International retrofuturism. That's the Ruff Criminal 10 second review. But I owe everyone here a greater explanation, as this is my pick for the list. 2013 was an incredibly formative year for me when it comes to music: I just mentioned this in my review of Because the Internet, but that was the year when I first listened to Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE, then started tuning into Pitchfork's reviews and lists and began expanding my musical palate. It's also when Yeezus dropped and melted my brain, Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap was another world-changer for me, but then there's this album. Maybe the most special to me. I'm not sure what tuned me into this guy initially, but I think I found him slightly before my Pitchfork awakening. His song BTSTU (the final track on here) was sampled by Drake on a song called "Dreams Money Can Buy." I was a big fan of Drake pre-2013, and say what you will about that guy, but he had an ear for talent. That was my likely exposure point to Jai Paul, and he only had two tracks officially released: BTSTU and Jasmine, both incredible and unusual R&B tracks. Anyway, not long after I had become a fan of Jai Paul, word spread that he had dropped his album....or so we thought. By the time I went to listen to the album, it had been revealed that, despite being available for sale on Bandcamp, it wasn't an official release. The album had been stolen and leaked. Even Paul's own label thought it was him being cheeky and mysterious. But it wasn't, and he recoiled into obscurity, never to be heard from again....or so we thought. More on that later. I, being a new fan obsessed with his unique sound, had already been scrounging the internet looking for demos and stuff that he had posted on his myspace in the past. I found a download of the "album." I can't remember where I was when I first listened, but it was akin to being struck by lightning. This guy responsible for Jasmine and BTSTU had more in the chamber. Like so many great albums, this one's self-produced, and his production is unbelievable. Even in its fragmented, unfinished state, you could hear how powerful he is. Sonic tags akin to J. Dilla, sounding like the engine of a spaceship backfiring. Bass and guitar almost literally drowned in filters to the point that it sounds like the music's coming from underwater (listen to "Vibin" and "All Night"). Percussion and 808s blended in these polyrhythmic songs that seemingly import traditional Indian sounds to the pop charts in the year 2099. Who on earth could make, let alone even dream up, something like "Str8 Outta Mumbai"?? Throughout the album, synths and vocal elements drop in and out of the mix like it's all a game. Meanwhile, atop all that cyberpunk chaos is a guy faintly crooning like he's D'Angelo or Prince or something. Like everything's totally normal. I fell in love with this immediately, listened ceaselessly for years and years. Mind you, it was never official, so I was relying on sketchy downloads and fan-made music videos--a "Jasmine" music video set to scenes from Apocalypse Now, a black and white video of Robert Pattinson from some nameless movie was the music video for "All Night" (both of those are still on youtube by the way). The world fell in love with it too: it shook the world of underground music nerds, made year-end lists for major critics (even though it wasn't even a real album!), and you can check wikipedia to see the kind of musicians inspired by this. Could he have become a household name with the proper backing and release and all that stuff? I guess we'll never know. Nothing else really came from Jai Paul until 2019, when he released two new songs and decided to finally *officially* "release" this "album" - same track sequencing, very minor changes to the songs (though it lost a few Harry Potter samples, as well as the beautiful vocal intro to "All Night" - "The water's absolutely perfect....I've missed Ghana" - hilariously from an old Tomb Raider game). He didn't finish it, he just left it, finally handed it to us as is. Seemingly a resignation to the fact that it had become a part of his fan's and the music world's DNA for six years. It's a shame how that leak happened, and the toll it took on him seems to be immeasurable. Someone robbed this man of a trajectory that I can only imagine. But even with nothing else, he made this. It's like Charles Laughton directing only one movie, and it's "Night of the Hunter" - a cinematic language all his own. The same is true here: there's nothing like this album, even in patchwork artifact form. It's disjointed, splintered, obviously unfinished, and a bit all over the place. But that's part of the charm. It's like the Rosetta Stone, it's broken and not even the full story, but it's monumental nonetheless. There's perfection in imperfection. It makes it real, and human. There's some lyrics on channel ORANGE, on "Monks": "We're lost in a jungle underneath these clouds, there's a monsoon that never ends. A coke-white tiger woke us from our slumber, to guide and protect us 'til the end." Jai Paul is, for me, the coke-white tiger. And he and Frank both awoke me from my slumber that year. Whether you love this album like me or not, I do think it's truly worthy of listening before you die, because I've yet to find anything else like it. If I can put just one person on, make just one person get struck by lightning in the way I was, this pick will have been a success. Thank you all for listening. Final note: the song "Jasmine" is and has been my most played song on iTunes since 2012. It was also included in GTAV on the radio station Radio Mirror Park. That game came out in late 2013, and for the last 11 years that I've been playing that game (we're talking more than a thousand hours), no matter what I'm doing, if "Jasmine" is on the radio, I'm cruising. Favorite tracks (unranked): Str8 Outta Mumbai, Zion Wolf Theme, Genevieve, Raw Beat, Crush, Jasmine, 100,000, Desert River (I knew this song as "Eagle" on the old leak), All Night, BTSTU. Album art: Pure chaos. Elements from previous covers, like the bald man on the right side with his face blurred (he was from the BTSTU single cover on youtube). A collage of animals, space, technology, culture. Jai with the footy jersey, face painted, bizarre futuristic haircut. Behind him in the fez is his brother AK Paul (also a musician and producer, also awesome, together they formed the Paul Institute and they are much better Paul Brothers than the ones America has to offer). I will love this forever. For me, it's iconic. 5/5

Love this one, kudos to whoever chose this one! Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who's ever heard of Anais Mitchell. I found her through her Tiny Desk performance many years ago and became obsessed. Seriously, an incredible singer and songwriter, and the fact that she made this stage play (by now, it's become a Broadway thing and won Tonys!) is really impressive. Justin Vernon and Ani DiFranco on this thing is also awesome. "Why We Build the Wall" is still one of the greatest songs ever, ever. I could write an essay about that one, but will save my breath today. Anyway, fantastic album. 4.5/5

Adore this album, yet another that I would've strongly considered choosing as my pick. I found this album one day just looking through new releases on Apple Music, the cover intrigued me. Never heard of the band, but I downloaded it and listened on a flight. Pretty sure it altered my brain chemistry, I was blown away. There are hints of the National in their sound, but it also reminds me of Japandroids, a great cathartic rock band unafraid to lean all the way into sincerity and, for lack of a less pretentious term, "joie de vivre." This album is maximal, it's long, there's grand string arrangements and interludes, but the emotion is so powerful and if you submit yourself to it, it'll rock you to your core. Relatively unknown Australian band (at least at the time I discovered this) blowing the roof off. One of my favorites of 2017, and of the last decade. Favorite tracks: One of those instances where my list is most of the tracklist, but "Persevere" is probably my number one, followed closely by ""The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows," "Keep Me in the Open," "Let Me Down Easy," "The Heart is a Muscle," and "What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out." Album art: Really not much to it, a black and white photo of a woman sitting on a bed. She's got a distant look in her eye that intrigues me. Bold font framing with the title is probably what caught my eye years ago. Big fan of this one. 5/5

