Welcome back to another edition of Sitting Here in Limbo on Brahsome. Per usual, someone selects 10 albums that they would take on a desert island were they stranded there. No greatest hits, no Dick’s Picks (and live albums of that nature) — everything must be a studio produced album. Anyway, today’s Limboee is the man responsible for the all time most watched video on YouTube of all time. He’s an Inspirational Comedian and the creator and performer of said 90 million viewed ‘Evolution of Dance’. A professional speaker living in Cleveland Ohio he travels the country speaking to various groups about the power of choice and the idea that life is change. You can check out his forthcoming blog, YouTubes and skeddy at evolutionofdance.com. Please give a warm Brahsome welcome to Judson Laipply, after the jump.

Interested in submitting your list of desert island albums? Hit us up at blog@brahsome.com

To me music is emotion in tangible form. It seems that every song (well, a good song) is a direct expression of emotion. You can find a song for every situation. To pick my 10 albums that I would want on an Island I realized I would want a wide range of emotions thus the need for a wide variety in albums. I tried to take at least one album from almost every genre I enjoy. So here they are in no particular order.

Pearl Jam – Ten – There are few albums that are not a musical or soundtrack that tell a story when you listen to them from start to finish. If you think about the songs and their order on Ten you can see a story unfold that speaks of love, tragedy, childhood problems, and release. Packed with hits this CD is one of the best all time and the flagship for my 10.

Live – Throwing Copper – This was the first CD that I actually had to buy a second copy after playing it so much and transporting it from my car to my walkman (what a great name that will never be used again) to my boom box. It was a great blend of hard-hitting songs like Shit Town and I Alone and smooth tracks including Selling The Drama and Lighting Crashes.

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fear – the first concert I ever got to see was in a small venue in Columbus Ohio. My brother got me in and then backstage to meet the band. Fear is an album loaded with great songs and has one of the best first song tracks of any album I have ever heard with Walk on the Ocean. The final song “I will not take these things for granted” has been a personal anthem of mine for years.

10th Anniversary Cast Concert – Les Miserables – I might be walking the fine line against the rules here but the way I see it a soundtrack is different from a show. That’s my reasoning and I am sticking to it. I had a hard time choosing between Phantom, Jesus Christ Superstar, and this one. Les Mis wins on the fact that should a lady happen to stop by when I am on the island Les Mis would show I have a bit of culture.

O.A.R. – Stories of a Stranger – O.A.R. is less known band. You rarely hear any of their songs on the radio and their CD sales are not overwhelming but their touring is jam-packed every year and they have a large fan base and following. They are a great jam band and if I am stuck on an island chances are I am going to need some pick me up music. O.A.R as a band may be on their final breath but this album is my favorite of theirs and will always be one I can play as I set about building a shelter for me to live in.

John Denver – Back Home Again – That’s right I said it. John Denver. You don’t like it? Then get off my island. Back Home Again has his biggest hits: Annie’s Song (that would woo any women), Back Home Again, Eclipse, Thank God I’m a Country Boy, and is only missing Country Roads and Leaving on a Jet Plane. (See you know John Denver has some kick ass hits)

Bob Marley and the Wailers – Live at the Roxy, Hollywood CA – Perhaps one of the greatest musicians ever. A man who had more guts then anyone to ever step up on stage. Modern day rappers can rap about how hard life is, how the world is trying to keep them down, and all that “poor me” complaining. Bob Marley was a visionary who stood up in the face of hate and kept right on signing. This live recording makes you feel like you are at the show and the 23-minute jam at the end of disc 2 is simply pure brilliance.

Natalie Merchant – Tigerlilly – When it was announced she was going to do a solo album I was thrilled. Natalie Merchant was Norah Jones long before Norah. Her sweet soothing voice calms even the most savage emotions. I swear is you are lying in bed and listen to the song San Andreas Fault you feel like she is singing in your ear.

The Beatles – White Album – Is there anyone on the face of the planet who could not have this album in their 10? Seriously? The Beatles at their best.

Brian Regan – Live – Face it – life will suck if I am stuck on a Island. You’ve see Cast Away, Tom Hanks went crazy so chances are so will I. Brian Regan is one of the greatest comedians working today. His ability to tell jokes that are not dependent upon shock value or gross factor is unmatched. Having heard him on numerous occasions I know that he is as funny off the cuff as he is related his “material”. If I am stuck on an island I am going to need some good laughs and Brian Regan delivers time and time again.

There you have it. If you don’t like is then remember what the guy from Ireland in Braveheart said, “It’s My Island!”

Welcome back to Sitting Here in Limbo, where the subject picks 10 albums they would take with them on a desert island, rules for the list here. This week, we’ve got a heavy hitting blogosphere guest. He really needs no introduction, but I’m delusional from interviewing* David Stern and having Shaq foreclose on my house, so he’s getting one anyway.

When Will first asked if I’d be interested in doing this list, my first reaction was to say “no” because I’d be mortified if people knew what kind of music I like. But then I thought about it and realized this could be a liberating experience. I could stand up and say, “My name is Jimmy Traina and I like bad, embarrassing, cheesy music.” If you’re expecting to see “cool” bands on here, you’re gonna be sorely disappointed. If you’re expecting to see bands and singers that every guy seems to fawn over, i.e. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones etc., think again. I like ’80s, I like cheese and I like ’80s cheese. (Ed. Note: Stamos and Show are secretly already fawning over this list.)

