1) XANADU SOUNDTRACK: OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN, ELO ~ I had a crush on Olivia
at age 10. This album took my mind into a world of fantasy at a young
age, where dancing, rollerskating, and magic ruled. I hoped to be there
someday in reality. Fast forward to Burning Man 2007 and were watching
the full screen on the playa and I realized that my dreams came true.
"Have to believe we are magic....nothing can stand in our way"
2) NINA HAGEN: NUNSEXMONKROCK ~ Growing up a bit and wanting to
continue the magic beyond the main stream, Nina took me on a
psychedelic spiritual journey filled with UFOs and aliens and art. At
13, this album set the personality of a freaky goofy seriously wild
dream. "its really gonna be a better world so many people try again and
again and again to change! Reincarnation! Kundalini yoga is so nice
lets do meditation dont think twice! Tachi Tarot"
3) CRASS: STATIONS OF THE CRASS ~ At 14, I wanted to get back to
reality a bit and find out what was wrong with the world. English punk
took me on that journey. this album had every lyric spread on a poster
with the double album. I would yell along in my bedroom: "Pogo on a
nazi, spit upon a jew....viscious mindless violence that offers nothing
new. Left wing violence right wing violence all seems much the same...
Bullyboys out fighting, its just the same ole game. Boring usesless
politics that will get us all shot....Right wing left wing who can suss
the lot? Keep your petty prejudice I dont see the point, anarchy and
freedom is what I want"
4) PUBLIC IMAGE LTD: ALBUM ~ Never mind the Sex Pistols, Johnny Lydons
post punk band is where it really was at. With more palatable music
that actually was good, I was able to feel the awesome combo of punk
and good music. "Rise" will always chime in my early high school years
"May the road rise with you" "Anger is an energy" is what a 15 year old
needs in her life.
5) THE CURE: KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME ~ Falling in true love for the
first time is a huge deal when the man of your dreams loves music as
much as you do. I tried hard to rebel against popular underground bands
like The Cure, but could not resist the temptations when songs like
Like Cuckoos and Perfect Girl were dawned on my heart and dreams by
loveliness. "If only tonight we could sleep in a bed made of
flowers..." Anger bye bye, its time to open the heart....
6) LOVE AND ROCKETS: EXPRESS ~ New Wave and psychedelia mixed together
to find this perfect uplifting Goth balance. This album proved to me
that I could wear black and smile whilst mingling with LSD. "You want
to rip all the jewels off all the idiots backs so badly....you scream,
give me what Ive always missed, give me a good time.....but when you
look into the mirror you see that nobody has ever ripped you off its
all in your mind"
7) JANES ADDICTION: RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL ~ Coming off of being a big
Janes fan for 2 years in the 80s, this album changed my little world
into 1990s land in a huge way. 6 months prior to release I had the demo
and played it in my car one night to a friend who wound up pulling the
trigger to his head in front of our crew that same night. He survived,
but what he left us with was a vision of tragedy and loss that was felt
for the first time. The album had a certain otherworldly feel to it
because of that, and remains potent in my mind full of fire and emotion
and teenage confusion. " ALL OF US WITH WINGS.....ALL NOW WITH WINGS"
8) NEW MODEL ARMY: THUNDER AND CONSOLATION ~ This one is the BIG DOOZY.
This one changed me like no album ever has. it was 1991 and I was out
on my own with my posessive boyfriend but his attribute was great taste
in music...My folks picked this up for me in Seattle and although my
life was wierd and uncomfortable, the musings of this Conscious Treat
made me look at the bigger picture in life, and how the world is
messing up BIG TIME. Every hook in every memorable chorus saved every
bad day and gave it whole hearted meaning. Armageddon and destruction
is near, but we can still sing lovely and proud, and put chills down
our spine as we almost celebrate the right to know what the fuck is
going on. "Hey hey I listen to you pray as if some help will
come....hey hey she will dance on our graves when we are dead and gone"
9) NIRVANA: NEVERMIND ~ Onward and upward into a new decade, this album
brought together genres and was prominent in my leaving home adventures
and new horizons. It was also one of the first albums that made me feel
in unison with the mianstream, and realizing that that wasnt
neccessarily a bad thing.
10) THROWING MUSES: UNIVERSITY ~ A favorite female muse since the mid
80s, Kristin Hersh put out this album at the right wintry time for me
when I finally let go of a co-dependent sour relationship and finally
got in touch with my sexuality. With bostons underground artzy schizo
pop rock goddess at the forefront, University gave me the power to Go
It Alone. "You in the water, Underneath the tarp, It don't rain under
the water, It don't rain inside my heart....Don't follow me home"
Also an album that was hugely prominent at this time was Kristin
Hersh's solo album "STRANGE ANGELS" which is the best acoustic album I
have ever heard, and will always be the soundtrack to sexual emotions
and dreams 'Strange angels made this planet glow...then kicked us out"
11) GRATEFUL DEAD: LIVE/DEAD ~ Uh oh, new turn! Leave it to new loves
and new dreams. Nothing has ever sounded so refreshing. Let it all go
and caress your inner hippy, theres a new glory in music and it has to
do with lingering leads, instrumentals, and songs about the country and
nature and spirituality in a down to earth mode. I listened to the GD
for 6 months straight in the year of 1995 whilst seeing my first GD
show and Jerrys passing all in one kaboom. Never had I felt so uplifted
by a huge realm of music before. "
No more time to tell how, this is the season of what, Now is the time
of returning with our thought....Jewels polished and gleaming."
