Welcome to the 52 RPM Project.
In 2015, I will be inundating myself with a new album every week until the end of the year.
Each day for that week – Monday to Sunday – I will listen to the selected album in its entirety at least once a day. Throughout the listening period, I will take notes on what songs vibe and what songs I’m not a fan of. By the end of the week, I’ll compare my thoughts and write up a review of the album as a whole. Some records I may love, some I may…decide to let fall by my musical wayside. The hope is that, at the end of these 52 weeks, I’ll have listened to a bunch of albums, genres and artists that I may never have thought to discover on my own, or listened to whole albums of music that I only knew one or two tracks off of.
I’d invite you to please take a look around and see what I’ve listened to. Share your thoughts with me on what I’ve heard and give me insight on what I should tune into next. My hope is to get viewpoints from all across the musical spectrum. Whether it’s pop, blues, folk, punk, musicals, classical, polka or hip-hop, I want every album to have a fair shot at digging its sonic hooks into me and changing the way I see music.
Thanks for your help and I hope you enjoy the ride!
– Mike
24 responses to “The 52 RPM Project”
Barenaked Ladies – Maroon
Eagles – Hotel California
Tonic – Lemon Parade
These are a few of my “happy place” albums 🙂
We The Common – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. Dynamo – Faded Paper Figures. The Social Network (soundtrack) – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Chvrches- the bones of what you believe
I usually just listen to songs, not entire albums. But this album is incredible!
My favorite albums: AM by Arctic Monkeys, Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of The Times by Kings of Leon, Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes, Piano Solos vol. 2 by Dustin O’Halloran, Melophobia by Cage the Elephant.
Santana Abraxas. Carlos Santana is an iconic musician and guitarist of Mexican descent. His guitar sounds, tunes, rhythm and beats have always captivated my heart and soul. Whenever I listen to his music, every note awakens senses I have forgotten I had. The beat to his music always beckons me to want to dance! His music seduces anybody into happiness, believing they are in love, reminisce of love, or inspire one to keep on loving. I totally identify with his Latin roots! Hope you enjoy his rhythm and soul as much as I have since I was a young teenager.
You should listen to Zella Day’s self-titled album and/or/also Fitz and the Tantrums “More than Just a Dream.” Vampire Weekend also have some great albums. And then the Mowglis “Waiting for the Dawn”, though they’re better live… Oh, and I can’t decide if I like The Naked and Famous’ new album, so listen and let me know, kay? Kay.
Here are some suggestions to start you off:
1. Johnny Cash — “American IV: The Man Comes Around”
One of the first albums to affect me deeply, and Jonny’s last release while alive. I used to stay up late listening to its songs over and over.
2. Pink Floyd — “Wish You Were Here”
Without a doubt my favorite Floyd record. Deals with the subject of enjoying success while missing those who went their separate way song the road.
3. The Who — “Who’s Next”
Tommy may be what The Who is most famous for (as it simultaneously invented the Rock Opera and guitar smashing), but I have always considered this album to be The Who’s best work. It is a genre defying masterpiece.
4. The White Stripes — “Elephant”
I believe that Icky Thump was more of a commercial success overall, but the singles from this album dominated the White Stripes’ rise to fame, in what I consider to be their defining work.
5. The Decemberists — “The Hazards of Love”
This album not only pushed the boundaries of Rock Operas, by introducing folk rock to the medium, but also pushed the limits of the Decemberist’s own sound (so much so that they had to expand their band)
6. John Denver — “Poems, Prayers, and Promises”
This is the album that defines everything I love about John. His entire stylistic breadth is excellently sampled in this record. Certainly his best album.
7. The Dandy Warhols — “Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia”
The Dandies blew me away with this album which lives somewhere in the no man’s land between punk-rock, grunge, power-pop, and the Velvet Underground. This album is a rocking party that proves the versatility of the Pacific Northwest sound.
8. U2 — “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”
This was the first CD I ever bought and it literally changed my life. This was my introduction to rock, progressive, and a while works of other genres.
I still consider it to be U2’s most soulful work.
9. Modest Mouse — “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank”
This album teaches everything you need to know about the eccentricities and raw power of a little band from Issaquah; and does so by taking you on a sonic journey through the twisted lyrical rhythm being pounded out by a man with a lisp.
10. Ratatat — “Classics”
This album makes me want to lie down on a beige, shag carpet in the basement of a 1970s ranch house. Enough Said.
Album “The Mission” (movie soundtrack album) by Ennio Morricone.
All of the music is instrumental, and probably not an everyday listen, but if you’ve never heard it I think you should 🙂
It’s really “hightening”, rich and beautiful.
Lagwagon-Resolve
Artist: Wooden Wand
Album: Briarwood
Lagwagon-Hang
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!-Something for Nothing
Avenged Sevenfold-Waking the Fallen
Xavier Rudd- Food in the Belly (or any of his albums. theyre all good.)
Hotcakes by Carly Simon
1. Vessel by twenty-one pilots
2. Sylvan Esso by Sylvan Esso
3. Emma forever ago by Bon Iver
4. Death and all his friends by Coldplay
5. Torches by Foster the People
6. Sweet Deseray by Dan Croll
7. This is all yours by Alt-J
8. What a pleasure by Beach fossils
when i think of full albums that i love, only a few come to mind – bleed american, jimmy eat world; 1989, taylor swift; hot fuss, the killers; and hozier’s self titled debut. i’m really excited about this project though, i think i’ll listen along with you!
Damone – out here all night
This is one of my absolute favorite albums of all time.
Here is a long list of albums I think are great. I’m sure you’ve listened to a lot already. I put an * on the five that I think you’re less likely to know but are awesome.
Bang Bang Rock And Roll – Art Brut*
The Great Escape – Blur*
Leaders of the Free World – Elbow*
Fictionist – Fictionist
Blueberry Boat – The Fiery Furnaces
Plastic Beach – Gorillaz
Lazaretto – Jack White
Try! – John Mayer Trio
Power In Numbers – Jurassic Five
Fossil Mountain – Mavis (heh heh)
Prologue – The Milk Carton Kids*
Parlor Hawk – Parlor Hawk
Paul Simon – Paul Simon
Chaos and Creation In The Backyard – Paul McCartney
Hang On Little Tomato – Pink Martini
Carnivore – Simon Dawes*
Lonerism – Tame Impala
The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
Everything Will Be Alright In The End – Weezer
Summerteeth – Wilco
The Whole Love – Wilco
Beautiful Mechanical – yMusic
One of the best albums I’ve heard in the past year or so is “Atomos” by A Winged Victory for the Sullen. It was commissioned as the scores to a dance piece and then released as an album. Stands alone beautifully, but lights the imagination on fire when you think of the dance that might accompany it.
Oh, also one of my all-time favorites: “Hadestown” by Anais Mitchell. An overlooked (dare I say it?) masterpiece featuring some notable talents/cameos (Justin Vernon, Joanna Newsom, more).
Bombino – Agadez
Really the entire Tuareg music scene, Tinariwen, Terakaft, and Bombino especially are my go-to for any long drive, but of all their albums, Agadez is my favorite.
The Preatures – Blue Planet Eyes
Blue Planet Eyes is my current happy album for whenever I want to dance like a girl.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (the album is self-titled).
If you’re familiar with Something Corporate or Jack’s Mannequin, you’ll recognize it.
MoM & DaD
Cherub
Here’s another new album that I think you’ll like a lot: Punch Brothers “The Phosphorescent Blues”.
I went over this web site and I believe you have a lot of great information, saved to favorites (:.