Flatbasset Radio: Episode #132

We'd fight about it, then we'd laugh about it...

Well hello again, everybody! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #132!

Folks, I know it's been a little while since I posted a show so I'd like to offer a sincere thank you to those of you who've come back. Without getting into too much detail my life has been exceedingly stressful lately and I just needed to take the responsibility of the show off the table for a while.

That, however, is in the past. We're here, it's now, and I've got a brand new show for you. I initially recorded the show with all of my commentary, but I'm in the process of moving out of Planet New Basset and my new recording set up was being dominated by outside noise so I pretty much just edited myself out of my own show. Yup, that's where we're at after 132 episodes.

Regardless, this week's show is still stuffed full of jams. We've got some fantastic new local music, some upcoming shows, anniversaries, our Cover Of The Week, a deep dive into Nate's Archives, our continuing exploration of the Disposable America record label, a trip in the Minnesota Way-Back Machine, and, as always, the Flatbasset Flatclassic.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. I've finally set up a decent downloading site, so if you'd like to download Flatbasset Radio: Episode #129 (with all the appropriate iTunes tagging), just click here.



Here's how Ep. #132 plays out:

01. Catbath - Black Sand

As you've no doubt noticed, I try to start the show with local music and this week's show is no exception. I've been spinning this Catbath record for a couple of months now and it only gets better. I know it's still only September, but "Black Sand" is definitely one of my Top 10 songs of 2018.

02. Ruth Ruth - Cadillac, Michigan

Dropped this one into the set to mark the 20th Anniversary of Ruth Ruth's criminally underrated sophomore album Are You My Friend?

If you remember Ruth Ruth at all it's likely for their Buzz Bin single "Uninvited" from their debut album Laughing Gallery. Following a brief detour to Epitaph Records they took their crack at the late 90's alterna-rock big leagues with Are You My Friend?  Unfortunately, due to to record label issues the album ended up being DOA. However, until they pry my laptop from my cold, dead hands I will not let Ruth Ruth be consigned to the dustbin of history. Are You My Friend? is much more 93.7: The Edge than it is 93X, with clever hooks, stellar production that ranges from punk to crunch to new wave, and cryptic/self-deprecating lyrics that hit that Gen X sweet spot. Just a fantastic album front-to-back.

03. Cloquet - Hollows

Producer Paper Tiger, as you likely know, is one of the twin backbones of the Doomtree sound. J Gundersen, as you're less likely to know, is a music video director who's worked with Doomtree on a number of clips. Both based out of NYC, they've decided to form a "group" under the name Cloquet (the NYC of the Northern Minnesota). "Hollows" is the first fruit of their labor. Whether this is just a one-off or the first taste of a larger project is a mystery to me, but even if this is all we get then the Great Cloquet Experiment Of 2018 will go down as a success.

04. Lauryn Hill - Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

Our Cover Of The Week doubles as a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Lauryn Hill's landmark LP The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. Allow me two thoughts on the subject:

First of all, I think the most telling testament to the brilliance of this album is that it doesn't sound the least bit dated. As you can imagine, a lot of the hip-hop that came out in 1998 sounds definitively like 1998. Whether this means The Miseducation... is perpetually in time or out of time is a question for somebody more intelligent than me, but history has definitely shown that all of the accolades Ms. Hill received in 1998 were warranted.

Secondly, I'm fascinated by the fact that this is still Lauryn Hill's only solo release. Not so much because I don't understand why she never recorded a follow up, but more because she's been sporadically touring it for the past 20 years, pushing and pulling at the form and structure of this same batch of songs for years. It's as if creating these 14 songs was her life's work. Imagine if a painter continued to make variations on the same painting for years, wringing slightly different meaning out of each iteration. It's a fascinating case of whether these songs belong to the the listener or to Ms. Hill.

05. 7 Seconds - Walk Together, Rock Together

This week's deep dive into Nate's Archives brings us back to 1985 and Reno, NV's finest punk rock band 7 Seconds. They taught us some of life's most valuable lessons.

06. Dismantlists - Look Skyward, End Timers

Our mid-show instrumental break. I really can't get enough of this Dismantlists project. Better known as MPR DJ Steve Seel, his work on his debut full-length Here At The End was a great introduction to his ominous guitar-synth-manipulation style was intriguing, but "Look Skyward, End Timers" may be his finest effort yet. It's the first taste of his follow-up EP Opia, which is bound to soundtrack what's certain to be a calamitous autumn.

