Les Sheriff's "Les deux doigts dans la prise" might be one of the best straightforward punk albums I've heard. It might be. But it's in French, and I don't speak French, so I don't know if the lyrics are any good. But they nail the sound and vibe. I continue to wonder about where the users who submit albums are from. After 17 user albums, we've had 2 French, 3 Canadian, 1 Belgian, 1 Spanish, 1 Icelandic, and 1 whatever planet 100 gecs is from. Makes me curious about the geographic diversity of the people completing the 1001 project.

Fontaines D.C. helped give rock music the shot in the arm it needed in 2019, a fitting successor to IDLES' "Joy Is An Act of Resistance" the year before. When I first heard "Boys in the Better Land" on American radio, it was utterly refreshing. I think this might have been my first time listening to "Dogrel" all the way through (I know "Skinty Fia" better), and I should have sought out the whole thing from that first moment I heard them. Love the energy, love the attitude, love the way they blend influences, and Grian Chatten is one of the few singers I can tolerate doing the talk-singing thing. Rock and punk are alive and well, in Dublin at least.

I found myself wanting to skip to the next song on every track. Occasionally the folksy, bluegrassy music was ok, but the vocals were usually my breaking point. I read about Michael Hurley, and wondered if his voice in his younger days in the Greenwich folk scene in the 60s and 70s might be better. It seems it was, but he also sometimes exaggerated the vocals in a silly and annoying way. It's also all a very fake Southern accent from a guy from Jersey, and almost feels like its mocking some of the time. This may be my least favorite of the user albums thus far.

Growing up in Raleigh in the 90s, I should have heard Polvo. But I was a little too behind the curve, and didn't get into music enough to know the local scene at the time. They probably got played on WKNC 88.1 at NC State and WXYC 88.3 out of UNC, but I was only listening to mainstream radio at the time. It's cool to see NC indie on the user list, but while I wish they weren't new to me I can't say I love "Cor-Crane Secret." Polvo seem to be a step behind the washed out slowcore indie rock darlings of their time period, but listening to more of their songs from other albums did reveal some better stuff.

Courage (for Gord Downie). Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip are far and away the biggest Canadian musicians to never hit big in the States, but goodness they were huge in Canada. Read about their career success at home. Or Downie’s many philanthropic and Canadian-supporting activities. Or, above all, about the way the country reacted to Downie’s death in 2017. The Hip were terrific, and are more than worthy of being added to the 1001. (And, in fact, they’ve been added twice as of this writing.) “Fully Completely” is as good a place as any to start, with a bit of a Canadian theme and some straightforward rock. Any time I’ve dipped a toe in those Canadian waters it always takes me a bit to warm up to The Hip, but by “Pigeon Camera” I’m fully hooked.

Is Tool the biggest oversight on the list? The finishers so far seem to think so, with three Tool albums being added. Tool have such a unique and powerful sound, it is a major head-scratcher how the 1001 could miss them. I love Australian critic Patrick Donovan’s description of the band as "the thinking person's metal band. Cerebral and visceral, soft and heavy, melodic and abrasive, tender and brutal, familiar and strange, western and eastern, beautiful and ugly, taut yet sprawling and epic, they are a tangle of contradictions." Even though “Ænima” is great, “Lateralus” blows it away. Looking forward to that one, and thanks to all who sought to fix Tool’s snubbing.

With all the unusual spellings of band and stage names these days, I judged Haley Heynderickx too soon. It appears to actually be her given name. A little odd and quirky, but it’s genuinely her. And that’s her music too. Often lovely, sometimes off-kilter, clearly owing a lot to Fiona Apple and many others, maybe a bit of Ani DiFranco, who she toured with while supporting this album. Anyway, I like it. Nice addition, #36.

Thank you for rounding out the Bob Mould trilogy on the list, #191. Hüsker Dü was a band I had always meant to check out, but barely knew. However, I didn't enjoy them as much as I had hoped. I did like them better than Mould's next band, Sugar. But this solo album is better than either of those. I didn't enjoy Mould's voice in those offerings, but it seemed to fit better here, or he improved as a singer over time.

