This is the second part in a series where I look through my old CD binder and write about what I find:
I am almost certain that I picked this up in 2003 from the local record store near my college. I had somehow just discovered Pitchfork - at that time, still VERY much a small indie music blog out of Chicago - and spent my time at "work" in the student computer labs reading through their "best of" lists from the previous years.
(I don't know if computer labs still exist at schools or if student jobs staffing them are still a thing, but man, this was the most relaxed employment situation of my life.)
You're going to see a lot of albums on this list that you'd now consider to be Pitchfork-core or what might now be called Rate-Your-Music (RYM) core.
This album, by The Dismemberment Plan, is one of my favorites of that era. I called it indie, but I really don't know what this is supposed to be. It's pretty funky, pretty chill, and yeah - I'm definitely biased, but it's a perfect "college" album. The whole thing has these pretty on the nose themes of feeling lost, searching for independence, and steering life and relationships.
I'd like to think that I'd still love this had I discovered it years later, but I'm not sure that's true. This is a perfect album for someone in their 20's; I still enjoy it from time to time, but it's not as resonant as it was back then.
A Life of Possibilities, by The Dismemberment Plan (YouTube)
The City, by the Dismemberment Plan (YouTube)
The album at the center of the emo universe. I love 90's emo the most, but that love definitely extends (far) backwards, and (slightly) forwards as well. Most of these guys would go on to form the legendary band Fugazi. I have so much admiration and respect for Dischord Records and the associated DIY DC hardcore scene that they were part of.
For Want Of, by Rites of Spring (YouTube)
The band name, album title, and many song titles make this sound like some sort of hardcore death metal group. This couldn't be farther from the truth.
Emphatically NOT ska, according to singer/guitarist Dan Lord, pain was a juggernaut of my youth in the mid to late 90's. How to describe them? Imagine the humor and quirkiness of They Might Be Giants, backed with the _instrumentation_ of a ska band, including keys, and you'd get close.
Their music is full of humor, wisdom, and compassion, with themes relevant to teen aged me then, and middle aged me now.
Most of the band came out of retirement right before the pandemic and released a couple more albums under the name Salvo:
If you only click one link in this post, click the next one and nerd out with me:
Grudge, by Pain (YouTube)
One Legged Girl, by Pain (YouTube)
Real ones from back in the day will remember mp3.com. From what I can remember, they were both a website AND a record label. They used to have some sort of a system where you could earn money, or credits (or something) just by listening to artists on their platform. I used to tie up my parents' phone line for hours at a time listening to this stuff. If you try to imagine what Bandcamp might have looked like over 25 years ago, this probably comes close.
This particular CD claims to be a D.A.M CD, which probably means it's one of those that has an interactive element when played via a computer.
In retrospect, it seems weird that I have this or was even interested in this genre at all. Thing is, I have a lot of different tastes now, and liked a lot of variety even back then. Part of the fun of this journey is remembering some of these releases that I don't think of often anymore, but clearly meant something to me at the time.
Trancending Reality, by 303 Infinity (YouTube)
With that, part two of this series comes to a close. It's been a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to continuing.
Have you listened to any of these albums? Were you (or are you) into punk, ska, emo, or electronic music? Did you ever use mp3.com, much less purchase a physical CD from them? Send me an email, and let's reminisce together.
Until next time...there's a LOT more to go...
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