An ex of mine just called and said she had all her CDs stolen. Her insurance will only cover 25 new discs, and she wants me to send her my recommendations for 10 albums that she MUST have. I figured, okay, no problem - but now that I've sat down to compile the list, boiling down half a century of potential albums into 10 slots is no easy feat.

I've been trying to take into account her taste ('80s REM, Lucinda Williams, JAMC's Darklands, Nick Lowe, early Tom Waits, no dance, no techno, no hip hop), which has helped to keep a few things OFF the list, but still I've got nothing on it.

Recent (ish) albums I figure she'd like would be

the Drive-by Truckers Dirty South
Frank Black Black Letter Days
the Weakerthans Reconstruction Site
Joe Henry Trampoline
Tift Merritt Tambourine
Scott Miller & the Commonwealth Thus Always To Tyrants
Ike Reilly Salesmen & Racists
Warren Zanes Memory Girls
Spoon Girls Can Tell
Super Furry Animals Phantom Power

And that's a list obviously not taking into account older classics like Exile On Main Street, Return of the Grievous Angel, London Calling, Lady Soul, My Aim Is True, etcetera etcetera.

So, seeing as it's established that every Obnite knows everything about anything better than anbody, how would you go about doing this?

What are the 10 albums this woman needs?

I am horrible at women's needs, but I really like those albums and think that's a great start for begining a new collection.

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On a Gravel Road

Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde

edit: ohhhh recent....

In narrowing it down, I'd recommend she buy more recent stuff or rare stuff first since she can probably get a lot of the older CDs like London Calling used somewhere.

I like your list. I like that Weakerthans Reconstruction Site is on there, fantastic album.

All of 'em, eh? That sucks. I had "A" - half of "R" stolen by some bastid at the moving company when we trekked out to Chicago in '98. I can't begin to tell you how much that sucks.

As for a top ten, how 'bout dese:

Talking Heads: Fear Of Music
Kate Bush: Lionheart
Psychedelic Furs: Forever Now
Robyn Hitchcock: Element Of Light
The B-52's: s/t
The Buzzcocks: Love Bites
The Ramones: s/t
The Go-Betweens: Before Hollywood
Chameleons UK: Strange Times
Audience: The House On The Hill

Naw, it doesn't have to be recent. But once I open that classic album can o' worms it's gonna be impossible to narrow it down to 10.

Car Wheels is a good choice (although I'd probably pick the self-titled LW disc), but I expect that LW is on her own list of stuff she's gonna buy regardless of my input.

That's definitely one to consider.

Maybe some Cowboy Junkies?

There's no accounting for some people's tastes. That and women are crazy. Get her a gift certificate to your favorite media store/site and let her whimsy lead the way.

Mark Lanegan :: Bubblegum?

a.m. -
does she have an aversion to pj harvey, neko case or cat power ?

almost forgot - nice to see Scott Miller mentioned round these parts !

np - sensation junkies

Wilson Phillips?

Merzbow

songs: ohia - Didn't It Rain
Corn Sisters - The Other Women
Jim White - Drill a Hole In That Substrate ...
Boss - Darkness On The Edge of Town
Wilco - YHF
Serge Gainsbourg - Vol. 8 Aux Armes et Caetera (78-81)
Ween - Mollusk
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Stereolab - Instant 0 In the Universe ep
Duane Eddy - Twang Thang: Anthology

Not as such. Neko Case is a good choice, but she'd be more a fan of The Virginian than Blacklisted. Likewise, PJ is probably a little too harsh for her yuppified ears. And the only aversion to Cat Power is mine.

How's thangs, Mark? You may have noticed there were no old folks at the Falini gig in Seattle. Meant to send you a note saying we couldn't make it. How'd it go?

Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up on Me

She'd totally dig about half of this. The other half might lead to a pipe bomb in my mailbox.


Yeh, this is a possibility. If we could just take that Barenaked Ladies track off it and replace it with "Handcuffed To A Fence In Mississippi".


Maybe I could just swap you for your copy.


Pipe bomb.


That is a fine idea!

off the top of my head:

liz phair ~ whip smart
ani difranco ~ living in clip
fiona apple ~ tidal
lucinda williams ~ car wheels on a gravel road
sleater kinney ~ dig me out
aimee mann ~ ultimate collection
portishead ~ dummy
pj harvey ~ dry
mazzy star ~ so tonight that i might see
lauryn hill ~ unplugged

Following your lead and not opening the "classic" albums can of worms:

Joe Pisapia "Daydreams"
Chris Bell "I am the Cosmos"
Camper Van Beethoven "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart"
Television "Marquee Moon"
Morphine "Cure for Pain"
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions "Rattlesnakes"
Echo & the Bunnymen "Crocodiles"
Wilco "Being There"
Jules Shear "The Great Puzzle"
Robyn Hitchock & the Egyptians "Element of Light" (2nd'ed)

I feel the same way, but prefer 'Furnace Room Lullaby' to all three.






Hey no worries. It went very well, thanks. Great turnout for both shows.
Other than my old ass, I didn't notice many from the geriatric contingent. Just plenty of kids who want the hits and plenty to drink. On a side-note I made it over to the EMP at the Space Needle to check out the Dylan exhibit which was quite extensive and very cool. Plenty of clips I'd never seen before.

np -sensation junkies

Kinda based on what my wife tolerates:

Matthew Sweet -- Girlfriend
jayhawks -- Hollywood Town Hall
Maria Mckee -- s/t
Toad the Wet Sprocket -- any of 'em
Go Betweens -- 16 Lovers lane
The Connells -- One Simple Word

sounds like a good choice to me. I am seeing Lucinda tonight at the Crystal Ballroom - sweet.

damn, i'm jealous

oh, and gordo, good call on The Jayhawks; Guster - "Lost and Gone Forever" is a good call as well

Oh yeah. Definitely.