De-Loused In The Comatorium by The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta was formed by former members of At The Drive-In after their break-up
This album completely blew me away and it was so unexpected. I liked At The Drive-In but not enough to go out and buy one of their albums (although the track “One Armed Scissor” is amazingly good). I loved this from the get-go and still listen to the album regularly. Apparently the concept album is based on a short story about Cerpin Taxt, a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison. Now there’s a premise for an album…
Favourite track: “Inertiatic ESP”
Vulture Street by Powderfinger
Powderfinger’s fifth studio album, Vulture Street, won the ARIA for Best Rock Album
Vulture Street peaked at #1 on the Australian albums chart and four singles were released from the album. Overall it was a very successful follow-up to its predecessor Odyssey Number Five, although the band had decided to deliberately go in a more rock-oriented direction with the intent of creating an album more fun to play live. Whatever their thinking was behind the album it definitely worked.
Favourite track: Album opener “Rockin’ Rocks” setting the scene for the rest of the album
Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute To Kiss by Hayseed Dixie
Hearing Kiss tracks performed in a bluegrass style is certainly a unique experience
I had already heard Haysee Dixie’s treatments of AC/DC tracks prior to this albums release so when I heard they were doing the same thing to my favourite band’s songs I had to have it. I have no regrets and I think their arrangements are quite cleverly done. They even dub their own style of music as “rockgrass” by focussing on covering hard rock tracks in a bluegrass style.
Favourite track: Although not my favourite Kiss track, “Let’s Put The X In Sex” is outright hilarious when given the Hayseed Dixie treatment
Blackout by Dropkick Murphys
Blackout is the fourth studio album from American Celtic punk band, Dropkick Murphys
Although similar in intent to the Pogues, Dropkick Murphys rock harder and are far punkier (if there is such a word). I actually heard them for the first time by watching the Martin Scorsese picture The Departed, which featured in its soundtrack their brilliant track “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” featuring lyrics by Woody Guthrie. What a discovery they turned out to be!
Favourite track: The fantastic duet “The Dirty Glass”
Tough Love by Magic Dirt
Tough Love was Magic Dirt’s fourth and most commercially successful album
The band worked particularly hard on Tough Love and they found it difficult due to its regimented and disciplined recording process. So much so they vowed never to record that way again. The fruit of their labours was definitely worth the effort though and it remains my favourite of their albums.
Favourite track: The simply fantastic “Vulcanella”
The Slabthrower 