View Album
Thu Dec 08 2022
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
I thought it was fine - sort of embodies the type of jazz that's really easy to tune out, unfortunately. But I would imagine seeing it in person would be really magical-- what a wonderful voice & energy.
3
View Album
Fri Dec 09 2022
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
This was the album that convinced me I needed to break out of rock and indie, and into music I wrongly assumed wasn't "for me." It's so rich that even after listening to it dozens of times, I always hear or notice something that surprises me on it.
5
View Album
Mon Dec 12 2022
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
It's hard to believe we really heard this and thought "wow those British dudes sure are creative and groovy."
4
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Tue Dec 13 2022
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
4
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Wed Dec 14 2022
The Slider
T. Rex
Really different from what I expected. Fun & weird.
4
View Album
Thu Dec 15 2022
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
3
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Fri Dec 16 2022
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
3.5 can see how this was groundbreaking at the time but all I can think about is "cool" characters in this era of TV (eg Jeremy sisto in 6 feet under)
4
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Sat Dec 17 2022
The Yes Album
Yes
3
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Sun Dec 18 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
5
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Mon Dec 19 2022
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
3
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Tue Dec 20 2022
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
I read some of the Wikipedia entry for this album and band and I feel pressured to give a high score because of the influence they've had. However, I got some of the same thoughts listening to this album as I did to Sticky Fingers, including: 1) Should I quit this project now bc I really don't have an interest in hearing EVERY influential 1960s/70s British rock band album, 2) what proportion of albums on this list are by white men? 3) If someone told me this was the Beatles I'd probably be like "hmm, okay," and then move on with my day. Intellectually, I understand the appeal, but emotionally, I do not connect. The music is fine. The lyrics are fine. I guess that it feels so familiar even though I've never heard any of it is a testament to the influence but...I wasn't blown away. Maybe that makes me a philistine. Idk.
3
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Wed Dec 21 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
This album told me I'd look cooler with an eyebrow piercing
3
View Album
Thu Dec 22 2022
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
3
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Fri Dec 23 2022
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
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Sat Dec 24 2022
Moondance
Van Morrison
Album #: 15
first impressions: The only Van Morrison songs I know going into this is Brown Eyed Girl & Into the Mystic. I've been avoiding going back to this album because it seems like this book is chock full of music that sounds like this/from this era. And wait, lol, of course I knew Moondance (barf), too. Wait. And Crazy Love (fine).
after listening through: This album is much less cool than I thought it would be. I thought it would be more Laurel Canyon-Summer of 69-jammy for some reason. But its...much cornier? The vibe is like, 70's Gavin Degraw. And wow, his voice is grating when he shouts, but tolerable when soft. I liked Into the Mystic, and the funky bass and sax on Come Running. Most of the rest ranged from moderately to hugely embarrassing to listen to. Its like a less fun CCR/ (poorly) yassified Dylan.
post-reading reviews/wiki: Ope, forgot he did that whole covid denial / lockdown protest thing. Also wasn't expecting that many people to love this album? Hm.
recommended for: middle-aged aunts drunk on $5 sangrias during a girls night hang out; MAGA hat wearing dads who love to explain that they aren't racist bc classic rock was very inspired by Black music and they love classic rock.
2
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Sun Dec 25 2022
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
Album #: 16 (Listened after album 256)
first impressions: I used to be very put off of her music because of her voice - it has a similar timbre as a family member who used to sing often around me, but whose voice I found jarringly unfeminine and harsh when I was younger. I still find it somewhat unpleasant, but I understand her importance and the sheer power and emotional force behind it.
after listening through: this is nighttime music, this is heartache music, this is for adults. a gorgeous album; if these are her "scraps," I feel compelled to listen to her other works. The piano is also so lovely.
post-reading reviews/wiki: Nina Simone was such a force and a unique talent. I hope there's more of her on the list but I just somehow *know* her other work was somehow less important than, any of the roughly 100 mopey white singer-songwriter albums on here..
recommended for: anyone looking to understand the work of serious (and sadly, much more famous/popular) performers who took inspiration from her (e.g., Jeff Buckley, David Bowie)
5
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Mon Dec 26 2022
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
5
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Tue Dec 27 2022
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
3
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Wed Dec 28 2022
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
4
View Album
Thu Dec 29 2022
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
5
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Fri Dec 30 2022
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
5
View Album
Sat Dec 31 2022
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
3
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Sun Jan 01 2023
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
3
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Fragile
Yes
Exhausting
3
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Tue Jan 03 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
5
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Aja
Steely Dan
5
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Thu Jan 05 2023
Follow The Leader
Korn
This album was awful. I mean, I guess I can see how it was influential and I do catch myself having Freak on a Leash stuck in my head every once in a while/it is a good pump up song...but overall...these songs are terrible.
1
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Fri Jan 06 2023
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
3
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Sat Jan 07 2023
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
4
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Sun Jan 08 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
2
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Mon Jan 09 2023
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
Ancestral father John misty
4
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
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Wed Jan 11 2023
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
I understand that this is a foundational album but I found it hard to listen to. It makes me wonder how much of their contribution came from their image/what they projected into the world vs. the actual music.
3
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Thu Jan 12 2023
White Light
Gene Clark
1
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Fri Jan 13 2023
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
2
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Sat Jan 14 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
5
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Sun Jan 15 2023
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
3
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
3
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Tue Jan 17 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
5
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
4
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Thu Jan 19 2023
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
1.5 Felt like I was missing something; deeply unfun. But not in a sterile way. In a...bald guy who refuses to discuss his baldness way.
1
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Fri Jan 20 2023
Dirty
Sonic Youth
4
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Sat Jan 21 2023
Moving Pictures
Rush
4
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Sun Jan 22 2023
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
3
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Mon Jan 23 2023
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
3
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Tue Jan 24 2023
1999
Prince
I thought I was going to love this based on how fun/interesting/sexy/impressive I've found other Prince records. I found most of the album enjoyable - 1999, Little Red Corvette, Let's Pretend We're Married, DMSR. But I found the squeaky synths of Delirious & Automatic distractingly grating. A lot of the lyrics are silly, and it definitely sounds *80's* in a way that not all Prince's music does (the DMSR groove would totally suit an 80s rap flow, but the guitar riff is v. timelessly Prince, e.g.) Definitely a fun one, but not necessarily the Prince album I'd pick to introduce someone to Prince.
4
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Wed Jan 25 2023
Close To The Edge
Yes
2
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Thu Jan 26 2023
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
1
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Fri Jan 27 2023
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
Prior to this listen, I'd only heard Bee Gees' big disco hits, so I was expecting a lot of falsetto, some grooves, and a lot of great harmony. Well...some of that is here. Not sure about the grooves, but it's definitely giving vocals throughout. It's also- surprisingly- giving a lot of deeply sad songs ("When Do I," "Don't Want Live Inside Myself") that are borderline hard to take seriously because of the production. I can't say I love a lot of these tracks - they feel overwrought and theater-y with the cheesy orchestral sounds, even for early 70's...but overall most are just okay. Solid 3.
3
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Sat Jan 28 2023
Doolittle
Pixies
This album, to me, resonates cool. Some punk (with more polish than hardcore stuff from the same era and early punk), some blues, some folky/country stuff, some foundation for the 90's alt rock titans.
