Part II

The original Music to Please Your Ears got too long! Therefore, I decided to make a second note that will hopefully be able to accommodate the rest of the albums.

The same deal applies that 10 albums will be reviewed on a weekly basis.

PLEASE COMMENT AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK!
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WEEKS 8 - 9(8/2/10 - 8/8/10):
Starting Next Friday August 13, 2010, there will be 10 Albums listed per week at a time for the remainder of the summer. We are starting the second phase of this music blog and going up to 200 Albums because I just realized how much I love more than just 100 albums. Plus, I have heard good feedback so STAY POSTED! AND PLEASE COMMENT!

Week 8:

71. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Thirteenth Step is one of the biggest surprise albums I have ever stumbled upon. I have my brother's to thank for introducing me to this band and this band to thank for introducing me to some quality music. This album mixes some hard rocking guitar riffs with some powerful vocal projections that make any casual listener become a head-banging fan (well it did for me at least). I thoroughly enjoy how they incorporate their skill with meaningful lyric writing and manage to vary their style from softer tracks that make you want to pick up an acoustic guitar and serenade some lovely ladies, to harder styled tracks that make you want to pick up an electric guitar and rock out with your garage band. Needless to say, this album has it all and I would suggest listening on to their other works if you like them.

[Top Tracks: Weak and Powerless, The Noose, The Stranger]


72. Matchbook Romance - Stories and Alibis
Many of you may think of Matchbook Romance as another one of those whiny teen punk bands. I beg you to give them a second chance. Although they do have the typical acoustic songs that would make thirteen-year-old girls hearts throb, this album does it in an artistic style that is far superior to the likes of Blink-182 and other angsty punk bands. They are all very skilled musicians and have a rocky tinge to them that makes their music very powerful sounding and a great pump up band. I remember listening to them with my brother in the car on the way to school every morning and it would definitely get me in a great mood to start a day of High School, an otherwise semi-boring experience. The awesome music of Stories and Alibis, particularly in the bridge, should convince anyone enough to listen to the rest of the album.

[Top Tracks: Stories and Alibis, Promise, Tiger Lilly]

73. Lostprophets - Start Something
Lostprophets started out their music career with music that many people could not handle (I, initially, was included in that camp). They had a few songs on their album that were very good but others that were tough to swallow because they were very heavy rock/metal that sounded to angry and not melodious enough. Eventually, however, I grew to love them and listened to them more and more. To my happiness, they came out with this album which, on the spectrum of heaviness in their albums, falls in the middle, with Fake Sound of Progress being the heaviest and Liberation Transmission being the softest. The album came out with a band and had a number of single hits that everyone knew. They managed to encapsulate the essence of their heaviness from the first album with a more melodious touch and fill it with very catchy lyrics, while at the same time, providing a guitar-learner plenty to work for when deciding to learn these songs (which are a lot of fun to play). The album is great and will keep you entertained as well as impressed with the production quality of the music. So, ENJOY!

[Top Tracks: Last Train Home, Burn, Burn, Hello Again]

74. My Chemical Romane - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
My Chemical Romance, for many, is a tough pill to swallow. The lead singers schizophrenic voice and the hardcore punk feel to them is not always what people are interested in hearing. That being said, this album is great. It strayed away from their absolutely hard to swallow nature of their first album and created a number of hits that many people sang regularly at the time of their releases. I thoroughly enjoy the strength of the power chords that are played throughout these songs and also I like the unique singing style of this band because it separates these guys from the rest of the bunch. Although they may not be the most unique band in the world, they are one of those bands that is great to listen to every so often to bring back good memories, get your punk fix, or just listen to good music.

[Top Tracks: I'm Not Okay (I Promise), The Ghost of You, To the End]

75. Demolition String Band - Where the Wild, Wild Flowers Grow
I love this album. I can thank my Dad for getting it for the family and playing it regularly on Saturday mornings. This folky band is excellent and they sure know how to create a typically folky, fiddly, southern feel to them with their vocalist as well as style of play. If you are interested in wetting your beak in a bit of out of the popular culture music, not to say its indie at all, this is where you should dabble. They are an excellent group and have great instrumentation coupled with a female vocalist who knows how to sing very well. I highly recommend this for the folk connoisseur as well as the average individual who is interested in exploring other genres of music. Heck, this album is EXACTLY what this blog serves for; To introduce new bands and types of music to the masses!

[Top Tracks: I Threw Away the Key, High On A Mountain, Only the Leading Role]

76. George Gershwin - The Ultimate Gershwin
Not enough can be said by this unbelievably gifted musical genius. This is where people can be proud to be American in the classical world. His music ranges from outstanding musicals to fantastic orchestral works, all the way through to piano sonatas. Gershwin is fantastic. He embodies American Classical Sounds while still possessing an almost poppy flair to his music that makes a non-appreciative-of-classical-music individual even enjoy it. On this album, there is little that is missed. In fact, unless you fall in love with this guy, you probably will NEVER hear of any other music that isn't on this album. It is THE Gershwin album that gives you the best sampling, or rather thorough exposure, to his music.

