12 Weeks, How Many Records? Part 2

So I’m working at a library again and there’s this guy who’s put over 200 CDs on hold. At the same time. That’s led to some discussion about how he’s going to listen to them all. Someone floated the idea he’s a DJ; I like to think trucker. Regardless, there’s widespread doubt he’d listen to them all. Checkouts for three weeks, then you get three renewals – so in theory, twelve weeks to listen to 200 records. And all these discussions got me thinking. I could listen to 200 records in twelve weeks. Right?

Well I decided to keep track. What follows will be every record that I’ve listened to in full over the next twelve weeks, starting August 5th. I’m not gonna include repeats, even though I’ll definitely give a good chunk of these more than one spin; the idea is to see how many different records I listen to, not to count how many times I listen to, say, Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes, in three months.

I’ll break it up into three week segments: 1) initial checkout (8/5-8/26), 2) first renewal (8/27-9/16), 3) second renewal (9/17-10/7), and 4) final renewal (10/8-10/28). That’ll take me up to October 28th. I’ll have a few short sentences about the record and a link to check it out. And so, without further ado, let the great experiment begin!

52) Russian Circles - Blood Year (2019, Sargent House)
Ever see a band live and think, ‘this would be great without the singer?’ Well that’s Russian Circles. Eschewing a vocalist, they manage to deliver some kick-ass, guitar driven compositions that operate absolutely perfectly in absence of the written word delivered over-top. Blood Year is their seventh full length, so they’ve got their system down.
Listen on Bandcamp

53) A Wilhelm Scream - Ruiner (2005, Nitro Records)
Back in high school, I really enjoyed Ruiner. And then I kinda forgot about A Wilhelm Scream for a long time. I saw them live when I lived in Albany and they’re incredible. Very few punk bands play that fast, that tight, and that technical. Ruiner’s got some great moments where they show that all off.
Listen on YouTube

54) Brutal Youth - Stay Honest (2013, Get Party Records)
I could be lazy and tell you to just head over here, cause I’ve already written on here about how awesome Stay Honest is. But I could also just tell you again, because every song on here is super short and fast hardcore and you should probably just go listen to them all again.
Listen on Bandcamp

55) Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea (2006, Napalm Records)
Winter is always used in metal for it’s dark and grim narratives. You know what else is dark and deep and foreboding? The bottom of the fucking ocean. Ahab mine the depths for their nautical inspired funeral doom and none is better than their masterclass The Call of the Wretched Sea. If Herman Melville wrote a funeral doom soundtrack to Moby-Dick, this is it.
Listen on Bandcamp

56) Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs Of The Americas (1998, Hopeless Records)
57) Dillinger Four - Versus God (2000, Hopeless Records)
Has radical politics ever sounded this catchy? Has pop-punk ever been so outspokenly political? Nobody does it quite like D4. Endless legions of punk bands coming out of the Twin Cities will inevitably draw comparisons to and inspiration from D4.
Listen to Midwestern Songs Of The Americas on YouTube
Listen to Versus God on YouTube

58) Against All Authority - All Fall Down (1998, Hopeless Records)
Mixing ska-punk and hardcore, Against All Authority created a sound of their own. Never has ska music sounded so damn pissed off. But with a band as blatantly, radically political as Against All Authority (the name kinda gave it away, right?), it works perfectly.
Listen on YouTube

59) Bad Religion - Suffer (1988, Epitaph Records)
60) Bad Religion - No Control (1989, Epitaph Records)
I think Suffer is my favorite Bad Religion record, though No Control would be a close second. Greg Graffin’s lyrics are brilliant and every song is just so fast and catchy and meaningful. Easily two of the top punk records of all time, by a band that’s been pumping out quality, more or less, for quite a long time.
Listen to Suffer on YouTube
Listen to No Control on YouTube

61) Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose (2002, No Idea Records)
62) Against Me! - As The Eternal Cowboy (2003, Fat Wreck Chords)
We’ve already talked about how Reinventing Axl Rose is an all-time awesome record. But As The Eternal Cowboy is pretty fantastic too. Lots of short, catchy songs, ranging from the folksy (Sink, Florida, Sink) to fast punk rock (You Look Like I Need A Drink). Basically, this shit rules.
Listen to Reinventing Axl Rose on Bandcamp
Listen to As The Eternal Cowboy on Bandcamp

63) Nux Vomica - Asleep In The Ashes (2009, Aborted Society Records)
Epic crust punk like this doesn’t get the respect it deserves for its musical chops and arrangements. The creativity to craft compositions like this really is impressive. It goes so far beyond what you would normally associate with scummy, crusty punk. Thought provoking lyrics and complex constructions over multiple double-digit songs make Asleep In The Ashes one to check out, especially if you’re not ready for Nux Vomica’s elaborate and majestic self-titled offering (3 songs in about 45 minutes).
Listen on YouTube

64) Propagandhi - Less Talk, More Rock (1996, Fat Wreck Chords)
The last Propagandhi release with John Samson and the last one that didn’t show off it’s metal influences, Less Talk, More Rock is legendary. Radical, progressive lyrics (pro-feminist, animal-friendly, anti-fascist, and gay-positive as the disc proclaims), the fourteen songs here are a scattershot of 90s Propagandhi. Musically all over the place, but the punk is catchy and the lyrics mean something. And is there any other band that could write an analogy with the Steve Smith own-goal like Propagandhi?
Listen on YouTube

65) High On Fire - Death Is This Communion (2007, Relapse Records) The genius of High On Fire is that they have their style down. They are remarkably consistent over eight full lengths, thus far, and they showcase that stoner/doom style that is a logical extension of Sleep’s stoner metal. Matt Pike and crew know exactly how to write some ripping stoner/doom tunes, and Death Is This Communion is just as good of a place to jump in as any.
Listen on Bandcamp

66) The Falcon - Unicornography (2006, Red Scare Industries)
Another extension of Brendan Kelly’s twisted imagination, the Falcon is basically another outlet for his songs that don’t fit in with the Lawrence Arms. Teaming up with fellow Slapstick alumni Dan Andriano, Unicornography is basically the accompaniment to Oh! Calcutta! Some of my favorite songs ever come off of this record (Unicorn Odyssey).
Listen on Bandcamp

67) The Menzingers - After The Party (2017, Epitaph Records)
The themes on this record really hit a bit harder in your 30s. It’s weird how, in a way, the Menzingers provided a soundtrack for growing old, as After the Party doesn’t really sound a whole lot like Chamberlin Waits. But they’ve bounced back from a lackluster On The Impossible Past with some solid records, and After The Party has some of my favorite songs they’ve done over the years. They’ve grown quite a bit since I saw them circa 2011 in the tiny Underground Lounge.
Listen on YouTube

68) The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches - Three Cheers For Disappointment (2006, Kill Normal Records)
Oh man, I hadn’t listened to this record in so damn long. You now know Jeff Rosenstock for everything he’s done with Bomb the Music Industry and under his own name. But back in the day, the Arrogant Sons of Bitches played some rad, rapid-fire ska punk. Looking for the origin of Bomb or wanting to track the evolution of Jeff’s music, Three Cheers for Disappointment is a landmark.
Listen on Quote Unquote Records

69) Night Birds - Mutiny At Muscle Beach (2015, Fat Wreck Chords)
I have a hard time describing Night Birds. It’s really energetic punk rock, bordering on hardcore, with a little chaos, whoas and singalongs, and some surf vibes. It’s a lot of fun and they’re clearly having a good time. Add in the fact that they throw in Seinfeld references and it’s hard to go wrong with Night Birds.
Listen on Bandcamp

70) Shorebirds - It's Gonna Get Ugly (2008, Rumbletowne Records)
From one kind of bird to another, this was Mattie Canino’s band between Latterman and RVIVR. You can really hear the evolution as they were trying out some different sounds. This was pretty much all that Shorebirds did, so they’re not as well known as either band that came before or after. But if you dig Canino’s music, It’s Gonna Get Ugly is essential.
Listen on Bandcamp

