Normally the first thing I do is listen to my daily album, but this morning I woke up with "Back on the Streets" by Saxon in my head. Why ANYONE would wake up with a Saxon song in their head is beyond me, but I now need to listen to some Saxon before doing my album of the day. I've decided not to question the universe on this one. Back in an hour or so. Ok, I'm pretty familiar with this album - I've never been an outright Weezer fan but they've been on the edge of my radar for a long time and were involved in a lot of pop culture moments (eg. Jackass, Tony Hawk games) from my teenage years. The singles are all great tunes and if you don't know them you must have spent the 90s under a rock. Full album is just as good as the singles tbh. It has that nerd rock element but also a pop punk thing that really works. Vocal harmonies really send it home. 5/5 going straight to the pool room. Wish I’d given it more attention in the past. NB. ok, that’s the 4th album in the user-submitted list and the 4th album from the 1990s. I think I can see where this is going, haha. That isn’t a criticism; my submission was from the 1990s as well. Seems my fellow site users have better taste than the book’s author.

This is the soundtrack to Gen Z kids with "trauma" and ADHD engaging in pretty crime while vaping. 1/5.

Well it’s my own submission, why wouldn’t I give it a 5/5? Type O Negative was one of those underrated genius bands imo. They had an ear for great music and every song is just dripping with sarcasm, little winks at the camera etc, all while making you wonder if they actually are serious. I think whoever described them as 50% Sabbath, 50% Beatles kinda got it right. You can hear both influences in there really clearly once you know. And the first few songs on this album are just all-time. 5/5.

I'm not a big Tool fan, but this album is just *that* fucking good. I remember seeing the video for Stinkfist on rage when it first came out, and just couldn't get enough of it. I was only 12 and could barely comprehend its brilliance. The song is a journey, with really distinct parts that tie together so well, and the video clip just tops it off. Fucking masterpiece. And the rest of the album isn't far behind. I still listen to it every other week. It reminds me of the mid-late 90s, when I was getting exposed to all this new music, trying pot, surfing on weekends, trying and failing to impress girls... it's the sound of my youth. I should repeat: I'm not really a Tool fan, I've heard their other albums *maybe* once each, but I totally GET this one. I swim in it. I drink it. I escape into it. I listen to it and forget about the rest of the world, forget about the daily bullshit 40 year olds put up with. 5/5.

Ok so what kind of sick FUCK, after sitting through 3 years of albums that generally go too long, then chooses a 2-hour live album to foist on everyone else? Bad form. Also, this jam band stuff really didn't do it for me today. 2/5.

It's dumb, but nowhere near as dumb as the Sparks album in the book...and after half an hour of this, that's saying something. I guess in the 7 years since _Kimono my House_ (uurrgh) they had time to experiment with disco beats? Everything is dripping in that annoying new wave production I don't like, but... that was just the time, I guess. La Dolce Vita is an alright song. but it's just too SILLY for me.

This was very 1990s but also not quite. Like if the Lemonheads mixed with the Beatles and Queen - lots of English influence but still very clearly an early 90s American rock band. Enjoyable for one listen at least. 3/5.

DMB is a band I’ve known OF for years, but I’ve never actually listened to. I’ve always shied away from the “jam band” term, and I know it’s groovy-funky-music-nerd stuff. Boy I wish I hadn’t, lol. This is borderline fantastic. It IS super-pretentious conservatorium fodder, but it’s also got a sweet 90s groove that I really like. It’s a product of its time in a distinct way, like if Pearl Jam if Toto was the main influence rather than Aerosmith. This will definitely go in my “background music on long drives” playlist. 4/5.

Normally the first thing I do is listen to my daily album, but this morning I woke up with "Back on the Streets" by Saxon in my head. Why ANYONE would wake up with a Saxon song in their head is beyond me, but I now need to listen to some Saxon before doing my album of the day. I've decided not to question the universe on this one. Back in an hour or so. Ok, I'm pretty familiar with this album - I've never been an outright Weezer fan but they've been on the edge of my radar for a long time and were involved in a lot of pop culture moments (eg. Jackass, Tony Hawk games) from my teenage years. The singles are all great tunes and if you don't know them you must have spent the 90s under a rock. Full album is just as good as the singles tbh. It has that nerd rock element but also a pop punk thing that really works. Vocal harmonies really send it home. 5/5 going straight to the pool room. Wish I’d given it more attention in the past. NB. ok, that’s the 4th album in the user-submitted list and the 4th album from the 1990s. I think I can see where this is going, haha. That isn’t a criticism; my submission was from the 1990s as well. Seems my fellow site users have better taste than the book’s author.

I've heard the name Eels before but don't know anything about the band. I long ago decided in my head they were a garage punk/noise/alternative band, kinda like the Pixies but heavier. Ok that’s the wrongest I’ve ever been in the 1001 albums list. I’m usually at least ~75% right. This falls under the big “alternative” umbrella but beyond that it has no resemblance to what I predicted. I hear a bit of Nirvana in the vocals and lyrics, but otherwise it’s… alternatively poppy? Bit of piano, bit of guitar. Not too bad, didn’t drive me insane but wouldn’t listen again. 3/5.

lol who chooses an Arctic Monkeys album when there’s already one in the official list? It’s ok, I mean they’re not a bad band. But this was your chance to show me something I’d never heard before, and instead you chose one of the most popular rock bands of the last 20 years. And from their “ageing coke fiend” period, by the sounds of things. Minimal guitars, all jazzy arrangements, self-indulgent, arrogant and drawn out. Definitely the worst AM album I know of. Ah well. 2/5.

Well it’s my own submission, why wouldn’t I give it a 5/5? Type O Negative was one of those underrated genius bands imo. They had an ear for great music and every song is just dripping with sarcasm, little winks at the camera etc, all while making you wonder if they actually are serious. I think whoever described them as 50% Sabbath, 50% Beatles kinda got it right. You can hear both influences in there really clearly once you know. And the first few songs on this album are just all-time. 5/5.

This was just too drawn out. I thought the first song was cool but it dropped off shortly after that and over an hour was a chore. 2/5.

Yeah pretty cool, Norwegians tend to do rock music pretty well. I enjoyed this. 4/5

Kinda spacey krautrock stuff, drawn out and stoned. Moogs and drumkits and bass and whatnot. Great vibe, maybe a bit *too* drawn out in places, but still a good 3/5.

Jazzy pop? Far too soft and waify for me, but I can appreciate it from afar. 3/5.

Bit of a 1990s groove and swagger, mixing rock and funk, just how things were back then. Nothing groundbreaking, but I could listen to this in the background while I drink beer in the backyard on a hot summer's day. etc. 3/5.

Electronic-infused folk music? Was a bit of a hard pill to swallow tbh. Really started to drag. 2/5.

Annoying. 2/5

Blink's boring late-career slowdown album. They were a great fun band and this album wasn't any of that. Still ok tbh. 3/5.

Eh, drawn out indie. Don't hate it but I don't really like it. 2/5

Eh, not really my thing but I didn't hate it. The upbeat songs were alright. I don't mind mixing a bit of rock and electronica, but this didn't end up packing enough of a punch for me. 3/5.

Ok so what kind of sick FUCK, after sitting through 3 years of albums that generally go too long, then chooses a 2-hour live album to foist on everyone else? Bad form. Also, this jam band stuff really didn't do it for me today. 2/5.

One of those albums where a look at the cover tells you EXACTLY what you're in for. It's a "fuck no" from me, but at least it was honest about it. 2/5.

I remember the first song, one of those "oh right, that existed" sorta tunes. Not too bad, a bit too 00s radio rock for me overall though. 3/5.

Good Aussie rock, not on the level of bands like Icehouse or INXS but still alright. Recognise a few tracks from drinking with older mates over the years. 3/5.