"Post" is the Björk album I would like to see added, but I will gladly listen to "Homogenic" again too. Thanks!

The name Stromae sounded familiar. Turned out it was because my daughter keeps listening to a song by him that’s on the soundtrack for the show “Arcane.” That song actually has a pretty cool vibe that fits the moment in the show well, and while the vibe is a little different on “Racine carrée” it was still a good listen. Stromae brings a great blend of styles, and reading about his life helps to crystallize that aspect. Fascinating though that he has been compared to Jacques Brel, since their music is so different despite both being Belgian.

As on “High Violet,” which was once on the list and then removed, it’s Matt Berninger’s voice that prevents me from liking The National more. In small doses it's ok, but at this point The National have been in plentiful supply for 20 years. “Boxer” was their big breakout, and they were really all over the place that year, with numerous songs not just on the radio but also used in many TV show soundtracks. Ever since it seems like they’ve been one of the most popular, consistent, and ever-present indie rock bands. Berninger aside, it might be Aaron Dessner who is making the bigger impact in music with the number of people he has worked with, written for, and produced for. Again despite Berninger, I dig some of The National’s stuff, on “Boxer” and elsewhere. They certainly deserve an album (or two) on the list, whether “Boxer” or “High Violet” or maybe “Sleep Well Beast.”

I went into Wishbone Ash's "Argus" blind, and thought for a while that I was listening to a modern band doing a nice throwback. I'd never heard of Wishbone Ash, but was surprised to find out they were a 70s band that had escaped my notice. There's a bit of the classic jangly 70s southern rock sound, but it's mixed with harder progressive rock and some great guitar layering and solos. The vocals are better than many of their contemporaries, and they throw in some harmonies to boot. It seems Wishbone Ash deserved a lot more credit and recognition. "Argus" is better than most of the progressive rock that made the list.

Les Sheriff's "Les deux doigts dans la prise" might be one of the best straightforward punk albums I've heard. It might be. But it's in French, and I don't speak French, so I don't know if the lyrics are any good. But they nail the sound and vibe. I continue to wonder about where the users who submit albums are from. After 17 user albums, we've had 2 French, 3 Canadian, 1 Belgian, 1 Spanish, 1 Icelandic, and 1 whatever planet 100 gecs is from. Makes me curious about the geographic diversity of the people completing the 1001 project.

There are some cool aspects to Protomartyr’s sound, but the near-spoken vocals mess things up too often.

Amazon Music labeled "The Evil One" by Roky Erickson as coming from 2013. "What a cool throwback," I thought. It was the second time today I thought a user album was modern, when in fact it was much older. "The Evil One" was recorded in 1979, and Roky Erickson was the founder of the psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators, which do have an album on the list. However, I liked this album by Roky Erickson and the Aliens much more. The psychedelia is toned down, the playing tighter, and Erickson's vocals much better. Most of the user albums are more modern and recent, so the addition of Erickson and Wishbone Ash add some nice balance to the contributions.

This was a terrific find. Atmospheric in a soaring kind of way, with a very Scandinavian vibe. Thank you, adder of Mew!

Justin Vernon can be counted on to sink the listener deep into a mood with his work in Bon Iver. The way he was able to do that single-handedly on his debut, "For Emma, Forever Ago," was remarkable and impactful, and here on "Bon Iver" he follows it up expertly with some help. Nothing Vernon does will probably ever match up to "Skinny Love" and the explosion of popularity he built to off of that first release, but this self-titled follow-up does a pretty good job of attempting it.

Avenged Sevenfold doesn’t seem to know whether they want to be a death metal band or a hair metal band. I know “Bat Country,” and it’s not too bad. But it’s much more consistent than anything before it, which was a constant whiplash of vocal styles.

Seemed like only one goat? But are there mountain goats at all in west Texas? One or two songs of the style are cool, but a whole long album is too much.

