We have Arctic Monkeys at home

NPR is responsible for introducing me to the Gizzverse - they had this LP streaming on their website, and I couldn’t ignore the band name, so I gave it a listen. Thus was my introduction to King Gizz and their distinctive brand of fucking insanity. As far as gimmicks go, the endless loop album has definitely been done before. What makes Gizz’s attempt so memorable is how relentless the entire 41 minute run is. Even in its gentler moments, the album has at least one out of the seven band members playing their ass off on any given instrumental. These moments, however, are more the exception than the rule – usually all 7 Lizard Wizards are going at once, helmed by Stu Mackenzie’s inspired yipping on top of a massive slate of guitar and double drums. Couple this in with some simple but catchy garage-rock songwriting, and each track is left with a distinct personality plus some insanely good riffs. Of course, it’s the sum of the parts that makes this such a great LP. I’ve always been a fan of artists bleeding tracks into one another, and KG pulls that off flawlessly here. Even better is the use of consistent motifs outside the track they star in, almost as a short intro or easter egg for what’s coming down the line. The whole album thus feels remarkably solid and consistent, a canon in itself. It’s a remarkably satisfying listen that at once is a whole meal in itself while leaving you itching for another loop – a record store in Chicago had this LP’s genre listed only as “fucking incredible,” and I think that’s a fitting accolade all in all.

Didn't think I'd be giving a demo tape this high a rating, but here we are. I remember the hype when this official LP dropped in 2019, but the context was well before my time as a music nerd and I couldn't fully appreciate the narrative behind the release. Hearing these tracks now, I'm floored by how well-realized and rich this tape is melodically – Paul is willing to saturate the entire production space at once, but does so masterfully without destroying the mix or fatiguing the listener. While it understandably reads in a disjointed fashion, this LP has such high highs that I'm willing to overlook the lack of flow. The arrangements and synth timbres are just too good to deny, and I appreciate how Jai came back to what must've been a crushing artistic blow and reclaimed it in his own way.

At the risk of bringing out the pitchforks, I’ve never understood the lasting appeal of this band in the indie scene. Sure, you have some interesting melodic hooks and the clever, witty lyricism, but then again so did fun. and a few dozen other indie bands of the era. Do these guys get the credit simply because they were there first? Did the silly little comma song guarantee lasting fortune and fame forever? This LP is a solid and enjoyable listen, but the whole project has definitely soured a bit as the cleverness has turned in on itself and resulted in more bloated, forgettable albums like this year’s ‘Only God Was Above Us.’ Maybe I’m being a boomer on this one, but I just don’t get the hype y’all.

I was vibing with this early-aughts mix of electrofunk for a while, but 70 minutes of club music is a tall order for any artist to pull off – as the LP went on, even the curveball instrumentation between tracks wasn't enough to sustain interest for the whole runtime, and the bargain-bin songwriting in the lyrics certainly didn't help.

Great pick for the list – well before Weezer sold out and became a shadow of their selves, they burst onto the scene with this still LP that still feels fresh and new even today. The instrumentation draws on earlier grunge elements, but the overall feel is decidedly slackerish and goofy, a combo that works amazingly well. Hard guitars against some clever and even dark lyricism fits just right, thanks in part to Matt Sharp, who would leave the band post-Pinkerton and lead to the creative downward spiral that's still happening today. History aside, however, I'm glad Weezer managed to produce both this LP and Pinkerton. Both albums shine bright even today, and there are some anthems here ('Buddy Holly' especially) that feel timeless, instant classics that will stay with pop culture forever.

Listened to this one a good deal over 2020 and was familiar with the more popular tracks. Those that incorporate a full band have some wonderful arrangements and instrumentation, and Heynderickx's vocals swing from soothing to frenetic to perfectly match whatever the mood may be. I do wish the experimental singer-songwriter streak present in the bigger tracks was consistent throughout the album, but overall this is a solid listen and I hope we get more material from Haley soon!

You can’t tell me this isn’t the drug-fueled, adult-facing front for The Wiggles

Not jiving with this one at all, even if ‘80s rock revival was having a moment in the late aughts. The instrumentals sound dated on arrival, and though there are few bright spots in the arrangements creatively, the vocals sink any interest I may have had after that point.

A friend introduced me to this band in high school so I knew a few of the tracks here, but I had mostly forgotten the odd little niche this band has embraced with open arms. What you get out of this album depends on your affinity for tongue-in-cheek quirkiness – to me, this LP really toes the line between wit and embarrassing goofiness at times, but overall things work for a majority of the runtime. There are some fun instrumentals to be had, and love them or hate them, there are some clever lyrics here that fit the alt-rock vibe perfectly. While I don’t know if I would return to this as a full album, there are definitely some fun, creative tracks here I added to my library and I had a good amount of fun during my listen.

I remember being disappointed with this one after a few skims on release, and while I have a deeper appreciation for the artistry on a re-listen, it still just doesn't sit right in the Monkeys' catalog for me. Following the massive success of the swaggering rock revival of 'AM,' this LP takes such a sudden left turn into crooner territory that you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a different Alex Turner project entirely. It's not that it's poorly done – the production is smooth and clean, and the instrumentals are perfectly executed. It's more so the stunning lack of the characteristic swagger, snarl, and cocksure attitude that's ever-present throughout Arctic Monkeys catalog, the band seemingly aged overnight and now singing to fellow geriatrics at the nursing home. Artists are allowed (and encouraged in my book!) to take big leaps and departures from their characteristic sound, but this changeover hits so poorly that it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth today.

Thankful to whoever added this to the list, I've wanted to get into Godspeed for some time now but could never quite get Skinny Fists. I definitely feel one has to go into this LP expecting something symphonic – this is not easy listening by any means, and is better enjoyed as an art or performance piece. That being said, there are some great entertaining moments within the epic 15-30 min. long tracks that could exist as songs on their own, yet still contribute to the grand scale Godspeed builds across the entire LP. While I wasn't a huge fan of the 2-3 minute blocks of silence here and there, I have to concede it built a sense of dramatic tension and made sense in context. This isn't an LP one can take in as background music, and I appreciated that – having to sit down and appreciate the scale and detail of what's going on here was a great listening experience, and one I will likely revisit again.

Been listening to ‘Manipulator’ a good deal recently so I was stoked to see some more Ty pop up here. I’ve been a fan for over a decade now and this guy just doesn’t miss - each LP is consistently solid, usually stacked with close to an hour of pitch-perfect garage rock, and at this point he’s put out over 30 (40?) releases between his solo career and many, many projects. Hadn’t returned to this LP specifically in a while, so it was more of a blind spot in the discography. Per usual, there are 2-3 tracks that absolutely rock, a majority are pretty good, and 1-2 that I could maybe do without - Segall usually opts for a few more experimental noise tracks on his solo releases and those just didn’t vibe with me here. May sound like a tepid reception on my part, but the standard of Segall excellence is so high that this was still the listening highlight of my day. Ty’s characteristically sludgy yet buzzsaw-like guitar tone has already Pavloved my brain into releasing hella dopamine, and I was more than happy to dive right in as part of my 1001 listening.

I have a bad habit of getting super into an artist's recent releases without checking out the rest of their discography. Case in point, 'Skinty Fia' was one of my 2022 albums of the year, but I didn't even bother to listen to the rest of Fontaines D.C.'s albums. Glad this came up, then, as it was great to hear the band in a more exploratory, rock-focused period in their nascent years. The basis of each track is solid modern rock, but there's a certain (and now characteristic) bleak energy the band manages to infuse that makes it feel as if they're accepting the end of the world with a shrug. Maybe it's Grian Chatten's deadpan delivery, or the tight, almost post-punk guitar lines, but in any case, it's a niche that Fontaines have clearly carved for themselves and one they continue to solely occupy. Coupled with the slightly gritty production and constant (but not overwhelming) use of reverb, there's a real sense of space and occupancy that gives this LP a genuine feeling of being lived in day in and day out. Always wild to hear bands burst onto the scene nearly fully formed, and while not every track hits (and there is a certain sense of tonal exhaustion by the end), this was a great listen to understand where the band has built from.

This LP has become such a staple in the indie scene that I don't know if I can offer any new or novel takes, only my appreciation for the odd little world Jeff Mangum has constructed on this record. It took years for me to hear this album in full and piece together the at-first abstruse thematic elements, and even today I feel there are nooks and crannies here I'm not fully appreciating. Each time I return there's a new detail to uncover or a motif to recognize across the impressively varied (but damn good) instrumentation or songwriting, and each time I leave feeling there's still an idea or easter egg left on the table. Can't say I'm terribly familiar with the rest of Hotel's discography, but knowing the expansive run of Mangum's musical output, I'm thankful that such a densely packed album manages to convey the expressiveness and ideation that defines both his solo and Elephant 6 works without collapsing in on itself. Excellent addition to this list, and yes, an absolute crime it wasn't included to begin with.

Tough call on this one – while the LP picked up in the back half with better arrangements and varied instrumentals, I can't shake the PTSD of the 2011-2014 EDM period that this invokes in me. The front half especially leans hard into synth presets that defined (for better but mostly worse) the techno revival of the early 'teens and felt a bit flat songwriting-wise. Later tracks like 'Formidable' are beautiful and carry a quiet strength, but aren't enough to outweigh an album that's perhaps a bit overstuffed with dated content.