This might be fantastic in its own way but I'm just not an indie folk guy. It always gives me vibes of uni students who think this sort of music taste will mark them as "mysterious and artsy but fun", when really they just don't cut their toenails and any girls that are actually impressed by it also have questionable hygiene. 2/5.

ugh, more twee waify folk. I'm sure it's very sophisticated and stylish in Scandinavia but boooooooo hiss. 2/5.

This wasn't horrid but definitely not my thing. Just straight up rock got

It said I didn't listen to this, but I did! It's average rap but mixed with sorta Tarantino soundtrack tunes. Wasn't really my thing but could've been way worse. 3/5.

eh, this was kinda fun. neither here nor there. 3/5.

This band was a very meh affair in the 90s imo, and I haven't really changed my opinion there. There aren't any real big banger tunes going on. Everything is mildly catchy, but that's not enough on its own. At least half their appeal was "omg Butch Vig" and some weird idol worship of Shirley Manson. I didn't understand it then, still don't. Not a bad band, not complete garbage(!), but there would have been THAT MANY bands doing something very similar, probably better, that we just never heard of... 3/5.

Steven Wilson is one of those people who I assume is like his fans - annoying.

Renaissance fair type jazz prog stuff, I'm kinda stoned and it's doing it alright for me.

Zappa is pretty fun. I am torn between liking him and wanting everyone who worships him to FOAD. it's a strange place. 4/5.

I was annoyed that there were no albums by Bad Religion, NOFX or Pennywise here - early 90s pop punk is one of life's simple pleasures and I love it. I'm glad someone added this - although I would've gone with the Grey Race, White Trash or About Time. Still, this is a 5/5 album.

twee indie folk, oddly-spelled name and she's from Portland! Take my 2/5.

This wasn't too bad, but 2 hours? That's a lot of jazzy cruise vibes or whatever. 3/5 and I'm being generous.

This was a fuckin fun little romp. I know what Jimmy Buffett does in theory, but I never really paid any attention. It's pretty catchy stuff. 4/5.

Oh god no how annoying. 2/5.

This was kinda fun, dig the latin vibe. 3/5.

1993 and an album cover that vaguely resembles Singles. I look into my crystal ball and.... ah come on, with a name like "posies" and that album cover, this is going to be soft alternagrunge. Call me Nostradamus. Ok I recognised Dream all Day. Album overall as expected. Just kinda meandering semi-grungy stuff, but I have a soft spot for it. 4/5.

Whenever I see Icelandic writing, I'm worried it'll be Sigur Ros. This wasn't them, but it was still weird shit. I think I get the movie soundtrack vibe, but eh. 2/5.

This was pretty cool. Catchy europop. Didn't go off on too many strange tangents. Just did what it suggested it would. 4/5.

lol ok that is a hilariously shit album cover. I'm guessing HIPSTERS. And why did someone submit an album from 1969? Wasn't 6000 albums from that exact year enough already? Ok it's proggy like early Genesis? Production is surprisingly good for its time. The jokey artwork doesn't really have any relevance beyond some of the lyrics being about the sea. Not too bad overall, could have replaced many other 69 albums here. 4/5.

lol it's the chick from S Club 7. Just pointless, mindless 00s dance pop. I vaguely remember thinking she was the hot one of the group. But still: fuuuuck off. This has to be a wind up. 2/5.

Meh, noisy alternative. 3/5.

Cruisy, inoffensive, backpacker hostel lobby muzak. 3/5.

This is a strange band. I've heard a few of their albums, just all over the map. This one is pretty catchy indie rock? Upbeat, sounds like fun. 4/5.

Oh god really? Ok. 3/5.

Fun enough band. 3/5.

Easy listening electronica is the sort of stuff that plays while you're waiting for the sessions to start at a corporate retreat. 2/5.

Meh. Hipsters doing... something. 2/5

John Mayer is cool. 3/5.

Not a reggae fan. Just tooooo samey. 2/5.

Not a bad album to work to at 5am. Very hipstery, odd, minimalist electronica. I think if it hadn't suited my mood at the time I would have hated it, but here we are. 3/5.

boring rock. dude can't sing. 2/5.

The music is neither here nor there, but I had an instant negative reaction to that voice. So much so that the music started annoying me too. 1/5 terrible. (Sorry bud, I know you probably love it and hope everyone else does too. But yeesh)

oh hell yeah! This is going straight on the work playlist. What a cool album. Never heard of it before, great energy, bit of an exotic (to me) flavour. 4/5.

Ahhh look, I was 15 when this album came out. I wasn't a huge blink fan, but they were VERY hard to ignore. They'd already had a few hits, really quickly took over Offspring/Green Day, poor NOFX left in the dust. I remember the radio charts were pretty full of boy/girl bands and blingy rap at the time, the "big alternative" music was mostly nu-metal, but then these guys were just fucking THERE. And this was their peak. All the lyrics appealed to kinda loser teenage boys like me - felt like the whole album was about girls not wanting to know you or not being allowed to go out on the weekend, which was my direct experience in my teens lol. Crazy how much that resonated with me now, but eh. NOFX is still way better and criminally underrated imo, but Blink 182 was also pretty rad. 4/5.

Cynical hipster shit with a "lol, it's so 80s hey" backdrop. I always wonder whether these cunts actually like the music they're sending up, or if it's just a vehicle for maximum *irony*. Either way, 2/5 and fuck off.

This thinks it's way cooler than it is. It isn't hard to imagine the frontman posting vaguely sociopathic things on Facebook about how his lifelong unemployment is actually a sacrifice he's made to bless everyone with *art*. "No, I didn't pay taxes; I just did all this for you for free". Oh thanks man! As appreciation, here's my 1/5.

This band is so lame. Just laaaaaaame. 1/5.

The Boss goes alright, not sure why we needed a live album from him but hey. 3/5.

Don't mind these guys. Cool album. 3/5.

I predicted this would be exactly what it was just looking at the album cover. Super-serious gay indie pop. Nailed it. Overall, pretty abrasive. Too disjointed to dance OR sit and listen to. I don't know where or when you'd crack this out; it felt like performance art more than music half the time. tbh the drone track was cool, I'd have listened to a full album of that. But it's a 2/5.

I'm Australian and grew up in the late 80s/early 90s. I've heard this album more times than I've heard my own name. I owned a copy as a kid, and the singles are still played daily - quite literally every day - on most rock radio stations. If you say "pulling a Michael Hutchence" in Australia, everyone will know EXACTLY what you mean. INXS is so popular here that they had a fuckin TV competition to find a new singer... in 2005. They hadn't put out a single for 10 years by that point. Also, a mate of mine is friends with one of the Farriss brothers (forget which one) and by all accounts he's a total loony. Kick is a GREAT album. 5/5.

This was a struggle. 2/5.

He was funny on community but this is not my thing. 2/5.

lol what an avant garde masterpiece. It would've been average rating, but the singing REALLY drags it down. Old timey English folk music (ie. not American folk country) is pretty good when done properly... which this isn't. 2/5.

ew, more folk music. And it's the modern kind, sounds like Mumford and Sons. 1/5 on a nice day.

This album seamlessly blended 4 or 5 distinct musical genres into something I struggled to stay awake for. 1 point for referencing Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, but then 1 point taken away for making it really, really boring. Otherwise... it's like the wikipedia critics listened to a completely different album. Going by critical opinion alone, this should be 2023's answer to <big 1970s album>. Didn't anyone (other than me) listen to this and just feel completely underwhelmed? bored? impatient? 1/5.

amon düüll II... heard the name many times. listened this morning for the first time. not too bad, pretty spacey, cruisy etc. good VIBE. 3/5.

Oh good, more folky garbage. lol @ calling it "stomp clap hey ho" hipster music. It sure is. 1/5.

Not too bad for noisy indie stuff. Punky and catchy as well. At one point I thought the same song had played twice though, and it hadn't. Not the mark of a GREAT album lol. 3/5.

Meh, post-punk crud. Does this stuff pride itself on all sounding identical? 2/5.