If you follow the blogosphere, you best be reading Hot Clicks everyday. Today’s lister culls the hottest sports stories, the best looking women, pop culture nuggets a slew of hysterical videos and sprinkles it with some random sports betting advice and puts it all in the same place. So, uh, basically all our favorite stuff. Oh, and occasionally he tosses in the casual interview with a superstar like Erin Andrews or Jeff Van Gundy (to name some recent ones). Anyway, without further ado, please welcome Jimmy Traina to the Island.

1. Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet — It’s this simple: I can’t NOT take the CD that has “Livin’ on a Prayer” on it.

2. Bon Jovi: New Jersey — This is the the band’s best CD BY FAR. The opening three tunes of “Lay Your Hands on Me”, “Bad Medicine” and “Born to Be My Baby” get things off to a great start. “Blood on Blood” might be Bon Jovi’s most underrated song of all time, and “I’ll Be There For You” is either their best or second best song ever.

3. Prince: Purple Rain — It’s was almost impossible for me to do this list without being able to take Greatest Hits CDs (hence no Journey, Hall & Oates, Queen, Poison, Aerosmith, etc on this list) or Soundtracks, but luckily the rules allow me to slip this one in. My only disappointment is that this CD doesn’t have “Raspberry Beret” on it.

4. Michael Jackson: Thriller — It’s the top-selling album of all time for a reason. And this would allow me to remember Michael Jackson when he was just a little weird and not completely weird.

5. Meatloaf: Bat Out of Hell — This CD only has seven songs, but they each average about eight minutes in length. Plus, as a die-hard Yankees fan, it’ll be nice to have the dolset tones of Phil Rizzuto with me.

6. Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction — At some point on the desert island we’re gonna want something we can blast. And you’re not gonna find a song better than “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

7. U2: Rattle & Hum — Just a flat-out great CD from start to finish highlighted by “Desire”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, “Angel of Harlem” and “All I Want Is You”.

8. Arrested Development: 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of — This would be the perfect change-of-pace CD from all the others. And even though this album came out in 1992, I still sing “Tennessee” whenever I bet the Volunteers on a college football Saturday.

9. Rat Pack: Live and Swingin’ — I could’ve went with just a straight Frank Sinatra CD, but this live recording from the Sands in Vegas also features Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. As a bonus, the trio mixes in some comedy bits among the 20 songs. The opener — Dean Martin singing “Drink To Me Only” should be on every guy’s iPod.

10. Bobby Brown: Don’t Be Cruel — Yeah, yeah, I know you’re laughing, calling me a douche. I’ll put up “Don’t Be Cruel”, “My Prerogative”, “Roni”, “Rock Wit’cha” and “Every Little Step” against anything — anything.

Previous Sitting Here in Limbos:

Will Leitch: Deadspin
Jamie Mottram: Mister Irrelevant
100% Injury Rate
Heavy D
Show: Loud Mouth of Show
Greebs: Reign of Error
JP: Pyle of List
Ghosts of Wayne Fontes
Brinson
Stamos
C. Brahkowski
The Piler

My good friend, Heavy D, a.k.a. Driza, brought it to my attention that we had stopped running Sitting Here in Limbo, our weekly feature about which 10 albums you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island (discman, headphones, etc.). And we had stopped running it without giving him a shot to fire out his list (that was the deducible content of the conversation anyway).

Which is highly unfair, especially considering the wealth of musical knowledge D has dropped on me over the years. He and I have been boys since wa-hay back in the day, and were it not for a brief dropoff into the noodle cavern that was the first six years of college + Widespread + um, stuff, I like to think my knowledge of all things tuney would be as eclectic and well-versed as his.

Anyway, with Lostback and then gone again, it’s time to revive the Sitting Here… series. We’ve got some pretty nigh guests lined up, and Heavy D kicks it back off, after the jump.

If I know I’m going to get stuck on an island and only have 10 records to listen to from now until eternity or someone finds a magic lever and just moves the island (what a bunch of bullshit that was) here’s what’s in the bag…

The Band – The Last Waltz
A must on any true brah’s list so if you thought I was going down without a copy of the greatest concert ever you were sadly mistaken. I repeat GREATEST CONCERT EVER!

The Beatles – Revolver
Pop perfection smashed head first into the psychedelia of the mid-sixties and left this acid tinged nugget. Humor me for a moment and check this… so during

Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks
I could have put on a single of “Tangled Up In Blue” and been pretty content so 9 more cuts from the greatest songwriter of all time are an added bonus.

The Clash – London Calling
One of the greatest albums ever recorded. This is The Clash at their best, and that’s better than just about anything.

Grateful Dead – Europe ’72
If this island is somewhere warm and sunny then I’m going to need this.

The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
One of the most literate rock and roll records I’ve ever heard. Great songs all about people who like to “get nice”. Amazing.

The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
I dare you to try and not move when “Rip This Joint” comes on. You can’t do it.

Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
This is a must have in case I ever want to have “late night” on the island.

Widespread Panic – Light Fuse, Get Away
I contemplated leaving this off the list but I just couldn’t do it. Every time I hear it a quality memory comes to mind (like the time B. Stone, myself, and some brahs rolled 8 deep turning the Bronc into Ken Kessey’s magic bus). I’m going to need memories like those if I’m stranded on an island.

