Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright in the End

Label: Republic
Year: 2014
Genre: Alt Rock
Recommending Person: Greg Fischer

“Adios rock band that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Words come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago”

— Eulogy for a Rock Band, Weezer

This is vintage Weezer. The song "Eulogy for a Rock Band" is the perfect meta Weezer song. It sounds like Weezer at their peak.  

The whole record is fantastic and is a must listen for any one who has enjoyed Weezer in the past. There are singles that I'm surprised none of them have charted, but there is no EDM remix. 

Poi Dog Pondering - Volo Volo

Label: Platetectonic Music
Year: 1992
Genre: Alternative Rock
Recommending Person: Kathy Thalmann

When the first track "Lackluster" hits you immediately think of the Talking Heads. When you see the album cover, you believe that their is no other image that could possibly indicate the 90's so concisely. I enjoy the album as a whole, but instead of just explaining my opinion, I just have to some thinking out loud.

lright, there are eight members on the cover. On tour they regularly, according to wikipedia the ultimate and unimpeachable source, had fourteen members. How does one make any money touring fourteen members in the band? Not only that but there are four more that were labeled as "satellite" members. Does that mean occasionally they would have fifteen people on stage? I feel like if the band wasn't given a meal they would spend just as much money on dinner as they would get for playing a gig. It's impressive they were able to do so from 1992 to 2013. 

A good album that has a few low spots, but is an enjoyable listen and a nice change of pace. It holds up really well and only has a few songs that just seem stuck in it's time. 

The Tragically Hip - Phantom Power

Label: Universal
Year: 1998
Genre: Alt Rock
Recommending Person: Tim Sisk

The only Alt Rock band from Canada that I really have previously paid attention to was Our Lady Peace. 

The Tragically Hip seem to always play the House of Blues once a year, I know this only because I Curl and all the Canadians go to the concert.

None of the songs really grab me, it seems to be of the era, almost exclusively. The only stand out was the first track, I'm saying that a lot, Poets. It has minimal intro that allow the first verse to really stick and it transfers into a nice beat for the first chorus which slowly builds and changes for the rest of the song. 

Phish - Billy Breathes

Label: Elektra
Year: 1996
Genre: Alternative Rock
Recommending Person: Sarah Sherry

So this is the first big Phish album. Before they were a band with a cult following, but this album actually made it's way on to the charts and has been on rotation for college kids everywhere. Except for me. I got into jam bands for a little bit in my college life, but it was mostly just an extension and deeper dives into bands I already enjoyed like O.A.R. and Dispatch. 

This album is an enjoyable listen. I probably listened to incorrectly, as I did it over an americano, which is probably not the roast that Trey Anastasio had in mind when they were in the studio. I only recognized the song "Talk" which seems straight out of a Zach Braff film. The whole record was nice for a slow day, but it isn't an anytime type of record.

David Byrne - Look Into the Eyeball

Label: Virgin
Year: 2001
Genre: Folk Rock, World Beat,  Alternative Rock
Recommending Person: Denise Erazmus

I was really excited when I saw this recommended because who doesn't love David Byrne? Then I heard "Like Humans Do" and immediately got sent back to high school. THIS IS THE SONG THAT IS ON EVERY COMPUTER WITH XP ON THE PLANET! 

One, a nerdy person, would re-format your computer and Like Humans Do would appear. Being dumb and 14 I didn't know David Byrne was formerly the lead singer of the Talking Heads and I figured it was just someone who was talented at Microsoft and decided he could sneak in his song onto every computer on the planet. Again, I was dumb.

The record itself is enjoyable if a bit into itself, it's become a staple of Byrne, and it drifts into a multilingual album with "Desconocido Soy". It was catchy enough on the first listen, but it really succeeds on the 3rd listen and I would only layer more the more time I give it. 

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt

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Label: Reprise
Year: 1998
Genre: Alt Rock/ College Rock
Recommending Person: Adam Miller

I once heard that when assembling an album you do not want to put the big hit first, because it shows you do not have confidence in the rest of the record. Barenaked Ladies start out with One Week, the biggest hit from the record, but I enjoyed most of the album. BNL vary up they styles and their ballads are always very strong, One Week is grating only because of it's overexposure, but overall right when you are about to check out another track grabs your attention. Also, my favorite comedy podcast, COMEDY BANG BANG, uses "It's BEEN" as a repeated joke.