I've heard this album once before and at the time I remember thinking it was way better than expected, and I should listen to it again. I never did, but hey. Listening again in 2024, it's.... fucking amazing. I really should listen to this album regularly. It sniffs its own farts and the AESTHETIC is silly, but I don't care when it's this catchy. 5/5.

lol I don't know what this is going to be but the cover SUCKS in a funny way. It kinda looks like it'll be heavy metal? Maybe from a non-English country? Greece? Ok, it's hard rock (close enough) and the singer sounds like Jimmy Barnes. They're Australian? Fuck, I never heard of them. I love Airbourne, so how did this escape me? Either way, pretty much up my alley. 4/5.

No, not this. 2/5.

I'm not a big Tool fan, but this album is just *that* fucking good. I remember seeing the video for Stinkfist on rage when it first came out, and just couldn't get enough of it. I was only 12 and could barely comprehend its brilliance. The song is a journey, with really distinct parts that tie together so well, and the video clip just tops it off. Fucking masterpiece. And the rest of the album isn't far behind. I still listen to it every other week. It reminds me of the mid-late 90s, when I was getting exposed to all this new music, trying pot, surfing on weekends, trying and failing to impress girls... it's the sound of my youth. I should repeat: I'm not really a Tool fan, I've heard their other albums *maybe* once each, but I totally GET this one. I swim in it. I drink it. I escape into it. I listen to it and forget about the rest of the world, forget about the daily bullshit 40 year olds put up with. 5/5.

I've never actually heard these guys, but I've kinda meant to some point. They were a vague joke when I cared about metal in the mid 2000s - something something emo pussies etc. But if they're anything like a whole bunch of other bands I wrote off as "gay" in 2004, they're probably alright. Yeah it's not too bad lol. Kinda catchy, anthemy, chorus driven pop punk. I don't mind it at all. 4/5.

Ohhhh 1968! Let me just get out my "this sucks" stamp. Not sure why you'd choose this when the original list was already full of this stuff, but eh. I don't like it, I don't hate it, but in the absence of 2.5 I'll give it 3/5.

More folk? Are you kidding me? Haven't we had enough folk rock already? 2/5.

Eh well this is boring. 2/5.

This is the soundtrack to backpackers telling each other their intrepid travel plans while slacklining at the beach. Catchy enough though. 3/5.

Ok that was kinda cool for a few minutes. Album was way too long, it lost me after about 20min. But I didn't mind it up to that point. Off-brand Bungle, I guess. 3/5.

Marillion is for NERDS. 3/5.

The song Blind is basically THE Korn song - it's the first thing I think of when people mention them, and that's probably true for lots of people. It was in something, like a crusty demons video, or some bodyboarding movie. Those were all the rage. Either way, I was right into Korn for a while before nu-metal got really annoying and Linkin Park stank up the genre. I still rate this album. It goes for too long and there's a bit of filler, but it's still a 4 and I'm gonna bump it up because there's too much folk music in these user albums. 5/5.

This started out ok but got REALLY annoying after a few songs, and by the end was just utterly punishing. Like a whole album of those Weird Al songs that aren't parodies of anything, but just ADHD-inspired ditties. ugh. 2/5.

Weird mix of genres here, not really any I like though. Harmless alternative stuff. 3/5.

Nah... just nah, not interested. No more indie folk alternative please. 2/5.

Oh god, it's more alternative folky garbage. Is this all the other users actually listen to? Every second user album is this crap ffs. 1/5.

Not too bad but I'm pretty tired of UK sounding stuff at this point. 3/5.

I look into my crystal ball and this is gonna be weird. Hardcore? Butthole Surfers type stuff? Ok, no idea how to describe this. Like if Nick Cave was jokey rather than flat out depressing? It's like the gothy end of new wave mixed with beat poetry and industrial noises? Closest I've heard to it is the second Ministry album, but that is also a much more serious affair. Ridiculous, but preferable to more folk. 3/5.

This was a bit silly. I've never really been a huge PF fan and this has that same floaty, esoteric quality a lot of their stuff does. Spots of cool broken up by whimsical drivel. The concept did nothing for me, but that's ok. I can tell a lot of thought and effort went into it, and I didn't hate it. Just should've been condensed into a 30min album. 3/5.

Indie Britpop, not my favourite style. This was unremarkable by its own standards. 2/5.

This is the soundtrack to Gen Z kids with "trauma" and ADHD engaging in pretty crime while vaping. 1/5.

Another childish Gambino album? ffs. It's not bad but I didn't really want to hear it. 3/5.

Not too bad, surprised Bob Seger wasn't anywhere in the original list. 3/5.

I don't care how high concept this guy's stuff is. It's just SO BORING. Completely wishy-washy crap. Made 45min feel like 3 hours. At least Soundgarden had a song called Fourth of July that actually ruled. 1/5.

Early Primus is a good bit of fun, in small doses. 4/5.

Not too bad, rocks a bit. Maybe a bit too much "blues superstar" attitude for my liking overall, but I've definitely heard worse. 3/5.

Stroke! I've never heard this album before, but I love this kind of almost-AOR stuff. I should've checked this out a long time ago tbh. 5/5 and thank you!!

The B-52s already had an album on the original list, and this album is a carbon copy of it. Why would you use your one vote so pointlessly? 2/5.

I don't get the Burt Lancaster reference; he's too old for me (I'm 40!) and I don't speak Spanish. But I'm guessing that's a great gag. Or is it? Music is alright. Ska-ish? A bit monotonous, every song sounded the same. Probably one of those things that no one outside Spain (maybe also South America?) knows about. Like Cold Chisel, but nowhere near as good. 2/5.

This bored me, so I switched it off without thinking. Had to steer myself into actively listening. Didn't like it. 2/5.

I thought these guys were emo. Instead they're just boring rock. Inoffensive, predictable chord progressions and lyrics. Dreary. 2/5.

For every accidentally-cool Canadian band (see: Crash Test Dummies) there are a squazillion annoying ones. This guy thought he was saying important things, but it was just shit. 1/5.

lol, second Marillion album in the user list. I don't mind some of their 80s stuff with the other singer, but I'd never heard this. They really are a nerd band for nerds. So up their own arses. 3/5.

This is kinda catchy. Definitely consider the Smiths an influence, but has a distinctly US vibe. My feelings on hipsters mixing upbeat music & dark lyrics depends on my mood on the day I hear it. It's hard, because I can hear his high opinion of himself sitting like an oil slick on top of the music. Today I'm in a good mood so it gets a 3/5, but I could see myself on another day giving it a 1 or 2.

This sucked. Like, it really fucking sucked. Far out, what a punish. 1/5.

This is pretty fun musically, but the singing has an awful jokey edge to it. Only at times, though. 3/5.

Harmless enough indie. Maybe a bit gay? Has a show-tuney vibe at times, as if REM and Elton John wrote a rock opera together on a budget of instruments you could have in a bedroom studio in 2001. Which means the dog on the cover is dead by 2024, I guess. RIP dog. 3/5.

Catchy enough r&b disco-esque stuff. Before my time, a bit dated and I'm not a black woman, so it doesn't click on all levels, but I tapped my foot for half an hour. Lady Marmalade is very well known, but tbh I preferred the other songs. And I liked the little sperms in the logo, nice touch. 3/5.

It was cool to hear a modern rap album that I didn't hate. This was pretty cool. Maybe one day I'll listen to it again. 3/5.

These guys used to get late-night play on Australia's version of MTV in the 90s. It caught me multiple times, because they had a cool name but sounded like dog shit. But that was 30 years ago now and my tastes have surely matured. Time to give it the chance I never did. With so much more breadth of experience and a full adult vocabulary, I can now use words like jarring, annoying, loud, abrasive, dissonant, unstructured and pointless to describe it. I couldn't do that in 1994; I could only really say it sucked. But it's still just as fucking awful and disappointing as I remember. Imagine sitting up late as a kid, waiting for the heavy stuff, wanting Alice in Chains and Pantera, and instead you get this. Into the BIN. 2/5.