07. Israel Nash - Rolling On

Dropped this one into the set because Israel Nash is headlining a show over at the Turf Club this Thursday night and if the singles from his latest album Lifted are any indication it'll likely be your last chance to see him in a venue this size. I've been fascinated by his sound since I first heard the song "L.A. Lately" back in 2015 and he continues to impress with reaching-for-the-country-fried-heavens sound.

08. Tangletown - Ordinary Freaks

This week's trip in the old Minnesota Way-Back Machine takes us back to the year 1998 and Tangletown's album Ordinary Freaks.

Truth be told, I don't know anything about this band. Literally nothing. I scooped up this CD in the local bin at Cheapo for $1.99 on a whim, but I absolutely love it. While not reinventing the wheel, Tangletown sits right in that late-Replacements/Jayhawks/Gin Blossoms midwestern sweet spot. They lyrics sound a bit 90's, but the hook on this titular track is an absolute killer. If anybody knows any more about this band or album feel free to hit me up.

09. Caténine - You Never Remember

We continue our exploration of the Disposable America record label with DA007, a split EP from L.A.'s Caténine & Boston's Funeral Advantage.

This week's track comes from the now-defunct Caténine. The solo project of Dylan Conner, "You Never Remember" is all Johnny Marr guitars and Gillian Gilbert synths, which is a shorthand way of saying it's straight flame emoji. 

10. The Gaslight Anthem - The Patient Ferris Wheel

Marking the 10th Anniversary of The Gaslight Anthem's stellar Killers-meet-Springsteen album The '59 Sound. I know this album was a huge deal in some circles (I know this because being friends with somebody in one of those circles is how I first heard the album), but it didn't hit me too hard at the time of its release. It's hard to say why, but I think it had a lot more to do with what was going on in my life 10 years ago (nothing good) than the quality of the record (very good). I didn't have a car when I first heard the record, but I spent a bunch of time driving around with it last month and I think that may have been the trick. From the lyrics to propulsive songs to the shout along hooks, this is a record that was made for the the open road.

Shoutout to the mightiest Bosstone Dicky Barrett for the cameo on this one. Absolutely the reason this song ended up on the show.

11. Cheap Fantasy - Nothing

Did you really think we were going to get through this comeback episode without dropping the new Cheap Fantasy single? What are you, new here?

Jordan Bleau slows things down on this one, adds Rose Von Muchow on the vocals, and takes Cheap Fantasy into full on John Hughes mode. I can get behind it.

12. The Rolling Stones - Beast Of Burden

Our Flatbasset Flatclassic this week marks the 40th Anniversary of Some Girls, arguably the last great Rolling Stones album. Now, I know I've played "Beast Of Burden" on the show before, but what were my options? Not play "Beast Of Burden?" FOH. It is, to my mind, the finest Rolling Stones song of all-time (though some days it's that position is usurped by "Wild Horses). I couldn't pass up the opportunity to mark its anniversary.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but one of the things I love about "Beast Of Burden" is that you don't have to know it's the Stones to get it, you know what I mean? Like, think of a song like "Rocks Off" or "Jumping Jack Flash." Great songs, no doubt, but part of what makes them great is how you picture Mick Jagger's swagger and Keith Richards perpetual cool. You kind of have to have that image to really appreciate those songs (not a criticism, BTW. Those cultivated personalities add a depth to the songs that is nearly impossible to replicate). However, if you were to travel to the farthest reaches of the world and find somebody who had never heard of nor seen The Rolling Stones, you could play that sheltered weirdo "Beast Of Burden" and they would undoubtedly love it.

There you have it, everybody. Feels good to be back.

Beats by Phatnumber
Flatbasset Radio Artwork by Ross Auger

Thanks for listening!

For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on my Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

Flatbasset Radio's 25 Most Played Albums: July '17

Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to another installment of Album Collage Monthly!

We're into the dog days of summer now, folks. I spent a good part of July either watching fireworks or sitting in the air conditioning listening to music. It was a solid month.

