A masterpiece of camp, androgyny, debauchery, and good wholesome fun.

I was expecting some Southern, Country-fried twangy stuff. This completely caught me off guard. Good stuff!

Weird, Post-pop music for the tragically hip. I kept getting essence of Neutral Milk Hotel for some reason. Not my bag.

Kind of neat Spanish soft rock that went on waaaay to long. Fun, but it eventually just turned into background noise.

Weird, unsettling, and darkly seductive.

Tally Hall has always been a fun band, and this is no exception

This one was kind of weird, ethereal, and at times haunting. Not sure how I feel about it just yet.

another kind of oddball album. Interesting, but I can't exactly explain how or why.

Fun album. Had never heard of these guys, so it was a nice surprise.

Barenaked Ladies have often been written off as a sugar pop or humor band, and nothing is farther from the truth. These guys make amazing music that may seem innocuous on the surface, but hit with the power of a thousand suns when you're not ready for it.

It's a folk album, pure and simple. If that's your thing, you'll dig it.

I don't understand the appeal of Vampire Weekend, and I doubt that I ever will. Don't take that as a condemnation of their music, I just don't get it.

Progenitors of 3rd wave Ska. This is a seminal album in one of the best genres ever created.

Blind from birth, Gurrumul wove together an interesting pastiche of musical styles and themes. Thought provoking, but not something I can really see myself listening to again.

You never know how to take Type O Negative. If you take it seriously, then you're mocked for being too involved with the persona. If you take it as tongue in cheek, you're labeled a poseur.

a very tasty album of blues songs and standards.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, so you would think it would be impossible to be disappointed, but you'd be wrong.

Kind of neat Spanish soft rock that went on waaaay to long. Fun, but it eventually just turned into background noise.

Weird, Post-pop music for the tragically hip. I kept getting essence of Neutral Milk Hotel for some reason. Not my bag.

Weird, unsettling, and darkly seductive.

British dream pop that will probably appeal to fans of the Lemonheads.

Electro dance from Britain. Not my thing, but it's enjoyable enough.

Interesting take on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Seems totally on brand for the Alan Parsons Project.

Fun dub album from one of the progenitors of the subgenre. Well worth a listen.

Punk rock from Spain? Heck Yeah!

Irish Post-punk. Tasty, but almost niche.

I don't know if it's fair to call this music. It's more like an aural assault from multiple angles at the same time. I can imagine seeing someone like Charlie Sheen saying "This is why you don't take Ketamine and LSD at the same time. It's like you're simultaneously sodomizing and being sodomized by goats."

Not really sure what to make of this, but I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I was expecting some Southern, Country-fried twangy stuff. This completely caught me off guard. Good stuff!

A masterpiece of camp, androgyny, debauchery, and good wholesome fun.

This went way harder than it should have, but still felt pretty tame. Not a bad band, but not one that I would necessarily seek out again in the future.

While not their crowning achievement (IMHO, it's 10,000 days), Lateralus pull no punches, expects no quarter, and makes no demands of it's listeners - but it will change you; regardless of if you want it to or not.

Not even remotely close to my preferred genres, but Styles has an easy flow to him that I sometimes find cloying. However, he keeps a quick pace, and lays down infectious beats that are hard to ignore.

Ah, Debbie Gibson. Gen X heartthrob for many young men (and women) that grew up during that time (Personally, I preferred Tiffany, but that's because I've got a thing for redheads). If you ever watched "How I Met Your Mother" Gibson was one of the main influences for "Robin Sparkles" and listening to this album, you can almost smell the comingled scents of hairspray, deep fryers, and denim.

I can see why Sufjan Stevens is such a popular artist, I just can't groove to his stuff most of the time. I have a desk shaped dent in my head from dozing off while this was playing today, and I don't know how long it will take to fade.

Ween is an interesting band that by all metrics I should love. Unfortunately, their stuff just doesn't grab me. Still, It's a decent album.