These guys are a household name in Australia, but I've never heard them until right now. It's... better than expected, tbh. It has that pretend-world-weary indie vibe that I roll my eyes at, but it's still catchy. 3/5.

I have ADHD, I'm a lifelong, card-carrying metalhead and I like Mr Bungle... but this was too much for me. Kinda catchy in places, but veeeeeerrrrry small doses. 3/5.

I've heard of these guys and I expected it to rock more than this. This is goofy and pretentious. 2.5/5.

This was pretty cool. I would have said this isn't my thing, but it turns out it was my thing - this morning, at least. 4/5.

Reggae isn't my thing. I'm sure this is a shining example of it, but eh. Why does every song sound soooo identical? No other style can get away with it, yet reggae does, album after album. 2/5.

Fun enough J-pop. Catchy dance tunes that sound pleasant, and that I'll never listen to again. Runtime a bit long, whole thing very samey. 3/5.

Odd little bit of pub rock. A few songs weren't available on Spotify, but what was left was kinda fun. Took a minute to get used to. Local girls was a bit of a banger. 3/5.

I've heard the song "Stay" before. I had it on a mixtape about 25 years ago. Can't remember anything about it though - pretty sure it's new wave sorta stuff? Holy shit it's super catchy. Better than just "new wave" - has the same sort of vibe as Devo and Martini Ranch. Poppy, definite new wave sounds going on, but really intricate and layered and a bunch of other wanky adjectives. But it's awesome. Going to spam mates with it. 5/5.

This is kinda fun. Chick on the cover is possibly dead of old age by now, but was obviously a total babe. According to wikipedia the cover has become a pop icon, but I had no idea. I can see why, though. That shit is HOT. Catchy music, too. Zero substance, but catchy. Reminds me of Green Onions a bit. Same sorta 3/5.

Lame and boring. I love a bit of prog, but this put me to sleep. 2/5.

Ok I've never heard this (or even heard OF it) before, but here's a quick couple of predictions based solely on the album cover: 1. pop music (duh) 2. frustratingly wholesome (call me nostradamus) 3. horribly dated (you don't say) Really branching out with these predictions. I mean, in Australia we had Kylie Minogue and this isn't far off the same sound, vibe, era etc. It might have been fun if I'd grown up with it? I was never huge on the teen girl pop thing, even back when I was that age. But listening to this for the first time, as a 40-year-old man in 2024, just makes me uncomfortable. Like I'm a grown man hanging around outside a primary school and the staff are about to call the cops. One of the tracks has 32mil plays on Spotify, so I was hoping I'd recognise it, but nup. I wonder if Debbie ever looked back and thought "actually, that wasn't the biggest heartbreak of my life after all", lol. After this album I listened to a few of her other, later (adult) songs as well, just so I didn't feel like such a creep, but the music didn't improve. Her most famous song has 128mil plays and it was completely unfamiliar. Gotta pay some respect to her for never having "teen star goes wild" phase, though. Looks like she went from a wholesome teen to a wholesome broadway revue singer. But Out of the Blue gets a 2/5.

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no...... no. End of album update: fuck, no. 1/5.

This is obviously one of those singer-songwriters who thinks he's an utter genius. He's not. I bet if I searched enough interviews, I'd find one of him saying he's the greatest songwriter of all time. He's not. 2/5.

I have a theory that protectionism in the Canadian music industry provides domestic success for Canadian bands that every so often accidentally bleeds over into the rest of the world. The end result is harmless and friendly, yet pointless and bland Canadian rock bands getting a sliver of airplay outside their home country and boring the shit out of us. Realistically, most of these Canadian bands' successes can be chalked up to the same policy that stops supermarkets importing milk from Thailand. The local farmers can continue to ply their middling trade and don't have to move to the city, ya know? 3/5, will never listen again.

Easy listening indie bores the Christ out of me. There's nothing wrong with it, I just find it uninspiring and a bit of a waste of my time. In the nicest possible way, if that makes sense. I went to a lot of house parties when this stuff was super popular (early 2010s), and it always just made me really keen to go "anyone want a REAL party?", and put on Motley Crue or something. But I never did, and these albums never go anywhere. 2/5.

This isn't too bad. Straddles that fine line between great hip hop and forgettable hip hop. Good flow, but melodies and beats maybe a little lazy. 3/5.

LOL imagine sitting through all the grimy 90s UK drum and bass shit in the original list, and thinking it needs more. 2/5.

Couldn't say I'd listen to this every day, but I enjoyed it as a once off. Like a mix of Latin guitar and African traditional music? It kinda lost steam in places, some of the tracks were too quiet for me, but I liked the ones where it sounded like a whole village was doing backup singing. 3/5.

I know Ani DiFranco is big in indie circles, so it's a bit of a surprise to hear so much Alanis Morissette in this. But there we go eh? This was a little too "tortured" for me. I made the mistake of reading the lyrics while it played, which didn't help. Can't say it's inspired me to check out the rest of her stuff. 2/5.

This was too soft and couldn't hold my attention. I didn't even realise it was over. 2/5.

Wouldn't it be good has been the theme song to Cadbury commercials in Australia for about the last 30 years. It's a fucking banger. I didn't know the rest of the album, but it isn't as good. There's an "intense pop" feel, with all this stop-start stuff and synthesised slap bass etc etc, that I wasn't in the mood for today. I'm gonna give it a decent score though, for wouldn't it be nice and I won't let the sun go down on me, as well as the guitar solo in cloak and dagger. 4/5.

This album isn't on Spotify, but they have albums from 93 and 98 available. So I'll listen to them instead. My guess is that the 93 album will be underground and heavy, the 98 album will be soft as shit, and I'm just going to assume the 95 album was transitional. That's how 90s bands worked, these guys will be no different. The 1993 album is really cool. Sounded like helmet. That "not metal, not grunge, not punk, but kinda like all three" sound. There's heaviness, there's a bit of groove, there's an indie vibe. I really rate this, and will listen again for sure. The 1998 album is a bit softer, but we're not talking pitchshifter levels of change. Not as interesting as the earlier album though. I can hear more Nirvana in this one, oddly. Based on this, I can say that this green album was probably grungy, reasonably catchy. Overall this is getting a 4/5. Best rating I've ever given an album I didn't listen to lol.

Not too bad. A bit boring? But not unpleasant. Same kinda vibe as Tina Dico. But a guy. 3/5.

One of the songs stole a vocal melody from a NOFX song, but it was fleeting and mostly I just hated this. Lame Americana themes, vibe calls to brisket festivals and big moustaches/belt buckles - ironically, of course. And no doubt most of these guys' fans would shudder at those darkthrone albums recorded using a similar attention to detail RE equipment. 2/5.

The media made a biiiiig song and dance about this guy when he died, and suddenly half my Facebook feed were big fans (they'd just never mentioned it until then, same as the ABC). Was a hot minute where I was inexplicably the only Australian who'd never heard of him. Or at least the only honest one. Ideological jabs at self-styled white "progressives" aside, it's pretty... interesting? Definitely not something I'd listen to a lot, or much at all, but I like the blending of old and new world-esque elements, in a tasteful way. There's no real get-up-and-go, but that's also not the idea. And if I'm honest, it's refreshing to see an indigenous musician enjoy some popularity (even if posthumous) without being a fucking rapper. But not a great album. 3/5.

I like this kind of ambient relaxation music. Use it a bit when I'm in the zone at work and death metal would be too intrusive. 4/5.

