Pavement:

Watery, Domestic:(1992)

I'm pretty sure the election of Bill Clinton had something to do with this EP's release... Oh, wait, it was just 1992. Excellent EP, excellent way to start the day.

Les Paul & Mary Ford:

The World Is Still Waiting For The Sunrise:(1974)

No matter what your musical taste, Les Paul has influenced it in some way. From his incredible guitar playing to his innovations in electric guitar construction on to his pioneering of multitrack recording, no form of popular music would be the same without this man. To top it all off, together with his partner, Mary Ford, he scored Pop hits!

Buck Owens:

Buck Owens:(1961)

The Best of Buck Owens:(1964)

You're For Me:(1969)

If the Beatles have covered a song of yours, and you've had a particular musical style attributed to you, you must be a legend. In this case, you must be Buck Owens. Purveyor of the Bakersfield Sound. I can't stand modern Country music at all, but put on something from this era, and I'll stick around. It's worth noting that just because some musicians played with Buck, it doesn't mean that Country was all they did. In the case of Nokie Edwards, he played Surf music with the Ventures in addition to performing with Owens.

The Outfit:

The Outfit:(2016)

Met this band from Denver when they need a local act on the bill, and Til Willis & Erratic Cowboy answered the call. They've always been an awesome energetic group of gentlemen who happen to play some kickass Rock'n'Roll. By complete happenstance, I was in Denver when they played the release show for this album. I was playing a gig across town. After the show, my buddy Steve and I hopped a ride over to catch these guys. Picked this record up after the show. Now, most reading this probably haven't ever heard of this band, so what do they sound like? Well, I know they've drawn some comparisons to the Strokes, and I can hear that. However, I also hear a bit of a Dead Boys tone in there. Great album! 

Roy Orbison:

Mystery Girl:(1989)

There has never been a singer like Roy Orbison. Never! Now, sure his earlier hits; Pretty Woman, Cryin' etc, are amazing, but this is a great later day album. And, a great album to go out on, as this was Orbison's last. I don't even want to write much about this record, I just want to listen to it. From the exquisite title track, penned by Bono, to one of my personal favorites, The Only One, written by Orbison and Mike Campbell, this album is a gem.

  

Okkervil River:

I Am Very Far:(2011)

The Silver Gymnasium:(2013)

The first time I recall hearing Okkervil River a friend of a friend said, I think you'll really like this band, and played me something off of The Stage Names, I think. Now, I've mentioned before in this blog, that the absolute worst way to introduce any music to me is by saying something to that effect. My brain, for whatever reason, just starts sticking its fingers in its ears and humming really loudly like, heck no. I'm just weird that way. Needless to say, I didn't care for this band upon that listen. Flash forward a few years, and I'm helping my wife research a project for a dialect class. We were finding songs with city names, and trying to analyze how people from different parts of the country sang those cities as a means for mapping dialect, or something like that. Anyway, the song Kansas City from the Okkervil River album, Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See was one we ended up using, and I dug that song. Shortly there after, Silver Gymnasium came out, and I fell in love with that album. Which then led me back to I Am Very Far. There's my story of how I came to dig some Okkervil River stuff.

Ohio Players:

Honey:(1975)

This album might be one of the peaks of 70's R&B sexploitation, and with the exception of maybe the Beatles legend that Paul was dead, it carries one of the best urban legends. You know, the one where the model from the album cover was injured when the honey adhered to her skin, and caused some painful wounds, then when she came to the recording studio during the recording of Love Rollercoaster seeking money for damages the band stabbed her death, and that's how they got that blood curdling scream you hear in the background. Ah, Rock'n'Roll myth.