Al Stewart always seems to be written off as an effective "One-Hit Wonder" (not true, he had several hits), but I find his voice and musical style rather soothing. Gentle enough that it slips into the background, but it doesn't get lost. An enjoyable album.

A quiet, haunting album that is much like eating a bag of MSG. Filling, but doesn't last very long, and the memory has a hard time sticking around. I had to listen to this a second time to remember listening to it at all.

Not my jam. I can see how people may enjoy this album, but the inherent conceit and mellowness bored me.

I get it, Garbage is a big deal in certain circles, and it doesn't hurt that the lead singer is nice to look at. Brit pop either runs hot or cold for me, and this one is cold. Not in the realm of Radiohead, but definitely not something I really enjoyed either.

Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists of his time, and it's impossible to ignore his impact. This album just didn't do much for me.

Fusion Jazz? I don't know. It was over before I could really get a feel for it.

Had to listen to this several times.

Didn't know what to expect from this - I was expecting some sort of trap or drum and bass sort of music. Boy was I wrong. While not a band I would actively seek out, this was surprisingly fun and quite enjoyable.

As my only other exposure to Procol Harum was "A Whiter Shade of Pale", I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Not that I don't enjoy that song, I just wasn't expecting a whole lot from them,

Interesting album from King Crimson alum. Not exactly sure how I feel about it. Definitely fascinating, but I think I have to be in a certain mood to really appreciate.

Never been a big fan of screamo. I can appreciate the genre, but I miss the appeal.

Shoegaze is one of those genres that I never really explored, but if this is any indication, I'm in for a deep dive.

It's difficult to not enjoy They Might Be Giants (unless you're an absolute fuddy dud), and this one is no exception. A lot of fun, toe tapping, head bopping tunes to be found here.

Not my thing. Jepsen is a competent and accomplished singer, but her musical stylings just don't connect for me.

Metalcore is niche enough that you either really enjoy it, or you don't. Either way, it's liable to make your ears bleed. I Dig a lot of Metalcore, but Killswitch Engage just isn't one that holds my attention.

Fascinating and unnerving album that feels less like music, and more mood.

This one caught me completely by surprise - Wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm still processing what exactly it is. Definitely 80s pop, but with a Castellan bent. I did learn a new phrase that I am attempting to integrate into my lexicon. La cagaste Burt Lancaster (You screwed up, buddy). four stars for the linguistics lesson alone.

Brazilian rap. It's got some good hooks, and if I understood what he was saying, I might like it more, but rap really isn't a genre that I listen to.

This album didn't know what it wanted to be, but I don't think that's a bad move. Definitely outside of my standard listening zone, but well worth a revisit.

Sadly lost in the annals of time, Yellowcard is a brilliant band that has done so much for punk.

interesting. different. worth a second look.

In another universe, maybe even two or three doors down the hallway, this would have been the gold standard for music in the late 'teens. In this universe, it's a hidden gem.

I like a fair amount of Depeche Mode, but this album just didn't do a whole lot for me.

The Cure still manages to amaze me after so many years together.

Aussie Punk. For some reason, puts me in mind of Leftöver Crack, D.O.A., and MDC.

I get that Portishead is an influential band, and they are beloved by many listeners. It's just not my jam.

Not really an album that I would listen to.

It's a shame that there wasn't more Earth, Wind, & Fire on the original list. This is good stuff.

Interesting jangle-pop-esque music. Wasn't bad, but not my thing.

I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I know I didn't hate it. I'll have to give it another listen.

Everything about this screams mid-80s power pop. I feel like this would be part of the soundtrack for a Haim/Feldman vehicle that has aged like milk in a hot car.

An absolute classic of new wave pop-ska. Fortunately, it was not a portent of later endeavors, and remains a timeless jam.

Blink-182 was cute when they started out, but the schtick tends to wear thin early on. By every metric, they are an incredibly accomplished and competent band, but constantly and consistently going for low hanging fruit will eventually leave one wanting something else.