Not sure how this one snuck in... Its good, its fine. I like the songs, some songs were better than others. I probably won't revisit, but I wouldn't be mad if it was on. I guess it was somewhat forgettable?

Man, Jah Wobble has got to be the most discontented white man on planet earth. And I'm not even saying it like its a bad thing. He clearly set out to make a punk post / brit indie record and then realized that he likes other music way more. I was pleasantly surprised by this record. It kind of had everything: ska, middle eastern music, salsa music. He had guest vocalists that sing the entire song? Was the producer on drugs when they produced this??!? Anyway, I really enjoyed this. It was weird but really fun and interesting. Oh, and his voice reminds me of Dan Bejar from Destroyer, so that was fun.

So good and so fun. Moody and poppy at the same time. A good mix of both. Quintessential British indie post-punk. Common People is obviously the best track, with Pencil Skirt being the one to def skip.

Love this album. Good times as a junior in high school listening to this one. I love how they incorporate elements of punk and folk into a collection of songs about life, love and sex. Some songs are funny, others are sad, others are creepy. Its raw and sometimes over the top, but it works.

So stoked to get this one today. Classic. A perfect record for the time. Bored teenager suburban punk rock. Most of the songs sound the same, but the bangers are all time. Longview, Basket Case, When I Come Around, Welcome to Paradise. All perfect 90s pop punk.

Very groovy. Super easy listening, and vibey. Good to have one while working. Not sure when I'll revisit, but I'm happy I'm aware of it. I recognized a lot of the songs. Glad I can put a name to it.

Admittedly, this is not really mu cup of tea. But I do really like the full on prog elements on this music. It feels like a step beyond Led Zeppelin, while opening the door for 80s metal and prog rock. Though, I do feel like this sound gets appropriated and is not fully appreciated. When listening in this avenue, you can really see and feel the vision of the artist and what they were going for. It works.

Not my favorite, but cool and interesting. The rap sections were fun and flowy.

I had it in my head that I didn't like Steely Dan, but this album slaps! Super creative, unique, and honestly fun to listen to. Love the genre bending of blues, rock and jazz.

This is a great timestamp in British music. It feels like The Clash, The Smiths, The Beatles all in one wonderful mash up. I like the punk rock energy of the record, and flowing nature of the songs. They also have interesting transitions and elements of each song.

Not the vibe.

Super fun! Definitely good ol' indie rock with a Southern influence. I liked the energy and song writing. Definitely want to revisit more of Kings of Leon.

I love how by 1966, they were adding in Indian influence, as else as experimenting with the psychedelic sound. Taxman really sets the tone for the album and then launches you right into Eleanor Rigby. Psych rock + sweet ballads + short punchy rock songs. Its so so good and so unique. Especially considering when it was made. A few more notable songs that stand out to me: - Love You To. Fun trippy, rad. - Here, There, and Everywhere. Sweet, sentimental. I love it. - Yellow Submarine. Still to this day, I don't care for this song. It obviously catchy but I don't know WTF is going on. - She said, She said. One of my fav Beatles songs. I love how it builds and flows. - For No One. Always almost makes me cry. Genius song. - Tomorrow Never Knows. Simply amazing.

This one is fun, but not my favorite Tom Petty record. It feels like a very formative album in creating the TP sound. I like the mix of old rock n' roll with singer songwriter and 70s rock influences. Some of they lyrics are a bit cheesy, but that feels intentional. Obviously, American Girl is the biggest and best banger on this record.

Elemental. You can really see a lot of elemental aspects of British Indie and what would become indie. It starts out kind of punky-poppy, but it really starts to pick up in the second half as they add in more instruments and interesting song patterns. The horns + brass are really good. The deep drums on songs like Kilimanjaro is also really interesting and unique. Really fun album!

Really cool and interesting album. Its kind of a mixed bag of singer-songwriter, rave / techno, eastern music, into a really cool pop mix. I'm most impressed with Madonna's voice. Its super unique. I like how real and mature it sounds, its of mystic but not cheesy. Overall, really cool and fun to listen to.

Super good. This is definitely one of those "important" albums that contemporary artists reference as their intro to Eastern Music. Its super cool, and really interesting. I love the microtonal sounds and finger picking. Its wild how the music sounds so complex, when in reality, it's quite simple. Basically, a Sitar and a Drum for most songs.

Loved it. I really like the singer-song writer influenced, fused with R&B. The instrumentals for the intros built up and flowed nicely into each song. This is a really unique record for 2019. Super stoked on this one.

Super fun. The flute was really cool, and the lyrics + music is all really stellar. Not a huge prog fan, but I get the hype after listening to this.

Love this album. I like the exploration of genres, like pysch and irish folk songs. It doesn't start the strongest, but it gets better as it goes.

Loved it. The instrumentals, the grooves. I love how jammy everything felt, and how cohesive one song to the next feels. The lyrics are sharp and pointed.

So good. I love the synth and even proto-auto-tune on some of the tracks. The music feels so flowy, bouncy and groovy. Really cool composition of keys, brass, drums and vocals. With really cool bass lines. Stoked on this one.

This is the epitome of "vibe indie." Most songs sound vibey and moody. It kind of feels like the artist just discovered reverb effect on their amplifiers. So. Much. Reverb. Not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed it. Its chill and vibey, but ultimately not the most engaging record. Save for it for a rainy day after your ex reaches out to you instagram.

As a person who was born in the 90s and came of age in the 2000s, its easy for me to write off all indie rock bands as "dime a dozen," but when I listen to this record, I'm reminded that this is the source code of all modern Indie Rock. Its in the punchy punk adjacent rolling downbeats in songs like "Goon Song." Its in the lonely longing vocals of songs like "Big Boys" or "Party Girl." I mean does Weezer ever happen if there is no Elvis Costello?? It feels like he must have been listening to The Specials or The Clash when he wrote "Sunday's Best" and "Moods for Modern," not explicitly Ska songs, but it definitely have the influence. Which I think is a good nod and homage to the scene in London at the time of writing. And obviously the big blaring banger of this record is (What's So Funny,) which is anthem we should all cherish. Maybe the 3rd greatest karaoke song of all time? 🤔 Also, I'd be hard pressed to not mention "Oliver's Army," which again, is another indie pop rock banger. We should all give Elvis Costello a bit more love.

Listening to a 40 year old hip hop record, I find it hard to not feel like I'm listening to a meme of hip-hop. In certain songs, I half expect Andy Samberg to drop in and start rapping about something silly. Which I guess is the legacy to how successful and how big of an impact this record and band had on modern music. A few things stand out to me: fusion, humor, attitude. The obvious fusion is how they combined 80's hard rock into hip-hop. This is most overt with songs like "Walk this Way" and "Raising Hell." However, what impresses me the most is how they take that music and own it entirely. Even claiming they are the Kings of Rock in "Hit It Run." The boldness and attitude towards mainstream music is so palpable. Its hard to imagine that this didn't inspire other NYC rappers like Jay-Z and Nas. This is especially prominent in songs like "Proud to be Black" and "Is It Live." Beyond the attitude, they really just sound like they're having fun, and never take themselves too seriously. Especially in songs like "You Be Illin'" and "Peter Piper ", and "It's Tricky." It's a breath of fresh air, which is probably why a 40 year old hip-hop can still feel fresh.

The Star Club! Such a rad and historical venue. I had no idea this record even existed. For such a short album, there is so much energy in every song. You can feel that energy in the audience, he's really leaning into it and it compounds as the album progresses. The music is simple, but its full. However, the piano really elevates the music and brings all the energy together. Despite Jerry Lee Lewis being one of the biggest assholes in modern music, he sure knows how to work an audience and bring up the energy.

It's hard to objective about an artist that I would have punched myself for listening to as a teenager. I did, however, find some fun gems on this record. Mainly, towards the end of the album. Notable songs: "Rock Your Body" "(And She Said) Take Me Now" "Right For Me" These songs had the most interesting composition, vocal melodies and beats. I also enjoyed the latino influence on a few songs, and the overall blues R&B aspect of the album. Things I did not like: the drum machines are sooooo bad. They truly sound like a Window 98 computer with shit plastic speakers. There's also some weird mixing, where beeping noises just go on throughout the song. Once you hear it, you can't stop. Its brutal. It actually hurts my brain. All that to say though.. Its hard to hate JT. He's got unreal charisma, and it shows through his music. Especially in this album.

This album sounds like the album cover looks. Fuzzy but clear, vibrant but hazy. The songs progress in a moving and flowing forward direction. The lyrics and vocals feel almost adjacent to death metal, where they don't really matter, they just add to the vibe and composition. Some songs put you on edge, where others take you a drive. If I was to knock anything about this record, it would be that one song doesn't sound much different than the last. It's like one long song, which I believe was intentional. However, most of the transitions are seamless. 'Only Shallow' > 'Loomer' ; 'Touched' > 'To Here Knows When.' It all makes sense, and it all flows together into a wonderful moody mess of an album. This was obvious a pivotal moment for post punk indie to cross into noise rock alternative. There's no Smashing Pumpkins without this moving vibey blurb of static and feeling.

What a ride. This is one of the records that sounds raw, wild, and intense even 50 years later. I love the energy, the saxaphones, the vocals. Its a wild ride, and definitely keeps you on your toes.

I love the variation of sounds between songs. This record takes you on an awesome journey. Especially the title track. That song is all over, progressing, speeding up, slowing down. Its a journey. The brass, the keys, the bass are all on point and jam so tight together. The drums, however, really stand out. What I really like about this record is how they take risks but always keep it tight and progressing forward, each moment where you think its going one way, it always ties back to original song. I also did not realize the "Cruella Deville" is a total rip off of "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-lue-ares." Super cool. Plus, that song absolutely slays. The jams are so good. Every instrument gets a moment that feels natural and non-forced. The keys in Pannonica are so dreamy. I like how this song slows down the pace, its moody and vibey but keeps the aesthetic of the rest of the record. Really fun and deeply engaging record.

At a surface level, it's easy to write the Beastie Boys off as silly or even obnoxious. And frankly, there is some merit to that. They are "silly rap." However, their is so much variation and cleverness in this record. "Rhymin and Stealin," is so sick. I never noticed that they are literally "stealin" samples and music from other artists and pulling it all into one awesome song. Its deliberate and intentional. The first half of the record is filled with attitude and brash rap, where the second half is littered with all of the singles that we grew up with. Not sure why, but X96 played Girls, Fight for Your Right, No Sleep to Brooklyn, and Brass Monkey. All. The. Time. I love all of those songs. Also, interesting that no one else has really made a record like this since? The Beastie Boys are kind of an anomaly, they don't get copied very often.

I love this album. Chuck's rhymes are solid, the lyrics are striking and the beats and bass lines really groove. It feels really punk rock, especially the political nature of songs. I really like the keys in a lot of the songs. It adds kind of a cool jazz element to an otherwise raw sound. Even though it feels like "old school" rap, it doesn't feel old. It still feels relevant and still slaps. Also shoutout to Rick Rubin and Def Jam Records. Stoked to have 2 Def Jam albums back to back.

Smart, engaging and lonesome. Morrissey is original sad boy of indie rock, and he's leaning into that hard with this record. What's impressive though, is that the music is more than just "vibey" or "moody." He plays with different tempos and effects. The album comes in strong and very post-rock like with "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side" and "Glamorous Glue." He ends the album with a very similar vibe on "Tomorrow." Its loud, but not over the top, its noisy but its not "garage" or "experimental." Its clean and thoughtful. I love the humor in songs like "The National Front Disco" , "We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful" and "You're the One for Me Fatty." Its ironic, serious and lonesome all at the same time. Then he plays with different sounds like folksy country "Certain People I Know" or the soulful "Seasick, Yet Still Docked." Its clever. Say what you want about Morrissey being a weirdo and an asshole, but he sure knows how to write good music that makes you feel things.

I already got this one a few weeks ago. So here is my review: So good. I love the synth and even proto-auto-tune on some of the tracks. The music feels so flowy, bouncy and groovy. Really cool composition of keys, brass, drums and vocals. With really cool bass lines. Stoked on this one.

There are only a few artists that can cut me with sincerity, sadness and optimism. Yusuf's song are always full of journey, wonder and longing. His music is always telling the story of the evolving quest that he is on. We're lucky enough to be able to join that quest via song and album. Nowhere is more true than Tea of Tillerman. - It starts out with the building and thoughtful "Where do the Children Play?" a good reminder to slow down. - Hard Headed Woman always kills me. I'm right there with him as he's looking for that hard headed woman. - Wild World. Classic and always relevant. - Sad Lisa though a less popular one has elements on HHW and is a good palate cleanser as the album progresses. - Miles from Nowhere reminds us that we're back on this journey. Another thoughtful relic. - But I Might Die Tonight just makes sense after Miles from Nowhere. Am I listening to a musical?? - Longer Boats is somewhat obscure, but one of my favorites. It reminds me of Sloop John B in island inspired sound. Again, the lyrics ground you. - Into White another palate cleanser and we lead into the final third of the record. - On the Road to Find Found another one of my favorites. Let's hit the rowdy road! I love how this builds. - Father and Son don't make cry. This song is important. - Tea for Tillerman one of the best ways that I've ever heard an album finish. A one minute choir anthem?? Its so rad. I want more, but its also perfect.

I've mainly listened to Nico through the VU, and typically her songs are the ones that I don't really gravitate towards. While this album is artful, its not necessarily my cup of tea. However, there are a lot of elements that I can really respect and enjoy. I love the boldness of this record. To record an avant garde dead pan (is it folk? is it rock? is it pop?) kind of record in 1967 is impressive. I love the soulful musings of "These Days," (though I still prefer Jackson Browne's version). I like the experimental and dullful intensity of "It Was a Pleasure Then." "Chelsea Girls" is a great follow up and kind of brings you back to earth. Again, not my favorite album. I respect the craft and boldness of this record. Its cool to see this influence playout in female artists like Bjork to even Billie Eilish.

Fantastic. I like how thoughtful and soulful the sounds and lyrics are. The music is reflective and strays away from the lighthearted nature of The Beach Boys. The music is really "big." A lot of instruments, synths, horns, big drums. Some songs almost feel psychedelic. If I had one knock, it would be that I want more of it. The songs are kind of short, some extended jams would really let the listener immerse into the songs and sit with it longer.

Super fun. I like the whimsical ebbs and flows of the vocals and music. You can really tell the band is having fun. The horns, the synths. It feels like a non-superficial pop album. However, I do feel like Lovefool makes it feel like a one hit wonder kind of record.

So good. The bass, guitar, synths, horns and drums. Chorus style sing-along vocals. This record is fantastic. The music is full, interesting, jammy and psychedelic. I love how they committed to a concept album, but kind they tell the story with humor and slang. But it's not Frank Zappa hilarity. They're having fun and adding humor and jazz to this record in a way that feels natural and fitting. It goes in an out of jams and sections, and then connects everything back to sing alongs. It really grounds the listener after taking off. Absolutely fantastic. Its cool to see how this has influenced modern artists like Childish Gambino.

I've always enjoyed The Doors. It was fun to revisit this one. I loved this album in High School, particularly "Break on Through", "Twentieth Century Fox" and "Light My Fire." I love how psychedelic the record is, and how wild it gets. It builds and then it crashes over and over again. Especially with songs like "Alabama Song" , "End of the Night" and "The End." However, the record is not necessarily linear in a building and crashing fashion. It takes swings and plays on conventional rock and roll (for the time) and takes it a totally different direction. I don't feel that this record is "easy listening," I definitely enjoy it better in doses. The keys and organ start to sound repetitive after awhile and I need a hard palate cleanser. However, despite how much "keys fatigue" that I feel when I listen to this record all the way through, I can't deny how much of a masterpiece "The End" is. Pure genius.

Super fun. I love the pan Latin America sounds. It was groovy and bumpin. I enjoyed it. I couldn't understand a damn thing, so not sure I can really make a good review. But I did enjoy it!

It's kind of a bonkers album, but even with how wild and brash it is, it somehow doesn't feel very unique and actually feels quite conventional. Maybe it's because this music got ripped off a lot in the early 2000s or if it's just the kind of music that was in every iPod commercial. Or maybe this music itself is already a ripoff of earlier forms garage and proto-punk. However, I do remember even at the time that this album came out, it felt like The Hives were a a band we were all supposed to like, but no one really did. I don't know of anyone that was actually a big fan of the The Hives then or now, but this music was being sprayed all over the place. The sound is good and fast. Its garage rock. They're having fun, they're making noise. Its not quite punk, but it also is punk. I like how fast and punchy it is. Though, most songs sound very similar and they don't seem to break it up with sing along choruses or oi chants that you find in most punk music. On the flip side, they also don't have many bridges or guitar solos or really anything to break up the quick progression of distorted power chords to align closer with rock music. I hate to say it, but I'm kind of bored with this record even with it being a wild ride.

I love how much British rockers from the late 60s - early 70s loved electric blues. The strings bend and moan and the vocals wine and cry and ground the listener into feeling something. They even get some good slides on the guitar in a few songs. This is especially with songs like Love Lives Here and Debris. They're nailing the blues with those songs. The more conventional rock songs are also great, Rod Stewart is excellent on the vocals of songs like Miss Judy's Farm and Memphis. This album feels like everything you'd want in a 70s electric blues album. Its great.

Actually kind of fun. It feels like I'm in a Guy Ritchie film when I listen to this. Its not exactly my cup of tea, but I like the different grooves, instruments, beats and samples. Its weird how surprisingly "British" it sounds and feels. Probably won't revisit, but I enjoyed it for the time.

I've always been a Bowie fan, but I can't figure out why this album is on the list. It's good, and interesting. However, the songs don't catch me like some of the earlier (and even later) Bowie songs do. My best guess is that the experimental elements and bits seem elemental for future music? Anyway, its fine. I probably won't revisit.

Such a great album. I love the fusion of rock and folk. It never feels forced or trite. For me, this record climaxes in the middle with Down By the River. That song just feels like a perfect combination of blues and rock all at once. Its epic, but its also mournful and somber. On either side of if you have Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, which feels a little more lighthearted after Cinnamon Girl, even though it really isn't. Round & Round brings you back to earth and grounds you back into those folk roots, before taking you off again on Down By the River. Before Cowgirl in the Sand takes us out of the album with an epic long psychedelic jam, we're treated with Running Dry, which is such a great homage to celtic folk. Its so good, and ambitious, but it works and is the perfect palette cleanser before Cowgirl in the Sand.

Fantastic. I love that alt-country was going strong in the late 90s at the same time that country music was being ruined by pop music. Lucinda has such a unique voice, which sounds half lonely half strung out but always strong and piercing. I love the fusion of southern rock, folk and country. The lyrics and good and grounding. I love this album.