Wilco – Kicking Television
Yes, there are probably better Wilco albums than this one, but none capture just how good this band is right now. It’s sick, just sick.

Narrowly missing the mark – Led Zeppelin – “Physical Graffiti”, Son Volt “Trace”, Blind Melon “Blind Melon”, Wilco “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”, Ryan Adams “Heartbreaker”, Neil Young “Harvest”, Outkast “The Love Below / Speakerbox”, Guns N’ Roses “Appetite for Destruction”…

I’m going to talk about Lost for a little bit here, so if you’re partial to waiting to watch important shows via DVR, then a) you’re a loser and b) stop reading now. No spoiler alert, just know that there could be plenty of Friday Morning Woods dedicated to the subject. Although if it’s popular enough, or I actually take the time to come up with another rant, perhaps we’ll just start an open thread for discussion/a separate post for what happened on the show.

Anywho, I completely forgot how fucking badass Abrams and Co’s show was. I knew. I really did. I never questioned the quality of the island while it was gone. But I think I forgot. When I fired up my DVR last night for the two hour spectacular, I was not immediately impressed. It was later than I wanted but I was going to watch both hours. Then it occurred to me that the first hour was just your standard season recap, something ABC is notorious for; they persistently used full week’s worth of time slots to recap what had happened throughout the first few seasons. And it’s the most annoying thing of all time, it’s what makes 24 such a great show. So when that shit went down, I wasn’t happy.

And I wasn’t particularly happy with the opening scene either. Like, who the hell didn’t know that that the person getting out of the car (I knew when I saw the fat fingers) was going to be Hurley?

Then my mind got blown.

As I waited for the opening credits to process I was a little bitter. “I’ve been waiting this long for a season recap and shitty suspense moment? Come on!” But they didn’t do that. (Of course they didn’t.)

The flash forward isn’t something that’s easy to grasp as a viewer, so I have no f’ing clue how hard it is to work up as a writer, especially since one of the premises of good creative storytelling is that you don’t give away important facts in the future because it crushes any tension if you hand out the wrong information.

That’s where the combination of the “Oceanic 6″ and the factional split on the island are so amazing. I just assumed that Jack’s group, including Kate, Rose, Bernard, etc would be the ones that made it back from the island. So how the hell did Hurley end up there??? And who else came with them??? Well played, Mr. Abrams.

Speaking of well played, don’t you have a fucking police unit to run, Deputy Commissioner Daniels? What are you doing playing a fake lawyer clearly out to find the rest of the people on the island? And that was a key point – besides getting me pumped to see ole’ Cedric, suddenly we know that there are a lot of people not only interested in getting everyone off the island (and believing that there are still people alive there) but there’s some evil group of authority that has known about it for a while…which is fantastic. Obviously the scientific Darma Initiative knew about the island, but to what extent is the government involved in the planning and maintenance of the island? (”Was” is probably a better choice…) And why haven’t they been able to find the island? Is Ben secretly gay or just a bag of douche? See? So many questions.

But the final thing I want to touch on, and it’s no longer a question, is the devolving of Jack’s morality. He pulled the trigger on Locke. Locke is not dead, as far as we know, but for all intents and purposes, Jack shot him. This sort of regression to a primitive behavior mode is pretty indicative of how Jack ends up barreling down the road popping painkillers and blaring “Sinister Minister”, but the writers did a superb job of veiling where that occurs in our now jumbled timeline. I assume that Jack tries to get back into the medical profession, some crazy shit happens and he ends up with a beard (he admitted as much in the faux-HORSE game that he wanted to grow one), dejected at the prospect of having to return to the island because he needs it.

Again, a superb job by the writers of bringing the maw-fucking heat back to Thursday night’s and making me forget that whole douchey writer’s strike thing. Or did that go down in the future? My shit is all turned around. Your thoughts about last night’s show and the future of Lost in the comments.

You can hear the pitter-patter of Lost’s return at this point in time, so we thought we’d revisit a feature that passed away as the cockfaces of Writer’s Guild began their strike. We’re going to continue to run this feature whenever we find a willing/eager participant, so if you’re interested, drop us a line at blog@brahsome.com. We love this feature because a) people sweat it out and b) you end up finding out things about a person that you either didn’t want to know or are shocked to realize.

Anywho, this week’s “contestant” is “Show”. He runs the Loud Mouth of Show and has written with Brinson at the Talented Mr. Roto.com (no link because the site has been sold out to swallowed up by the corporate giant that is ESPN.) Show hearts the 80’s, the Hoosiers and frequently comments on Brahsome, often times defending the state of Indiana from Brinson’s unnecessary and unabashed attacks. Join him after the jump for his list of albums he would take on a desert island, and feel free to crush him in the comments for number six.

Stamos pointed out in his Friday Fixx last week that this particular column had kind of fallen by the wayside. Well, Show is here attempting to revive it with some low-quality selections by the standards of many music fans I’m sure. I’m no music connoisseur; I really only listen to 80s hair bands and 90s alternative with a few (very few) outliers. Most of the time I read columns breaking down music I’m lost because I simply don’t care. I’ve got my old mainstream-only stuff and I’m happy with it. I also don’t get into the whole “they sold out” bullshit. I don’t care if someone wanted to make more money. I’m quite gruntled for those who made that decision, actually, if I like the songs.