I suppose the feelings I have listening to this album contextualize some of the choices for this book -- you don't realize how much nostalgia you can have for a time before you were even born until you *really* hear it and recognize how much of the sounds you grew up were drawn from this.
Of course I'd heard the popular songs off this album dozens of times - Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Hey, Monkey Gone to Heaven. I'm sure that many of those times were before I knew the prestige of this album or who I was even listening to...but they still made an impression on me as the type of music I (still) enjoyed these songs, and also found myself re-listening to hear even some of the harder to like/less pop-y songs like Crackity Jones. 4 leaning 5 for me.
5
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Sun Jan 29 2023
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
2
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Mon Jan 30 2023
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
3
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Tue Jan 31 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
4
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Wed Feb 01 2023
Drunk
Thundercat
4
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Thu Feb 02 2023
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
3
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Fri Feb 03 2023
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
I really could have gone my whole life without hearing this and it would not have been worse. This sounds like unbuttered toast tastes to me.
1
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Sat Feb 04 2023
Back In Black
AC/DC
3
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Sun Feb 05 2023
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
This reminds me of going to your friend's cute older brother's performance at an open mic night or something. You know, the instance when your crush abruptly ends bc you realize his art kind of sucks ? :/
1
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Mon Feb 06 2023
Diamond Life
Sade
I am fairly certain that I or at least one of my siblings was conceived to this album so I haven't really listened to it before this 🌚
4
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Tue Feb 07 2023
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
3
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Wed Feb 08 2023
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
4
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Thu Feb 09 2023
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
3
View Album
Fri Feb 10 2023
LP1
FKA twigs
Some very interesting sounds and themes in the vein (imho) of early the Weeknd; dark, sexy, a little weird. Still not really something I'm drawn back to.
3
View Album
Sat Feb 11 2023
The Who Sell Out
The Who
4
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Sun Feb 12 2023
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
3
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Mon Feb 13 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4
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Tue Feb 14 2023
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
I was surprised to learn that Ms Springfield is an English woman. Who wouldn't like Son of Preacher man, regardless? The rest of the album is fine, a lot of pining over men and general horniness.
I do hope there will be more albums by the POC who originated these musical styles.
3
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Wed Feb 15 2023
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2
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Thu Feb 16 2023
The Visitors
ABBA
2
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Fri Feb 17 2023
C'est Chic
CHIC
5
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Sat Feb 18 2023
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
4
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Sun Feb 19 2023
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Album: Pieces of the Sky
Artist: Emmylou Harris
Year: 1975
Album #: 72 (listened after album 274)
first impressions: usually not super excited to listen to country but this sounds pretty surprisingly contemporary and not...crusty and whiny.
after listening through: what an emotional and musical rollercoaster!! i'm exhausted but also excited to dig further into her catalog.
post-reading reviews/wiki: curious what contemporary musicians will end up like Ms Harris 50 years from now, if any.
recommended for: Dolly Parton fans
5
View Album
Mon Feb 20 2023
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
Album: New Boots and Panties !!
Artist: Ian Dury
Year: 1977
Album #: 73 (listened after 274)
first impressions: I listened to part of this album on the assigned day and....I don't remember why I didn't finish it, but as I'm revisiting it, I can understand why I forgot it (because believe it or not, there are far worse listening experiences on this list) and why I didn't finish (because it is really not to my taste.)
after listening through: i think i could go the rest of life without hearing any of this again and be totally fine for it ( ok I wrote this 2 songs in (during attempt 2!) but the sentiment mostly held.) "Partial to Your Abracadabra" is fun in that it feels very like... British people doing something that feels very un-British & thus automatically humorous. The song "Blockheads" is entirely unpleasant and if you're sensitive to the see you next tuesday word, maybe skip "Plaistow Patricia."
post-reading reviews/wiki: ok i guess i could see how *one* might be charmed by the bizarreness of this album. i still...was not.
recommended for: the twenty five cent record bin at the thrift store (sorry to this man)
1
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Tue Feb 21 2023
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
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Wed Feb 22 2023
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
5
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Thu Feb 23 2023
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
3
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Fri Feb 24 2023
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
5
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Sat Feb 25 2023
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
5
View Album
Sun Feb 26 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
3
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Mon Feb 27 2023
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
2
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Tue Feb 28 2023
The Poet
Bobby Womack
3
View Album
Wed Mar 01 2023
Revolver
Beatles
5
View Album
Thu Mar 02 2023
Copper Blue
Sugar
2
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Fri Mar 03 2023
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
3
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Sat Mar 04 2023
Woodface
Crowded House
2
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Sun Mar 05 2023
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
2
View Album
Mon Mar 06 2023
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
3
View Album
Tue Mar 07 2023
Murmur
R.E.M.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 08 2023
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
3
View Album
Thu Mar 09 2023
The Real Thing
Faith No More
2
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Fri Mar 10 2023
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
2
View Album
Sat Mar 11 2023
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
2
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Sun Mar 12 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
3
View Album
Mon Mar 13 2023
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
5
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Tue Mar 14 2023
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Wed Mar 15 2023
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
4
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Raw Power
The Stooges
4
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
3
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Sat Mar 18 2023
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
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Sun Mar 19 2023
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
3
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Mon Mar 20 2023
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
3
View Album
Tue Mar 21 2023
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
3
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Wed Mar 22 2023
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
2
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Thu Mar 23 2023
In Our Heads
Hot Chip
4
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
2
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Sat Mar 25 2023
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
2
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Sun Mar 26 2023
Faith
George Michael
2
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Mon Mar 27 2023
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
5
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Tue Mar 28 2023
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
3
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
4
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
I dismissed this album when it was released as peak P4k fodder -- unintelligible lyrics, crunchy guitars, nothing particularly danceable or beautiful or stunningly innovative. To me, it sounded just like everything else that was being played in Urban Outfitters at the time.
But in retrospect, I think this album is great. Sure, it doesn't seem groundbreaking in the way some other albums on this list surely are, but it does sound like something that would still stand out if it were released now, 13 years later. The songs are varied enough that it kept me interested and curious about what would come next. There's so much beautiful, layered, subtle texture in the bass & more muted background percussion. It reminds me of some of the Beatles' albums where I still discover "new" elements each time I listen.
5
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Goo
Sonic Youth
I can't be the only one whose only touchpoint with this album was playing Kool Thing on Guitar Hero when I was in high school. I find it really charming that Kim Gordon is having a resurgence on TikTok right now in 2024. Anyway. It's weird knowing how relatively young this album is (1989) and how much it inspired musicians -- especially those who happen to be women-- that have always just... been around for me as a mid-millennial. I would much rather listen to this than more British New Wave or some of the excessive drippy 60's/70's folk and psych rock on here.
