221. Stars - Nightsongs (2001)




Nightsongs is the proper debut album by Stars who are still just Torq and Chris at this point, although there are guest appearances by Metric members Emily Haines and James Shaw, as well as future Star Amy Millan on 'Toxic Holiday'.

More of the same, in regards to their first EP. Mostly electropop, as opposed to the romantic pop they'd grow into with Heart. Not a bad collection of songs. Definitely worth checking out if you like the band's later material. Just know what you're getting into. This isn't as big as a surprise as, say, the first and second Broken Social Scene records. But it's an infancy, all the same.

wow, 2000? Holy shit.

222. Hawksley Workman - (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves (2001)




This was Hawksley's breakthrough album. 'Striptease' was everywhere. I remember seeing it on Much all the time. And hearing it on the radio constantly. Even 'Jealous Of Your Cigarette' got a bit of airplay on tv. But the video for that was great, so that's a good thing.

I discovered Hawksley through 'Striptease' like most people, probably. Which is funny how I can't listen to that song at all now. I usually start this disc on track two.

The rest of this album is really, really good, though. He writes near-perfect pop songs, whether it's the energetic, bouncy 'Little Tragedies' or the slow, enchanting 'No Beginning No End'. His lyrics are poetic, his singing is unique and intoxicating, and the entire package is just wonderful.

223. Guided By Voices - Isolation Drills (2001)




The first Guided By Voices album I ever puchased was Do The Collapse. I found it used at the local record store and I loved the song 'Teenage FBI'. I listened to that album a fair number of times. A couple of times when I first bought it, a few months later, a few months after that. I knew finding it used had been rare, especially in this city, and so I should hang onto it. But it sucked so bad that I just never wanted to listen to it. So I finally sold it.

For a while, I was turned off of the notion of GBV albums. Sure I had a bunch of songs downloaded by them that I loved. But I loved two or three tracks off DTC before I had bought it and it turned out those were the only ones I liked. So I was hesitant to buy anything else.

Eventually, I wound up working at the record store and came across Isolation Drills used. 'Chasing Heather Crazy' and 'Glad Girls' were really good. I also liked 'Frostman'. So I decided to risk it. And thankfully so.

This album is great and I'm glad I gave it the chance it deserved. I still need to pick up some early stuff by them. This is the only album I own by them and that's, what, 2% of their total releases? But for latter-day albums, this is pretty damn good. I don't listen to it often but when I do it rocks me. Tracks like 'Skills Like This', in particular, are so punk that they surprise me each time.

224. Modest Mouse - Sad Sappy Sucker (2001)




This is a collection of Modest Mouse's earliest EP's, songs, and demos. It's almost as bad as their latest album. In different ways, of course.

This collection runs 34 minutes long. There are 24 tracks. Do the math.

The songs are just really amateurish and short. I love Beat Happening and bands like that to death but I can't really listen to this. A couple of the songs are okay. One is even catchy. But most of this is only interesting and not enjoyable. Interesting to see where the band came from and try to figure out how they jumped from this to This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About.

225. The Archies - Absolutely The Best Of (2001)




Like most kids, I had a huge Archie comics collection as a child. I'd usually accompany my dad to the comic shop on his weekly visit. He'd pick up his stack of Spider-Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and X-Men. I'd pick up my little stack of Casper, Felix The Cat, and Archie. In a bunch of comics, the gang would be in a band and play shows or at Veronica's parties at the Lodge house. But this was the early '90s. There was no cartoon show, no music, or anything else.

I actually first heard 'Sugar, Sugar' covered by Mary Lou Lord and Semisonic on the Saturday Morning compilation.

A while later, I finally downloaded it. Then, a couple of other tracks. And I was hooked. It was so bubblegum, so pre-twee, and so catchy and hooky and poppy and fun. So I did some research and was informed that this was the best compilation to pick up. And I haven't regretted it.

Tracks like 'Jingle Jangle' and 'Bang-Shang-A-Lang' are so good. Jeff Barry, Andy Kim, and Ron Dante are just great. But the highlight on tracks like 'Sugar, Sugar' and 'Who's Your Baby?' is definitely the female vocals, supplied by Toni Wine and Donna Marie.

Sure, it's not very substantial. It's about as filling as a box of sugar-coated cereal or a pack of bubblegum. But it's fun and perfect for sunny days.

my advice is to trade in half these record and spend the money on Neil Young Records, 80's synth pop 12"s, and mid 90s east coast hip hop

your standing with me will improve a ridiculous degree

Only if "most kids" is drawn from Napoleon Dynamite's family.

226. Broken Social Scene - Feel Good Lost (2001)




Back in the day, Broken Social Scene was a duo. Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning recorded an album of instrumental post-rock a la friends Do Make Say Think.

I'm generally not a fan of instrumental music. I haven't had a lot of exposure to it so it ends up feeling incomplete, like "that's good. Now once you add the vocals, you'll really have something."

This is the only instrumental album in my collection. I do quite enjoy this but I still use it more as background music than something I put on to listen to. Though it's my perfect go-to album for when I'm reading or painting.

What about the Dave Brubeck and Vince Guaraldi albums you posted about way back?