I love music, and there's nothing better than listening to an album for the first time from a band you've never heard of and having that album completely blow you away. If the album is great and the mood just right this can be an almost religious experience, and that is the high that I'm always chasing. The hard thing is finding that great album by that great band that I've never heard of. One of my great sources for this is my good friend Mike Munhall, and I'm dedicating this week to bands that I had never known existed until he said, "Dude, you've got to hear this band." So, with a big thank you to Munhall, I'm passing his recommendations on to you, and if you haven't heard these albums then you need to know they're coming to you with a double recommendation and are just that good.

New

(2007) We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank - Modest Mouse I had never heard of Modest Mouse before Munhall said that they were making a regular rotation into his daily listening. Before too long, you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing them. I will admit I wasn't completely sold on them at first, but with We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, I consider myself a full fledged fan. Their new album strengthens their trademark sound of taking catchy tunes to the verge of pure cacophony and then pulling them back so that you anxiously await the next series of sudden tempo changes and yells that blend into harmony. Isaac Brock doesn't hold anything back with plenty of witty lyrics on top of funk driven guitar. The other thing that I love about Modest Mouse, which is highlighted well within this album, is the way that drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy work with each other to create a solid foundation. Yet, they are talented enough to not just wash into the background but instead create a very interesting rhythm layer on which the album strongly sits. I highly recommend We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and have to thank Mike for the original recommendation of Modest Mouse for which I am very grateful.

Must Haves Track No. 06 - Missed The Boat Track No. 11 - Steam Engenius

Tried

(1998) The Fluid Soundbox - Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited Munhall described The Fluid Soundbox the best by saying, "it's like 70's space spy rock" and I really couldn't describe it any better than that. The album is all instrumental and is a collection of trippy tunes in which you can almost picture the band from the Star Wars bar scene playing them. The bass lines are groovy and play behind a lot of synthesizers and crazy percussion instruments. This album grabbed me the very first time Munhall played it for me and I have had lots of fun playing it for others for the first time and seeing their faces as they discover how cool of an album The Fluid Soundbox is. The reason I'm adding this to the list of Tried albums is that The Fluid Soundbox has truly pioneered the 70's space spy rock sound and although this movement hasn't fully taken hold, I can only hope that there will be others that follow.

Must Haves Track No. 03 - The Wobbler Track No. 07 - Robot A Go Go

True

(2000) B.R.M.C. - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club B.R.M.C. has been taking up a lot of my listening time as of late and I only have Munhall to thank for that. Their sound is one that makes for great background music while at work, but at the same time, if given proper attention, will fully engulf you in the rolling melodies and under lying energy. The album reminds me a lot of The Kills if they were to meet The Beatles during The Magical Mystery Tour album. There's just that dirty intensity mixed in with a dreamy, ethereal sound that captures the best of both worlds. This being their first album, their psychedelic and blues influences really climb to the front. However, you can also tell that they are strongly holding the reigns and bringing it altogether to form their original sound. Munhall has been a strong source of new music for me, and I thank him for all his recommendations with B.R.M.C. being at the forefront of them all.

Must Haves Track No. 01 - Love Burns Track No. 04 - Awake