4
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Sat Apr 01 2023
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
5
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Tue Apr 04 2023
No Other
Gene Clark
3
View Album
Wed Apr 05 2023
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
5
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
3
View Album
Fri Apr 07 2023
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
4
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Sat Apr 08 2023
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
3
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Sun Apr 09 2023
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
5
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Soul Mining
The The
4
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Thriller
Michael Jackson
5
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Wed Apr 12 2023
Another Green World
Brian Eno
3
View Album
Thu Apr 13 2023
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
2
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Fri Apr 14 2023
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
2
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Sat Apr 15 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
2
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
4
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
3
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Pelican West
Haircut 100
4
View Album
Thu Apr 20 2023
OK Computer
Radiohead
5
View Album
Fri Apr 21 2023
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
5
View Album
Sat Apr 22 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Tue Apr 25 2023
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Not particularly interesting to me but I can see how it's a good live album
1
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Wed Apr 26 2023
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
2
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Thu Apr 27 2023
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
Can def hear this influence in contemporary Weeknd tracks. Sort of sounds like Gorillaz covering the Weeknd for a GenX/boomer audience. I didn't love the album. The songs kind of started blurring together half way through, w/ the interruption of the Iggy Pop yelling in Aisha. Will probably not re-listen though might come back to it come Halloween time for the vibes.
2
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Fri Apr 28 2023
High Violet
The National
brooding folk
3
View Album
Sat Apr 29 2023
Cross
Justice
3
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Sun Apr 30 2023
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
3
View Album
Mon May 01 2023
Suicide
Suicide
1
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Tue May 02 2023
Either Or
Elliott Smith
3
View Album
Wed May 03 2023
The White Album
Beatles
4
View Album
Thu May 04 2023
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
4
View Album
Fri May 05 2023
Calenture
The Triffids
1
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Sat May 06 2023
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
5
View Album
Sun May 07 2023
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
1
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Mon May 08 2023
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
3
View Album
Tue May 09 2023
Who's Next
The Who
3
View Album
Wed May 10 2023
Tago Mago
Can
3
View Album
Thu May 11 2023
Sound Affects
The Jam
2
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Fri May 12 2023
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
on one hand i can see why people would be interested in this album. it is full of unique sounds and rhythms that I've never been exposed to. It is not, in my opinion, purposefully ugly- sounding. There are moments that are easy to understand and enjoy. It seems like someone genuinely poured their heart and soul into this project, and its production.
But on the other hand, it's just not for me.
2
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Sat May 13 2023
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
2
View Album
Sun May 14 2023
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
2
View Album
Mon May 15 2023
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
3
View Album
Tue May 16 2023
Forever Changes
Love
Feels like 60s/ 70s generic cosplay music
2
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Wed May 17 2023
Nevermind
Nirvana
first impressions: ofc i assumed I'd listened to this album before, but i honestly didn't remember some of the songs. it feels a little disjointed but in a way that makes the despondance and anger of some of the tracks more palatable. ofc this feels to me like the classic PNW grunge sound at its essense.
after listening through: easy 4
post-reading reviews/wiki: haven't done so, don't really plan to. this band's history leads to so many weird true crime wormholes that are just...not great.
relisten?: added "In Bloom" to my 100 favorite all-time songs (2023 edition) playlist; probably won't listen through again. I get it.
4
View Album
Thu May 18 2023
Microshift
Hookworms
first impressions: sounds like a Hot Chip side project? should I know this? seems like peak p4k bait from this era. pleasant enough, some fun songs that I imagine could have been singles.
after listening through: i enjoyed this and appreciate that it sounds like a culmination of a lot of other work in adjacent genres (e.g., Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, some lower-fi stuff) it doesn't seem like it merits a place on this list for innovation, though.
post-reading reviews/wiki: yeah the reviews about this band falling apart after some allegations of s*xual abuse are not great. its also weird that there's so little information about this band even though they're so contemporary (relative to the rest of the list.) I know the question of separating art from artist is challenging, and i am v sure that MANY of the artists on this list have had similar allegations and if not/if they were downplayed bc "it was a different time" that that doesn't make them any better/worse...
relisten?: I've added some of the songs I liked to my monthly favorites playlist, and might carry them over into my working playlist for this year, but I don't think I'll listen to the whole album again.
3
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Fri May 19 2023
Boston
Boston
4
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Sat May 20 2023
Melodrama
Lorde
Album #: 162
first impressions: I remember feeling kind of disappointed on my first listen of this album - I liked her debut a lot, and I feel like the glossiness (and come to learn, Jack Antonoff) of this album kind of diluted that.
after listening through: I do think this album does a great job of encapsulating emotions at a specific time in life, on the cusp of adulthood, going through heartbreak, insecurity, when your friends are your life, etc. I was 26 when it came out, but I remember thinking it would have been perfect for me when I was a few years younger. It also sounds like the year when it came out, but without the worst aspects of that era (the dark nihilism/extreme vapidity of a lot of the popular music of the time.)
post-reading reviews/wiki: Lorde (maybe this era specifically, I didn't spend a lot of time w her last album) feels like a hybrid of Taylor Swift (poignant, introspective lyrics, not super impressive, but distinctive vocals,) and the xx (dynamic, energetic, even when slow instrumentation that really captures specific emotions.)
relisten?: I had forgotten about some old favorites: "Homemade Dynamite," "Supercut," "Perfect Places." And I never really stopped liking "Liability," and "Green Light" for specific moods. The rest of the songs are...fine. I can see how they fit into the album but I just don't find them as compelling or memorable.
4
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Wed May 24 2023
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
3
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Thu May 25 2023
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
first impressions: It's mindblowing to me that this is an album from 1977 - if this were released today, I think it would garner a lot of attention...or at least night core remixes.
after listening through: Very interesting. I can hear how this has influenced so many genres of music, including (possibly?) hip hop and modern electronica/dance music. Its not really my cup of tea for daily listening, but I admire how innovative it must have sounded in the 70's. The vocals are unappealing, but the beats are pretty tame and inoffensive.
post-reading reviews/wiki: wondering how much this album influences what we think of as "German" vibes today.
relisten?: I will probably listen to my favorites, including the opener, again. I might put this album on for working at some point. But I don't think I'd recommend it to a general audience.
3
View Album
Fri May 26 2023
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
first impressions: "Hate to Say I Told You So" is (still) kind of a banger. Good on whatever companies used it for their commercials (? or am i misremembering?)
after listening through: After listening to more early punk through this project, I'm less impressed w/ this album than I was when I first heard it & listened to it (in like, middle school.) But I'm not really impressed? If anything I'm surprised this album is on here and kind of inspired to take up guitar and/or singing even though I have almost no experience playing guitar. maybe that's the brilliance of this album?
post-reading reviews/wiki: Ok I guess that meme calling them the Swedish Strokes was accurate?
relisten?: probably not. even though its only 28 minutes I still feel irritated that I could have listened to something more enjoyable in that time.