As always, huge thanks to everybody who stopped by and listened to the show this month. July always has a couple of my favorite shows so I certainly hoped you enjoyed listening to them as much as I enjoyed putting them together.

Alright, let's get to the thing.

(As always, one "play" equals one song. For example, that new Cheap Fantasy album has 5 songs on it, so each time I listen to it front to back it counts as five "plays." As usual, all stats come from my Last.FM page. Give it a follow if you really want to stay up on what's getting the most plays.)

01. Murder Shoes - Fall (70 plays)

02. StoLyette - Summer (63 plays)

03. Sloan - One Chord To Another (60 plays)

04. Brilliant Beast - Jelly (47 plays)

05. V/A - Unpop 150 (46 plays)

06. Cheap Fantasy - Life Of Glass (45 plays)

07. The Dandy Warhols - ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down (43 plays)

08. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (42 plays)

09. Dan Israel - Dan Israel (42 plays)

10. 7Seconds - Walk Together, Rock Together (42 plays)

11. Motion City Soundtrack (40 plays)

12. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (40 plays)

13. The Alarmists - The Ghost And The Hired Gun (39 plays)

14. Rooney - Calling The World (38 plays)

15. Interpol - Our Love To Admire (36 plays)

16. V/A - 2016: The Year All Bad Things Went Away And Everything Turned Out To Be Fine (34 plays)

17. Jamie xx - In Colour (33 plays)

18. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell (33 plays)

19. Banner Pilot - Pass The Poison (33 plays)

20. Sonic Youth - Dirty (32 plays)

21. Prince - Planet Earth (32 plays)

22. Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey (30 plays)

23. The Beta Band - Hot Shots II (30 plays)

24. Morrissey - Your Arsenal (30 plays)

25. Metz - Metz (30 plays)

For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on my Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #101

I want to live my life in stereo...

Well hello everybody. Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #101!

That's right, folks, we're doing another hundred shows! Well... probably. We're at least going to start working towards another shows.

Folks, I've got a lot of great stuff on this week's show. Some new local music from one of our best rappers & one of our best indie poppers (?), a stellar Cover Of The Week from one of America's greatest rock bands, a celebration of an iconic local group, a celebration of one of the greatest rappers of all-time, a few anniversaries, some great upcoming local shows, and, as promised, a truly iconic Flatbasset Flatclassic.

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. I've finally set up a decent downloading site, so if you'd like to download Flatbasset Radio: Episode #101 (with all the appropriate iTunes tagging), just click here.

If you don't have the time or desire to download the show, just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.



Here's how Episode #101 plays out:

01. Cheap Fantasy - Life Of Glass

02. Sims - Time Don't Fear Me Back

03. David Bazan - Bless This Mess

04. Superchunk - Up Against The Wall

05. Semisonic - If I Run

06. Jay-Z - Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)

07. Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles - Modern Trick

08. Tiger Army - Spring Forward

09. Metro Boomin - Forever Young

10. The Pines - Careless Love

11. At The Drive-In - Lopsided

12. Foo Fighters - Everlong











There you have it, folks! Enjoy!

For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on my Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #87

I'm not a poet, I don't have words enough to tell you what it's like...

Well hello again, everybody. Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #87!

First things first, I want to give a huge thank you to everybody who checked out the last episode. If you'll recall (or scroll down) you'll see that Episode #86 was a completely Minnesota-based episode of the show. No speaking from me, just an hour of straight jams. A bunch of the artists on the show were kind enough to share the show via social media which is huge for me. Pretty much the only reach I have is via social media and every like, share, retweet etc... helps out quite a bit. That's actually a tremendously sad sentence, but that's culture these days.

On a more old-fashioned note, thank you to everybody who scooped up one of the copies I burned and left around town. Hopefully those of you who picked up a copy gave it at least one listen before whipping it out of your car window in a traffic-induced rage. Thanks to Cheapo, Reverie Cafe, & Electric Fetus for letting me hock wares at their fine establishments. Everybody, go to Cheapo, Reverie, & Electric Fetus and buy music & sandwiches. They're the best.

Alright, let's get to the show. No, I haven't put out any shows yet this October. Yes, I've been very busy and/or sleepy. I'm sorry if anybody was waiting with bated breath for a new episode. If that's the case you have my most sincere apologies, however, I'm awfully skeptical that you exist.

