OK... mammoth post. Might need Brodie's Notes for it:
Seriously. This album changed my attitude to ‘rap’ in general. UK indie garage in generational music axis! Lee Satchel you baaastard! So good in so many ways. Let's Push Things Forward is my favourite tune on this album. The space in it is awesome. Slightly off kilter, off tune, but it works so well in that typical Streets way.
‘That ain't a bag it's shipment This ain't a track it's a movement’
The whole album transports me back to tubing it out to East London absolutely shattered after a massive Fabric bender, feeling like an absolute dog. The Streets were my salve. Plus, what else do you wack on when you’re ‘eading to a squat party in East London?
Weak Become Heroes has been a tune on the downside of many a large night with mrj and reflects the theme of the album so well- the unpolished but then totally polished working class concept of it.
I’ve listened to this album about a million times and know all the lyrics, all the pauses, all the little quirks and it stillll delivers. I’ve been to seen the Streets live 3 times and they’ve sucked major ass every time. Totally abominable live. Too many bongs I think. I digress.
Juuust sliding into the millenial list is
Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia by the Dandy Warhols. Released August 2000- a totally sound indie rock album that was the soundtrack of my life at the time. Everything the Dandys did after was meh imo. This album is so diverse- from the 5 minute+ tracks of Godless and Mohammed to the hokey little slide guitar ditty of Country Leaver and into the more well known party anthem Get Off, this album is good to the core.
I can never hear Horse Pills without thinking of driving into a country property for Earthcore many years ago. A whole queue of ravers gagging with anticipation. And that track was playing. Indeed we were rocking on the horse sized pills that weekend.
People love to shit on the Dandys but I truly love them. They’re sick live. And Thirteen Tales is so tight production wise and delivers on all levels for me, even if the Godless intro does sound suspiciously like Harrison’s My Sweet Love. I guess, if you’re going to lift a riff, make it a good one huh.
Go Dandys Go! But no Monkey House for me. Nothing was ever as good as this album.
Briding the Gap- The Black Eyed Peas (09/01/2000)
Ooooh. Jusssst scraped in as well. This is actually a bit revelatory for me- two hip hop albums in my top10- from someone who’ll tell you hip hip isn’t really their thing lol.
The Peas were so good before they sold out and added that talentless skank Fergie. This album was pivotal for me. I loved it immediately. It’s a fun album, well produced and the female vocals on weekends are better than anything Fergie has ever done.
This is an album that represents summer to me. Bring it out for a barbie and everyone will like it. Guaranteed mood lifter. I had no idea who they were when this came out- had just come to Melbourne and my boyfriend at the time brought it home, along with some mackin new Dali speakers.
Bridging the Gap was put on before every night out at the time. I still lose my mind with Release. Tuuuuuuune! Man, when I see the shit the BEP roll out these days it makes me weep. Mainstream rubbish. Musical regression. Wah!
Kid A- 2000
I love Radiohead. The Bends and OK Computer were wicked but Kid A is total brilliance imo. Hauntingly beautiful, this is music for quiet times, beautifully produced but sometimes it can take me to places I don’t want to go. Sometimes it is Saturday morning soul balm. Sometimes it is painful mournful; a dark misty moor. But always it is fabulous, evocative and mysterious.
Everything In Its Right Place and How to Disappear Completely are two of my favourite tracks ever. Brilliant. Released in 2000 and yet it still seems like yesterday. Maybe because nothing they’ve done since has been as good. For me anyway.
Fight For Your Mind 1995
My fave Ben Harper album. Politically and socially he gets his message across without being a wanker. I love all the tracks but Burn One Down is anthemic, even though I’m not a smoker. It’s 4pm on our balcony in Pokhara, Nepal, with a longneck of Tuborg and a plate of momos. A travel album that has taken me all over the world. Entwined with some fabulous memories and very close to my heart.