I've been somewhat willfully ignorant of this band ever since they seemed like another bland singer-songwriter addition to Polyvinyl Records' stellar lineup of artists. Joke's on me then – this was a super-surprising LP with some interesting songwriter takes on post-punk. While not wholly memorable, this album gave me some novel takes on the standard post-punk angular guitars meeting some softer, more abstruse vocals. I need to take a re-listen to collect some of my standout faves, but overall I was happy someone added this so I could stop being a contrarian and give this band a listen.

An interesting set of Swedish takes on a whole gamut of genres. Not exactly what I was expecting, but an eye-opener to some new musical styles. Even if the LP wasn't my thing musically, its addition to the list here embodies the exploratory spirit of what the 1001 project should be so I'm giving it extra props.

All of the Youtube comments for the tracks on this LP seem to be Boomers talking about drinking wine and rocking out to this album, and that about sums it up – dated, guitar-noodling blues rock for old people.

This LP commits the cardinal sin of media in that it's boring, through and through. I don't care if the gentle, lulling guitar is well done, or that the touch of synths adds a dimension to the instrumentation – this is a flat, one-dimensional hour of a French man gently talking over what amounts to default iMovie backing tracks. I can understand why someone would enjoy this, but I can't do so myself.

Listened to a few of this band's tracks before, but was put off largely by what I felt to be a massive wave of overrated hype. Now that the craze has subsided, it was nice to come back with a fresh mindset and finally give this a full listen. These guys are undoubtedly masters of their craft – the instrumentation flows freely and organically, a dynamic contradiction to how difficult this type of music is to write and play well. The songwriting pops, and while the tracks do start to blend together on the back half of this 70-minute sprawl, there's never a dull moment or wrong turn to be had. My only complaint would be that there's too much good music on this LP – it's fun to hear different themes and motifs revisited across the album's span, but cutting some fat and getting this down to a 40-minute runtime would've made it that more punchy and powerful.

Enjoyed the Afro-jazz fusion going on here for a while, but then the album kept going... and going... and going. Definitely a function of my personal tastes here, as the instrumentation is airtight and the arrangements at least somewhat varied throughout. However, there just wasn't enough variance to sustain the whole runtime for me and I was checking out there at the end.

My first full-length Bon Iver listen, and I fully get the hype. This is a wondrous, expansive LP that strives to push boundaries and break things, misusing production techniques to create some truly clever tracks. This does, however, lead to a certain sense of emotional sterility – the LP reads more as a museum art piece than an album I'd put on to fully listen to for the emotional response. I know Iver's other works have soul in spades, so it's a shame this collection of tracks doesn't quite read that intimately. That said, however, this is still an amazingly cool work of art and one I could see myself returning to when the vibes are just right.

This LP stands on a strong basis of fun (if somewhat repetitive) pop-punk tracks, but what elevates it to classic territory is the more involved songwriting efforts – "All The Small Things," "Adam's Song," and "Age Again?" are the beating heart of this album, serious narratives wrapped in a deceptive gauze of power chords and feedback. A few more of these tracks could have done the album well (it still feels a little off-balance in favor of somewhat generic filler), but the sheer popularity and staying power of the core classics here means this is a notable listen and a great addition to the list.

Huge unforced error on my part not to listen to this whole LP - bumped '3005' all the time back in high school, but foolishly neglected the rest of the album. This is the closest I've come to giving an LP 5 stars on my first listen, mainly for the outstanding electronic production that makes this album's beats sound fresh even a decade later. The melodies are strong and memorable, the drums aggressive and punchy, and the synth choices attention-grabbing without distracting from Gambino's involved flows. I could easily listen to this album as an instrumental version and rock out, which stands in contrast to other rappers' beats which often skew heavily rhythmic and sometimes forgettable. If I did that, though, I'd be missing out on Glover's perfect wordplay. There were times during my listen yesterday that I had to stop working and just listen to the lyrics in fear I'd missed some small nuance or slight of hand that was crucial to the story Gambino was telling. There are so many lexical nooks and crannies in the flows here that one could easily get overwhelmed, but Glover has no problem firing off info at a crisp machine-gun pace before hitting rapid changeups and mirroring the sketch voices of rap's glory days. Each verse has clearly been thought out and planned to the smallest syllable, but Donald makes them sound effortless and casual even when he's hitting the more acerbic, spitting verses (i.e., the entirety of 'Sweatpants'). The only thing keeping this album from perfection (to me) is the quieter, less demanding final third that fails to live up to the high standard of what precedes it. That being said, the whole album is still an absolute joy to listen to in full, thanks in part to the artistic attention to detail that's been so thoroughly paid to each and every granule of the production space. Top to bottom (or vocals to beats), this thing is a densely constructed piece of art that rewards listeners for paying attention and taking notes while maintaining an overwhelming sense of carelessness and fun – if that isn't good music, then what the hell is?

This LP is well-executed instrumentally and organizationally, with some great Americana singer-songwriter instrumentation and compositions. That being said, this is one of my least favorite genres, and while it's perhaps a stellar treatment of the material there's just no accounting for taste.

Not sure what it is but every one of this guy's vocals sounds whiny and pleading. Couple that with some mostly generic ambient music in the background, and this was an absolute struggle of a listen. Also, this came out a little over 6 months ago – maybe allow critical reception to cool first before adding it to a list of all-time albums? Just a thought.

I was vibing with this early-aughts mix of electrofunk for a while, but 70 minutes of club music is a tall order for any artist to pull off – as the LP went on, even the curveball instrumentation between tracks wasn't enough to sustain interest for the whole runtime, and the bargain-bin songwriting in the lyrics certainly didn't help.

Sufjan-lite was exactly what I thought the second the vocals kicked in, and others hear seemed to have the same impression. The compositions are quite rich, and the production feels like you're right there with Augustine around some cozy campfire while he strums his guitar. The songwriting does leave something to be desired, however, as the LP starts feeling a bit repetitive not even halfway in – variation in tempo, dynamics, or vocal delivery could've saved my interest, but I found myself wanting to leave this campfire for a good while.

A fun bubblegum pop LP to mix things up a bit – ran a bit long for its melodic content, but was a mostly fun listen that was evocative of what I heard on the radio while growing up. Fun to see everyone's different tastes here, even if I don't like every single album it's much more varied and exploratory than the canon 1001 list.

Been meaning to listen to this one for a while, and it (mostly) didn’t disappoint. Madlib’s bars flow over MF DOOM’s tapestry-like beats, the airtight production meaning not a single note, sample, or beat goes unnoticed. My main complaint here is that I wanted more out of each track – there are some amazing melodies here that get going only to end abruptly right when the flow was hitting. Coupled with the fact there are some 20-30 second expositional samples on a good amount of the songs, it’s almost like the heavy-hitting portions end before they’ve even begun.

Pretty standard hard rock release, but that's not a bad thing at all. Definitely needed an injection of distorted guitar this week, and the usual arrangements and lyrics got my head bobbing and kept me entertained which is all I can ask for.

NPR is responsible for introducing me to the Gizzverse - they had this LP streaming on their website, and I couldn’t ignore the band name, so I gave it a listen. Thus was my introduction to King Gizz and their distinctive brand of fucking insanity. As far as gimmicks go, the endless loop album has definitely been done before. What makes Gizz’s attempt so memorable is how relentless the entire 41 minute run is. Even in its gentler moments, the album has at least one out of the seven band members playing their ass off on any given instrumental. These moments, however, are more the exception than the rule – usually all 7 Lizard Wizards are going at once, helmed by Stu Mackenzie’s inspired yipping on top of a massive slate of guitar and double drums. Couple this in with some simple but catchy garage-rock songwriting, and each track is left with a distinct personality plus some insanely good riffs. Of course, it’s the sum of the parts that makes this such a great LP. I’ve always been a fan of artists bleeding tracks into one another, and KG pulls that off flawlessly here. Even better is the use of consistent motifs outside the track they star in, almost as a short intro or easter egg for what’s coming down the line. The whole album thus feels remarkably solid and consistent, a canon in itself. It’s a remarkably satisfying listen that at once is a whole meal in itself while leaving you itching for another loop – a record store in Chicago had this LP’s genre listed only as “fucking incredible,” and I think that’s a fitting accolade all in all.

Frustrating LP – some creative, fun, and insanely layered instrumentals going on that deserve a fitting vocal line, but instead, get Tom Waits 2.0 for over 50 minutes. I have never understood why people enjoy this style of singing (it gets right on my nerves and just plain irritates me) and I was disappointed that such great instrumentals had to sit beneath it. All a matter of taste I suppose, but I for one think we should leave Tom Waits and his questionable vocals in the past where he belongs.