I continued my absence from the microphone this week in favor of jamming as many, errrr.... jams onto the show as possible. In all I managed to fit another 19 songs into an hour long show. Since I took most of the month off we have a bunch of anniversaries to acknowledge, some new jams, the Cover Of The Week, and, of course, the Flatbasset Flatclassic!

As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. I've finally set up a decent downloading site, so if you'd like to download Flatbasset Radio: Episode #87 (with all the appropriate iTunes tagging), just click here.

If you don't have the time or desire to download the show, just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.



Here's how Flatbasset Radio: Episode #87 plays out:

01. Fountains Of Wayne - Radiation Vibe

Decided to open this week's show with one of those aforementioned anniversaries. Can you believe it's been 20 years since Fountains Of Wayne's first album? Holy Jeebus we're all getting old. While a large chunk of the world remembers them as a one-hit wonder and nothing else I will forever carry the flame for Fountains Of Wayne, the finest power-poppers the post-grunge era produced.

02. Ras Dude - Germ I-Nation

I've played Ras Dude on the show before, but his beats never go out of style. Pulled this one off of his 2013 EP Well Red. It's a fantastically enjoyable beat tape that I would highly recommend for anybody who spends more than two hours each week on public transportation

03. The Dirty Banks - Dardanelles

I've had very good luck in the past with bands who have decided to follow me on Twitter (The Persian Leaps, Brilliant Beast...). Honestly, I'm not trying to be egotistical (I have no idea why anybody follows me on Twitter), but if you give me a follow I'll likely check out your work.

I mention this because The Dirty Banks randomly started following me a few weeks back. I hit up their Bandcamp page and decided to check out their latest single "Dardanelles." As you can hear, it's a delightful little tune. If the Talking Heads had formed in 1996 they might have put out something that sounds like this.

04. Kanye West - Famous (w/Rihanna)

It's not secret that I am a tremendous fan of Kanye West. I've played him on the show so many times I've lost count and I'll probably play him a dozen more times before someone pries my laptop from my cold, dead hands.

I decided to play "Famous" on this week's show because I wanted to mention that I was at Yeezy's show at the Xcel Energy Center (the upper-midwest's finest sports & entertainment complex) the other night. It was a tremendous show. Just Kanye on a floating stage hovering above a huge open pit dropping hits for 95 minutes (with enough bass to move the hair on your forehead). Focus on the Taylor Swift line if you'd like, but for me "Famous" will always be watching the crowd go off when that "Bum-bum..." part kicks in halfway through the song. Yeezy 2020!

05. These Arms Are Snakes - Perpetual Bris

In my years of making mixtapes, mixes, & podcasts I've learned many things. Perhaps the most important of which is to follow monster hip-hop jams with difficult post-hardcore. These Arms Are Snakes album Easter turned 10 the other day and it doesn't feel like it's aged at all. "Perpetual Bris" is definitely one of the calmer moments of the album, but even as a chance to exhale it's still a necessary piece of rollercoaster album.

06. Goodbye Harry - I Don't Mind

If you've been following along for the duration of the show you likely know that I"m a huge fan of the Descdendents & All discography. So much so that I'm fully invested in the various side projects that have come and gone in the wake of the band. Goodbye Harry was singer Scott Reynolds first post-All band and even though they only put out two records (with different lineups), they hold a special place in my heart.

"I Don't Mind" comes from their second album I Can Smoke (which turned 20 since we last spoke) and it's an all-time classic in my world. Back when I was in my late teens/early 20's I was just a mess. I'd screwed up enough to drop out of technical college (technical college!), I had no idea what to do with my life, and I was definitely at the nadir of figuring out how to deal with my crippling introversion. As corny as it sounds, "I Don't Mind" came along at a time in my life when I needed it. Scott Reynolds ode to his own inability to cope with life somehow helped me cope with mine.

07. Dosh - Everybody Cheer Up Song

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Dosh's album The Lost Take I thought I'd dig out one of the lesser known songs from the album. Everybody should cheer up. It could always be worse. Stretch out and enjoy.

08. Porches - Morpha Too

Our Cover Of The Week comes courtesy of Aaron Maine's Porches. By my count this is the third Big Star cover I've played on the show and, while it's curious to hear Big Star minus guitars, there's something enjoyably tossed off about Maine's keyboard-and-microphone take.