I’m adding a few rules of my own (obviously only for myself…I wouldn’t be that big a douche to come in and attempt to start setting rules as a visitor). First of all, to control myself I’m going to have to limit one selection per band. I’ll call it the Pearl Jam rule because I would probably take like seven PJ albums with me and it would be a worthless blahg. As Brinson said in his original post (the one where he explains the rules), this isn’t a list of my top ten albums ever. I’m shooting for favorites, while bringing a little variety, and emphasizing “front to back” albums. Front to back means that you can just sit and listen to the thing without skipping through shitty songs. It’s hard to find any CD where you don’t want to skip at least one song, so I concentrated on finding quality CDs with only 1-2 skippable songs, if any. I should note that I originally intended to include Kelly Clarkson on the list (yes, seriously…I’m a huge fan) if only to see the absolute thrashing of my manhood that would ensue. The problem is it would have been forced, though selection #8 leaves that possibility anyway…

1. Pearl Jam – Ten – I could have filled this list with my boys’ albums, but with my self-imposed one-album-per-group rule this had to be the one. After all, it is the best of all time. This has the front-to-back qualification. The only ones I’d think about skipping are Why Go (#4) and Oceans (#7, but anything following Jeremy would suck). Black is my all-time favorite song, Release is one of the most underrated ever, and Garden is one of the best fire-up songs ever. Everyone knows Alive, Jeremy, and Even Flow; but they are still great.

2. Soundgarden – Superunknown – I still love that spoon solo during Spoonman. So simple, yet cool. Black Hole Sun gets all the pub for this album, but The Day I Tried To Live is my favorite.

3. Def Leppard – Hysteria – If I was stranded for a long, LONG time Pour Some Sugar on Me might actually become listenable again! So much else to love here, including the vastly underrated title track.

4. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet – I won’t be skipping a single song on this loaded 80s album. Yeah, it’s got the super-duper hits (Wanted: Dead or Alive, Livin’ on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name), but it’s the other ones like Raise Your Hands – which makes an appearance in Spaceballs: The Movie – that make it complete (also check out Wild in the Streets and Let it Rock).

5. Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged In – I couldn’t be on a desert island without Poison, it’s just that simple. I had to make a decision and this one – despite not having Every Rose – is the best from front to back.

6. Dave Matthews Band – Before These Crowded Streets – Crash gets much more run, but I prefer this one. Crush is probably top-5 all-time for me, and Stay (Wasting Time) is stellar as well. I actually would probably skip Don’t Drink the Water. Songs that get killed on the radio (see Pour Some Sugar on Me) annoy me for years.

7. Dr. Dre – The Chronic – The only rap CD I’ve owned and ever plan on owning. Dre Day is my favorite rap song (do you call them rap songs or just raps? I’m whiter than Wonderbread) ever by far. We all know G Thang and Let Me Ride…my favorite gem here is Ghetto Boy. Love that song, er, rap. Whatever.

8. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom – Hopefully I could work out a deal to take pics of Gwen along with this one, but they really aren’t necessary. This is killer. Absolutely front to back, not a bad song on this thing (although I’m Just a Girl kind of annoys me at this point). Obviously Don’t Speak is the best song, but for non-hits I love the title track.

9. Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion – I just cheated. Sue me. This was actually two albums, and you know that. I also realize I’m not a qualified music fan if I like this better than Appetite for Destruction. Guess what? Sometimes I like movie sequels better than originals as well! It’s all about what you enjoy the most, and for me this was GN’R at their absolute best. Axl, Izzy, and Slash were churning out an incredible combo of keyboard, guitar, and lyrics into phenomenal songs, sometimes over 7 minutes (four of the 30 tracks). What’s great during the long songs is the fact that there is very little repetition and they never get boring. Coma (10:06) checks in as the longest, and also as Show’s favorite. I also dig Locomotive and Breakdown, if you are looking for obscure. By the way, this is one of the instances I had in mind when I ranted about people accusing groups of “selling out” in my intro. I guarantee someone would have posted a comment (if I didn’t foreshadow by posting this) saying that this album sucks because GN’R “sold out.” Damn those people who want to make money! They should be standing on the side of the street homeless before they get “commercial.” It’s all about maintaining that artistic integrity, at whatever the price. Right?

10. Temple of the Dog – Temple of the Dog – Dabbling in obscurity, Temple of the Dog is my selection for most underrated album of all-time. Why? Because I’ll bet half the people reading this just asked “what the fuck is that?” while the other half said something like “oh yeah, I remember that. It was the shit!” The easiest way to define this group is that it’s half Pearl Jam half Soundgarden. It sounds more like the latter because Chris Cornell is the singer (though you do hear Eddie Vedder on Hunger Strike). You may recognize Say Hello to Heaven, Pushin’ Forward Back, or All Night Thing (it’s the song playing as Wayne, Garth, and Cassandra first visit Russell’s apartment…”ribbed for her pleasure, ewwwww”), but Call Me a Dog is the best track on the CD. Go wherever you music people go to listen to music online and search for it.