Forgot how many classics originated from this one LP until they kept coming one after the other. The band’s distinctive reggae-punk fusion is at its peak here, infectious and melodic as a sense of carefree wonder meets some heavier instrumentals. You know it’s an effective blend when my father (your standard white dude) feels compelled to belt out ‘Santeria’ every time it comes on rock radio in the car. The highs are definitely high here, but given its runtime the LP does drag a bit later on as not all of the tracks can sustain the wildly impressive first half. Still a great album though, and a worthy addition that should be on the official 1001 if we’re being honest

Knew about these guys but thought they were heavy metal and definitely missed out on the goth part. There's some interesting instrumentation going on here, and I enjoyed a good deal of the arrangements, but man this thing is long – didn't look at the runtime before it started, and it just felt like it kept going and going without end. As a result, things get a bit tiring by the midpoint (which could've made a decent LP all in itself) and become an absolute slog by the end. The theatrics were fun at first, but really wore me down and made me tired of listening.

Tough call here - on its own, I do enjoy this LP and the complete, calming world it builds across an extended runtime. In the context of Robinson’s discography, however, this was a huge letdown after the triumph of 2014’s ‘Worlds,’ an LP that lived up to its title with some of the most well-defined, expansive tracks of IDM/electronica at the time. Artists are free to change and experiment, and I love it when they do. However, given the wait between ‘Worlds’ and ‘Nurture,’ I expected so much more from the latter LP and felt a little disappointed when the world it built felt so insular and small. Additionally, the instrumentation is relatively homogeneous and the sampling near-nonexistent. It’s still airtight and solidly built, just lacking in scale and verve. Perhaps I’m just completely missing the point here, or am just feeling the results of my own inability to chill out with this chill-out album. Just wanted so much more from this one in the context of Porter’s body of work!

A standard Zappa LP - some good ones, some bad ones, all of the tracks equally odd in their own way. Really enjoyed the guitar work here, wish some of the lyrics were a bit more serious to complement the instrumentals but that’s asking a lot given the territory.

I can only echo what others have said here in that it's an absolute crime there was no Armstrong on the official list – really highlights the UK bias of the project that a fundamental jazz great was excluded in place of several flash-in-the-pan Britpop bands. Nearly an hour of oldies was a bit longer than I would've liked to listen, but there's no denying the masterclass Armstrong puts on here.

RIP Jimmy - this was such a relaxing listen, an LP that couldn’t give a fuck about what’s going on in the world so long as it has a beer in hand in the beach. Great prominent guitar, good melodies, and that characteristic sense of chill. Not the most memorable or dynamic songwriting in the world, but a great listen nonetheless.

While the production here is commendable, this band’s music has always felt homogenous and sludgy in an unappealing way. Even with the wrenchingly honest lyricism from the frontman on the final track, the LP just felt as if it lurched from one mids-drowned riff to another without much distinction.

John Mayer can certainly play the guitar, but the songwriting here is so inoffensive and bland that the instrumentals hardly matter. I certainly don’t miss this radio-friendly soft rock era of the early aughts, as it’s so common denominator focused that every track becomes a similar brand of melodic mush designed to be just pleasing enough to be memorable but not so bold as to be offensive. This LP deserves to be forgotten - the list is supposed to be a collection of artistry and creativity, not the place of mainstream mediocrity.

Love me some Chromatics, even if this isn’t their best work (check ‘Cherry’ for what I think is their personal opus). This one drags a tad too much for four-star territory, but it’s still got the classic synthwave stylings and luscious, 80s-esque production that the band made into their own personal style. Not as strong melodically as their other works, but it contains some of my fav tracks from the band - ‘Tick of the Clock’ is a nervy masterpiece, and my first intro to the band courtesy of Hotline Miami.

Really enjoyed this pick, a mix of things old and new that felt fresh, creative, and inspired. This is what the main 1001 canon should have been focused on, albums that mixed things up and pushed genre boundaries while still being instrumentally strong and actually enjoyable to listen to.

Decent power-pop LP that sits a bit outside the norm of what was on the main 1001 list. Runs a bit long and gets a bit homogenous at the end, but again there was a distinct lack of some 90s flash-in-the-pan genres on the main list (in favor of breakbeat and triphop??) and it’s good to see some more picks from the decade here.

An LP synonymous with the aughts – I may have been a goody two-shoes non-emo kid in middle school at the time, but even I felt the impact from this album. This is my first time listening in full, but about twice a year I turn on ‘Black Parade’ to jam out so I already knew the melodic gist and band. After a full run-through, I get the hype. The band has a very strong sense of melody, and nearly every guitar line/vocal blast is harmonized which makes everything feel rich and full. The songwriting is about what you would expect for an emo album of the time, but there are enough left hooks (the triumphant ‘Parade,’ the stomping ‘Teenagers,’ etc.) to make this LP distinctly unique to MCR and the sound they were establishing. Not every track breaks the emo-pop mold, but with Gerard Way’s cutting, distinctive vocals at the helm and some massive power chords behind him that’s about all the band needs to write a classic here.

This LP can’t decide what it wants to be - starts off straight singer-songwriter folk, attempts poor pop renditions, zigzags back to folk, etc. All of it feels so bland and boring, and reaching for something it’s not.

Some of the odder lyricism and songwriting I've heard from an album here – at first intriguing, but things became much too amorphous and disparate as the LP progressed for there to be much of an artistic statement. Not sure what this band is trying to convey or affect here, and I think I was more confused at the album's end than before I had even begun.

Never heard of this band, but I enjoyed the combination of Tropicalia meets 60s-esque rock. Didn't drag or overstay its welcome and felt fresh relative to some other contributions from the decade, so a good listen all in all.

The Beatles meets Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion in the best way possible. Felt a bit long for the ideas it had to share, but still a great take on older rock that felt new to me.

A fun LP, but feels a bit less inspired after a first introduction to the band through Enema. This is more straight pop punk, which is enjoyable for a while but wears a bit thin by the end of the album’s surprisingly long runtime

Big soaring prog rock that’s trying so hard to be Genesis but ends up feeling goofy and boring in the process.

Not a fan of this LP, which somehow thinks Tom Waits vocals meets dated industrial instrumentation is a good combo. I'm all for musical abrasion, but this is more noise for noise's sake than anything artistic or meaningful.

An exciting African LP that combines the best of old and new – I was excited from the get-go to hear some traditional African scales filtered through a lo-fi Chorus pedal. This is a fun listen, I just wish it could cut loose a bit more – the guitar here is great, and some tracks sit in neutral for a bit.

We have Arctic Monkeys at home

I was previously aware of Dub from various electronic samples here and there, but had never given a full LP a listen until now. Clearly I've been missing out – the warped and twisted alleyways this album took its tracks down was right in my wheelhouse. Loved the ethereal, hazy sense the chopped rhythms and punchy guitars produced, and the vocals wandered in and out to only further the sense of a trip gone horribly right. Big ups for adding this one to the list, I've already come back to this one a few times and see it hitting my heavy rotation.

I was a big fan of 1,000 gecs for its new, everything-at-the-wall take on hyperpop. The joke is much less funny the second time around, though – there are some shining moments, samples, and memories here for sure, but the middle section feels underbaked and tired, almost as if the band is grasping at ideas. There's barely enough to support a scant 26 minutes, and given the time it took to come out I wonder how long the band can keep up the jest.

Big ups to whoever put some Protomartyr on the list. While this is definitely the band's most consistent LP, their entire discography is amazing – led by Joe Casey's trademark vocals and a distinctive post-punk sound, this outfit has created an unmistakable sonic signature that stands out among a crowded field. I'd listened to most of these tracks in isolation, but they really come together as a full LP. There's an innate sense of isolation and ruin, of things lost and left behind. It's amazing how evocative the songwriting is with just a little reverb guitar, simple pounding melodies, and of course Casey preaching/droning on top. Excellent album and a perfect addition to the more modern 1001 canon.

These guys definitely know how to write a harmony, but the songwriting felt so repetitious and homogeneous that even the beautiful vocals felt tiring after a while. Stretches much longer than its 37 minutes, a telling sign of how lacking in dynamics this one is for all its instrumental richness.

An epic that I'm not quite sure I fully get on first listen – this is an expansive, sprawling album that deserved much more attention than I could give it today, though I already picked up on the superb melodic motifs gluing the whole project together. This is an LP that weaves its narrative in words, and there's a whole lot of them here – while I picked up on some of the story occurring throughout, I'm sure the album feels much more cohesive once the story falls into place. Leaving this here as an initial voucher for the great instrumentation (somewhat shanty-esque at points) and melodies, with a rider that I'll be returning to give this a deeper listen.

First go at a full Weeknd LP and I left feeling unsatisfied. There's an immense amount of effort poured into the production here, with not a single synth out of place in the airtight but expansive soundstage that most of the tracks live in. However, all that works means nothing when the instrumentals feel limp and uninspired, aggressive synth stabs making short appearances only to be replaced by pretty basic melodic placeholders. Abel sounds bored and like he can't be half-assed to pour any real emotion into his vocals, and it makes sense when the lyrics are thinner and less imaginative than a piece of toilet paper. Just a frustrating LP overall – it's clear Tesfaye wanted to build something massive here, but the end product feels empty and sterile due to his lack of follow-through.

Way too soft-spoken and timid to leave a mark. Most of the instrumentals are relatively unexciting, and while Mustafa’s voice is amazing, the lack of dynamics means the whole album passes by like a soft whisper.

