Album Nerds

Two classic and influential albums from Albert King and Wayne Shorter get the Nerd stamp of greatness. Then we beautifully transition to metal heavyweight Mastodon’s new release. Don’t forget to support your local record shop on April 22nd! Hugs

Putting out a great record is obviously difficult. Following it up with something that isn’t a steaming pile is apparently just as hard. We talk about some follow-up albums that didn’t quite live up to expectations.

What to talk about? How bout some great new music! New releases from metal band Havok and pop duo Tennis get the Album Nerds stamp of approval. Turn that Nerd up to 11.

Hear how music royalty was crowned as we talk over our favorite Prince records from his 30+ year career. So purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka and enjoy a lovesexy odyssey with your 2 favorite nerds.

Great records stand the test of time. We nominate 2 recentish albums that we think will still sound as great in 25 years as they do today. Rock bands One Bad Son and Baroness earn the honor this week. Also, propers to the RetroPie and the Good Morning Football show. Nerd it!

The summer movie season is near, let us get you in the spirit by talking about our favorite soundtrack albums. Shout outs to some products we love and Chris Cornell as well. #RIPChris

Spring is here and it’s brought some great new music! We recommend 2 recent releases from Chris Stapleton and The Black Angels. And we sprinkle in a listener recommendation for good measure. Turn that Nerd up to 11.

What makes music essential? That’s the question we’ve been trying to answer these last 6 months in our Essential Jazz and Blues projects. On this episode, we write another chapter as we dive into the jazz-fusion of the early 70s and come full-circle with a blues-rock legend. ALSO! – we recap all the must-listens albums from the first half of 2017. Nerd or nothin’!

Ever had to pee really bad, but were stuck in line? Hear a funny story about the perils of drinking in a parking garage and get 2 new classic album recommendations. Grab a drink and turn that nerd up to 11!

Happy Father’s Day! We look back on records our dads introduced us to. And of course, make a few recommendations of our own. It’s Nerd or Nothin.

To help you enjoy all those extra hours of delicious summer daylight, we’ve got two great new records to share. PLUS! some funky listener recommendations. Nerd it!

We pay tribute to Canada and all the great music that comes from our neighbors to the north. Highlights include The Sheepdogs and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Pour on some poutine and nerd it up!

Turn that BBQ up to 11 with these 2 great American albums about the things that really do make this country so great. Happy 4th from your favorite Nerds!

Two intriguing records from our Essential Jazz and Country (new!) projects. Andy is enraptured by 1950s vocal jazz vixen Peggy Lee. The Dude recommends a modern country record that finds a band looking to polish up their sound. Give a listen and then give the records a listen. It’s all interactive and like whoa.

Travel back in time with us… Back to a time when MTV was still relevant and wearing your pants backwards wasn’t a mistake. We recommend our favorite records from 1992 and look back on the sounds of 25 years ago. Sit back and nerd it up!

After getting lost the mountains last week – we’re back to talk about some exciting new releases! Blues rock newcomers Greta Van Fleet have peaked our interest with their first official release. And we’re bullish on veteran underground rapper Billy Woods new full length as well. Plus we recommend a couple new artists to watch and follow on Twitter. Get your full, doctor-recommended serving of nerd...

Music streaming services like Spotify and Google Play Music have revolutionized how we listen to and discover music. We talk over the pros and cons of the technology – how well do they know our tastes and do they truly support the artists? We also highlight two albums that we discovered via our streaming services – The Como Mamas ‘Move Upstairs’ and the Glorious Sons ‘The Union’. Take 2 nerds and...

We dig into the Bee Gees’ catalog and are surprised to find a lot of good music outside of the disco grooves you’d expect. Join us as we highlight two of the bands influential records.

The best part of having a secret is telling someone. We have two ‘secret’ albums to share with you today. Two records that are lesser known, though still of Album Nerds quality. We recommend early 90’s singer/songwriter Jefferey Gaines self-titled debut as well as early 2000’s hardcore group Circle Takes the Square first full length. Hear why we think these hidden gems are worthy of digging up. Ne...

Join us for another installment in our essential jazz and country listening series. We focus on a classic country record from outlaw country legend, Kris Kristofferson as well as a modern jazz record from Grammy winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Hear why they should be part of any music fan’s collection. Nerd it up!

Early last month, country music up-and-comer, Tyler Childers put out a record we both have taken a liking to. Join us as we talk about this new class of outlaw country as well as this record’s strengths and weaknesses. We also give a proper shout-out to Netflix show ‘Ozark’ as well as bluetooth headphones from TaoTronics. What do you think of Tyler Childers’ Purgatory? Tell us your thoughts on Twi...

Join us for the next installment of our Future Classics recommendations where we talk over 2 recent records we feel will be classics in the years to come. Our nominations are Janelle Monae’s 2010 Pop/R&B album The ArchAndroid as well as Michael Kiwanuka’s 2012 soulful debut Home Again. What records from the last 5-10 years would you nominate?

Let’s go back – back all the way to the glorious year that was 1993. Bill Clinton’s cigars were still clean, the Internet was just a baby and lots of great music was released. We highlight 2 of our favorite records from the year – Counting Crow’s August and Everything After and Pearl Jam’s Vs. Get your nerd on and tell us your favorite records from this year on Twitter @albumnerds!

We’ve got some hot n’ fresh new release recommendations for ya! Both of our picks are tasty treats from the rock music world, but they come from very different places. Industry mainstays, the Foo Fighters, have a new record out that has caught our interest. We also recommend the first full-length from a lesser known Scottish band named Dvne. Turn that nerd up to 11 for all the juicy details. Tell...

As much as we love talking about albums, recent events have caused us to take a step back and reflect a bit on more serious matters. The Dude expresses our sympathy to the victims and loved ones of the Las Vegas shootings as well as to Tom Petty and his family. We’ll be back next week with a full dose of album nerdiness. Hug the ones you love and we’ll talk to you then.