Fantastic. The song writing is unconventional and even avant garde at times, but it never loses me as a listener. Some songs are dark and grimey (The Earth Died Screaming , In the Colosseum) where others are blusey, soulful and thought provoking (A Little Rain , Whistle Down the Wind). I really love how he plays with his voice to make a unique and interesting sound. He plays with genres, especially old genres but never jumps away from a cohesive album sound. The album sounds like walking into a 1890s Vaudeville show in Los Angeles and getting the full range of weirdness and blues. Its entertaining and also makes you feel everything.

Despite the genre expanding upon The Sex Pistols original work, no one quite does punk music quite like them. Somehow every song feels like a live recording, it feels like you're in the crowd. As a listener, you're right there with them. You're ready to roll. Is Anarchy in UK really necessary? I don't know, but when I listen to the Sex Pistols, it seems plausible. Does every song sound almost the same? Yes. Is it basically just a mash up of power chords, distortion, and 4X4 drum beats? Yes. That's not the point though. Its powerful, its emotional, its angst, its aggression, its turning social norms upside down. Candidly, it's not my favorite punk album. Probably not even in my top 10 favorite punk albums, but I do know that I every punk record I've ever listened to has Never Mind the Bollocks in its DNA.

Very fun. I love the way he uses his voice. Its rock n' roll, but its also crooning like Bing Crosby. The country and rock-a-billy flows are fun. I like how the guitar leads are solid tones without any bends, it meshes nicely with the boogie keys. I can only imagine what people in the 50s thought about his weird vocal inflections, especially in songs like "Just Because." It's pretty weird, but also kind of wild.

This is a super weird album, and not at all what I was expecting. I enjoyed it though! It was kind of cheesy, but also kind of psychedelic and also pop-rock. It was fun. It reminded me a bit of David Bowie, but without David Bowie. I liked all of the different instruments and different directions they took songs. This feels like proto-indie. I imagine Elvis Costello jamming this stuff and getting inspiration.

Super fun and again, not what I expected! I like how theatrical it is. Especially, the full blown West Side Story revival right in the middle of it. I also love how it closes out with the Grand Finale, tying it all together. For a pretty surface level album, it somehow feels deep like The Wall by Pink Floyd. However, instead of being deep, it's just kind of about nothing. Which is maybe the brilliance of it. I had a great time listening to this record.

Not sure how this one snuck in... Its good, its fine. I like the songs, some songs were better than others. I probably won't revisit, but I wouldn't be mad if it was on. I guess it was somewhat forgettable?

Really cool and tight album. I love the full on trash , it feels like a hardcore album. However, at any moment where it starts leaning to hard one way, they pull you back in with methodical guitar solos or licks. It really grounds me back into the song. Its loud, its aggressive, its heavy. The tempos and vocals are fast, but it never really gets away from itself. I'm not a huge metalhead and probably won't revisit this often, but I do like how intense and full this sound is.

Kind of great, kind of awful. Kind of cringey, kind of lovely. This is the root of garbage rock. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 10 Inch Record is disgusting, but Sweet Emotion is amazing. Walk this Way is fun and definitely a classic.

Holy shit. How did this album get created? Did George Michael really have THAT much game? I can't tell if this album is bold, arrogant or the confessions of a sexual predator. Really not sure, but damn. He made an 9 MINUTE SONG ABOUT SEX. 9 MINUTES!?!?! PART 1 & 2??!? Admittedly, George Michael has not been in my repertoire of music. But damn, I gotta respect a 9 minute boner ballad. Also, lets not ignore 'Faith', which yes, overtly sexual, but still really really good. That song is fantastic. It's fun, its creative, its vibey. It riffs that old Bo Didley tune. Just great. But then its followed up with 'Father Figure'?!? WTF is this song? I don't wanna yuck on someones yum, but personally I don't don't want daddy role play as the second song on a sex album. Wow. Did not need that one. However, as soon as you stop feeling weird about Father Figure, ol George drops a 9 minute sex song. How many people on earth have boned through the entire duration of this song? Foreplay to completion with George in the bedroom. What a guy. This song is a gift. After sex, George has to let us know that he's deep, mysterious and actually a bonafide sad boy. So as soon as he's done boning our brains out, he cranks out 'One More Try'. Which is a ballad for the saddest boy ever, but he really wants us to know he's more than just a simple fuck boy. 🥹 However, as to be expected. He bones, lamments, smokes a cigarette and then spends the next 45 minutes playing absolute garbage. Meaningless, pointless, music. How can such a passionate lover be so empty??? The next 5 songs are skippable and forgettable. Did you even spend the night with George Michael? I can't decide if this record is a masterpiece or a complete dumpster fire. I can say that this would fit perfectly as the background music for the Snake Hole Lounge in Parks and Rec.

Super fun and vibey. It felt like a movie soundtrack in the best kind of way. Hero felt so punk rock. The 70s were just so rad. I love that this was just happening for no reason.

Love this record. The lyrics, the beats, the rhymes. Its so good. This is a true pivot record in the evolution of hip hop. It doesn't feel like an "old school" hip hop album, but at any moment in the last 30 years its felt relevant. It's pretty impressive to make such a timeless record. That ages so well. The beats are simple, but engaging. They're easy to roll with, especially with the way that Nas tells stories. Which I think is his strongest point. He's a master storyteller and a master poet, as soon as this record starts, you're in it with him. Favorite songs are: - NY State of Mind - The World is Yours - Memory - One Love

That was good! It reminded me of indie pop and synth pop. I can see where Lucius gets a lot of their inspiration. There were some cool psych elements as well. Not sure if I'll revisit, but I enjoyed it!

I enjoy this record! To me, this is a transitory record. Its taking that folk acoustic country roots and mixing it with psych rock and blues. However, I feel like they never quite get it there with the rock songs. Even when they're really going for it on songs like Woodstock and Country Girl. They're really good, and I think they inspired other artists to do it better. The album is strongest for me, on songs like Our House , Teach Your Children and Helpless. Which are obviously the most famous ones, but they're the most grounded and polished. I really do love this band and this record, but its not my favorite from the era.

This album was a blast! I like the opera style vocals and just kind of overall epicness of the album. I don't know if it always lands, but I love what they're going for. The whole album just feels like you're going on an adventure with the band. The guitar, bass, and drums all just gallup along as you journey through hell, prison, invasion. The guitar solos are a nice break up of the opera lyrics, and kind of keep it going. I totally get why people love this band. With 2024 goggles, it all feels a little cheesy, but there's a lot going on here and lot of craft. Songs of note: -The Prisoner (I just dig the whole journey and freedom thing going on here.) -Number of the Beast (so rad! And sinister. This song is cool.) -Run to the Hills (Definitely didn't have the right to write this song, but it still slaps.)

While I don't actively listen to this music on a regular basis, I always enjoy some raw 80s post-punk. It feels like Fugazi + Talking Heads, but I know this came before all of that. The raw / non-heavy effects is fun and makes a natural sound. This album is pretty moody and kind of depressing, but I like the swings they're taking.

What a gem. He finished this 17 days before he died?!?! I love this record. While I've been familiar with Leonard Cohen for a long time, I had never gone through this album. I love the ironic, skeptical, and thoughtful nature of the songs. It's so smart in its storytelling. LC is a master wordsmith, especially when relating life and love to religion and tradition. He so carefully and poignantly uses religious imagery in these songs, where you're never sure if its irreverent or purely serious. It reminds me almost of a George Carlin routine, where is smart, funny, true, untrue, serious, sad, thoughtful, lovely and apathetic all at once. I also love how unapologetic he is with his tone and voice. A lot of these songs are uneasy to listen to, because the style feels so foreign, where others feel akin to Johnny Cash's work with Rick Rubin. Its soft, sentimental and endearing. It's that old man wisdom, where he's saying his piece and singing his truth but he doesn't really care what you think of it. Its clear and confident.

Love this one. It feels so New York. The rhymes are awesome, the beats are chill and flowy. It does have that old school vibe, but it doesn't feel out of date. GZA is so sharp and calculated with his delivery. The record also feels kind of proto-MF DOOM. I wouldn't say its a concept album, but it has a lot of connection between songs and an overall lore to it. They lyrics are probably the strongest part, GZA is deep and spiritual with his delivery. I dig it. Wu-Tang Forever!

I freakin love this album. Maybe not my favorite album by The Beatles, but for sure in my top 3. I love how it starts out with all the bangers mixed with weird lovely songs. No one can hate Come Together, it slaps every time. Something is such a good follow up, kind of grounds the listener and get more emotional. And then just get weird Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Oh! Darling. But then gets rrrrreal weird with Octopus's Garden. Shout out to my guy, Ringo. Just glad he snuck this one in there. Its such a gem. Then the record starts to be bi-polar. We have the 8 minute heavy jam of I Want You (She's so Heavy) that then lightens up with the best happy song of all time, Here Comes The Sun. And then it goes right back into Because and You Never Give Me Your Money. They're just toying with our emotions. I love it. But I think what really does this album, is the final 7 short songs that all kind of feel like 1 song. Sun King > The End + Her Majesty. It flows so well. It tells a story, its almost prog? But then not at all. Its just so perfectly The Beatles in all their glory and weirdness. Its endearing, its emotional, its sentimental. Its just kind of everything.

What a gem. Joni is such a phenomenal song writer. Not only are her songs full of soul, meaning and introspect, but her voice always matches the character of the song. Sometimes she's playful and having fun, and other times she's in a deep place right there with you. I really love Blue, but I love the direction she took with this record. A lot of instruments. It feels more like a singer songwriter rock album than an acoustic folk album.

Fun psych folk record. It's a shame he didn't make any more, but glad he helped bring Jeff into the world. I like how reflective a lot of the songs are, but I also really the eastern psych influence. This is one of the "formative" records, like I see how it influenced other artists. It also strangely feels like Jim Morrison in a lot of songs.

Love this record. I've listened to The Message and a few other songs, but never the whole way through. What really stood out to me was how varied the sound is between songs. Some of the songs on this record feel very experimental. Especially, Scorpio or It's Nasty. Scorpio sounds like early Daft Punk, then later Kanye West, which is pretty rad to see that influence. She's Fresh and It's Nasty feel like they're building on Parliament or Funkadelic, but almost feel kind of punk rock. It reminds me of Red Hot Chili Peppers or Bad Bains. And then what about the Stevie Wonder love song?? Dreamin'. WTF is that? Fantastic is what it is. You Are is 100% ripped off by Chance the Rapper, but it totally works when he does it too. The Message is homaged in Hamilton. This record really is the blue print to so much rap and pop music. I think more than anything though, what stands out to me is the political and social elements of the song writing It's a Shame and The Message are sadly just as relevant today as they were in the early 80s, when this record came out. I think that's the biggest legacy of this record. Saying things the way that they are.

Not my favorite gangsta rap album, but I get the foundational elements of this record. Honestly, the Dre beats super cool and influential for kind of all hip hop after this. I also like how "chill" this record is compared to NWA or other early gangsta rap. While the lyrics are a bit silly and juvenile, I like how it just kind of flows and vibes. This is definitely smoke weed rap.

I enjoyed this, but its not my favorite LZ album. I like that they kind of played more with their sound on this one. They really lean heavy into blues and then really lean heavy into prog. It's like they leveled up on everything that people recognize them for. Down by the Seaside is my personal fav. I like when Led gets sentimental.

I can't remember the first time I listened to this album, but I do know that I've probably listened to it like 100 times. Its noisy, and weirdly produced, but I love it. I love how it starts with the gem of Sunday Morning and then goes into I'm Waiting for the Man. I like how Lou Reed always sounds intense and lazy at the same time. Run Run Run is such a jam, while Heroine always gives me the chills. Its so visceral. I know it's heresy, but if there was anything to knock, it'd be Femme Fatale and Venus in Furs. I get what they were doing with Nico but I almost always skip her songs. This record can give you a headache or it can be the best road trip album of all time.

Oh I love it when Bob Dylan decided to get weird and artsy. This record is so weirdly fantastic. He keeps everything tied back to his folk roots, but he just takes weird swings and make a really awesome unique record. It's hard for me to listen to this songs with new ears, because I've listened to his record hundreds of times. I think beyond the weirdness of this record, he really leans into blues and heartbreak. This is a pretty classic sad boy record, but my favorite thing about Bob Dylan break up songs are how matter of fact they are. He's like totally aware that he's not an easy person to be with and he gets it makes sense to just call it off. I guess I'll just through my favs: -Rainy Day Women #12 & 35: I remember the first time I heard this song, I was so confused. I really just wanted more "Blowin' in the Wind," and this was not all what I was expecting. I really love this song though. It feels like the circus and is just kind of bizzare. -Visions of Johanna: this one always kind serves as a grounding song for. Its more in line with Bob's roots, but its striving for more. -One of Us Must Know: this one always sneaks up on me, but its such a banger. He sounds so hopeless but also so sure. -I Want You: I always think I don't like this song, but I know every word and I always sing along. -Stuck Inside a Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again: one of my all time favorite Bob Dylan songs. I love how blusey and flowy it is. He kind of sounds strung out or drunk when he sings. I'm not even really sure what the song is about, but the characters and weird story are always fun for me to follow and kind of immerse myself in. (I also love when the Grateful Dead covers this one.) -Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat: I have absolutely no idea what this song is about, but I just feel like Bob Dylan was doing a lot of drugs when he wrote this one and no one questioned him. -Just Like a Woman: this one is sincere and sentimental. I don't love it, but I can always feel that he was feeling things when he wrote it. -Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine): I really like his break up songs. They're so matter of fact. -Temporary Achilles: another bluesy sad boy song. Still great. -Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands: always gets me. Love this one.

Man, these Tom Waits albums are wild. I love the how all over the place he is with sounds, but how relentlessly unapologetic he is. He's decides to make a polka song, and it happens. He rolls in a pedal steel and decides he's doing a country song. And it all feels insync with itself. Truly a master of his craft. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The source code of all gangsta rap. I like how similar this is to punk music at the time. It gives no shits, they say it how they feel. Its angry, but also angsty. There are dozens of things that "don't age well," and things that just generally feel old. However, I think that's ultimately unimportant when it comes to the legacy of this record. They take the flowy but often somber nature of East Coast rap and make it more upbeat and more lively. The angst, crass, visceral (and often juvenile) lyrics and attitude fit right in. This feels like it belongs at the Venice Beach Skatepark as much as it feels like it belongs in the projects of Compton.

It was good! Not my favorite Steely Dan record, but I liked that they went full on jazz for this record. The extended songs lengths and different instruments was fun. I enjoyed it!

Probably my favorite song writer of all time. John Prine tells the most visceral stories about love, relationships, loss, loneliness, sadness, America, politics, and he always does an with underlying tone of humor. I love that his songs are about *things* but he sings them in the form of stories and characters that he calls by name. Cathy, Loretta, Sam, Dad etc. He writes about a real America and real American people, but it's neither negative or positive. It's just stories that anyone can listen and relate to. I feel like I've met every person that he sings about. My favorite songs: -Illegal Smile, these is maybe the most underrated weed song ever. Its so funny. I like the story of it and the underlying message. -Spanish Pipedream, another song showcasing John's humor. This song is kind of silly, but also a good message. -Sam Stone, have you ever heard a song so visceral about a Vet? "there's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose." Woah. This song is incredible. - Hello In There, who freakin writes a song about aging empty nesters and the loneliness involved? This song gives me the chills. - Paradise, maybe environmental protest song ever. I freaking love this song. I especially love how it ends: "when I die, let my ashes flow down the Green River, let my ashes roll up to to Rochester Dam, I'll be halfway to heaven, with Paradise waiting, just 5 miles away from wherever I am." I love that this song is a serious environmental song, but he still incorporates his dark sense of humor. - Pretty Good, not my favorite but I do like the humor and the bluesy guitar riffs. This one is a little more wild and edgy. - Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, has any song been more relevant to conservatism in America? I love how in this song he covers his truck in American Flags and then crashes it and dies and God won't let him into heaven. - Far From Me, I love the complicated relationship in this song. And I love how he uses a broken bottle as an metaphor for marriage. - Angel from Montgomery, the penultimate John Prine songs. This song always gives me the chills. I love the story about a relationship, hope, loneliness, love. Its got it all. I don't even know what to say other than I'm grateful that this song has been in my life for as long as it has. (this is also one that Meg and I play / sing a lot in our living room and have for years.) - Quiet Man, lesser known but still a great story. - Donald and Lydia, the poetry in this one. Lydia's story and then Donald's and then Love. And I love how he tells about them making love, but how they were really very far away. Funny, but real. - Six O'Clock News, "come on baby, spend the night with me." This song is sentimental at the surface, and then realize its the saddest most heartbreaking song ever. - Flashback Blues, this one is fun. Ironic, funny. Just good.

What a gem! Bob Marley has been in my life for as long as I can remember. I've listened to so much of his music, but I'm ashamed to say, I've never gone through this record. I listened to the Jamaican version as well as the studio version. It was fun to compare and contrast, with the Jamaican version being more stripped down and Ska-like. The original studio version has that more classic full Bob Marley sound that we all love. I'd love the social / political / historical nature of the songs and concepts in this record. I think people often forget about the political nature of Bob Marley's music. Even though this is a good example of the evolution of that classic Bob Marley sound, I really like the R&B / Soul influences in this record. He's really leaning into American R&B, but then taking it a totally different direction with the reggae / ska / dancehall sound. One Love! 🇯🇲 ✊🏼🦁

I liked this way more than I thought I would. I think I've mostly heard the big hits that at this point kind of sound cheesy(even though they're probably not.) I really like how chill and jazzy this one was. Super mellow and soothing. I enjoyed it. Vibey.

This album is a masterpiece. I'm not super into prog, and frankly, I don't revisit this one often. However, its impossible to deny how cohesive this whole album. Every song is exactly where it should flows so perfectly into the next. It really does arch like a traditional story. "Wish You Were Here" is right in the middle and always blows my mind. I love how Shine On is on both sides of the record and serves and a book end. It's absolutely brilliant.

Wow. This one blew me away. The trumpets, the drums, the bass lines. It was so varied throughout. Each song flowed smoothly into the next, but kept you engaged and interested the whole time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will revisit frequently. Also, shoutout to Selema Masekela's Dad! Been a fan of his for a long time.

This is probably the most conflicted I've felt about an album since starting this project, so I'll start with what's great about it. It's impossible to deny the experimental and uniqueness of this record. From the pure standpoint of music composition, it's pretty freakin rad. He mixes all sorts of different sounds, instruments, beats. Each song is super unique from the rest, but the whole record flows into each song perfectly. He also uses autotune in a super cool way including having Justin Vernon on a few songs). He collabs with a lot of rad artists on this too, and they never really take over the song but add to the holistic nature of the record. He has reggae artists and other rappers jump in when needed. Overall, the music feels progressive, intense, heavy, but even spacey in a few places. It's constantly moving and never really feels dull. This is truly one of the most unique and influential rap albums. This is 100 degrees beyond what Grandmaster Flash started. What I'm conflicted with: it's impossible for me in 2024 to separate Kanye the artist and Kanye the narcissist. Rap has a long history of songs being a first person narrative. And often these lyrics are satirical, ironic, or commentary on social issues / norms. Always towing an ever thinning fine line. However, knowing what I know about Kanye, it's hard for me to get behind really any of the lyrics or story telling. I would typically receive "I Am A God" as ironic, but listening to it now, it feels very serious. Even the social commentary on "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves" feels off, because I know that he's a conspiracy theorist. Even silly sex songs like "I'm In It" feel weird knowing that he's done and said some really weird sex things. The back half of the album does lighten up on a lot of these things, so its a little more palpable. However, I think Kanye is maybe tainted for life.