About as exciting and pleasurable a Dave Matthew's Band experience as those Chicago tourists got in 2004.

Wanted to like this one but it just didn’t leave a mark – the arrangements feel dated and unoriginal, and while Cameron alludes to many genres in the instrumentation, none of them really stick and the whole thing ends up feeling a bit lost for a core sound.

This dominated the indie scene back when it dropped around 2018, and I somehow missed giving it a listen. There’s an immense amount of world building going on here, with some creative production and massive instrumentals creating a real sense of organic space. I do wish the connective tissue were a bit stronger (it feels a bit disjointed and amorphous in parts), but as an experience it was well worth the trip.

Amazed at how many classics were on here, some that I hadn’t heard in ages but still knew were impactful. While a bit samey throughout instrumentation-wise, this LP does classic rock well with a good mix of moods and a whole heap of soul from Seger. A fun listen and a good addition to the list.

An amazing early-aughts fusion of dance, hard rock, and indie that hasn’t been replicated since. The Strokes-like angular guitar licks, harder focus, and urgent lyricism make this LP feel immediate and fresh even today, and it still occupies a unique niche in indie culture untouched by other contemporaries like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. There is some unnecessary padding here and there within the shorter runtime, but for the most part this LP firmly believes in burning twice as bright for half as long and is all the better for it.

Whatever you’re expecting going into this one, you’re probably wrong – loved getting lost in the rich narrative structure this LP built, and how it twisted and turned through a few different styles on its way through. Well ahead of its time, too, for being released in 1970. A good deal of psych-meets-prog innovation wonder that sadly doesn’t seem to be reflected in the main 1001 canon picks of the era.

This was my add, and a generally poor attempt at covering a blind spot I (personally) found in the original 1001. You’re probably familiar with the work of John Dwyer whether you know it or not – if you’ve played Grand Theft Auto V or watched Breaking Bad, you’ve heard some of his work as part of the soundtrack. The main vehicle for Dwyer’s insanity is Thee Oh Sees, who throughout the years have been known as - Orinoka Crash Suite - Orange County Sound - OCs - The Ohsees - The Oh Sees - Thee Oh Sees (when I came on board and my personal fav) - Oh Sees - Osees With each name change usually highlighting a complete departure from the band’s previous musical focus. Originally just Dwyer recording solo guitar in his bedroom, the project has been through so many notable incarnations and lineups that the past/present members could likely host a whole family reunion on their own. While Dwyer’s focus has pinged anywhere from somber freak folk to crunchy electronica, he has consistently put out some of the best psych-tinged music on Earth running for three decades at this point. There’s an undeniable thread running throughout the 50+ albums in the man’s complete discography (including about 15 side bands and projects), a distinct feeling of being lost somewhere in the Mojave with some esoteric words scrawled on the rocks as lyrics – think Dopesmoker, but crack instead of weed. All of this underscored by some of the loudest, most aggressive guitar work out there, deceptively simple but technically wild. The live LP I’ve thrown up here is an incomplete compilation of the various Oh Sees eras filtered through the lens of their current, rock-heavy lineup (which features two drummers, because why not?). While this LP doesn’t do justice to the true variety of the Osees catalog, it’s the best encapsulation of the raw fucking passion Dwyer brings to each of his projects. This man has put out or contributed to 1-3 albums a year since 2001, all the while observing a tour schedule that would put many other bands in the ground. I’ve seen The Oh Sees about 5 times now, and no other live experience has topped what this band does time and time again like a well-oiled machine. The sonic element is captured pretty well here, and highlights some of the more notable songwriting from Dwyer’s catalogue (even if it is biased heavily toward the heavier garage rock the band was putting out from 2012 - 2015). If you liked what you heard here, I recommend diving into 2011’s ‘Carrion Crawler/The Dream’ EP or 2013’s full-length ‘Floating Coffin.’ These are the most popular entry points into the Dwyer discography by way of OCs, but only the first step into an oeuvre littered with names like Gong Splat, Witch Egg, Damaged Bug, and Coachwhips. It’s a long way down, but an easy journey when Dwyer’s complete devotion to the music shows on every single, EP, project, and live album. This man cares about nothing more in life than music, and I think that’s something worth celebrating here.

Nearly all of the big Primus hits on this one, and a great run-through of what to expect from Les Claypool and his delightfully weird band. Does run a bit long for the melodic content (or lack thereof) it has to share, but the off-the-walls orchestration in the bass contains enough novelty horsepower to make this a fun listen regardless.

Been a while since a synth-heavy album has come through on the project. This was balanced just well enough to keep me interested all the way through without veering into cheese territory, though I could definitely feel my attention waning by the end. A fun listen and a good add.

A much more focused and intense (almost hardcore) effort than I was expecting from the band having only listened to 'Lateralus.' While I still prefer the more long-form efforts of the latter, this was an exhilarating listen and gave the band some room to shred and let loose for a bit. The interludes could be dropped (they're solely in the throwaway filler camp), and some of the arrangements tightened, but this LP still fucks heavy overall and that's what I needed today.

This LP has no idea what it wants to be, and all the guises it tries on are equally annoying. There are longer sections of breezy radio-friendly pop that give way to boring attempts at pummeling hardcore, all that circling back to plucky synth pop that should’ve stayed in the ‘aughts. At its completion, this album gives me no sense of what Wilson was trying to accomplish or what kind of artist he wants to be, even though he tried damn hard for an hour to convince me otherwise.

While there are some fun early-00’s bops on here, none of them rise above what I would’ve expected for the era. A good time but not wholly memorable all in all.

There’s been a large wave of this country-bluegrass revival sweeping the indie scene in the past decade, and I’ll be quite honest in that most of it sounds similar to me. This LP is executed well but barely makes any kind of mark, there’s just not enough personality in the songwriting, instrumentation, or arrangements to make this stand out in any way.

Was expecting a slog from the genre and description, but found a nice palatable LP instead. Important to go in with the context that each track is written from a different perspective (as the names would suggest), which helps glaze over some of the more scattershot songs that don't fit nicely with each other. Definitely missing out on a lot here as I'm more of an instrumental than lyrical listener, but from what tidbits I did pick up on it's clear Dawson has layered the entire LP with plenty of narrative and thought to sustain its runtime. All in all, a good experience - not what I was expecting from an hour of avant-garde folk at all.

Failed to make an outstanding impression on me – most songs feel quite similar, and the vocals are cloying and flat. The Spanish songs that came on rotation after the album ended felt much more vibrant than anything displayed in the 35 minute runtime on this LP.

There are maybe 1-2 good songs on this entire LP, which displays all the failings of modern Christian rock. I wasn’t exposed to any of this through my Methodist upbringing (it seemed to be a bigger hit with the Church of Christ crowd), but even then I could realize how generic and homogenous the genre is by design. Step one foot outside of outright praise and you’ve pushed too far for success, meaning artists regularly scramble to find new words to describe the same old act of praising Jesus (which wasn’t all that lyrical to begin with). No wonder the lyrics on this album feel so corny and cheesy throughout, and the instrumentals non-dynamic and flat. I’m hoping some incarnation of Switchfoot found their way out of the genre and into a more welcoming creative space. The decently solid tracks here have some really creative songwriting and exciting instrumentals, finding ways to connect back to the narrative agenda in a way that’s not wholly religious and palatable for wider radio play. Just a shame the rest of the album has to be coated in cheese, platitudes, and worship guitar that’s nigh unbearable for nearly an hour.

Five albums on the list wasn’t enough for you, bud? Absolute waste of a spot that could’ve gone to a modern artist not on the 1001.

This one was fun! Had some interesting, catchy melodies to share in its apt runtime. Good album to get going in the morning and an enjoyable listen overall.

Fascinating foreign LP – reminded me of a darker, more orchestral Tally Hall. These bands often have a tendency to slip into cheesy melodies or forgettable arrangements, but the Kaizers stuck the landing here with some great, creative songwriting. Picked up a few tracks here I'll be coming back to, only way I could've been more engaged with the album is if I spoke Norwegian.

Giving this one a 5 as 'Lonerism' isn't on the list – while the latter is Tame Impala's magnum opus, 'Currents' is a nearly perfect successor that saw Kevin Parker flexing his musical prowess by merging psych rock with synthy pop sensibilities without batting an eye. There's a perfect push and pull here between the OG Tame Impala sun-drenched guitar and the larger role played by synthesizers (who were already starting to steal the show on 'Lonerism'), the mix absolutely jam-packed with lush, rich melody but not overwhelmingly so. There are so many moving parts instrumentally on each track, but there's never a sense of fatigue or burnout – the drums, bass, and guitar anchor a strong psych-rock basis that allows Parker to experiment with wild synth runs and his now-classic falsetto dancing on top. Most of this experimentation is wildly successful, with 'Less I Know' becoming an instant smash and 'Let It Happen' becoming a modern psych staple of almost prog-like proportions. Much like its cover, the album is an encompassing miasma that flows and envelops everything around it in a way that's distinctly Parker's sound, but in an exciting new evolution. While the album did presage the crushing disappointment that was the sterile 'Slow Rush' (where, personal opinion, Parker sold way the fuck out), it's an amazing note to go out on as the last real Tame Impala LP. Psych-rock meets synth-pop is clearly a winning combination we need more of, at least when Kevin Parker tries his hand at it.