71) Two Cow Garage - Sweet Saint Me (2010, Suburban Home Records)
I found out recently that Two Cow Garage frontman Micah Schnabel wrote a novel. It’s very fitting, as like another musician-turned-novelist John Darnielle, his lyrics have that creativity and verbosity. Songs tell stories and Sweet Saint Me showcases Schnabel’s versatility as a storyteller and the means through which he relays these tales.
Listen on YouTube

72) After The Fall - Fort Orange (2009, Raise Your Fist Records)
73) After The Fall - Eradication (2010, Shield Recordings)
74) After The Fall - Unkind (2013, Paper + Plastick)
When I lived in Albany After the Fall was kinda like the house band. I saw them live a ton over those two years and their melodic hardcore/punk rock quickly burned it’s way into my brain. I love these three records, and it was so cool witnessing the evolution of the songs on Unkind, which is particularly heavy. Some of these songs mean so much and I really miss seeing this band play all the time.
Listen to Fort Orange on Bandcamp
Listen to Eradication on Bandcamp
Listen to Unkind on Bandcamp

75) AFI - Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes (1997, Nitro Records)
Some of my favorite records are the ones where bands decide ‘to hell with the brakes’ and just play everything as fast as they can. Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes has AFI embracing some of the darker feels we’d see on Black Sails or Art of Darkness. But there’s still the speed of the band who wrote “I Wanna Get A Mohawk” only a couple years earlier. It’s that transition that makes Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes such a phenomenal record. It’s basically the best of both of those eras of AFI.
Listen on YouTube

76) Kid Dynamite - Kid Dynamite (1998, Jade Tree)
77) Kid Dynamite - Shorter, Faster, Louder (2000, Jade Tree)
78) None More Black - File Under Black (2003, Fat Wreck Chords)
79) Paint It Black - CVA (2003, Jade Tree)
80) Paint It Black - Paradise (2005, Jade Tree)
81) Paint It Black - New Lexicon (2008, Jade Tree)
Kid Dynamite played melodic hardcore better than just about anybody. Short, sharp blasts of catchy sing-alongs, their two full-lengths are full of great moments and positive lyrics about the power of punk rock. Following their split Jason Shevchuk formed the more melodic None More Black, with wonderful Seinfeld references on File Under Black. Meanwhile Paint It Black went deeper into the faster and heavier hardcore realm, best emphasized by the fantastic Paradise.
Listen to Kid Dynamite on Bandcamp
Listen to Shorter, Faster, Louder on Bandcamp
Listen to File Under Black on Bandcamp
Listen to CVA on Bandcamp

82) Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead (1984, Enigma)
Tolkien nerds know Cirith Ungol as the ‘Pass of the Spider.’ Ya know, that tunnel that Frodo went through where he was attacked by Shelob, the giant spider. Metalheads know Cirith Ungol as an influential, though short-lived, classic metal band. Playing old-school metal with some doom vibes, they also had some rad fantasy literature/D&D inspired cover art.
Listen on Bandcamp

83) Crypt Sermon - The Ruins Of Fading Light (2019, Dark Descent Records)
There’s a lot of bands revitalizing old school sounds from the early days of metal. Retro thrash was big for a while, but a lot of bands seem to be drinking from the well of traditional metal. Crypt Sermon fall into that group, playing some epic doom in the vein of bands like Candlemass. They’re one of the best modern bands playing that style, so if that’s your thing, you gotta give Crypt Sermon a listen.
Listen on Bandcamp

