Alice In Chains -- Hipster Music

Alice in Chains
[alice in chains website]

Alice in Chains

What the fuck happened to this dog's leg? It must have chewed off its own appendage to get away from Layne Staley's whining. Yeah, life sucks and heroin is great--we got it. A band much past its prime trying to blend grunge with sensitive, layered beauty just ends up sounding like mush.

Dirt

A classic album of the grunge era, Dirt made me feel, well, dirty. It may have been the fact I was almost always covered in Milwaukee's Best while listening to this album, or the cracked window in my fraternity house bathroom that kept me from showering as often as is suggested by human nature, but the churning guitars and guttural vocals stirred something in my black, flannel-clad heart. The album sounds a little dated and silly now, but back in the day this was the one to smash your computer to.

Jar of Flies

Ah, you gotta love any album that starts with the talk box. The first of Alice in Chains more mellow, acoustic based EPs, this is definitely one to do smack by. Featuring their typical harmonies and dark subject matter, Layne Staley is like the post-apocalyptic Bon Jovi on a couple tracks, crooning above lighter rock ballads, and even throws a little STP in there on the closing track, "Swing On This." It's certainly not one of their more consistent albums, but, hey, they're not really consistent guys now, are they?

sap Sap

Dark and haunting acoustic rock from the masters of sludge, this album reminds me of sitting in a filthy fraternity room lit only by tiny Christmas bulbs with the smell of bong water wafting up from the carpet and a comforter over the window to keep out the -30 degree wind chill from the Syracuse winter. While a serious downer, it still has the power to make you want to hit repeat on the CD player.