Author: jasonmatthewplank
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Ornette Coleman ‘The Shape of Jazz to Come’ (1959)
Despite being released 65 years ago The Shape of Jazz to Come remains a cornerstone of the avant-garde jazz movement that upended the genre at the conclusion of the decade. At the time it was radical departure from conventional jazz structures, heralding a new era in the genre with its innovative approach, primarily its removal…
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Big Daddy Kane ‘Long Live The Kane’ (1988)
Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane is a seminal album in the golden age of hip-hop. It has the distinction of also being one of the most sampled albums from that era– legendary MC’s like Nas, Beastie Boys, The Notorious B.I.G., and MF Doom have all sampled beats and lyrics from this album, with…
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Hot Snakes ‘Jericho Sirens’ (2018)
Hot Snakes’ Jericho Sirens marked a triumphant return for the garage punk band, delivering a raw, electrifying blend of punk rock and post-hardcore that captured the ferocious energy and unrefined edge that defined Hot Snakes’ sound during the mid-aughts. The record is notable for its urgent, driving rhythms and jagged guitar riffs, hallmarks of their…
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The Fall of Troy ‘Doppelganger’ (2006)
The Fall of Troy was an underground favorite of mine during high school– their innovative blend of post-hardcore, math rock, and progressive metal was a dynamic addition to my musical repertoire that coincided with my love for post-hardcore bands like Underoath. Doppelganger is by far their best album in my eyes, and features all the…
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Funkadelic ‘Maggot Brain’ (1971)
Parliament and Funkadelic, both spearheaded by George Clinton, represented two intertwined facets of his unique musical vision. Parliament, originally the name of Clinton’s doo-wop group in the 60’s, eventually evolved into a more mainstream, funk-oriented band known for its vibrant and theatrical style (their 1975 album Mothership Connection is a favorite of mine). Funkadelic on…
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Tito Puente ‘Dance Mania’ (1958)
A whirlwind of vibrant mambo and cha-cha beats. Fiery timbales and brass-fueled arrangements. Dance Mania is everything that makes Latin music cool, energetic, and simply just fun as hell. Composer Puente masterfully blends traditional Cuban sounds with the sizzle of New York’s late night dance scene, creating a fiesta of infectious grooves and exhilarating performances…
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Jefferson Airplane ‘Surrealistic Pillow’ (1967)
Jefferson Airplane played a pivotal role in shaping San Francisco’s psychedelic rock scene during the mid-1960s, serving at the forefront of the counterculture movement that dominated the city and embodying the experimental shift that was happening in popular music at the time. Their complex compositions, soulful vocals, innovative guitar work, and hazy reverb-drenched production helped…
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Open Mike Eagle ‘Brick Body Kids Still Daydream’ (2017)
Brick Body Kids Still Daydream pays tribute to Open Mike Eagle’s housing project, the Robert Taylor Homes, which he grew up in on Chicago’s South Side. Amidst the album Open Mike Eagle subtly navigates the dynamics of that upbringing– the hopes, the dreams, the bruised reality of living in a housing project filled with violence.…
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Ice Cube ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’ (1990)
Fresh off an acrimonious split with his prior group N.W.A. and riding the wave of massive superstardom that came along with their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, Ice Cube hit the studio to record his debut solo album. What he delivered in the face of those expectations is largely considered a hip-hop classic. It’s pretty…
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EPMD ‘Strictly Business’ (1988)
From the opening note of EPMD’s Strictly Business it’s clear what Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith are here to do– deliver memorable hooks over soulful samples with a confident, no-frills approach that captures the spirit of late 80’s hip-hop. The production is crisp and funky. The vocal delivery is smooth and measured. The bass lines…
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J Dilla ‘Donuts’ (2006)
It was the winter of 2006 and iconic beatmaster J Dilla was in and out of the hospital. With his previous chart-topping performances with artists like Common, The Roots, Mos Def, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes in the rearview mirror, and his health quickly deteriorating due to a rare terminal blood illness, Dilla got to…
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Veeze ‘Ganger’ (2023)
It’s hard to find a rapper who has reached immense online popularity while at the same time being seemingly unaware of the fact that he’s in front of a microphone than Veeze. The Detroit MC almost sleepwalks through his bars, slurring his enunciation on every syllable, and yet it sort of works the more you…
