Two Old Two New (2O2N) #2

Two Old

Paul Simon - Graceland. Summer travel has given me time to revisit a lot of classic albums, and there aren't many better suited for Summer driving than Graceland. Pure fun.

Jeff Buckley - "Hallelujah". There's no way you've missed this song (originally a Leonard Cohen song), and you've likely heard Jeff Buckley's rendition, generally considered the best version. It's back on my mind after listening to a podcast in Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History series, titled simply "Hallelujah".

Two New

BØRNS - Dopamine. This has been one of my favorite albums of 2016. From top to bottom, track to track, the songs are confident, emotional, and generally uplifting. And, Garrett Borns hails from my home state of Michigan! You'll probably recognize "Electric Love" and "10,000 Emerald Pools", but I also love "American Money" and the haunting intro to "Past Lives".

Grace - You Don't Own Me (feat. G-Eazy). I've got mixed feelings on old songs being revamped into hip-hop songs, but this one does a decent job.  G-Eazy's raps are clean, easy, and don't overwhelm the song's natural feel, while Grace has the sultry voice needed to do the song justice.

12 Influential Albums

There's a post going around Facebook encouraging people to post "12 albums that left a lasting impression on you". I started jotting down a list, and then quickly became obsessed with the exercise. I've now spent the last week digging back through albums, burnt CDs, and playlists, and my normally quiet mornings prepping veggies at my restaurant have turned into nostalgic album explorations. I'm not sure "left a lasting impression" is a good enough description for this list, but I'm struggling for a better one. Some of these albums were formative for me; some occupy my "all-time best" list; and some spent time with me during important periods of my life.

Queen - Greatest Hits (1981)
311 - Transistor (1997)
Beach Boys - 20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits (1999)
Incubus - Make Yourself (1999)
Dr. Dre - Chronic 2001 (1999)
Stroke 9 - Nasty Little Thoughts (1999)
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane (2002)
Muse - Absolution (2003)
Tally Hall - Marvins Marvelous Mechanical Museum (2005)
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (2006)
Twenty One Pilots - Vessel (2013)