The Shit is Dead Podcast Episode 1

This is something we've been working on for a little bit, but here it is.  The first episode of The Shit is Dead Podcast.  We discuss the bands that should be out of bounds when talking about your favorite bands.  These bands are just too great to be picked as your favorite.  So, get creative and choose someone else!  Think someone else needs to be on this list?  Let us know by leaving a comment.

The Ten Albums That Changed My Life (by Alexis)

After encouraging Loren to post his list and seeing it the next day, I knew I had to deliver my own version as soon as possible. Here it is; I hope you enjoy it.

                                         The Beatles – Meet The Beatles!

 While channel surfing on a boring night in 1996, a quartet of smiling young men appeared on the screen performing a song called “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. I immediately knew that my life had changed. The next day, I asked my mother if she knew who these musicians were. Overcome with emotion, she gave me her collection of Beatles LPs. Naturally, the first one I listened to was their US debut, “Meet The Beatles”, whose opening song was the same one I had heard the night before. From that point on, I wanted to immerse myself completely in music, especially Rock & Roll.

                                                     Led Zeppelin IV

 When I told my 5^th grade guitar teacher that I wasn’t familiar with the name “Led Zeppelin”, he lent me his copy of the fourth album of this legendary group and told me to listen to the song “Rock & Roll”. As soon as I pressed the play button, the loud and aggressive crashing of John Bonham’s cymbals scared the hell out of me, and I immediately turned off the record player. Fortunately, my curiosity would not allow me to disregard what I heard. I played the song again, realized I had discovered a new style of music, and began my life-long infatuation with Hard Rock.

 

                  Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On

In 1998, every teen and pre-teen in Puerto Rico had Bob Marley’s greatest hits compilation “Legend” in his/her personal collection. I thought it was nothing to fuss about, but decided to give his music another chance and bought this collection. Most of the songs on “Legend” focused on Marley’s romantic side, but the ones on “Natural Mystic” were much more politically charged. The attacks on racism and social inequality found on “So Much Trouble in the World” and “War” (as well as the call to unity on “Africa Unite”) showed me that music could serve as a powerful tool for social change and personal growth.

                                    Rage Against The Machine – Evil Empire

 Although I prefer their debut, this is the RATM album that changed my life. The picture of dozens of books that was found inside the booklet set off my interest in politics. When I saw that one of my favorite bands encouraged learning about people like Che Guevara, Malcolm X, Karl Marx, and the Black Panthers, I was never the same. The music was also life-changing; even if he was working within an Alternative/Hard Rock context, Zack de la Rocha was the first rapper I liked, and this would eventually lead me to the Hip Hop genre.

                                         Redman – Doc’s Da Name 2000

 By 1999, I was anxious to listen to something completely different from the Classic and Alternative Rock that I was used to. I proceeded to explore Rap music more deeply, and the first album I bought was Redman’s platinum-selling release from the year before. Although the catchy beats rooted in 70s Funk caught my attention at first, the clever wordplay and the musicality of Redman’s delivery made me love the album and turned me into the Hip Hop head that I am today.

 

                                      The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??!

 A few months after my 12^th birthday, I was given The Roots’ second album as a present. After listening to Black Thought’s and Malik B’s literate raps and the jazz-influenced grooves played by ?uestlove and the rest of the band, I knew that Hip Hop had much more to offer than the stereotypical images and sounds seen and heard on TV. This was my first encounter with the subgenre known as Alternative Rap, and I was dying to find other highly creative rappers that existed outside the mainstream.

 

                                                       Nas – Illmatic

 I will never forget the first time I heard “N.Y. State of Mind”. The first verse was so mind-blowing that I must have played it ten times before moving on to the second half of the song. The intricate lyrics that demand and reward close attention, and the hard-hitting, jazzy, and elaborate beats, make “Illmatic” far and away my favorite album of all time. With this seminal record, Nas set the bar incredibly high, and I became much stricter with the way I judged rappers after this experience. 

                                              Willie Colón – Lo Mato

Growing up, I always thought Salsa was lighthearted dance music for people my parents’ age. That perception was erased forever as soon as I heard “Calle Luna, Calle Sol”. The heavy-sounding trombone showed that this was no pop tune, and the cautionary lyrics about one of Puerto Rico’s most dangerous streets resonated in a way that I could have never imagined. This song, as well as the rest of the album, not only made me love Salsa music, it also instilled a sense of cultural identity and pride that will forever define me.