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Nicki Minaj ‘Pink Friday’ (2010)
Pink Friday reshaped the hip hop landscape in a way that has a lot of parallels to Lil’ Kim’s magnum opus Hard Core. It marked the rise of Minaj as a multifaceted artist, blending rap with pop, and broadening hip hop’s appeal to a more diverse audience. And like Kim before her, Minaj’s dynamic persona…
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Geto Boys ‘We Can’t Be Stopped’ (1991)
In terms of memorable album covers We Can’t Be Stopped is a memorable entry. The cover features a real-life photo of Bushwick Bill in the hospital, flanked by his bandmates Scarface and Willie D, as he recovered from emergency surgery after getting shot in the eye following an argument with his then-girlfriend. The provocative nature…
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Slick Rick ‘The Great Adventures of Slick Rick’ (1988)
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is, in a word, surprisingly obscene. When you think of the Golden Age of Hip Hop of the 1980’s you typically think of smooth flows with a bit of braggadocious spirit, some strong political statements a la Public Enemy, or something a bit cheesy like MC Hammer or Vanilla…
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The Beach Boys ‘Surfin’ Safari’ (1962)
The Beach Boys occupy a pretty important niche within the lexicon of American pop music. For the majority of the band’s career they cranked out campy lively surf rock anthems which captured the essence of the early 1960s Southern California surf culture, celebrating the carefree spirit of beach life and surfing. It’s basically the audio…
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João Gilberto ‘Chega de Saudade’ (1959)
João Gilberto’s debut album Chega de Saudade is largely credited with being the first Bossa Nova album of all-time, setting the stage for the proliferation of the genre to gain immense popularity in its native country of Brazil during the 60’s and 70’s. João Gilberto fused samba rhythms with the harmonies and sophistication of jazz,…
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Vince Staples ‘Big Fish Theory’ (2017)
Following the success of his breakthrough 2015 album Summertime ’06 Vince Staples was at somewhat of a career and personal crossroads. On one hand Staples was free from the shackles of his upbringing in Long Beach that saw him experience gang violence and poverty on a daily basis. On the other hand, Staples was now…
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Carl Perkins ‘Dance Album’ (1957)
Carl Perkins is sort of a forgotten pioneer of American rockabilly, a musician whose influential sound helped shape the early days of rock and roll and gave birth to some of its biggest stars. Take for example his massive hit “Blue Suede Shoes”– most people associate that song with Elvis Presley (for obvious reasons), but…
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Gang Starr ‘Moment of Truth’ (1998)
Moment of Truth feels like peak 90’s hip hop— Guru’s commanding, introspective lyrics paired with DJ Premier’s meticulously crafted beats have that raw authenticity which defined a lot of “underground” hip hop from that era. It’s polished but unpretentious, keeping one foot in the Golden Age of Hip Hop of the 80’s and the other…
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Nine Inch Nails ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ (1989)
In the early 1990s, a seismic shift rippled through the music world when the enigmatic Trent Reznor emerged from the industrial underground with a sound that would forever alter the landscape of industrial music. Their debut album Pretty Hate Machine was a visceral exploration of pain, alienation, and existential dread. It blended the mechanical rhythms…
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Knocked Loose ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ (2024)
American hardcore music is kind of having a moment as of late, and Knocked Loose’s third album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To is a good representation of what it’s all about– thick as all hell, with a mixture of post-hardcore screams from mid-aughts heavyweights like Underoath and the rhythm section of industrial metal…
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Rise Against ‘Appeal to Reason’ (2007)
As a certified Warped Tour kid I’ve always had a deep appreciation for some of the more veteran punk rock acts that are still going strong and cranking out meaningful music. Much like their contemporaries Bad Religion and Hot Water Music, the Chicago-based hardcore punk outfit Rise Against has carved out a really nice career…
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Player ‘Player’ (1977)
Player’s self-titled debut album introduced listeners to the band’s smooth blend of soft rock that would be featured on yacht rock playlists for years to come. Featuring a polished sound and sophisticated production, the album is best known for its hit single “Baby Come Back” which effectively defines yacht rock for me– catchy melodies, harmonies…