3
View Album
Sat May 27 2023
xx
The xx
Album #: 168
first impressions: ohy this is a great album.
after listening through: every time after i listen to this album i feel fulfilled. its like eating the most satisfying and not overwhelming meal. the music is unique and interesting; sparse yet cinematic; the lyrics are tender but performed aloofly. or maybe it just came out at a pivotal time in my life and i have v fond memories of feeling like an adult for the first time while listneing to this album.
post-reading reviews/wiki: i mean i guess i know the musicianship isn't groundbreaking but the production is clean and its just..a relief to hear something so minimalistic and not grating in this genre. to me, its a portent to the quieter, darker, but still dance-able music of the 2010s after a decade of really bombastic pop songs.
relisten?: i feel like i'll periodically revisit it for nostalgia purposes but its probably a hard sell for non-milennials tbh
3
View Album
Sun May 28 2023
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
2
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Mon May 29 2023
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
3
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Tue May 30 2023
London Calling
The Clash
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
3
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
2
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Sat Jun 03 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
4
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Sun Jun 04 2023
In Utero
Nirvana
3
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Mon Jun 05 2023
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
4
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
4
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Wed Jun 07 2023
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
Album #: 180
first impressions: as a spanish speaker, listening to music in Portuguese is distractingly difficult - i feel like i should understand but i do not (& this is when i desended into a wormhole trying to identify the song "Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Celentano. According to Wikipedia the "the name of the song and its lyrics are gibberish but are intended to sound like English in an American accent." I saw it performed on a YouTube video in like, 2008 and its lived in my head rent-free since then.)
after listening through: easy listening/smooth jazz & some funk from the late 20th c (i would guess) as the kids would say, but in portuguese. its fine, a little disjointed. not my favorite genre. Kinda vibed w/ "O Medo De Amare E O Medo De Ser Livre"
post-reading reviews/wiki: ok sry, so THIS is bossa nova. i always wondered what that sounded like and...now I know. And I know its not for me. I did appreciate the talent behind the vocals and some of the grooves. It certainly has A Vibe.
relisten?: i seriously doubt i will ever relisten, but i could see how some people might enjoy it!
3
View Album
Thu Jun 08 2023
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
3
View Album
Fri Jun 09 2023
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
3
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Sat Jun 10 2023
Liquid Swords
GZA
3
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Sun Jun 11 2023
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
3
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Wed Jun 14 2023
Gold
Ryan Adams
2
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
3
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Fri Jun 16 2023
The Undertones
The Undertones
3
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Sat Jun 17 2023
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
5
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Sun Jun 18 2023
Dry
PJ Harvey
3
View Album
Tue Jun 20 2023
Blur
Blur
Album #: 192
first impressions: Yeah, I know this band. Song 2 is a certified banger. The rest of this ranges wildly from sounding like a less fun version of that song to basically unlistenable 90's crunchy guitar noises w chaotic drums and extremely disaffected vocals.
after listening through: There were a few catchy songs. I can see how this is an album emblematic of the 90's.
post-reading reviews/wiki: I always forget Damon Albarn did blur before Gorillaz. It's weird bc I really enjoy Gorillaz usually...I guess he really shines when he's out of that 5-piece rock band kind of mold. Even though a lot of the reviews praise Blur's versatility, it just feels directionless in a lot of spots on this album.
relisten?: probably not, other than song 2 ofc, and maybe Beetlebum (which is like a 90's-ified 70's singer/songwriter vibe) & M.O.R.
3
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Wed Jun 21 2023
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
3
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Thu Jun 22 2023
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
3
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Fri Jun 23 2023
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
3
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Sat Jun 24 2023
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Album #: 197
first impressions: I'm finally listening to the quintessential Bad Kid (TM) album. This album came out when I was in elementary school and I remember my popular friends' older brothers being big fans. To the inverse degree, my parents, the "Dr." Dobson devotees, were horrified by this album. So it was weird to go back and actually listen to it now that I'm the age some of those kids' parents must have been. It's also weird to think about how Hailey was kind of always a baby to me but she's like, married now and was always closer to my age than Eminem was. Also, Eminem's sound hasn't actually evolved as much as I thought it would have, but his influence is all over so much of music that I enjoy.
after listening through: In some ways, I'm horrified and I can totally see why people were upset by this album and wouldn't want kids to listen to it. But in others, I can see how this was groundbreaking, and I respect Em's artistry and creativity. I don't think anyone could listen to this and think he wasn't imaginative, bold, and provocative as hell. Is some of the violence and misogyny gratuitous? Of course. Is it so offensive that I can see it hynotizing children into committing crimes? No.
post-reading reviews/wiki: yeah reactions are exactly what I expected them to be -- adulatory + disgusted. Seems like a fitting legacy.
relisten?: I mean, as someone who is pretty sensitive and not a hip hop head, probably not aside from the classic My Name Is.
3
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Sun Jun 25 2023
Sister
Sonic Youth
1
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
4
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
3
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Thu Jun 29 2023
Risque
CHIC
3
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Harvest
Neil Young
Album #: 203
first impressions: Prior to this listen, I'd only heard "Heart of Gold" off this album; couldn't have really picked Neil Young's music out of lineup. But I feel like this is giving me a much clearer idea of who he is as an artist, how his music relates to people he was influenced by (e.g., Bob Dylan) and people he would go on to influence (I feel like this album gives Death Cab for Cutie x Avett Brothers.)
after listening through: really, really impressed by the range of places I can hear the influence of this album. A quick Google search confirmed that the orchestral score on "There's a World" is sampled in the opening score of Nelly's "Hot in Her(r)e," for example. I am impressed, and frustrated with the relevance of some of the more political songs ("Alabama", to US politics, "The Needle & the Damage Done" to the opioid epidemic...) but I guess that's how you make a timeless album.
post-reading reviews/wiki: I understand and respect Neil Young's perspective & why so many artists I love love him. This album is giving a "your favorite artists' favorite artist" vibe. While I 100% expected this album to be on the list (I feel like its in every (white) Dad's record collection, and cited by so many of the artists I enjoy,) I guess I wasn't fully sure what to expect from it/didn't feel compelled to check it out sooner. I assumed it wouldn't be "for" me, as a millennial Latina. And yet, this is definitely one of my favorite albums so far, 200+ albums into this project.
relisten?: Sonically, v. likely. Logistically, probably less likely since his music isn't available on Spotify. I 100% respect that decision but also wish Apple Music cared more about their PC/iPhone UX/ that YouTube music was just...better. :\ If more (established) musicians had a backbone (like Neil Young!!!) we'd probably all be better for it, with more choice for music platforms. And more availability of music that is truly classic for a reason.
5
View Album
Sat Jul 01 2023
Young Americans
David Bowie
2
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Sun Jul 02 2023
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
4
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Mon Jul 03 2023
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
3
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Tue Jul 04 2023
Machine Head
Deep Purple
2
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Wed Jul 05 2023
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
Album #: 208
first impressions: Thrilled to be giving this a listen. I've gone back to it a few times in the last few years after rediscovering it when I heard "In My Place" on a Now That's What I Call Music compilation listen through (it was a good way to pass time/relive memories while training for a half marathon.) So far, it holds up. The melodies are often pretty and memorable, the piano/orchestral touches/ and clean production add to how contemporary the music feels even though a lot of the song structures, lyrics, instrumentation, and themes aren't particularly innovative. Chris Martin's vocals are sort of like adult contemporary Thom Yorke. The percussion feels very alive throughout most of the songs even though music in this genre in this era can feel very canned. Maybe millions of people aren't wrong for liking this band? At least during this album. I'm not sure when their sound got so bloated and boring but it was after this album for sure.
