly) the first time we ever played a show. I guess at the end of the day whenever Energy comes on I have to stop and smile. Everything seems like it's gonna be okay.

Stuckski:

It's good in that it led to many awesome things, but I'm going to say for pure enjoyment of the album, and setting aside any thoughts of what it did for the music scene as a whole, this album rates a solid 7 for me. After they forged the way for ska/punk other bands came and did it a bit better. However, they are forever a legend for being the ones to do it first.


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 10/10
Stuckski: 7/10

Secret Agent 8 - Secret Agent 8

kurtkurtkurt:

These guys are one of the bands that really, really got me into ska. I found these guys back when mp3.com was for artists just putting their work online. Their sound is like Third Wave Ska mixed in with some jazz. VERY strong horn section. Whenever I perform 'A Message to You Rudy' I always throw in a verse from their homage to it 'Rudi, What Happened to You?' (Sorry no youtube links unfortunately). These guys just always put me in a good mood whenever I play their music. If you can find yourself a copy of the album give it a listen to.

Stuckski:

There is a song called 'Beer's OK' on this album, and that pretty much epitomizes the entire album to me: chill. Everyone seems relaxed and happy, the brass section creates an upbeat rhythm, and they don't really seem too worked up about anything. Beer's OK and so's this album.



RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 10/10
Stuckski: 8/10

Dawn Metropolis by Anamanaguchi

kurtkurtkurt:

Man felt like I was in a video game. Seriously though made half an hour fly by with pure bliss while I was working. Matt links to all the songs below and I don't blame him. I aspire to be able to put down some phat 8bit sounds like that in my music. Props to these guys.

Stuckski:

26.1 minutes of Chippunk awesome. If you know Anamanaguchi at all it's from the kick-ass Scott Pilgrim soundtrack and Dawn Metropolis delivers with more of the same videogame awesomeness. They do a great job of combining instruments with the 8bit sounds to create a great mood in their songs.
What are the best tracks you ask? All of them, dear sir/madam. All of them.
Blackout City
Jetpack Blues
Dawn Metropolis
Danger Mountain
Overarrow
Tempest, Teamwork, Triumph (at sea)
Mermaid

Enjoy.


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 9/10
Stuckski: 10/10

Specials by The Specials

kurtkurtkurt:

My love for this band goes back to when I first truly started exploring music. It wasn't until middle school when I began to be able to use the internet to find music. Since there were a multitude of programs (Napster) that allowed ease to acquiring music I began to broaden my musical (ska) horizons. While they were hardly the first Ska band I ever heard and not the band that got me into the music (Five Iron Frenzy and a multitude of other Christian Ska bands take that title) this album gained a place in my heart the more I listened to it and I learned more about the genre.

As far as albums go The Specials' Specials is one of my favorite albums of all time.

A Message To You Rudy, Little Bitch and Gangsters are a good sampling from this album.

(Note to peeps. My version is the U.S. version so it includes their song Gangsters which is not on the original UK pressing.)

Stuckski:

Well, they're pretty...special. HAHAHAHHAHA...Get it?! Super cool joke there, I'm really topping myself this time. I've already mentioned my feelings about two-tone ska on previous posts (recap: they're good feelings), and the Specials are the kings of two-tone. Love 'em, and love this album. One a side note, when I spent about one second filling in as guitarist for my friend's band The Openers (who have since reached level 16 and evolved into Use the Boost, a chip-punk extravaganza), we covered A Message for You Rudy, and that is -to date- still the only ska song I know how to play. Who was that friend who's band I was in, you ask? Why nobody else but the fan-fuckin-tastic mr Kurtkurtkurt himself!


RATINGS:

kurtkurtkurt: 10/10
Stuckski: 9/10

Toxicity by System of a Down

kurtkurtkurt:

I feel like if Danny Elfman would have decided to create metal after Oingo Boingo instead of become a famous movie composer System of  a Down is roughly what he would have made. These guys were all the rage when we moved to Arkansas back in the day (and Metallica and Slipknot and A Perfect Circle and Tool. Metal was king there.) I've always enjoyed the song Chop Suey, but I feel that they need to cut out almost whole minutes in some of their songs for me to enjoy the Album more.

Stuckski:

What the hell kinda genre does System of a Down play anyways?! Circus Metal is about as close as I can get to describing it. Chaotic and hilarious, with songs like Bounce and Psycho especially keeping me laughing. The singer's voice is unique in a 'crazy homeless person shouting' kind of way, and is probably where I get the 'circus' vibe from. All in all, one of my favorite albums.

RATINGS:
kurtkurtkurt: 7/10
Stuckski: 10/10