Albums That Changed My Life: Jeff Casazza (Run For Cover Records)
This week's "Albums That Changed My Life" contributor is Run For Cover Records' own founder, Jeff Casazza!Jeff (or "The Golden Ear" as we call him over at Alter The Press) has single-handedly formed the best indie label on the scene. With bands like Tigers Jaw and Seahaven leading the pack for his incredible roster, and with only more gems to follow presumably, we had to ask Casazza to be a part of our weekly feature and this is what he came back with.
Queen - A Night At The Opera / News Of The WorldQueen were the first thing I ever remember listening to and enjoying. They were my dads favorite band and the only band I would ever tell anyone I liked until I was 7-8 or so. A Night At The Opera and News Of The World are some of the only things that remind me of being really young and are still as good today as they ever were.
Green Day - DookieUp until Green Day the only music I listened to was Queen. I was 8 when Dookie came out but I feel that I listened to it so much that I somehow understood it on a greater level, even being so young. When I hear it now I don't hear anything different or feel any different then I did when I first heard it. At the same time, Offspring - Smash was having a similar impact on me, but I gotta give Dookie more credit. Everything in my life is either pre or post Dookie and it will remain that way until the end of time.
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward SpiralI got this record in 1995. Year 1 AD (after Dookie) as they say. I was 9. It scared me to a point where I cried. It made me so uncomfortable, it scared the shit out of me and I was way too young to be exposed to it. I was not ready for the lyrical content by any means. I don't think I even knew it was okay to make music talking about the things they talk about. It sort of fucked me up, but in the end I think it made me a better person. This is in no way one of my favorite records ever, but it definitely changed my outlook on music and I still think it's awesome.
AFI - Black Sails In The SunsetMy friend Ollie had an AFI CD while skateboarding one day and I asked what it was. He told me it was a 'hardcore punk band', and that was all he said. I forget how I heard them, I might have been able to listen to them online at the time but it was definitely like 1998-1999 so it wasn't like I went to their MySpace or something. I got Black Sails because it was the most recent record they had released, so I guess it was 1999. This record was is very responsible for the direction my life went in from 1999 until now.
Coalesce - 0:12 Revolution In Just ListeningI got this at a weird time in my life. My favorite bands were definitely Coalesce, AFI and Slipknot for a bit when I was 13. Is that cool? I got this record and Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (and every nu metal classic ever) from one of those 12 CDs for 1 cent things. I had never heard anything like Coalesce before. Their lyrics and vocals are still untouchable for the genre, in my opinion, which is funny because 99% of humans I am sure find this band to be completely unlistenable.