I'm really surprised the list didn't include Primus. Seemed all about the provocative artistic weirdness in the 60s and 70s with the Zappas and Beefhearts, but Primus certainly feels like Zappa for the 90s. So credit to the user who submitted it. Primus isn't quite for me, but the bass-heavy zaniness is pretty intriguing for a couple of songs.

Good background music while I worked, but even after added exposure from the 1001 I don't feel like I know afrobeat/desert blues enough to distinguish or evaluate, and not knowing the language makes it hard to keep my attention and focus on the music.

As with their self-titled album on the main list, I can’t really explain why I love System of a Down’s absurdist metal. When they let the weirdness fly and pair it with societal criticism, you get unconventional gems like “Prison Song.” When they rein it in but get looser with the lyrics, you get the standout singles of “Chop Suey!,” “Toxicity,” and “Aerials.” I thought I might outgrow SoaD, but it pulls me right back in.

So apparently I was kind of brutal in my review of Teenage Fanclub's "Bandwagonesque" 1000 albums ago. I recall now being astounded that it was so acclaimed that Spin said it was better than "Nevermind," but I don't really remember the record itself. "Grand Prix" isn't really objectionable though. The first few songs had me thinking that it would be some pretty generic Britpop, but by the end my tune had changed. Liam Gallagher once called Teenage Fanclub the second-best band in the world, and Ben Gibbard called them his favorite band of all-time when he covered all of "Bandwagonesque." I don't get the big deal, but I at least thought "Grand Prix" was decent. Another user album that has me wondering where and when the user grew up though.

"Carrie & Lowell" is not an album focused on one of the 50 states, so I'm disappointed. Apparently Sufjan Stevens was only joking when he mentioned he planned on doing an album for every state after "Michigan" and "Illinoise," but wouldn't that have been fascinating? Instead this album explores the death of his mother and relationship with his step-father, which I guess is deservedly more important. I never listened to any post-"Illinoise" Stevens work, so I'm not sure how "Carrie & Lowell" compares, though I have read that he experimented with a more electronic direction before this return to his roots. And I'm glad for that, because his roots are comfortable and comforting.

If you were to encounter God, and you sang “Sing to God” to her, what would her response be? Laughter? Anger? Cast you directly into the Underworld? I don’t know what the Cardiacs are going for here. Progressive rock, apparently. But “Sing to God” has only served to further convince my group members that prog is awful, along with too many of the list’s prog offerings. Prog can be good (would love someone to add Coheed & Cambria), but not the Cardiacs.

I thought certainly The Breeders’ “Last Splash” must have been on the list. But my memory betrayed me. It just seemed like an album that vey much ought to be on the list, and a kind of album the list likes. Then I thought about the broader Breeders “universe,” and wondered if maybe Belly was on the list and that’s the one I was thinking of. But no, though deserving “Star” isn’t on the list either. Anyway, “Last Splash” is great. Of course “Cannonball” is the peak, but maybe too peak as the rest does struggle a bit to ever reach those heights again. Even though I think it’s one of the user albums most deserving of a spot on the list, at the same time it’s not quite exceptional enough all the way through to earn 5 stars.

Talk-singing usually drives me crazy. But not when Courtney Barnett does it. Maybe it’s the accent? Maybe it’s the lyricism? Maybe it’s the great beat or guitar work behind it? Whatever the magic is that makes Barnett’s music work, work it does. I love her stuff, and “Sometimes…” is such an incredible album from that talky start to the subdued “Boxing Day Blues.” Great addition to the list!

The Posies' "Frosting on the Beater" is a pretty solid early 90s alternative rock album. I know the name but don't seem to recall any of their music. Despite coming up in the Washington music scene before and while grunge was emerging, The Posies didn't seem to achieve the same kind of breakthrough that lit up the Seattle scene in the early 90s. "Frosting on the Beater" might kind of show why - I enjoyed it and thought it was really solid and consistent, but nothing really stood out or sounded like a potential 1993 radio/MTV hit.

