Vertigo Your Own Way; or How I Learned to Stop Spinning and Love the Blog

Why, hello there.  As you could probably tell from the post below this, it's been over two months since I wrote anything on here, and for all of you who care, I apologize.  It's been nice to actually receive some complaints about my lack of output, but I assure you, I've had a good reason.  A full explanation for my absence and our first ever guest appearance coming after the jump.

After spending many hours writing those very long lists of mine I felt like I was in a groove, but a couple days after I finished the final part I started noticing the world moving weird around me, kind of a rocking back and forth sensation.  It got worse, and I became concerned because, with me, it's always a brain tumor.  Thankfully, two months and three doctor's visits later I've discovered it's only (only!) sinus and ear problems that have crept into my inner ear and disrupted all my crystals.  It's still not all the way healed, and in fact the show I went to on Friday night aggravated it quite a bit, but reading and writing on the computer no longer make my head swim.  Thus, this post you see before you!  And it feels great to be back.  In the coming days I'll review that show from Friday, and I have something else that was about 1/3 finished when I lost the ability to walk straight.

Hopefully I'll be all better soon and writing more regularly, but to start things off we have something from Mr. Tom Solmer (Happy birthday, Tom, you old scoundrel, you!) that he sent me while I was stumbling around.  Enjoy:

Tom's Top 9 of the '90s

In the spirit of Brian's Top 28 of the Aughts, I've written my own list, a Top 9 of the '90s. Why 9? Because I'm too lazy (and ignorant) to make a top 90 list, but not quite lazy enough to make a top zero list. The same rules apply: it's about what they mean to me, not critical or historical significance, and each band is limited to one spot.

9. Pixies, Doolittle (1989). Didn't happen in the '90s, but it started them off. So, close enough. Something always hits the style of the next decade ahead of time.

8. At the Drive-In, In/Casino/Out (1998). See #9. These guys had to hitch a ride on the emo scene because no one knew what they were. The future is confusing like that.

7. Sublime, Sublime (1996). You didn't go to a party in high school without hearing it. Cross-genre not because it was hip, but because it just reflected their style. Genuine and original, despite most of the songs being rip-offs.

6. NOFX, So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes (1997). Simply the best punk album ever made.

5. Built to Spill, Perfect from Now On (1997). I can't think of any album that's more pleasurable to hear.

4. Weezer, Weezer (1994). Seriously, your first album, and this is what comes out? So brilliant, smooth, and cool; it gives pop music a good name. Every second, from start to finish, is perfect.

3. Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream (1993). Must be loud, very loud. Another rare example, like Weezer or Dark Side of the Moon, of a truly flawless work of art.

2. Donuts N' Glory, When Pregnasaurs Ruled the Earth (1996). If you see a copy somewhere, buy it. Words would fail.

1. Weezer, Pinkerton (1996). So good that it requires breaking the rules of the list. Like the self-titled debut, every second is perfect. But it's also raw and passionate and ballsy in a way that no follow-up to a band's multi-million-selling debut has ever been.

Best Live Album: The Queers, Suck This (1998). We'd have a riot doing heroin.