'03 Summer Picks: Ten New Albums
By Sameer Bajaj
A&F Staff Writer

Summer is all about good times, cold beers and great music. Yet things have been changing lately. While I will always commit acts of unadulterated stupidity after throwing back one too many on a mid-July night, the music just seems to be getting increasingly worse with each passing summer. Every year, the music industry bombards listeners with more and more songs whose sole purpose seems to be to annoy the living hell out of as many people as they can (consider, for example, “Hot in Heeere”, or “Thong Song”). So, I’ve done you all a favor and sifted through the garbage to reveal my top ten albums of the summer:

1) Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won: The definitive live release from a band known for its live performances. Taken from two 1972 concerts, this three disc collection captures Zep in its prime. Listen, as lead guitarist Jimmy Page invents hard rock.

2) Phish, Live Phish, vol. 19: The 19th installment of the Live Phish is undoubtedly one of the best. This July 1991 concert shows a band gaining momentum and on the verge of greatness. This would be #1 if not for the lack of good Zeppelin live releases in the past.

3) The Neptunes, Clones: Whatever you think of the pop stars whose music they produce, the Neptunes have an undeniable talent for creating absurdly catchy music. On this album, the group lays down beats for a formidable collection of musicians.

4) A Tribe Called Quest, Hits, Rarities, Remixes: A great compilation from one of hip hop’s most innovative groups. Along with many Tribe classics, a number of hidden gems make this more than your average “greatest hits” album.

5) Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Unclassified: Equal parts jazz and rock, Randolph and his band really jam on their major label debut. I fear for you if you won’t shake your ass to this.

6) Willie Nelson, Run That By Me One More Time: The country legend proves he can still make great music. Like most Nelson albums, the music only gets better as you drink more whiskey.

7) moe., Warts and All, vol. 3: Don’t let the weird name fool you; moe.’s sound is tight and focused. Some may find the songs too lengthy, but if you have the attention span to follow them, you’ll agree there are few better modern rock bands around.

8) Neil Young, Greendale: A great album from one of the true legends of rock. Young’s brilliant songwriting and guitar work will satisfy diehard and casual fans alike.

9) Nappy Roots, Wooden Leather: They might not be Outkast, but they are the next best thing Southern hip hop has to offer. Great production and rhymes show that Nappy Roots are much more than a one-hit wonder.

10) Radiohead, Hail to the Thief: I don’t like listening to Radiohead. Not one bit. Yet I have to acknowledge that they are incredibly talented musicians. I would never own this album, but in the weird/demented/paranoid rock genre, it is a classic.