[Top Tracks: Rhapsody In Blue, Preludes for Piano, Summertime]

77. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
What a crazy couple Gnarls Barkley makes up. They dress extravagantly, put on extravagant shows, but make AWESOME music. When this Chicago group came out, I was very much excited about them because they blended a unique feel with their high pitched vocals accompanied by a good sense of musicality that allows for a fresh take on the pop scene. Gnarls Barkley managed to hit it HUGE with this album, especially with Crazy, being a single take of genius. The album doesn't end with Crazy, although it is it's strongest point. There are plenty of tracks on the album that are worth listening to many times and none that are not worth listening to at least once. I would also recommend listening to their second album because it is also very good.

[Top Tracks: Gone Daddy Gone, Just a Thought, Crazy]

78. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once Soundtrack
Once is one of the best music movies I have seen of all time. If you enjoy romantic stories coupled with beautiful music, this is your cup of tea. The lyrics on these songs are powerful in the sense that they make you truly relate to them as well as contemplate whether or not these two artists were in fact in love with one another. On top of this, they mix acoustic guitar with astonishingly simplistic piano riffs that provide for a style of music that could only be better with amazingly beautiful harmonies. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have listened to this album and thoroughly enjoyed everything it had to offer. Putting the soundtrack to the movie really makes the movie. I would not have enjoyed it so much without this music. I highly recommend it to anyone. It's beautiful.

[Top Tracks: If You Want Me, When Your Mind's Made Up, Falling Slowly]

79. Inti Illimani - Imagination
And again, I have my dad to thank for introducing me to this amazing Chilean group. The music here is probably like nothing the majority of you readers have heard. It is traditional Chilean style music that provides for a unique experience with wind blown instruments and percussion as well as interesting vocals. The music is definitely out of the ordinary, but that is what, in my opinion, makes it so important and necessary for people to listen to. I strongly urge all to listen to this band to learn how diverse music across the world can be and how beautiful it is. I have not gone past this album with this group, however, that is not to say they aren't good, that is simply to say that I haven't done much further research. Do listen to them, and do recommend them to others because they are great.

[Top Tracks: La Ronda, Tema de la Quebrada de Humahuaca, El Mercado de Testaccio]

80. Jem - Finally Woken
Jem rules. I cannot get over how much I love the lead singers voice. She has such a softness to it that it makes me wish it could tuck me in bed and put me to sleep every night haha. Also, she has a great rock feel reminiscent of The Cranberries in that she is a woman singing and is singing alongside some pop songs as well as some rock songs. Additionally, Jem did not finish with this album, she managed to spur her success off of this album but further compounded on it by her second album. She is very talented and is deserving of an interested ear because she will make people enjoy her electronic noises as well as powerful distorted guitars and other ballad-like songs.

[Top Tracks: They, Wish I, Come On Closer]

Week 9:

81. Orishas - Antidiotico
Orishas are a Cuban hip-hop group that know how to tickle the dancing nerve in everyone. Their music is so likable that, regardless if you're a hip-hop fan or not, you will fall in love with their trumpets or their percussion or their singing enough to get you by the rapping. Additionally, they provide for some of the best dance music anyone could ask for. They were so successful, they decided to leave Cuba and began performing across the globe and have moved now unrestricted in providing the world with their excellent music. If Latin music is what you're looking for, don't look any further than this group for starters into the Hip-Hop scene. I assure you, they are TOO much better than the likes of Daddy Yankee or any of those other morons that claim to know how to make good music. They do provide the Reggaeton fan with several of those beats, so if that's what your into as well, don't worry, they do it in a better way than others.

[Top Tracks: Elegante, 537 C.U.B.A., Naci Orishas]

82. The Postal Service - Give Up
I find The Postal Service to be a better group than Death Cab for Cutie, and therefore I felt it necessary to put them on this list because they are what introduced me to Death Cab. The Postal Service uses much more electronica style music than Death Cab, which I enjoy much more because it sounds more interesting and less generic. Additionally, I think their songs have more meaning and less of an objective to satisfy the population with the same-old, same-old. I do like Death Cab but not nearly as much as I like The Postal Service, and I feel that many people have not listened to them, which, I feel, is a travesty, because I guarantee most people will like them. They have very soft sounding music that can be listened to in the background of a nice calm setting, as well as music that is great to sing along to or listen to on a drive home from a party to sort of calm everyone down in preparation for bed.

