Every Winter

"JUST GIVE ME INDIE ROCK!" - seBADoh

For some reason every time summer ends and winter comes there are certain things I listen to. Those certain albums that for whatever reason hit my high rotation list. This isn't to say I do not listen to these albums throughout the whole year, but for whatever reason they pop up in my car and on my iPod and at work more than usual, and more than any other albums. Surly this happens to others too.

This is also not to say that it does not happen in summer. I found that I retire my FNM listening until spring time, when I crank it more than ever. That being said, these 3 albums I listen to more than any other albums during this time of year. Ever since I was in grade 10 or so. Maybe that is why? A little bit of nostalgia mixed with some truly incredible songs? Who knows. All I know is these albums take me back to a time when they saved me from the shitty time that was high school. To this day when I hear Starlite Walker all I can remember is playing Sega Gennisis after school while it was cold outside.



Ah, Pavement. How I love thee. It was 1997 when a simple trip to Encore Records would change my life forever. There it was, the free bin. This special week would have one disc that would chance my music listening world forever. There in a cardboard sleeve, Brighten the Corners. Free for the taking. Since that glorious day, Pavement has become one of my fave bands. Top 3 in fact, but I will not say where they place. Not only is Brighten my Favement album, but its probably my number 2 album of all time. That being said, it opened up the flood gates of "indie rock" or whatever the fuck you wanna call it. In came GBV, and Sebadoh, and Silver Jews, and Chavez, and Jesus Lizard, and on and on and on. Also came in through those flood gates was Pavements back catalog, which at that point was a lot of albums to catch up on. Westing, while a compilation at heart, to me was my intro into this thing called Lo Fi. I played this fucking album over and over and over. To this day, Perfect Depth is still Top 8 material. Oh, it should be said that this cd is currently in my car CD player.


After I caught up on everything Pavement had up to that point, I finally bought that one CD that was always in the Pavement section. Encore had this cd in the Pavement section, and the fact that Malkmus and Nastanovich were on the back photo was enough for me to buy it. Holy shite am I glad I did. Such a good record and another soundtrack to Jables life was born. Tide To The Oceans is one of the best tunes in this world. It is so good that to this day whenever Jeremy is DD, and I am the D, we drive an extra couple blocks before getting home, just to play out this CD and sing every word. Fk ya!

It goes hand in hand, for some reason, to check out Sebadoh if you are into Pavement. This was the first album I bought from them. Like Westing this was a compilation, but to me those two are albums proper. Opening tune, a Gaffney track, is beyond heavy in the most hardcore punk way possible. It should be said that Mind Meld, the album closer, might rank up there as one of the best 7 minute indie rock epics of all time. Try it out. I dare ya.


Oh Berman....Oh Malkmus....Oh Gaffney.