J. Ben Leonard writes for listeners, bluntheads, fly ladies, and prisoners. A sensitive guy, he tends to cry on Cooley High when Cochise dies. He currently inhabits the municipality of Providence, Rhode Island and on rare occasions he writes 55-word stories.

RARELY ASKED QUESTIONS

What exactly is Floodwatchmusic?

Floodwatchmusic is/was an audioblog that was updated semi-regularly from 2006-2008.

Why hasn’t it been updated since the Iron Age?

At the moment, Floodwatchmusic is in a spell of hibernation while I focus on other projects.  But by all means, please feel free to explore the two and a half years’ worth of archives.

QUESTIONS NEVER ASKED

What are your top 25 favorite hip hop records?

Glad you asked. Check here.

What are your all-time favorite records, regardless of genre?

This list changes constantly depending on my mood, but the following fifty or so records tend to come to mind when thinking about my favorites:

Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (Mercury 1991)
Bright - Bright (Ba Da Bing! 1996)
Camper Van Beethoven - II & III (IRS 1986)
Carcass – Heartwork (Earache 1993)
Cocteau Twins – Head Over Heels (4AD 1983)
Ornette Coleman - Skies of America (Columbia 1972)
Alice Coltrane - Universal Consciousness (Impulse! 1971)
John Coltrane - Meditations (Impulse! 1965)
Miles Davis - Miles Ahead (Columbia 1957)
Miles Davis – Agharta (Columbia 1975)
Dinosaur Jr – Green Mind (Warner Bros. 1991)
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (Blue Note 1964)
Einstürzende Neubauten – Drawings of Patient O.T. (Some Bizarre 1983)
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (Candlelight 1997)
Brian Eno – Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks (EG 1983)
Enslaved - Ruun (Candlelight 2006)
The Flaming Lips – Transmissions from the Satellite Heart (Warner Bros. 1993)
Aretha Franklin – Young, Gifted and Black (Atlantic 1972)
Marvin Gaye - I Want You (Motown 1976)
Godflesh - Pure (Earache 1992)
Isaac Hayes - Truck Turner - Original Soundtrack (Enterprise 1974)
Herbert – Around the House (K7! 1998)
Hum – Downward Is Heavenward (RCA 1998)
Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart (Atlantic 1994)
Jeru the Damaja – The Sun Rises in the East (Payday 1994)
Loftus - Loftus (Perishable 1998)
Meat Puppets - Up on the Sun (SST 1985)
Melvins - Stoner Witch (Atlantic 1994)
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impuse! 1963)
Ennio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in the West (RCA 1969)
Mouse on Mars - Idiology (Thrill Jockey 2001)
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (Sire 1991)
Opeth - Blackwater Park (Koch 2001)
Orb - Orbvs Terrarvm (Island 1995)
Orbital - In Sides (FFRR 1996)
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam 1990)
Sam Prekop - Sam Prekop (Thrill Jockey 1999)
R.E.M. - Murmur (IRS 1983)
Shudder to Think - Pony Express Record (Epic 1994)
Sonic Youth - Sister (SST 1987)
Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid (Kranky 2001)
Stereolab - Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements (Elektra 1993)
Stereolab - Dots and Loops (Elektra 1997)
The Stylistics - The Stylistics (Amherst 1971)
Sun Ra - The Magic City (Evidence 1965)
Swervedriver - Mezcal Head (A&M 1993)
Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind (Young God 1996)
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (Polydor 1991)
Tortoise - TNT (Thrill Jockey 1998)
Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants (TVT 1996)
XTC – Drums and Wires (Virgin 1979)
Yo La Tengo - Electr-O-Pura (Matador 1995)
John Zorn - The Big Gundown (Nonesuch 1986)