The Jesus and Mary Chain
Album: Any one you can find
I don't think my favorite band of all time could ever bore me. The JAMC existed from 1985 - 1998 (when the Reid brothers, Jim and William, got into a fight on stage). They had 8 full albums, and provided me with a total of 19 albums, singles, and B-side CDs for my collection.
Though their lyrics were more often than not cynical and/or drug-induced, their music was often exhilarating and always melodic. It seems like my favorite bands always cover 50's songs, and readily admit their love for the originators of rock. The most upbeat JAMC songs have the kick of Surfin' USA (a song they covered), and their most mellow songs have the beauty of My Girl (another one they covered). You can find their best songwriting on the mostly-acoustic Stoned and Dethroned, and a great introduction to their wide-ranging styles (including their bluesy feedback-drenched rhythms) on I Hate Rock 'n Roll. Great bands are timeless, and this one will live forever.
Tenacious D
Album: Self-titled
Tenacious D is the kind of music that would only be played on MTV in a "Smash or Trash?" segment. The reason being, is that most MTV viewers wouldn't know whether or not to take a song like "Wonderboy" seriously or not.
This is rock 'n roll. Good melodies, hard guitar riffs, lead vocals by Jack Black (yes, the actor from High Fidelity), and lots of rude humor and overblown, melodramatic imagery. There's even the occasional touching ballad like "Fuck Her Gently" (with lyrics like "Then I'll fuckin' fuck her discreetly...") and little comedic bits like the revolutionary invention of "Inward Singing" or "Cock Pushups". If you're bored by most of what you hear, go out and buy this album immediately.
Nerf Herder
Album: How to Meet Girls
How to Meet Girls is the best punk album I have bought in a long time. (And before some green-haired freak tells me that Nerf Herder isn't punk, let me state for the 15th time that I use the term "punk" to describe any band that plays upbeat 50's-influenced three-chord rock songs.) I defy you to blast the songs "Vivian" or "5000 Ways to Die" and not start jumping around your living room. Nerf Herder seem to be proud to be losers, but despite what they might think, I think they're fucking cool.
NOFX
Album: White Trash Two Heebs & A Bean
I own five NOFX albums including their latest, but this old one from 1992 is my favorite. It's filled with ass-kicking tunes like "Bob" and "Please Play This Song on the Radio". Like most of the so-called punk albums I own, I don't think this CD is for punk fans only. If you like upbeat hard rock, I think you'll like this.
NOFX has some of the tightest lead guitar and drum playing in punk, along with a healthy dose of humor and whiny vocals. The Lois Armstrongesqe version of Minor Threat's "Straight Edge" is simultaneous hilarious and awesome. (Well, it's hilarious if you've ever heard the nonstop screaming of Minor Threat's version.) Some NOFX fans may complain that this album is not political, but if you have half a brain, then take my word for it, a non-political NOFX is a good NOFX. (As pointed out to me by a friend of mine, those violent global trade protestors always seem to be wearing NOFX T-shirts.)
Elton John
Album: Honky Chateau
Not only does this Elton John album include "Rocket Man", "Honky Cat", and "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself", it also contains my favorite Elton John song of all time: "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters". Elton John and Bernie Taupin released these songs in - get ready for this - 1972. I would own this album solely for "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters", which is one of John's and Taupin's most beautiful and saddest songs they've ever written. If all popular music had the melodies and the rich musical texture of Elton John, the world would be a much, much happier place.
Barenaked Ladies
Album: Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001
I have never owned a Barenaked Ladies album until this one, so I can proudly admit trying to jump onto the bandwagon long after it passed me by. Hearing "Pinch Me" in a friend's car clinched it for me. ("I just made you say underwear" is a great line.) I remember when "One Week" came out on the radio, and at the time I thought they were some white band ripping off the style of rap and that they would disappear in a year and never be heard from again. Now, I listen to the song all the time, along with the rest of the catchy songs on this album. This is one of those CDs that makes you realize how good rock music can be with a little vocal ability and songwriting talent.
Various artists
Album: Reloaded (compilation)
This double CD is as close as you can get to teleporting yourself to London and back in time to the year 2000. The only radio station I listen to at work is Virgin Radio, and this album has everything they would have played in 2000. British pop music has arguably been better than American pop music for a decade, and this CD shows it. It has some bands you may have heard of, like James, Oasis, The Stereophonics, Blur, and the New Radicals, as well as some other Brit-pop bands that never really made it across the Atlantic, like Catatonia and Pulp. Not a lot of songs stand out tremendously, but it's got a great mix of 37 good pop songs that are all worth listening to.
Nobody important
Album: Pickin' on U2: a Bluegrass Tribute
I actually bought this album as a joke, because I thought it would be a lot of hokey banjo versions of U2 songs. I was pleasantly surprised. It makes you appreciate U2's songwriting, as you hear how good the instrumental versions of their songs sound when played with banjos, mandolins, and slide guitars. My favorite is "With or Without You", but the entire album can easily be listened to all the way through.
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