This album was, simultaneously, both full of mood/vibe and completely devoid of it. A noticeable absence of rhythm presented a considerable hurdle, which the reviewer struggled and ultimately failed to overcome. The voice droned, lyrics unintelligible and vocal lines drawn out in excruciating non-smoker-fakes-it huskiness. The urge to open a beverage - an oft-trusted marker of musical enjoyment - relishing that sharp *crack* as the seal breaks, letting a little foam spray around and engaging in a brief display of conspicuous enthusiasm, became suddenly as abhorrent to the reviewer as it no doubt is to Joan when she's forced to ply her trade outside late-opening cafes - the nuanced smell of triple-malt whiskies replaced by the disgusting reek of pigswill lagers, the artiste herself at risk of the great unwashed asking her, in their infinite ignorance, about Norah Jones. A "punk" detour at some point failed to boost either my interest or the artiste's expected incoming indie cred. Simply put: while this album jazzily sneers at the audience in arrogant self-importance, in return it offers very little reward or thanks for listening. It demands respect without understanding the concept. It is, ultimately, a product of ego rather than love of craft. So I would take a squirty shit on a physical copy of this, right in front of Joan. And while doing that squirty shit, I'd say, "this is what I think of your artsy, jazzy, knockoff Norah Jones garbage". 1/5.

I decided today to listen to my album in the evening - something I never do; I normally listen to this shit at 5am. But today, randomly, I chose 8:30pm. For added context, I had a dose of my medicinal cannabis about 20 minutes ago. The medicinal cannabis has now alleviated both my back pain and most other bodily sensation, then dialled my imagination up to 11. And also today, randomly, my album is this psychedelic little number - which I am currently listening to on my noise-cancelling, sit-right-near-to-my-eardrum headphones in the dark. Russell and his producer understood the assignment. Sonically, it floats around inside your head - the panning of instruments, along with the ECHO (he said the thing!), really makes it feel like your skull cavity is a giant acoustic space, just ready to be filled with odd sounds, plings and plongs, something that could be a bass guitar played with a violin bow, sporadic wacked-out singing (it might be words, it might not, I dunno) and lots of really pointedly-empty noise. It's ridiculous and it's only borderline "actual music", but it's happy, silly and as trippy as it fucking gets. Definitely the most undeserved 4/5 I've handed out here.

Tolerable for indie folk. I liked the vocal harmonies. Got a bit long in the tooth towards the end though, and overall still a bit too twee. The swearing was intentionally at odds with the music, but.... eh? I guess you'd have to like it before you'd say it was clever or effective. I don't think I'll ever like this genre. 3/5.

Ok we've got some 90s alterna-punk stuff. Half grunge, half indie etc. Sounds alright? A bit dated to hear for the first time in 2024. Didn't recognise any of it, which was a surprise given I grew up in the 90s and soaked up this kind of stuff. Maybe that little bit too indie for 10 year olds at the time. 3/5.

Artless crap pretending to be deep. No more folk please. 1/5.

I've known of these guys for a long time but never heard them. They're one of those groups that enjoys crossover appeal with card-carrying, no-nonsense metalheads and tbh that's always turned me off haha. From what I understand, it's going to be industrial/electronic sort of stuff, maybe like skinny puppy (also popular with the no-fun metal crowd). Ok it's post rock. It's... alright, I guess? I struggle to tell good from bad from average in this genre. It all does the same thing to my ears. But it's not a bad thing by any means. Just can't hold my interest - fine for a once off, though. Bit of jingle jangle, drawn out songs, intentional dynamics, etc. 3/5.

This stuff made a big splash in metal/alternative circles when it came out. Metal was in a weird spot at the time. Nu-metal had shat itself and lost its edge in favour of radio rock (see: Linkin Park, SOAD), and the older US bands (eg. Metallica, Slayer, Pantera) were dead in the water. The bigger metal bands at the time were Nevermore, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Opeth etc - European or heavy euro influence, no mainstream (or even "big alternative") interest. Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Trivium etc - all had promise, and the likes of Pitchfork etc took notice, but they kinda blew it imo. The idea of blending In Flames/At The Gates with Machine Head was a good one, but with these guys in charge it just all ended up sounding too soulless and *American*. It's 90% hardcore breakdown/screaming and 10% melody, when it should be more of a 50/50 mix. Eventually they discovered the other 5 strings on their guitars and a better singer (with the most metal name ever in Howard Jones), but this is... pretty meh. In all honesty, the best thing to come from this album is The End of Heartache (an easy 4/5) and the likely inspiration for Robb Flynn to snap out of it and write Through the Ashes of Empires. 3/5.

This is some nice country radio rock. Never heard of it before - thought I recognised a song, but it was a Dire Straits cover. A few softer moments that get kinda meh, but the upbeat stuff with that nice early 90s production is fun. It'll do, you know? I couldn't imagine it getting any really high or low ratings, but it's imo the very definition of a 3/5. It sits perfectly in that groove. Sometimes I give out 3s because I don't want to shit on an album unnecessarily with a 2, or because it was bad but influential, but in this case it just simply deserves a "good job" sticker. 3/5.

No stomach for this sorry sort of folky shit today. 1/5.

No idea what this is, but I like the cover art so I want it to be cool. And it's psychedelic stoner jam rock, which I like today. Thank you whoever chose this. 4/5.

No idea what to expect here, Indian pop music maybe? Ok it's... yeah, Indian pop music? "Str8 outta Mumbai" is annoying as fuck. Sounds like 3 songs all playing at once. Gen Z pop I guess. After a few more songs, this barely counts as music. It's like a sample bank of annoying shit stapled together. Into the bin. 1/5.

Ever wanted to know what the Dropkick Murphys would sound like if they made bland, feelgood hipster indie rock? No, me either. 2/5.

I can do ska in small amounts. 44 minutes as a one-off today will be ok, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. 3/5. Update 20 minutes later: oh god, this really is a lot of ska. The rating stands, but any further ska will get a 1 or 2.

I vaguely know of these guys, never heard them though. Name is a bit of a turnoff tbh. Ok, initial thoughts are that it rocks decent enough. I recognise The Middle, heard it a lot... somewhere? Rest of the album stacks up as well. Good find, not fantastic but still an easy 4/5.

It's labelled as post-hardcore but I don't hate it. What a fuckin bonus haha. Full of monotonous Rollins-isms in the vocals, and the lyrics started to get really annoying (sorry, I just don't care if your mum died and it's very personal and blah blah blah), but someone in there has an ear for melody and the drummer is doing some interesting stuff at times. 3/5.

This was an album I considered for my own pick, so it's great to see it here. It's a fucking masterpiece. Every song has its own little personality, it has this rich, full sound with great dynamics and just the right amount of catchiness. And tbh, on paper I should fucking hate it. It ticks ALL of my "oh fuck this quirky, folky, Gen X Canadian hipster crap" boxes, yet despite that, I think it's one of the best albums of all time. That has to mean something. I've even got a ticket to see them live in a few months. I would urge everyone to buy a copy of this album, even if you don't have a CD player. 5/5. A+++.

lol, adding a Pink Floyd album to the user list. All the music in the world to choose from, and you pick a band that had FOUR albums in the book. 2/5.

Not too bad considering. There were a few songs from this on the radio back in the day. Pretty harmless, would never listen again but hey it's a 3/5.

Oh god the first minute or so of this was a real rollercoaster. First I read that it was folky, which made me want to throw up. Then the first few notes of acoustic kicked in, and it sounded alright. Felt a bit of hope. Then the chick's voice started and I felt physically ill. The guy's voice seemed vaguely passage, but then he either changed it or another guy turned up with an even worse voice. By the time I got to some gang singing "COME ON DOWN TO HADES TOWN" I realised it was just an irredeemable piece of utter shit with an added rock opera snobbishness. It went for about another 45 agonising minutes, loving itself the entire way. This was just too much for me. That whole vibe where art school dorks pretend they're voodoo southern cajun hipsterbilly honky-tonk afficionados, all high on reviews they or their friends wrote for their own stuff, probably referring to themselves as a "collective"... ugh, spare me. 1/5.

Eh, average. 3/5.