after listening through: It's hard for me to know if this album is really actually as good as I think it is or if its nostalgia blinding me. I'm trying to judge by the songs I am less familiar with (e.g., "A Whisper," "Politik," "Daylight," the title track) They feel like relative lowlights of the album, but are still interesting and pleasant, if less memorable. I hear classic rock influences. I hear how cheesy the orchestral swells might sound 20 years later. I do not hear groundbreaking poetry. I can imagine it being played alongside other artists considered mediocre (e.g., the Fray, pop era John Mayer.) And yet. When I hear "In my Place," "Clocks," "Warning Sign," and "The Scientist,"( and even "Green Eyes," which I like significantly less,) I can vividly imagine multiple points in my life when I've heard those songs and/or recall the music videos and my emotional state(s!) And I can see how they might feel like that for others my age, too. But also how they might not seem that way for those older than say, young Gen X, or Gen Z or younger. They have their own cinematic pop rock albums to lean on and I can totally hear how these songs might just sound like cell phone commercials. Overall, it was very much an album that accompanied my formative years, during the dying days of US monoculture. To the uninitiated, I would describe this album as more approachable Radiohead or maybe 00's U2 vibes.
post-reading reviews/wiki: Well. These reviews are 100% what I expected. Time to start an early Coldplay apologist club.
relisten?: Pretty likely that I'll be forced to hear one or more of the singles from this album when consuming media from this era. Prettly likely that I'll choose to give it a listen when I'm wanting to relive younger years.
4
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Thu Jul 06 2023
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
2
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Fri Jul 07 2023
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Album #: 210
first impressions: ...this is the same Coal Miner's Daughter Loretta Lynn?
after listening through: Oh, ok so this is what I thought country sounded like growing up. And this is what I didn't like. I find it cheesy, whiny, and dull. I guess I appreciate the storytelling. Although the stories themselves are simply a rude reminder of how we all suffer under toxic masculinity. I guess I still value the and emotional vulnerability, and do think she's a talented singer. "I Really Don't Want to Know" must have been killer live w/ the dynamics and range showcased; the harmonies on "There Goes my Everything" are pretty. But it all kind of blended together for me. Too many similar tempos and themes; lots of variation on "my man sucks, here's a whiny slide guitar solo."
post-reading reviews/wiki: not surprised at the range of people's feelings on this album; also surprised no one mentioned how this record sounds positively ancient (read: bad) compared to other records from around this time.
recommended for: divorcees having sad coffee at a truck stop in flyover country? Idk
relisten?: i immediately gave it a relisten after realizing that I did really like other albums of hers I've heard. I don't think I'll be doing that again.
2
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Sat Jul 08 2023
Live At Leeds
The Who
3
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Sun Jul 09 2023
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
3
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
Album #: 213
first impressions: The guitars, percussion, and production are very in line w the indie sleaze of the time, but going for a (much) more polished presentation? Its like Bloc Party x Shiny Toy Guns with ANOHNI singing.
after listening through: I don't think I understand why this album is on the list. It was interesting, I guess?
post-reading reviews/wiki: Love that the wiki refers to how British indie is more buttoned up. This really does feel that way, other than the absurd lyrics and the dramatic vocals. I never know what "art rock" is, but I suppose other people labeling it as such makes that sound like a fitting genre.
recommended for: shopping at urban outfitters; adding a (single) song to a playlist from this era. Not sure which one though.
2
View Album
Tue Jul 11 2023
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Album #: 214
first impressions: Not quite sure what to expect. I remember this album sounding chaotic and overstimulating when I last tried to listen in my early 20's. I totally wrote it off except for Maps when I was younger. And yet. I distinctly remember seeing the Maps music video on MTV when I was a tween and being completely blown away by Karen O. I didn't know women (especially women who didn't fit the extremely rigid beauty standards of the time) could be so magnetic and rock so hard. And then. Date With the Night also grew on me (I think it was on the Girls soundtrack? or maybe a movie I liked? idk) and Y Control (which I heard on a mixtape from a Tumblr blogger I liked...) And now the whole thing just feels electric and powerful.
after listening through: I can see why this album was so influential. I would love to hear this on vinyl and to maybe watch performances of them during this era. Though I think seeing them live would be underwhelming now and would have been too chaotic at the time this album came out.
post-reading reviews/wiki: yeah ok, I can also see how this one would read as overhyped. And I do kind of agree that the band might be better with a bassist (although would Karen O shine as brightly as she does w another band member?). Some of the songs are pretty silly/forgettable/too messy (Rich, Tick, Yeah! New York.)
recommended for: fans of Arctic Monkeys, the 1975, the Ramones, anyone who owned the American Apparel Disco pants
4
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
Album #: 215
first impressions: I was expecting more proto- Daft Punk. I'm getting v cheesy synths (hadn't we progressed more by 1987??) and...boredom?
after listening through: I'm having a hard time remembering what this sounded like even a couple hours later.
post-reading reviews/wiki: is this yet another "oh, this must be a british thing" album ? like, we just accept that a lot of british music (before a certain time/by certain demographics/in certain genres) utterly lacks...spice? I'm dreading the other 2 albums on this list. A relisten is probably not in the cards but I'll make sure to pay more attention to those on the other ones, if only something to distract from the tedium of the music.
recommended for: city pop fans?
2
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Porcupine
Echo And The Bunnymen
3
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Fri Jul 14 2023
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
Harry Styles of the 90s
2
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Sat Jul 15 2023
I Should Coco
Supergrass
2
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Dummy
Portishead
2
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Traffic
Traffic
2
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Django Django
Django Django
Album #: 223
first impressions: I remember this band being Pitchfork darlings around the time of this album. At the time, I remember thinking Pitchfork was unbearably pretentious. So I assumed this band would be, too. A bit surprisingly, it sounds like an amalgamation of other bands they liked at the time that were sort of on the more mainstream edge: the XX, Fleet Foxes, and LCD Soundsystem. An interesting mix of 2010's indie/electronic/world music together with a little bit of country/60's singer-songwriter flair.
after listening through: Really interesting production/blends of genres; good background/working music but also fun/varied enough to listen to as a standalone activity. But a little too long.
post-reading reviews/wiki: I would not have guessed that this band is British because it feels... relatively seasoned (iykyk.) I'm not surprised to see comparisons to Animal Collective, another band I rejected at the time of this album's release bc I felt that their sound was too weird and people who liked them were just pretentious at the time. Now I kind of vibe with it, but it's not something I see myself obsessing over a decade too late.
recommended for: fans of Tune-Yards, James Blake, Orville Peck, Devendra Banhart, stomp n clap.
3
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
3
View Album
Sat Jul 22 2023
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
4
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Sun Jul 23 2023
The Grand Tour
George Jones
2
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Horses
Patti Smith
3
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Album: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Artist: Ray Charles
Year: 1962
Album #: 228
first impressions: yay ray charles should be fun and energizing for a monday morning
after listening through: i'm so bored i could cry
post-reading reviews/wiki: well, it sucks that an album that broke down so many barriers and was so influential has so many moments that just sound dull without context. i would have gone into this expecting an easy 5 stars had i read this first but i just.. can't motivate myself to relisten. i appreciate the idea of this album but the songs themselves were just like...proof that this era of country music is not for me!
recommended for: soothing elderly people
3
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Wed Jul 26 2023
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
3
View Album
Thu Jul 27 2023
Mothership Connection
Parliament
4
View Album
Fri Jul 28 2023
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Album #: 231
first impressions: *groan*
after listening through: i get why this is on here. without the beastie boys yelling at us, how would we have known that white people were also interested in hip hop in the 80's? without the beastie boys we wouldn't have Eminem, Sublime, or Mac Miller or *checks notes* Fred Durst?
post-reading reviews/wiki: not at all surprised this is such a controversial album. to me it listens like a "you just had to be there." I'm a mid-millennial and I remember hearing the singles (Fight for Your Right, No Sleep Til Brooklyn, Brass Monkey, Girls) on the alternative radio station growing up and...even then I was like "this is music for frat boys," / period piece soundtracks and not for me.
recommended for: Boomer Dad's trying to be cool. Gen Z/Alpha trying to understand why there was such limited interest in hip hop not made by Black people in the 90's & 00's.