Bon Iver is one of two artists (I believe) to have three albums placed on the user list. Should have kept it at two. The critical acclaim that "22, A Million" gets is mind-boggling to me. And I'm gonna blame Kanye. After Justin Vernon worked with 'Ye, he put out this record filled with weird vocal effects (I'm assuming auto-tune?) and other head-scratching aural decisions.

Occasionally, when listening to 60's bands on the 1001, I remarked about how prolific their output was. Today's rock bands generally put out an album every two year (I know, there are many exceptions that are more or less frequent), but back then two albums in the same year wasn't uncommon. But the one band holding down that tradition, and exceeding it, is King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. 27 albums in 13 years!? Their output is insane. A lot of those 60's bands should have pared things down instead of recording everything they wrote or messed around with, and to some extent that's true for KGLW as well. But "Nonagon Infinity" is still a great example of how psychedelic rock and recording all your half-baked ideas can be pretty great, even though some albums on the 1001 tried to convince me otherwise. Thanks for choosing one of those 27 albums to add, glad to finally listen to a full KGLW album, and happy for any additional excuse to say King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

Genre whiplash. And it was tolerable at most genres, if not good at any of them, until the casual stereotyping and accented appropriation of "Banana Man." It's too bad - there's definitely talent there, but it rarely comes through for a full song.

Jam bands are super hit or miss for me. But that dapper pigeon and his jam had me boppin' and groovin' the whole time. Nice to see some Maryland representation. I'd gladly sit on a lawn somewhere on the Bay with a Natty Boh and listen to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The "Ghostbusters" cover starting and ending the last track was a bit weird at first, but the guitars in that song actually kind of fit their vibe, so let's roll with the weird.

I didn't really care for The Soft Boys, and Robyn Hitchcock's solo work is worse, mostly due to the vocals and some cringy songwriting.

Jack Johnson always brings great vibes, but I found myself not enjoying or knowing "In Between Dreams" as much as I thought I would. I think I knew "On and On" much better. Still enjoyable, and a style that warrants representation, but I was underwhelmed.

Nothing really grabbed me until "Strangeways Inside," but then the title track "Mull Historical Society" kept the vibes going. Ultimately not enough to recover from a weak first half.

Everyone was having a brat summer in 2024, even Kamala Harris tried to get in on the action. The brat bubble burst that fall though, and I never bothered to check out what the fuss was about. It turns out Charli xcx's "brat" is a tolerable and occasionally enjoyable electropop album. But it hardly felt worthy of a pop sensation of the summer. Then I listened again, and it definitely grew on me. But I guess I missed the moment.

A third Nirvana! Not the 60s British band, or the one from Seattle some have heard of, but a Danish band that changed their name to Kashmir when "Nevermind" hit big. Taking your new name cue from Led Zeppelin is bold, but Kashmir deliver (though sound nothing like Zep). Instead, they sound rather late 90s post-grunge for the first bit, before revealing some distinct Radiohead influences in the second half of "No Balance Palace." I don't think I noticed it until "She's Made of Chalk," but I also didn't go back to listen to the first half again. Either way, I quite dug the back half and am happy to have been introduced to a quality Danish band that fits terrifically in the evolution of post-grunge rock. They've apparently been around since 1991, so I wonder how their sound evolved leading up to this release. (And, once again, I wonder where the user who added this album is from.)

Listening to "Somewhere In The Between" by Streetlight Manifesto, it was immediately clear why they likely have a dedicated following who are passionate about the group and their live shows. It's just that kind of vibe. Loads of energy and controlled chaos. However, not my thing.

Death Cab for Cutie's "Transatlanticism" is one of my favorite additions to the list. I love the enveloping, melancholy mood that DCFC create, with some perfect emo bursts of energetic guitar and another of those voices that shouldn't work but somehow fits the vibe perfectly. I think I personally prefer "Plans" a bit, but they're both two of my favorites.