THANK YOU. To whoever picked this: I owe you my gratitude, as you made it possible for me to pick something else. Truly, this was a front-runner for me as a user submission, but as someone else beat me to it, I got to add Jai Paul’s album. I actually like this more than the one I picked, how often will people say that? Anyway, I’ve described this as the most perfect album that I’ll never understand, or “inscrutable brilliance.” A lot of Bon Iver’s work is a bit cryptic, but this is the first where he dove headfirst into the void, singing back to us through a lexicon that’s barely recognizable. But the emotions are real, palpable, and they transcend language and description. This might as well be in another language, and it would hit the same. I can’t get enough of the maximalism—remember, this is the same guy who holed up in a cabin for months to create For Emma Forever Ago, an album borne of basically nothing but pain and a guitar. Here, we’ve got all manner of instruments, vocoders, autotune, you name it. I adore it, I listen to it all the time when I feel the need to feel something, hell I’ve even got a supercut of all the music videos saved on my RG35XXSP (handheld gaming device) and I’m playing those while I listen right now. Enlightening experience, doesn’t necessarily explain anything but doesn’t need to. Just light and color and imagery to enhance the experience. God, I love this album. My favorite album from one of my favorite artists/groups ever. Probably on my short list for favorite albums ever, possibly top 10-20 or something. Fight me. Favorite tracks: Not a second on here I don’t love. 8 (circle), Creeks, death breast, 29 strafford apts all in my DNA. Album art: Classic for me, maybe not iconic yet but I love it. As inscrutable as the music, all glyphs and sketches and symbols and nothing makes sense. Does it need to? 5/5

Enjoying seeing albums I know pop up on here! This one’s pretty recent, I listened to this when it came out a few years ago. My first Porter Robinson album, and I really dig it. My review at the time: if music itself were a movie, this would play during the end credits. It’s got that feeling for sure, I love the fragmented nature of the production on here, a fun take on electronica and a lot of it feels as accessible as standard pop music. “Look at the Sky” is my favorite, and it was later added to Fortnite, which I still think is cool. Anyway, great album, great pick! Favorite tracks: Look at the Sky, Lifelike, Wind Tempos, Musician, Mother, dullscythe, Mirror, Something Comforting. 4/5

Kicking off the user picks with, well, not a bang nor a whimper, more of a scream. When I say I don't like metal, I'm talking mostly about screamo-type metal. Not sure if that's derogatory or what, but some of this album is that kind of rock or metal, and it's frankly not for me. A couple songs I'll hang on to for posterity, but otherwise this doesn't do it for me. Favorite tracks: Accidents, No Transitory. Album art: Really, really love this one. Awesome art style, bold colors, the picture is nice and spooky. Frankly, wish I liked the music more because this is one I'd enjoy keeping around. 2.5/5

Sounds similar to the various electronic/dance albums that we had on the list. There's a fun blend of voices and styles represented on here, and a lot of samples that I recognize. Pretty good album. This is only day two of the user picks, but I'm looking forward to finding the review for each album from the person that added it, that's my best bet at understanding inclusions like these (and more insight than we got for the albums on the actual list, though maybe that's in the book). Favorite tracks: Scratch 22, Drop the Boom, Don't Stop, B-Boy Stance. Album art: Pretty shitty if I'm being honest, looks like a flyer made by an afterschool "don't do drugs" PSA program. 3.5/5

Okay, now we're talking, something fresh! I've heard of this group, and I'm familiar with two songs on here ("Seven" and "Show Me How") because my wife is a fan. I had an idea of what to expect and got just that: some very chill indie pop. A dreamy quality to it all, and the vocals are very soft to the point of being barely there. It works to great effect. Also the radio-themed interludes are refreshing, "Fiero GT" was a wild surprise. More of that would have been incredible. Anyway, this is a great album, I really dig it. A bit long, but given the style it's not bothersome in any way. Glad I listened before I died. Favorite tracks: Fiero GT, Oncle Jazz, Days Go By, Found Me, Say Can You Hear, Pines, Seven, Show Me How, Pierre, Poodle of Mud, Tailwhip Revisited. Album art: Goofy drawing of a creature, not sure if this was actually made by a toddler or just made to look like that. Either way, it's obviously striking as a result. Very simple, very silly. Can't perceive any connection between it and the music though. 4/5

Whoa, cool! I know these guys primarily for the Malcolm in the Middle theme song, and then also there was a time when Joey and I would listen to their music when we were younger. Think they had this song called "Put Your Hand on the Computer" that we were always laughing at, they're such a quirky band. Thought maybe this would be an odd pick given it's fairly recent and later in their catalog but it's strong. The quirk is definitely there, and so is the musicianship, these guys really have a lot going for them. If it's too weird for you, I get it, but it's not too weird for me, it's fun and funny. "When Will You Die" especially made me laugh, quite a few others just plain impressed me. Great album! Favorite tracks: The Lady and the Tiger, When Will You Die, Can't Keep Johnny Down, Cloissonne, Celebration, Dog Walker, You Don't Like Me. Album art: Really love this one, some Warhol-style pop art. It's a monster truck hearse, bright pink. The contrast is excellent. Great cover, no notes. 4/5

Huh. I mean, I get why someone would like this, but I'm fascinated that it would be given "must listen before you die" treatment. British popstar, I've never heard of her, and it's not necessarily bad, it's just mostly flat and plain pop. "Dumb Dumb" was actually really cool, that honestly saved this from 1-star territory for me, but other than that I'm mostly left scratching my head. That whole meme of "imagine carrying a child in your womb for 9 months to name him Hubert" or whatever, except imagine listening to 1100 albums over a span of years and getting a chance to pick one for everyone else to hear and you pick this one. On my hater shit today. Favorite tracks: Dumb Dumb, I Will Be There. Album art: Just a shot of this woman's face, about as generic as the music if you ask me. 2/5

Super, super cool album, I seriously dig this one. Ethereal, urgent, natural, a lot going on here. Scattered voices, sounds from out of left field, didn't know what to expect around each turn. Especially loved the title track, a lot of the electronic blips and stuff reminded me of the score from Night Gallery's "A Feast of Blood" segment - essential viewing. Loved this album, exactly the sort of thing I'd like to find on a list like this. Favorite tracks: Music for People in Trouble, Reincarnation, The Sound of War, Undercover, The Golden Age, Mountaineers. Album art: A statute of a woman with a treeline behind. Are we to believe this is the artist reincarnated, or was she perhaps the subject in a past life? There's an eerie lifelike quality to this statute, I appreciate it. 4.5/5

Nice choice! The list proper seriously lacked classical music, and obviously this is more modern, but still. Really inspired production choices, great melodies combined with unorthodox sounds and ways of getting there. Some tracks on here sounded familiar - have they been used in movies or anything? I'll have to do some digging. Johann became quite a titan in the contemporary field, and it was truly deserved. I either didn't realize or somehow forgot that he passed away in 2018 - what an unbelievable loss that is, of a relatively new and incredible voice in his space. Think I may have had him confused with Ludwig Goransson, but what makes Johann memorable to me is "Forces of Attraction," a song on the Theory of Everything score. Unforgettable. Anyway, great choice here, and if I could add some classical picks as well, I'd throw in Peer Gynt and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Favorite tracks: Odi Et Amo, Englaborn, Salfraedinger Deyr, Bad (I know these aren't d's but I have to make do), Eg Heyrdi Allt An, Eg Atti Graa Aesku. Album art: Blue. That's it. I mean, it's an ocean, but it's not sharp enough to see details. The little seal in the bottom corner is a good classical touch. 4/5

This has to be a prank, right? As far as prank’s go, it’s actually hilarious. Listen to more than a thousand albums, including dozens of unnecessary and borderline insulting live albums, as well as probably half a dozen Bruce Springsteen albums, and, when asked to pick an album that all your fellow journeymen MUST listen to BEFORE THEY DIE, you pick a Bruce Springsteen live album. I got to “Born to Run,” the one song on here I was looking forward to, and it sounded bad. Out of breath, obnoxious live brass, considerably worse than studio. I couldn’t finish it. To the prankster responsible: you got me. But also you can go to hell. I looked at the summary page for the user who submitted this. They don't seem to be a prankster, but rather a fuddy-duddy. They gave a 1 star rating to some of the most interesting albums on the list, including just about every single hip hop album. No reviews either, they hate from the shadows. Well, I hate in the light of day and with my full chest. Love Bruce Springsteen but this "album" blows. Favorite tracks: no. Album art: Sweaty boss, could be spanking someone for all I know. I feel like I’m the one being punished. 0.5/5