[Top Tracks: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, Recycled Air, Such Great Heights]

83. Portishead - Dummy
Portishead is one of those bands that manages to perfect minimalist electronica music. I never listened to them very much when my Dad originally got this album and played it in the house because I was not interested, and focused more on punk music. However, after growing older and learning to appreciate bands who master the computer generated sounds, and after having heard so much Portishead in restaurants, I have come to love them. They are truly masters of what they do and have created a sound that often gets mimiced by others bands that have come out more recently. This is the band that it does pay off to listen to their first album and run all the way through their entire discography (only three albums) to hear how their sound changes. It's great. Also, I'm sure many of you will realize, after having listened to them, that THEY were the band that you were hearing in those restaurants because the lead singer's voice is distinct enough to leave an imprint in your mind of who they are.

[Top Tracks: Sour Times, Numb, It Could Be Sweet]

84. (500) Days of Summer Soundtrack
I put this album on here because it is a soundtrack that truly makes the movie all the better. I loved this movie, which many people did not. But that being said, I loved the soundtrack more. Any soundtrack that has Regina Spektor as the theme song writer as well as Hall & Oats is a soundtrack that has me sold right off the bat. They produce this soundtrack beautifully by putting the songs in the exact moments that they needed to be put. I highly recommend this album to anyone who wants to be exposed to a number of great artists who know how to make music. Also, I highly recommend the movie for the fan of Romantic Comedies because I felt it was one of the best of recent years.

[Top Tracks: Us, You Make My Dreams, Bookends]

85. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
This is another album I have Rock Band to thank for exposing me to. If you like guitar, this is your album. If you like country rock, (the old style) this is your album. If you like beautiful tones on instruments, this album is for you. If you are curious about any of those things and more, this album is for you. Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of the greatest guitars of all time and it clearly shows in his ability to absolutely rock in this album. I was very impressed with his ability to solo as well as his ability to create a bluesy, jazzy, southern, rocky feel to his band and at the same time, sing in a way that is very characteristic of him. Although a few tracks sound like small variations of others, he still has many, many a track on this album that provide for great songs to listen to and to try to learn how to play on real guitar and then rock in Rock Band.

[Top Tracks: Testify, Lenny, Dirty Pool]

86. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
A few years ago, back when Chicago 4th of July Fireworks still happened in Monroe Harbor, there was a beautiful display of fireworks that were displayed with the soundtrack of a number of classical, pop, and rock songs that all represented the USA. One of those bands was Sufjan Stevens, with his amazing song, Chicago. As soon as I heard that song, I was sold. Every time I listen to it, it brings back such fond memories and almost tears to my eyes because it fit so beautifully with the fireworks and the ambiance was unbeatable. After that, I explored the rest of his Illinois dedicated album and was very impressed. Stevens provides listeners with beautiful vocals, excellent guitar chord progressions, as well as a sampling of what Illinois has to offer in a beautiful folky way. I loved this album and still do to this day.

[Top Tracks: Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois]

87. Sublime - Sublime
Sublime is a ska, punk, reggae band that truly knew how to make catchy tunes and define a generation. Their lifestyles are not something that I support at all, but that's not to say that they didn't know how to make good music. The music has some very loaded lyrics that many people cannot swallow especially since a lot have to do with some obscene sex acts, yet, this album still is great and proves to be one of the best summertime albums to listen to. Now that it's summer, or regardless if it is when you read this, you should absolutely listen to them because they are great.

[Top Tracks: Santeria, Caress Me Down, What I Got]

88. The Jimmy Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Another of the greatest guitarists of all time, Jimi Hendrix exemplified how far American music had come and was willing to go since it had previously been under the shadow of English bands for the longest time during this generation. When Hendrix came out and decided to challenge the worlds tastes with intense guitar solos as well as out of the ordinary sounds, he and his band became one of the greatest ever to grace our ears. This album grasps that entire concept beautifully and provides for a feeling that is beyond what most people could imagine at the time and what people to this day are thoroughly impressed with when listening to the first time. It may take you a while to be sold by this band, but I assure you, it will be worth listening to at least once because there is so much quality in his music that it would be a shame to never have listened to the Experience.

[Top Tracks: Crosstown Traffic, Voodoo Child, All Along the Watchtower]

89. John Legend - Once Again
John Legend is one of the best singers and pianists of the modern era. He has a milky voice that is always enjoyable to listen to and his ability to write songs is impeccable. He possess a talent that many other artists copy or fail to live up to and he has been able to produce poppy music as well as ballad music throughout his discography. On this album, he shows his ballad side more than anything, and does it beautifully, oftentimes catching the attention of everyone when they listen to it. I feel he truly understands the importance quality music, and continues to make music as good as this first album.

[Top Tracks: PDA, Save Room, Maxine]

90. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Regina Spektor is much like John Legend, except that her vocals are not as if she is the best singer, but rather, she is the most unique sounded singer of the Young-Innocent-Girl-Soft-Voice Singers of today, of whom there are SO many. She is an excellent lyricist and pianist much like John Legend, and she is adorable in concert. She is very humble, even though she is Russian, and she is able to make music that is beyond anything I initially anticipated from her. I love her music and I think many of you will as well because she has such a cute and likable feel to her that it is almost impossible not to!

[Top Tracks: Fidelity, Samson, Summer in the City]