Jun 04 2025
Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs
Pretty decent post-punk/alt-rock but it feels like the musical ideas here are explored in more interesting ways elsewhere. The lyricism isn't very interesting, and the vocals are tough to get used to. It’s a fun album though, the saxophone is a welcome addition.
3
Jun 05 2025
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Made me happy for 41 minutes. If you don’t like Steely Dan, you will not like this album. I like Steely Dan and thought this was great. Steely Dan manages to make soft rock accessible enough to be easily digested by a general audience, but interesting enough to make for more than just background noise. Great hooks, great instrumentals, great vibes, great album.
4
Jun 06 2025
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Prima brings an infectious energy to this album in the vocals, instrumental, and sheer amount of fun the band seems to be having. It’s not revolutionary, but I dare you to listen to this album without at least tapping your toes (It’s extremely difficult).
4
Jun 07 2025
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Too many people automatically use “dad rock” in a derogatory manner. This is pure, unfiltered dad rock in the best possible way.
4
Jun 07 2025
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Really solid concept album. Some really clever lyricism and stark imagery, especially on songs like Yes Sir No Sir and Some Mother’s Son. That combined with some really catchy and fun music. If I could levy any issues, the album can get a little messy at times. The solos can go on a little too long, and the vocals can occasionally get drowned out by the sheer amount of stuff going on, but these are minor issues to me. I really liked this one.
4
Jun 08 2025
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Really strong first half that becomes hook-less fluff after that. Combine that with some uninteresting, occasionally self-indulgent lyrics, and you have a recipe for an album that ends up being pretty tough to sit through. I do have to respect that aforementioned first half though, some phenomenal tracks there.
3
Jun 09 2025
The Man Who
Travis
Really boring alternative music. Like if Radiohead decided to never do anything interesting. At least it’s serviceable as background music.
2
Jun 10 2025
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Really enjoyable alternative hip-hop. It has it’s flaws but it’s a fun time throughout the album.
4
Jun 11 2025
So Much For The City
The Thrills
Way better than I expected. Very cozy, captures nostalgia in an engaging way, and combines old 60s pop and country with early 2000s garage rock in a pretty fun way. Can’t say it has much staying power, but it’s certainly pleasant while you’re listening to it.
3
Jun 12 2025
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
Man, what a surprise. I had no idea what to expect from this and can’t believe I never heard of it before. Awesome punk album, it rocks. Plain and simple. Sharp lyrics, loud guitars, great vocals, and blaring saxophone that really makes this one memorable.
4
Jun 13 2025
Smile
Brian Wilson
There’s a real sense of triumph to this album. A man’s lifelong dream that caused him so much stress and trauma, finally realized. Maybe not to the extent he hoped, but it’s pretty darn good. The compositions are so deep and complex, the sound is so rich, it’s hard not to be completely engrossed in it.
I was worried before listening that this would be an instance of the story behind the album being more interesting than the album itself. That is definitely not the case. When you put the story and the album together, it really is an experience you cannot get anywhere else. It’s an album I really look forward to revisiting in the future. Absolutely loved it.
5
Jun 14 2025
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Great album. Clean production, catchy tunes, but some great lyricism too. Largely inspired by Marley’s Rastafarian religion, encouraging peaceful protests and assurance that good will eventually triumph. There are definitely less serious points in the album (see: Turn Your Lights Down Low, a decent love song, but the subject matter there is a lot lighter than most of the album) but it’s pretty refreshing to hear an album tackle such serious subject matter while being so optimistic. Sure, there’s a place for just anger in the world, but there’s a place for hope too.
4
Jun 15 2025
Bummed
Happy Mondays
Eh, it’s fine. Some of the lyricism is pretty dumb, and while the music is decent enough, it feels like you have to be immersed in the drug culture of 1980s England to get the most out of this album, which I am not.
2
Jun 16 2025
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Good, but not great album. Definitely had some influence on later rock and I can appreciate that, but there’s only a couple stand out tracks. Still enjoyed it enough.
3
Jun 17 2025
Amnesiac
Radiohead
Hey, first Radiohead album. I’ve listened to the big albums (The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows) but never got around to this one. Part of it was that the first couple tracks were so offputting, far more than what was on Kid A. But now that I’ve forced myself to listen to the whole thing, I’m glad I did.
To call this album “Kid A B-sides” is a disservice. I think the album covers of each album do a good job explaining the dofferences between them. Kid A has the abstract glaciers, and likewise is cold but expansive, with beautiful, sprawling soundscapes. Meanwhile, Amnesiac is a simple drawing of a weeping minotaur in a box. Likewise, the production here feels cramped and claustrophobic, with the album having this very anxious aesthetic. Songs like Pulk/Pull and Packt Like Sardines have these drums and synths that just drill themselves into your skull, and songs like Knives Out and Life in a Glasshouse are a little more traditional, but still have this extremely uneasy atmosphere around them. Life in a Glasshouse is a phenomenal closer by the way.
It doesn’t all work, I didn’t find the instrumental moments to be as engaging as, for instance, Kid A’s instrumental tracks, but this is still a great album. Really happy I finally got around to this one.
4
Jun 18 2025
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
An interesting album for sure. Blends elements of Punk with Funk, Jazz, and even country at points. Most of the tracks are pretty sparse, with the instruments feeling loosely connected and everything being pretty simple. That’s not a bad thing, if anything it sets the Minutemen apart from other punk acts, especially with how little distortion or general loudness there is in this album. It definitely has it’s loud moments, and a song like Corona show that the band is still pretty good at writing a more traditional rock song. However, there are 49 songs on this album, for a 74 minute runtime. This is way too long. There are good tracks throughout, but also a lot of forgettable tracks. I’m glad I listened, but I probably won’t listen to this one again.