In a way this would be a perfect addition to the standard 1001, as it falls right into the bland, cloying Britpop that makes up a good chunk of the list. Some good melodies here and there but not nearly enough to salvage the LP.

Great representation of some earlier German rock, would've thought this band had Eastern roots if not for the vocals. This LP felt somewhat ahead of its time – the closest analog that kept popping up for me was a more operatic 'Dopesmoker' by Sleep, in that it was a journey unto itself across the full length of the album. Probably won't be to everyone's tastes (and I could've used some more of that vibrant guitar), but still a good pick to add some variety to the list.

A crime I haven’t listened to this one all the way through - only knew ‘Sound of Settling’ because it was a free track on Tap Tap Revenge all the way back in 2008. It’s clear to see why this is one of Death Cab’s highest-regarded LPs in an already storied discography. The album bursts vibrantly to life from the opening track, and doesn’t really let up until about 3/4 of the way through. Gibbard’s layered sonfwriting and the band’s punchy yet lush instrumentals are turned up to the max here, reaching an energy level usually not present in the project’s output. The whole thing does drop off hard after the auditory stream runs out, but the LP is so front-loaded with amazing tracks that the whole thing coasts to the end on its momentum. A fun, invigorating listen, and an album I’ll be returning to for sure.

One Eels LP on the official list was already one too many, and this album is somehow even worse. Playground songwriting, no sense of coherence, and a piss-poor vocalist who sounds like he’s barely trying are only part of the problem here – add in some forgettable backing instrumentals and this somehow manages to be both boring and annoying at once.

While there’s plenty of dynamic contrast across this LP, it somehow manages to feel quite flat – at a certain point, the combined wails of the vocalist and guitar become a sort of white noise that fades into the background. This is a typical problem for albums in this genre, and while I support more early-aughts representation on the list I don’t think this is the best contender to rep the era.

While the B-52's already had an album on the list, I think this LP is a much better representation of their energy and overall oeuvre. The tracks are a bit more varied, the energy is generally high, and the musicianship feels more honed than on their S/T record. 'Private Idaho' is my fav track from the band and much better than some of their other hits, and I will not hear anything to the contrary.

Only heard ‘Such Great Heights’ previously, so the full LP came as a little bit of a shock with how experimental and almost clubby it felt. Not sure Gibbard’s wandering and narrative lyricism gels 100% with the fully electronic tracks, but somehow it all makes an odd kind of sense. This feels like a breath of fresh air even today (despite a few dated instrumentals), so I can’t imagine how hard it hit back in the early 2000s.

Long and dreary without much excitement along the way – some flashes of interesting melodies and guitar work, but mostly flat and non-dynamic for most of its runtime.

An actual deep cut that surprised me with its depth. While the uptempo energy does peter out over the course of the LP, the strong start is enough to demand attention with its layered rhythms and punchy, bassy synths. Most of the electronica from this era has aged poorly due to the high-pitched treble-drenched synth choices of the time, so to find a well-done LP with some electronic meat on its bones is a real treat

Interesting LP, sounded almost like a 90s refresh on Queen. The instrumentals are executed well, and even though the arrangements feel a bit homogenous by the end I considered myself entertained for the most part.

This was already going to be an uphill battle as I’m not usually one for slower singer-songwriter efforts, but Sundfør’s predilection for sub-60 BPM tracks across the entire LP made this one a slog. Next to no rhythmic or dynamic contrast, cloying lyrics, and straight love songs across the board meant this was well outside my wheelhouse and honestly kind of annoying. Susanne may have a killer voice, but 45 minutes of boomerish whining about how nO oNe BeLiEveS iN lOvE AnYmoRe would be a tough sell even if it was coming from a choir of angels.

Per usual for a Gambino album, this is a lush journey with some excellent production, arrangements, and thematics. Personally prefer Internet/Camp for their harder-hitting synth stylings and tongue-in-cheek vibe, but I can't fault Glover for exploring other genres and executing them with perfection.

This one left me high and dry - the instrumentals are okay, if a bit generic indie, but the vocals are much too ramshackle and unfocused to bring everything together. The LP feels a little aimless and without a solid organizing principle.

Liked that this LP put a bit more energy into what I would expect from traditional Hispanic pop music, a little bit more verve in the instrumentation did a lot for my enjoyment of the genre.

How this band didn’t end up on the list is beyond me, this was an amazing, fully-formed Punk LP with substance for days compared to some of the representative albums on the official project. The amount of social critiques woven into great instrumentals is off the charts here, and even if some of them are aggressively on the nose, they still succeed based on usual punk standards for subtlety. Great add and a personal fav find so far.

Nice to hear some classical on the list, though I wish there had been a stronger melodic throughline or some more leitmotifs to glue the whole thing together. The modern production techniques added some new layers to the classical repertoire, but without an iconic melody or unifying theme, this felt more like a collection of tracks rather than the grand journey the best symphonies represent.

Overlong, crass, and dated – couldn’t really stand this one from the get-go and it only got worse from there. There was a certain sense of pique born from the early grunge movement that mutated into an almost childish immaturity by the early 2000s, and this LP represents the worst of those impulses with its pointlessly vulgar lyricism and forgettable instrumentals.

Tongue-in-cheek lyrics always ride a fine line for me, but thanks to some creative and glib wordplay this one ends up in the positive camp. Doesn’t hurt that these guys have a real knack for melody – while I wished there were some longer, more-involved tracks, the selection here was a fun ride overall.

Wanted to like the mix of traditional Hispanic + some modern electronic elements, but the vocals were so grating and the execution so lacking that this one became more of a slog than anything else.

Rueing the fact my Spanish is so rusty since this album makes it clear there's a pretty epic narrative being spun across the tracks. Even without the added context, this was an entertaining listen – not every song broke the mold I would expect for the genre, but most made me pay attention through the novel instrumental choices and genre mixes. Great listen and a good model for the international representation that should have been on the official project.

A different take on 80s rock that I enjoyed - no wild vocals, no dated synths, just a solidly rock LP with some minor glam stylings. I’d heard of Squier before but had never listened to any of his tracks knowingly, so appreciate this actually worthwhile classic rock addition.

About a decade on from the dreaded handclap/footstomp era of indie, the hindsight hasn’t changed much from living in the moment itself. The instrumentals are executed well, the sound design feels alternative, and it sure looks like an independent LP – so why then does the whole thing feel so soulless? There’s not a shred of genuine emotion on this thing, and despite the musical execution the whole thing feels flat. My working theory is that many artists of the time saw this kind of working man, independent lo-fi aesthetic as a covert way to sell out. These tracks may have started out on smaller stations, but eventually they all somehow found their way into mainstream radio, home insurance commercials, and brunch restaurant playlists. It’s the same kind of artificial songwriting that modern pop uses to establish memorability more so than actual musicality, and it still feels just as stale as when it first hit the scene.

An interesting one, reminds me of a more modern, sardonic Silver Jews. Mostly enjoyed this LP, felt it got a bit too caught up in its own lyrical cleverness here and there but for the most part I enjoyed the stories it was putting down.

Solid funk LP, didn’t have much staying power for me but I enjoyed the grooves in the moment and that’s all I can ask for.

Glam rock done right – each song comes in with a groovy, chorus-drenched main riff, says its piece, and leaves without taxing the listener. Definitely gets a nostalgia bump since I jammed out to this one with my Dad on longer drives, but it still holds up as a solid listen today.

I’m sure some people see artistry when they listen to this LP, but all I’m getting is crass, vulgar nonsense. Feels like someone recorded some uninspiring guitar and let the local crank talk over it just for kicks.

A more modern take on a dinger-songwriter LP with some great guitar and surprising instrumental tricks up its sleeve. Still primarily vocal-driven, but thanks to Ritter’s solid writing there’s at least some sense of narrative intrigue that sits well on top of the meatier instrumentals.

A softer side of Sufjan compared to the epic ‘Illinoise,’ this LP has some serious chops in the instrumental department with a great mixture of guitar and some low-level synths. I think your mileage on this one depends on how you feel about Sufjan’s vocals (which take up center stage throughout) and more singer-songwriter leaning tracks.

Feels like a beginner's attempt at a rap LP, with dreadfully banal lyrics and not much interesting to speak of in the beats. Also feels like the vocals are mixed down below the cymbals at points, so the whole thing needs some more studio polish at least.

The instrumentation here was perfect, just wish there had been some more variation in the vocals – the given riffs/melodies for each track were interesting and raw, but hearing the same word or phrase over them again and again put me off.

Relatively awful album, all in all. Little rhythmic or dynamic contrast means there’s not much excitement to be had in any way, and coupled with dollar-store chord progressions the whole LP feels flatter than a pancake. The vocals do nothing to build up this poor foundation, instead opting for repeating phrases that feel lazy and grate as the album goes on. The whole thing feels like a stuck gearbox with clutch caught on first gear and making an awful grinding noise, but even that would be a more interesting listen than this LP.

