"If you're happy and you know it, turn the volume up and blow it out...." Ok kids, it's time for the third and final installment of Joshfork Media. Lest any of you think that i've forgotten how to rock, this weeks portion of the alphabet contains several albums perfectly suited to cranking it up and damaging the tiny, fragile bones nestled in your inner ears... Rocket, rocket, all of my rocket sauce... 23. Panjabi MC - Beware Genre: Subcontinental Traditional-Groove Fusion Songs to get in with: Beware(Jay-Z Remix), Mirza Part 2, Jogi My darling and my dove recommended this artist to me all the way back in, i think, sophomore year of college, though i might be off on the date. It took me a little while to understand how exactly to rock with Panjabi MC, but once i figured it out, he became a staple of my bass-fueled dance-frenzies. This album is a cornerstone of any well-rounded non-english dancing portfolio, and should be enjoyed as loud as the speakers will handle. 24. The Postal Service - Give Up Genre - Electronica's Iron-Fisted Ruler Songs to get in with: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, Such Great Heights, Sleeping In, Nothing Better As with so many bands (and movies, and people) that i now love transcendently, my first few listens to the Postal Service completely underwhelmed me, to the point that when my roommate would put them on my sophomore year, i would feel irritated, and probably put on headphones. I'm not proud of this, but there it is. I'm not sure when the shift occurred, but suffice it to say that having more people appreciate this album was one of the main ideas that prompted my foray into internet music journalism. This is an epic album. If you don't know electronica, there's no better way to be introduced. 25. Ratatat - Ratatat Genre: Audio Karate Songs to get in with: Seventeen Years, El Pico, Crips An album i was originally turned on to by one of my youth group kids, Ratatat makes music that often reminds me of the soundtracks to the 16-bit games of yore, but as they would wish to be, juiced up on steroids with rocking guitars and powerful electronics, bass bouncing along underneath to form a sort of transcendent sonic spiral of greatness. All hail. 26. Relient K - Mmhmm Genre - Theologically-sound Christian Rock Songs to get in with: Be My Escape, Who I Am Hates Who I've Been, The One I'm Waiting For, High of 75 Props go out to Chaddy for being the first to expose me to Relient K. This album became the soundtrack to my spring semester of senior year. As i reached new levels of self-loathing, this album gave me a measure of hope that maybe i wasn't the complete and total jerkbag that indications pointed to, or that if i were, i was still forgiven. All that to say, the lyrics to these songs have a lot of hope, and it's good music in general, give 'em a try. 27. Sublime - Sublime Genre: Island-Influenced Punk Rock Songs to get in with: Santeria, What I Got, Wrong Way, Summertime, Burritos, Caress Me Down Among the pantheon of good artists taken young is Bradley Nowell, lead singer for sublime who died shortly before this album's release. Sublime is a sort of punk-rock for the beaches, the kind of music Jack Johnson might write if he were fueled by a little more rage and a few more drugs. For all of that though, this music is still pretty relaxed and good for chillin', with just enough sould thrown in to make it music that will keep you coming back. 28. Sugarcult - Start Static Genre: Unapologetically Agressive Punk Rock Songs to get in with: Bouncing Off the Walls, Hate Every Beautiful Day, Crashing Down, I Changed My Name Wanna rock out without having to think a lot about it? Get this CD. In my opinion Sugarcult's best work, this album is one of the best that recent adolescent rock has to offer, and if you've seen any of my favorite dumb movies, you've heard them before. Yes, they rock fairly hard, and are the genesis of my tendency to sometimes yell "Go!" and rock out unnecessarily, though they also have some more reflective stuff here. Also, i deeply believe in this band's name for culinary reasons. 29. Switchfoot - The Legend of Chin Genre: Azimuth of a Good Band's Goodness Songs to get in with: Bomb, Chem 6A, Might Have Ben Hur, Concrete Girl, Life and Love and Why, You, Don't Be There All right, let me preface this by saying that i'm not totally a musical elitist, i don't always think that a band's first album is their best, and i don't dislike most of Switchfoot's more recent work. That being said, Switchfoot's first, more acoustically driven album, was their best. Those of you who know them by their modern underwater caterwauling and love them only in light of that will probably find it difficult to digest, but the over-production of their albums since the beautiful letdown has cost them some of their soul. There are great songs on this album, full of longing and questioning and seeking God, it's entirely worth a listen. 30. Tenacious D - Tenacious D Genre: Rocket. Sauce. Songs to get in with: Wonderboy, Explosivo, Friendship, Karate, Best Song in the World (Tribute) Those of you who know me well know of my unusually strong devotion to this band. Many of you question this, asking, not without cause, whether there might not be other more worthwhile music to fanboy for. Maybe there is, lovers, maybe there is, but there is something indefinable about Tenacious D...a superior rock sensibility, a proper understanding and use of the absurd and explicit, that sets these two above the rest. Can i condone all of their activities and advice? Absolutely not. Do they rock hard, oh so hard? Absolutely. 31. The Tossers - The Valley of the Shadow of Death Genre: Drunken Irish Rock Songs to get in with: Goodmornin' Da, A Criminal of Me, I've Pursued Nothing, Preab San Ol I feel a special and almost visceral connection to this band, as my first exposure to them came as i was getting inked in a tattoo parlor somewhere in Chicago. I'd listened somewhat to the works of The Pogues and Flogging Molly, but i found that The Tossers focus a little more on the rock and the music than constantly stating just how much they happened to be drinking that day. (Though that should by no means be taken as an indication that they aren't healthy drinkers, it's a theme.) This album is a good sampling of what they can do, from shattered laments like I've Pursued Nothing so polyglot rampages like Preab San Ol. It's a fun listen. 32. Weezer - The Blue Album Genre: Geek Rock Songs to get in with: Undone, Surf Wax America, Say It Ain't So, In the Garage And rounding out our little collection, an album no Gen-Y'er should be without, regardless of musical predilection. Weezer really sort of stands on their own as a musical force, a sort of proto-emo rock music, with references to everything from surfing to drugs to dungeons and dragons. This is an album that suburban kids should own, it's a part of your cultural heritage, don't be afraid...it will all be ok soon. Ok, no more, this has already gone on twenty or so albums too many, so join me next week when i take down these posts and form them into a coherent list of ten albums that i think everyone should own..it should be a little more wieldy, at least. Til then, keep on rocking kids....Joshfork out. | 