2
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Sat Jul 29 2023
Tapestry
Carole King
5
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Tue Aug 01 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
3
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Wed Aug 02 2023
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Album #: 236
first impressions: Excited to give this album a close listen. I've heard it before and I've heard Nick Cave's other works, at least in part. Nothing really stood out but I know this album has a reputation for being beautiful and unique in his discography.
after listening through: I feel a little emotionally destroyed, but also somehow lightened. This album is a really beautiful meditation on loss and grief, and how universal these things are, but how consuming and altering they can be. No, his vocals aren't pretty, but neither are those emotions. The contrast between his voice and the instrumentation is such a good match for trying to describe the contrast between how it feels like your world has ended when you're dealing with death, but how the rest of the world simply...goes on. All the beauty and all the darkness sits together. The lyrics are really beautiful and challenging. And on a personal note, this is my 201st reviewed album and I am feeling ready to continue powering through the other 4/5ths of this list (lol)
post-reading reviews/wiki: Seems like my reaction was about on par.
recommended for: all of us in this "post-covid" world. we've all been challenged to some degree by this event; many, if not most, of us by death or serious illness, or at least its proximity.
5
View Album
Thu Aug 03 2023
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
2
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
Album #: 238
first impressions: back to our usual programming, i guess -- british rock dudes beloved by dads
after listening through: these guys sure play rock music fast and loud
post-reading reviews/wiki: pioneers in thrash metal; not really a genre i enjoy, but i suppose i understand why this album is on here & didn't suffer any more for listening to it than I did w/ yesterday's Limp Bizkit album...
recommended for: comical getaway scene in a film set in the 80s
2
View Album
Tue Aug 08 2023
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
Album #: 242
first impressions: were oasis pioneers of cursive singing? ("sun-she-ine," etc.)
after listening through: I was folding laundry while listening to this and covered my speaker w/ a towel for a moment -- it was much easier to listen to and almost enjoyable like this.
post-reading reviews/wiki: i guess everyone recognizes this is mid in at least one way but i'm not sure why that translates into them loving it? i guess you had to be there.
recommended for: someone looking for the british answer to US grunge pop of the 90s? lovers of distortion and affected vocal stylings.
1
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Black Metal
Venom
4
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Thu Aug 10 2023
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
4
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
2
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Sat Aug 12 2023
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
4
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
3
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Marquee Moon
Television
4
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Thu Aug 17 2023
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
5
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
#252 - finished it across four different sessions. This is long and not all that coherent. Except that most songs sound like they could be played by an old burnout who plays Dylan covers for an apathetic audience at your local coffeehouse. I'm not sure why this album is on this list, even after reading the very sad Wikipedia page. It's not good. Sorry to this man (RIP.)
1
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Sat Aug 19 2023
Play
Moby
4
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
4
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
3
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
5
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Thu Aug 24 2023
Document
R.E.M.
Album #: 258
first impressions: another REM? This one might be less inscrutible since it has eome of the songs of theirs I know.
after listening through: ok i get the appeal of this band to those of a certain age (Gen X, I guess?)
post-reading reviews/wiki: i guess people really like this one, huh?
recommended for: fans of jangly guitars and angsty but not *too* angsty vocals and lyrics
4
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
3
View Album
Sat Aug 26 2023
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
5
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Sun Aug 27 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
5
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Solid Air
John Martyn
3
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
4
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Wed Aug 30 2023
The Specials
The Specials
4
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
4
View Album
Fri Sep 01 2023
Eagles
Eagles
3
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Sat Sep 02 2023
The Clash
The Clash
3
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Sun Sep 03 2023
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
2
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Mon Sep 04 2023
D
White Denim
3
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Brothers
The Black Keys
3
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
3
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Thu Sep 07 2023
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
Album #: 272
first impressions: *shudder* I just got the Black Keys two days ago, isn't that enough unchecked testosterone for one week.
after listening through: barely coherent horny mumbling and moaning over bluesy, crunchy garage-y rock. it clearly shows they've listened to a lot of the classics (for better or worse,) but it does not seem like it should be allowed to be listened to in the daytime or around children. Except, you know, for a Jeep commercial or something. That's Kings of Leon for you. I do not think anyone was shocked to learn these guys had serious problems w alcohol. but anyway, i guess it was more fun than expected if you simply pretend this man isn't trying to sing in English.
post-reading reviews/wiki: i do not want to believe how many people like this. i guess that's what happens when u get a lot of sweaty young (white) men doing these reviews
recommended for: montages of the type of bros who call women "chicks" in public and "females" online trying to act swaggy at dingy bars w sticky floors; finding motivation to take a shower.
2
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
4
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Sat Sep 09 2023
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
4
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Sun Sep 10 2023
Elastica
Elastica
4
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Arular
M.I.A.
4
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Kid A
Radiohead
5
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Wed Sep 13 2023
Phrenology
The Roots
4
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Thu Sep 14 2023
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
3
View Album
Fri Sep 15 2023
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
I understand the musical importance and can see how contemporary artists I really like, like Kacey Musgraves & Jason Isbell trace back to Graham Parsons. But I'm a still a little resentful that what feels like the entire Byrds & all related artists' discographies are on this list.
4
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Sat Sep 16 2023
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
4
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
3
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Wed Sep 20 2023
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
4
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
2
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Fri Sep 22 2023
The College Dropout
Kanye West
3
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Sat Sep 23 2023
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
5
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Tue Sep 26 2023
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
3
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Wed Sep 27 2023
Technique
New Order
2
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Thu Sep 28 2023
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
2
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Virgin Suicides
Air
4
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Sat Sep 30 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
3
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Tue Oct 03 2023
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
5
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Wed Oct 04 2023
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
5
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Thu Oct 05 2023
British Steel
Judas Priest
3
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Fri Oct 06 2023
Third
Portishead
Album: Third
Artist: Portishead
Year: 2008
Album #: 300 (264 rated)
first impressions: I feel like this is supposed to be an influential album and artist so...I was looking forward to it, but now I'm looking forward to the end. This just seems like if Radiohead decided to make songs without traditional structure and more synths and truly grating, mewing vocals.
after listening through: the song "Plastic" is honestly one of the worst tracks I've listened to as part of this project; "Deep Water" is like, the origin story of the awful twee ukelele hiphop YouTube covers of the early 2010s? The rest is like, the Social Network Soundtrack mashed up with Kid A, but replaced with the vocals of the woman who sings at 8 am mass at my parents' church.
post-reading reviews/wiki: ...did I listen to the same album people love? I guess I really just don't like Trip Hop.
recommended for: someone who hates melody in their music and just wants.. slightly unpleasant noise.