Good time! Admittedly, I'm not super familiar with African music. And I also don't speak French, but I had a great time with this one. I'm glad I listened to it!

Today I learned that The Darkness was in fact, NOT an 80s Hair Metal Band. And when I was riding around in my sister's car in 2004, listening to “Growing on Me” and “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” we were actually listening to very modern and recent music. I had no idea. This album is fun! Its pretty camp and very over the top. Even though its a 2000s album, they're very much going for that 80s butt rock vibe. And.. it kind of works. Its fun.

Such a freakin cool record. This is an overlooked time stamp in American and Country music. I love how every song is just a story. Its like listening to an audiobook or watching a movie. The music flows and bounces. Its engaging, but simple. The spanish guitar licks in the background keep it from sounding mundane. And then Marty's voice is just so unique. Who else sounds like this?? I love this record. This is one that was always playing in my Dad's truck when I was a kid.

This album has been with me since I was in elementary school. It's one of those creative mixes of "meh" songs and then absolute bangers. Everytime you start to feel a little fatigued, they throw in a Longview, Welcome to Paradise or When I Come Around. And frankly, I can't blame them for having a few boring songs. That's kind of how these records were being produced back then. They really just wanted to get out as much music as they could. I can't say this is the original bored suburban teenager, but it's maybe the most successful and maybe the most influential. Is there anything as visceral as Basket Case "do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once"? Or Longview's "masturbation's lost its fun." And yes, I would eventually become too cool for Green Day. They "sold out" in the lamest way possible. But when you take a step back and just listen to this record for what it is, putting yourself in the timeframe that it came out, it freakin slaps. It's impossible not to enjoy it.

Pretty rad little album. It feels very British. Like very post-rock British. Its exactly what I would imagine coming from a British rock star solo artist in the 90s. Its overall pretty fluid with genres, but never really strays too far. It feels cohesive and together.

This is a really awesome album. So many cool instruments, lots of cool blues harmonica, saxaphone, brass, great keys. The sound is really full. This is not music that was played in my house growing up and as my music tastes evolved, I didn't listen to a lot of R&B. So when I listen to this type of R&B, it always sounds a bit foreign. It's probably how some listeners feel when they hear John Prine, his voice, the style is objectionally great, but it sounds a bit foreign. Which is a shame, because this is truly great American music. I have put in the work and effort to listen to more Stevie Wonder over the past 2 years, and so I am familiar with this record. This one does feel a bit more "poppy," than Inversions (which I think I like more.) However, I really love the social and civil rights focus of the lyrics. For as fun and playful as this record sounds, its has some heavy undertones. The thing that I notice the most though, is just how much fun Stevie and the band are having with each song. He's just bringing the heat with every song. They're mixing instruments, sounds, vocals, even like full on choirs at some points. There is a lot going on, but it never feels overwhelming. This is a great record that I need to spend more time with.

This one is great! This is like the ultimate "roots" album. I mean, this is the source of code of all like modern rock music. Its upbeat, its edgy, its fast paced, the vocals are kind of gender fluid. Yes, most of the songs are pretty similar, but for the time, this thing was out of control.

This is rowdy Sam Cooke! I love how much energy is in this one. I've listened to a lot of Sam Cooke songs, and I'm always drawn in by how smooth his vocals are and smooth the music. This feels like some real rock and roll. There is a ton of energy in this record, you can hear the crowd in some songs and the band is going for it with every song. However, Sam is next level. His voice is coarse, which is kind of wild. It reminds me Twist and Shout by the The Beatles when John's voice is shot. Bring it On Home To Me is the obvious winner on this record. I don't love the recording quality, its not great, but its also not terrible.

What a record! I loved this. Its progressive and aggressive, but also so smooth and flowy. The jams / reggae / rock roots are so rad. Super fun to listen to. I'm by no means an expert on AfroBeats, but this one has been one of my favs so far. It has the power of Bob Marley, but totally different style of music. Its really fluid and engaging.

You know for being an aficionado for all things singer-songwriter 70s country rock, I really did not vibe with this album. It felt very... basic..? Like it was fine. I enjoyed it. There was certainly nothing wrong with it, I just don't feel like there was anything that really spoke to me. Maybe I need another listen to engage with the lyrics? IDK. The Stand By Me cover was a high point for me.

What a rad album! Super experimental and honestly kind of punk rock. I had a mostly good time listening to this. There were a few songs that were too much, but I love that they're going for it in 1978.

Leonard Cohen is such an incredible song writer. Some of his songs cut me so deep. This particular album, did not quite do that for me. Its probably one you need to spend more time with. Out of the Leonard Cohen albums I've listened to, this was the most mundane. Which, I know is kind of part of his thing, but it didn't really draw me in like others. Joan of Arc was the winner on this one.

Super fun album. I hate saying albums feel "nostalgic" because when it came out, it wasn't meant to feel nostalgic. However, this album is so baked into the sound of the 90s, its almost impossible to avoid. This is 90s alt rock at its finest. She has such a great voice, really cool lyrics and I love how she just goes there with every song. The harmonicas, acoustic and electric guitars, its all on point.

This album was wild, but so well done. Extremely aggressive and sad, but really cool and interesting sounds. Some songs feel like heavy disco, while other songs are down right metal. It reminds me a lot of Depeche Mode but again, way heavier. Some of the slow songs surprised me though, really methodical and deep. Overall, I really liked this one.

Silver Jews is another one of those bands that I never got into because the name. I just didn't know what it meant. I remember listening to a few songs here and there in the early 2000s, but I was really blown away by this record. Its that perfect mix of apathetic deadpan indie, but winking at country music the entire time. The lyrics are clever, the music is engaging. And I really like the monotone singing. It feels like its *trying* to be country but fully aware that it isn't. Its true outsider music. If I was to put Silver Jews into a headline it would say: "New York Jew Goes to Nashville Does Drugs." I super enjoyed this record.

I love this record! I love the hip hop from Speakerboxxx. The mix of sounds, instrumentation and genres is super unique, I also like the political / social nature of the songs. The Love Below is more interesting to me. The lyrics are lighter and even silly at some points, but I like the R&B, Soul, Rock influences and how they merge with Hip Hop. I'm also just stoked that they went for it and made a freakin 40 song, 2 hour long record. Its pretty bold. I'd like to spend more time with this entire record, but when will I have time??

I reviewed this 82 albums ago! Here is my analysis: This one is fun, but not my favorite Tom Petty record. It feels like a very formative album in creating the TP sound. I like the mix of old rock n' roll with singer songwriter and 70s rock influences. Some of they lyrics are a bit cheesy, but that feels intentional. Obviously, American Girl is the biggest and best banger on this record.

Super cool record! I love the keys and bass lines in this one. It almost feels opposite from what I'm used to where the keys fill almost foundational and grounding and the bass solos kind of take me on a journey. Also, the drums are really really good in this one too. Its chill, but its engaging. Its very soooooothing. Big fan of this one.

One of the best! I love this album. Super unique with sounds, fusions, beats. I love the mix of silliness + socially conscious lyrics. They never take themselves too seriously, while they're breaking down very serious issues. I also love the elements of soul and psych. One minute they're singing and flowing, and then next minute they're spitting lightning fast.

Reviewed this early on: Really cool and interesting album. Its kind of a mixed bag of singer-songwriter, rave / techno, eastern music, into a really cool pop mix. I'm most impressed with Madonna's voice. Its super unique. I like how real and mature it sounds, its of mystic but not cheesy. Overall, really cool and fun to listen to.

This one was fun! It was 100% what I imagined it to be. Cool drums, cool keys, and really fun guitar. Probably won't revisit, but fun experience!

Super cool and interesting album. I love the old country, R&B, rockabilly influence. A lot of the songs were slow and moody, but overall enjoyable. I'm not really why this is on the list..? I feel like songs on the list should have a cultural impact, formative for the artist or for the genre, or push the genre forward. And... I don't feel like this has really any of that. Like its cool music, but I don't feel like it means anything or really has anything bringing me back. I'll probably revisit some songs, but I don't see myself revisiting this album anytime soon.

This is the crown jewel of "gangsta rap." They lyrics are crass, and I understand how it can make people under comfortable. It reminds me a lot of early punk music, where it's kind of a dark art. You're humming along and flowing and then something kind of takes you out of it. The one thing that is undeniable though, are Dre's beats. This album is so groovy. He pulls in so many rad sounds, beats, samples. For 92, this was pretty unique. While "gangsta rap" isn't my preferred method of hip hop, I have to respect this album and see it for what it is and what it did for the genre.

Super rad album! I loved all the jazz influences as it starts out. It's kind of all over the place with jazz, rock, blues. I do start to get fatigued by the end, but I think that's a mood thing. Its crazy this one came out in 67!

Super fun. Latin beats and horns were super groovy, and fun to listen to. It was really creative and vibey. I had a great time with this one.

Wow. What a masterpiece. This might be the album that has blown me away the most on this project. I listened to this 5 times through on my flight to Japan. I didn’t listen to anything else. The fusion of genres is perfect. Jazz, soul, funk, gospel, blues and psychedelia. One minute you’re jamming hard and bumping to The Cisco Kid and the next minute you’re on a journey through the many ups and downs of City, Country, City. This song takes you on a ride. Very aptly named. Where Was You At is sad and funny all at once, but perpetually groovy and glowing. City, Country, City was the song that converted me to this record. I was having fun, I was jamming but this song just takes you places. And without vocals! It’s a true journey song. Four Cornered Room blows my mind. I love how it starts out with voices harmonizing “zoom zoom zoom,” and then as the song builds and crashes the vocals and lyrics change. Though they keep building on the harmonizing. The World is a Ghetto is such a rad blues song. It’s jams, and builds but totally rooted in blues. It keeps coming back to that chorus. Beetles in the Bog is perfect way to finish the record. The group vocals that sound like a prison gang on top of crazy bass lines and percussion. It’s a wild ride. I love the mixing of sounds throughout the record. It’s trippy, but it’s all traditional instruments which makes it feel natural and grounding. I also love how the vocals / lyrics are truly just a vessel to move the music forward. It’s not vocals first or even “music first” music. It’s just mixed so great and the music speaks for itself. This album absolutely blew my mind.

Super fun! I like how this steered a little more jazz. It kept it moving, flowing and interesting. I also liked the political / social conscious lyrics. I like afrobeats, but I liked how this kind of expanded on that in a different way. This was fun.

Brilliant. I love the mixing of sounds, instruments, effects, etc. the album kind of starts and ends the same with deeps electronic sounding reverb and deeper beats and then kind of breaks down to more simplistic songs in the middle, only to build back up again. But it never changes in mood or vibe. It’s melancholy and minor throughout, but never lacks in feeling or emotion. It also feels like a culmination of everyone that came before (Pink Floyd > The Velvet Underground > My Bloody Valentine) and then a blueprint for what came next (Sigur Ros > Arcade Fire > Muse). Kind of a pivot point for a lot of indie and modern post rock post punk music. I loved it! My only knock, is that I get a bit fatigued by the end. It’s a little sad, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the best songs ever written are sad songs. One of my favorite lines from Almost Famous “great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love.”

There is absolutely no way I can write an unbiased opinion on this record. How do I judge not only one of my favorite albums of all time, but one of the most formative and important albums for me personally? I remember the exact moment I listened to this record all the way through for the first time, because I remember when the day it was released. (though there is some dispute there, I don't know if it was all released at the same or just certain singles because the internet says August 3, 2010.) Either way, I was up on the promotion, I was familiar with "The Suburbs" and when I watched the interactive music video for "We Used to Wait" (collab with Google Earth) I felt like I was witnessing one of the most important moments in modern music. I do remember the moment I listened to it all the way through. It had to be during my first or second week of my first week of college. IE: the first week of my adult life. The first week of living on my own. I certainly didn't pay for the record, but I think Shane had just ripped it and shared it with all of us. I loaded it up on my iPod and I went for a bike ride around Ephraim. I remember riding around the entire perimeter of the town and listened to it all the way through. I did this multiple times with this record throughout my first semester. I remember not loving the title track first time through, but as Ready to Start came on, I was converted. Modern Man and Rococco were awesome, but not the "epic" that I was used too but they drew me in. There is a level of obscurity with the story telling and composition with many of the songs on this record. It sounded kind of unlike anything else at the time, and was different from the previous two records. Kind of new, kind of nostalgic, kind of jazz, kind of rock. This is true throughout the record, but most notable in the first third and after the middle. City With No Children was my first favorite song on the record. Simple, loud, anthem sounding. "Don't ever trust a millionaire quoting the sermon on the mount." It made me think. It made me uncomfortable. Suburban War was one of the most relatable songs I had ever heard "the music divides us into tribes, I chose my side you chose your side." It was sad, true, longing and deep. It meant a lot an 18 year old boy who's identity was wrapped up into indie bands. Month of May was such a jump from what I had liked about the band, but I loved how punk this song sounded. So awesome to make a song like this and just go for it! We Used to Wait still gives me chills to this day. I was converted after watching the video and then welcomed it warmly as I listened to it on the record. And obviously, Sprawl II was / is the best song on the record. (maybe best indie song of the decade?) I never gravitated towards Régine songs, but she killed it with this one. My roommates and I all learned to play this song, and we would jam this all the time. I'd play mandolin or guitar, Logan on guitar, Shane on his keys or with a floor tom. Danny banging on the floor tom or tambourine. We'd all sing and play at the top of our lungs. In the dorm, around the fire, wherever we could. This was the song of my freshmen year of college. I could write pages and pages about each song and what it means to me now and what it meant to me then. But I think the general theme is the same: becoming of age. Which is one of the most basic stories for any human experiencing life on this floating rock in space. However, its the connection at a moment in time that makes it so visceral. This album obviously stands on its own. I could write about the composition of each song musically and lyrically, but to me this record represents a moment in time when I was experiencing the theme of this record in real time. I was "becoming of age" when this record came out. I was leaving the suburbs and making sense of my youth and looking forward to what was next. I've listened to record thousands of times, and will continue doing so for the rest of my life. I'm forever grateful to have this one in my life then and now. So can you understand? Why I want a daughter while I'm still young I wanna hold her hand Show her some beauty before this damage is done But if it's too much to ask, if it's too much to ask Then send me a son

This is 100% one of those *formative* records from the 80s that the authors of this project seem to love. That’s not to say it’s not worthy of its place in the list. I freakin love this band. X really is one of the most underrated punk bands of all time. When it comes to SoCal punk they’re always forgotten and especially when it comes to folk or cow punk. Social-D gets all the credit. But considering the nature of the songs, punk was still new, and at this point, hardcore was starting to take over the scene. X stands out as a band that takes a the elements of punk and mergers rockabilly, folk and country but still stays true to the nature of the genre. Hard, fast, and full of energy. They never take themselves too seriously. The songs have a level of humor and sarcasm to them that was later emulated by bands like Descendants and made legendary by bands like blink-182. This isn’t my favorite X record, I prefer Los Angeles or See How We Are. A lot of these songs are kind of similar, but for the time, I get it. This record coupled with Los Angeles influenced a lot of the music of my youth. Also shoutout to Exene Cervenka for being one of the OG female punk vocalists and John Doe for his amazing cameo in Boogie Nights.

Unexpectedly blown away by this one. I’ve always loved The Beach Boys and especially love Pet Sounds, but this is next level. This feels like the perfect continuation of Pet Sounds that we never got, and the perfect answer to Sgt. Peppers. I’m torn, because I’m saddened that The Beach Boys never got this one out, but I also wonder if the actually quality of recording and the musicians that collaborated on this might be better.. 😬 (heresy, I know.) But still, it would have been cool to actually see The Beach Boys do this and put this in the history of modern music, rather than a really amazing asterisk or after thought. And that is probably the root of my conflict. This record feels like psych rock prog pop. It’s all over the place, but it flows and moves perfectly between each movement and song. It’s layered perfectly between vocal harmonies, deep bass lines, bouncing keys, and excellent percussion. It even gets really weird with some horns and synths. Listening with my big headphones, I was able to pick up on a lot of the cool sounds, reminiscent of Pet Sounds but actually executed better. The lyrics are completely manic, but kind of amazing. The the album really only works as an album the whole way through. Certain songs stick out, but they really make sense in the context of the album. Which is the really the strength and the weakness of the album. I’m really glad Brian eventually pulled it off. I loved it!

American Idiot, the first album I immediately loved and then was taught to immediately hate. There’s no question that Green Day “sold out” and went completely mainstream. Delivered punk music to the masses while simultaneously ruining the genre. Punk didn’t plateau after this record, it pretty much died, became emo, pop, hardcore or indie. Blink-182 broke up and Green Day filed the void with this record. Despite all the bullshit about selling out, it’s hard to not see and understand the vision of this record. It’s kind of genius and really well executed. There hasn’t really been anything like this since or before. So avoiding pre-conceived notions about how I feel about this album personally and culturally, I think there are some really awesome songs. -American Idiot is such a rad way to start an album. -Jesus of Suburbia is brilliant. Full on punk rock opera. Maybe the sneaky best song on the record. -Holiday is so fun. Such a good anthem. -Boulevard of Broken Dreams is the most important song for 7th grade Blake. -Are We Waiting / St. Jimmy were always my favorite 2 though. I always felt like it was a perfect break mid-record before taking off with St. Jimmy. No idea what it’s about, but it makes you feel things. -Give Me Novocaine is maybe the most unique song on the record. It’s different but it’s a good pace change before She’s a Rebel, which rocks my socks off. -Wake Me Up When September Ends was a sad song that soon became a summer song, which I always thought was hilarious. Also everyone learned the intro of this song on acoustic guitars. The biggest knock on the record musically is that it’s a bit front loaded. The back half isn’t nearly as strong as the front half. Ultimately, this record is always going to be a stamp for a moment in time. Bush Administration / War in Iraq / the peak and crash of mainstream punk rock. And it deserves it. It was important when it came out and it still holds up.

I listened to this one when I first started. Here is my review: Very groovy. Super easy listening, and vibey. Good to have one while working. Not sure when I'll revisit, but I'm happy I'm aware of it. I recognized a lot of the songs. Glad I can put a name to it.

This was a super fun listen. It's for sure out there. I really like the psychedelic nature of the songs and how layered they are. It flows really well, despite being so out there. In a lot of jam / psych rock, I'm not able to really pick up on jazz influences very easily. However, this record feels very jazzy in how the songs are structured. Especially the back half of the album, but throughout as well. Its not necessarily an "easy" listen, as it's a bit out there but its really good and really well produced. You can definitely hear the influence that this had on future artists.