Solid listen! Haven't heard of this guy, but it's some singer/songwriter stuff with an Americana edge. Took some settling in, but the back half really started to shine for me. "Good Man" is fantastic. The sort of rapping he did on "Thin Blue Flame" was interesting, didn't quite work for me but I respect it. Overall, pretty great album. Made me think of that one Benjamin Francis Leftwich album, Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm, not necessarily sonically but more thematically. That would be a good album for a list like this too. Favorite tracks: Good Man, One More Mouth, Best for the Best, Idaho, Wolves. Album art: A horse balancing on a log floating in water. It's got an invisible saddle effect going on, makes it look like it's just disfigured. Very folksy art style, fits the album well. 4/5

Not bad, not great to me either. Decent as far as rock albums go, the vocalist almost sounds like Geddy Lee but the music is certainly darker than Rush. I liked a couple tracks, but didn't really do much for me overall. It's fine. Favorite tracks: Marshal Dear, Waiting for a Sign. Album art: Great menacing picture of the band, love that this is a girl band. Feel like I've seen this before, it's strong and memorable. The little poem is crazy. 3/5

Jimmy Buffett, classic boomer music. Pretty sure he was on the Epstein list. Anyway, I get the appeal but it’s really not for me. I liked “Door Number Three,” that was interesting lyrically and the sort of country style sound wasn’t bad. Boat music (as opposed to yacht rock). Favorite tracks: Door Number Three. Album art: Is that young Jimmy? Sitting in a lounge chair under a palm tree. That’s the vibe, it’s always the vibe with him. I respect it, even if I prefer to get it elsewhere. 2.5/5

Cool points awarded to whoever picked this! I feel like Ani DiFranco is too often brought up solely as a joke, as she’s in that vein of singer/songwriters like Aimee Mann, Natalie Merchant, Tracy Chapman, and is a tad goofy. But I like her style, I hear a bit of Suzanne Vega influence in there too maybe? Not all of it worked for me (“Amazing Grace” cover was a puzzling lowlight), but there’s some heat on here, I respect it. Pretty good! Favorite tracks: Untouchable Face, Napoleon, Joyful Girl. Album art: She’s curled up in a corner, maybe in pain? Hard to tell. Not a great cover in my opinion. 3.5/5

Nice! Definitely a fan of the Avett Brothers, the title track of this album included. I’ve heard a few of theirs but not this one, it’s good! Some genre bending that I didn’t expect or love but a few that I’ll keep, that’s a win to me. Appreciate the inclusion. Favorite tracks: I and Love and You, January Wedding, Ten Thousand Words. Album art: Maybe their most famous? The most recognizable to me. A woman shrouded in shadow, looks like she’s holding a skull. I dig the art style. 3.5/5

Enjoying seeing albums I know pop up on here! This one’s pretty recent, I listened to this when it came out a few years ago. My first Porter Robinson album, and I really dig it. My review at the time: if music itself were a movie, this would play during the end credits. It’s got that feeling for sure, I love the fragmented nature of the production on here, a fun take on electronica and a lot of it feels as accessible as standard pop music. “Look at the Sky” is my favorite, and it was later added to Fortnite, which I still think is cool. Anyway, great album, great pick! Favorite tracks: Look at the Sky, Lifelike, Wind Tempos, Musician, Mother, dullscythe, Mirror, Something Comforting. 4/5

THANK YOU. To whoever picked this: I owe you my gratitude, as you made it possible for me to pick something else. Truly, this was a front-runner for me as a user submission, but as someone else beat me to it, I got to add Jai Paul’s album. I actually like this more than the one I picked, how often will people say that? Anyway, I’ve described this as the most perfect album that I’ll never understand, or “inscrutable brilliance.” A lot of Bon Iver’s work is a bit cryptic, but this is the first where he dove headfirst into the void, singing back to us through a lexicon that’s barely recognizable. But the emotions are real, palpable, and they transcend language and description. This might as well be in another language, and it would hit the same. I can’t get enough of the maximalism—remember, this is the same guy who holed up in a cabin for months to create For Emma Forever Ago, an album borne of basically nothing but pain and a guitar. Here, we’ve got all manner of instruments, vocoders, autotune, you name it. I adore it, I listen to it all the time when I feel the need to feel something, hell I’ve even got a supercut of all the music videos saved on my RG35XXSP (handheld gaming device) and I’m playing those while I listen right now. Enlightening experience, doesn’t necessarily explain anything but doesn’t need to. Just light and color and imagery to enhance the experience. God, I love this album. My favorite album from one of my favorite artists/groups ever. Probably on my short list for favorite albums ever, possibly top 10-20 or something. Fight me. Favorite tracks: Not a second on here I don’t love. 8 (circle), Creeks, death breast, 29 strafford apts all in my DNA. Album art: Classic for me, maybe not iconic yet but I love it. As inscrutable as the music, all glyphs and sketches and symbols and nothing makes sense. Does it need to? 5/5

Pretty good album. Wouldn't have been able to guess that they were Swedish, that's how well they nailed the Americana folk sound. Didn't really wow me but it was a solid ride all the way through. Favorite tracks: The Lion's Roar, Emmylou (Harris?), To a Poet. Album art: A couple of wispy Swedish women wading through a field. Big siren energy. 3.5/5

I don't know, man. It's another to file in the "indie rock" category, very nondescript and not distinct. Thought the point of user submissions was to move away from the norm, but alas, one man's trash etc. It's not bad I guess but I really don't care. Favorite tracks: Conversation Lags. Album art: A couple kissing on a haybale, or is it a hayrick? Some other third thing? Don't ask me, I'm not a farmer. 2.5/5

We had another Eels album on the main list, I do remember that. Little girl with freaky eyes. Gun to my head I couldn't tell you the difference with this one. It's more of the same, again, we're doing the indie rock thing. I feel like I should be nicer to these albums that were picked by fellow travelers but come on guys, is this really "must listen before you die?" Does the album you picked really add anything to the conversation? Favorite tracks: Grace Kelly Blues, Mr. E's Beautiful Blues. Album art: I do like this, it's that old school '50s aesthetic art style. "Dick and Jane" stuff. Very cute, good color scheme. 2.5/5

Look, it's a THIRD indie rock album in a row. I'll give this a slight edge over the other two because I do like Death Cab for Cutie, and unless I'm mistaken we didn't have any Death Cab on the main list. The title track is really great. Didn't save a ton on here but it's fine. Favorite tracks: Transatlanticism, We Looked Like Giants. Album art: A black bird tangled up in some red yarn. Might not be yarn, I don't know. It's cool though, has an old-fashioned feel to it and definitely memorable. 3/5

Very interesting album, a good change of pace. Categorized as prog rock, which makes sense. I like the long, meandering nature of some of these tracks. I also think the variety of instruments and sounds is cool, it's a bit all over the place in a good way. Only saving one song, but it was a fun listen. Favorite tracks: Home Invasion / Regret #9. Album art: A woman's face deteriorating into colorful paint. Very bold and vibrant, I like this one. 3/5

Okay, thank you to whoever picked this one, for something very different and challenging in a way that all the indie rock hasn't been. Aboriginal Australian music?? Hell yeah. Really fantastic songs, cinematic soundscapes and mournful vocals (though I have no idea what's being sung). I like that the tracks are largely titled after animals or natural forces, so cool. I really dig this, appreciate the inclusion. Favorite tracks: Djolin, Baru, Gopuru, Wulminda. Album art: Just a shot of the artist, looking about as devastated and mournful as he sounds singing (if that is him). He passed away shortly before this was released, and this seems like a very powerful posthumous statement to release. 4/5