1
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Sat Oct 07 2023
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
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Sun Oct 08 2023
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
3
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Mon Oct 09 2023
Stardust
Willie Nelson
3
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Tue Oct 10 2023
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
3
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2
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Fri Oct 13 2023
Imagine
John Lennon
3
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Sat Oct 14 2023
Metallica
Metallica
4
View Album
Sun Oct 15 2023
Leftism
Leftfield
Album #: 310 (issued, #287 rated)
first impressions: Oh this might be interesting (& what felt like 40 minutes and 3 songs in -- ok maybe I was wrong.)
after listening through: I will not be listening to the extended version. I get it. It's kind of fun for a little bit and I'm sure sounds better when you're on ketamine. But I don't like contemporary EDM much and don't like this prototype for it.
post-reading reviews/wiki: *Imagines everyone who loves this album dancing in that cybergoths dancing under a bridge meme video*
recommended for: cosplaying club scenes in early seasons of Sex & the City
2
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Low
David Bowie
3
View Album
Fri Oct 20 2023
Zombie
Fela Kuti
5
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Sat Oct 21 2023
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
5
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Mon Oct 23 2023
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
1
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Tue Oct 24 2023
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
4
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Wed Oct 25 2023
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
1
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Cut
The Slits
3
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Sat Oct 28 2023
All Directions
The Temptations
4
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Tue Oct 31 2023
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
2
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Wed Nov 01 2023
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
2
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Thu Nov 02 2023
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
2
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Fri Nov 03 2023
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
first impressions: absolute dread at yet another album from between 1965 & 1972) this sounds like just another Beatles-esque folk/psychadelic rock album.
after listening through: I barely remember what this album sounded like aside from the singles that I'd heard before, which I don't think I recognized as all by the same band since they all kind of blur together to me. Time of the Season is honestly kind of an all time bop which means that I understand why this album is on here even if it is only for this single.
post-reading reviews/wiki: No impressions have shifted, tbh.
recommended for: the youth who have never heard that song they heard on TikTok
2
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Sat Nov 04 2023
The Wall
Pink Floyd
3
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Sun Nov 05 2023
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
Album #: 331 issued, (289 rated)
first impressions: this might be funky fresh
after listening through: this is like the portuguese version of that red snapper album; vaguely ominous/sexy/cool hold music.
post-reading reviews/wiki: . I can't believe I gave that Red Snapper album a 4. I would be inclined to 3 this one bc at least there's some fun world-music influence on it, but i'd have to take away a star for the whistling and for being at least 10 minutes too long.
recommended for: someone interested in getting zooted and pretending its the 90's
2
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
1
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
2
View Album
Sat Nov 11 2023
The Next Day
David Bowie
2
View Album
Mon Nov 20 2023
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
4
View Album
Wed Nov 22 2023
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
If Lin Manuel Miranda wrote a Skins musical
2
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Music
Madonna
3
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Album #: 350 (#298 rated)
first impressions: this is probably going to be weird. it's like nick cave meets barry manilow so far?
after listening through: i mean, is he just andy shauf/jens lekman for boomers? i kind of get it in that sense.
post-reading reviews/wiki: no relation to the former (trash) governor of Wisconsin, or his dad or anything, in case you were also wondering.
recommended for: those looking for easier listening than some of the other late 60's singer/songwriters without as vapid as some of the pop music from that era.
3
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Sun Nov 26 2023
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
Album #: 352 (#297 rated)
first impressions: this is going to be a slog.
after listening through: it was kind of a slog. i thought about not finishing it, but i've listened to some that were harder to ignore all the way through -- the noise rock aspect means you can just kind of tune it out.
post-reading reviews/wiki: glad to not be the only one who found this tedious and weird for no reason.
recommended for: teen edgelords looking to "impress" online, haunted house soundtracks for halloween
1
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Tue Nov 28 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
3
View Album
Wed Nov 29 2023
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
2
View Album
Thu Nov 30 2023
Ramones
Ramones
4
View Album
Fri Dec 01 2023
Garbage
Garbage
3
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Sat Dec 02 2023
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
3
View Album
Mon Dec 04 2023
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
4
View Album
Tue Dec 05 2023
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
5
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Wed Dec 06 2023
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
2
View Album
Thu Dec 07 2023
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
Album #: 363 (#305 rated)
first impressions: this is going to be weird and very 90's, I think.
after listening through: that was not unpleasant -- kind of an amalgamation of the Flaming Lips + Radiohead, but fun + early Coldplay? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I will forget this album in a few weeks at the longest. It was fine, but didn't really resonate emotionally for me and the music was just too weird on purpose for me.
post-reading reviews/wiki: I tried to read the Spotify bio for this band and it was entirely too long to comprehend. You know it's going to be juicy when they immediately bring up tensions in the band and lineup changes. Also, sorry for piling on with the Flaming Lips comparison. I really didn't cheat and peak at the comments before writing that.
recommended for: Fans of the bands this album sounds like, people who hate music that fits into one genre; people who like "musicians' musicians"
2
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Blackstar
David Bowie
2
View Album
Sat Dec 09 2023
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
4
View Album
Sun Dec 10 2023
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
5
View Album
Mon Dec 11 2023
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
5
View Album
Tue Dec 12 2023
1989
Taylor Swift
3
View Album
Wed Dec 13 2023
The La's
The La's
2
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Thu Dec 14 2023
War
U2
3
View Album
Fri Dec 15 2023
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
3
View Album
Sat Dec 16 2023
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4
View Album
Sun Dec 17 2023
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
3
View Album
Tue Dec 19 2023
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
3
View Album
Wed Dec 20 2023
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
5
View Album
Thu Dec 21 2023
Odelay
Beck
3
View Album
Fri Dec 22 2023
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
3
View Album
Mon Dec 25 2023
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
5
View Album
Thu Dec 28 2023
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
3
View Album
Fri Dec 29 2023
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
1
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Sat Dec 30 2023
Tidal
Fiona Apple
5
View Album
Sun Dec 31 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
5
View Album
Mon Jan 01 2024
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5
View Album
Tue Jan 02 2024
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
4
View Album
Wed Jan 03 2024
The Man Who
Travis
2
View Album
Thu Jan 04 2024
Sail Away
Randy Newman
3
View Album
Fri Jan 05 2024
Homework
Daft Punk
4
View Album
Sat Jan 06 2024
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
4
View Album
Tue Jan 09 2024
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
5
View Album
Wed Jan 10 2024
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
2
View Album
Thu Jan 11 2024
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
4
View Album
Fri Jan 12 2024
Smile
Brian Wilson
4
View Album
Sat Jan 13 2024
Smash
The Offspring
3
View Album
Sun Jan 14 2024
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
5
View Album
Mon Jan 15 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
3
View Album
Wed Jan 17 2024
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
3
View Album
Thu Jan 18 2024
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4
View Album
Fri Jan 19 2024
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
In 2017, I traveled to Ladakh in the Jammu & Kashmir region after attending friends' wedding in Delhi. I'm pretty certain it was one of the most otherworldly and beautiful places I've ever been (do a Google image search of Tso Moriri and know that it actually looked like the photos. And not only from specific angles!) I know a large part of my admiration was because it was so unfamiliar and is now because I know how few US Americans have and will be able to travel there. Anyway. This music truly fits the type of gorgeous, pristine, and kind of dangerous vibes and kind of makes me understand why so many rock bands in the 60's incorporated elements of Indian music into their own.