So freakin great. I love this band. They're so unique. This album is "post"-everything. Post-punk, post-hardcore, post-rock. That's the only way I can describe it. I love when they're screaming, and then back down to talking or talk singing. The distortion on the guitars is sooo fuzzy in the best kind of way, especially when they're playing chords.

This was fun! I didn't know how I'd feel about this one, but then it started and like so many albums on this project, it was another 80s British post-punk indie album. I enjoyed it! Cool distortion, fun lyrics, cool vocal melodies. Good shit.

This is a cool record. The Dandy Warhols were one of the first indie bands I got into. I almost feel like they were ahead of their time, because they never really got that big. I used to listen to this album and Thirteen Tales when I would snowboard. I really love the psychedelic elements on this album. It's got all the weirdness and strange sounds that you would ever want. It also has really cool mono sounding guitar riffs, which I really enjoy.

Absolutely brilliant. I feel like this gold standard for concept albums. Its one of those records that really only works as a whole. Especially the first half, it's all world building and stage setting. It kind of flows and moves and I do enjoy it, but I don't love it. Even Another Brick in the Wall pt 2 doesn't really get my blood moving. For me, the real magic is back half. Hey You, Is There Anybody Out There, Bring the Boys Back Home, Comfortably Numb, In the Flesh Reprise, Run Like Hell, The Trial, Outside the Wall. It's in the back half that it really reaches climax and the story + music takes off. I love the operatic storytelling and song writing that really gets me. I don't listen to this album a lot, but it is one that has grown on me over the years. I really didn't get it when I listened to it first as a High School student, and I really tried. I went hard on Pink Floyd and watched / listened to Dark Side with the Wizard of Oz and everything. I still think I probably prefer Dark Side of the Moon from a taste standpoint, but I give this one a spin at least once a year and I'm always stoked. It's a treasure.

I love this record and I love this band. Its so well produced. Everything is so tight, which is pretty crazy for a first record 2000. Its heavy, its angry, its sad. It does make me wonder what the hell was wrong with teenagers in the 90s? I remember the first time I listened to this, I must have been 9 years old, and I was blown away. Ultimately, its my least favorite of 3 albums that make up apex mountain for Linkin Park. And my other hot take is that Reanimation is better. But I can't deny that none of what came next would be possible without this record. Its super unique. It hits metal and hip hop in a very non-gimicky way. Its truly respectful and engaging of both genres and it totally works. I'm not surprised that no one else was ever able to pull it off and that the genre kind of peaked and died with this band, but it some ways that's kind of cool.

Is 80s music a genre? Because I can't really pin down what is going on with this record. It's like a caricature of cocaine, Reagan, the Cold War and pilates. That doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. It's certainly smoooooth and sexy. It has fun moments, cool guitar solos. Interesting disco inspired harmonies, but I guess I'm only describing what I'm hearing. Which is basically the epitome of 80s trash pop all encompassed into 1 record that is definitely FINE.

This album is insane. Like it is completely unhinged. The album yesterday was like "80s garbage pop," because it was just fine. Nothing special, just quintessential 80s. But this...... this is 80s Hot Trash. And its incredible. This is the sleeziest record I've ever listened to. This is like the proto-Megan Thee Stallion. It's like 100% sex music. Like explicit sex music. SEX DWARF IS A SONG ON THIS RECORD. SEX DWARF!!! WTF?!?!?!? It almost feels like The Cure or Depeche Mode, but if DP was in a full leather GIMP suit and had a boner stuck in a chastity belt. Its like incel Depeche Mode. I think its so out there and so spot on for what its going for, that I actually really respect it. I'm certain, I won't listen to this all the way though again, but damn, this is wild. I'm glad I listened to the whole thing. Obviously, Tainted Love is the classic. I did know that one. but Wow. This thing is unhinged.

This was sweet! I'm glad this album was in there, because I do think its a really cool relic of a band that gets overlooked. I had honestly never really give Hole a chance, because of all of the stuff with Nirvana / Cobain. I was just never interested, but this is a really cool record! Its aggressive, its sad, its upbeat. Its kind of everything. It really encompasses that grunge before it went fully alt-rock and shed its punk roots. Its no wonder that Kurt Cobain fell in love with this woman and this band. Its very similar to Nirvana in sound, themes and music. I'm glad I listened to this one!

What a great album! For sure one of the best hip hop / r&B albums of the 90s. (maybe all time?) I love how this album flows from rap to singing with spanish guitar accompanying throughout. The synths are fun, but not overbearing. And the lyrics are real, important and visceral. I also really love the rasta / Zion elements intermixed with reggae. I really like how she never straight up samples other songs, but she homages them "Bam" "Light My Fire" "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." It's fun and creative. The only knocks for me are that the drum machines kind of sound dated. I get it for the time, and honestly, the beats are cool. But I think this album could be recorded today, it would be still be relevant and good. We'd probably just do something for the beats.

It's interesting to me that disco never really fused into anything else. Maybe because it's already watered down funk, R&B and soul so it didn't really have anywhere to go? I'm not really sure, but this record was super fun. It's groovy, poppy, kind of silly, but overall just really fun. I totally get why this was the music of 70s and 80s gay clubs. Its awesome. If I could bring this album into one word, it would celebration. This record is just a celebration of life, music, party, family, friendship. Nothing overly deep in terms of music or themes, but it isn't striving for that. And I think the world needs music like this. One note about musical evolution: I do like how disco is kind of building progression music. It actually reminds me of EDM. So maybe that's it, maybe EDM was the evolution of disco.

No one does it like Marvin Gaye. He's the perfect blend of funk, jazz, soul, blues. Every song is so groovy. It flows, bends, bops. He brings in a wide arrangement of sounds and instruments that are always pumping in the background. The music is so full. He keeps the mood chill, and never goes over the top. Even on the obscure songs like "A Funky Space Reincarnation." The song is bizarre in its lyrical themes, but it's neither cheesy or over the top weird in the music. It's actually one of my favorite songs on the record. I really like the love, marriage, gospel, god, sex themes of this record. Its kind of his speciality to bridge the gap between all of that. This whole record fills so tight. Every song makes sense, and easily flows into the next. Its good background music, but it also demands an intentional listen. There's a lot going on here.

This is a rad little album! The blues, folk, bluegrass, singer-songwriter elements are really really cool. I often feel that Stills is kind of the red-headed step child of his previous band and never really gets the acclaim as his counterparts. The vision is really cool. I like how they experimented with traditional genres in American music, but also leaned in to the singer songwriter ethos of day. It makes sense why so many Deadheads were into this music. This album has a lot of ambition packed in it, but I'm not sure its a "classic." There aren't a lot of stand out songs per say and despite it being a really cohesive record, it doesn't really hold up to other dense albums of the period. Still it's a cool relic and really awesome album that I had a blast listening to.

Whoever put this list together has such a hard on for 80s British indie. The problem with this record, is that it definitely has the elements of the indie music that was going on at the time but it really is more of a pop album. I guess not even a little bit, its totally a pop album. It just "sounds" like indie rock. It "sounds" like The Stone Roses or The Cure, but it doesn't have the heart and soul of those bands. From a musical standpoint, its fine. Kind of cheesy love songs and kind of kind of cheesy lyrics.

This album is objectively bad, but its kind of towing that line between good / bad and bad / bad. For instance, the lyrics are bad. They mean nothing. "We have each other and that's A LOT!" Come on. But I don't think there is person on this continent that can resist "WOAAAAAHOOOOW LIVIN ONA PRAAAYYERRR." Its good / bad. I think what's interesting to me about this record and I guess modern music in general, is the quick move to appropriate and capitalize on something that is working. Bon Jovi is just kind of a mix everything edgy about the former decade. He's got the sex appeal of Tom Petty, but he isn't cool and sexy. Its feels exploitative. The freaking porn sounds at the beginning of Social Disease. It's so cheesy. And then he's leaning into the psych / blues elements of Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones, but it never quite stands up to anything they ever did. Again, Wanted Dead or Alive is fun to sing along to but it's meaningless. It has no soul, it's a caricature of Stairway to Heaven or Midnight Mile. I think where Bon Jovi wins, is when he makes things loud. And no, he didn't event that. Black Sabbath did, but he is good at it. Its indulgent. Its kind of irresistible. It also kind of sucks. Its good / bad.

What a blast. So weird and fun. I love how the bass lines kind of drives the music forward. The guitar riffs are unorthodox and almost funk, but never fully committing to the bit. Which I think is imperative for their sound. They synths keep it all around interesting. Not sure if this is my favorite Talking Heads record. Despite being such a unique record, there aren't too many songs that stand out to me. I kind of like them all equally, which is probably why this album deserves more listens. I'm certain there is something I'm missing. Something that is undeniable, is how tight this record is. Everything is really well produced and immaculately put together. Its like they were harnessing their silliness into a serious art form with this record. I had a blast with this one. I'm hoping we get some more Talking Heads down the road!

I love this record, but its kind of a slow burn. It takes time and re-listens. I still don't know if I like Blonde more, I've spent more time with Blonde but this is definitely the framework. No Blonde without channel Orange. If I was to genre this record, I would say its "anti-pop r&b." It really is a true R&B album. Its got the blues, the jazz, the funk, the soul. There are parts of this record that sound like church. What makes it "anti-pop" to me, is that it takes elements of modern r&b and winks / nods at it, and then completely rejects it with style / lyrics and composition. It reminds me very much of what Tyler Childers is doing with country music right now. What's also interesting to me about this album, is that it doesn't really take off until about halfway through. The first few songs are a mix of samples and short sequences, before it picks up into longer more in-depth songs. I love the run from Super Rich Kids through Lost. Its a little more vibey and upbeat. It captures the listener. You get a quick palate cleanser provided by John Mayer with White and then it goes a completely different direction with Monks > Bad Religion > Pink Matter > Forrest Gump. It takes a slower, more emotional, soulful turn. Even the Andre 3000 song feels slower and more soulful. The lyrics are pretty emo, but he also plays with elements of SoCal culture like money, rich kids, fashion and even punk music with Monks and Bad Religion. This really is an album that I would not have gravitated towards 5 years ago, and even when it starts, I wince a little. "Thinkin Bout You" is not my favorite song and it first it kind of sounds like poppy r&b that I typically don't love. But as I've listened to this album I can hear the influences and really respect and love it. I can hear Stevie Wonder in his voice, Isaac Hayes in the stoner psychy composition, Marvin Gaye in the lyrics. And then an overall wink and nod and modern r&b while very intentional inventing something entirely new. It is fantastic.

This record is kind of all over the place. Its like skiing variable snow after a wind event. You have like 2 really good turns of wind buff pow and then like 3 turns of dial up internet. Speaking of dial up internet, my biggest qualm with this record and all r&b records from the late 90s / early 2000s are the freaking drum machines. WHAT WERE WE DOING BACK THEN!??! It seriously takes down a really full / holistic sounding song with cool bass lines and brass instruments and then adds shitty beats that sound like a CD skipping. What's fun to me with this record is the diversity in genre / sounds. Part of it is really good soul and r&B. But then he really leans into jazz as well, and then layers in rap where it makes sense. The rap track are kind of hit or miss, I'm not a huge fan of southern rap from the 2000s but that might be taste thing. I do like how flamboyant he is with his voice when he raps and sings. Its pretty unique. He even gets pretty weird near the end of the record with Scrap Metal and Sometimes. A lot of interesting mixes. There's no doubt that CeeLo is super talented and innovative. He's made some really awesome records, songs and collaborations. I love the soul sound mixed r&b. Those songs slap. I don't love his club songs, those ones kind of aren't great. Honestly, not my favorite r&b album. But I'm happy it exists and that I listened to it!

The Doors! Again! I think I like this one more than the self titled, but TBH, they're pretty similar. What is fun and interesting to me are the Blues elements. As well as the kind of creepy spooky minor keys. I also noticed the change in Jim Morrison's voice with this record. A lot more rash and harsh. Its a good tun. Love Her Madly and Riders of the Storm are the obvious winners on this record, but L'America is really good sneaky good song.

A Rush of Blood to the Head is like the equivalent of The Shawshank Redemption on cable TV. I've heard every single song 1 million times, but I don't think I've ever gone cover to cover on this album. It was fun! Other than that is sound 100% like an episode of Scrubs. What can I say about the most popular album of the 2000s? There was nowhere you could escape hearing every song on this record, and frankly, most of them are pretty okay. It's kind of fun listening to this back to back with Radiohead, because it almost feels like the anti-thesis of Radiohead. Like its kind of leaning into that full heavy composition of music, but its so light and poppy. But then it doesn't really ever sound like pop and never really sounds like indie-rock either? Honestly, I have no qualms with this record. Its absolutely fine as it is. It doesn't age super well, because it just sounds exactly like a moment in time. And a good moment in time it was.

Super cool album! Its wild to listen and realize that it came out in 1997?! It feels so much newer, but it also feels somewhat timeless. I think that's part of the magic of this record. Or maybe its that it got ripped off a million times, and a lot of indie rock turned into artists trying to recreate this in their own image. One thing that really stands out to me is how cohesive the album is, but then how each song kind of stands on its own. Compared to Pink Floyd's The Wall, you can actually pull out songs and they're good on their own. Where The Wall per se, is really only good as a whole. I think its really impressive to make a concept album that is so tight, but each song is really its own masterpiece. It remind me almost of acts in a play where they're all good and intentional on their own, but then they build and fall as the show progresses. I've listened to this record a handful of times, starting in 8th Grade. And I never felt like I "got it." I really don't know if I've spent enough time with it yet, but I think it's a really incredible album and one that demands intentional listens.

What a gem! I love proto-punk. You can definitely hear the influence that The Dictators had on bands like the Ramones. The fast tempo, the shitty singing. But most of all, the irrelevant and satirical nature of the songs. They're all over the place, and kind of unhinged. Its so punk rock. I had a blast listening to this today.

What a rad album! Its interesting to me that most people know Queen through their Greatest Hits record (myself included), but in reality, a lot of their records were like this. Kind of glam rock dabbling in prog. Its kind of a messy concept album with fantasy elements, but it seriously rocks so hard. Every song on this record is a gem. It flows together super nicely, its fun to listen to, its moves up and down where it makes sense. This record is totally a gem.

This was kind of sweet! The first half is fine. Its kind of what you think you're going to get. Her voice is undeniably good, but the second half is where things get buck wild. It's super good! It's just a full on blues, big band and jazz. The first half seems like it was for the money and the second half was for herself. I also like that she just continued writing sexy songs, but did it in a really interesting style. Probably won't revisit this one, but glad I went through it!

What a classic. I think what makes this album great is the back and forth of blues and pop. One minute it's bonafide blues and folk album and a second later, you're back a the disco. And while that might seem a bit bi-polar and inconsistent, it totally works. They pull it off. There is so much energy in this record. I love how they switch out vocalists for different songs. I think there is a world where Fleetwood Mac could have been The Grateful Dead. IDK, maybe not. But they have the framework, I just wish they could have kept it together. Don't date your bandmates I guess.

I don't know why this music was so popular in the early 2000s. I kind of The Arctic Monkeys, The Hives, Kaiser Chiefs, and Franz Ferdinand in the same bucket. Its like British guitar led post-punk indie dance rock. There's nothing really wrong with it, but it's interesting to me that none of this music really lasted longer than the early 2000s. ....maybe because it all kind of sounds the same? There are certainly unique and interesting elements: cool guitar effects with kind of low-fi solos and leads, and typically pretty groovy bass lines. However, it never really totally does it for me. Perhaps there was just too much of it that it all kind of drowned it self out? Or maybe it's that their American counterparts were just better? It's hard for me to pin down the legacy of this style of indie rock, but I would wager that it an effect on bands like The Strokes and The Killers. And those bands seem to do this style of music differently. They most certainly elevated the genre.

This was pretty cool! I guess with most of this style of music, I can't really understand what's going on. However, I like the jazz and tango grooves. It was fun and interesting. A lot of songs about MARIA.

This is a cool album! Super introspective and soulful. Musically, its exactly what I'd expect from The Boss. Personally, I liked the back half more than the first. The first few songs felt kind of like his old stuff, but redone. So it wasn't really doing it for me. Honestly, at points it almost felt cheesy (heresy, I know.) However, as the albums gains legs it really starts to vibe with me. The E Street Band really starts picking up, we get more horns, keys and organs. Suddenly, I'm sitting in the chapel at the Church of Bruce and I'm here for it. Especially the last few songs.

One of my favs. I love Steve's style, sound and mostly his lyrics. He tells the best stories. I put him in the same camp as some of my favorite song writers: John Prine, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Steve Earle feels like a character actor. He's never the main star, but whenever he's on screen, I'm gonna watch it. He's basically Steve Buscemi for country music. I think this album marks a moment in country music, where it "outlaw" country was becoming "alt-country," and exiting the mainstream. The figures of outlaw that we love, continued covering and promoting Steve's music but he never really took off into the mainstream. He just kind of always did his own thing, which is something I love and respect out him as an artist. Even this record, its undeniably a country album. He has blues, roots, folk and even bluegrass. But he also just throws in these weird synths throughout (which arguably are the worst part of the record), but I love that he just wanted to make his own music and celebrate music that inspired him. Which is what this album represents to me. Just good old fashioned songwriting. While this isn't my favorite Steve album, I do think its a building block or elemental album that ultimately pushed the genre forward. And not only for alt-country artists but for the indie folk artists that I spent a lot of time with in the 2000s. Its all connected.

ELECTRIC BLUES!!! What a rad album. I haven't listened to this all the way through since I was in my freshmen year of college, learning about the influence of this music on ALL modern music. Its all right there. Its the electric blues, half the songs on this record were lifted and made bigger and better by other artists. The Beatles, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones. What else do I need to say?? I guess the musicianship on the freaking organ is next level. Why doesn't anyone play like that anymore? We need more church organs in music.

Ah man. Gun N' Roses is my absolute favorite band to dunk on. Its some of the corniest shit on earth. On one hand its incredible and on the other hand it's like unironic hot garbage. It feels like they took all of the building blocks of rock music and pumped it full of cocaine and viagra. There's so much of this record I almost like. They'll have a cool blues Bo Diddley riff and I start to groove and then Axl just starts screeching and I start hating it. Its the same with Slash too, he's such a good guitarist but its alllllways over the top. Its like he played a guitar solo once and then band was like "What if you just do that the ENTIRE time?" and then he agreed and it stops being good. I've said this before, but Sweet Child O' Mine is the peak and decline of Hair Metal. That song is objectionally amazing, right up until it isn't. The whole final third of the song feels like Axl and Slash are competing against each and it ruins the whole song.

What a rad album. I love how punk and psychedelic this is. It's almost as proto-punk as you can get, but it also sounds like LSD. I love how raw it is. The static on the guitars is super cool and something that has been repeated for year. It really feels like they were listening to Hendrix and The Doors and were like "lets just make this more raw." Fuzzier, angier, heavier, and totally unique for the time. Its wild this came out in 1969. I think Raw Power is still my favorite Stooges album, but I really like this one. Also, I didn't realize that John Cale was a producer on this record. That's super cool to see the cross over with the VU. You can definitely hear that influence.

