listen up folks, some of you all may think that shark is full 'o whatever, but there is some seriously great stuff on this list.

in fact, it starts right off with the almost unknown gems of Animal Logic I and II.

by the way, i think that Animal Logic broke up because they didn't make enough money. Copeland & Clark made much more by doing score work, etc.

dang, i'll work on my list soon...

Mark: "...some of you all may think that shark is full 'o whatever..."

Whaaaaa?

I thought I was universally loved and admired.

re: Animal Logic's breakup.

hmm. I think there's more to it than that, some personal animosity and so forth, but what the hey: They'll never do it again, which makes those two albums all the more special.

that aside, Deborah Holland's voice is amazing. the first time i heard "Spy In The House Of Love" i got the spine tingles.

I was particularly looking forward to reading this, Shark, especially since you and I are in the same generational cohort, and there's so much stuff here I've never heard of (interesting of you to include Kojak Variety, however)! Your descriptions make me want to check some of this stuff out, which is the real benefit to reading these lists, I think - you never know when someone else will point you in the direction of something new and wonderful. Thanks!

It's cool that you included one that I've played a gazillion times. Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys was given too me by my brother when we were both trying to pump up like Ah-nold.

It's easy to lift with this tape (!) in the walkman.

Soul Years is just one of the many fine tracks on this very deep album.

Thanks for the other suggestions!

Maybe the most interesting such list from a Blogcritic so far since it contains a lot of albums and artists I don't recognize.

I've been slaving away at my list and there's some of the same items.

Great job, Shark.

re: Animal Logic and Dave's Spiritual Cowboys --

Very cool. I've never met one person who's heard of either of these. Mighta known I'd encounter 'em here at BC.

"You mean I'm not alone?!"

Lisa - thanks. I hope you hear some cool new music based on this list. I'd recommend Kim Richey fer starters -- I just think you're made for each other. Lemme know how it works out!

Thanks to all others for yer comments. It's all good.

Egad! Excellent stuff, Shark.

More albums for the list, sigh...

Okay, Shark, on your say-so, I just clicked on over to Amazon and ordered Richey's Rise and the Keith Jarrett as well. Will report back.

Awesome choice on Vanilla Ice, bro!

The Animal Logic albums are long since out-of-print. Feck.

ah, the soft white underbelly (and no, I don't mean Blue Oyster cult) of the Shark is exposed - pretty great crunchy TexAmericana list. Have you heard that Townes Van Zant tribute album Poet? I really love that one

A guy who has a place in his heart for Steve Morse -- hell, a guy who even knows who Steve Morse is -- is a gentleman and a scholar in my book.

Shark, I'm SO pleased to see one of these lists which isn't full of college boy foolishness and hippity hoppity nonsense. Hey, I got a little of that even on MY list.

But Kojak Variety, out of everything Elvis has done in the last 20 years? I don't really see how this was particularly a "country" album. Seems like King of America would have been a more obvious choice for a country album, or even The Delivery Man.

Maybe someone should whip up a Bit Torrent for those out of print Animal Logic albums. Sounds like I for one need to hear them.

Actually, Al, Almost Blue would've been the logical choice for country Costello, but I would argue that Kojak Variety is the better album.

sweet fuck! another list with The Snake on it! (it's on my in-the-making list)

you do realise Shane is punk to the guts, our Shark?

what a fantastic record. the only weak point is the Sinead O'Connor duet, which was a bit crap when The Pogues recorded, an no better here.

"That woman's got me drinkin!
Look at the state i'm in!
Gimmie 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 bottles a gin!!!!"

marvellous record. and SOng Without A Name (which half-inches the melody from The Homes Of Donegal, as does I Pity The Poor Immigrant by Dylan) is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.

Damn, you've had me thinking about the Dave Stewart album all day. Now I'll search for a few days for the cassette...

BTW, after playing my cranial walkman, I have to say that my *favorite* song from Spiritual Cowboys has got to be Crown Of Madness.

His laugh, especially the one where he ends it with that tweaky upswing...

Way too cool!

You've surprised me in having a country artist on there. That probably was Trisha Yearwood's best album.

Cinema Paradiso: Soundtrack - NICE!

Where's Requiem For A Dream Soundtrack? That was one kickass score.

Duke, re. The Snake -- great minds think alike, eh? Glad to know it's on somebody else's list, too!

"shane is punk to the guts..."

-- no shit, man, you can almost feel the saliva blowin' out of the speakers! And awesome CD, and I'm thrilled that the Duke has blessed at least one entry on me list.

=========

Tan: "You've surprised me in having a country artist on there."

Uh. You're kidding, right?

Jeesus, man, I was country before country was cool.

(see also "Chris Wall" entry above)

re: ANIMAL LOGIC I & II CDs

Found some listed on Ebay. (What else is new?)

Some good deals, too.

i can't believe they're out of print.

there aughta be a law or something.

is it a bad thing that I've only heard of around 10 of these groups/singers? Is my life really that sheltered?

Andy: "...I've only heard of around 10 of these groups/singers? Is my life really that sheltered?"

Nope. Yer normal.

(Not a good thing, btw.)

