97.9 The Hill's Staff Picks: Album Edition

Welcome to the twelfth edition of 97.9 The Hill’s Staff Picks!

This time around, we asked our staff to break out their record collection and share some of their favorite albums! Many of these picks are the albums that have gotten us through the difficulties of the pandemic, while others take us on nostalgia trips to the formative years of our music tastes.

If you have an album that you’re listening to on repeat, share a photo with us by tweeting us at @WCHLChapelboro or tagging us on Instagram!

Aaron Keck, Host of ‘This Morning with Aaron Keck’

Favorite album: Flood, They Might Be Giants

So many albums to choose from! I wore out Blues Traveler’s Four and Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill in high school; I listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest-hits album when I want to feel emotional; The Dandy Warhols Come Down is my go-to for road trips; and if I’m being honest, Abbey Road is still the best album ever made. But I’ll always have a spot in my heart for Flood. I came to this album in an unusual way: I’d never heard of TMBG or any of their hits, but one of my high school friends thought “Minimum Wage” was the funniest thing they ever heard and insisted on playing it over and over…and eventually I got my hands on the full album, listened to it all the way through, and fell in love with the whole thing. It’s this great, nerdy collection of songs that are exuberant and upbeat, insightful and intelligent, and melancholy and poignant all at the same time, which is especially strange because most of the lyrics make absolutely no sense. I still love the album as much as I ever did, but it also takes me back to a specific time in my life, late high school and early college – so in honor of that, I still have the cassette tape I bought way back in the late 90s. I think it’s the only cassette I still have.

What’s a representative song from Flood? I could make it easy on myself and go with “Birdhouse In Your Soul” or “Istanbul,” but let’s go deeper and listen to “We Want A Rock,” which features the peppy beat, the catchy music, and lyrics that are upbeat but also ominous and insightful but also completely nonsensical – TMBG in a nutshell, in other words, plus a great accordion solo besides. Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads.

Aubrey Williams, General Manager

Favorite Album: The Frights, The Frights

I fell in love with this album immediately upon discovering this band. I have listened to it A LOT in the last year. I think the reason I love it so much – aside from being incredibly melodic and catchy – is that it is newer music, but it reminds me of other, older music that is near and dear to my heart (Misfits, Weezer, Pixies, and even older 60s-style surf rock). It’s just really fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Here is a link to the full album, but my favorites are C&C and Crust Bucket.

Elle Kehres, Assistant News Director

Favorite album: Konk, The Kooks

Ah, The Kooks. My all-time favorite band and therefore the creators of my all-time favorite album. Konk is one of those albums where every song is a banger from start to finish. Two of my personal theme songs came off this album (Love it All and Shine On). I also have it on vinyl which is definitely one of the preferred ways to listen to its glory (in lieu of a live performance of course). When I fall in love with songs, I really tend to focus on the lyrics – which in this case are made infinitely better by the very British-ness of it all. The instrumentals are also sure to get you going, although the album does have its peaks and valleys mood-wise.

I have a lot of fond memories associated with this album – a lot of them from my college days as well as my time living in England. My life probably peaked when I saw The Kooks perform live in London, and their sweet melodies quickly became the soundtrack of me hoofing it around Europe in the dead of winter (that and Hozier by Hozier). Overall, Konk inspires a lot of relaxing introspection and for that I dig it.

Brighton McConnell, News Director and Host of ‘News on the Hill’

Favorite album: Saturation III, BROCKHAMPTON

While I have my handful of favorite artists like everyone, I’m actually much more of an album-listener. Most days, I prefer to pick one album to listen all the way through instead of a playlist of songs — largely because when I want to listen to an artist or band, I like to listen to their work as a collection.

Because that’s my method, it’s really hard to pick any all-time favorite album. One I always go back to, though, is Saturation III by BROCKHAMPTON. The band is a collective of hip-hop and pop artists, whose creativity often shows way beyond their music. It’s the last album of an incredible trilogy they put out in 2017 and I have distinct memories associated with listening to that music in college. Saturation III, moreso than the other two albums, is a great blend of hip-hop songs and pop songs. Plus, it’s got some of the best instrumentals and creative risks that land more to me than Saturation I or II.

Seeing the band perform the album live also definitely cements it in my mind! The band is incredible live (and boy, do I miss going to concerts.)

Warning: Explicit Language

Anna Griffin, Art Director

Favorite album: Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin

First and foremost, asking to decide upon a favorite album is one of the meanest things you can do. How can we pick JUST one? If I must, I’d have to go with Led Zeppelin II – arguably one of the best albums every created in Rock and music history.

I think Zep needs no introduction, but for me, they are one of my favorite bands of all time. Robert Plant’s voice is so unique and really defined the classic rock sound of the late 1960s and 1970s. I collect vinyl, and my first ever album that kicked off my collection was an original 1969 LZII LP copy. The sleeve is in pretty rough shape, but the fact it’s survived this long is pretty incredible – especially considering I found it in the bottom of a crate at a flea market. The album of course hosts some of Zep’s iconic classics, like the irreplaceable “Ramble On” and “Whole Lotta Love,” but a full listen to the album will uncover the likes of “The Lemon Song” and my personal favorite, “Thank You.”

P.S. I was told I could list a few honorable mentions as asking a diehard music lover to pick a favorite album is truly a crime. Here are a few of my other favorites that I highly recommend, from all sorts of genres:

Wild World, Bastille
Beautiful People: The Greatest Hits of Melanie, Melanie
Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, Bob Seger
Plastic Beach, Gorillaz
A/B, KALEO
The Second, Steppenwolf
How Do You Feel Now?, Joywave
The Game, Queen
From The Fires, Greta Van Fleet

Ava Pukatch, Reporter

Favorite album: 1989, Taylor Swift

I’ve been a Swiftie for most of my life. I’ve seen her on three tours and love singing along to each song. Every song on this album hits. The move to pop was fun and all of the music videos with album are just so fun. I’ve listened to this album so much and put it on when I’m driving. I love Taylor Swift as an artist. This album also has two of my favorite Taylor songs: Wildest Dreams and Clean. When she drops the re-record on this album everything will be okay again.