Also considered: All Metallica albums (after GNR and PJ my favorite group, but I couldn’t really choose one to take…it was weird); Stone Temple Pilots, Core; Alice in Chains, Dirt; Aerosmith, Get a Grip; Motley Crue, Dr. Feelgood and Theatre of Pain; Several U2; Several Van Halen; Christina Aguilera, Stripped; Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway; Creed, My Own Prison; and Adam Sandler’s 2nd CD…no one ever specified that it had to be music, right? That CD is hilarious, especially the Goat (#4 I think, my CD is permanently misplaced).

So we haven’t exactly been diligent about a weekly SHIL. We originally were aiming for one per week until Season 4 of Lost premiers in February. That didn’t work out so well. I’m sure you’ve been, um, lost without it. In case you’re new to Brahsome or forgotten the rules:

1. Select 10 albums to take with you on a deserted island and why.
2. No compilations or greatest hits.
3. Live is okay as long as it was specifically studio produced.
4. Double albums are only one pick.
5. No soundtracks.

This weeks edition is brought to you by one of Brahsome’s own. These days he is truly living up to his moniker, faux job-hunting when he gets out of bed before noon, while shuffling back and forth between his mother’s and girlfriend’s respective couches. The one, the only, The Piler. If any readers would like to submit their own SHIL list, we could probably work you in. Send them to blog@brahsome.com. Jump down to see The Piler’s list.

It certainly is tough following so many great choices. There is definitely a strong pull to come with an original list. However, this isn’t about originality, it’s about me, an island and music. Like many before me, it was hard to limit it to just ten. My musical tastes can be random and I like hip-hop a little more than your average brah.

The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan

In and age of whinny EMO and poppy lullabies there aren’t many bands that rock. Jack and Meg rock. Hard. Difficult to choose just one, but this is the album that turned me on to the White Stripes. “Take Take Take” and “Denial Twist” are those kind of songs than I can and have listened to over and over again. That’s ideal when you’re on a deserted island with only ten albums.

The Notorious B.I.G, Life After Death

This is the album that started it all for me as far liking hip-hop. Growing up I didn’t like hip-hop because of stereotypes and just never really gave it a chance. Life After Death came out the week of spring break my sophomore year of high school and it was played nonstop at the beach house my friends and I rented and subsequently destroyed to the tune of $15,000. But that’s a story for another day. I still think of that house and week every time I here “Hypnotize.” Sadly, my favorite Biggie song of all time, “Juicy”, is on Ready to Die.

Tupac, All Eyez on Me

This is just raw Tupac at his best before the breakup of the Death Row triumvirate of Tupac, Snoop and Dr. Dre. The double album is nice for a little extra music on the island, not to mention it’s easily Tupac’s greatest work.

Rage Against The Machine, Rage Against The Machine

If I’m stuck on a deserted island there will definitely be moments when I need to, well, RAGE (unless I happened to be stuck on said island with the female cast of The Hills). This is definitely the album to do it. If you’ve ever heard “Killing in the Name” you know what I mean. I know this album is all about equality and social justice, but on my island it’s about a giant F you to whomever I feel like at the moment.

Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense

While technically this album is a soundtrack, it still fits under the criteria. Stop Making Sense was a Concert Movie and it was studio produced as it’s own album. If you don’t like it, see the chorus to the above referenced Rage Against the Machine song. The T-Heads are just so to easy to listen to and never tire out.

Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction

The debut album for one of the greatest bands of my lifetime. GNR is a classic case of what could have been. Axl’s continuance of the band is a yoke and disgrace.

Pearl Jam, Ten

Another debut album and one of the first CDs I ever bought. It’s one of those albums you can play from start to finish without skipping tracks.

Agents of Good Roots, Where’d You Get that Vibe?

Pretty random, but probably my favorite band from high school. I used to sneak out to hear these guys at The Brewery on Hillsborough St. in Raleigh. This is an easy going album to take the edge off some the harder choices. Another one I can listen from start to finish.

Nirvana, Nevermind

This album has been on several SHIL lists and needs no introduction. I didn’t appreciate Nirvana until long after Cobain died, but certainly do now. I like other individual Nirvana songs better, but as a whole Nevermind is my favorite work.

Jurassic 5, Quality Control

If there’s one word to describe J-5, it’s smooth. They’re a throwback to old school hip-hop. They’ve managed to gain mainstream fame without falling into the bling-rap game. Saw them Cats Cradle once and was blown away.

Just missed: Jay-Z, The Blueprint, Led Zeppelin, IV, Nirvana, In Utero, Green Day, Dookie, Dr. Dre, The Chronic, Several Ween albums.

Your selectionist (nope, I’m not sure if it’s real either; selectioneer maybe?) today comes straight from the Bay Area, brah. He is the primary author of 100% Injury Rate and a member of Epic Carnival. He also gained notoriety recently as 100%IR became the only member of the blogosphere to ever pull off the Blog Show Triple Lindy. He may also be the finest purveyor of Japanese game show vids that we have ever seen. Please welcome the West Coast Kid, with his selections after the jump.

1. Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): This is a seminal rap album, but aside from that, it contains in my opinion the greatest rap song ever written – C.R.E.A.M. Far too many rappers today rap about their Vitamin Water product or some other stupid shit. 36 Chambers is rap at its best – just the straight truth and no BS.