I was country before country was cool

and when it was uncool again, then semi-cool, then so uncool as to be almost cool ...

just out of curiousity...how do you find these artists...I mean...they're obiously not on mainstream radio. Are you independantly wealthy and own your own music store? Are you downloading this stuff illegally? A current or former DJ?

How would a "normal" person like me get exposed to some of this stuff? I have a couple of cd's I bought when I'd hear a band in a local bar or down at the beach or at the jazz and blues festival here locally, but other than that...how would one find these?

I'm not beinga smartass...I'm asking a serious question here. I really am interested in broadening my horizons...as they say! Thanks!

andy, speaking as a lifelong music whore, it really comes from experience.

ever since i was a kid i spent my time pouring over ever music-related publication i could get my hands on (back then it was mostly Rolling Stone and Creem).

years of doing it has given me decent knowledge of the rock music 'tree', so to speak.

depending on your tastes, there are still magazine out there that have lots of info about new artists. just looking at shark's countryish offerings makes me think that you might want to check out a copy of something like No Depression. heck, i scan it for a bit and all of a sudden my 'want list' grows by 5 or 10 entries.

Andy -- I'd say listen to a college radio station and/or read one or two music magazines like Spin or Rolling Stone or Kerrang with some regularity. That's not to say the magazines are holy writ or anything, but they do cover what's out there on a fairly regular basis.

totally agree on the college radio thing.

also, satellite radio can be interesting as well.

Mark - ok, I can understand what you're saying...I used to read RS back in the day, but it was pretty much to read what HST was saying at the time...I had read Fear and Loathing and really enjoyed it so...

but I also fall into that category of people that never believe what most critics have to say...and because of that I'm not sure I would have gone out and bought anything that some critic said was good...

I was also a very deprived child...I mean...I didn't even know there was any other kind of music other than C&W until I was about 11 or 12...that's ALL that was ever played in my parents house!

I think the thing that bothers me is that I read these lists...you know...lists like this one and the guitarist list and other best of and worst of...I don't think I'll ever put a list like this together...everything I like I keep seeing on everyone elses worst of lists!

oh, i wasn't really talking about what the critics write about in the magazines, but more about the ads & stuff.

wait, you don't trust ME as a critic?!!!

;-)

Mark - I said most...I read what everyone around here says...some of it I take with a grain of salt!

Unless I've heard it beforehand, I generally buy music based on reviews -- certainly more on reviews than people. I've yet to meet anyone with unerring musical tastes, and the people with good musical taste whom I do know usually aren't all that interested in articulating their passions. So I'm more or less stuck with people who are.

Andy, good question.

One thing that I do is follow the connections, ie. I find somebody I like, look who plays on their album, and check out their stuff.

example: ANIMAL LOGIC -- Stewart Copeland played drums for the Police, and Stanley Clarke is one of the greatest jazz bass players alive. Hence, "I wonder what a rock star and a jazz great will collaborate on?" -- and stumbled on two of the best CDs ever made!

As far as "americana" (and texana) -- these folks all circle in the same orbit; Julie Miller is pals with Kasey Chambers. I liked Julie Miller, so checked out Chambers. Kim Richey wrote a number of Trisa Yearwood's best songs. Buddy Miller, Julie's husband, plays guitar for Steve Earle -- and so on. Sort of a musical "six degrees of separation"! Follow the trail, man!

Also, after buying on Amazon a while, you'll get their "recommendations" ie. people who bought ____ also bought ____ and ____. Great way to find related stuff. You can also 'preview' a lot of the material on amazon.

Also check the sidebar on Amazon; you search for say, Steve Earle, and on the sidebar to the right, some lay contributer has added, "Best American Rock Albums" -- or "Best Albums by Steve Earle" -- or "Best Americana CDs of 2004" -- etc. Great place to waste hours.

Also: I have a few friends who are into kinda esoteric music, so we trade suggestions.

And last but not least, I've been a music nut for some forty odd years. Built up quite an internal data base over that time frame.

Study, read, borrow, buy, take chances, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY!! You can check out TONS of CDs to preview.

Thanks Shark! I didn't even think about the library...I used to borrow lp's and cassettes from them back in the day...

maybe that's my problem...I have no friends!!!

JK!

Following connections is a great way to find other artists you like. Another thing I've found helpful are compilation CDs. For example, a few years ago, I decided to build a small collection of Celtic music (of the non-Enya variety), so I bought a compilation CD. I listened to it a few times and started collecting some of the artists who had contributed the tracks I liked the best. You can do that with any genre of music.

Another thing that helped me tremendously, since I stopped listening to radio centuries ago, was to have a teenager in the house who was severely into music. He knew (still knows) my taste well enough to recommend things to me that he thinks I'll like, and I've been exposed to lots of artists that way that I otherwise never would've found on my own.

Compilations is a great suggestion, Lisa! I've found many an 'international' artist via those.

And Andy, just for the record, when I was a kid, I used to buy many albums simply based on their cover art!

'Course, that was back in the days of 12 x 12 vinyl... when you could actualy SEE the cover art.

...and read the liner notes without a magnifying glass.

Shark - I have boxes of albums...and no FUCKING NEEDLE!!!

You mentioned: Marcus Roberts - Alone with Three Giants. "Portraits in Blue" is also a must-have !!!

Juana Molina is Argentinian, not Brazilian