Oh man, what a year 2013 was, for me personally and for some great albums. My pick for this list is from 2013, as was Yeezus, and I first heard Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE in 2013. Very formative year for me. I'd been a fan of Gambino since Joey sent me a link to "Freaks and Geeks" on a blog called thissongissick.com way back when. This album is his most expansive and holistic musical statement, and to me his most impressive. Complete with a screenplay, I think the basic premise is that he's inhabiting a character who's the song of a famous rapper, maybe Rick Ross? I forget, too, that Gambino is lead producer on most of this, with help from Ludwig Goransson (!). Really fantastic, varied production. I haven't listened in years but it took me right back, I was trying to rap/sing along with every song. Not a miss on here. The best album from an artist I love, from a year that means the world to me. One of two albums I've paid $100 for (the other being Channel Orange), and it's for the limited "bootleg" pressing. Proud of that. Gotta be a five star, right? Favorite tracks: Love it all, but top joints for me are Urn, Telegraph Ave, Worldstar, Crawl, Shadows, The Party. Album art: Love this picture, it's become a bit of a meme but I think that's just testament to its strength. He looks jaded, high, evil maybe, just a lot of things. Love the colors, especially of the Hawaiian shirt. A classic for me, dare I say iconic. 5/5

Never been a big reggae guy, but I like this one! Feels very elemental, sound is stripped to the essentials a bit. I can't help but laugh just seeing the name Augustus Pablo - I've never listened to him before but know the name from the Portlandia skit (that I definitely linked on another review) about the openly reggae mayor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4KCB3-UZqM. "Wow, he's into some root stuff, huh!" I like it. Favorite tracks: Keep On Dubbing, Corner Crew Dub. Album art: Is that Augustus? He's standing in front of a wall plastered with posters and fliers or something. Not bad, not super memorable either. 3.5/5

Not bad at all, some '80s new wave pop. Never heard of this group but they seem good enough. I like the concept here, and the sort-of title track. It's fun. Favorite tracks: Number One Song in Heaven, La Dolce Vita, Tryouts for the Human Race. Album art: Looks to be a nurse standing in a white room. Heavenly perhaps? Is she upside down? 3/5

Very quirky pick, but the kind of quirky that I think is enjoyable to get on a list like this. We're talking Dutch funk - wouldn't have expected that to exist. The songs where they swear or talk about butts is really funny, and seems extremely Dutch. Not saving much from this but it's alright! Favorite tracks: Stronger than Ajax, Bonesong, Higher. Album art: An empty jewel case with the title scratched into the lid. Really dope design if you ask me. 3/5

Adore this album, yet another that I would've strongly considered choosing as my pick. I found this album one day just looking through new releases on Apple Music, the cover intrigued me. Never heard of the band, but I downloaded it and listened on a flight. Pretty sure it altered my brain chemistry, I was blown away. There are hints of the National in their sound, but it also reminds me of Japandroids, a great cathartic rock band unafraid to lean all the way into sincerity and, for lack of a less pretentious term, "joie de vivre." This album is maximal, it's long, there's grand string arrangements and interludes, but the emotion is so powerful and if you submit yourself to it, it'll rock you to your core. Relatively unknown Australian band (at least at the time I discovered this) blowing the roof off. One of my favorites of 2017, and of the last decade. Favorite tracks: One of those instances where my list is most of the tracklist, but "Persevere" is probably my number one, followed closely by ""The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows," "Keep Me in the Open," "Let Me Down Easy," "The Heart is a Muscle," and "What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out." Album art: Really not much to it, a black and white photo of a woman sitting on a bed. She's got a distant look in her eye that intrigues me. Bold font framing with the title is probably what caught my eye years ago. Big fan of this one. 5/5

Very nice! An '80s staple that I'm honestly surprised wasn't on the list to begin with. "Need You Tonight" and "Never Tear Us Apart" are both big time classics, to have two of those on one album is no small feat. Some other great cuts as well, great album. Favorite tracks: Never Tear Us Apart, Need You Tonight, New Sensation, Mystify. Album art: Couple hoodlum-looking guys at various distances from the camera. Plus someone ollieing over the title on a skateboard? It's definitely iconic, seen this one hundreds of times. Very bold, very memorable. 4/5

"Waiter, waiter! More alt-rock please!" Once again, we're back in the saddle. To be fair, I enjoyed this one a bit more than some others, good melodies and stuff, enough to go around. But man, not even remotely challenging or distinct to me. Must we listen before we die? Favorite tracks: Save the Planet, Membership, Fireworks, Escape is At Hand. Album art: A control panel of knobs and dials and gauges. More memorable and distinct than the music. 3.5/5

I know these gecs, I've heard all 10,000 of them before. This is a great and fun album, most people's introduction to the band (including me) was their previous, 1000 gecs, they multiplied since then. It's sort of a hyper-pop-punk, that's how I'd describe it. Love the sampling of "Sicko Mode" on the opener, very well executed. Not everything works for me here, but enough that I'd say it's great. Really not sure which of their albums I prefer, but this is a worthy inclusion for sure, very unique! Favorite tracks: Dumbest Girl Alive, Hollywood Baby, One Million Dollars, 757, Billy Knows Jamie, The Most Wanted Person. Album art: Only two gecs in sight, faces obscured by their t-shirts. Not bad at all, very DIY (as I'm sure their music is too). 4/5

Eh, not bad, not special either. Reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins. I get the appeal, but it didn't do much for me. Favorite tracks: Little Dipper, Stars. Album art: Mostly green with a zebra in the foreground. About as interesting as the music. 2.5/5

One of those bands that music snobs love. Pretty sure I've heard their "lift your fists" album, but I'm otherwise not well-versed in their music. This one's really cool though, only three tracks and they're all varying degrees of foreboding and apocalyptic. The first was my favorite, for the spoken bit that opened it. Cool how each song is effectively a suite of music, meandering through different territories so it's not just 15-20 minutes of the same thing. Really, really dig this though, consider me a fan. Favorite tracks: Liked 'em all, but The Dead Flag Blues reigns supreme. Album art: Menacing, foreboding, and hard to see picture of what looks to be a highway sign and some lights over a highway. Very vague, has that found footage vibe, as does some of the music. I like it. 4.5/5

Really beautiful album, subtle and soothing jazz. Don't know anything about Chet Baker but I dig this. "September Song," ironically, is going into my Christmas playlist. Perfect for that. Great choice, whoever picked this one! Favorite tracks: September Song, Alone Together, It Never Entered My Mind, If You Could See Me Now, Time on my Hands. Album art: Almost startling clarity to this photo, seems like something that could've been released in the last year or two, but nope: 1959. Looking like a lonesome cowboy. 4/5

I did like this one, a nice departure to get some more Latin music (Spanish in particular), though I can't say too much of it stuck out or grabbed me. Still, decent album. Favorite tracks: Jugete de Amor. Album art: Is that a naked old man riding a horse? Powerful stuff. 3/5

Pretty solid rock music, with a nice experimental/psychedelic edge. Thought I'd be sick of this era from the main list, but this is nice! 3.5/5

