#211: The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray (1992)

Emily: Last week's episode of Girls aired early on HBO Go, so Zack and I watched it on Thursday night instead of the typical Sunday. The episode, oddly enough, was titled "It's a Shame About Ray." It's fitting, considering we found out that Ray (a recurring character, and now Shoshanna's boyfriend) is essentially homeless. A shame, indeed. The very next day, Zack emailed me a list of prospective albums for our next blog excursions. The very first one listed was The Lemonheads' It's a Shame About Ray. I immediately made the connection between the album and the episode title and selected it to be #211 precisely for that reason. The band name seemed vaguely familiar, but I wasn't exactly sure why. Were they featured in a Girls episode? Probs not, but even if they were that wouldn't explain the name recognition. As I listened to the album, I didn't recognize a single song, but I could tell that this was my kind of music. I'm always drawn to early-'90s alternative, college-radio kind of stuff, and this album fits the bill exactly. There's some pop, some guitar, some angry drums, and a good helping of early-adulthood angst. I was a fan all the way through, and upon hearing the last track I finally realized where I knew The Lemonheads from. The last track (actually a bonus not included on the original pressing) is a cover of Mrs. Robinson that plays relatively frequently on Radio 104.5. Aha! Mystery solved, and another awesome album has been added to my personal listening library.

Favorite Tracks: Alison's Starting to Happen; Rudderless; It's a Shame About Ray

Zack: Listening to various pieces of foundational alternative rock is kind of fascinating. You can see where certain bands branch off of and all the various influences. If you blur in punk and grunge and a few other notable subgenres, the web becomes almost infinitely expanding. There wouldn’t be a Coldplay without a U2. TV on the Radio, with all of their looping, wouldn’t have existed if not for Radiohead. Pixies and R.E.M. single-handedly created like a billion bands. Weezer made emo music. The list goes on. Now I don’t know the entirety of early '90s rock, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Lemonheads spawned Fountains of Wayne, Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand and a hell of a lot more than that. Internet capabilities are down across campus currently, so I can’t fact check that. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even if I could. But you listen to this album and you just hear that semi-poppy, still a bit melancholy tone. They switch up that formula by incorporating other genres into it – there’s even a country-esque jam – but the overall idea stays the same. And that idea would later be remodeled by like several boatloads of bands. So here’s to Lemonheads, one of the most influential alternative bands I’d never heard of.

Favorite Tracks: Rudderless; Alison’s Starting to Happen; It’s a Shame About Ray

#65: Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (1986)

Zack: In high school, I took a drawing class where we were allowed to listen to the radio while we worked. One day, a Beastie Boys song came on and a kid who sat in front of me that described himself as "really into rap music" said that he hated stuff like this and that this "shit" was killing rap music. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I promptly remained absolutely silent because he was probably about 100 lbs. heavier than me and I could not confirm how much of that weight was muscle and how much was just useless fat. Still, had I had the balls to tell him off, I would have told him just how wrong he was. First off, as you can read by the handy dandy years we include with each entry, this album well precedes the emergence of popular hip-hop as we know it. In fact, this is the foundations of rap music, although it seems that about half of rap fans don't want to admit it. So it's impossible for it to be killing rap music when it is the very womb that gave birth to rap music. For those of you who are still sticking with me despite the image of Mike D sprawled out on a hospital bed with a doctor staring at his crotch, let me continue. The Beastie Boys are just plain chill. They write rhymes about partying and girls and just hanging out with their friends. They use very simple beats to complement this subject matter. Furthermore, they never take themselves too seriously, leading to a fun and pleasant listening experience overall.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Emily: I was so surprised when I found out that this album is from 1986. The Beastie Boys' sound is so innovative and different that I thought it was at least 10 years newer than it actually is. The Beasties don't take themselves too seriously, and that's what makes them great. Mix some laid-back, relateable lyrics with bouncy music and more than a bit of snark, and these three Jewish boys came up with a hip-hop classic. Put this on during any party, and I guarantee that everyone will start rapping and dancing along.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; Brass Monkey