#YearOfVinyl Day 99: Jason Isbell - “Southeasten.” No one writes a love song like a Southern man. Going on a little trip, so will have limited access to vinyl for a couple weeks, but we’ll see.

#YearOfVinyl Day 98: Temple of the Dog - “Temple of the Dog.” Having just recently lost a family member, and it being the anniversary of Chris Cornell’s passing, it seemed fitting to put on this, one of the best grunge albums ever made, by a supergroup mourning the loss of a friend. Say Hello 2 Heaven indeed.

#YearOfVinyl Day 91-ish: Wanda Jackson: “Rockabilly Queen.”

There’s something about live music that I really needed a few days to come down from and sort of process. An absolutely amazing three-day festival by Perpetual Flame Ministries and the Rev. Kristin Hayter.

I can’t really explain it, but somehow, after Lingua Ignota, a little Wanda Jackson seemed appropriate. As it says on the tin, the Queen of Rockabilly. Lotta, lotta attitude.

#YearOfVinyl Day 90: PM Dawn - “The Bliss…? Album.” At the time reviewed as a total rejection of contemporary rap and hip-hop, I prefer to see it as another expression of what was possible within that space, and veering into R&B and pop as well. Really an excellent blast from the 90’s.

#YearOfVinyl: Day 89: Lingua Ignota - “LET THE EVIL OF HIS OWN LIPS COVER HIM.” This arrived today, printed thanks to Perpetual Flame Ministries, and thus completes my physical collection of Lingua Ignota albums (and the digital EP’s and singles). Across her catalog, some of the most truly transcendent, harrowing, beautiful, and stomach-turning music made in the last decade, and this the start of it. If anyone is going to the shows this weekend in Chicago, I’ll be there.

#YearOfVinyl Day 88: B.B. King - “Blues is King.” A live album recorded in Chicago in 1966, definitely at the height of his style, and really, really working on his showmanship. Just fantastic, and man, can Lucille sing.

#YearOfVinyl Day 87: Sunflower Bean - “Twentytwo In Blue.” A really gorgeous retro rock / pop album with one foot firmly in Fleetwood Mac territory, and the other firmly in 2018.

#YearOfVinyl Day 86: Blood Ceremony - “The Eldritch Dark.” Extremely retro-occult vibes, and two of my favorite songs by them on this album. Seeing them live at a Doomed & Stoned in Chicago was a massive treat.

#YearOfVinyl Day 85: Drive-By Truckers - “The Dirty South.” Like a lot of Truckers’ albums, there’s a lot of dealing with what “the South” means, what it means to be from there, its mythology and legends, and a general rage at the status quo. Still young enough that you can basically hear the piss and vinegar pouring out of them, this MAY be my favorite album by them, and it MAY be their best? It’s damnation and vindication rolled into one, like all the best outlaw country / rock.

#YearOfVinyl Day 84: David Bowie - “Aladdin Sane.” Probably jumping on the bandwagon here saying that this isn’t my favorite Bowie album, and it’s less out-right explosive than “Ziggy,” but it still has a bunch of bangers, and remains a pretty iconic album for #glamrock and albums about dealing with sudden fame and touring. “Ziggy Stardust goes to America,” indeed.

#YearOfVinyl Day 83: Metallica - “72 Seasons.” Listen, Metallica was my first metal band. Being a “fan” has been rough at times. Is this their best album? No. Is it their best album in the last 30 years? MAYBE. Did I have a stupid grin on my face listening to it? Yes. Yes, I did.

#YearOfVinyl Day 82: Type O Negative - “Bloody Kisses.” On of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands, and the one where they really solidified what I came to like best about #gothicmetal .

#YearOfVinyl Day 81: Celtic Frost - “Into the Pandemonium.” Second LP by Celtic Frost, and a clear sign of just how weird they were going to get. Also, part one of the Requiem trilogy.

#YearOfVinyl Day 80: Botch - “American Nervoso.” The debut album of a band that would hugely influence #metalcore / #mathcore music going forward, and it still sounds heavy and wild today.

#YearOfVinyl Day 79: Celtic Frost - “Morbid Tales.” The debut EP (expanded to be the length of an LP) which launched a thousand #deathmetal and #blackmetal ships from their dead-serious #thrash sound. Definitely makes you want to pick up a guitar.

#YearOfVinyl Day 78: Denzel Curry - “Zuu.” The last of my Denzel Curry albums on vinyl (thus far), this is the third LP, and whereas Ta13oo was often a darkly introspective album, this one is both a love letter to and a deeply nostalgic reminiscence of Miami.

#YearOfVinyl Day 77: Beequeen - “Winter.” Very chill #ambient vibes reflecting early and late winter. Really needed a chill-out for a bit.

#YearOfVinyl Day 76: Daft Punk - “Random Access Memories.” The last studio album by the pair, and quite a way to go out. More #disco than anything else, this is certainly a love affair with the 70’s and 80’s, as well as live instrumentation and minimal electronic manipulation.

#YearOfVinyl Day 75: Conjurer - “Páthos.” A crushing mix of #blackmetal #doommetal #sludge and #hardcore from the UK. Their second LP, between this and the splits they’ve done, it certainly seems like they’re not resting on any laurels from their debut.

#YearOfVinyl Day 74: and for today, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ - “The Good Son.” a little more upbeat than “Tender Prey,” but still a fairly dark #cabaret and #blues feel. Get a younger Nick Cave, send him to Brazil, let him dry out a bit and fall in love, and this is basically what you get. Some absolutely classic tracks on this album.