International retrofuturism. That's the Ruff Criminal 10 second review. But I owe everyone here a greater explanation, as this is my pick for the list. 2013 was an incredibly formative year for me when it comes to music: I just mentioned this in my review of Because the Internet, but that was the year when I first listened to Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE, then started tuning into Pitchfork's reviews and lists and began expanding my musical palate. It's also when Yeezus dropped and melted my brain, Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap was another world-changer for me, but then there's this album. Maybe the most special to me. I'm not sure what tuned me into this guy initially, but I think I found him slightly before my Pitchfork awakening. His song BTSTU (the final track on here) was sampled by Drake on a song called "Dreams Money Can Buy." I was a big fan of Drake pre-2013, and say what you will about that guy, but he had an ear for talent. That was my likely exposure point to Jai Paul, and he only had two tracks officially released: BTSTU and Jasmine, both incredible and unusual R&B tracks. Anyway, not long after I had become a fan of Jai Paul, word spread that he had dropped his album....or so we thought. By the time I went to listen to the album, it had been revealed that, despite being available for sale on Bandcamp, it wasn't an official release. The album had been stolen and leaked. Even Paul's own label thought it was him being cheeky and mysterious. But it wasn't, and he recoiled into obscurity, never to be heard from again....or so we thought. More on that later. I, being a new fan obsessed with his unique sound, had already been scrounging the internet looking for demos and stuff that he had posted on his myspace in the past. I found a download of the "album." I can't remember where I was when I first listened, but it was akin to being struck by lightning. This guy responsible for Jasmine and BTSTU had more in the chamber. Like so many great albums, this one's self-produced, and his production is unbelievable. Even in its fragmented, unfinished state, you could hear how powerful he is. Sonic tags akin to J. Dilla, sounding like the engine of a spaceship backfiring. Bass and guitar almost literally drowned in filters to the point that it sounds like the music's coming from underwater (listen to "Vibin" and "All Night"). Percussion and 808s blended in these polyrhythmic songs that seemingly import traditional Indian sounds to the pop charts in the year 2099. Who on earth could make, let alone even dream up, something like "Str8 Outta Mumbai"?? Throughout the album, synths and vocal elements drop in and out of the mix like it's all a game. Meanwhile, atop all that cyberpunk chaos is a guy faintly crooning like he's D'Angelo or Prince or something. Like everything's totally normal. I fell in love with this immediately, listened ceaselessly for years and years. Mind you, it was never official, so I was relying on sketchy downloads and fan-made music videos--a "Jasmine" music video set to scenes from Apocalypse Now, a black and white video of Robert Pattinson from some nameless movie was the music video for "All Night" (both of those are still on youtube by the way). The world fell in love with it too: it shook the world of underground music nerds, made year-end lists for major critics (even though it wasn't even a real album!), and you can check wikipedia to see the kind of musicians inspired by this. Could he have become a household name with the proper backing and release and all that stuff? I guess we'll never know. Nothing else really came from Jai Paul until 2019, when he released two new songs and decided to finally *officially* "release" this "album" - same track sequencing, very minor changes to the songs (though it lost a few Harry Potter samples, as well as the beautiful vocal intro to "All Night" - "The water's absolutely perfect....I've missed Ghana" - hilariously from an old Tomb Raider game). He didn't finish it, he just left it, finally handed it to us as is. Seemingly a resignation to the fact that it had become a part of his fan's and the music world's DNA for six years. It's a shame how that leak happened, and the toll it took on him seems to be immeasurable. Someone robbed this man of a trajectory that I can only imagine. But even with nothing else, he made this. It's like Charles Laughton directing only one movie, and it's "Night of the Hunter" - a cinematic language all his own. The same is true here: there's nothing like this album, even in patchwork artifact form. It's disjointed, splintered, obviously unfinished, and a bit all over the place. But that's part of the charm. It's like the Rosetta Stone, it's broken and not even the full story, but it's monumental nonetheless. There's perfection in imperfection. It makes it real, and human. There's some lyrics on channel ORANGE, on "Monks": "We're lost in a jungle underneath these clouds, there's a monsoon that never ends. A coke-white tiger woke us from our slumber, to guide and protect us 'til the end." Jai Paul is, for me, the coke-white tiger. And he and Frank both awoke me from my slumber that year. Whether you love this album like me or not, I do think it's truly worthy of listening before you die, because I've yet to find anything else like it. If I can put just one person on, make just one person get struck by lightning in the way I was, this pick will have been a success. Thank you all for listening. Final note: the song "Jasmine" is and has been my most played song on iTunes since 2012. It was also included in GTAV on the radio station Radio Mirror Park. That game came out in late 2013, and for the last 11 years that I've been playing that game (we're talking more than a thousand hours), no matter what I'm doing, if "Jasmine" is on the radio, I'm cruising. Favorite tracks (unranked): Str8 Outta Mumbai, Zion Wolf Theme, Genevieve, Raw Beat, Crush, Jasmine, 100,000, Desert River (I knew this song as "Eagle" on the old leak), All Night, BTSTU. Album art: Pure chaos. Elements from previous covers, like the bald man on the right side with his face blurred (he was from the BTSTU single cover on youtube). A collage of animals, space, technology, culture. Jai with the footy jersey, face painted, bizarre futuristic haircut. Behind him in the fez is his brother AK Paul (also a musician and producer, also awesome, together they formed the Paul Institute and they are much better Paul Brothers than the ones America has to offer). I will love this forever. For me, it's iconic. 5/5

Great reggae album, I actually have this from a record club I used to be in. Very relaxed energy, strong stuff though. 3.5/5

Had never heard of this, or Kano really, but I like it a lot. UK rap is always refreshing to me. 4/5

Cool to see this one added! I'm a fan of this album for sure, love Angelo and his work with Sufjan Stevens. "You Needed Love, I Needed You" is one of my favorite songs of 2018.

Time for a brother's pick. I heard my share of Killswitch Engage through him growing up, never really got into their music. He was always more of a metalhead than I am. But this is good, I appreciate the clarity of their vocals atop the otherwise raging instrumentals (but even those are processed and mixed pretty clean). "Without a Name" is an awesome departure track too. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Favorite tracks: Without a Name, Fixation on the Darkness, Temple from the Within. Album art: I really dig this one, seems to be a face of sand or parchment that is bleeding into streaks, almost like stripes on the American flag? No idea if that's what they're going for, but it's a really cool cover. 3.5/5

Love these guys, always a pleasure. Some great songs on here!

Have heard some Mountain Goats before, really like the vocalist. Very enjoyable album for me. 3.5

I like the Arctic Monkeys, but not a fan of this album really. More of a cabaret vibe than what I enjoy from them. 2.5/5

Should I be shocked we didn't have Louis Armstrong on the actual list? This is an awesome compilation album, he blows a mean trumpet, and the tracks where he sings too are fantastic: man, what a voice. He's gotta be one of very few musicians who play a vocal-based instrument with virtuosity and also sing, right? I guess technically Bob Dylan could be that with the harmonica. I think it's a rare group though. Anyway, great album, great inclusion! 4.5/5

Very cool atmospheric rock vibes. I dig it.

Baby's first TOOL album (me)! I liked this though, very mysterious, very strange, not some run of the mill prog rock by any means. Glad to have heard it. Favorite tracks: Eulogy, Forty Six & 2, Intermission, Die Eier von Satan, Third Eye. Album art: No idea what I'm looking at but it's haunting. 3.5/5

Love this album! Cool that we've had two from Gambino on the post-list. Because the Internet will always be my favorite from him, but this one was such a cool surprise when it dropped. Dude pivoted from punchline rap to pitch perfect P-funk. Excellent album, a great ride all the way through. Even the goofiness of "California" is fun to me. Favorite tracks: Me and Your Mama, Redbone, Boogieman, Zombies, California, Terrified, Baby Boy, The Night Me and Your Mama Met. Album art: Has to be a reference to Funkadelic's Maggot Brain, I know Donald Glover is a fan. Really cool blue effect to this, the woman looks possessed. Am I correct in remembering that there was some dispute as to her payment for this photoshoot? Don't quote me on that. 4.5/5

Cool inclusion! Sampha is great, enjoyed this album a couple years ago and still enjoy it today. Not my favorite from him but it's great!