2. The Clash, London Calling: Just an awesome fucking album. This was The Clash at their absolute peak.

3. Weezer, The Blue Album: You can listen to it from beginning to end and the quality remains incredibly high the whole time. Just a great piece of work and the album that made nerd rock popular. They should have saved some of their stuff for Pinkerton though.

4. Tupac, All Eyes on Me: You knew this was coming because I grew up in California. Tupac’s a little tough, because his best stuff was spread out over a bunch of albums. Since Picture Me Rollin’ and How Do You Want It are two of my all time favorite rap songs, I’ll go with this album before even Makaveli.

5. The Killers, Hot Fuss: I don’t care if I get grief for this. It’s a great album, even if it’s been played to death by now.

6. The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols: The definitive punk band in music history. I actually wrote a research paper on the Sex Pistols for a history class in college. There’s more to them than you think. Plus they managed to say the word “cunt” repeatedly in the song “Pretty Vacant” without the British censors picking it up. That never gets old to me.

7. Sublime, Sublime: If I can’t be in California, this album’s the next best thing.

8. The Who, Who’s Next: Arguably their greatest album, and nothing would be better than waking up every morning to Baba O’Riley, you know, until I realize I’m stranded on an island.

9. Rage Against the Machine, Evil Empire: You’re bound to get mad being stuck on an island. This’ll be therapeutic.

10. Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty: Their best work to date. Plus it has the most hilarious rhyme in history. “Dogs love me cuz I’m crazy sniffable / I betcha never knew I got the ill peripheral.”

Interested in submitting a desert island list to be seen on Brahsome.com? Holler at your boys at blog@brahsome.com.

Every time we watch golf and listen to some announcer force out the fact that “Grandma Says” (or whatever hip-to-do, flavor of the month sitcom they’re shilling out that day) is “America’s hot new comedy”, it really makes us wish Lost was still around. Of course if it was, we wouldn’t be able to bring you today’s guest, since we will have long (hopefully, right?) given up this gag by the middle of March. Since you the reader probably know the rules by now, let’s just tell you who’s bringing heat today and then get along with his picks.

He has published two novels – Life as a Loser and Catch. He’s currently working on a novel about the degradation of sports culture in today’s world (we think that’s roughly correct) entitled: God Save the Fan: How Preening Sportscasters, Athletes Who Speak in the Third Person, and the Occasional Convicted Quarterback Have Taken the Fun Out of Sports (And How We Can Get It Back). He is the editor of Deadspin, which means that not only does he provide you endless sarcastically narrated stories to keep you from actually working, but he holds the fate of your little blog (and ours!) in his hand, or possibly email inbox. Please welcome Will Leitch, and hit up his picks after the jump.

Bob Dylan, Love And Theft

I own just about every studio recording Dylan’s ever done, but I still think this one is my favorite. Dylan’s last three albums can stand with the best stuff he’s ever done. It still creeps me out that this was released on September 11, 2001.

The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin

They’ve gotten a wee bit self-indulgent in recent years, but this album hit the sweet spot. It’s almost too intense for me to listen to sometimes.

Grandaddy, Sumday

I’ve never quite understand why these guys aren’t more popular. Their music is somehow beautiful while making me terrified of being forced to work in some sort of sales job, making calls from a cubicle all day under dead light.

Meat Loaf, Bat Out Of Hell

I am not being the slightest bit ironic. This album absolutely got me through junior high.

Nirvana, In Utero

Every time I listen to this, it’s a hacksaw through my skull. That’s a good thing.

Nirvana, Nevermind

Listening to this album in high school made me realize there was a whole other planet outside Mattoon, Illinois, that I knew nothing about. Nothing’s been the same since then.

Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

My first rap album might still be the best. Still haven’t figured out how to dance to it though.

R.E.M., Automatic For The People

I’ve seen REM in concert more than any other band. These quiet songs still sound the best every time.

Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska

A little Springsteen goes a long way for me, but if I’m gonna be on a desert island, I’m going to want to hear some sad stories, told beautifully.

The Sword, Age Of Winters

Also on that desert island, I’m going to want to fucking rock

Wow. Already Wednesday again? Time flies when we’re forced to actually buckle down, work and study. Instead of piling. Which is totally what we do best. Speaking of which, we’re happy to introduce this week’s submission for Sitting Here in Limbo. Why are we so happy? Well, mainly because he’s all about Pyling. And Lists. Which are absolutely two of our favorite things in the world, if we didn’t mention that already. JP comes straight out of SoCal we believe, but on these internets he hails from Pyle of Lyst (we really could write the word “pile” in some form or another over and over again all day long) where they have recently added some new voices to an already stellar website (the banner of which we’re big fans. Don’t know why, but just love the old script thing.) Anywho, you can read his stuff here. Of course, if you’re really into getting inside his head about these albums, you can tune into the Brown Hour tomorrow night at 9 o’clock p.m. eastern when JP checks in with the brahs. But enough about us…enjoy his list after the jump(we’re assuming you know the rules by this point):

Making a list of 10 Desert Island CD’s will be a challenge for me. I’ve fully become a song to song kind of guy with my Ipod. I like to keep it random, so I rarely even listen to full albums anymore, which certainly puts me at a disadvantage. One thing I promise not to do is be pretentious with my choices. Far too often lists involving CD’s turn into “what cool bands do I know about that make me look awesome” contests. Nothing is more annoying to me, so that ain’t gonna happen. I’ve also tried to be practical with my choices, as I figure to be on that island for a looooonnnnngggg time. In no particularly order, my Lost in Limbo picks:

1. Johnny Cash, “Live at San Quentin”- Cash is the man. Who else revitalizes their career by playing at a federal penitentiary? Not only is the music great, the crowd makes every song better. The inmates’ reactions are comedic gold.