                                             Miles Davis – Kind of Blue

  

 Even though my parents always took me to Jazz concerts as a child, I did not explore the genre on my own until I turned 17. After reading an article that named this the best Jazz album of all time, I decided to give it a listen. Much like “N.Y. State of Mind”, “So What” was such a perfect song that it took me a few weeks to move on to the rest of the album. Complex in execution but simple in approach, the majestic sounds of “Kind of Blue” made me eager to listen to other genres of music that I had previously avoided.

                                     Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction

 I bought this landmark recording in 1998 at the age of 10, but it did not have a profound impact on me until 2008. Disillusioned with the state of music at the time, I sought refuge in an undisputed classic, and it felt like I was listening to it for the first time. Every song impresses by sounding so raw and menacing while having unforgettable hooks. My infatuation with this album kick started my obsession with dirty and bluesy Hard Rock, which to this day remains my favorite style of Rock music.

 

Top Ten Albums That Changed My Life

Eddie Trunk has worked in the music business for a while now in different roles. He basically specializes on Hard Rock and Metal but mostly the former. Not too long ago, he released his list of Ten Albums That Changed His Life. While his list was a good one, there were not many surprises. While its definitely a very personal list, I decided to do my own. Let me make this clear, this is NOT my favorite albums list. This is just the albums I believe changed my life in some way. This was Alexis' and Yhann's idea and I thought it was cool and hope to see their lists very soon and maybe implement them here so you can all see them. So, without further ado, here's my list...

Honorable Mentions

Pantera had released a couple of sub par albums in the eighties that were okay but nothing extraordinary. In 1990, they changed the metal world by releasing this fantastic album, Cowboys From Hell. While they were not the thrash style that had been made mainstream by the Big 4, this was sort of post-thrash heavy metal. The energy of the band onstage (I was never able to see them live but through DVD's and such) was unrivaled by most of the metal world and the music was powerful. Sadly, 'Dimebag' Darrell is gone from this world, but this album will be remembered by me as an integral part of my metal growth.


I am not a huge fan of the extreme metal genres. Sure, there are a band here and a band there, but traditional Death Metal and Black Metal have never been my cup of tea. About 6 years ago, I stumbled upon this band completely by chance. Arcturus was a sort of supergroup in the Black Metal genre with guys like Garm, Samoth and Hellhammer coming together to form this interesting group. Their first album was the normal black metal fair, but with 1997's Le Masquerade Infernale thet became something else entirely. With 2002's The Sham Mirrors, they were able to come together and really become an interesting band that shunned traditional black elements and implemented an avant garde style that made the group stand out from most. This is a fantastic album to discover and it really made me dig deeper into the subgenres of black metal and discover other nice gems.

The List

I first heard vocalist Devon Graves (Buddy Lackey) when he created the band Deadsoul Tribe. While his voice was interesting and incredibly haunting, I would never know his real potential until I heard this album. In 1990 progressive metal was still in its infancy. Psychotic Waltz's first album A Social Grace is an underrated gem of an album that will blow fans of the genre away. Listen to the energy of this album and the weird time signatures and especially the unique vocals of Graves and you will see why this album is so great. This album showed me that you don't need to do things the same way as everyone else does them. You can make your stuff unique.


I don't think this is Pain of Salvation's best album, but it's certainly their most creative one. This prog metal band has definitely evolved with each new album, but it wasn't until their concept album BE that Daniel Gildenlow and his band truly showed how creative and innovative they could be. Sure, it may be flawed in its way as it probably tries to do too much, but that is not what attracted me to it in the first place. What some more arrogant reviewers might view as pretentiousness, I see as Gildenlow's way to show everyone his vision. The mixture of music, spoken word pieces, and such make this a listening experience that should never be taken out of its own context and even less, viewed individually as different "songs". This is much more than that, which is why I am a big fan of this album and will continue to be for a long time.


I have to give a lot of thanks to my father for showing me the classic rock legends way back when I was little. Without having listened to classic bands like the Stones, The Who, etc., I would have probably been listening to reggueton or some shit like that. What better album is there to discover when you are at a young age? Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker's landmark album, Disraeli Gears, is a gem of classic psychedelic blues rock. There is nothing better than to rediscover this album when you are a older *wink* *wink*. This album helped to turn me into a fan of the 60s which I am still one now. Slowhand is also one of my favorite guitarists.


