Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Five (plus five) Perfect Things - Midwestern Albums

I am a Midwesterner. There, I said it (not as if I was hiding it). No doubt there, having spent over 30 years of my life living in Wisconsin and Illinoying. And along with being a Midwesterner I'm also a music lover - especially American indie rock and post-punk.

What the hell is a "Midwestern" album? Well, first of all it's obviously one from Midwestern-based artists, the second part is more of the feeling I get from listening to these gems. I can't exactly express what that feeling is - but the feeling entails a mix of lakes, hardwood forests, rolling hills, seasons, good people and, in many cases, Chicago.

And since I simply could not pare down my list to a measly five, this time the list entails ten classic albums (and it was a chore narrowing it down from about 30 original picks). In no particular order...

Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (Dayton, Ohio-based)
His Name Is Alive - Mouth by Mouth (Livonia, Michigan-based)
Wilco - Being There (Chicago-based)
Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising (Minneapois-based)
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne (Belleville, IL-based)

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (Chicago/Winnetka-based)

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Lacrosse, WI-based)

The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (Minneapolis-based)

Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Chicago-based)

The Replacements - Let It Be (Minneapolis-based)
What are YOUR favorite Midwestern albums?

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