Decent funk/soul-inspired LP with some absolute classics that have stood the test of time. It's a testament to LaBelle's vocals that the mix at time feels too rich, with several perfectly-executed vocals crowding out a stronger rhythmic basis from the instrumentals.

Great modern hip-hop LP with well-sampled beats and a who's who of guest stars. Does feel a bit crowded and overlong as a result, meaning Gibbs' own personality here is a bit hard to decipher against MadLib's stylings, but given the stellar production and instrumentals (+ poor showings from the more recent selections on the official list), I'm willing to give this a high rating for being such a rock-solid and fun album.

Hell yeah, awesome add. Discovered this LP last summer and have had it in some sort of rotation since, given it feels stunningly fresh for an album released in the 90s. Between the untamed vocals, rock-solid drum and bass, and wiry technical guitar, this feels like the original incarnation of Daughters or other recent mathcore bands two decades ahead of time. Lots to dig into from a technical perspective, but what matters here is the overall sweaty, animalistic feel that exists alongside an overwhelming sense of control, two opposites building on and tearing into each other. The result is an absolutely wild, feral ride that's become hard to find in rock music nowadays, and one I don't mind returning to again and again (especially as a native Texan, Austin represent).

I've always thought metal was a genre ripe for electronic crossover, so it's cool to see an artist carry that experiment out with decent results. This LP does take a minute to get off the ground, but once it does the assortment of creative production techniques and wild instrumentation makes for a fun ride. My main gripes are that the scattered vocals are uniformly pretty bad and distracting, and that there needs to be a stronger sense of melody throughout – I for one am happy to listen to an hour of pure noise, but some stronger hooks and sense of musicality would've easily lifted this to a 4.

At the risk of bringing out the pitchforks, I’ve never understood the lasting appeal of this band in the indie scene. Sure, you have some interesting melodic hooks and the clever, witty lyricism, but then again so did fun. and a few dozen other indie bands of the era. Do these guys get the credit simply because they were there first? Did the silly little comma song guarantee lasting fortune and fame forever? This LP is a solid and enjoyable listen, but the whole project has definitely soured a bit as the cleverness has turned in on itself and resulted in more bloated, forgettable albums like this year’s ‘Only God Was Above Us.’ Maybe I’m being a boomer on this one, but I just don’t get the hype y’all.

I don’t know what it is, but if you add some funky guitars and a healthy dollop of psyched-out reverb to one of my least favorite genres (Reggae) it becomes one of my absolute faves. This was a great, slow-burn Dub LP that chilled me out on a particularly stressful day. A tad less vibrant and varied than the previous user-submitted Dub album (light spoilers, sorry), but a great addition nonetheless.

This band is trying way too hard to be a glossy, modern-day Springsteen and ends up sounding like a cut-rate version of the Killers as a result. The instrumentals are executed well and I can see the vision, but this is still landfill indie at the end of the day.

Eh, it's fine – without any context (live album? soundtrack? concept album?) or introduction to the band, this reads as some nice but ultimately bland jazz that doesn't have much grit to it. Technically astounding, but even if someone juggled flaming bowling pins in front of you for an hour on end you'd still get bored because it's all the same!

A decent (if overlong) J-Pop LP with some interesting production elements and beautiful vocals. Giving this one a bump as Japan was sorely underrepresented on the main list, great to see some international representation and different genres for once!

Some solid 70s rock instrumentals aren’t enough to keep this feeling like some copycat Costello – vocal antics do nothing for me but incite rage, so the repetitive choruses and kooky delivery didn’t do much here to improve the LP’s standing.

Waffled between a 2 and 3 on this one, as while it’s well-executed and generally pleasing it lacked a certain wow factor and left me disappointed as to why some record stores have entire walls tiled with copies of this LP. Going with a 3 here by thinking about this in its historical context – not a big band expert, but I’m sure this was a relative hell of a listen when it first dropped.

Suffers from many of the classic New Wave pitfalls of the time, most notably arrangements that run on and on and don't know when enough choruses are enough. Even the tracks with appropriate runtimes feel so flat, much as I usually love the synthy soundscapes of the genre.

Surprising to me there weren't more 80s pop efforts on the initial 1001, so this felt like a breath of fresh air. The compositions are vibrant and lively, Gibson's vocals are rich and well-positioned in the mix, and the whole thing feels like a more well-suited use of the 80s' sense of indulgence than another New Wave or glam rock LP. Could definitely use some fat trimming (most tracks can't help but run one chorus too long), but a fun listen and again something that felt new after ~1200 albums.

Not really sure what this LP is trying to be or what APP was trying to communicate here. The individual rock and orchestral portions are done quite well (if a little standard for pieces of their time), but they mix together like water and oil with not much narrative thread to hold the abrupt shift together.

This LP had an uphill battle already as singer-songwriter is one of my least favorite genres, but it was so vapid and poorly constructed that it actually made me a little angry. June has little to offer in the way of original songwriting, with most of these being timid covers of greats gone by. Much worse, her take on these classics is the softest, most quavering vocal I’ve heard in a while - it’s almost as if she’s afraid to raise her voice above a whisper lest someone know she’s singing. I wanted to attribute this to bad mixing, but even on the very few tracks that have a tempo above a crawl her vocals barely rise above the instrumentals. Just an uninspired, insipid LP overall that brings nothing new to the table.

Firmly believe the British are at their best when they’re taking the piss – there were more than a few moments on this one where Hitchcock’s frank, sardonic delivery got a chuckle out of me. This LP isn’t without its faults, as the more ballad-like tracks drag on without the characteristic wit of their uptempo counterparts, but for the most part it’s pretty solid. Good instrumentals, serviceable melodies, and the album’s characteristic humor all make for a surprisingly enjoyable listen in a genre I usually struggle with.

Liked this one, even if it felt a bit stodgy due to trappings of the past at points. Think cutting a bit of the fat and getting this LP down to a 40-minute runtime would’ve made it killer, but even then it was enjoyable getting to hear Canada’s take on R.E.M.

A decent jazz album, I wasn’t familar with Baker’s work before this so it was nice to put some tunes to the name. The instrumentals were flawless, just wish this had a bit more bite/personality to give it some flair.

Thought this would be the LP to finally get me into this band, but after a strong start it hit all of the usual problems I have with Granduciel's songwriting. The ethereal, encompassing sound should be right in my wheelhouse, and for the first few tracks, a stronger guitar presence kept the whole ordeal grounded and raw for a great sonic combination. That grit leaves somewhere in the middle though (did the overdrive pedal give out?), and what's left are considerably lengthy tracks that feel more like a soft, dull cloud than anything real and tangible. You cannot write an 11-minute track and fail to develop the chord sequence either, which to me seems a massive oversight in songwriting that I would have preferred to do without. If this is the band's musical ethos then I think I need to accept this will never be the band for me.

Initially, I was dreading over an hour of breakbeats and scratching, but in thinking of this LP as a documentary rather than an artistic statement I think I enjoyed it a bit more. DJing is such a masterful and underappreciated art, and having a collection of solid mixes is a great introduction and documentation of a niche genre. That being said, I was feeling the effects of the performance being flattened down to a 2D representation – the visual aspect of watching DJs move the faders and scratch with seemingly inhuman skill is what (to me) makes this kind of music so fun, so I fully understand if people finish this LP and feel burnt out and exhausted.

One of DOOM’s most cohesive and catchy efforts, chock full of hypnotic beats and the ever-playful, witty bars the man was known for. Like most MF efforts, this LP gets a bit too caught up in the meta-narrative for my taste and lets audio samples get in the way of its own creative genius, but once the tracks get rolling it’s hard not to lose yourself in the flow. RIP DOOM, man had so many ideas and tracks left to give the world yet still left such a prolific mark while he was here

A rare New Wave LP that took me by surprise - was never really sure where this one was going, and the constantly-evolving rhythms and off-kilter instrumentation felt surprisingly distinct for an album in this genre. Some slower, standard takes of the time towards the back half drag a little, but overall this was a solid and pretty entertaining listen.

Not the album for me – while some of the instrumentals were creative and fun, DiFranco’s breathy and at-times rhythmically-tortured delivery marred any chance of musicality here. I’m much more of an instrumentalist than a lyricist when listening, so an hour+ of edgy, bitter singing was not really my cup of tea.

Enjoyed an international detour for a bit, and the strong sense of melody in the instrumentals was much appreciated. This was a rich (but not fatty) LP, Keita’s warm, dominant vocals sitting perfectly atop the well-mixed melodies. Did get a bit homogeneous near the end, but overall a great listen and another much-needed international addition to the original 1001.

I discovered Hum during the pandemic when they dropped their most recent LP, and instantly it was clear how influential and timeless this band is. The ‘space rock’ tag could easily end up invoking dopey 90s’ pop in disguise, but Hum make it stick with unrelenting walls of guitar and a perfectly-mixed rhythm section that keep the whole effort somehow tethered to Earth. Though some of the quieter, downtempo tracks feel a tad out of place on this album, the project as a whole presents an unapologetic artistic vision that clearly evokes a natural extension of the 90s grunge scene while feeling timeless even to this day. This LP in particular encapsulates the most visceral of Hum’s songwriting – the lyrics aren’t going to win a Pulitzer, but they manage to add just enough depth to some of the band’s most insane instrumentals that pushes this LP to the top for me. The loss of drummer Bryan St. Pere a few years ago was a huge loss for the band and music as a whole, especially for an outfit that had clearly maintained their form and had so much more to say musically. That the band already has such a rock-steady discography to stand on is a testament to how clearly locked in this band was on their vision, one that managed to feel deep but with its hair down at the same time. I’m definitely biased (I listened to ‘Stars’ 120+ times this year), but this band still does not get the credit it’s due for subtly altering the course of rock to come.