2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band “Born to Run”- The F’n Boss with the E Street Band! Honestly, this CD would be worth it JUST for Thunder Road alone, but “10th Ave Freeze Out” and Born to Run are excellent in their own right. After attending a concert at Dodger Stadium (which was incredible), I’ve come to find out I love pre-”Born in the USA” Springsteen more than post-BITU Springsteen.

3. Beastie Boys “Paul’s Boutique”- Some people don’t dig on the Beastie Boys, but this album is their best.

4. The Killers “Sam’s Town”- I know, I know. This is the “sophomore slump” album and Hot Fuss would’ve been a better choice, you say. But I find this whole album to have a higher re-listen value, as I like it more everytime I hear it.

5. Arcade Fire “Funeral”- I’m like 2-3 years late in “discovering” them but a friend recommended I listen to the full album awhile back, I finally did a few months ago and I really enjoyed it.

6. John Mayer “Room for Squares”- I really don’t understand why people look down upon John Mayer. This is a really enjoyable album and on a desert island, that’s what counts. It also has very good memories attached to it, so it would help keep me sane. Or drive me to insanity more quickly as I yearn for the glory days. Either way, it’s a good choice.

7. Ted Nugent ‘Double Live Gonzo”- This is a selection for the sake of comedy. You haven’t heard the Nuge ’til you’ve heard the Nuge live in concert. For some reason, he’s incredibly funny to me. He’s actually threatened me via e-mail before when I was in high school, but that’s a story for another day.

8. The Go-Go’s “Vacation”- I’ve never heard the entire CD, but again one song is worth it. That song: “Vacation”. It always makes me happy. Always. And it somehow makes me nostalgic for an era that I didn’t live in, which is odd. I’m sure many people on my daily commute question a large black man singing along rather loudly to “Vacation” in his car, but they’ve probably become used to it. Plus, the fun of discovering new tracks should help pass the time a bit.

9. Kanye West “Late Registration”- I’m actually really disappointed that I don’t have more hip-hop on here, but as the years go by I listen less and less. There are very few hip-hop albums I could listen to all the way through (even “The Chronic” or “Doggystyle” don’t hold the same weight), but this is one of the few. I’d practically given up totally on the genre before this album came out, which was a breath of fresh air.

10. Willie Nelson “The Red-Headed Stranger”- From my understanding, this is one of the first concept albums to hit country music and there’s something incredibly appealing about it. I’ve heard it several dozen times but I remain intrigued as the story plays out. I love Willie’s voice and the stories he tells. He makes it look so easy that I feel like I could pick up a guitar and start singing and playing along with him.

Honorable mention: Bill Cosby “Himself”, James Brown- I couldn’t pick one album for the life of me. Too many choices without the greatest hits option, Weezer “Pinkerton”, Public Enemy “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”

You may have noticed we aren’t firing on all cylinders lately–see below. Which is why we’re rolling with a quasi-rerun of Desert Island discs this week. Why “quasi-repeat”? Because this week’s “willing participant”, actually ran his list over on his own blaaaahg, Reign of Error. Which is nice, because it limits the work we actually have to do. In fact, he even reprinted the rules in his initial write up, which only makes our job even easier. So, without further ado, we present a former writer and editor (of your own beloved and esteemed Bstone no less!) over at Talented Mr. Roto.com, blogger extraordinare and Barry Bonds backer…Greebs. Check out his albums after the jump.

Bstone dropped the old Desert Island Discs meme on Brahsome, and I immediately knew I’d be unable to resist coming up with my own list (and then, almost immediately, feel like making corrections). But thanks to Brahsome for the idea, the waste of time, and the photo here that I stole directly from their site. (Good times!)

The rules of the road, which make enough sense to me:

1) No greatest hits. They’re not albums.

2) Live is okay, provided it was a live album released by a studio production company. This one is highly debatable, but if an artist and studio combine to plan and produce a specific live show, then we’re letting it in. Exceptions are the eleventy billion Pearl Jam, Grateful Dead, and Phish shows. Don’t use them. They go the same way as a bunch of Panic bootlegs or that REM tape from Greensboro that your older brother gave you in ‘93.

3) Double studio albums are only one pick. Also a debatable issue, but if you’re sacrificing the music you like just to have more music you don’t, then you’re a tool.

4) No compilations. Totally ob-vi, brah.

5) No soundtracks. The exception here is an album-style soundtrack penned by one ar-teest. Remember, this is not the 10 albums that you think are the “greatest of all time,” or whatever the eff that’s supposed to mean. They are the author’s personal picks for what he/she wants to listen to while stuck on a desert island.

A caveat – one look at my last.fm page will make some of these choices look a bit suspect. I resisted, as much as possible, the temptation to put in the albums that I’ve been obsessing over lately — The National – Boxer, Caesars – Paper Tigers, Silversun Pickups – Carnavas, for instance. The reason is I’m sure I’ll burnout on them soon enough, and I sort of assume that anything on this list has to have lasting power.