Jada Jarillo, Marketing and Operations Manager

Favorite album: Weezer (Blue Album), Weezer

I am generally not good at choosing favorites. But when it comes to albums my answer will always be the same – the Blue Album by Weezer.

Of course, I love many other albums and bands. This one sticks out as my favorite because I found it during a pivotal moment in my musical education. I was just 10 years old when it came out, and probably a couple years older when my friend Rikki played it on the CD player in her room in Valdese, NC.

I still remember that moment because I connected with the music in a real way and in short, discovered my favorite kind of rock music. It also solidified mine and Rikki’s friendship, as we continued to listen to the Blue Album during our adventures together for years afterward and still to this day share similar tastes in bands.

Since my old burned CD copy now skips, my favorite way to listen to the Blue Album these days is on my record player console in my living room, which can rock pretty hard when you crank it up.

Nicki Morse, Program Director and Host of “Music and Morse”

Favorite album: Honky Chateau, Elton John

I have several favorite albums….but then again I grew up in a time when people were still buying vinyl and admiring album art. My first album is probably still my favorite because he’s easily my favorite artist (although I appreciate so many artists) Elton John’s Honky Chateau. I ended up with my Grandmother’s Best Friend’s Daughter’s copy (you can go back and re-read). I was a young child and when I would go over to their house I would take it out and play it over and over again to the point it drove her crazy so they gave it to me to get it out of the house.

Victor Lewis, Digital Content Editor, Host of “Weekend at Victor’s”, and Co-Host of “This Morning with Aaron Keck”

Favorite album(s): Random Access Memories, Daft Punk / New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm, Stan Kenton

Asking me for a favorite album is like asking a little pig which of the bricks in his four walls is most important, and this question is the sort that leads to a conversation of uncomfortable length more often than not. While I could throw a dart at a wall with everything Snarky Puppy has ever done hung up, as much as I’d like to talk about how I’ve seen Florence + The Machine on every tour or how a thorough listen of both “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino” and “Bargainville” (and probably “Spontaneous Inventions,” from Bobby McFerrin) is a necessary step to understanding who I am as a person, and as easy as it would be to keep going like this, I’m going to narrow things down to two albums:

Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” and Stan Kenton’s “New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm.” Obviously, these are two very different albums, but they serve a similar purpose in that each represents a vertical slice of music and an experience that’s simultaneously exhilarating and educational.

For RAM, the album functions as a museum tour of dance music – each track an exhibit, with history lessons and click updates sharing the stage against a velvety backdrop of overproduced and indulgent excess. Since Daft Punk have formally announced their retirement, RAM is the finale of a career that quite literally changed music. It’s a fitting, disco-flavored end for a duo that is single-handedly responsible for so much of dancefloor grooving and studio wizardry we’re currently accustomed to.

Stan Kenton is a little bit different. A bandleader, composer and pianist, Kenton led a jazz orchestra in doing what was considered to be some pretty forward-thinking pursuits at the time. Kenton was out here doing some weird stuff sometimes, and his heavy interest in music education is especially on display in “New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm.” Big-band jazz can be something of an acquired taste, but Kenton’s work on this album makes it accessible and fun, allowing some high-powered musicians to show off and get a little wild.

Nicki Harris, Account Executive

Favorite album: Graceland, Paul Simon

This was a very difficult question for me to answer, but when push came to shove this was definitely my answer. I grew up listening to TONS of Simon & Garfunkel with my dad in the car and have very fond memories of him singing along to “The 59th Street Bridge Song” loudly, happily, and badly. When I was in middle school, and got my first computer, I was discovering my own music taste. I discovered Graceland because I was familiar with Paul Simon and loved it immediately. To this day, I listen to at least one song on the album at least once a week. It’s great on vinyl, it’s great on digital, it’s just great. I think it’s inventive, soulful, and fun. During the beginning of the pandemic, I was listening to “Gumboots” so frequently to lift my mood that my roommates had to instill a “Gumboots only once per day” rule.

Jack Carmichael, Administrative Assistant

Favorite album: Whatever and Ever Amen, Ben Folds Five

If you know me, you might think that my pick for favorite album would be a funkier one, but you would be wrong! There is one album that pops into my mind when given this prompt, and it’s an album I discovered during my first year of college: Ben Folds Five’s Whatever and Ever Amen.

I think one reason I connect to this album so strongly is because of how honest it feels. Whatever and Ever Amen is raw, rude, awkward, and self-deprecating. Ben Folds has top-notch piano chops and a deep understanding of music theory, but this album isn’t about virtuosity or pretension—it’s about genuine and personal storytelling. It takes the listener on a journey from feeling on top of the world in “One Angry Dwarf”, through the heavy heartache of “Brick”, to enjoying a carefree night with friends in “Stephen’s Last Night In Town”. The emotional and sonic range of this album is wide, but it remains cohesive because Ben is authentically himself in every lyric he writes. This approach to songwriting mixed with piano rock and subtle jazz harmony make for one my favorite albums of all time. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this album was written and recorded in Chapel Hill (catch a reference to Rosemary Street and Cameron Avenue in “Kate”).

If you do give this record a spin, make sure to check out the “Remastered Edition”. One of the bonus tracks is a cover of “Video Killed The Radio Star” that gives the original a run for its money!