After giving it way less thought than I probably should’ve, here are my top ten albums–ya know, the ones I’d take if I were stranded on a desert island…and could pack albums…only albums. *Not in any significant order:

Sublime: 40 oz To Freedom

Greg Brown: Further In

Rage Against the Machine: Rage Against the Machine

Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique

Mark Knopfler: Get Lucky

Jurassic 5: Quality Control

Todd Snider: The Excitement Plan

Ben Folds Five: Ben Folds Five

Jane’s Addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual

Michael Franti: Yell Fire

…ok, 3 more

Take Warning – The Songs of Operation Ivy (compilation)

Jeff Buckley: Grace

Ozomatli: Street Signs

(To be clear, I’d trade any one of these albums for a how-to record explaining how to make a phonograph out of coconuts, palm leaves and sand.)

In compiling this list I found it interesting how some of my favorites didn’t make the list (Talking Heads, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Meade Lux Lewis, Jack Johnson, Aaron Kamm and the One Drops…). Whereas, the album of an artist I don’t really care for made it (Ben Folds Five–I’m not a huge fan but that first album is terrific. I was obsessed with it for a while and it always makes me smile.).

…and then there’s your own band :)

??? What albums would you like to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island (assuming there’s a record player)?

Footnote: I rushed this cartoon to the front of my to-do list because Ed Piskor has recently started liking my Broster comics on instagram and I am a huge fan of his best-selling series Hip Hop Family Tree–so, this one’s for Ed.

Broster is a farcical weekly, single-panel comic series about a brother and a sister created by Joe Mohr. Besides cartooning and writing and illustrating, Joe writes lyrics and poems for (and raps in) a rock band for kids called ROBOT+BIKE. The music and the messages are enjoyed by parents and kids alike. Check it out!