Jan 09 2025
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Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
Feels like an important 80s rock album that leans toward pop. Lowkey giving patriarchy. Cohesive sound, fairly easygoing, nice to have on the background. I can see how Dancing In the Dark, I'm On Fire, and the title track are his most popular songs.
3/5
3
Jan 10 2025
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Metallica
Metallica
Iconic album, but I can't really get past the gravelly screechy style of vocals for this genre. Most songs sound similar to me...I considered whether I should give up on the album early, but I think I need to stick to listening through the full albums.
3
Jan 13 2025
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Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
Very modal improvisation - not my favourite, but it piques my interest through building tension and resolving the disonance. Cool to learn the Bill Evans played with John Coltrane and Miles Davis!
3
Jan 14 2025
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Didn't know about the 70s movement of softer and quieter rock music, I'm a big fan of soft rock as opposed to the heavier and louder rock and roll genre. Easy listening, but faded into the background while I was working
4
Jan 15 2025
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
Goth rock, super mysterious song, but I dig it. It does confuse me at times when no one is singing, or the vocals are quiet and mumbled. Half the time there's nothing really going on lol. I guess that's the vibe, but it's alright. I do understand the appeal of a rainy moody day where you just want to be mad at the world and put this record on.
3
Jan 16 2025
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Just learned about Marc Bolan, rest in peace! Late-60's hippy counterculture is a topic I want to learn more about. Tasteful band blend, fire drum fills that aren't overbearing. Insanely chill vibes from the vocals in some of these songs (e.g., Life's a Gas).
4
Jan 17 2025
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Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
Powerful and important album. Dig the creativity and sound, but not something I would listen to regularly
3
Jan 20 2025
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
Got me in the flow fr. 90's turn table and drums vibes. I realized halfway through that there's no vocals LOL. Record sampling is dope af.
3
Jan 21 2025
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Groovy, mostly instrumental, easy listening.
After some searching, some highlights were his work ethic (60 albums in 30 years), guitar skills (said by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix to be the best guitarist ever), and this genre being prog rock featuring unique composition and drum chops.
Honestly, just sounds like musicians having fun and going off so I fw it.
3
Jan 22 2025
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Risque
CHIC
OK DISCOOOOO - Great groove and cohesive sound, but the songs feel so long and repetitive, especially near the end.
3
Jan 23 2025
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Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
Not bad, 90s pop ballad vibe. He has that whiny voice that was popular during this time. Most songs blended into one, but I can see the appeal.
3
Jan 24 2025
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War
U2
Amazing energy and vibes, instrumentally leans forward and the vocals just bring it together so well. I dig it. I just fw the energy so much.
4
Jan 27 2025
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The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
First 5-star album for me in this project. Growing up in jazz band, Mr. Caswell put me on this one. Count Basie is one of the greats, an iconic bandleader and composer. This album is playful and inquisitive, balancing an excitement and pensiveness. I can see myself lounging in my living room with this record on, a sizzling crackle of vinyl imperfection, getting lost in the world of jazz before returning back to reality.
5
Jan 28 2025
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Learning about the origin and history of music is so important to contextualizing the sounds. I did not know that Foo Fighters was Dave Grohl—Nirvana drummer—creating music for catharsis after Kurt Cobain had ended his life. I didn't know Nirvana only had a 13-year run.
That framing gives the alt-rock sound a bittersweet and personable undertone. Gritty sound that is honestly hard to dislike.
4
Jan 29 2025
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Street Life
The Crusaders
Friends pull up to drop some soul hits, I respect it. Disco beat drop is also sick. Super long songs, but I imagine they'd be a good vibe on a record player in the background. Kinda gets repetitive and at time the sax feels a bit corny.
3
Jan 30 2025
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21
Adele
Grew up with this release, features some all-time hits from Adele like "Set Fire to the Rain", "Someone Like You", and "Rolling in the Deep". Adele's vocals are impressive, and this album is about heartbreak - sung in an emotional and cathartic way.
4
Jan 31 2025
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With The Beatles
Beatles
Kinda really fire. Twangy and hopelessly romantic with a bit of aura. Many bangers that just hit the spot.
4
Feb 03 2025
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Elephant
The White Stripes
This type of music is not my jam, necessarily, but I cannot lie it is quite iconic and well made. Everyone knows Seven Nation Army, the other songs are quite cohesive in their sound, but sometimes the vocals are a bit too intense for me.
4
Feb 04 2025
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
So fire, so chill, so laid-back. Bob Marley at its finest.
4
Feb 05 2025
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Such a classic album with Duke Ellington being one of the great jazz composers. I grew up playing "Take the A Train", really enjoyed "Tea for Two" and "Mood Indigo" was always a track I loved too. Logistically, listening to the live album was a bit more distracting.
4
Feb 06 2025
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella is an icon and her voice is buttery and magical. This work is 3 hours, which seems a bit unrealistic to play and makes it feel like prime background music.
4
Feb 07 2025
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In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Trance-esque tracks with a monologuing trumpet. Put me into flow state, but not too much to write home about.
3