Hamilton Leithauser:

I Could Have Sworn:(2015)

 I Had A Dream That You Were Mine:(2016)

If you recognize this name, you too are probably a fan of the Walkmen. All of Hamilton's solo releases have been good, these just happen to be the ones I have on vinyl. I really dig the atmospheric quality achieved with distance recording techniques, which seems to always be in play on these records.  

Peggy Lee:

Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee:(1961)

A delightful thrift store find that I picked up about fifteen years ago. Sure, Peggy Lee was middle of the road pop jazz/torch singing, but she did it well in an upper-middle class late 50's early 60's safe white way. 

Led Zeppelin:

Led Zeppelin I:(1969)

Led Zeppelin II:(1969)

Led Zeppelin IV:(1971)

Presence:(1976)

CODA:(1982)

It's Led Zeppelin what else can you say? Love 'em or hate 'em they were good band who've had a phenomenal run. Oddly enough, I don't own my two favorite Zeppelin albums on vinyl, Houses of The Holy, and Physical Graffiti. Might have to remedy that. Anyway, I listened to Zeppelin today.

Daniel Lanois:

Acadie:(1989)

Belladonna:(2005)

Flesh and Machine:(2014)

Goodbye To Language:(2016)

Daniel Lanois was one of two artists that introduced me to just how atmospheric an album could be. That it could be a world unto itself. Tiny movies. Emotional grooves. I love the fact, that for all his technical ability, he never lets it get in the way of feeling. I have more albums than I care to count that have Daniel Lanois's fingerprints on them, and quite a few of them are some of my favorite albums of all time.

Leadbelly:

Memorial Vol. 1:(1963)

One simply cannot say enough about the power of Leadbelly, in both voice and legend. I mean, the man sang his way out of prison, twice! There have also been few who's influence has permeated so many genres. I first heard of Leadbelly because of my fascination with the work of Bob Dylan, which lead me to Woody Guthrie, which lead me to Leadbelly.  

It's also worth mentioning that the music on this album is contained on a beautiful piece of red vinyl.

Frankie Laine:

Command Performance:(1955)

I own this record for one reason only... Leonard Cohen sang, "Frankie Laine, he was singing Jezebel. I pinned an iron cross to my lapel. I walked up to the tallest, and the blondest girl, I said, 'Look you don't know me now, but very soon you will" on his 1977 album, Death Of A Ladies Man. That was it, I had to know what this Jezebel song sounded like, as it had come out way before my time. Fortunately, the local thrift store always had a decent selection of old vinyl for a quarter a piece.  

Sleepy LaBeef:

It Ain't What You Eat, It's The Way How You Chew It:(1981)

Sleepy LaBeef, the man from Smackover, AR. 

Back in 2004, I asked my good buddy, Dave Roda, if he'd ever heard of Sleepy LaBeef. He laughed at the very idea that there was an actually man carrying this moniker. We decided that day, that anybody of this man's stature, both physically and legendarily, who had played the Louisiana Hayride, and rocked as hard as he did, and is still out there, should be the patron saint of musicians. Thus we affectionately began referring to him as 'Uncle Sleepy'. 

We even started a song about the man.

He's rockin' seven nights of the week

From the Great Wall of China to the Great Barrier Reef 

There ain't no one like, Sleepy LaBeef

God bless you, Sleepy, wherever you are.