The Ledge #731: 1996

1996 was a great year for me. I had a comfortable day job, I still worked a couple of nights a week at the record stores, and I was the music editor for a local newspaper. This was quite possibly the peak year for live music in my city. Local bands were selling out clubs and releasing great albums, and more national acts were hitting town than ever before.

Besides the local upswing, it was a great year for new music. Americana was on the rise, with lauded albums by the likes of Wilco, Golden Smog, Steve Earle, and others. Songwriters such as Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Vic Chesnutt, and others released surprisingly great albums. And good ol' punk rock was also on the rise, with fantastic records by Bad Religion, Descendents, and Chixdiggit.

Tonight's show is certainly not a complete rundown of every great album of that year, but it's a pretty thorough snapshot of those 12 months (along with a couple of mis-tagged 1995 tracks). What record was your favorite of 1996? 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Reverend Horton Heat - It's Martini Time

2. Paul Westerberg - These Are the Days

3. Paul Westerberg - Daydream Believer

4. Slim Dunlap - Times Like This

5. Perfect - Alternative Monkey

6. Rich Show - The Great Divide

7. The Harvesters - Sense of Style

8. Golden Smog - V

9. Rank Strangers - Twice Forever

10. Magnolias - Beat Skip Jump & Wink

11. Jason & The Scorchers - Drugstore Truck Drivin' Man

12. Son Volt - Lookin' At The World Through A Windshield

13. Wilco - Outtasite (Outta Mind)

14. Old 97's - Victoria

15. Vic Chesnutt - Degenerate

16. Steve Earle - You're Still Standin' There

17. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Stagger Lee

18. Shane MacGowan & The Popes - Hippy Hippy Shake

19. Silver Jews - How to Rent a Room

20. Ween - Piss Up A Rope

21. Elvis Costello - Complicated Shadows

22. Frank Black - Punk Rock City

23. Patti Smith - Summer Cannibals

24. Bob Mould - I Hate Alternative Rock

25. Guided By Voices - The Official Ironmen Rally Song

26. Archers Of Loaf - What Did You Expect?

27. Thee Headcoats - Everybody's Wiser Now

28. Descendents - I'm The One

29. The Queers - Punk Rock Girls

30. Chixdiggit - Henry Rollins Is No Fun

31. Bad Religion - Punk Rock Song

32. The Donnas - I Don't Wanna Rock 'N' Roll Tonight