12) BECK: ODELAY ~ zzzzzzzziiiiiiipppp bob ZZZAAApppp bwaooooaoaooaoaaooowwoooo!
Get on board the new weirds! A triumphant breakthru sound reached my
ears thanks to new love and new adventures. Late nite mushroom zen outs
took Beck and embraced me with gimmicks that truly speak from the
heart. A New Creativity, a new dance, a new pollution.
13) LIZ PHAIR: WHITE CHOCOLATE SPACE EGG ~ I dug her first 2 albums
more, and they should both be on this list, but this came out in 98
when I met my husband, and we rocked it for months. It is truly the
secret underground treat that set sail for a new decade of
companionship for me.
14) LEFTOVER SALMON: EUPHORIA ~ Fest UUUUUP!!! The festy life is here,
and what a better way to celebrate the new decade then finding my inner
twang and a new love for strings, fun, and americana. High Sierras,
late nites, euphoria, and FIDDLES brought my life up to a new
dimension. This became my rave, my party, and although a little late to
the uptake, brought in a new revolution of sound to my heart with their
amazing vocals and pention for fun mixed with whole hearted bliss. "It
couldnt be better!"
15) RAILROAD EARTH: BLACK BEAR SESSIONS ~ Keeping the Festival Dream
alive, we rocked this album on our journey across country in 2002 after
witnessing them doing a High Sierra late nite, Sams Rave style. With
soaring vocals and that same art of mixing dancing fun with emotion,
this album took me to new heights as we used it as the Glacier Natl
Park soundtrack. I didnt fully realize that I was sinking my eardrums
into my future favorite band. "Its a seven story mountain, its a long
long life we live, got to find a song and fill my throat again"
16) THE LEVELLERS: TRUTH AND LIES ~ I had loved this british celtic
folk punk rock band since the early 90s, but never truly felt their
potential until 2005's release came knocking at my stereos. While being
swarmed in festival community for years of Dead and Fiddles and Hippy
Jams, this album tied in many pieces of my musical journey while
holding down the fiddle fort and being european at the same time. It
was my little gem I wanted to share with my american world. Not unlike
LoS or RRE, this album also was my Burning Man soundtrack as a few
other of their releases continue to be as well. This album pushed them
into Favorite Band slots of mine, and brought newfound melody and song
to my life as it comforts out in my 30s. "If youre singing, you better
sing for us all"
17) SHPONGLE: TALES OF THE INEXPRESSABLE ~ It wouldnt be long after
some great Sound Tribe Sector 9 experiences at High Sierra that I would
come to know and love all forms of future electro pulses, especially
after attending Burning Mans. This one digs up super psychedelia dance
vibes with in your face DMT trips and a euro trance world beat partay.
Fully melodic, this lubed me up to take on Electronicas muse with ease.
"my head feels like a frizzzzbeeeeeeeee"
I can attach STS9's "Seasons 01" to this part of the list as well, for weening me into the beautiful land of instrumental bliss.
18) YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND: s/t ~ Im in my groove, my grass is
blue, and hot damn I just love this one. Its not that it changed me or
anything, but its so solid it has to be included. Big take note on the
last track "Winds on Fire" which is the ultimate bridge between High
Sierra and Burning Man, my 2 favorite events of the year.
19) RAILROAD EARTH: AMEN CORNER ~ The time is now, and this album holds
its own in a world of gimmicks and oddities, this one is home grown on
freakin' planet EARTH. The beauty of it too has been how many others in
my circle of friends feel strongly about it too, that we have come to
sing it in unison together, in celebration, and in any felt hardships.
This one will pull you out of a rut for a few, while at the same time
being an amazing side kick to having a great time, all the while
understanding that life isnt all peaches and roses. In a community
where Railroad Earth is a new staple, we can share this album as a new
blossom between us all, share the triumph of simplicity and beauty.
"Ive been sleepwalkin for eternity....awwwww Im working on a new plan!"
20) BLUE TURTLE SEDUCTION: 13 FLOORS ~ Ths band changed my life. This
album is almost proof. When they came along at the perfect time in
2003, I knew I had struck homestyle gold in a sound and vibe that only
BTS can describe. The feelings, the craziness, the intimate shows, the
energy of their live musings and their hooky songs that are forever
tatooed on my eardrums has lifted my spirits in music like nothing has
done before. Theres something about genre bending unfolds bringing
together my past and my present into a touchable space that I can take
into my heart and throw like confetti on the dance floor too. The skys
on fire mama, seen it on the run....no need to worry mama its just that
big ole sun ~~~~
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Permalink :: Sun 2/22/2009 11:21 AM
