twenty five albums.

i was hoping to dodge this meme; not because i dislike it, but because i know how much thought and time it would take.
pick 25 albums that had an impact on you...only 25?!? my tag-er, tim upped the ante by adding memories associated with each album. i am loosely organizing them in the order they influenced me. so here goes...

1) Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. this was my FIRST album (or cassette rather). my bedroom upstairs at the salina street house.
2) R.E.M.: Green. walking to school through baldwinsville.
3) Beastie Boys: License to Ill. my father had this cassette. a road trip to a wiccian church in new hamshire made possible by skipping school.
4) The Cure: Disintegration. it's hard to pick one album here, but this one always brings back the most memories. hanging with kate and walking around downtown b'ville. pizza man.
5) Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes. indispensible album. the song she chose wasn't on this album, but i remember nicole quoss chose a VF song to play during 10th (?) grade english class and the teacher was concerned.
6) Minor Threat: Out of Step. fuel for an angsty teen. totally in love with Ian MacKaye.
7) Janes Addiction: Nothing's Shocking. completely makes me think of a party at Jen Donahue's house. eggs were thrown. skateboards were ridden.
8) They Might Be Giants: Flood. odds are that a song from this album would be on any of the mix tapes we made in high school.
9) Fugazi: 13 Songs. one of the best albums ever. songs from this album would be on the soundtrack of my life.
10) Pixies: Bossanova. high school art class and staying after school to draw.
11) The Smiths: Louder than Bombs. big black shoe posse. roller skating at the rink in baldwinsville.
12) Inside Out: No Spiritual Surrender. this album was a light in the dark for me. the lost horizon and hardcore shows. taco bell.
13) Beck: One Foot In The Grave. moving back to syracuse and our first apartment.
14) Indigo Girls: Rites of Passage. one year at OCC. driving the dodge omni.
15) G Love & Special Sauce: G Love & Special Sauce. green haired nick and...that other guy. going to taughannock falls and throwing unopened cans of garbanzo beans in the campfire.
16) The Toasters: Dub 56. late night trips to Wegmans. dave.
17) Ani Difranco: Puddle Dive. some coffeeshop on the SU campus. getting ready to move to buffalo.
18) KRS One: Return of the Boom Bap. long studio sessions at the center for the arts at UB.
19) Zap Mama: Sabsylma. my first apartment alone on elmwood ave in buffalo.
20) Medeski, Martin and Wood: Last Chance to Dance Trance (Perhaps). working at the brewpub in glens falls. closing the restaurant and going to the bars.
21) Q Tip: Amplified. leaving two terrible, consecutive relationships. getting my life back in order. driving with the windows down in the jeep. RSS.
22) Metric: Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? finding my path and motivation.
23) Tegan and Sara: So Jealous. being in the best, most simple/awesome/supportive relationship. home repair. crandall library.
24) Aesop Rock: None Shall Pass. my brother and learning that he'll be a father (and me an aunt!).
25) The Weepies: Say I Am You. driving back from the HIV clinic. feeling helpless and inspired by client's struggles with addiction.

honorable mentions: 7 Seconds: The Crew, Killcreek: St Valentine's Garage, New Order: Substance, everything sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Sonic Youth: Dirty, Blackalicious: Nia, Tori Amos: From the Choirgirl Motel, the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack and INXS: Listen Like Theives.