09. Joey Bada$$ - Front & Center

Joey Bada$$ is another artist who's made multiple appearances on the show and will continue to make appearances as long as he keeps bringing the heat. While he seems to be easing away from the neo-boom-bap that made me a fan, rapping about having sex over the Narcos theme is a fine direction to take for a one-off.

10. R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter (w/Marianne Faithfull)

For years and year "E-Bow The Letter" stood as one of the most confusing singles I'd ever heard in my life. And all of that stems from the fact that I was born in 1982.

Let me explain.

Since I was born in 1982 it means I was 12 years old in 1994. Admittedly this may have something to do with the fact that I think 1994 is the greatest year in music history. Now, in 1994 I was just a precocious pre-teen sitting like a lump on the couch devouring a whole summer's worth of MTV. At the time R.E.M. had just released Monster's first single "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" a song that I adored at the time and still count as my all-time favorite R.E.M. song. Now, this being the pre-internet era, "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" made up the totality of my knowledge of R.E.M. I thought they were a sorta-psychedelic, sorta-glammy rock band whose singer had a cool t-shirt with a star on the front and somehow was worse at dancing than I was. That was all I knew.

Fast forward two years later and I'm now 14 years old and sitting like a lump in my room listening to 93.7 The Edge with my fingers on the "Play" & "Record" buttons of my stereo. The DJ tells me that we're about to listen to the new R.E.M. single and that it's called "E-Bow The Letter." Needless to say, I was excited. On faith alone, I pushed down the buttons, sat back, and... became very confused very quickly. What was this? Where are the guitars? Why is this dude just talking? Who's this woman singing? Why is there nothing here for me to sing along with? Why won't Mom let us have pizza for dinner? What time is Simpsons on? It was a real whirlwind.

I spent the whole school year listening to that dubbed tape on my walkman and between the sugar rush of Green Day's "Basketcase" and the emotional heft of Tonic's "If You Could Only See" I always listened to "E-Bow" and I could never figure out why I was supposed to enjoy it.

Obviously both me & the internet have come a long way since then. I now fully grasp how "E-Bow The Letter" fits into the R.E.M. story and that "What's The Frequency?" was the obvious outlier. However, even today, listening to it takes me back to 1996.

11. Earl Sweatshirt - Balance (w/Knxledge)

For the last three years I've spent the spring/summer/fall months playing along with Adult Swim's Singles Program. Every Sunday I download whatever that week's song is and spend the week with it. Some are great, some are not. Whatever.

A couple weeks ago though they dropped this 80 second Earl Sweatshirt jam into my lap. Who knew a rapper could say so much with so little? I've been late to the Earl show for years now (even though everything I hear from the dude is stellar). Are we still saying that Earl is showing tons of promise or have we decided that it's been realized? "Balance" is a jam.

12. The Future Sound Of London - Max

Another 20 year anniversary with this one and I have almost nothing to say about Dead Cities. Four or five years ago a friend of mine sent me home with his copy of the album because he thought I would like it. I don't know. We'd been drinking at the the time. Anyway, I'll bet I didn't play the thing for two years before finally giving it a spin out of curiosity. It sounds like that album cover looks: a dystopian future as imagined in 1996. Acid house & ambient sounds co-mingle for much of the album, but "Max" stands as bright spot. I'll bet this shit was incredible if you were on ecstasy in the 90's.

13. Oasis - Don't Go Away (Demo)

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Be Here Now Oasis is going with a full-on re-issue of their notorious third album. Part of the re-issue is the release of Noel Gallagher's demos for what would become Be Here Now.

Now, I could spent another 500 words talking about Be Here Now and how, while not a "lost classic" by any stretch, it's nowhere near as bad as people would have you believe. It has its merits (bloated and coked out though they may be). I still think it stands as a fascinating album for its time & circumstances and hearing Noel's demo of "Don't Go Away" only adds another layer to the story. As you can here, there is a legitimately great Oasis single here. The hook is there, the guitar is there... I mean, it would have made perfect sense for this to come out after What's The Story? The fact that it was eventually bogged down with strings & more guitars is just so damn bizarre. I like the finished product, but this was gold! How did they fuck this up?!?

14. Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin' (w/Jill Scott)

It's hard to believe Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor came out 10 years ago already, but hell, if Fountains Of Wayne came out 20 years ago then anything is possible.

Food & Liquor was one of the albums that helped bridge the gap from indie hip-hop to mainstream (at least for me). While "Kick, Push" was the bait, it was "Daydreamin'" that got me on board with the Lupe Fiasco experience. I still think that first verse that works its way from the top of the robot to the bottom is genius.

15. Cheap Fantasy - Fluoresce

Oh shit, waddup! Jordan Bleau may have put the Frankie Teardrop moniker to bed, but he's still kicking out jams. This is his first release under the Cheap Fantasy moniker and it's charming. The guitar isn't buzzing like it used to, but it's glowing like 1980's arcade machine. I've spent the last three years on this blog saying I can't wait to see what Frankie Teardrop does next. Well, let the record state, I can't wait to see what Cheap Fantasy does next.

16. Novak - The Lighthouse

Alright, folks, time for a little bit of crowd-sourcing. I picked up this album a month or two ago at Cheapo just out of curiosity. As you can see if you squint it's titled Beat Oven Volume 1 (Serving Up The Best Of Minneapolis Dance Music). It came out in 1995 and contains this keyboard jam. It's credited to "Novak" and the liner notes say "written by M Daugherty." That's all I've got. Anybody know anything about this? Great jam.

17. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Wail

 Now I Got Worry turned 20 and yet Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is still #1 in the USA!

18. The Person & The People - What If I Don't Want To Go Home?

Now, under normal circumstances I try not to play the same artist on two consecutive shows. However, since Ep. #86 our old friends The Person & The People released a new album Unemployment Blues.

Well, sort of. You see, Unemployment Blues is the work of lead singer/songwriter Nick Costa and... that seems to be it. It's a collection of down & out songs sung by Costa with pretty much just his guitar as accompaniment. As you can hear, the hooks are certainly still there (no way Costa could turn off the tunesmith in his head, no matter how tough times got), but everything's been scaled back. I'm hopefully going to find the time to write more about this album in the near future, but it represents an intriguing turn for TP&TP. Pretty much anything is on the table now. They could go back to the jazzier leanings of their early work, crank the guitars back up to Superdrag levels like their What A Drag LP, or revisit the pyrotechnics of last week's show closer "Paranoid And Sleepy." Credit where it's due, these guys definitely keep me guessing.

19. Nirvana - Drain You

I really did want to play that Goodbye Harry songs as the Flatbasset Flatclassic this week, but Nevermind just turned 25! I couldn't just drop "Drain You" into the middle of the set. For better or worse, 25 years on Nevermind still casts such a daunting shadow that it can really only exist on its own pedestal.

There have been plenty of thinkpieces about the album on the occasion of this anniversary and this certainly isn't the place for me to contribute to the pile. I would like to leave this with a couple of thoughts:

1. Even if you prefer Pearl Jam's Ten or Metallica's Black Album (two other albums celebrating 25 year anniversaries this year), I have a hard time believing that either of those albums is as significant as Nevermind. For better or worse, it was the key to the Pandora's box of indie guitar music. Yes, plenty of bands were doing in before Nirvana. Yes, many artists trajectory weren't even affected by Nirvana. However, for the first time since the late 60's, it seemed like money was flowing toward artists as opposed to artists chasing money. Perhaps that's just my comically dated aversion to "selling out" that still lives inside my 90's kid brain, but I feel like Nevermind opened the door for people to be fucking weird on album and have someone support it.

(Sidenote: I may be a 90's kid, but I'll make my peace with the guilt of "selling out" if somebody wants to give me some money. Or a larger platform. Or a sandwhich. Or a Facebook "like.")

2. As an example of Nevermind's looming shadow, it took all of my restraint not to mention the record in all the other anniversaries I wrote about in this post. Can you believe it was only five years from Nevermind to Fountains Of Wayne? How about the five from Nevermind to Be Here Now? It seems like a whole generation should have passed between those two albums.

3. "Drain You" has always been my favorite song from this album. Take away the screaming and the mid-song breakdown and at it's core there's a timeless, strummy pop song in there. Still classic.

There you have it, folks! Enjoy!

For more of my rantings you can give me a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.