84) Love & Squalor - New Blood, New Songs (2007, Self-Released)
85) Love & Squalor - Among The Ruins, Rejoice (2013, Self-Released)
86) Turnspit - Desire Paths (2018, Dodgeball Records)
I’ve already written on here about how much I love those Love & Squalor releases, particularly New Blood, New Songs. Those songs are just so uplifting and it’s fun sing-along pop punk. So it was cool to see that resurface in Turnspit years later. Similar vibes, but a more mature, reflective tone. It’s a bummer that Turnspit has since called it quits, but I’m excited to see what comes next.
Listen to New Blood, New Songs on Bandcamp
Listen to Among The Ruins, Rejoice
Listen to Desire Paths on Bandcamp

87) Empyrium - Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays (1999, Prophecy Productions)
88) Empyrium - Weiland (2002, Prophecy Productions)
I pulled Empyrium out that weekend in early September when it was kinda chilly out. They’re good when the weather starts to turn. These two records are straight up neofolk (and oh, hey, I’ve already talked about one of them before. Check it out if you want a mellow trip through the woods, instead of a grim and frostbitten one.
Listen to Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays on Bandcamp
Listen to Weiland on Bandcamp

89) Gridlink - Amber Gray (2008, Hydra Head Records)
90) Gridlink - Orphan (2011, Hydra Head Records
91) Gridlink - Longhena (2014, Selfmadegod Records)
There really aren’t any grindcore bands that sound like Gridlink. There’s a technicality here that’s not present elsewhere. The proficiency with the guitars and the creativity to craft epics in such short time spans is incredible. Even the vocals seem majestic for a grindcore band. For a band who’s recorded output barely hits forty-five minutes, there’s some enlightening stuff here, especially on the grind finale Longhena.
Listen to Amber Gray on Bandcamp
Listen to Orphan on Bandcamp
Listen to Longhena on Bandcamp

92) Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963, Columbia)
Bob Dylan fucking rules.
Listen on YouTube

93) Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz (1980, Jet Records)
94) Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell (1980, Warner Bros. Records)
Yeah, you all know about “Crazy Train” and if that riff is being played at sports games, then everyone fucking knows it. But the rest of Blizzard of Ozz is pretty solid stuff, if surprisingly mellow, for Ozzy’s solo debut. He tackles some tough issues lyrically, but it’s fascinating to see how the record has aged to what’ll be forty years next year. At the same time, his former Sabbath bandmates recruited the awesome Ronnie James Dio and put out one of Sabbath’s highest water marks, and certainly the highest post-Ozzy. Heaven and Hell lets Dio’s voice shine, and Tony Iommi really got to show off his chops, with some great shredding here.
Listen to Blizzard of Ozz on YouTube
Listen to Heaven and Hell on YouTube

95) Killswitch Engage - Atonement (2019, Metal Blade Records)
On their eighth full length, Killswitch Engage has their style down. You know exactly what to expect here. And it’s pretty consistent throughout. The beginning and the end of the record hit the highest, particularly “The Crownless King” featuring Testament’s Chuck Billy and the epic closing pair of “I Can’t Be the Only One” and “Bite the Hand that Feeds.” And the duet with former vocalist Howard Jones in “The Signal Fire” is a pretty unique touch. A solid record.
Listen on YouTube

96) Brutal Youth - Bottoming Out (2015, Paper + Plastick)
97) Brutal Youth - Sanguine (2016, Stomp Records)
Remember when I talked about how awesome Brutal Youth was like forty records ago. Well, here they are again, kicking ass. Bottoming Out is a short EP with some singalongs about just that. Sanguine doesn’t have quite the extent of the whoas on their earlier material and is a bit longer, but shows that even hardcore bands can evolve their sound without going crazy off topic.
Listen to Bottoming Out on Bandcamp
Listen to Sanguine on Bandcamp

98) Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995, Napalm Records)
Summoning really kickstarted their own sub-genre of black metal. Nobody sounded like them when Minas Morgul dropped in 1995, and very few bands are able to pull off a similar sound today without sounding like total rip-offs. Mixing keyboard driven black metal with some incredible vocal performances, they totally stand out. Just listen to that keyboard line in “The Passing of the Grey Company” and tell me it’s not gonna get stuck in your head.
Listen on YouTube

