Last Night on Earth - Noah and the Whale

Radiohead, OK Computer.

The first album release that I was most excited for was probably Angles by the Strokes. After the long hiatus that they had, I was stupid-excited for their album to come out. When it came out, I was a little bummed, to be honest, because it didn't sound like their other material but, the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. I thought their new sound was interesting and surprising

I had been excited for albums previously washed the car cleaned the windows to earn the money to buy even forgoing birthday and christmas gifts for Generation Terrorist on two formats.There have been albums since that I have danced around the room in unbound joyousness of their arrival.
But the one that made my heart race, my stomach churn and tingles of anticipation run through my body like a virus was ...The Stone Roses - Second Coming.

I had first gotten into the band at 15 a dangerous age for it became an obsession and mighty strong one too ~ a year later when the first album came out I was in so deep it was destined to be a life long love affair. A roller coaster few years for them for me ~ from singles to yay the 1st album the gigs to the court cases to bigger gigs new stuffs finally One Love/Somethings Burning collecting all the formats hunting down the bootlegs Spike Island and Glasgow Green and then .... *tumbleweed for YEARS. The few snippets of news often not good were read then read again and again and again. But then time came, it had been a LONG ASS wait from the eponymous album but I was ready and it was ready the second album.

December 5th 1994 a Monday I left the house having watched Michael Fish tell me it was going to be one heck of a windy day. Within an hour I had it I finally had it I carried it home like it was the most sensitive bomb in the world, we arrived home ... record in one piece my nerves shot through - the stylus was brand new in honour and then came the relief, the happy dances and the happier tears of relief ~ even now I can picture that week like it was just ... last week and not 18 years ago.

The album I counted down to is Sam's Town by The Killers. I bought their CD Hot Fuss after hearing All These Things That Ive Done, which was an incredible song as a follow up to Mr. Brightside. I used to have this little rule on music, if they had three singles that were kick ass, I would go out and buy the CD. After hearing All These Things, (which I believed was their second single, completely oblivious to Somebody Told Me) I broke my rule and rushed out to buy it instantly. I had no idea that critics for music existed, I was only around 10 years old, all I did know was that the Killers were my favorite band, and hold true to that till this day. So when I learned that Sam's Town was coming out on October 2nd, 2006, I passed the time watching the channel Music Choice on tv in the hopes of listening to When You Were Young again and again, since I didn't own a computer, let alone have internet. The day of the release, I remember impatiently sitting in class waiting for the final bell and making my mom take me to FYE after school to get it. They gave me a free poster with the album. I was hesitant at the thought of listening to a Killers song without knowing the lyrics, but played it relentlessly. I remember going into my garage and listening on repeat. In my eyes, the album was an instant classic. The sentiment of Read My Mind, the struggle of Uncle Johnny, the uplifting lyricism of This River is Wild, the hope that lingers in Sam's Town. A few months later I found out that critics and "fans" believed it did not achieve the expectations, but in my eyes, Sam's Town went above and beyond.

Vampire Weekend's Contra: After falling in love with their first album in 2009, I wanted to have more music of theirs to listen to. Later on that year, they sent a free on download (Horchata) which assured me that I had to have this new album in my hands. I was beyond excited. The wait for it was well worth it. Of course VW didn't disappoint! A great album from start to finish!!