What the CL Music Team is jamming this fine Monday morning to rocket launch the work week. To check out previous entries, click here.
Gabe – Echo & The Bunnymen, Songs to Learn and Sing (1985)
In honor of my new 5-year old friend and the son of a couple of very good friends of mine, I am listening to Echo & The Bunnymen today. I was playing a videogame over the weekend with my new pal that included a character called the "Dancing Zombie," and right on cue, he broke into the Echo tune "Bring on the Dancing Horses" in perfect pitch and tune. I don't ever need much of a reason to reach for any of the records by this fine Liverpool quartet that I've loved since my teenage years but today, I'm enjoying them that much more thanks to how awed I was by being serenaded with one of their hits by this bright kid!
Skillz – Royce Da 5'9", Success Is Certain (2011)
Royce's syllable game on this album downright ridiculous and he is so nonchalant about it he almost makes seem easy. I know better though.The album may not have any radio friendly tracks but it is chock full of quotables. "Writer's Block" is an instant head nodder.
This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2011.