I know it's really popular in some hip-hop/funk/whatever circles, but sampling ancient shit and adding beats... eh? Not my thing. It just comes out sounding all grimy and strange. I know they have ways of describing these beats in the UK - big beat or soemthing? I dunno. Whatever. Nothing against it, but it just doesn't move my dial at all. 2/5.

It must be weird being a pop singer. You have to do the exact same things everyone else has done for like 40 years now, but you also have to pretend you're the first to do it. This latest run of female pop singers are all caught up in a trend of pretending they're a wild combination of hot and dangerous. They're neither, obviously. This one has the added advantage of an androgynous name, which I can only assume is an appeal to the gay community (her real name is probably Amanda or Madison or something). The album cover is obviously the same deal. Hot, dangerous and gay. Holy shit she's a revolutionary girl boss inspiration. Of course, you have to look past the fact it's just Kate Bush (or Lorde ripping off Kate Bush) mixed with Taylor Swift, but once you do that, holy shit this will blow your mind. Also, probably a wig. What is it with 2020s pop singers and wigs? 2/5.

I can only assume this is a big deal if you have ADHD. 2/5.

High concept indie isn't something I really like. I could hear their suspenders, beards and haircuts. 2/5.

I've heard this album more than I've had hot dinners. Not their best, but that one was in the original list and I already gave it full marks. This one gets 5/5 too.

I've heard these guys before. It's average rock. I played it without getting sick of it. Not much else to say about it really. 3/5.

TOO SOFT. I HAD TO WRITE THIS REVIEW IN CAPS TO OFFSET THE SOFTNESS IN THE MUSIC AND UPSETTING RATIO OF GLIDES TO STOPS IN THE LANGUAGE. 3/5.

These guys already had an album in the original list. It's not awful, but what a waste of a choice. 2/5.

I have absolutely no idea what this is going to be. The album title is vaguely post punk maybe? But the band name says yacht rock, and the cover says black metal. It's unlikely it's all 3 of those things, especially in 1981 lol. Ok it's gothy post punk. Makes sense. Not too bad tbh, seems like the sort of thing that would have sounded perfect with just a bit better production job. Got a bit long and drawn out towards the end, there isn't much by way of variation, but it's a 3/5.

I met a big fat Austrian guy at the pub once who controlled the jukebox with Avicii every song. We were playing decent rock music and all he did was put on Avicii songs. He was very annoying and he wasn't any good at pool. I don't see the appeal of Avicii. It's vaguely catchy, but it seems cheesy and annoying. 2/5.

You know what can *actually* get fucked? These guys and their whole vibe. Talk about a pack of tryhards. You aren't doing anything that hasn't been done a million times already, by people who did it a million times better. ha ha, servo pies and backyard cricket!! ha ha, what comedy! So, yeah... get fucked, I guess. 1/5.

This was awesome. Never heard of them, but kinda stoner rock, big fuzz Sabbath vibes. Big 90s grunge influence too. Basically a bunch of things I like. Catchy. 4/5.

No idea what to expect here. Artsy new wave maybe? Ok it's got a bit of a punk/new wave vibe to it but it's mostly just upbeat dance-ish pop? Pretty catchy. I recognised "I want your love" - must have heard it on the radio before. Checked out the video clip because I'm a big pervert, was not disappointed. She's probably 60 now, but in the mid-1980s... wow. Can wail decently, drifts nicely between punk warbling and regular rock singing/screaming. Not much else to comment on. Rest of the band stays in its lane - guess they understood the assignment. Totally forgettable overall, but inoffensive. Bit of a period piece, has a real 80s timestamp on it, and not in the best way tbh. 3/5.

This looks like it could be doom metal or something. Never heard of it, but I like the artwork. Ok it's some kind of avant garde affair. It's been proggy rock, jazzy, ambient... all in the first 2 minutes. Keeping an open mind... now it's drifted into sorta metal but sorta mostly just noise. We're at 5 min and this is a tough listen. Half an hour later, still a bit to go but I get the overall vibe. Strange time signatures, "dynamics" in that LOUD then soft then LOUD then soft then LOUD fashion, 50 different musical genres (so learned!), weird singing. The full artsy works and jerks. Boring and pointless, imo. 2/5.

I remember Cornflake Girl on rage in the 90s, it's ok. Listening to the rest of the album, it's... also ok. She really chews the scenery, it's all *very* theatrical and she obviously thinks very highly of herself. It's very catchy in places. Problem is it's also fucking silly more often than not. When it's good, it's good though. 3/5.

Ehhhh, not bad but not that interesting. 3/5.

lol this looks like it's gonna be nonsense. Ok, it's a live album but you can't really tell beyond the production not being crystal clear. Songs all 10min or longer. Guess it really IS going to be a jam. First song is bland and uninteresting so far. Just hanging on one motif for like the last 6 minutes. Music school dork vibes tbh. Update a little later: this got soooo fucking long by the end. The jam never fucking ends. Like oh god there's another solo spot coming up, strap on in for a few minutes of it. I think what *really* hurt was that so much of it sounded the same. Like the same choppy little funk riff over and over and over, with minimal variation. Even the same wah effect on the whole time. They even managed to wedge it into a cover of the Ghostbusters theme... for 15 minutes. 2/5.

The name is familiar but I have no idea why. No idea what to expect - guessing some soft rock? Yeah, soft rock with a jazzy touch. Nothing mindblowing, pretty inoffensive. Bit wussy. Alright for a one-off listen at just under 40min. 3/5.

I always try and guess the genre from the album cover, but today I can't quite tell. It could go in any direction - might be a bit gay? Best guess is some kind of alt soft rock, maybe sufjan Stevens type stuff. Ok... it's got a rock opera vibe. But not a really bombastic one? Like if you made a rock opera in a small apartment. Or something. It's not too bad tbh. Gayness tbc - it's a bit show-tunesy, but punk/emo as well. I feel like this guy can write a song, and if he did so in a genre I froth on he'd be my hero. Anyway - 3/5 for not being boring, but I'll never listen again.

This looks like it might be industrial? metal? hard EDM? odd mix of bleak imagery with fun ponies around the edge. Ok, it turned out to be alt-rock/post-hardcore. A few interesting moments but they were always brief... and it went for an hour. Post-hardcore albums have no business going for an hour, truly. Lot of odd dissonance, out-of-place wailing, forced extreme dynamics etc. Nothing out of the ordinary for this genre, but I can't say I'm a fan. My overall trajectory with this album was weird: at first I hated it, then I started to get into it, then it went for so long I started to re-dislike it. I think it's an overall 2/5.

I love this album. Never thought to add it to this project, but I'm glad someone else did. Chuck could write a riff. It's like a death metal rust in peace, the solo breaks just keep coming. 5/5.

Eh this is ok. Mildly catchy rock, rockabilly type stuff horror themes. 3/5.

It's Joe Cocker doing his thing for like an hour. It's not bad, but it's not really that exciting. 3/5.

It's hard not to roll my eyes at "brat". Every 5 years or so, pop music spits out a new <collective noun for a group of hot, young white chicks with daddy issues> who pretend they've just invented being a hot young white girl with daddy issues. Ariana Grande? Katy Perry? Miley Cyrus? Avril Lavigne? Christina Aguilera? (whatever, you get the point). We've been there, we've done that. So it's mostly with this in mind that I'm going to listen to Charli XCX, who -from what little I've read- really, REALLY fancies herself as a trailblazer in being hot and dangerous. They all do, but given what a PHENOMENON brat has become, she must be reeeaaally unique. Maybe Charli XCX really IS way more of a "vibe" than Ke$ha ever was. lol. Either way, time to find out what the deal is. Update halfway through: this is... terrible. fuck. I was expecting the childish lyrical themes, the obnoxious attitude and all that, but... I didn't expect it to sound like shit. I was expecting a whole lot more talent, tbh. The vibe isn't so much "brat" as "housing estate trash". I guess maybe that's cool now? End update: overall, just garbage. I'll be very surprised if BRAT is remembered as anything more than an embarrassing phase in 10,15 years. The whole thing was basically jolty pop tunes with a bit of a UK club scene sheen on it. Autotune was constant. The edgy attitude was old about after all of 2 minutes. I was expecting to call it dog shit in advance, then listen, eat my words and maybe rewrite half the review. But it's the opposite: it's SO MUCH WORSE. It doesn't even have the appealing qualities (catchy songs, mostly) that previous iterations of this trope did. It's just... it's bad. Plain and simple. In short, this gets a 1/5. Why? Because 30 years ago, 1995 had Fiona Apple. She didn't start the trend either, but she was 10x hotter, 10x more dangerous and she could fucking write a song and sing it with 10x the talent, passion and creativity. Charli XCX is a bad imitation of an imitation of an imitation and it's only popular because 2025's teenage girls don't know any better. Fuck this. 1/5.

