Spin magazine asked Rage Against the Machine punk activist Tom Morello to list five albums he "can't live without." His list includes Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Ozz, Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking, Conor Oberst's Ruminations, and Knife Party's Rage Valley. But it's his #1 pick that is surprising and yet makes total sense:

Peter Gabriel's 3 is a spectacular album of ennui and desperation. "Games Without Frontiers" is the track that draws you in with its brilliant, disjointed poetry and equally disjointed, brilliant Robert Fripp guitars. "Family Snapshot" is a quiet and terrifying assassin's novella and "Intruder" is even scarier than that. Phil Collins plays drums on this record and Gabriel forbade him from using any hi-hats or cymbals on the entire record, adding to the suffocating tone. And then there's "Biko," one of the greatest human-rights anthems of all time about the martyred South African dissident Stephen Biko. It is a song that galvanized the global anti-apartheid movement and stirred in me the realization that music really could change the world.

"5 Albums I Can't Live Without: Tom Morello" (Spin)

In 1968, pioneering composer Wendy Carlos turned many people on to the joys of both classical music and synthesizers with her Grammy-winning debut album Switched-On Bach. She went on to record the seminal scores for A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Tron. In the above 1970 clip from the BBC archives, Carlos demonstrates her mighty… READ THE REST

I often marvel over the elegant simplicity of classic video game themes. Tasked with creating a handful of songs to be played on loop, on a limited sound card, no less, the early composers of video game music had a difficult task to undertake. Instead of the songs becoming grating and annoying, most classic video… READ THE REST

This summer, I got invited to emcee a wedding reception in Italy for an old friend from art school and his fiancee. I was honored to be part of their union and especially stoked for the chance to get some weird vinyl. I don't consider myself a DJ; this would be an insult to those… READ THE REST

Let's face it: Life is pretty expensive. And while we enjoy splurging on luxury goods, everyday necessities really shouldn't be breaking the bank. That's why memberships to retail warehouses are such a lifesaver. Suddenly, groceries, home goods, furniture, and more are all accessible and inexpensive.  One of the best examples of this is Sam's Club — and right now,… READ THE REST

Having a pet at home is one of the great joys in life. Unfortunately, even though many of us work from home, we can't stay with furry friends all the time. Sometimes we have to venture outside and leave our pets at home. If you're lucky enough to have a cat waiting for you to return, the last thing… READ THE REST

Let's be honest. Macs are fantastic, and they have been for quite some time. Apple has always done a great job of making sleek, stylish, fun, and downright practical pieces of technology for your everyday use.  But with all of the wonderful features that make a Mac so great, there are probably a couple of features that… READ THE REST

Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms of Service.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise sales and affiliate links. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy.

Who will be eaten first? Our forum rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines.

Boing Boing is published under a Creative Commons license except where otherwise noted.