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Duke Ellington ‘Such Sweet Thunder’ (1957)
Duke Ellington’s piano playing was a cornerstone of his influential career, characterized by its sophistication, creativity, and emotional depth. Ellington’s approach to the piano was as distinctive as his compositions– blending intricate jazz harmonies with a robust drive, and combining the elegance of classical music with the rhythmic vitality of jazz. His expressive touch on…
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Led Zeppelin ‘Led Zeppelin’ (1969)
The term “most influential band” gets thrown around a lot to describe various acts throughout the years, but no band in history changed the trajectory of pure rock and roll more than Led Zeppelin. Since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1969, Led Zeppelin has been a fixture on the radio and pop…
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Ozzy Osbourne ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ (1980)
It was the spring of 1980 and the legendary Ozzy Osbourne was in the midst of a decade-long bender of epic proportions. Jettisoned from his former band Black Sabbath, the wayward frontman was at somewhat of a career and personal crossroads– his musical longevity was uncertain considering the massive amounts of cocaine and alcohol he…
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The Donnas ‘Spend The Night’ (2003)
I remember The Donnas pretty vividly during my early high school years. I saw them live at Shoreline Amphitheater at BFD Festival the summer after graduating 8th grade and was blown away. Keep in mind this was during the garage rock revolution of the early aughts and at peak Plank testosterone production levels– all I…
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Fucked Up ‘David Comes To Life’ (2011)
The words “rock opera” and “hardcore punk” usually don’t go together for obvious reasons– rock operas are typically self-indulgent affairs with highly detailed musical accompaniment that unveils the story over a protracted period of time, while hardcore punk is raw and emotionally charged that attempts to get to the point quickly. Marrying the two together…
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Deep Purple ‘Machine Head’ (1972)
If you’ve ever picked up a guitar it’s nearly a guarantee that you’ve attempted to play “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. It’s one of the most iconic riffs of all-time outside of maybe “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne or “Back in Black” by AC/DC, immediately recognizable for both its simplicity as well as…
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Okilly Dokilly ‘Howdilly Doodilly’ (2016)
It’s not often you run into a heavy metal band dressed up as Ned Flanders from The Simpsons singing lyrics from Homer’s dorky neighbor, but here we are living our best lives. The band Okilly Dokilly rose to prominence in 2019 after their song “White Wine Spritzer” was featured during the closing credits of a…
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Drug Church ‘Hygiene’ (2022)
I’ve been on a bit of an intense running kick this year, logging about 15 miles a week, and am constantly on the lookout for a perfect album to serve as the soundtrack for my 5K’s which I’m clocking in at around a 25 minute average. I popped on Drug Church’s Hygiene Friday morning at…
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Kyuss ‘Welcome to Sky Valley’ (1994)
Kyuss distinctive blend of heavy, fuzz-laden riffs and stoner rock aesthetics helped define the subgenre during the mid-1990’s. Hailing from the California desert, their sound, often described as “desert rock,” became a launching point that inspired countless bands in their wake. On Welcome to Sky Valley, Kyuss crafted a sonic landscape characterized by slow, sludgy…
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Madonna ‘Like A Virgin’ (1984)
You’d be hard pressed to list a pop culture moment as iconic as Madonna’s 1984 performance at the VMA’s that saw her writhing on the ground in a white wedding dress while singing “Like a Virgin.” It was a career-defining performance, one that thrust her headfirst into the world of controversy she’s been known for…
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As I Lay Dying ‘Shadows Are Security’ (2005)
Shadows Are Security was one of those albums I discovered in high school when I was first getting into melodic metalcore. I was a punk rock kid through and through for most of my early teens, but around the time Underoath dropped They’re Only Chasing Safety in 2004 it set me off on a path…
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Pianos Become The Teeth ‘Keep You’ (2014)
I first heard Pianos Become The Teeth a few months ago and was immediately taken by their sound. It’s moody, somber, introspective, and brooding in a way that reminded me a lot of some of my favorite albums of all-time– the dark storytelling and enunciation of Jesse Lacey on Brand New’s The Devil & God…
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