This was kind of cool. Pretty aggressive post hardcore punk kind of stuff. When I have to read up on an album from the last 20 years, its usually not a good sign. Apparently this was an important album for the genre? But.. they only get like 1500 monthly listens, so I really don't know. It was cool, but I probably won't revisit it.

Contributors of this book: "What's that you say? British punk adjacent indie from the late 80s early 90s? Oh yeah, put it in. Don't even ask, just put it in." Everyone else: "So.. umm.. have you even to listened to this? It kind of just sounds the embodiment of the genre. I mean it's fine, but I don't really know if its like good." Contributors of this book: "Nah, its fine. Everything from that period is good. It's all 'FORMATIVE'. You don't even know." Everyone else: "So you would put this on the same pedestal as say The Cure, The Proclaimers, The Stone Roses, The Cranberries, Radiohead, Oasis. You know all that music coming out of the Hacienda in the 80s and 90s." Contributors of this book: "Yeah, its all the same. Just put it in." Blake's thoughts: Maybe 1001 is too many? IDK. This album has some fun songs, but I dunno. It kind of just sounded like the genre.

Brilliant. I loved how this album moved, ebbed and flowed. Really cool bass lines that keep you grounded, while the trumpet just takes you where you need to be. I listened to this back to back, and probably need to throw it on again for good measure.

This album really has everything you would ever want and need to create an incredible rap album. The music behind the rhymes alone would be enough. I could seriously just listen to an instrumental version of this record and still find it super cool and interesting. I love how he mixes so many genres but never in a way that it gets distracting or overbearing. The funk, soul, gospel, jazz influences make it so captivating and interesting. I also love how consistent this album is. In a lot of ways it feels like a concept album, there are themes in the music that appear and reappear throughout. And then the lyrics could wrong anyone to the core. He hits on the entire spectrum political and social issues in America and among Black Americans. I always finish this record with things to think about. For as groovy as this record is, there's always a few songs that make me uncomfortable. They're heavy, emotional and not comfortable. But they're true, honest and vulnerable. It's like a watching a really good movie, there's always that part of the story where the hero hits an all time low and you don't want to tarry there. I know DAMN gets all the praise and the Pulitzer Prize, but this is the record that I always come back to with Kendrick.

This was a surprisingly good and interesting British indie record (unlike a lot of the recent ones.) Cool psych elements, felt kind of vibey for 2005. I enjoyed it. I'll probably never listen to it again, and I really don't know difference this album really made. But it was cool.

It blows my mind that Gram Parsons was never really considered “country.” This is “country rock.” I think it’s safe to say that all modern country would not exist if it weren’t for Gram Parsons. (Good and bad stuff.) I’ve always like Gram, and this alum was not exception. Super fun songs, good songwriting. It was kind of everything you want in a COUNTRY album.

Such an amazing record. Every time I listen to this, I like it more. His voice, the guitar, the keys. I love the elements of blues and psych with this record. It builds, crashes, whines, moans, aches and pains. His voice mixes so well with the emotion of the music. When I first listened to this album 10 years ago, I didn't understand and every listen since has been better. Its a shame he died so young, I really wish we could have had more Jeff Buckley.

This album is incredible. I want to say its overlooked and underrated, but then it did win Album of the Year in 2003. And honestly, it deserved it! The blues, jazz, folk, all around Americana elements of this record are brilliant. Great song writing, great composition, great instrumentation. I love when an artist creates exactly what they want and it gets recognized. Which is probably why I think this record is overlooked. It got a lot of buzz, and acclaim in 2003 and then everyone kind of moved on. It never really fit in the indie rock / indie folk genre and its not really a pop album. Norah just made a record that absolutely crushes and she made it for herself. It reminds me a lot of John Baptiste. Incredible musician, incredible songwriter carrying on an American tradition of music making.

Classic. Muddy Waters is the Godfather of rock n' roll. I love listening to this record and pulling out licks, and riffs, and rhythms that have been used by artists for decades. He's so freakin good at the guitar and harmonica. I love how he bends and moans it. Its pain, love, heartbreak, joy and death in every song.

This was cool. It honestly just felt like generic 2000s indie. It sounded like 15 different artists from my youth. Not bad! I enjoyed it.

This was a fun album! I think I like the King Crimson self-titled more, but this was fun. Really cool prog and psych elements. I love the story telling through lyrics and music. Fun guitar, keys and synths. Cool bass lines. Did I hear some strings as well? They really get really weird and kind of experimental throughout the record. It almost feels like a few levels on Mario in some songs. But then it also feels like The Velvet Underground in how they get really overwhelming and build. Kind of like a live jam band. I enjoyed it!

Joni Mitchel is one of my favorite songwriters. She's such an effective storyteller in her lyrics, and vocal melodies. One of my favorite things about her style, which shines really strong is this record, is how she uses her voice as an instrument. It bounces up and down in her vocal melodies, and influxes interestingly. Its very non-traditional, but fits well with her storytelling and songwriting style. I also really like how she stepped away from her traditional guitar / singer style and mixed in more electric instruments. Guitars with lot of reverb, really fun harmonicas and interesting natural sounding percussion. I think this is a really cool direction for singer songwriters. It still sounds like Joni Mitchell and highlights what she's good at, but sounds new and interesting.

Is it possible for me to rate the entire album off of 1 song? Because Pink Moon the song is maybe one of the greatest acoustic songs of the 20th Century. I would put it right up there with Girl from the North Country, Spanish Boots of Spanish Leather, Sounds of Silence, Both Sides Now, Landslide, Heart of Gold, Country Roads. Its so damn good. I love that song. I feel like all of the acoustic indie music of the 2000s is walking in the path that Pink Moon sent. I honestly thought that song was a 2000s indie song up until my late 20s. It feels like something Elliot Smith could have played or James Mercer would have written. The guitar, the vocal melodies, the lyrics. His whispering thoughtful voice. It's brilliant. Now.. the rest of the album.. its basically a B+ version of the title track. I don't really know how I feel about it. Its like he wrote an absolute banger, and then tried to recreate it without ever recreating it. Every song sounds ALMOST like Pink Moon, because never quite gets there.

What a record! I've listened to a lot of different Dire Straits songs over the years, but I had never gone through this album. Its so good. I was blown away by the lead guitar. Its some of the best blues guitar of the 70s. Its right up there with Grateful Dead or CCR. It kind of gets psychedelic, but its actually really tight and methodical. I also love how they kind of expand and play with the genre, some songs have almost a funk blues element to them where its hard to differentiate between the guitar and the keys. I also love the way Mark Knopfler sings. Its rough, but thoughtful and personal. One of the most fun parts for me was the lyrical elements that kind of bridge Great Britain to Americana. "Southbound Again," but then its about going to London not New Orleans or "Wild West END" about the West End in London. It's really clever, but also very intentional and self aware. It's like they're fully aware they're playing the Delta Blues, but they make it personal to their situation. Really really solid album.

Emmylou Harris is an American treasure. She's one of those artists that probably could have way bigger, but she just kind of makes music that she likes and collaborates with everyone. Her voice is unique, its low, and she sings in a really non-traditional way. There's definitely world where she would have been a Country Superstar, but she never let Nashville control her. I really like this album. Red Dirt Girl is one of my favorite American / Folk songs. Its powerful, haunting and beautiful. I also really love how she plays with genres and influences with this record. She brings in a lot of Irish Folk lyrics and rhythms, but then also incorporates middle eastern sounds and instruments on some songs. Some songs sound like pure country, while others feel like Norah Jones or Stevie Nicks. She also homages a lot of things in her lyrics, especially in Bang the Drum Slowly. All around beautiful record.

Classic. Punk is one of those genres, where you really need to go back to understand the context of everything. The Damned is a milestone for anyone going down the genre rabbit hole. To be honest, they've never been one of my favorites. I've never really gravitated to the goth / horror side of punk (The Damned, The Misfits, The Cramps. etc) but it's an important part of the genre and something I do enjoy. I think more than anything, I love how they play classic punk (power chords, downbeats) But they really are kind of at the forefront of punk bands playing with genres and instruments. They have really cool and weird organs and keys in some of these songs. They also play with blues sounding guitar solos and riffs. Even some weird circus sounding songs. This what the British offered punk rock and its something we should all be grateful for. Great album!

Has there ever been an alt-rock album that was more alt-rock than this? This 100% feels like an album that I would have picked up at the South Jordan City Library thinking it was a harder punk album, but then it was an alt-rock album. And since loading up your iPod with as many songs as it would hold was a point of pride for 13 year old Blake, I would have proudly thrown this on my iPod. I would have only listened to it a few times all the way through, but I would absolutely listen to "It's a Shame About Ray," "Kitchen, "My Drug Buddy," and the "Mrs. Robinson" cover often. To be honest, I might have had this on my 80 gig iPod. This is such genre music and totally feels like something that would have ended up on an iPod somewhere. I can't confirm though, so we'll just say this was first go around with this record. Though, I have heard "It's a Shame About Ray." What a classic song. Also, the "Mrs. Robinson" shows up in so many movies. (Most recently The Wolf of Wall Street.) This was great! I love how fun it was. I like how they included some country rock elements (slide guitars and bluesy riffs), cool percussion, and fun vocal melodies. This just feels like summer time. I had a blast with this one.

I got this album early on in the project, so this is a repeat. Here is my original review: Super fun. The flute was really cool, and the lyrics + music is all really stellar. Not a huge prog fan, but I get the hype after listening to this.

Super fun album. You can definitely hear the roots of R&B and Rock n' Roll. I remember listening to this one when I was a freshmen in a college taking a music class. I love the influence Elvis and even The Beatles in some songs.

Not my favorite album, but I get why its significant. Personally, I like "experimental elements" rather than full on experimental music. This definitely leans more into full blown experimental. However, there are some really cool elements. I loved the use of keys, very psych. Also, really cool ambients pedal effects on the guitars. I also really liked the jazz influence. That kind of took it to a new direction, which I wasn't expecting. The brass was really really good. Probably won't listen to it again, but I enjoyed it once!

What a great album. Or... how about those 3 incredible songs? Tuesday's Gone, Simple Man and obviously, Free Bird. This was my first introduction to Southern Rock and it always just made sense. Bluesy guitars, sorrowful and soulful vocals + lyrics. It rocks, but it also feels sentimental. I hope I'm not taking away from Skynyrd by saying that their music has always felt like perfect background music for anywhere in America. It appears in movies all the time, it's kind of exactly what you would expect to hear when you walk into a diner or coming out of a truck stop. It's almost always the right moment for Lynyrd Skynyrd anywhere in America. Simple Man always takes me back to that tragic scene in Almost Famous when Penny Lane is having an OD and Simple Man is playing in the background. Tuesday's Gone always reminds me of the final scene of Happy Gilmore. Tuesday's Gone is maybe one of the underrated songs of the 70s. Why don't we listen to that one more? Hell, why isn't that just the National Anthem? Can you imagine at the start of every football game someone just comes out and wails on Tuesday's Gone?? And Free Bird. What else do I need say? And this bird you cannot cage. (tears, chills, feelings.)

I love this album and I love this band. I can honestly say that The Weight changed my life. It's one of my favorite songs. This record was always hard for me to find. I first heard The Weight and I just wanted more of The Band, especially as a Bob Dylan fan. I somehow came across The Last Dance, think at the South Jordan City Library. Its a live album and was harder for me to get into at first, but it had all of the songs I like, so that I went with a long time. When I listen to Song from Big Pink, I'm almost now just wishing I was listening to The Last Dance. Something about the live production, the guest musicians, the energy of the recording. But I guess this review is about Songs from Big Pink. I love this album too. The Weight, obviously. Tears of Rage, Caledonia Wind are all great songs. My favorites though are still Long Black Veil and I Shall Be Released. I know they're covers, but they're just so damn good. What a band.

This is the hardest listen and definitely the most emotional Kendrick record for me. You can see all of the roots and the things that Kendrick is doing early on in his music that will become even more pronounced in his later records (To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN, Mr. Morale.) Cool beats, a lot of jazz and bass guitar elements. The lyrics are heavy, its harsh. It almost feels like a heavy movie or an emotional book. You feel that it's important, but its not something that I often gravitate towards. A lot of the lyrics and the voice samples really put you into the eyes of Kendrick. It feels like you're in Compton when you listen to this. What's wild to me though, is that one I get started with this album, I can usually cruise with it for a while. Its vibey. Its flowy. But then its contrasted with really heavy, emotional, hard lyrics. Kendrick is brilliant. Its fun to see this early on. Especially because he was only 25 when he wrote this.

What an incredible record. It was this year, that I've started dabbling in Sly Stone. Mainly, as been trying to expand my universe on psych R&B. I've listened to a few of his later records and mostly singles, so I hadn't dug into this record yet. So freakin good. I love the unity and peace message of "Stand!" and "Sing a Simple Song." I like how raw the "Don't Call Me...." is. The songs that's blow my mind though are "Everyday People" into "Sex Machine." What a killer 16 minutes. Everyday just gets you pumped. It love, its unity. And then Sex Machine just blows me away. The wah wahs, the organ, the brass but especially the drums!! Wow. Really impressed with this record. I'll definitely revisit.

Classic! This is a cool record. Its fun to hear how they pulled together Rock, Folk and Psych into the music in 1967. Some moments feel like The Beatles, where other songs feel very Dylan. You can also see where Crosby broke off and formed his own thing. The psych songs are pretty weird, but really cool. I really love how they included horns in some songs, but then also just weird sounds. This was fun! I love the Bob Dylan cover, "My Back Pages." I use to jam this one hard in high school.

Brilliant. It's not often that you come across a record that is so pure in its genre. This is 100% authentic Delta Blues. It's 100% American music at its finest. I love that this is not trying to be anything other than what it is. And what it is, is beauty, love, pain, trial, agony, joy all wrapped up into a few songs. Simple instruments and vocals, but it bends and howls and moans like the blues should. Its perfect. I love the bluesy guitar licks. His voice is so sincere. The collaborating artists just make it even more fun and adds to that tradition of folk and blues music being communal and familial. I think my favorite song on the record is No Substitute. The open tuning on his guitar is so raw and powerful. Then he uses his strings as percussion near the end, which is really really fun and raw. I loved this record.

This was fun! Kind of cool pop rock album. I liked the love songs and the groovy brass at points. Honestly, nothing really stood blew me away but I understand why this music was important at the time.

Cool album that definitely grows and gets better. I didn't love the first half, it kind of felt boring or repetitive. The second half though, was killer. Amazing Journey - Magic Bus were just fantastic. What I've always loved about The Who is how much energy the have in their sound. They're kind of like the pioneers of chuggy power chords mixed with blues licks. TBH not my favorite album by The Who, but I love the energy in the second half and love how they extend songs and combine with others.

Neil Young is a treasure. His song writing is always poignant, his voice is somber but never sad. He always feels authentic. This album always feels like a turning point for Neil, where he really starts to become well rounded in his writing. Songs about love and social issues. I also love how he breaks away from just folk or acoustic songs to start incorporating more electric guitar. Some songs really rock and get loud. This is a great album. Some of my favorite Neil Young songs.

What an incredibly dynamic record. This album is a master piece. I can't believe I let this album sit on my iPod and my iTunes for all those years in and post high school and never cared about it. On one hand, it feels very "90s," but honestly, I think it stands on its own and has a timeless quality to it. It only sounds like the 90s, because everyone ripped off his sing-talk-rap style. The way he plays with genres is so perfect. One minute, he's kind of rapping, the next minute he's deep in a country rock song. Its folk, its punk, its indie, its jazz. Its kind of everything, but it all vibes within itself and flows so perfectly. Nothing ever really feels out of place. This has a real 'americana' quality to it. Where it feels like a culmination of American music, but not what you expect when you hear the word "americana." It's much deeper than that. Its 'americana' in the sense that he is nodding and incorporating elements of American music in kind of a dry winking way. But it's authentic and true. Totally blown away by this album.

This was a fun album! I was really surprised by this one. Its not a record that I would have expected to come out of 1971. Admittedly, I haven't spent a lot of time with Krautrock. It gave me Radiohead vibes for sure. It also sounded like Nine Inch Nails in some songs and also Animal Collective. Kind of cool to see how it influenced avant-garde experimental music down the road. It almost feels like there was a 20 year lap from where this music was happening to where it caught up in the 90s. It gets harder to listen to as it goes on, but overall, I really enjoyed this. I'm glad this came through!

So much energy with this record! What a blast. The guitars, the keys, the vocals, the drums. In the spirit of "This is Spinal Tap," they definitely went up to 11 on this one. I really don't love high pitch opera sounding vocals, but some reason this one really does it for me. Especially on "Child in Time," they're really going for it. That whole song might make the entire record for me. It's so epic. It's also impossible to beat "Smoke on the Water." This live version is so rad. I love how they riff on the original riff. Bending the notes, hitting that whammy bar where it makes sense. It keeps you on your toes.

I think this is the best album by The Doors. They really nail the blues in this one. The songs are bluesy, somewhat folksy, and they just really rock. I feel like this is where they have the best chemistry and really hone down their sound. It also just flows really well. Roadhouse Blues and Waiting for the Sun really set the pace and then it just starts humming along, and you're already halfway through. Peace Frog being the obvious best song, but I was even surprised by Ship of Fools and Land Ho! I also like how it kind of shifts gears and slows pace near the end with Indian Summer, it even gets kind of weird with Maggie M'Gill. The Spy was kind of cheesy and probably the most "60s" song on the whole album. I don't know WTF was going on in the 60s but everybody was really into espionage.

What a rad album. It's a bonafide blues and jazz record. Really instrumentation, cool brass, bass lines and keys. She also kind of experiments with some ska and dancehall elements. But really, its Amy's voice that ties it all together and brings the heat. Did Adele market correct her after she died? Did Amy Winehouse die so Adele could run? Her voice really hits all ranges of emotion from sadness and pain, to joy and laughter. This album is really varied in that nature. Its fun, but never overly poppy. I really enjoyed. I wish there were more artists that were doing this kind of music today.

This album is wild. I want to say its genre-bending, but I don't really know what I would say its bending? I mean it's absolutely rap, dancehall and electro. I guess it doesn't really matter what the genres are. I just like how gonzo it is. Its all over the place. Some songs feel poppy and fun to vibe with, where other songs are really experimental and kind of hard to listen to. I think the outlandish nature of the whole record backed with the socio-political lyrics makes for a really cool record. It feels really punk rock, without really being a rock album. In a lot of ways it reminds of Minor Threat or Bad Brains in that its pretty heavy and kind of aggressive, but definitely political and pointed. But then unlike punk-hardcore bands, there's all of the electronic and dance elements to this record. Which then makes me feel like this could be bumping out of a East London club. This was rad.