Fontaines D.C. helped give rock music the shot in the arm it needed in 2019, a fitting successor to IDLES' "Joy Is An Act of Resistance" the year before. When I first heard "Boys in the Better Land" on American radio, it was utterly refreshing. I think this might have been my first time listening to "Dogrel" all the way through (I know "Skinty Fia" better), and I should have sought out the whole thing from that first moment I heard them. Love the energy, love the attitude, love the way they blend influences, and Grian Chatten is one of the few singers I can tolerate doing the talk-singing thing. Rock and punk are alive and well, in Dublin at least.

Savages' "Silence Yourself" continues to grow on me through a third listen. I completely missed this one, and it's not like it was some obscure release either - it was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Some reviewers pointed out Siouxsie Sioux influences, and I can definitely hear that. Another awesome find from the user list, and I'm gonna go all the way to 5 on this one, making it an amazing 3 in a row. Well done users.

I found myself wanting to skip to the next song on every track. Occasionally the folksy, bluegrassy music was ok, but the vocals were usually my breaking point. I read about Michael Hurley, and wondered if his voice in his younger days in the Greenwich folk scene in the 60s and 70s might be better. It seems it was, but he also sometimes exaggerated the vocals in a silly and annoying way. It's also all a very fake Southern accent from a guy from Jersey, and almost feels like its mocking some of the time. This may be my least favorite of the user albums thus far.

"And" is usually represented by +, &, 'n', or maybe even the epsilon with a line through it version of an ampersand. Not usually with an 'x.' So I can't help but read it as Chloe times Halle. Maybe they should multiply instead of adding - it might make for a more interesting album instead of a fairly bland and unimpressive R&B album.

Pedro The Lion is sometimes categorized as "slowcore," and "Control" begins and ends with two tracks that seem to fit the bill. Those are my least favorite songs on the album. But I've always really dug "Rapture," and its emblematic of a strain of emo that I like better than a lot of the loud and whiny stuff.

Is an Ex-Easter Island Head and Easter Island Head that is no longer on Easter Island? If so, I'd rather listen to Dum-Dum sing about his gum-gum.

Growing up in Raleigh in the 90s, I should have heard Polvo. But I was a little too behind the curve, and didn't get into music enough to know the local scene at the time. They probably got played on WKNC 88.1 at NC State and WXYC 88.3 out of UNC, but I was only listening to mainstream radio at the time. It's cool to see NC indie on the user list, but while I wish they weren't new to me I can't say I love "Cor-Crane Secret." Polvo seem to be a step behind the washed out slowcore indie rock darlings of their time period, but listening to more of their songs from other albums did reveal some better stuff.

That's too bad. I really like the guitars on Deafheaven's "Sunbather." But I really don't care for screaming as the sole vocals. All the bits without the screaming are quite good and would be a high 4 stars without the rest.

My favorite style of hip hop from a group previously unknown to me = win. Psyche Origami features some terrific turntablism and beat-making, paired with some great flow and lyricism from MC Wyzsztyk/Mr. Wizard. Could use a little more variety or diverse voices to match up to my faves like J5 and Dilated Peoples, but "Is Ellipsis" is a solid offering that had me bopping for 50 minutes.

Espers is categorized as psychedelic folk, and on "II" its sometimes folk-focused and at other times heavily psychedelic. It rarely felt like there was a good balance between the two.

I'm not a fan of mainstream and popular country music, but the Turnpike Troubadours' roots rock/Americana leanings make it much more tolerable.

I think it says a lot about Medeski Martin & Wood that I have heard of them. Because I'm generally not into jazz or experimental music. But something about their fusion of jazz, hip-hop, soul, and funk must have gotten them on my radar somehow. Maybe their presence on the jam band circuit? Though again, not usually into jam bands. Regardless, this is my first time intentionally and consciously listening to MMW. And it is actually and clearly all of the things it is described and purported to be. I can hear all of those diverse influences and styles. Which makes it a bit of a mess. But with pretty consistent grooves and rhythms that help me forgive some of the excesses. Honestly, I think I'm more bothered by the lack of commas in their name than their experimental meanderings.