I’ve also resisted the temptation to be too pretentious here – it would be nice if I chose some classical or opera to go with these tunes, to balance the scales away from the rock. But…hell, even though I own some of that I just don’t listen. I might as well add a bunch of Miles Davis…again, I own a ton of his stuff and like it, but it’s not making the final cut. I also resisted the temptation to add bands that “should” be here, like the Rolling Stones, Sabbath, Pixies, Elvis Costello, Public Enemy, Dr. Dre, etc. Sure, they’re all great but for whatever reason, I couldn’t dig it.

The Clash – London Calling. — The no-brainer of the bunch, this has been my answer for “what’s your all-time favorite album” since the early 1980s, when I can remember listening to it four times in a row one day when I was home sick from school. I could have chosen Sandinista! for the sheer volume of songs, but any Clash fan will tell you it’s not nearly their best album. Sure, this list isn’t supposed to be the greatest albums of all time, but I still listen to this baby. And I’d want to keep doing that if I was on a desert island.

Desmond Dekker – The Israelites — So, if I’m sitting on a desert island, there simply has to be reggae somewhere. Sure, I could throw you a Bob Marley, I could mix it up with a little Tosh, or even Mr. Jimmy Cliff. But somehow, Dekker is the one that feels right, especially as he throws in some of the old ska elements that a lot of reggae leaves behind. At the very least, this is going to make me feel a lot less worse about being stranded on a goddamned desert island. (By the way, I would have chosen the best of Desmond Dekker if it weren’t for those confounded rules…)

Tool — Aenima — For those days where Dezzie Dekker doesn’t do the trick and I want to unleash a little pent up steam, there’s no better album anywhere than this gem. Hard crushing guitar, potent lyrics and music that makes me want to punch a hole in some drywall. (In a good way, of course.) This album is also probably in my lifetime Top 10, but it fills a need here that I don’t think I’m getting from any other selection.

Radiohead – OK Computer – Probably one of the more important albums to come out in the 1990s, it remains so completely listenable it’s a bit bizarre. Given that roughly 978 reasons have been suggested for what this “concept” album really means, I figure I could spend a lot of my free time coming up with a few new ones on my own. Hell, it beats drawing a face in blood on a volleyball.

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti — If you like rock music and you don’t choose a Zeppelin album, then…well, god have mercy on your soul. Really, the bigger question is what to bring? I took a bit of the cop-out by opting for Graffiti, but it’s not like this is in any way an album I wouldn’t want to listen to. From the opening track of “Custard Pie,” I can drift off into a land where it was once cool for hard rock superstars to be obsessed with J.R.R. Tolkien.

Minutemen – Double Nickels On The Dime — This one was tough, because the entire album is predicated around driving, and it is perhaps the quintessential roadtrip album. I can’t remember the last road trip I took without listening to at least part of this. And…that might be a little awful while stranded on a desert island. But for sheer listenability, nothing beats D Boon, Mike Watt and George Hurley just jamming out for 43 tracks. Whether it’s the truly melodic “Love Dance,” classic songs like “Corona,” or “A Political Song for Michael Jackson,” this San Pedro trio was and is one of the great bands of all-time.

Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out — One of my favorite bands of all-time and I couldn’t for the life of me decide which of their albums I’d want to bring along for this. In the end this edged out Call The Doctor and One Beat. Why? Because of the mix of songs – not only was this the album that moved S-K from a riot grrrl band into a true rock band, but it combines danceable fun songs like “Little Babies” and “Dance Song ‘97” with some true pounding, punk-infused ROCK songs like “One More Hour” and “Turn It On.” Fuck it, I’m going to listen to this right now.

Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne — I’m a little surprised myself to see this here, but it struck me that I wanted to have something with a country vibe. After all, I’ll be getting back to the basics, and needed some mellower songs to go along with the rather heavy bunch of stuff I’ve already chosen. While I could have gone for a Wilco or Son Volt album, or gone a little older with some Johnny Cash, for instance, I’ll take “Anodyne” which to me is still the quintessential No Depression album (moreso than their landmark album that’s actually named No Depression.) It’s also been a long time since I’ve treated myself to this diddy so that will be a good treat.

Cat Stevens – Majikat — This live CD of his, released in 2004 but recorded in the mid-1970s, is my way of getting a greatest hits here. I know that Cat gets unjustly mocked for both his music and his politics, but I grew up listening to him in the back of my dad’s car, and frankly, when I want to listen to something soothing and calming but also lyrically and musically beautiful, I end up with Cat more often than not. I thought about Elliott Smith or Nick Drake here, but my roots are with the man now named Yosuf Islam.

The Smiths – Hatful of Hollow — Christ, I almost forgot this one. Sure, some mock The Smiths as being maudlin and certainly they are that – but this is such a gem, such a part of my high school and college days, that it’s a blessing that the songs still completely hold up. Frankly, every song on this CD not only is brilliant but contains a specific memory for me – whether it’s making up the lyrics to “Hand In Glove” to mock a dumb but pretty classmate, or recognizing “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” in instrumental form in Ferris Bueller. This one has to be there.

Feel free to let Greebs have it in the comments. Or you could just go check out his original list. Make sure and scope his musings as well at reign of error.