One of my indie marks of shame growing up was that I went to college in Denton, Texas, yet never truly listened to The Mountain Goats (and missed out on many hometown shows) out of a fear that I never "got" their music. Coming back a decade later, I understand why the younger version of myself struggled – this is a narrative LP through and through, the only things guiding the listener through a threadbare acoustic and Darnielle's monotone storytelling. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's the fact I left my home state behind a long time ago, but listening back to these intimate corners of life set in familiar locales finally hit home. The consistent minimal lo-fi instrumentation does threaten to wear a bit thin in the middle, but the genuine nature and slightly sardonic lens we're given to look through at these human situations carries the LP enough to make it to the finish line. This is the highest I've rated a singer-songwriter LP by far (it's one of my least favorite genres instrumentally), and I'm definitely giving this bonus cred due to my Texas pride, but I cannot deny how well-composed and real this album feels.

Too oblique and ambient an effort to leave much impact - I’m of course missing the impact of the lyricism here, but an hour ten of orchestral tracks that all aim to be these grand, sweeping art pieces does not make for an LP with a sense of depth or progression. More movement and melodic variation in the instrumentals would’ve done a lot to give a sense of rise and fall, as is this just sounds like the final boss of the world’s fanciest open mic/slam poetry night.

Another singer-songwriter effort that feels so much like the others. My listening habits focus pretty squarely on the instrumentals for a given LP, and while great lyrics can elevate a track to new heights, this album (and genre as a whole) treads so much of the same ground again and again. Give me an interesting chord progression, a wild timbre, something I’ve never heard before - just please don’t sing the same song about love and loss over the same thin guitar chords over and over again.

What a frustrating listen – could’ve been a great amalgamation of experimental, industrial textures if it actually had any melodic content. Instead, the LP feels nearly threadbare and more a collection of assorted sounds than any real statements. There are bits and pieces of chords scattered about, and with some real melodic meat on its bones this could’ve been a pretty wild fusion of some different timbres. Instead, this just drags on forever without much reward for 70 minutes of your time.

Couldn’t read any kind of personality from this one at all, struggling to even recall a memorable line or chord progression. Not sure what’s meant to make this stand out from the crowd of similar artists of the time, whatever it is I’m not seeing it.

This one nearly exceeded my patience, but managed to stay within tolerance through some interesting synth instrumentation and melodies. Felt very organic and alive in its production, which helped the 10-minute tracks feel slightly more tolerable and dynamic as a relatively static progression can be. This one will definitely get some hate here, but I was able to mostly vibe with it and I think it was the LP I needed today.

Music that theater kids would make for their point-and-click fantasy game that’s a painfully unsubtle metaphor for being bullied in high school.

This band has been on my periphery for ages and it’s on me for not listening to them sooner. The highs here were great, a mix of charging/simmering instrumentals coupled with perfectly insidious vocal delivery that yield some haunting hard rock. The lows unfortunately drag the whole LP down to a sludgy crawl (hence the rating) and could definitely be trimmed to make this a leaner, meaner LP. That being said I will be returning to more than a few tracks off of this one and look forward to diving into the Sunny Day discography!

I’ve been a fan of previous Big Thief efforts and have usually enjoyed their LPs, but this one is entirely too long and bloated as an artistic project for my tastes. 80 minutes of music that doesn’t have much of an overarching narrative progression is a lot to ask of any listener, and even a band of this instrumental caliber struggles to hold together that much songwriting in a way that feels distinct track to track without getting tiring. Big Thief has always excelled at creating small, intimate moments in their tightly-coordinated albums, so I struggle to understand why they pushed to extremes here and tried to pack so much into one go.

I've danced around the periphery of this band for some time as a casual fan of prog, but hadn't given one of their LPs a full listen. This was a mostly fun ride, and at times felt almost theatrical which made for a fun listen. My personal preference would've been to cut down on some of the quieter interludes that bulk up the track runtimes – this band excels at intense technical passages, and it felt those only got 40% of the limelight relative to the less-novel quiet bits.

A solid pick, the user-added LPs could use some heavier genre selections instead of more singer-songwriter efforts. While this one definitely lacked any kind of dynamic contrast (making it a bit of a tiring listen at 45 minutes of pure loud), it did keep my head bopping and toe tapping through some bread-and-butter djent riffs. While not a perfect artistic statement, it was entertaining and enjoyable which is exactly what I needed today.

Didn't think I'd be giving a demo tape this high a rating, but here we are. I remember the hype when this official LP dropped in 2019, but the context was well before my time as a music nerd and I couldn't fully appreciate the narrative behind the release. Hearing these tracks now, I'm floored by how well-realized and rich this tape is melodically – Paul is willing to saturate the entire production space at once, but does so masterfully without destroying the mix or fatiguing the listener. While it understandably reads in a disjointed fashion, this LP has such high highs that I'm willing to overlook the lack of flow. The arrangements and synth timbres are just too good to deny, and I appreciate how Jai came back to what must've been a crushing artistic blow and reclaimed it in his own way.

This LP stretches itself much too thin trying to figure out what it wants to be, jumping from one early-aughts genre to another with not much melodic or instrumental thread to connect one track to another. There seems to be a larger narrative element at play, but the the sudden, distracting tonal shifts (and accompanying instrumentation changes) meant that the lyrics often fell by the wayside of placing another disparate track in context of the others. The best albums are those where each track feels unique but contributes to the whole, and this LP is definitely lacking when you sum up its parts.

I struggled to 'get' this band up until the beginning of this year when I stumbled upon their Pitchfork Live set on YouTube (which you should watch if you even casually liked this album). I love instrumental work, but from the few tracks I had heard throughout the years felt that Khruangbin's style was too mellow and samey for my tastes. Felt like an idiot when I dove further into their discography and found that this band fucking rocks! A great mix of tempos, moods, and vibes that's executed to perfection by three musicians at the peak of their craft. Not a single note, groove, or lick is out of place here as the whole outfit runs with clockwork precision, yet the overall feeling is anything but mechanical – instead, every track feels like an organic, living thing that has grown into itself, lived-in but new and fresh at the same time. No wonder this band is selling out shows for minimal, instrumental music in an age where excess and lyrics dominate – this is a great add to the list and a deserved recognition!

So-so 90s LP with all the radio-friendly trappings of the era. Think this one could’ve made a stronger statement if it chose a lane between the pop and country elements it only dabbled in throughout – Carpenter’s vocals are strong, but the lack of strong melodies means this album feels a bit lacking in a strong artistic statement at the end of the day.

This a good mix of ska and indie elements which I hadn't heard before. I am not a huge ska fan, but the added layer of orchestral voices to a standard indie mix made everything feel a bit richer and lively which was fun. Does fall into some of the repetitive melodies/rhythms of the genre, but still manages to make a name for itself in its short runtime.

The kind of music you would hear playing at an Applebee’s or other chain restaurant in a misguided attempt to seem hip. The instrumentals were dated to begin with, and the raspy, muttering vocals do nothing to bring the tracks together. Some very repetitive songwriting as well, if you don’t know how to write a bridge/coda then don’t say the same lyric twenty times over to end a track!

It’s impossible to overstate just how dominant a pop culture force ‘The Middle’ was when this dropped – it’s one of the first songs I remember hearing on the radio as I was driven to elementary school. I do feel for the band because the sheer power of the one song was always going to be difficult to top, as it completely outshone the rest of the album (case in point, this was my first full listen ever). Though definitely a product of its time, this LP still brings some ideas to the table that feel fresh even today, and whoever mixed this did a damn good job and as it’s still light and punchy. The lowest points are the draggy, sappy ballads (plural!) that were required by law for any album released at the time, and though they do kill the overall flow of the LP it still moves along with a good deal of genuine energy and verve. Not the most cohesive artistic statement ever, but a worthwhile blast from the past that made its mark.

Remember when this one dropped into rotation at my college station, and though my music taste was pretty atrocious freshman year I could still realize this shit rocked. Vocals like this usually strain my patience, but the ragged and thin texture works well against the shifting guitar underneath – sleek and clean until it becomes ragged on the edge at a moment's notice. Incredibly well-crafted album that feels so much longer than its 36 minute runtime (in a good way) and left me craving more, great add and a needed blast from the past.

Blast from the past as I remember hearing a few of these tracks all of the time on the 90s/aughts station I listened to growing up. This LP certainly isn’t lacking in personality - once one adjusts to the rich instrumentation and almost theatrical production, it’s clear the Dummies have a distinct artistic bent that gives the album a solid dose of individuality. The heavy reliance on lyricism did tire me out by the end, but there were enough heavy punches of guitar and drums to keep me invested all the way through – the whole effort evokes an English major version of Spacehog which is a fun twist on the 90s sound.