Average 90s alt rock. Nothing standout. 3/5.

I'm curious to find out what the Cure sounds like in 2024. I can only assume it's a trainwreck, but I'd like to be proven wrong. Ok, it's... pretty fucking good. It's still basically the Cure, but now it's kinda old and fat. Which isn't really fair, because I already knew what Robert Smith looks like these days and it's an easy mark. I also never noticed this before, but Justin Hawkins clearly owes Smith a few tips of the hat. None of the high notes of course, but just solid mid range. His voice warbles, never fucks around, just does exactly what it can. Musically it's very dirge-y. I dunno if you'd call this shoegaze; it sounds more like post rock to me. But whatever it is, it's almost hypnotic. This will make great study/work background music. End update: I liked this way more than expected. I dunno what this band has done since the 80s but they're onto something good here, at the (presumed) end of their career. And the memes about how fat and haggard Smith is aren't reflective of his artistic output, so that's nice. 5/5. This was a 4 until the last minute, but I just had to bump it up for being so unexpectedly good.

I've heard the occasional Operation Ivy song over the years, and I know their big draw is that Tim Armstrong was in the band. It's not TOO bad but ska is a big ask most of the time for me. I don't mind a bit of Rancid but I'm more of a Lars guy than Tim. And I was always overall more of a Pennywise guy anyway. This album is ok. Songs like Jaded and The Crowd are bang up my alley, exactly what I like in late 80s punk, but then Take Warning is close to the worst thing I've ever heard. haha. Also, I know this is some kind of compilation and their actual album isn't on Spotify, but fucking hell 50min of shoddy Bay Area punk... yeesh. 3/5.

I struggled to find this online. It wasn't on Spotify and both the full album streams I found on YouTube were fake. I eventually found the song "Broadripple is burning" on YouTube. The one song I listened to was exactly what I expected but the name/album art, which was folksy hipster soft rock. I hate this sort of stuff. Maybe they're great at it, but it just all sounds annoying to me. 2/5.

This is gonna be a live album, isn't it. At least I've never heard of the band. Euro-rock I've never heard sometimes comes up cool. Ok it's a bit of simple 80s punk. Total Ramones/Misfits worship, with a slightly more polished edge. I struggled with the overall length (I stopped listening sometime through disc 2), and sadly I don't understand enough French in real-time to get the words; who knows what poetic genius I missed out with "Arrete de parler" and "Mayonnaise a gogo". Digs at dumb punk aside, this was a good bit of fun. An hour 10 is a big ask for this kind of music, but turning it off at about 40min was a good move - I'll still give it a 4/5.

Cover art looks boring as all buggery. This isn't too bad. It's just kinda catchy 90s alternative/punk stuff. Doesn't really pick up much, relies a lot on being pretty easy listening. But that's nice thing. It's easy to like. 4/5.

ahahaha surely not. For anyone who's never heard of this shit before, it's one of those bands connected to the "Panteraverse". Their ENTIRE appeal was an idiot's call to action because Vinnie Paul was in the band, it was full of little Pantera-isms (including the band name) and its MO was a big assertion that Dimebag would have loved it. "Come on bro, you gonna getcha pull here or what? It's a redneck party here!! BLACK TOOTH AMIRITE??!?" But realistically: to anyone outside the Panteraverse, and even to a whole bunch of us that loved Pantera in the 90s, this is just retarded shit for pickled/cooked hillbillies. It's ICP's metal cousin. The music is just z-tier nu-metal, and the lyrics will make your brain pour out your ears. It's not proof that the "spirit of Dime" lives on or whatever. It's only proof that if you're a big enough name to start with, you can self-fund your way onto the summer festival circuit. What this overlooks is that Dimebag Darrell was an insane talent who could write a fucking song. Ya know? HELLYEAH spends so much time trying to recapture that hootin', hollerin', drinkin' spirit that it completely ignores that Dimebag wrote really soulful, sensitive songs like Cemetery Gates, We'll Meet Again, This Love, FLOODS, etc. Where Darrell came across as an artist, these guys seem like dumbshits. 2/5.

Nightwish is the comic con cosplay loser end of heavy metal. It's.... so very middle-class European. I flew Finnair once and the in-flight magazine was basically a Nightwish promo. I don't understand how people could be comfortable with it. It makes me cringe. 2/5.

No. 1/5.

I've tried to get into these guys over the years. A bunch of my mates are into them and I saw them live a few years ago (gotta credit them for playing in Coffs Harbour) but... eh? I'm not a big tool fan, and they just sound like tool. It's pretty competent, but it's not my thing. 3/5.

Was there an entire group of peripherally-metal types that all finished together recently? This shit, Karnivool, Nightwish, an early Stooges album possibly? All dropped in the last few days, and all slightly off the mark if you just wanna fucking rock. This band has a fucking dumb name, and they were one of those bands that infected heavy metal message boards in the mid-2000s. Every second insecure, scene tourist, I'm-more-than-just-a-metalhead type pretended they were fantastic. These guys, Skinny Puppy, Aphex Twin, Mogwai, Boris, Sun O)))))) etc etc you get the idea. Just boring post-rock stuff that does the exact same post-rock stuff as Mono or whatever. An hour of droning on, sounding exactly as you'd expect, thrilling... someone, I guess? It's like their main purpose as musicians is to give self-conscious heavy metal nerds something non-metal to say they like. Does anyone outside the "I like all kinds of music!" metal crowd listen to it? Anyway: not now cunts, I'm listening to ARMOURED SAINT. 2/5.

Fuck the "ni nu ni fa" guy hey. What does that shit even mean? Anyway, Tool is pretty objectively good. 4/5.

Is this gonna be more modern post rock? ffs. Yep. Boooooooooooooring. It thinks so highly of itself (look at that title), but it's just.... nothing. Minimalist crap for pretentious dickheads. Fuck you. 1/5.

Average indie rock, a bit punky. 3/5.

Not too bad, just late 70s pub rock really. Bit of a punk/ska/reggae edge. Would never willingly listen to it, but it wasn't too bad. 3/5.

This wasn't on Spotify in my country, and I could only find the songs "Sunrise" and "2080" on YouTube. So this is based on two songs. Kinda cool. A bit "chill" and basic, but it had a groove that worked for an early morning listen. 3/5.

lol, Bjork was one of the most over-represented artists in the original list. She doesn't NEED any more exposure. Who would be so sad as to add ANOTHER of her albums? ffs. Post was great, but this is getting a 1/5 just out of spite. ni fu ni FUCKEN fa

Pretty average indie. I've heard the name before this time, at least. I like that they're louder than their name suggests (unlike the eagles of death metal). But it's not really something I'd listen to willingly. 3/5.

I dunno what this is. Looks like it could be industrial just based on other industrial album covers I've seen from the early 90s? Or will it just be 90s alt rock? LET'S FIND OUT. Ok yeah it's alt-rock. Mildly interesting musically, vocals are absolutely nothing. Update: I forgot it was even on. That's not a *great* sign. But 3/5 for not pissing me off.

Nameless shoegaze. 3/5.