This was a super cool album! I honestly wasn't really in the mood for experimental music this morning, but it really captivated me. I think the ambient nature of it is kind of soothing and it kind of pulls you in. A lot of reminded me of Dan Deacon, Sigur Ros and Radiohead. You definitely hear the inspiration for those bands in this record and with this sound. I really love how he goes between pure instrumental and vocals. It keeps you on your toes and kind of acts as a palate cleanser between songs. Holistically, this album really flows and is inviting. You think you don't want it, but then it keeps pulling you in. It was also fun how a lot of this wasn't computer generated. There are a lot of "traditional" instruments. It's fun to hear how they made these sounds with those instruments, where as today, computers kind of make everything seem within reach. And maybe that's the draw with this record, its ambitious but then also completely contempt with just being.

This was a really cool and varied album. I love how it ebbs and flows through. Shh/Peaceful was really fun to start with. The guitar is really fluid and flowing. What I like though is the play between the guitar and the trumpet. One minute you're locked in kind of psychy sounding guitar riff and then Miles comes in on the trumpet and kind of just takes you to a new level. Also, really cool and moving percussion. The tempos changes throughout, but the drums really keep it tight through all of their jams. In a Silent Way was really interesting. I love how it starts and ends. The ambient soulful somber tones really lock you in. The journey to the fusion jazz / rock in the center is really what captivates me. It ebbs and flows, ups and downs in tempo, pace and instruments. Then it lands you safely back home in that ambient space. I really enjoyed this!

One of my favorites! Its hard for me to give this one an unbiased rating. This album has been with me for a very long time. I loved the contemporary punk music of my day, but I wanted to understand how it all connected and where it came from. So I went hard on 2003 wikipedia and read everything I could about the genre, which is essentially where I discovered The Ramones. Though.. I likely recognized them from all of the Ramones shirts going around at the time. Hot Topic was making millions on Ramones shirts and everyone had one. Anyway, I read all about it. I went to Best Buy and I bought this record. (Though, I think I actually bought a compilation type album that had all of these songs, but they were in different orders and there were more songs.) What surprised me when I first listened to his all those years ago was actually how tame it was compared to blink-182 and Green Day. It really wasn't all that rowdy. Virtually no swearing and the tempo wasn't really all that fast. It seemed kind of PG. It didn't phase me though, I was stoked on it. It was one my first true punk albums. None of that washed down mainstream garbage. This was the real deal. I was obsessed. I took this album everywhere before I had an iPod. I remember literally taking this album to Lake Powell with all the people from church and playing it on the house boat speakers. The Ramones were a pretty weird band. Despite being the archetypal punk band, they were pretty different from most of the contemporaries. They dressed weird, they had weird personas. They're pretty unique in that way. But I think what they did, and especially with this record, is they harnessed the spirit of punk music. They took rock music of the day and made it fast, heavy, punchy. They had songs about hookers (53rd and 3rd), drugs and teenage boredom (Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue), politics (Blitzkrieg Bop & Havana Affair.) But then, they really just loved rock and roll. In a lot of ways, they remind me of the Beach Boys. Especially in songs like I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend & Let's Dance. And I think that's what I love about them as a band. Its what hooked me then, and keeps me coming back as a dude in his 30s. Its the love of music, the idea of pushing a genre forward, doing your own thing and making something new. Its that punk rock spirit.

What a gem! Holy crap. This album rocks. Its so varied in its sounds and totally take the listener on an strange journey. I love how it starts with Chameleon, on the surface its sounds somewhat generic but then it really starts to groove and dig. What blew me away on the second listen was how the synth is matching the brass tones, but its slightly off. Its really trippy, but super cool. I was only able to pick it up when I had headphones on. Also, the synth throughout is just rad. It kind of blows my mind that you can make such rad music on such an annoying sounding instrument. Watermelon Man blew me away. The flute!! I love how it starts and ends. The middle is so groovy and jammy. Sly took me to new levels. I was ripping a downhill mountain bike line while listening to that, and it was just perfect. The percussion gets so crazy and the horns are so tight. Vein Melter is a great way to end the album. Its so chill, not sure if its about heroine. It kind of feels like it might be. Killer album. Stoked to have this one today.

I'm probably not the person to rate this stuff. It kind of felt generic, but I also don't speak French or have a wealth of experience with African music. Overall, it was fine. It was groovy. Felt like I was at the beach. Probably won't ever revisit.

This one was rough. Like who is the actual audience for this artist and this kind of music? Who the hell just turns this on unironically? This feels like the music from A Clockwork Orange. And maybe its not the music from it, but it's like the same kind of vibe. -"Hey do you want to listen to something that will make you feel really weird?" -"Ummm no..?" -"Let's just do it anyway. Its really fucked up." 3 Stars for Creativity.

This record is incredible. I was not expecting it to be as rad as it was. It is completely over the top. It's kind of outrageous how over the top this record is, but its also so perfectly executed that its hard to not like it. It really does feel like the inspiration of the Dracula Puppet Musical in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Every song is a journey and every song is perfectly thought out and placed correctly in this album. The title track is a 10 minute epic with different waves and motions. Heaven Can Wait is somber and building. All Revved Up is so great with the saxaphone. Two out of Three is pretty cheesy, but again, its kind of perfect. I just love the thoughtfulness in making this ridiculous campy album. I'm stoked I listened to it today.

Pretty sweet little album! Not quite as bluesy as their self-titled, but still had a lot of cool varied sounds. It feels little "80s" especially in Money for Nothing and One World. However, So Far Away, Your Latest Trick and Ride Across the River kind of all have that classic Dire Straits sound. With the exception of Ride Across the River, which had some incredible saxophone in it. Walk of Life is just a treasure, and one of my favorite songs from the 80s. I was also kind of blown away by The Man's Too Strong. It had kind of a Irish folk ring to it. Brother in Arms is a perfect album ending. This is a really cool record, that I think kind of gets lumped into the mess that is the 1980s. And on some levels it fits right in, and on another level with certain songs it surpasses the 1980s and has a timeless element to it.

So rad and so fun! I love the power pop punk nature of this record. Cool 4:4 rhythms with palm muted power chords and rad little So Cal guitar licks. I also love how they're mixing sounds from the late 50's and early 60s. A lot of these songs feel like The Shang-ri-la's or The Crystals. But then its also pop punk in its chord progressions and beats. You can really hear the punk sound in later acts like Descendents or X. It's kind of the crossroads of pop, punk and surf. What was also really interesting are all the songs in minor key. For such an upbeat record, they have a lot of minor sounds. I feel like this sound is one of the most mimicked sound in the last 40 years. This is in the DNA of almost all 1990s punk and 2000s indie. (blink-182, No Doubt, all the way to Best Coast) Our Lips are Sealed is probably my fav on the album, but I obviously love We Got the Beat and Can't Stop the World.

This was fine… not really sure I needed to listen to it before I die. It was interesting and had some cool elements, but I don’t think it was really earth shattering or important. I certainly didn’t hate it! I dont know, man. These authors love random British indie.

Such a fun album! I hadn't ever listened to this. I liked the first 2 songs, but the magic really happens on track 3, Stormy Monday. Then it really just takes off through You Don't Love Me. The whole song just peaks and valleys. Its completely guitar driven, but has really cool bass lines driving it forward, up and down. They even tease "Joy to the World" at the end of You Don't Love Me. Then the record just goes on a journey from Hot Lanta through In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Not a lot of vocals, just straight shredding, which again, peaks and valleys and get poignant at parts. Its truly improvised progressive electric blues. I do like how they shift gears a bit and let the organ come in pretty hard with In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, its a good change of pace. This track also goes hard with percussion and drums. I feel like this song is kind of the heart and soul of them being a true jam band. Its really dialed up in this song. Whipping Boy is a perfect ending to the record. Its so intense and so epic. Its a perfect blues epic. Overall, I really enjoyed this record. So fun to hear this jam band. It would have been fun to see them and Grateful Dead. They're different, but also so similar. This really feels a little more guitar driven. Where I feel like GD gets more varied with the keys, organ and harmonica. Either way, Dickie Betts was a legend and played guitar like a god.

This is a great record. This is that transition point for The Beatles, where they really start experimenting with what they can do with pop music and mixing in some psychedelic elements. The winners on this record are the bookends. It comes in hot, lulls in the middle and then picks up at the end. Drive My Car feels like early Beatles. Whimsical, upbeat, conventional. But then they shift gears with Norwegian Wood and gets really weird and wonderful with that Citar. And it really hums along and rolls all the way through Nowhere Man. After that, I kind of loose interest. Its fun, but nothing really draws me in. Until we get to I'm Looking Through You. That one starts, and I'm right back in it. I love the folk and bluesy elements of this song. In My Life comes up next, which is probably the real reason this is on this list. That's one the best songs ever written. ALLLLL the feelings with that song. And after its all great. It draws me back in and I remember how much I love this record.

Something I've loved about this project is getting an album, expecting one thing and being totally surprised. I was familiar with Kate Bush, because like most people my age, I watched Stranger Things so I heard "Running Up That Hill" on repeat for the entire month of October in 2022 but I never really listened to much of her stuff. This album really blew me away. Its super varied, obscure, art house even. I kept wondering "who produced this weird mess or rad songs??" It was Kate Bush. She just made a badass album exactly the way she wanted too. Its kind of all over the place in a really good way. The first half feels like Pink Floyd inspired British indie. Its weird, but fun and somewhat easy listening. Then it takes a dark turn and somehow becomes a concept album? Its gets super interesting and really captivated me. She plays with interesting effects, different sounds and genres. It's really cool and varied. I really enjoyed this!

Despite how I feel about Ryan Adams as a person and an artist, this is an objectively good singer-songwriter record. He's a clever lyricist. He plays on words, homages in interesting ways and almost always cuts deep. I like almost every song on this record. Something that I value is varied albums with lots of unique sounds, this definitely isn't that. But something else that I love is really clear, competent genre music with good songs and good songwriting. And that's exactly what this is. He set out to make a really good country folk songwriter album and that's exactly what this is.

Super cool record. The marimba is really captivating with this. Its sounds kind of mystical but fluid. When played next to the accordion, its really full and interesting to listen to. I don't know much about tango, but this was a fun listen.

This is a really awesome and fun album. I love that its kind of a wide variety of emotions. Some songs are moody, others are more upbeat and energetic, and some are kind of both? Its like sad songs that are fun. REM's style is super unique too. They kind of "play" with genres in a way that reminds me of Dire Straits. They never fully commit. Which then makes this kind of unique sound. Its like they were punk rock kids from the south that can't stop get away from rockabilly and southern rock but they want to be punk rockers but they never lived in NY or LA. So the music really resonates with your average listener. It kind of sounds like suburbia. A few notable songs: - Drive. What a fun song. Its dark, but its upbeat. Its bluesy, but not really. I really like how this sets the vibe for the whole record. - Everybody Hurts. Chills, man. What a song. - Sweetness Follows. Haunting but also kind of inspiring sound to it? Its gives me all the feels. - Monty Got Real. I love the blues influence on this one. - Man on the Moon. So good. I love this tribute to Andy Kaufman. -Night Swimming. All the feels.

One of my favorite rap albums. I love this record. I think what really works with this record is that its never trying to be more than it is. The beats and bass lines are smooth, jazzy and chill. The lyrics are smart and important but also visceral and deep. The guests artist never take over or are overbearing, they show up and do their thing to elevate each song. The tracks with Kanye honestly might be some of my favorite Kanye songs. I also feel like this album is a good transition between new rap and old rap, but more than anything its truly just *rap.* He's not really getting experimental or trying anything new. He's just really executing on a style and genre that he's obviously mastered. In some ways this reminds me of Neil Young. Neil Young is a masterful songwriter who definitely has interesting tracks with cool guitar, bass etc, but that's not why you listen to Neil Young. That's exactly how I feel about this record. Its the storytelling and songwriting. He kind of just opens a door for you to live in this record and live in these songs. Nothing is ever too much but I'm never underwhelmed. I love the themes on this record. He challenges masculinity, family, relationships, conventional perceptions of god and deity, law enforcement, racism. He kind of packs it all into each song, but tells it in story form that it draws you in. -I think Be (Intro) is probably my favorite song on the record, but really each song in the first 5 tracks just really catches my attention. The sampling behind the bass lines and drums is so groovy, but the lyrics are my favorite. -The Corner is deep and thought provoking -GO! is so fun and deep. I also love the Kanye versus. -Faithful is such a wild ride and play on words. Its deep, punishing and thought provoking. -Testify is perfect follow up. Its interesting, because I really see his influence on rappers like Macklemore in that song. -Chi-City is so sick. I like that its more than just an ode to the city he's from. Again, the story telling and meaning behind is what changes everything for me. -The Food is a perfect duet with Common and Kanye. I love it. -Real People, again super deep. Love the beats as well. -They Say. I love how this switches between John Legend on the chorus and Kanye on different versus. -Its Your World. Chills. Perfect ending to a record.

This was a cool album. It was fun. It was very Bowie. I really respect and love how he would just make whatever kind of music he was interested in. It was always Bowie. Its weird, but its poppy, but its also kind of progressive. Its brilliant. I'm not sure if its my favorite Bowie album. In fact, I'm not really even sure why its on this list. I did enjoy it though! The middle songs were what we really drew me in. "Where are We Now?" through "I'd Rather Be High" is kind of the high point of the record for me. I love the energy and flowing nature of these songs. Overall, it doesn't really grab my attention like other Bowie albums have. I listened to it through twice too.

One of my favs. Even though I don't revisit this record often, its definitely a formative album for me. I loved The Smashing Pumpkins when I was in middle school and even into High School. Despite how I might feel about later Smashing Pumpkins, this album will always be pure gold. Its all the bangers, its all the feels. Its also super long. It almost feels like Billy Corgan knew that it wouldn't get much better than this, so he put it all on one record. And maybe that's not totally fair, because there is a lot to say about Siamese Dreams and even Adore is pretty solid. But Mellon Collie is apex mountain for this band. Its the full spectrum of what this band can do. It's the feel epic emotional feelings of Tonight Tonight, the rage of Bullet with Butterfly Wings, the intensity of Zero, the vibes of 1979, the somber sadness of By Starlight and then it has all of the obscure avant garde kind of emo songs like We Only Come Out at Night. Its kind of everything packed into one (probably a bit too long?) epic album. I listened to the shit out of the record at one in my life. Its one that I can always find something that I vibe with at really any given time. If I was to give it any knocks, it'd be that there are maybe 4 or 5 too many songs. But either way, I'll turn this on and listen to the whole thing without skipping a song. A few of my favorites from this album (which is the majority of the songs): Side 1: *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness -I love how this kind of sets the tone for the rest of the record. Its just short instrumental that invites you into the weird world of this album. *Tonight, Tonight -this song is perfect. Its all the feels. I love the strings in it. I love how it builds, and how Billy whispers then shouts throughout. *JellyBelly -I mostly love how this is where the album really turns up. This song is intense. Its heavy, its grungy. Its almost metal? *Zero -the perfect follow up. They keep the intensity up and send you on this epic, which is Zero. I love the guitar riffs, the solo always gets me stoked. But its the bridge that always makes me come back for more. *Here's to Why -sneaky good track in between 2 classics. The guitar solos really catch me off guard here. *Bullet With Butterfly Wings -what else can I say about this song? Was I teenage boy? Yes. This. Song. Fucks. *Ode to Love & Cupid De Locke -this is where side one starts to lull a bit, but these 2 songs are kind of the oasis in the desert here. Kind of palate cleansers. *Muzzle -this song is often overlooked, but the fuzzy guitars, the solos, the chorus just keep me alive. I love this one. *Porcelina of the Vast Ocean -another sneaky banger. Kind of sneaks up on you and draws you in. Its long, but if you endure by the end you're all in. Its almost like a Terrapin in that way. (Not saying it even touches Terrapin), but it kind of has that release in the back half to it. *Take Me Down -quite. sentimental. Great book end for side one. Side 2: *Thirty-Three -kind of the first song on side 2 that really connects with me. Its kind of that change of pace. Slow, emotional, thoughtful. Great shoegaze. *In the Arms of Sleep -I love how this kind of blends out of Thirty-Three and into 1979. This is the part of the side 2, that I really vibe with. *1979 -this freakin song. You know, I still don't really know even this song is about, but whenever its on I'm just filled with joy and nostalgia. But it's not necessarily nostalgia for this song, its the feeling of looking back and smiling. Which maybe that's what this song is about? Its just the feeling I get when I listen to it. It feels like looking at grainy photographs. *Thru the Eyes of Ruby -another one that is slow burn that eventually pulls you all the way into it. Soft and heavy at the same time. *Stumbeline -this damn song. So good. Makes you feel things. *We Only Come Out at Night -is maybe my favorite song on the whole album. Its so obscure, but it just keeps your attention throughout. It feels like a folk song, but its played on weird instruments. *Beautiful -such a great song. Good message, chill vibes. I think I love chill Smashing Pumpkins the most. *By Starlight -feels like the stripped down slower version of Tonight, Tonight. Absolutely beautiful. *Farewell & Goodnight -perfect ending to an album.

This was cool, but it was kind of hard for me to really get into to. It had some really cool songs, and I really like how it all flowed together nicely. I guess in a lot of ways it kind of felt like indie genre music. It kind of blended into the pantheon of bands from this time that kind of sound similar. I did really love the first song, "Starlings" and the second to last song, "One Day Like This." I thought there were cool elements of shoegaze, even some tango and jazz, and just a lot of ambient rock. Which was fun.

Such a fun album. Its easy to listen to this and take it at face value, but when you dig deep and listen to all of the influences come together, its a really cool and well put together album. Some songs are straight jazz, where others are funk, and then soul, I can definitely pick up some doo wop and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound and early pop music. And then I guess to just add that everyone of these songs is 100% about sex. It's kind of amazing. The whole album really does stand on its own. I kind of groove out to every song and just be content and happy that its on. Its a very human record in that way. If I were to pick one song though, Let's Get it On is hands down the winner. The guitar intro the grooves, the religious undertones relating it all back to sex. Its almost a perfect song.

This record is gold. It is so punk rock. Maybe one of the most *punk* rap album out there. This is right up there with Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, US Bombs, 25dalife, Descendents, etc. Its explicit, its direct, its angry, it's poignant, it's truth. I think what sets this apart from a lot of early punk though, is that a lot punk is raising awareness for real problems, Public Enemy was raising awareness and speaking from their own lived experienced. They're referencing MLK Jr, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela. They're covering all issues around racism and social injustice. This is a true rap album, where its driven by true lyrics. But the music is really cool too. It's the boombox speakers, the record scratches, the radio samples, and vocal samples of civil rights figures. The loops and samples are kind of messy, but they really pull together and make really cool sounds and rhythms. I noticed a lot of soul, funk and jazz samples as well, which also makes this really fun. The music really carries this record through. Almost every song connects seamlessly to the next. It really just hums along and flows really nicely. For sure one of the greatest rap albums of all time. I kind of miss this era of rap. I love how dirty and grungy it is. I love that is completely unapologetic without every feeling gimmicky or silly. FIGHT THE POWER THAT BE ✊🏼

This was a fun record! I don't really gravitate towards Elvis very often. I think the crooner style kind of turns me off, but its hard to deny his talent and stage presence. This album had quite a few songs that got stoked though. I really love the blues and rockabilly songs. A few of my favs from this record: * Long Black Limousine -fun blues song. Good story telling. * I'm Moving On -classic! Just fun and groovy. Good rockabilly. * In the Ghetto -just love that he tried to sing about important things. This songs rips though. * Suspicious Minds -probably the best Elvis song? Its got everything. Its fun, its groovy, its fast moving. And it actually does sound suspicious. Really great guitar in this song. * Kentucky Rain -I don't think I'd actually heard this one. Really cool emotional song.