Always loved blink-182, and so glad that someone stuck another album from them in the mix. This was their more mature album, not long before the hiatus when they started breaking up--Tom would go on to Angels and Airwaves, Mark and Travis did +44 for a minute (I know all the lore). This one is fantastic though, and it's cool that even a few albums in they were making absolute classic songs, some of their best: "Feeling This" and "I Miss You" especially, but me being a big time fan, so much of this hits for me. The deeper cuts, with more of an emo edge, were a welcome departure. Love this band, love this album. 4.5/5

Really cool electronic pick, I liked this one a lot! Certainly worth a listen, thanks for sharing! 3.5/5

Woof. Scott Walker vibes are strong with this one. Cabaret style music (my least favorite), and obnoxiously navel-gazey lyrical exercises. I liked one track enough to keep, the rest were mostly skips. People really like this stuff? Takes all types, I guess.

As usual, Zappa is great. Certainly not ranking as high as the others we heard on the main list, but the dude is always a creative treat. Fun pick!

Love Bob Seger, "Hollywood Nights" is such a classic banger. I personally would've gone for that other Seger album with "Night Moves" and "Mean Street," but regardless I'm glad he's here - should've been on the main list if you ask me! Thank you to whoever injected this list with the necessary dose.

Just when you think '60s psych rock has been exhausted in the 1001 albums, someone digs up another gem. Really awesome album, always love the use of the sitar. Great find!

Took me a bit to settle into this album, but it definitely grew on me. Thought it was German at first, but far too Scandinavian. Turns out it's Swedish--not sure how traditional it is but I could hear vikings and their maidens singing this one. Very cool! 3.5

Love Primus, love that someone thought to include them. They belong on lists! Les Claypool is a goat, "Tommy the Cat" has always been a sticking point for me. Hadn't heard this album before but glad I did!

Love this one, kudos to whoever chose this one! Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who's ever heard of Anais Mitchell. I found her through her Tiny Desk performance many years ago and became obsessed. Seriously, an incredible singer and songwriter, and the fact that she made this stage play (by now, it's become a Broadway thing and won Tonys!) is really impressive. Justin Vernon and Ani DiFranco on this thing is also awesome. "Why We Build the Wall" is still one of the greatest songs ever, ever. I could write an essay about that one, but will save my breath today. Anyway, fantastic album. 4.5/5

Not bad, not really good either. The singer's voice is strange, it almost seems like he's doing an impression of someone, like he's making fun of Eddie Vedder or some friend with a funny voice. But I think it's real? The song about ducks is so goofy, I ended up liking that though. Not bothered by the pick because I think it's a fun, oddball departure. But didn't do much for me personally. 2.5/5

Waste of time, sorry. Not into this one. Keeping one song for posterity but this was mostly skips.

Pretty solid folk, singer/songwriter kind of album. Nothing spectacular that jumped out at me, but it goes down smooth.

Loved this one! Recognized "Answers Me" immediately for the Kanye West sample on 30 Hours. Really cool music overall - it has a sort of electronic Nick Drake vibe to it that I can get down with. Cavernous sound, spooky vocals, very unconventional in the way that I love. This should've been on the main list as far as I'm concerned! Thanks for putting me on! 4.5/5

Not bad, but didn't leave much of an impression for me. I welcome the variety though! 2.5/5

Not my style or taste at all. I liked one of the bonus tracks (listed as a "single version" which makes sense), but other than that it just didn't hit for me. There are some days when noise rock works more for me than others - listening to this was not one of those days. 1.5/5

Fairly decent rock music, but pretty nondescript. What sets this apart, what makes it worth hearing before I die? I couldn't tell. 2.5/5

Now here's a metal album I can support - very weird, strange instrumental and sound choices throughout that not only add an experimental layer but break up the sort of monotony that I struggle with in metal. French artist I believe - pretty solid. I'm keeping a few from this one. Cool pick! 3.5/5

Another "no thanks" entry for me. Screamo stuff, veers almost into pop punk territory, just fell flat for me. Not something I'd return to. 1.5/5

Interesting album, very theatrical style. I'm keeping a couple songs, though not too much stuck out to me. Not bad though!

Awesome album. I'd been a fan of SOPHIE through some wild singles prior to hearing this album, and the album was still impressive, even wilder than those singles. Truly a "need to hear before you die" in my opinion, I actually listed this in my review of an album from 2018 on the main list because it's decidedly more important. Rest in peace to a pioneer in the truest sense, she was pushing the boundaries of electronic hyperpop in a way that no one can replicate (not even her own team or estate--they released a posthumous album last year and it was so flat). "Ponyboy" and "Faceshopping" are favorites for me, as well as "Immaterial" for the stronger singing. 4.5/5

I know this band from the Tony Hawk games, think they were featured in a couple but the song "You" in the older games was a big one for me. As a result, their sound and style is kind of comforting. I like the voice, I also like that there are some easy to follow lyrics in here. It got a little same-y for me, but still a pretty good album. Not a bad inclusion at all. 3.5/5

Hmmm. Musically, this one is good. But, why a live album? It's an artist I'm not familiar with, and I really don't want my first impression to be crowd work along the lines of "how we doing tonight, Madison Square Garden?" Picking this leads me to believe that it's a band like Grateful Dead that is better live, or doesn't even do studio albums like that. If so, fine, otherwise, this is weird to make us listen to. That said, there's a lot of talent in this group, I can hear that. I just wish it wasn't live.

We had a War on Drugs album on the main list, right? Maybe their album from 2014? I'm not certain, but either way, kudos to whoever picked this one because it's my preferred album from them. I love Adam Granduciel's voice so much, and there are some fantastic songs throughout this thing, really capturing the sort of classic rock spirit. "Nothing to Find" is not just my favorite War on Drugs songs, but honestly one of my favorite rock songs of the last decade, and maybe ever. Absolutely driving anthem, killer harmonica, killer melodies, and the guitar riff shift in the latter half of the song, my goodness. Can't get enough of that track. I actually saw these guys live at Red Rocks--to be honest, we were there for Alvvays, who was their opener at the time, and planned to leave early. But there was no leaving until they played "Nothing to Find." And of course they did. Any band capable of a song like that has to know they've struck gold. 4.5/5

Huge pick. Freddie Gibbs is an interesting rapper. I can't say that he does anything exceptional or unique, but he's extremely competent and can carry himself well on a beat. I also have trouble connecting with some of his solo projects, but like many other rappers, when he locks in with one producer, we get gold. This album, his first of two (so far) collab albums with the legendary Madlib, has to be his pinnacle. He's extremely comfortable, and the beats are amazing - I've maybe heard this album 4-5 times but so many samples on here feel nostalgic, like I've known this my whole life. That's Madlib for you. Love that this closes with a posse cut, very 2013-14. Aside from a couple skits that run long (some of the skits are good btw), this album is pretty much flawless. It's a five-star classic for me. If you like this one, check out Alfredo, Gibbs' collab album with Alchemist. I'd call that his second best. Album art: This picture has insane aura. Before I knew Freddie Gibbs, I assumed he was some old man on the corner with decades of lost wisdom. I know now he's a goofy troll of a guy, and that mystique is gone. But this cover takes me back. The zebra framing is incredible.

Not a one hit wonder because there are two killer classics on here, "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move." Do they have anything outside of those, and this album? No idea. But this is a fine album. Not much else that caught my ear, but it's decent early 2000's alt-rock stuff. Not mad at the inclusion.

Love this album, and I totally support the inclusion. I think this is the best The Weeknd has given us yet, his peak to date and I can't wait to see if he comes close again. Huge pop hits that are undeniably cool, deep cuts that are even cooler. "Snowchild" is maybe my favorite song he's ever made, and it does NOT get enough love. The title track is also phenomenal. This is one of my favorite albums of this decade so far, it really shifted the vibe during COVID/quarantine (I think it was the first big album to drop during that time). I'm between 4.5 and 5 stars on this one, and I think time will push this to the 5 stars so that's what I'll give it today.