Courtney Barnett is one of those people I'm making fun of when I put shit on Melbourne. Is she from Melbourne? Don't know, don't care. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. The one thing I've always heard about Barnett is her lyrics - apparently her adlib-stream-of-consciousness style lyrics are more than just that. They're not. They're just shonky indie rock lyrics. Is there really so much more to "going to the movies, drinking all the smoothies", or "I don't really know who I am but I'm trying" that I'm just not seeing? a 15 year old could have written that, and oh god there are SO MANY MORE examples of these horrendous rhymes and things that are meant to be poignant but just simply aren't. The music isn't any better than the lyrics. Song to song it does much the same thing. Sometimes a little upbeat, sometimes a little downbeat, repetitive and mostly just 90s DIY indie type-sounds. The music is more a vehicle for her lyrics anyway, I think. I dunno, 2/5. At the end of the day it's mostly just bland indie singer-songwriter stuff that really shouldn't be much more than open mic/busker material, but good luck telling the brains trust at Triple J that.

Eh, this is ok? Doesn't really get up and go. A bit too "safe". Maybe Courtney Barnett yesterday was too much of a palate cleanser, because this voice just sounds TOO IN TUNE by comparison lol. 3/5 middle of the road.

I have to give these guys credit for being the first (mainstream-leaning, US) metal band in a fairly long time to go all-out with shredding guitar solos. It had been like a decade since popular metal bands had done it (notable exceptions being Pantera and almost every European band), and Avenged Sevenfold just appeared out of nowhere with this album. They didn't half-arse it and ease into solos; it was just instant dual-guitar shred. I do have to credit them for that. I also have to say that I really do like the album Nightmare. It rocks start to finish, really gets the blood pumping. Hail to the King is pretty cool too. On this album, I dig the first half, especially beast and the harlot and bat country. That's my only real issue with this album - two songs stick out, the rest is just kinda average metal, and it's a LONG album. Also, here's some extra criticism: this band is FUCKING DUMB TO LOOK AT. I know that's such a shallow thing to say, but oh god the fucking skinny-goth-boy Top Gun look? Spare me. Similarly, the whole military vibe they've managed to build up around themselves, sorta like a less-retarded Five Finger Death Punch... ew. I know it works for them and my opinion doesn't matter, but EW all the same. Also, the singer fucking sucks. He has some weird quality to his voice, like Axl Rose's late-career Mickey Mouse impression. It's bearable, but only just. Despite all that, I still think they're kinda cool. Anyway, those are my conflicted feelings on Avenged Sevenfold. 4/5.

Obviously never heard this before given it's a French album from 1991, but it obviously won a few awards so it's a bit of a BIG DEAL, ya know? Anyway it sounds like Madonna crossed with Enya. Not my chosen style but I honestly can't say it's an awful sound. Flows easily, just enjoys a happy little space for a while. There's even a song that sounds like a direct knockoff of Vogue! Good addition to the user list. 4/5.

I guess this answers the question "what happens if you mix the pogues and soul asylum?", because this album is exactly what it'd sound like. But my own question would be "why the fuck would anyone want to mix the pogues and soul asylum?" 2/5.

Impression based on nothing more than the title + album cover: whatever this is, it wants everyone to know it is ARTSY. Whenever I see stuff like this I just assume it's that brand of drawn out post-rock a la Mono, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Boris, etc etc. This picture just looks like something droning. Might be droning post-rock, might be some kind of "ambient soundscape" affair too. But I'm guessing post-rock. I wouldn't be surprised if I load spotify and the songs are called "I", "II", "III" etc. Ok so it has real song titles. Hifalutin', artsy nonsense, but at least they're not given roman numerals or Latin song titles. Ok, it's.... lo-fi, fake phonograph crackle, oldies "classical" type music? Minimalist approach, the songs just kinda abruptly end. It feels like the audio equivalent of a found-footage movie. Maybe it was authentically recorded using gear from the 1920s, maybe the crackle was added later on, I dunno. Overall I'm not really feeling it. I think I know what it's trying to do, but it needs more context, or further immersion. It'd work as the soundtrack to a survival horror video game or something? But as a standalone listen, eh. 3/5 just because I have no clue how to rate it. update: on now reading the wiki article, I'm actually pretty happy with how much of this I guessed, including the intent behind the project. I WAS way off on the post-rock idea, but also... maybe kinda not? I feel like there's probably overlap in the fandoms here. Either way, I'm happy with my ability to judge. The wiki makes a few interesting notes on listening that makes me think I might need to listen again tonight with my headphones in. It's probably the sort of thing I could go deep on if I hit the medicinal cannabis this evening, but I promised myself I wouldn't this week. update UPDATE: I'm now about halfway through the album and the crackle has mostly faded, and even without being stoned (it IS 4:06am after all) I have been kinda swept up in this. I dunno what to say. On paper, this is the sort of shit I sneer at. But here we are. Will definitely save for the weekend and give it a "real" listen.

A couple of gay guys I worked with in about 2015 thought this chick was "a total queen". What I mean by that is they didn't actually think she was great or anything; they were just being snarky in that way that gay guys often are, pretending her songs were "jams" because they danced to them when they were high on MDMA, but they were fully aware it was mindless pop music and it was at least 80% irony. Gay shtick, basically. I don't find that sort of shit funny, tbh - at least not after about 5min. This album isn't "fun". It's just annoying pop music, and obviously she's trying to recapture the hit of her one big song the whole time here. Also, the whole album was written by Swedish guys, as per usual for this sort of mindless pop. Congrats to Carly Rae (yeehaw!) on writing most of the lyrics though. I guess it takes real artistry to come up with this crap. Really had to dig out the thesaurus, I bet. 2/5 get the fuck outta here.

I hate this sort of music. What would you call it? White guy reggae? Who cares. They billed it as music for surfers a lot, but I surfed all through the 90s and 2000s and you know what we listened to? PENNYWISE. This was just fluffy shit. Anything that gets mostly described as "chill" should go in the fucking bin. This music's real intended audience was hot German and French chicks on beach holidays, and as is totally normal, men will say and do almost anything for a chance with a tanned, blonde, easygoing gap year backpacker. I am ashamed to say I pretended to like Jack Johnson, Xavier Rudd, Ben Harper etc etc all just to try and fuck those chicks. It didn't even really work. Anyway, because lots of hot chicks liked this crap, it kinda became the unofficial soundtrack to backpacker hostel bars, vanlifing, visiting waterfalls, hanging out at the beach etc. It was a terrible time to be alive. I'm sure whatever hot, bronzed, European tourists in their early 20s listen to now is WAY more annoying, and I'm sure there are guys pretending to like THAT every bit as much as I pretended I was a Jack Johnson, ankle bracelet, hemp shirt surf hippie. Pennywise for fuckin EVA!! 1/5.

The mid 90s were a fun time. 3/5.

This wasn't too bad, it certainly wasn't offensive, but it was somehow both theatrical and a bit boring at the same time. I lost interest in it to the point it had finished and I'd been sitting in silence for at least a few minutes before I realised. Again, not a bad album but absolutely nothing stuck out. Like a c-tier Elton John, I guess. 3/5.

Not a bad album. Not an award winner, but there's nothing awful going on by any means. Same sorta vibe as the first Live album, funnily enough - almost a cross between Spin Doctors and the Screaming Trees. I think the only real downside to it is that, much like the first Live album, all the songs blend together and by the end I couldn't remember any of it. But it was pleasant enough. 4/5.

Prediction: electronica. Ok, it is, but it's also far more experimental than I anticipated. Tripper music, basically. I thought it was going to just be trance or something. I don't know honestly what this is beyond "drug music". End update: it was alright? Just did the same sorta stuff for an hour. Mildly psychedelic, would probably be great if I was off my head. Update update: listened to it stoned last night. The ambient tracks were really cool, the actual music not as effective as expected, but it was still alright. 3/5.

Daft punk eh whatever. NI FU NI FA 3/5.