5
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Sat Jan 20 2024
Country Life
Roxy Music
2
View Album
Sun Jan 21 2024
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
2
View Album
Mon Jan 22 2024
Ctrl
SZA
5
View Album
Tue Jan 23 2024
Picture Book
Simply Red
2
View Album
Wed Jan 24 2024
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
oh, i -suffered- through this one. there isn't a single song i ever want to hear again on this album. i really am not sure why it's on this list.
1
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Van Halen
Van Halen
4
View Album
Fri Jan 26 2024
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
5
View Album
Sat Jan 27 2024
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
3
View Album
Sun Jan 28 2024
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
2
View Album
Mon Jan 29 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
2
View Album
Tue Jan 30 2024
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
4
View Album
Wed Jan 31 2024
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
4
View Album
Thu Feb 01 2024
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
3
View Album
Fri Feb 02 2024
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
3
View Album
Sat Feb 03 2024
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
2
View Album
Sun Feb 04 2024
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
4
View Album
Mon Feb 05 2024
Tommy
The Who
2
View Album
Tue Feb 06 2024
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
3
View Album
Wed Feb 07 2024
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
3
View Album
Thu Feb 08 2024
Nixon
Lambchop
4
View Album
Fri Feb 09 2024
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
2
View Album
Sat Feb 10 2024
Palo Congo
Sabu
4
View Album
Sun Feb 11 2024
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
2
View Album
Mon Feb 12 2024
Black Monk Time
The Monks
3
View Album
Tue Feb 13 2024
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
4
View Album
Wed Feb 14 2024
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
4
View Album
Thu Feb 15 2024
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
3
View Album
Fri Feb 16 2024
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
4
View Album
Sat Feb 17 2024
The Rise & Fall
Madness
SAIN ARE 'OUSE?
3
View Album
Sun Feb 18 2024
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
3
View Album
Mon Feb 19 2024
Opus Dei
Laibach
2
View Album
Tue Feb 20 2024
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
4
View Album
Wed Feb 21 2024
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
3
View Album
Thu Feb 22 2024
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
4
View Album
Fri Feb 23 2024
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
5
View Album
Sat Feb 24 2024
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
ancestral lofi beats to study/relax to
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
2
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
3
View Album
Wed Feb 28 2024
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
4
View Album
Thu Feb 29 2024
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
4
View Album
Fri Mar 01 2024
1984
Van Halen
2
View Album
Sat Mar 02 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
4
View Album
Sun Mar 03 2024
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
4
View Album
Tue Mar 05 2024
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
2
View Album
Wed Mar 06 2024
Transformer
Lou Reed
4
View Album
Thu Mar 07 2024
In It For The Money
Supergrass
3
View Album
Fri Mar 08 2024
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
3
View Album
Sat Mar 09 2024
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3
View Album
Sun Mar 10 2024
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
5
View Album
Mon Mar 11 2024
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
2
View Album
Tue Mar 12 2024
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
3
View Album
Wed Mar 13 2024
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
4
View Album
Thu Mar 14 2024
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
3
View Album
Fri Mar 15 2024
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
5
View Album
Sat Mar 16 2024
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
3
View Album
Sun Mar 17 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
4
View Album
Mon Mar 18 2024
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
5
View Album
Tue Mar 19 2024
Stripped
Christina Aguilera
3
View Album
Wed Mar 20 2024
Better Living Through Chemistry
Fatboy Slim
2
View Album
Thu Mar 21 2024
Face to Face
The Kinks
I get it. Kitschy, easy to understand pop/rock. It feels like a less sleazy version of the Rolling Stones, a bit. A precursor to Vampire Weekend.
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
3
View Album
Sat Mar 23 2024
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
4
View Album
Mon Mar 25 2024
Timeless
Goldie
Big swing, naming your album Timeless. Not sure if the name exactly fits, since it does still sound sort of futuristic, but in a 90's/00's way. Definitely not something I would have chosen to listen to on my own, but not horrible. Kind of a good background for doing work that requires some focus, but not a lot of deep thinking. I could see myself coming back to some of these tracks for long runs or coding sessions.
3
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
3
View Album
Wed Mar 27 2024
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
3
View Album
Thu Mar 28 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
3
View Album
Fri Mar 29 2024
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
must've been cool to be there, i guess. also cool how good it sounds for long ago it was, and that this was all live. not really something i could get into on a weekday while working though.
2
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
recommended if you like: nirvana, mac demarco, talking about how you used to go to basement shows, the mountain goats, owning ancient chuck taylors, lo-fi
3
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
3
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
I had to sigh when this album popped up, entirely too soon after their other album on this list (aka at any point at all.) This one is more polished sounding, but still sort of grimy and dirty feeling...lyrics are overtly sexual in a retro (and somehow still unsexy, to me at least) way. It feels like they've chosen to embrace the messiness of the vocal stylings while cleaning up the other aspects of the music on this record. I remember this being their breakout album. The singles were truly inescapable in 2008-2010. In retrospect, maybe I should have appreciated them more then, because they really came at the end of rock on the pop charts for...a while. Is that why they're on the list? Commercial success and the marker of an end of an era where indie rock went mainstream, thanks, in no small part, because of the Twilight soundtrack? I have no other theories.
Overall, it's fine. I don't think I'll return to this album anytime soon, but thanks to the magic of drugstore soundtracks, I'm sure I'll remember it exists.
2
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
4
View Album
Wed Apr 03 2024
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
3
View Album
Thu Apr 04 2024
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
3
View Album
Fri Apr 05 2024
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
3
View Album
Sat Apr 06 2024
Connected
Stereo MC's
So I didn't think I would know any of these songs since I didn't recognize thea artist's name or any of the tracks, but I recognized the opener in seconds. It's one of those songs where I'd bet that if you're 30 or older in an English speaking country, you somehow just know the song? I can't remember ever hearing it in a specific place or at a specific time in my childhood but somehow I knew most of the lyrics and felt like it was just...around when I was a kid?
Everything else sounded sort of like that song. So I suppose if you like it, the rest of the album will be bearable, if not the most interesting.
I can't see myself returning to this, but I appreciate it as a sort of proto-Gorillaz type piece of music history. I'm tempted to be frustrated since really only the opening track stood out to me in any way, but I suppose music history is really littered with one hit wonders and isn't music history what we're all here trying to learn about?
3
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Sun Apr 07 2024
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
2
View Album
Mon Apr 08 2024
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
2
View Album
Tue Apr 16 2024
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
3
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Wed Apr 17 2024
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
I think the only Talk Talk song I'd heard before was "It's my Life" and then, only because of the No Doubt cover. This album was fine. The songs all felt like 1-4 minutes too long, but otherwise inoffensive. Will probably not come back to this one.
3
View Album
Thu Apr 18 2024
Eternally Yours
The Saints
3