Tag Archives: Decades

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Song of the Day #6,408: ‘E-Bow the Letter’ – R.E.M.

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#3 – New Adventures in Hi-Fi – R.E.M.

I owned a lot of CDs back in the days before streaming, and for a select few of them I can recall the exact time and place they first came into my possession. One such album is R.E.M.’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the band’s final release as a quartet.

My soon-to-be-wife bought this CD for me while I was on a work trip to the Dominican Republic and surprised me with it when she picked me up at the airport. As a huge R.E.M. fan, I’d been anticipating the release for months and cursing the timing. But thanks to her thoughtfulness, I was able to hear it ASAP.

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Song of the Day #6,407: ‘Sissyneck’ – Beck

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#4 – Odelay – Beck

Beck had released four albums before Odelay, including three in 1994 alone, but this record put him on the map as one of the most talented and creative minds in popular music.

Odelay is a glorious smorgasbord of genres, instruments, and techniques. But Beck doesn’t just cram all of those elements into one album, he blends them together in every song. He was splicing hip-hop and country together before Lil Nas X or Shaboozey were even born.

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Song of the Day #6,406: ‘Shadowboxer’ – Fiona Apple

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#5 – Tidal – Fiona Apple

It’s nice to discover a favorite artist right on the ground floor. Such was the case with Fiona Apple, whose debut album quickly became a staple for both my future wife and me. And while my wife didn’t stay onboard for Apple’s subsequent releases, I found them even more enchanting than this one.

Tidal does sound like a debut at times. It’s a bit overwritten and over-serious. It doesn’t have the playfulness or rhythmic experimentation of her next few records. But as an introduction to an extraordinary new talent, it’s a bracing and emotional work of art.

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Song of the Day #6,403: ‘Little Atoms’ – Elvis Costello

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#6 – All This Useless Beauty – Elvis Costello

It’s a testament to the genius of Elvis Costello that this album, one I’m probably rank in the bottom half of his discography, is easily one of the best releases of its year.

All This Useless Beauty started as a project compiling Costello’s recordings of songs he’d written for other artists. About half of its final tracklist fits that description, including songs written for the likes of ‘Til Tuesday, Johnny Cash, Roger McGuinn, and June Tabor.

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Song of the Day #6,402: ‘Two Step’ – Dave Matthews Band

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#7 – Crash – Dave Matthews Band

The Dave Matthews Band isn’t particularly hip anymore. Though they released a studio album as recently as 2023, it’s been 16 years since their last Platinum effort. And while the band still plays packed live shows to a legion of die-hard fans, many of whom travel along with them, their mainstream appeal has dwindled.

But in the mid-90s, these guys were the shit. The one-two punch of 1994’s Under the Table and Dreaming and 1996’s Crash brought their unique brand of eclectic jazzy pop to the masses, selling more than 13 million copies combined.

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