3
Jun 19 2025
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
Just ok. Pretty unremarkable. Every song sounded the same, and it got pretty exhausting after a while.
2
Jun 20 2025
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
Better than bummed, but still not my type of thing. Maybe I just need to do more drugs.
2
Jun 21 2025
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Enjoyable classic rock. I liked it. Most of the tracks didn’t stand out to me, but weren’t bad at all. I’ve always liked CCR’s hits, and the hits are here, but nothing else really grabbed my attention. Still enjoy my time here though.
3
Jun 22 2025
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
This is what I signed up for. Brazilian psychedelic rock with some of the loudest, most ear-piercing guitars I’ve ever heard on an album? Hell yeah.
4
Jun 23 2025
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
It’s insane, it’s chilling, it’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s not my thing in the slightest. I can respect it, especially with the influence it had on later rock acts, but maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for something like this because I couldn’t finish it. Didn’t like it at all.
1
Jun 24 2025
The Clash
The Clash
Having only ever listened to The Clash’s big hits, I questioned their standing as a punk band, especially one of the founding members of the british punk movement. I realize now that I was completely wrong. This is some sharp, tightly written, and frankly fantastic punk music.
4
Jun 25 2025
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
The music’s fine, and the lyrics are mostly pretentious and self-interested. I try to separate the art from the artist but Morrissey makes it almost impossible to do that.
2
Jun 26 2025
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
Great album. Really catchy beats, some clever lyrics, fun rhythms and rhyme schemes, this is just a really really solid hip hop record.
4
Jun 27 2025
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
Not at all what I was expecting. Very strange and experimental. Almost does feel like a dream with the cryptic lyrics and the production that see-sawd between very bare and very loud. Not entirely my thing, and has parts that don’t click with me, but has enough bright spots and interesting ideas for me to appreciate it.
3
Jun 28 2025
In Utero
Nirvana
I gotta sit with this one for a little bit. This album is raw and abrasive, and a bit harrowing considering what happened with Kurt right after this. That being said, it doesn’t lose it’s sense of musicality, and the songs are still very well written. A lot of it feels like a direct retaliation to the success of Nevermind, with the band seemingly wanting this to be nowhere near as colossal of a success. It is definitely a less radio friendly album, with harsh feedback, way noisier guitars, and Kurt Cobain ruining his vocal chords throughout, but again, the song structures, hooks, and riffs are all still there. Grohl’s drumming is incredible as always. It’s not a complete rejection of what made them famous (good music), rather it’s a rejection of what made them more famous than they wanted. Good album, I’ll probably come back to it later.
4
Jun 29 2025
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
While Paul’s Boutique had the Beaste Boys throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck (This is a compliment, I like that album a lot), Ill Communication is a lot more focused, and more mature (well, about as mature as the Beastie Boys are gonna get). The album is a lot more cohesive, but don’t worry, there are still infectious beats, off-the-wall energy, and some good old fashioned Beastie Boys trade-offs. There are even some fun guest appearances, like Q-Tip from Tribe and Biz Markie. I liked this one a lot, maybe even more than Paul’s Boutique.
4
Jun 30 2025
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
I liked it. I wish I was more into jazz than I am. Most of this just faded into the background, but it’s plenty enjoyable. You’ll probably like it way more if you’re smarter than me
3
Jul 06 2025
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
The energy is infectious here. the three Beastie Boys all have a great chemistry with each other, and work with the samples and beats so well, changing rhythms on a dine or just rolling with it. Just a really fun album.
4
Jul 07 2025
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The first half was not my thing at all. Very messy and loud, but the songs didn’t seem to have any ideas in them, it just felt like they were making it up as they went along. The second half, however, has songs with more structure and more interesting ideas, with a more mellow tone. These I really enjoyed. Overall the albums a little too inconsistent for me to listen to the full thing again, but that last half is too good for me to completely write it off.
3
Jul 08 2025
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Good album 👍 Springsteen’s lyrics are great, he does a great job painting pictures of America in both the good and the bad, and his own personal experiences. There are some great songs on here too, but the album as a whole just didn’t really grab me. I’m glad I listened to it, but I’ll probably just listen to the songs I really liked in the future.
3
Jul 10 2025
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
I mean, it’s an album called Group Sex by a band called Circle Jerks. It’s dumb, loud, angry, and short. Based on the band and album names alone you should be able to tell if this is your kind of album.
2
Jul 11 2025
The Joshua Tree
U2
Often considered U2’s Magnum Opus, and I gotta say, it’s pretty darn good. Great production throughout (thanks Brian Eno!), without any pure stinkers throughout. Sure not every song is at the same level, if you ask me no song reaches the heights found on the opener Where the Streets Have No Name but it gets close with songs like Bullet the Blue Sky and Red Hill Mining Town. I know U2’s reputation these days isn’t very favorable but I thought this was a really great album.
4
Jul 12 2025
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
I had never heard this one before now. Great album. “All My Friends” is one of the most wonderful songs I’ve heard in a long time, “New York I Love You” is a fantastic closer, and while “Get Innocuous!” takes a while to build up, it is a great time once it hits it’s stride. If I could levy any complaint at this album, some of the songs do go on for a little too long, but I could definitely see myself returning to this one and giving it a 5. I loved this album.
4
Jul 13 2025
Station To Station
David Bowie
My first Bowie. Some phenomenal songs on here. The only other Bowie album I’ve heard is Ziggy Stardust, which is a very different album than this. Great album though. Only 6 songs, but 6 very good songs.
4
Jul 14 2025
Sail Away
Randy Newman
Meh. It’s fine, nothing remarkable, but I didn’t hate myself for listening to it. I kind of like Newman’s voice, but I found the songs themselves to be pretty boring.
2
Jul 16 2025
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
Perfectly fine country music. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it.
3