His passing was tragic, and I hope he and his family are in a better place now. That said, this album is so goofy and made me laugh a few times. The opener is that "monday left me broken" song that I've heard in the most brainrotted memes, no idea that was Avicii. So much of this sounds like Fortnite original music or something, the kind of EDM that a guy like Porter Robinson set out to pastiche. I did enjoy a couple times, sometimes I too am a sucker for positivity. But overall, strange pick. I don't really see the appeal. 2.5/5

Is this the first artist to not even have a wikipedia page? That's how obscure we're going, I respect it. I can't say I loved this, I'm only keeping one song, but I can't say it was bad either. Musically, pretty interesting variety. But I wasn't impressed. 2.5/5

Modern classic. A lot of great jams on here. Did you know Tame Impala is just one guy? 4.5/5

No thank you. Tom Waits adjacent, goofy theatrical rock stuff. I didn't like albums like this on the main list, and I don't like them here. Never again.

Some quirky rock music, it's alright.

Cool electronic music, a few twists and turns. Kept me engaged. Cool pick! 3.5/5

Cool stuff from one of the Pink Floyds. I like the time stamp progression of the track titles, and the music is unusual in a good way.

Was this seriously not on the main list? For my money, their best album, no contest. The huge hits that have persisted for decades at this point, very fresh and exciting stuff. One of the crowning achievements of my youth was perfecting "My Name is Jonas" on Guitar Hero 3 on expert. If I were to pick it up and try again today, I bet I could get it in three. 4.5/5

Yikes. Whole album came and went and not a single song caught my ear. Nothing saved for me, very rare honestly. Not really fair to call it bad, but it’s a no from me.

Country music, a welcome departure but can't say there was much that grabbed my attention. Sounds well made though.

Cool as hell. I know this band for that one song, you know the one. Didn't realize they were this proggy, love the idea of a concept album centered around Edgar Allen Poe. Reminds me of ELP's Pictures at an Exhibition. Fantastic soundscapes all around, this is definitely a hidden gem. 4.5/5

Pretty cool alt-rock album, veering around in different directions, emo at time. Some genuine 2000's rock bangers on here though, in the sense that they should've been huge famous songs. Like "Bide Your Time," that song is fantastic. Cool suggestion! 3.5/5

I've actually got this album on vinyl, bought it on clearance at Urban Outfitters and still haven't listened to it. It's good, thankfully! I've heard KG before, they're pretty cool, this album's pretty cool. Thanks for finally making me listen! 3.5/5

Woof. No thank you. It's that sort of pop-punk ska type stuff that I never really got into. I had a buddy in high school who loved this kind of music, I bet he loves this album too. But ultimately not for me.

More of the typical punk sound and style. I've grown somewhat fond of this kind of music. It's not something I seek out, but there's a good energy to it. This album's alright.

I'm pretty sure we had a Korn album on the main list, right? I didn't know any tracks going into this but liked a few. The sort of "behind the scenes" vocal interludes were interesting. Korn is pretty cool. Not a band that I'd say we must listen to multiple from to get the idea, but I'm not mad at the pick.

Love the variety, always! Unfortunately, not many tracks on here that clicked for me, some of the genre stuff going on didn't quite hit. But still, cool to hear this, and I appreciate the selection. 2.5/5

I’m sorry but this is where I put my foot down. We’re through the looking glass, in the aftermath of 1001 albums. I’ve listened to a lot of shit at this point, I absolutely do not have the interest or stomach for a Phish live album, two hours long to boot. I’ve simply got better things to hear. Respectfully, this pick is asking too much. Feels like I’m being trolled. At a great personal expense, I did listen, and I will keep one song because the musicianship is strong. But this is still an evil choice.

Metal album, hard to say if it's good or bad, I'm not the arbiter of metal. But I liked a couple songs, so middle of the pack for me on ones I've heard. 2.5/5

Very quirky album! Genre listed as fusion, that tracks. Some really interesting things going on here, I enjoyed the ride for sure. Happy to have been told to listen to this, a couple I really dug! Favorite tracks: Shofukan, Sleeper, Outlier. 3.5/5

Huge, huge album for me, thank you to whoever chose this one. Vampire Weekend is one of those indie darling bands that I was once content to ignore, seemed too twee for my taste based on what I first heard (probably Modern Vampires). At some point though, I listened to Contra and my head exploded Scanners-style. This album, front to back, is fantastic. Such a unique, tropical vibe, so many unique sounds and instruments peppered throughout. I think it stands head and shoulders above their other albums, and that's not even to say the others are bad, this one is just that good. It's one I put in my Minecraft mod pack, to listen to the album while fishing for books or toiling on my farm. The vibes are truly immaculate. No notes. Favorite tracks: Genuinely, the entire tracklist, but big time hitters for me are I Think Ur a Contra, Diplomat's Son, Run, Horchata, White Sky. Album art: This one always catches me for a half-second while I'm reviewing albums I love as potentially a female-led album. There's some lore behind this picture, I don't remember it off the dome but they found who the woman was after using this random old photograph. She looks a bit frightened. The font and framing is strong. Iconic to me. 5/5

Two big classics for me in a row, what a treat! This is definitely my favorite John Mayer album. I've been a fan since childhood, and his older stuff really throws me back to the days of playing Tony Hawk. This one felt a bit more mature than previous projects, and some forays into blues/rock territory that suggested he was more than just the "body is a wonderland" pop guy. It's always been a favorite of mine, including well before I was a big music head, so it holds a special place in my heart. Relistening to this one this time around, "Stop This Train" actually made me cry on my commute to work. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. If you like that side of him, check out Born & Raised as well. This one's another five-star for me, fight me. Favorite tracks: Everything but "In Repair." Album art: Probably the weakest aspect to this album, the plain grey cover. There's a deluxe release (and it's the vinyl version I have) that's a picture of his face, but the sleeve is completely white and you can't even see it. Get it together John! 5/5

Really cool album! Awesome assortment of sounds and styles, I was shoveling the driveway to this one and it was just what I needed. Very nice pick, thanks for sharing!

Fairly non-descript emo album, I got a little excited seeing the name Real Estate but that's a different band (and they have an album called Days too). Not much on here that stuck with me, not bad but not much for me either.

This was a cool one! She reminds me a bit of acts like Jenny Lewis or Laura Stevenson. Vocals and instrumentation were both engaging and enjoyable. Cool pick! 3.5/5

Love to see this as a recent addition. I remember this making the rounds back in 2023 and not even being interested in listening (mostly because of the cover - very gaudy, glamorous in a way that doesn't appeal to me and isn't supposed to). She also looks sort of old and evil in this shot - why does she look younger now? Anyway, Chappell started blowing up in 2024, and when I got around to listening, I realized it was a great album. She's got a strong, emotive voice and some good songwriting. Hearing it again this time, I liked it even more, and was frankly more impressed with the production. This is some fantastic pop music, with strong musical senses. "Femininomenon" is such a big highlight for me, the structure and progression of that song, and the drowning guitar. Hell yeah. "Pink Pony Club" is another big one, that and "California" are very confessional, emotional songs about her separation from her roots in favor of a different world. This album is absolutely worth the hype, and frankly it's one of the best pop albums of this decade so far. As of right now, 2025, I'd still rank the Weeknd's After Hours as my favorite in that category, but she's not terribly far off with this one. 4.5/5

I really liked the Tori Amos album we got on the main list, but this one not as much. Didn't do much for me. Did we really need a second? If it's inferior to the first, I'd say no. 2.5/5

Is this someone's friend's band?

Certified classic! Was this seriously not on the main list? The bible for hipsters. Seriously great stuff though, I love the contrast between the folksy sound and the loud, harsher vocals. It pairs well. 4.5/5

Very Tom Waits-y. I mean that derogatorily, but I liked a couple songs, so arguably better than a lot of Tom Waits albums.

Love Khruangbin, hear "Two Fish and an Elephant" all the time, didn't realize it was from this album. Such a pleasant, warm sound. They're welcome in my speakers anytime.

