John Greak Poop 02


First off, I feel the need to alert everyone that I’m tired, ornery and waiting with bated breath for my new hydrogen car and the shiny nickel the latest Bush tax plan will send my way. In the mean time, I will bore all of my fellow culture snobs with a trite and simplistic look back on the year in music 2002.

In no special order:

Mary Lou Lord – “Live City Sounds”
Enter the Boston Subway with a guitar, portable DAT, and 13 killer cover songs. Leave with my favorite record of the year.

Paul Westerberg – “Mono/Stereo”
Last year, my hope was these records would not suck. They don’t

Piebald – “We Are the Only Friends We Have”
My favorite song title of the year: “Sex Sells & (unfortunately) I’m Buying.”

Rhett Miller- “The Instigator”
If people could stopjocking Bryan, er, I mean RYAN Adams for five minutes, maybe they’d realize that both Rhett and the Old 97’s kick Ryan & Whiskeytown’s egomaniacal ass.

Aimee Mann – “Lost In Space”
Anyone who doesn’t dig this record should be sentenced to the eternal damnation of listening to the Blue Nile and Felt.

Neko Case – “Blacklisted”
I sometimes feel all squishy inside when I listen to this record.

Jurassic 5 – “Power In Numbers”
Hip hop lives and is fun!! It doesn’t involve misogyny and homophobia!! This is not Eminem!!

Mr. Lif – “Emergency rations” EP
The most honest and radical post 9/11 hip hop lyrics are featured here, including the charming lines: “You can wave that piece of shit flag if you dare/ but they killed us because we’ve been killing ’em for years”. Preach it!

Flaming Lips- “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots”
Loved the Imac commercial!! By the way, Mr. Stevens called, he wants his melody back….

Steve Earle – “Jerusalem”
People in Nashville are just fucking stupid.

Mary Timony – “The Golden Dove”
I just like the record a lot.

Promise Ring – “Wood/Water”
Emo all grown up and ready to hang with the big boys. Oops, they broke up…

The Donnas – “Spend The Night”
I might even make the bed in the morning….

Elvis Costello – “When I Was Cruel”
The true king lays claim to his abandoned throne.

Guided By Voices – “Universal Truths & Cycles”
I liked their last two polished, “radio friendly” records, but this is a nice change up.

Weezer – “Maladroit”
This rates higher for their unabashed use of Muppets in the videos off this LP.

Poison The Well – “Tear From the Red”
At times both brutal and beautiful; pass the hanky and a fist full of metal!

Superdrag – “Last Call For Vitriol”
The pursuit of the perfect power pop song will go on forever as long as these guys are around to kick out the jams.

Wilco – “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”
Oops, almost forgot the one everyone talks about. A fine record that I have not grown tired of.

Jawbreaker – “ETC.”
Collection of B-sides, demos, and such is a healthy reminder of why Jawbreaker ruled the early 90’s punk scene.

Midtown – “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”
My pop-punk guilty pleasure of the year.

BEST LIVE SHOWS
Mission Of Burma @ lrving Plaza NYC
Alkaline Trio @ Valentines in Albany, NY
Steve Earle @ Washington Park in Albany, NY
Aimee Mann @ The Chance in Poughkeepsie
Elvis Costello @ the Beacon Theater NYC
Juliana Hatfield @ Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ
Juliana Hatfield (a) The Black Swan Pub in Tivoli. NY
Paul Westerberg @ lrving Plaza, NYC
Paul Westerberg @ Pearl Street in Northampton, MA