In Rotation was a massive album for me. A definite bridger between genres of music from a hard core breaks kid. It’s a summer album for me. Memories of dancing barefoot on the grass in the sun. 100% good times. I always think I’m sick of it but put it on and it still makes me happy.
Rhibosome’s self titled album was released in 2002 and they split soon after, depiste its success. Such a massive shame because they were f#cking awesome, having a truly unique sound. Sounds included dub,dancehall, jazz, swing and electro beat.
This energetic 3 piece had a stack of samplers, drumkit, turntables, effects units and an arsenal of percussion and they all rotated through the instruments playing fully live with no sequencing or Dat machines. Add a live sound engineer, who mixed it all with extra effects and filtering and they were siiiick.
I first heard this in a coffee shop in Brisbane when I was on holidays, living in Perth (where Rhibosome were from) at the time. I went and bought it straight away and it’s been played so many times. Everyone I know loves it and most of my friends have also bought it.
It’s heavily percussive but also has a lot of jazzy coolness. The final track HiFi is one of my all time favourite dance tracks. Needs massive subs to truly appreciate. We saw them play at Revs in their heyday and they absolutely tore that front room apart. People were dancing on the tables and go bananas. Visually so interesting and their sound was phenomenal.
I highly recommend this album to anyone. Dboy, you would love this.
Sorry, I can’t even find the album cover on Google to post.
Hold Your Colour- Pendulum - 2005
Ah a can of worms I hear you say. But this is my album list and this one is a cracker, whether it conforms to being ‘true’ drum and bass or not. My background is rock and that’s exactly why albums like this and Purple Funky Monkey and You Can Be Special Too appeal to me- there’s a lot of rock in them.
For starters, Hold Your Colour is such a great name for an album. Excellent message and the track is also totally win. Still Grey is Sat morning recovery with mrj and thing of happy. I love the intro pre Slam- very cinematic- I expect it to be accompanied by the rise of a heavy velvet curtain. Another Planet is my track for exercising when angry. What an absolute smasher. I nearly had heart failure when I first heard it.
Also. Does anyone remember seeing Underbelly for the first time and they used Tarantuala for the King St scene when Alphonse loses it and beats up all those people? Fantastic. Someone should buy the musical director of that show a beer. Frenzied frenzied frenzied. A perfect choice. And an absolutely cracking track.
The best thing was loving this album and not being one of the drum and bass crew because no one gave me a hard time about it pretending to be this or whatever. I remember wandering downstairs at Brown Alley years ago, pretty messed up and these guys were completely ripping the place apart. I was like ‘WTF- who are these guys?’
It was Pendulum. Stumbled upon. An enduring appreciation. And a guernsey for my list.
Second Sun- Calibre 2005
I love Calibre. Besides being a sick producer Calibre is one of the best DJ names in the business. This album is of a very high calibre and I thank it for being the one that has spurned many drum and bass purchases in the last year. Discovery came well after its release but it came. Thank God. And also Joe and Keir for playing so many of his tunes and sparking my interest.
I bought this at JB in Ballarat on sale for an insulting $15. Played it all the way home. Don’t you just love it when you buy an album you don’t know much about and it turns out to be awesome?
I love the cover art on this. I love the majesty of the title track. I love Kiya and its almost cinematic sound. Intelligent drums and basses? Yes. With strong Dub, Reggae, Funk, Jazz and Soul influences. Calibre I <3 you so.
And finally…
Finally, whether it fits the criteria or not The Stanton Session Volume 1 had to in here for me. Massively formative, totally important and indeed still absolutely rocking album. Tight as hell, great mixing, great track selection, the best MC job ever and so definitively breakbeat. If ever I was asked what breaks sounded like I’d give them this album. Is there anything more breakbeat than the Virus and Be Bop?
I still play it today and love it as much. The winddown into Runnin and Stone Cold is beautiful.These guys are the masters. And this album represents a time when breaks were absolutely on fire. So many good times and memories.
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind - Dr. Seuss
Clearly ommited a comma there didnt i.