99) Have Heart - What Counts (2004, Think Fast! Records)
100) Have Heart - The Things We Carry (2006, Bridge Nine Records)
101) Have Heart - Songs To Scream At The Sun (2008, Bridge Nine Records)
102) Sweet Jesus - You Destroy Yourself (2015, Atomic Action Records)
103) Fiddlehead - Springtime And Blind (2018, Run For Cover Records)
Have Heart is one of the best hardcore bands ever. They kicked out some absolutely phenomenal music during their too short existence; perfect hardcore singalongs with meaning that are totally uplifting too. Listen to incredible The Things We Carry and tell me you don’t have a newfound energy. Vocalist Pat Flynn followed up with Sweet Jesus, joining with former Have Heart members and dudes from Drop Dead and Fucking Invincible to create a total mid-80s Dischord record. Then came Fiddlehead, a more post- record, with a more mature and melodic vibe. It’s like going from Minor Threat to Fugazi.
Listen to What Counts on Bandcamp
Listen to The Things We Carry on Bandcamp
Listen to Songs To Scream at the Sun on Bandcamp
Listen to You Destroy Yourself on Bandcamp
Listen to Springtime And Blind on Bandcamp

104) Fugazi - 13 Songs (1989, Dischord Records)
105) Fugazi - Repeater (1990, Dischord Records)
Speaking of… If you know me you know I love pretty much everything that Ian MacKaye does. Fugazi is no exception. While I prefer Minor Threat (see that bit about loving fast and loud music), Fugazi fall into their own special category of creative and influential.
Listen to 13 Songs on Bandcamp
Listen to Repeater on Bandcamp

106) No One Knows What The Dead Think - No One Knows What The Dead Think (2019, Willowtip Records)
Wow, I barely clicked play before it seemed like this was over. Remember everything that I wrote about Gridlink like fifteen records ago? That pretty much all applies here. Harmonic and technical grindcore that absolutely rips.
Listen on Bandcamp

107) Avail - 4AM Friday (1996, Lookout! Records)
108) Avail - Over The James (1998, Lookout! Records)
109) Cock Sparrer - Shock Troops (1983, Razor Records)
110) Descendents - Milo Goes To College (1982, New Alliance Records)
111) Rise Against - Revolutions Per Minute (2003, Fat Wreck Chords)
112) Teenage Bottlerocket - Freak Out! (2012, Fat Wreck Chords)
113) Slayer - Show No Mercy (1983, Metal Blade Records)
114) Slayer - Haunting The Chapel (1984, Metal Blade Records)
115) Slayer - Hell Awaits (1985, Metal Blade Records)
116) Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986, Def Jam Recordings)
I didn’t make it to Riot Fest this year, so I sat at home and listened to a bunch of the bands that were playing and wished I could be there instead. Avail’s always seemed like one of those underrated bands, who put out kickass records that I don’t listen to enough. Shock Troops is fucking fantastic — “We’re Coming Back” is up there in my list of favorite songs — and they were incredible live when I saw them at Riot Fest 2014. Milo Goes To College is a classic and you probably have, or should have, listened to it dozens of times by now. I still have a soft spot for Rise Against. Revolutions Per Minute doesn’t really have any mediocre songs on it – I can’t wait for them to play this in full at Riot Fest instead of hoping they’ll play a song this old. Few bands are as fun and goofy as Teenage Bottlerocket; see “Necrocomicon” for just one example. And yes, you know Reign In Blood. But pretty much everything that Slayer did in the 80s is essential. Their early stuff just screams like a release that would be on Hells Headbangers today.
Listen to 4AM Friday on Bandcamp
Listen to Over The James on Bandcamp
Listen to Shock Troops on YouTube
Listen to Milo Goes to College on YouTube
Listen to Revolutions Per Minute on Bandcamp
Listen to Freak Out! on Bandcamp
Listen to Show No Mercy on Bandcamp
Listen to Haunting the Chapel on Bandcamp
Listen to Hell Awaits on Bandcamp
Listen to Reign in Blood on YouTube