Such a sweet record! I love how groovy and odd this album is. In some ways, it almost feels *disjointed* like something is off, but whatever it is that is *off* is the magic that pulls it all together. Is it the bopping bass lines or the sharp synths? Maybe its just David Byrne's vocals and odd lyrics. But its different than say, Frank Zappa, who also had kind of an odd style of lyrics and vocals. The Talking Heads doesn't feel like a novelty act. Its fun, but its also feels real. I think I liked the run from Heaven through Drugs the best on the album. I feel like its where it really takes off and has more variety.

This is a really beautiful album. It’s kind of one that you have to sit with and intentionally listen. It’s storytelling songwriting at its finest. Which has always been a strong point for The Boss, but what I like about this one is the intentional approach to singer songwriting. It’s feels more like an indie movie or book than maybe an album or collection of songs. A few notable songs: *Nebraska -such a great way to start the album. It sets the tone and opens the story. It feels very visual. It really puts you in the setting. *Atlantic City -one of my favorites! I love the storytelling of this one, but also the the tune and overall flow. I can always sing along to this one. *Johnny 99 -really fun change of pace that keeps to the overall theme of the record. *Highway Patrolman -heartbreaking. I had to stop reading anything else when this one was on. Really draws you in. *State Trooper -haunting! Love this song. *Open All Night -I love how this a boogie song all on one guitar with very minimal percussion. Super fun and interesting to listen to. *Reason to Believe -great way to end the album on a rad blues song.

What a groovy little gem! This feels like it is trapped in a very specific part of the 60s, which is just great. I'd love to hear a contemporary homage to a lot of this kind of music. I don't even know how to categorize this outside of just "Samba"? It's jazz, but it's also kind of pop and kind of rock and kind of beach rock at that. Her voice is so sexy! I also love how the music is playful, but also very serious. It's earnest but it's also very whimsical. Its super interesting sound. I liked every song on this record, but Stay was for sure my favorite. It's the epitome of this whole genre and record.

You know I started this record thinking "I just think Queen's Greatest Hits is all you really need for Queen. They're not an album band." But then... I started listening to this and was totally reprimanded! It's so rad! It's the perfect mix of prog and glam. Really cool song writing, fun guitars, good grooves. Then I was like "why does anyone ever only listen to their Greatest Hits?!?!"

This album is fine. I do think the back half is better than the front half. It definitely picks up and has some more interesting elements. Shoegaze sounding guitars, fun vocals melodies. Ultimately, I'm not really sure why its in here. It was fine.

Man, Jah Wobble has got to be the most discontented white man on planet earth. And I'm not even saying it like its a bad thing. He clearly set out to make a punk post / brit indie record and then realized that he likes other music way more. I was pleasantly surprised by this record. It kind of had everything: ska, middle eastern music, salsa music. He had guest vocalists that sing the entire song? Was the producer on drugs when they produced this??!? Anyway, I really enjoyed this. It was weird but really fun and interesting. Oh, and his voice reminds me of Dan Bejar from Destroyer, so that was fun.

What an incredible, varied record. The sounds that this band is making are other worldly. There are moments where the jams are so deep that I'm not even sure I could describe the music as "jazz." The brass just waaaaaails. It feels like Modest Mouse at times, then they the flutes come in and kind of chirp like birds. I love how the Spanish Guitar opens and closes sections in different songs. The bass is so humming and grounding. He's working hard on that bass, it’s always moving and progressing, keeping the story flowing. I really love how Avant-Garde a lot of this record gets. I would almost describe it as heavy at parts. Like, it's not exactly easy listening. But it’s also somehow extremely digestible. Which is what makes it so fun, because each song is just going on an ever progressing and regressing journey. It and its down, but always moving. This record was brilliant.

So kind of a brutal album. I'm probably not the audience for this, but there definitely were some things that I enjoyed. I really liked the second track, Gematria. It's a pretty awesome way to start the record. The drums are heavy and piercing. The tempo is really quick and it almost feels like a hardcore / punk song, but still very metal. Being someone who loves punk, I enjoyed that. Then the album turns to nu-metal, which just isn't my taste. It starts feeling like sound boy music. It comes back to me on This Cold Black, where it starts feeling more metal again. But man, this album is aggressive and angry. I think I get the hype. There's definitely some cool elements.

Super fun record! On one hand, this music sounds like a lot of early Disney movies and even Christmas music. But when I pealed back a layer and really listened, it was fun to hear all sorts of different sounds, genres and fusion. This is like version 1 of American Art. Its folk, its rock, its jazz, its blues. What also struck me was the subject matter of a lot of these songs. Sex, love, drugs, alcohol, affairs, break ups and even death?? This really was one of the "Wildest" records of the time, and truly embodies the spirit of what American music would become.

Brilliant record. Her voice, the music, the lyrics and overall themes. Its so so good. I think it's easy to kind of just move on past Respect, but that song is important! Deep themes in that one. Then its followed up by the heartbreaking Drown in My Own Tears, which is not only a fantastic blues song, but has some sneaky good blues guitar. Her voice is what holds you throughout. Soul Serenade is perfect. Such a great soul / blues song. She's waaaails. Baby Baby Baby is such a good love song. Perfect for the time, still holds up. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man is a sneaky feminist anthem. Really cool. I love the covers of Good Times and A Change Gonna Come. She takes over and just owns those songs. Really incredible record.

It's interesting how exposure to music at a young age influences your taste. I honestly didn't really hear anything in this record that shook my world or blew my mind, but I liked almost every song. And I think that's because I've spent a considerable amount of time listening to singer-songwriter indie music. Is this so much different than Wilco or Bright Eyes or even Dinosaur Jr? Its probably where you plant your flag and what you spend a lot of time with. This record was fun, it was interesting, it was even engaging. I liked almost every song. Though, I'm not sure if I'll revisit it. And that might be because it isn't too much different than a lot of music that I've spent a lot of time with. In that sense, it feels a bit generic and almost like "genre music." Though, this did have that kind of personal, self-reflective element that I feel elevates out of the "general category." I guess I'm a sucker for sad boy indie music. When are we getting some Bright Eyes??

Beautiful voice, beautiful music. Ella Fitzgerald is the embodiment of a special and unique time in American music. I didn't get through all 3 hours of this.

Man, Nanci Griffith was pure magic. Her voice, her lyrics, her storytelling. In so many ways, she reminds me of John Prine. Good storytelling with songs about love and loss, but always approachable and human. There's that small element of humor in her words and in her voice. More than anything, this is a record that I can kind of just live in. Its somewhere that I want to hang out and sip coffee. Especially on a autumn day such as today (Oct 3, 2025). "Vibe" feels to trite to explain it, but this record is a feeling. It's warm and lovely and I'm okay if it plays all day. Also, I can't listen to Nanci Griffith without thinking about Meg. Her parents are big Nanci fans, so she was kind of raised on this music.

Man, this album actually rips. I'm definitely in the camp of people that says things like "I prefer later Beatles to early Beatles." But honestly, this album is so rad. It's groovy, it's flowy, it's fun and actually really varied in sounds. No two songs are really the same. Outside of the fact, that most of the songs are about love / break ups, etc. But.. I love how some songs have that skiffle English folk sound, but others are more blues, r&b inspired or rockabilly inspired. You can definitely hear the roots and progression of this band and what they would eventually become. They really are so tight and methodical in their sound.

This is definitely apex Neil Young. This is where his craft is the most refined. His songwriting is poignant, his voice is perfect and he's really leaning into his sound. It really doesn't get better than this. *Out on the Weekend -love this song. Its country, its rock. It's kind of everything you want in a record. *Harvest -such a rad follow up. Love, loss, time of the season. *Every Man Needs a Main -dark, heavy, intense. Very sad. *Heart of Gold -probably one of the greatest songs of the 20th Century. This song has been in my life for a long time, and I've never skipped it. *Are You Ready for the Country -I love this one. Brings you right back into the energy of this record. *Old Man -I love the story of this song. The self reflection. Amazing song. *There's a World -deep, beautiful. *Alabama -I love how he brings back his political roots and hits back on Sweet Home Alabama even harder with this one. Brilliant. *The Needle and the Damage its Done -heartbreaking. So sad he'd already gone through so much of this at 24. I love this album. Its a treasure.

I mean.. I objectively like this kind of music. However, this feels a bit trite. I don't know how to put my finger on it. Maybe it's the Hard to Handle cover? Or maybe its just that bands like this have been popping up since the late 70s trying to recreate a sound and feeling. So maybe it's the nostalgia play that maybe makes it sound a bit cheesy? I certainly didn't dislike it, but I wasn't wowed by anything I heard today.

Super cool album! And very unique. This felt like My Bloody Valentine meets Bjork meets Depeche Mode and has a drink with Kate Bush. I love all of the building elements and the dark minor tones. You really can't ever 100% tell what she is saying, but you're always entranced with it. Its builds, then it crashes, then it takes you in weird rabbit holes of ambiance. Each song is unique in its own way, but also fits comfortably in the record and never feels out of place. They play with different vocal melodies along with different tones of keys, synths and guitars. I was really impressed with this record. It actually surprised me it came out in 85! This feels like it could have been a 90s record.

Confused... I love The Cure and I firmly believe that every person should listen to The Cure before they die. So many incredible songs. The range of this band in emotion and style is so impressive. However.......... this album is not an album that anyone NEEDS to listen to before they die. In fact, if this was the only album by The Cure I ever listened to, I would right them off as generic British indie and go on living my life without ever thinking about it again. I mean.. its fine, but its so uninteresting. I guess this is "foundational"? But damn, this is a pretty lack luster freshmen album.

This was a super fun album with a ton of energy! I think what I love most about this era of music is that genres were kind of blended. Ultimately, I think Thin Lizzy would be described and Glam or even Heavy Metal (for the time.) You can definitely hear their influence on bands like Poison in the 80's. What's fun about this album is that sometimes is psych, a lot of blues, sometimes country rock. Its kind of all of the *rock* genres of the time. It was really fun. Thoroughly enjoyed the guitars solos and cool drum beats. Mostly, though the vocals are just great. Never over the top but always going 11.

Brilliant. One of the greatest and most influential hip hop of all time. I think the obvious takeaway is the infusion of jazz, funk and soul into this record. What strikes me is that whole album flows so perfectly with each song. The bass lines and drum tracks just move along keeping it flowing. It’s so damn chill too. It’s kind of the epitome of *vibey,* but then it’s so much more than that. The lyrics and storytelling are top notch. Even when they add in some silly songs like ham & eggs, the door is open and you just just want to hang and vibe out in this space. Also, impressive how the lyrics kind of interplay and reference other songs throughout. It’s like a little mini-universe within itself. You can hear the influence of this record in so many contemporary and even 2000 rap outfits. It’s in everything and something worthy of spending time with.

Didn’t hate this, but I’m certain I won’t turn it on again. It’s definitely interesting and kind of vibey. Though the vibes feels more like the menu screen of an early 2000s Xbox game than really something I want to spend a lot of time with. But it was cool, and for like 20 minutes it was nice to have on in the background. After 20 minutes, it kind of all sounded the same.

Wu Tang is forever! This was a cool album. Its rough, raw, and a bit heavy with the lyrics and song elements. I really love how it flows and rolls though. The beats, dubs and samples are all really digestible. Lyrics are definitely on the heavy side tackling social issues, sexism, racism, drugs, etc. I really love this style of rap though. Its self reflective, first person storytelling and fun to have on.

What a rad album! I've been a fan of Jane's Addiction for a long time, and I can't really decide if I like this album more than Nothing Shocking. But then when I think about it, I can't really tell a difference. The sound and power of this band is unmistakable. They're incredible. What I love is how this is varied and unique they're sound is. It reminds me most of Bad Brains with how out there it is with the guitar solos and raw energy. But its more like Bad Brains meets Joy Division meets Guns and Roses. The bass is so raw, heavy and driving. Sometimes is almost overbearing. And then Dave Navarro's guitars are also loud, full of static and kind of over the top. But its played in this minor key and not really utilizing the blues scales, so it doesn't sound like really any blues or hair metal guitarists. Perry's voice is what always sets this band apart. Piercing, striking. Somewhere between yelling and crooning. With great storytelling. I think finally what makes this band / sound / album unique is then how they layer in other genres and sounds and effects. Sometimes they're playing bo diddley rhythms, while other times they're incorporating sitars and eastern instruments. Despite what this band means now, and the fact that Perry Farrell literally punched Dave Navarro in the face 3 weeks ago, this band rocks and this album is brilliant.

This is a gem of a record. This is really really cool album. Its kind of quintessential San Francisco psych rock. It's kind of got everything you need. Blues inspired guitar and vocals, with progressive moving and building songs. Any song on this record could appear in a Grateful Dead live show and it would be a hit. I was really impressed with how the blues drive every song. Piece of My Heart is probably my favorite song on the record. Its such a classic, but Ball and Chain is incredible. Real Hurts Me Too vibes.

This was fun! I'm kind of blown away by how in the 60s, blues became psychedelic. Because blues themselves are not necessarily psychedelic, but it seems like every band that pick them up took the blues to trippy heights. Which is what makes this album fun. Its blues, its psych, its good old fashion 60s rock and roll. A lot of classics on this record, but also a lot of sleeper songs. Either way, I enjoyed it!

Is there any other record that has more classics than this one? Its just banger after banger after banger. Also, who the hell starts off a record with the church music sounding "Bridge Over Troubled Water"? Absolutely brilliant. I remember the first time I listened to this all the way through. It was probably in 10th Grade and it definitely changed how I digested music and about what music could be. It's not quite as a raw as Bob Dylan or Kris Kristofferson tunes that I gravitate more towards, but the songwriting, the pop melodies and vocals are captivating. *Bridge Over Troubled Water -This is one of those song really translates through generations. It's a song that everyone can get behind. Its been covered by everyone and one that is universal loved. *El Condor Pasa (If I Could) -incredible song. I love how they took this traditional Peruvian song and made it contemporary, their own story and in English. *Cecilia -who couldn't love this song?? Old blues bo diddley rhythms and hand pipes?! *Keep the Customer Satisfied -probably the most skipped song on the album, but still a brilliant and fun song. Its fun and dancy. Honestly, a great change of pace. *So Long Frank Lloyd Wright -probably the most skipped song on the record, but I like that they did it. Its sentimental and meaningful. Also, I love the jazz flute in this song. *The Boxer -this is one that I'm always drawn to. I love the story, the melodies, the guitar, the chorus. I love the folk instruments and hand harps. Its mystical but it draws you in. *Baby Driver -another fun change of pace. Fun song. *The Only Living Boy in New York -The sad boy anthem of the century. Zach Bryan has got nothing on this song. I could turn this on any day and immediately be transformed. *Why Don't You Write Me -really fun and bluesy. I love the break from folk music on this one. It almost feels like it could be on a Beatles album, but with more weird instruments. *Bye Bye Love -I really love the live recording on this one. Its fun and good. Its a good cover, though I don't know if it was necessary on the album. *Song for Asking -Really great and sentimental way to end the record / career as a band. I love this album and I love this band.

Pretty cool and unique! I'm certain I'll never return to re-listen to this, but I liked the different influences and how they played with genres.

I'm always impressed that in the heyday of folk revivalists like Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, Van Morrison comes out with an album like this. It's not my favorite VM album, but I love that he is just absolutely going for it. Its folk, its country, its jazz, its blues. Every song is introspective, personal and sometimes even spiritual. I love how he sings about Belfast and how he group up. I love that all of the songs are kind of long, he kind of broke out of short simple acoustic folk and made longer, interesting songs with cool instruments. Astral Weeks is my favorite on the record, followed by Madame George. Despite having interesting instruments and longer songs, I still don't gravitate this album as much as others. However, I still really enjoy it and revisit from time to time.

So good. I love the return to their roots with the electric blues. Every single song on this record is digestible and unskippable. I feel like I'm listening to a Scorsese movie when I turn this on, especially with Gimme Shelter. Love in Vain is a perfect blues song, followed by an amazing country rock song with Country Honk every song after is so good, but I love how it ends on You Can't Always Get What You Want. I love this record.

This album is brilliant. Its haunting, its chilling, its poppy, its fun. Its kind of all the ranges of human emotion. I love her fresh take on blues, jazz and soul. Its hard not to like this album. I remember at the time feeling conflicted. I heard it on the radio in the UK all of the time, and I didn't want to like it, but its so hard to hate on Rolling in the Deep. Even the non-singles are good. They're thoughtful and interesting. She plays with her vocal range and different elements of the blues. It's super dialed. And yes, some songs feel like they were written by a 21 year old (which was literally the case) But other songs feel totally timeless. She really reminds of Zach Bryan, where some songs are maybe a bit cheesy but both artists are striking a chord that most people can get behind. Its hit deep and surface level at the exact same time.

THE BOSS!! I love how big the sound of this album is. The band is so tight, there are so many instruments and it just comes together with such a huge sound. This album reminds of reimagination of Bob Dylan if he cared to put on good shows and decided to be a rock star. Great song writing and great execution. In the words of Kendall Roy: "all bangers all the time." Which is kind of what this album is. All bangers all the time. Which is why I'm happy he made Nebraska down the road, it was a good palate cleanser. As rad as this sound and record are, it's not very scalable to just keep doing this over and over. But when it works (in the case of this album) it's absolutely fantastic.

Super fun album! This is pure 80s gold. Its definitely one of those 80s albums that sounds exactly like the decade, which kind of traps it in time a bit. No matter what, you can't listen to it without dredging deep into nostalgia. That's not a knock at all though. This album rips. It goes hard. Its synth-pop at its finest. The lyrics are definitely pop heart throb influenced, but the instrumentation is really tight. They're playing with a lot. It feels very Depeche Mode but then has really cool sax parts and elements. This is great for exactly what it is and when it came out.

This album felt like every indie rock band that I've ever listened smashed into one sad boy record. Which is probably why I enjoyed this so much. It felt like The Strokes, The Killers, Destroyer, Wolf Parade all wrapped into one. There was even one song that kind of sounded like U2 (I know, not technically indie rock.) I really enjoyed how this just moseyed along with happy and sad love songs. It's fun and easy to listen to. It kind of has that apathetic element to it where it is exactly what it is and isn't really trying for anything else. Kind of nice refresher. I had one with this one.