Low is one of those bands who I constantly do a disservice to by not remembering how excellent and varied their discography is. While I prefer the more experimental, uptempo outings as of late, this band always LPs straight from the heart – there's not a second on this album that doesn't feel genuine and crafted with care. Nice to hear a band out there that's still making music for music's sake, great add!

This was the first CD I consciously remember listening to, and I spun that thing until the edges were worn down. Twain masterfully fused country song structures with just enough pop sensibility to create an album that’s catchier than any pop country release since, and has aged gracefully while being way ahead of its time. Solid songwriting, great lyricism and instrumentals, Twain’s stellar vox, AND the feminist anthem of our generation as the opening track? This LP is stacked dangerously high with talent and delivers on every level.

A re-imagining of a Broadway soundtrack recorded as its own album? Kind of a silly premise to begin with – losing the orchestral flair (and going for this super-soft indie vibe) means the dramatic moments aren’t emphasized, and at the end of the day I now still have to watch the play to get the full experience. An hour of softly-whispered narrative with only a few dramatic highlights is a lot to ask of a listener without the staging behind it, and as a standalone LP this falls flat on its face as a result.

Not as immediate or striking as other Floyd LPs, but still an immaculately-instrumented album with technical prowess to spare. The symbolism does seem a bit on the nose, but with musicianship this good I don't particularly care.

One of the most important skills a band/artist can have is a keen sense of editing, a sense that is sorely lacking on this LP. I'm not opposed to the maximalist instrumentation and kind of dug the industrial, squealing guitar, but the histrionic vocals and repetitive songwriting meant this thing was doomed from the start with a nearly 90-minute runtime. It's exhausting to take in tracks this loud and relentless over that span, and even though the album seemed to hit its stride in the back half I was too exhausted and checked out by then to care.

Definitely too recent an LP to qualify for a best-of-all-time list just yet, which also sums up my thoughts on modern pop albums in general – Roan is clearly immensely talented, and her delivery does sound more genuine than most, but will anyone care about this album in 1-2 years? Despite Chappell’s heartfelt vocals, this feels like another slickly-produced corporate pop LP that lacks an overall soul. Sure, it’s catchy as hell and has some notable queer representation, but then again so do many other albums in this vein that dropped this year. Just feels like another cycle of the industry hype machine in general, and I doubt any of these tracks will be on people’s minds in less than a year once the new lab-grown smash hit album of the summer eclipses the public’s attention span soon enough.

Throughout the project, I’ve enjoyed becoming more familiar with other psych and dub projects – to hear a modern, polished LP that fuses those genres exceptionally is an absolute treat, and an unexpected surprise that honestly has made my day. This album feels at once structured and airtight while maintaining a sense of organic freedom, resulting in some exciting tracks that buck the norm of what you’re expecting while masterfully executing on the instrumental level. Could’ve done without the vocal elements here and there, but thankfully they don’t detract from the incredible melodic sense throughout this album. It’s funds like these that make this project worth it, amazing add to the list.

Tried my hardest to give this 90s’ proto-Korn LP a fair shake, but after the third mention of jizz I had figured out this wasn’t for me. The instrumentals are squarely repetitive butt rock, but clearly think they’re hard-hitting metal which is a little sad. The lyricism is whiny and immature as previously noted, the tracks swing from hard rock to schmaltzy balladry without any cohesion, and the ill-advised cover as closer almost feels like the frontman was making an attempt to show off his vocals (spoilers: they are not show-off worthy). The coup de grace is that this thing runs for an entire hour, which would be sad if it didn’t play all of its annoying cards in the first 5 minutes.

Lots of these extended, narrative LPs have been added recently and they just don’t do it for me. This is supposedly the 4th installment of this band’s narrative series, and while the effort is incredibly impressive I have no clue really what’s going on without the additional context (musical or lyrical) of the three other albums. In this instance, I have to take everything at face value, and with many of these tracks feeling very similar melodically it’s a little exhausting to sit through 1.25 hours of theater kid level dramatics without a strong connection to why any of this matters. The execution is great, but at the end of the day this isn’t a standalone LP and it suffers from being presented here on its own.

Appreciated the classical feel of this one given the original 1001 didn’t have too many symphonic LPs, but ultimately this one wore my patience a bit thin. There are some interesting ideas at play, and the scope of the longer, proggier tracks is impressive, but there wasn’t a consistent enough melodic presence to keep me 100% grounded throughout. Maybe I would feel more connected if I spoke French?

Tired of hearing this band and their most recent LP on indie radio lately – while this LP contains my favorite song of theirs (“Mistaken For Strangers”), it’s still filled mostly with the droll, wandering tracks that the band continually chooses to make instead of the inspired indie rock they’re clearly capable of. Not sure how much Berninger is involved in the instrumental songwriting, but his tendency to mostly talk the lyrics he seems to think are so inspired definitely weighs down most of the band’s compositions.

Never heard of this band or LP before, and from the get-go I appreciated the heavier guitar and grungy hard rock feel. There were a few progressions that evoked some Kyuss/QotSA vibes, which is a big plus in my book as the original list was definitely lacking in heavier rock albums. The main weaknesses here are the vocals (which were passable at best, annoying at worst) and the runtime – cut 10-15 minutes off this thing and it would feel like an effective gut punch, not tje mildly repetitive love tap it currently is.

A fun listen, even if some of the lyrics got annoyingly repetitive. The original list was lacking in quirky 80s pop like this, even if I don't see myself returning to this one it represents thoughtful coverage of a musical niche that deserves some recognition.

Exceptional post-punk LP! Had saved a few tracks from this one years ago, so I appreciated being reminded this exists and giving it a full run-through. Appreciated the darker Joy Division feel paired against a poppier, Cure-like sensibility in the songwriting and lyricism. Could be a bit tighter and more focused overall, but still a solid listen and great addition to the list

Solid collection of the worst musical trend of the 2010s. EDM was primed for the internet age, an entire genre of zero patience and instant gratification – the longest verse on this LP can’t be more than thirty seconds, the entire production rushing to get to the drop and deliver another dopamine hit for maximum addiction. Theres little (if any) dynamic contrast, meaningful melodies, creative instrumentation, or anything that would push this into the category of art rather than product. It’s the kind of music that was made to be background noise to YouTube influencer videos, and I found plenty of examples when I searched the track tags to confirm that hypothesis. I love electronic music because it provides a palette beyond the limits of physical instruments – modern DAWs can make just about any noise you can imagine and have nearly infinite options. That’s why it’s so frustrating to see cookie-cutter, default synth setting work get big and mar people’s perception of what electronica can be. Listen to some progressive house, DnB, complextro – anything that takes more than one brain cell to appreciate and doesn’t just push your lizard brain reward circuits for an easy hit.

An LP focused entirely on some sort of anger and bitterness, but at what? There’s never a strong enough narrative focus to narrow down the gist of the band’s intent, and coupled with elementary school songwriting/wildly varying instrumentation choices, the album feels unfocused and poorly constructed. Some creative bits of guitar here and there that I liked, but there wasn’t much else I took away from this one

My rating here is more a reflection of personal taste than anything objective. Amos has a great voice and hits some amazing highs on this LP, but at the end of the day it’s another vocal-driven album with not much to show instrumentally. You could write and deliver the most striking lyrics in the world, but at the end of the day it’s just noise without a beautiful melody to back it up.

I've been an on-and-off fan of Vulfpeck for a while, and this was a fun live LP that captured their quirky spirit pretty well while highlighting the best of their discography. Whatever sound engineer recorded this did the band no favors though – the whole thing is entirely too mid-heavy, and Joe Dart's bass (the best part of the band imo) is lost in the mix. It was grating to listen to in a way, but it's a testament to the band's energy that I mostly enjoyed the LP in full despite its poor sound quality.

Good add from one of the best DIY garage bands out there. More a fan of 2012’s ‘Ugly,’ but this LP is packed with highlights from the Screaming Females lengthy discography and some of their poppier, more accessible efforts. Always wild how this trio seems to produce the musical output of 5-6 people on every track. Marissa Paternoster’s strong vocals and insane guitar skills take the forefront, but the rhythm section is rock solid (especially the stable but frenzied drumming). It’s just solid garage rock at the end of the day, something that I feel has been dying out for a while. Case in point, these guys threw in the towel last year after 20 years of touring, recording, and publishing without a single manager or label. Saw them twice and each time was electric, they were one of the best touring rock bands out there and the scene just doesn’t feel the same without them!

As a guitar player, I really despise this kind of jam music. Technically uninteresting, gratuitous noodling on the fretboard is a bit like masturbation –fun for you but nobody else really wants to hear or see it. I imagine that if I was on a suitable amount of drugs this would be interesting, but as it stands sober this commits the cardinal sin of media by being boring as hell. 10+ minute jams with little to no dynamic contrast, key changes, melodic progression – it’s just flat and sterile, a block of music ready-made and packaged for you with no lumps or bumps to cut your teeth on. Really telling that A) there’s no crowd noise, probably because they were asleep or sitting politely in their walkers, and B) the best moments are when the band lifts melodies from people who know how to actually write catchy, enjoyable songs.