Titanic album. Definitely a favorite for me, and one I would've considered adding to this list as well. When I first heard this back in 2015, it didn't grab me too much. A couple songs I dug, like "Fourth of July" and "John My Beloved" were enough to make me want to listen again. And I did, in early 2016 on a trip to Iceland and Ireland. I know for a fact that I had this in my ears on a tour bus through the countryside and it was beautiful. Sufjan is such an interesting dude, so much weight and meaning to his music. This album is a contemplation of his mother's death, but it's not just about that: it's about the impacts of grief, and of her personality, on his life. He's documented a very strained, difficult relationship with his mother (go listen to "Romulus" from Michigan, powerhouse track). Her death clearly hit him in strange ways, as he mourns her in one breath and in the next laments her abandoning him at a Blockbusters when he was a toddler. I think she was a drug addict, maybe some personality disorder(s) as well. Lowell gets a shoutout as a stepdad that may have mispronounced his name as "Subaru" and taught him how to swim. A very troubled and complicated childhood that no doubt contributed to Sufjan's artistry, his introversion, even his suicidal ideations on "The Only Thing." And even in that dark moment, he rejoices in signs and wonders, sea lion caves in the dark. I love how the lyrics turn from "Should I tear my heart out now? Everything I feel returns to you somehow" to "Should I tear my heart out? No - everything I feel returns to you somehow." Very subtle acceptance of the beauty in grief, that he carries his mother with him forever. This album is quaint, it's calming, and it can be unbelievably devastating. "Did you get enough love, my little dove? Why do you cry?" Masterpiece. Favorite tracks: Love every song, biggest for me are Fourth of July, Drawn to the Blood, John My Beloved, Death with Dignity. Album art: A picture of Carrie and Lowell, a bit worn and faded like his memories. You can't see the conflict, the pain that she inflicted on him in this picture, but knowing the context, you can almost feel it. 5/5

Great album from the man in the mask! Maybe heresy to say, but I'm not the biggest fan of this album (especially in comparison to Madvillainy, and I think Born Like This as well). Still, the rapping is nimble as always, maybe it's some of the production or features that puts it out of top contention for me? Hard for me to say, but I do still love a lot of it. It's weird to feel like I'm apologizing for a 4-4.5 star review. When it works, it really works though. Also, as I was listening to this, I was thinking about how he was technically born in the UK and people claim he's a "British rapper"...feels like the hip hop equivalent of the Redditor "Die Hard is a christmas movie" logic. Doesn't take but 5 seconds of listening to know he's New York. 4.5/5

Remember these guys? Think they're from Colorado. Basically one-hit wonders but this album is actually pretty cool. Hadn't heard it before but pretty good! Maybe we were too harsh on them. 3.5/5

Can't say that I felt the need for another Faith No More album, the one we had on the main list was fine (and probably better). The "Easy Like Sunday Morning" cover was cool though. 2.5/5

Girl band! Not bad! Vocally, they reminded me of someone, but I can't remember who now. Should've made a note in the moment. But this was decent.

Very, very cool. French prog album, a lot of it instrumental. Very long songs, think I was listening to an extended album too. But I really enjoyed it, very atmospheric, expansive stuff. Cool pick!

Another cool album! Haven't heard of this group, but it's some good indie rock/pop stuff. I enjoyed it, thanks for the selection! 3.5/5

Love this album, a classic for me! Put on by DRIVE of course, as "Tick of the Clock" was featured in the movie. But so much great depth to this one, it's a sort of electronic/ambient album, with a bit of dance to it. Really great stuff, and love the album cover too. Thank you for reminding me of the greatness! 4.5/5

Another great pick! What an interesting character Alex Cameron is, one of his songs that always sticks in my head is "Stepdad" - not on this album, but a hilarious and touching song. Hilarious and touching apply to most of his music, it's frankly a bit genius. Whether it's a character or himself, he's this midlife over-the-hill guy finding love and joy in life's mundanities. Whether it's feeling on top of the world, like he could "peel the gym pants off a single mother," or admitting that it doesn't matter if the poetry written by a mysterious "woman" messaging him online comes from a Nigerian man--it's still moving. "Runnin Outta Luck" is such a banger too, I've been playing that one for years. Great album, thank you for bringing it back into my orbit because I liked it even more this time around! 4.5/5

Cool, funky genre bender album. A bit hip hop too, I liked this one! 3.5/5

Decent pop album, nothing really special to me though. 2.5/5

Very weird album, in a good way. Some heavy instrumental stuff going on, and sometimes just straight rock. Didn't save a lot but very cool pick.

Feel like we may have had an album from this group before, right? Not sure. It's decent though, a couple tracks I liked but struggled to hear anything special or "hear before you die" worthy. 2.5/5

Cool folksy/indie project. I've heard the name before but not the music, it's decent!

Really interesting pick! Very DIY-feeling R&B album, with some barebones hip hop elements faintly present. The Sampha feature was great, he's always a welcome presence. Very cool album, thanks for sharing! 3.5/5

We all know "Lady Marmalade" of course, but how's the rest of the album from LaBelle? Well, it's fine. Nothing else with as much oomph or staying power, but it's alright.

Metal band from Texas called HELLYEAH. Fun stuff! Never heard of them, but they ain't half bad. Didn't dig much of it, but I'm not a big metal guy anyway. 2.5/5

As soon as I saw the name of this band, I was thrown back to college. There were two brothers in our fraternity, Nick and Tony, a couple of longhaired metalhead dudes. I'm almost certain they were fans of Nightwish, I swear I heard the name from them. Anyway, put this on, it definitely tracks. Fantastical, orchestral metal stuff would've been right up their collective alley. Not really for me, but I respect the artistry.

Fine little indie rock type album. Not sure what about it makes it a "must listen," but it was certainly an easy listen.

Not bad, I appreciate the instrumental variety. Not very memorable unfortunately. 2.5/5

Great pick! I'm such a big fan of Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief, we saw her live last year and she was fantastic. She played a few songs from this album, including "Spud Infinity" as the closer, with her brother on the mouth harp. It's a long, sprawling album, and frankly not the best introduction to Big Thief for that reason, but I love this album. I would've picked her solo album Songs, but I can't complain about hearing this one again. 4.5/5

Live album? Is this a band we had on the main list? I don't know, but the one good thing I can say is that punk sounds fine live because it's DIY by design.

Very cool Japanese pop album, with a mix of English and Japanese lyrics. I prefer the Japanese side here. Is this a big famous album in Japan? I'd be curious to know. But really good, I liked it! 3.5/5

Good old rock and roll, eh? Classic sound, seems like a band forgotten by time. 2009 for this is pretty wild. Not bad by any stretch, but I didn't find it very interesting. 2.5/5

Recognized Ben Gibbard's voice immediately. Really like the production here, the electronic stuff is cool. Had heard of this band but never heard the music. Great pick!

Unfortunately not on Apple Music, but I listened in on youtube--a nice ambient album. Alex and I had a discussion today about scaling back on these user albums a bit. It's becoming a Sisyphean task, as the final number has increased by dozens since we started, and I'd rather just listen to other things at this point. Today, this incredible journey comes not to a screeching halt end for me, but the cool down begins. I'll try reviewing albums I can, or ones I'm interested in, but others may get a cold shoulder. Apologies in advance to any I snub, but I've grown weary and I don't want the "listen before you die" to become "don't stop listening until you die." 3.5/5

Frankly, didn't need another album from Teenage Fanclub. A couple decent songs but mostly skips. 2.5/5

Heard this one back when it came out, wasn't very impressed but it's some fine R&B, nothing wrong with that. One of these sisters has since become an actress, played Ariel in a Little Mermaid remake. Do they still do music? 3/5

2.5/5

2.5/5

Cool mysterious prog album.