I remember when I first got this album like a thousand years ago. I was interested by the album cover. I had heard a friend of mine talk about Joe Satriani before, but I really didn't know what to expect when I bought it. While most people consider Surfing With the Alien to be their favorite Satch album, The Extremist was my first album of instrumental guitar, and it still holds a place in my heart. Besides all that, this is just a fantastic album. Satch has always been one of my favorites because he is not just one of those really fast guitarists and nothing much more. He is a talented song writer and his music is full of soul (for lack of a better word).


I have always been one of those music fans that just likes to demand more from his music. I don't like to settle for just a collection of songs put together under the same name. When I heard that this album had one of the most talented vocalists out there, some kickass prog metal music, and an interesting story to boot, I was in from the get go. This album was the one that made me realize that there exists music that doesn't just want to be music alone but can also come together in an album (and through different albums) and tell a coherent story. Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime is probably the best concept album in the metal genre (including all its subgenres). Geoff Tate's vocals are just amazing and I still like to listen to this album after about 13 years of discovering it.


Okay, okay... I admit it. I'm sort of cheating in a way. But not truly. The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble should be in anyone's blues rock collection... hell, in anyone's music collection period. When I got this album, I had never heard any of Stevie's songs. I was getting it purely on a friend's recommendation. I'm incredibly glad I did. This collection of Stevie songs is incredibly deep with some fantastic songs that really showcase Vaughan's guitar work and deep voice. This album and Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar made the transition from blues rock to delta blues for me seem seamless. If you don't like this man, you don't have a soul.


If there is one album that I would love to take with me to a deserted island, it would probably be Pink Floyd's seminal work The Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd always released incredible albums, but there is something about this album that just propels it over everything they ever wrote with Syd Barrett or after. I remember when I first heard this album it was like nothing I was used to hearing. I had heard the classic rock of the 60's but this was more than just that. It was my first foray into prog rock. From there, the other classics of the genre where obvious in my journey (gotta give props to King Crimson as well!). Listen to this masterpiece and be awed by it.


I never thought death metal could be beautiful. I never even knew it was possible. That is until I heard Mikael Akerfeldt's growls and then suddenly an acoustic interlude with incredible clean vocals coming from the same mouth. Not only are his growls amazing, but Akerfeldt's versatility quickly made him one of my favorites and Opeth one of my favorite bands. The music is complex and interesting, its ugly and beautiful, its raw and at the same time crisp. This band has everything I want in an band. Blackwater Park, for me, is the perfect album from a band like Opeth. This album made me believe that death metal could be beautiful and I also found one of my favorite bands in the process.


Can anyone go wrong with a Led Zeppelin album? I don't think so. I never got into Zep early in my life. My dad liked them but he was more into the Stones and The Beatles. When I first heard them in a movie's soundtrack, I knew I needed more. I went out and got Led Zeppelin IV or The Fourth Album or ZoSo... however you may want to call it since it has no name. When you look at the track list, its filled with unquestionably fantastic songs. This album really did open a lot of doors for me in the classic rock world and it was when I knew that this was the style that I liked the most. This was the genre that spoke to me the most. It was the day I knew that I loved this kind of music and there was nothing that could ever change it.


Now, I know what you are about to say. "You chose Fear Factory over Led Zeppelin!? Are you mad!?!?". It's a fair question. Yes, I did pick Fear Factory's Demanufacture over my favorite band ever. Why? When I started listening to Zep earnestly, I was already a heavy metal fan. One day, I had been paid by my mother for cleaning something I don't remember. I had 20 bucks in my hand and was in a music store. I saw the cover of this album and bought it because it looked incredibly cool (still does). I knew it was harder and harsher than anything I had heard before (it was on the metal section) but I never expected it to be what it is. It was a visceral experience. From the moment I put on the CD, I was blown away. This was some heavy shit, especially for someone not used to this kind of music. It took me a bit to really get into it, but when I did, I was hooked. The Slayers, Metallicas, Iron Maidens, Judas Priests of this world came after Fear Factory for me. In my musical life there are many different experiences, but I divide it simply as the Years of Silence (when music wasn't a big part of my life) and After Fear Factory.

Well, there is my list. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe discovered an album you hadn't given the time of day before. I am sure yours is also an interesting read. Comment below what you think and if you want, gimme your list as well.