Brilliant album! I love all the different instruments, I love the social commentary. I love how Bowie is just going for it with every song. I love how homages The Beatles not once but twice, including a full on cover of Across the Universe. (which is incredible.) He kind of lives in this post motown sound with this record. It feels very "Bowie" but also sounds like the Jackson Five, which is a fun dichotomy for an album that kind of pokes fun and winks at American culture. (Which he is very much aware that he is living in and benefitting from). It's unarguably the most "American" sounding record of his career. I had a blast with this one.

Such a great album. This is one of those foundational hip hop records that set the stage for hip hop to come. I think I like People's Instinctive Travels more, but I really love the rhymes in this one. It's more *rap* and less experimental, definitely more simplified. Drums and very simple samples. This feels more like a folk album than anything. Its pretty raw. You can tell they're just having fun with this one and focussing purely on the lyrics and rhymes. There are a few songs that don't totally do it for me and even some where they missed the mark on what they're trying to communicate, but other songs are visceral and poignant.

I listen to a lot of Drive-By-Truckers, but typically the mid albums with Jason Isbell. So I admittedly, hadn't ever given this one a go. It's super ambitious and really well written. I love the concept nature of this record and the fact that its extremely self reflective about coming of age and the place where they grew up. Its definitely on the long side, and I think they could have shortened it a bit. But I love the outlaw country nature of the songwriting and carrying that tradition.

Maybe the most annoying collection of songs of the 20th Century. I mean there are cool elements, especially as the album goes on. It almost feels like Talking Heads or even some David Bowie. But Wordy Rappinghood is irredeemable.

This album came out 20 years ago???? Damn, I'm getting old. This is one of my favorites, and one of the most influential indie rock albums of the century. They perfectly combine sounds, genres, instruments to create this unique sound that moves between sounding like a soundtrack, a folk album and a 80s pop record. It's all layered with this childlike / teenage nostalgic story in the background. It kind of creates this universe within the album that feels dystopian and present all at the same time. Personally, its my 4th favorite Arcade Fire record. But I still love it and revisit a few times a year. I'm grateful that I've had this piece of music in my life for the past 20 years.

While I'm certain I will never listen to this record again, it is interesting and engaging. Krautrock isn't really my thing, I feel like I'm in the German porno "Logjammin" from The Big Lebowski when I listen to this stuff. I do appreciate the ambition and musicality. Some of the vocals reminded me of Lou Reed.

Really fun record! Janelle Monae is really interesting to me, I had heard about this but never commited. It's really cool and varied. She plays with a lot of cool elements of pop, psych, jazz, funk and prog. I love the storytelling and how this album flows from one song to the next telling a story. Its a really fun take on pop music and really pushes the boundaries of what the genre can do.

This is exactly what I expected, and it was great! Love songs, sex songs, soul songs. Admittedly, there isn't much variety between songs, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like every song on this record holds up and pushes the music forward. The main variance is the emotion between each song. Some songs are about heartbreak, where other songs are celebrating love. I like the bass lines, the synths, and fun drum beats. I love how no matter the subject matter, every song is going to church. A gospel choir could get behind any song and totally crush it. This was fun!

This was a cool album. Had some groovy beats, fun bass lines, and cool samples. The lyrics and rhymes were also enjoyable. I wasn't really blown away by this. It was chill and fun, but didn't really capture my attention in the same way that other albums do. I feel like this is one of those *foundational* records that paved the way for other artists. Especially with the smart lyrics and chill beats.

This was a really fun album! I love the unique instruments and off beats of a lot of the music. The social, geopolitical lyrics were also really cool. "Biko" gave me chills. This kind of feels like British David Byrne, but with an emphasis on geopolitical, environmental and social issues. He’s like if Sting would have been in Talking Heads instead of The Police. Really smart and varied album. I listened to it twice back to back because I enjoyed it so much.

What an incredible record. Is there even a bad song on this album? (at least not with the original 12 tracks.) Every song is so packed full of energy and emotion. The lyrics are grounding and the music is always moving and progressing. One minute you're grooving to Roll With It or Don't Look Back and then next minute you're singing your heart out to Wonderwall or being self reflective to Champagne Supernova. I love the hard rock and punk rock influence of this record. I'm also really taken back by the blues guitar elements of this album. The blues are EVERYWHERE. This basically influenced the entire alt rock movement, and every band eventually sounded like this. So taking yourself out of the meme-ification of Wonderwall, it's hard not to be blown away by this record and the unique sound and style of it.

Classic sound. It's all the elements of modern music. Blues, jazz, soul, classical, rhythm & blues. Interestingly though, it's not really *any* of those things. At the time, it was kind of something else. This sound is essentially the sound of any old movie that I grew up, its the sound of every classic Christmas song, its kind of that classic old time American sound.

This was rad! Kind of what I was thinking it would be, but I really like the elements that David Byrne is adding. He really leans into the ambiance and avant garde nature of Brian Eno and adds that level of rhythm and bass that kind of takes this sound to a new level. I would call it *pop* per say, but it kind of makes the whole thing groovier and easier to lost in. I also really enjoyed the middle eastern influences and sounds throughout the record. When combined with the ambient metallic wet sound of Eno and the off beat bass of David Byrne, it makes for a really interesting sound mix.

This was fun! Really varied sounds. I love how he would switch between jazz, hip hop, traditional Indian music, electronic beats and sounds and then crazy Hindi yodelling?!? This was wild and goes really hard.

This was really fun! Definitely a movie soundtrack, but its fun and varied and has a lot of interesting musical themes.

Its definitely Nick Drake. I love his influence on all of the indie folk music that I grew up with: Elliot Smith, Bright Eyes, The Shins. This is not his best album, but its good and chill and exactly what you expect. I just don't know if we can get better than Pink Moon.

This was a rad album! I wasn't expecting it to be so psychedelic. That was a fun twist. The first half of this album is really wild. The songs are harder and more psych, the lyrics are about social issues. I was all in for the first half. The second half is more of your standard Temptations. Songs about love and heartbreak and it's a little more traditional sounding. Still good, but that first half really got me. I love how the bass drives every song. Its truly playing that driving rhythm section and letting everything lay on top of it. The keys are really fun and cool, while the guitar has fun licks and rides throughout. This was really fun!

This was VERRRRRY 80s. Maybe the most 80s album of the decade. I think I liked the other Peter Gabriel album, because it was a bit more varied and had some weirdness to it. This one is less weird, but it's still really eccentric and kind of dialed up to 11 in every song. Its really fun to crank this one.

What a fun album. Its very much *indie vibe* rock. Less traditional instruments, a lot of keyboards that keep this thing grooving. I'm always a sucker for this kind of music. I might not gravitate towards it all the time, but its something that I'm okay having on in the background all the time. Its vibey, its chill, its easy to listen to. What's most interesting to me is that its somewhat chameleon. Sometimes the songs sound sad and intimate, where the same song can also sound vibrant and fun. Its kind of crazy how it can shape shift like that. Which is probably why I'm okay just having this on whenever.

Really fun album. This feels like one of the first true pop-punk albums. I love how it keeps that punk rock edge throughout, but it mixes in elements of pop, new wave and even rockabilly. Its fast moving, its edgy and its just really fun. All the things you want in a punk album.

I got this one over a year ago and I've actually listened to it a ton since. I really like Michael Kiwankua. I listen to him almost weekly now. Here is what I wrote then: "Loved it. I really like the singer-song writer influenced, fused with R&B. The instrumentals for the intros built up and flowed nicely into each song. This is a really unique record for 2019. Super stoked on this one."

One of my favorite albums of the 70s (definitely one of my personal favorites too). This was my first introduction into Van Morrison, and I believe it his best work. I think I got this album in 10th Grade, and admittedly, I wasn't ready for it. I didn't hate it or even dislike it, but I would skip through songs. However, the things that distracted me early on has become the things I love the most about this record. The blues and jazz influence are really what makes this record magical. Specifically, the horns. He uses them so cleverly and they kind of sneak up on you. You get a few in "And It Stoned Me," and you kind of think its just an accent piece, but no... He goes hard with brass. It defines the entire album. Which is what makes its so good. The brass isn't simply just an "accent" or an added effect, he uses them throughout. He changes the mood and emotion behind each song with the brass section, he even compliments lyrics with horns. (Into the Mystic.) It really is such a brilliant composition of music. It feels like the rest of the rock, blues, and folk world were doing one thing and then Van Morrison comes out of Belfast with this wild album that doesn't really sound like any of it but it fits perfectly within that world. Its no wonder, that Jerry Garcia would frequently cover Van Morrison. *It Stoned Me -this was the song that converted me. Its impossible to hate this song. Not only does this song kind of take you somewhere else, but I love how its kind of about fishing. As a teenager, this song made me feel cool about fishing with my dad. *Moondance -this was the song that turned me off! And then turned me back on. He just makes a full on jazz song right after a country song? Ballsy. This song started to come around for me after Robin Williams plays in his harmonica in that weird ass August Rush movie. *Crazy Love -such a good love song. Impossible to hate. This song is a mood that you can just love in. *Caravan -holy shit. This song. This song is a journey that makes you want to literally just join the caravan and go wherever this takes you. *Into the Mystic - this has got to me in the to 10 best songs of the 70s. I love this song. I'll never skip this one. I love how the horns sound like a fog horn when he sings that lyric. *Come Running -this one is fun. Its definitely the most "rock and roll" of the album. A necessary inclusion to keep this record round. *These Dreams of You -the freakin clarinet solo?? Get outta here. So rad. *Brand New Day -the best blues song on the album. The back up singers, the way he throw his voice. Brilliant. *Everyone -having lived in Northern Ireland, this one always makes me feel things. Peace for everyone. *Glad Tidings -perfect ending. Its so fun and upbeat. Ends on a banger.

Sexy, funky, jazzy and sensual. You can't deny to the sexiness of this album, but you also can't deny that it almost feels like a meme in 2024. Like the entire album feels like a meme of 80s sexy sax music. Which is a shame, because it actually has some interesting elements. Groovy bass lines, sexy brass throughout, fun and interesting keyboards. Besides this feeling like a meme, it's a bit of a one trick pony. It's hard to decipher one some from the next. They're all kind of the same. I think the kindest legacy of this record would be for a indie-esque band in 2024 to basically homage the entire album and make contemporary music based off of this. Which feels like it could happen at any moment, if it hasn't happened already.

This is a pretty cool record. Definitely unique and weird. Its not really rock, its not really jazz or soul. It's kind of all of those things under the guise of the "singer-songwriter." Really cool strings and keyboards. It has a bit of "big band" influence. Also, really really cool and driving bass lines throughout. His voice is haunting and kind of creepy but also has that touch sensuality, which I think is what creates such a cool atmosphere with this record. Get Behind Me is the coolest song on the record.

This is an interesting band and a interesting record. Like I'm sure there are some cult following Big Star fans that absolutely love their music and claim that they're the most underrated rock band of the 70s. I think there probably is some truth to that, but in a lot of ways, I feel like they're kind of trying to be an American version of The Beatles with a bit of Southern influence. Its fun pop rock with some cool country and blues riffs, but I'm never totally blown away by it. The one exception is Thirteen, because that song is incredible and is something to cherish. But otherwise, I enjoyed this but didn't really love this.

One of my all time favorite albums. This is one that's been with me since I was 15 years old, and one that I can truly say changed my life and changed the way that I listen to music. They always say that punk rock is a gateway drug, and it's true, because punk rock led me to this. It was kind of a natural progression from Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. Bands that I love, but I needed more. This was the perfect scratch to my itch and it really bridged the gaps of punk, rock, country and folk for me. The music is so full and so lively, while Shane's lyrics are so thoughtful and haunting. This record not only led me other music (folk, bluegrass, ska, reggae, dub, rocksteady, jazz) but also helped my world view. Immigration / Emigration. Poverty, globalization. Love, sadness, heartbreak, alcoholism. I started to grasp the troubles in Northern Ireland and the duality of what it means to be an America and how we fit in the world. This album really opened my eyes to a lot of things. When I left to live in Ireland for 2 years I was so excited and a large part of that was because of this record. Musically, I love how much fun this band is having. Each song is different from the next. There's epics, ballads, marches, sing alongs, pub songs, bo diddley's. It's all over the place, and it's not just *Irish.* They into other world genres and absolutely slayed them. I also love that they brought The Dubliners in for 2 songs and went full traditional. The songwriting is impeccable. Shane McGowan was a truly one of the greatest 20th Century poets. So many songs give me chills. For such a long album, I don't even know what I would say for each song, because I seriously love each one of these songs so much. I'm just grateful I've had this in my life so long. When I first got this album, I would show my friends and they thought it was either weird or silly. But when you really listen to it and get into this record, you'll find its a masterpiece and something to be cherished.

THIS ALBUM RIPS. I love how experimental this is and how it just works. The fusion of so many cool sounds under the guise of a "virtual band." Its alt rock, dub, ska, hip hop, rock, punk, new wave, krautrock, electronic. But it's all so tight and cohesive. The whole album flows so perfectly and really nothing ever feels out of place. Its truly a "music producers" record. Its basically an hour of showing music producer porn and showing off, but it totally works. Every song is crafted perfectly to fit the vibe and story of the record, but each song is totally unique and would stand on its own. Which I think is kind of rare for an album like this. I also love that there really isn't / wasn't anything like this when it came out. Its really unique.

*Bob Dylan discovers weed and then changes music forever* That's how I feel about this record. It doesn't sound like much at first, but it's so different than all of his previous records. This is really where he takes off and starts adding more rock and electric elements. I love how his lyrics kind of go to new levels of darkness. They often don't really rhyme and they're more stream of consciousness Its crazy to me how this album influenced the rest of the decade. The Beatles, Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Neil Young, The Who. It kind of all comes back to this record and the massive swing he takes with it. Personally, Bob Dylan has been one of my favorite artists since I was about 16 years old. This record has some of my favorites. Subterranean Homesick Blues, Maggie's Farm, Mr. Tambourine Man, Gates of Eden, It's Alright Ma, Its All Over Now Baby Blue. I feel like each one of these songs is unique in their own way, but they all really ground this album in what's it's trying to do.

I've never really a fan of The Raiders. I've kind of felt like they were a bit cheesy and never really knew where they fit within early rock music. The music is fun and easy going. It's definitely a relic of that mid - late 60s pop rock. I think what's most obvious is that they're aggressively trying to sound better and different than the British bands that were all over the radio at the time and frankly, the British bands just did it better. Even when they try to get weird on "All I Need is You," it doesn't totally land. "Kicks" is fun and all together its fun, but I don't feel like its anything remarkable.

This is such a fantastic album. I think what's probably overstated and generally recognized by everyone is Bono's voice and lyrics. They're perfectly matched for the deep level and importance of these songs. Also, The Edge's guitar style. That palm muted progression sound on the high strings is so cool and unique. Those 2 factors together really make the sound of this record so unique. What is understated is how deep and moving the bass lines are. They're really moving kind of all over the place and keep everything grounded. It's a perfect marriage for Bono's style of playing. What really blew me away though are the drums on this record, they honestly sound similar to Grateful Dead in some songs. Very deep and heavy. I was really vibing with those. The lyrics and meaning in each song are probably what push this to the next level for me. I love that it starts with Sunday Bloody Sunday and ends with "40," which is a really cool reprise and call for peace. Having lived in Northern Ireland and known people who were directly affected by the Omagh Bombings and the Troubles as a whole, really give this record a lot of meaning for me personally. This is a great record and one worth revisiting often.

I love this record. No one really played guitar like Jimi Hendrix did. Its not the electric blues, its almost the fuzzy blues. Even beyond the effects on his guitar, its fuzzy. The lyrics are fuzzy and then just the style in which he plays is really fuzzy. It's certainly not linear. Its different from say, Jerry Garcia's take on the blues, where he's kind of playing inverted scales with slight key changes. Jimi is kind of playing traditional blues, soul, gospel, rock n' roll, but then you kind of get lost in it the longer that he goes. Maybe its the combo of bends, slides and wah that he's using, but it kind of just takes you on a journey where its very easy to get lost. Its brilliant. Maybe its that his band is really small, and there are no keys? Its so heavy on guitar, but he uses it for such a large sound that you don't really need anything else. His style doesn't really sound like anyone else. You can hear all of the influences but its more like ingredients that got mixed into something totally different. I think one of the biggest tragedies in modern music is that we lost Jimi Hendrix so young.

This album rocks. So flowy, and vibey. Really cool guitar riffs and sick bass lines. I love the social conscious lyrics and themes as well. Curtis Mayfield was a genius.

This was fun. Super dark and gloomy. It very much feels like the times. What I like about gothic music is how it sometimes feels like so much (drum machines, heavy bass, keys, big drums) but then it kind of boils down to just raw bass lines over drums for huge parts of songs. That was fun with this one. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Depeche Mode, NIN, Korn and even The Airborne Toxic Event. I'm not sure I'd revisit this, but I certainly enjoyed it!

This is a really awesome record. Compared to the album from yesterday, this much fuller and varied. The synths are all time on this one. Really really cool synths and beats. I also really love the kind of blues element that this record has. Its subtle and overwhelming at the same time. Its just untraditional, they're bending synths and noises in a similar way that you might bend a harmonica or guitar. Its like krautrock, new wave, gothic blues. Each song really locks you in. It does feel very 80s, but its not cheesy 80s. Its kind of a nod at the decade and leans into but forms its own path. Each song really is varied and layered in interesting ways. This isn't a knock, but maybe the only thing that doesn't transcend the time when this came out are the lyrics. Lyrically, its pretty creepy. Kind of feels a little incel-ish, but such was the entire 90s. Its very Gen X. That being said.. I kind of feel that style of songwriter is making a come back with younger bands.

HEAVY!!! This was fun and pretty varied across the board. This album has lots of cool elements and kind of plays with different genres. It starts out with more of a thrash and hardcore and then kind of dives into Nu Metal (my least favorite part of the record) and then ends almost prog metal. I really liked the whispers and hints of traditional indigenous music throughout. It's a good additive and keeps it interesting and engaging. Musically, the drums were probably the thing that intrigued me the most on this record. I really have to be in the right mood for metal, but once I jump in, I can get behind something like this for a minute. This was fun.

This was fun. Interesting that this was on the list. Its definitely a solid record, but the sophomore record is no doubt one of the best albums of all time. I guess this one is really foundational for alt-rock. Or is just foundational for the Foo Fighters? I guess Dave Grohl literally recorded all the instruments for this record, so is it even a band? IDK. It was good. I enjoyed it. And if you were born in the 90s, you have to enjoy or at the very least tolerate the Foo Fighters until the day you day. Because they're great. Musically, I had a lot of fun with this one. Its fun hearing the foundations of grunge, and alt rock but also fun to hear how hardcore heavily influenced Dave. Those were probably my favorite tracks. A lot of songs are pretty similar but I still enjoyed it. Solid 4.