I like lofi indie from the 90's-early 00's, but this one didn't grab me. maybe their earlier albums cuz i don't hate it. simple but samey tho i like the song names and aesthetic overall. if i had to prop it up at all, its from its punk adjacent style that at least makes the entire album feel authentic for the time period. its strikes me as a very transitional time for alternative and its stands out even tho ive never heard of them until this rec. 3 out of 5, it would be lower but i would def go to their show with a friend who was a bigger fan than i. 06/19/2025

not my cup of tea, but an obvious display of practiced and thought out creativity in full form, 3 songs that still get radio play to this day, its a beast of a record for 1990. starting track is great, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are not songs i prefer, (even though they carry most of the energy of the album) but Policy of Truth is a solid single. the album is def about the build up more than the end point. lots of tension from start to end. its packed with content for sure. i like Blue Dress, Clean, and most of the end of the album. on a technical level, this is far and away a huge step forward for the new wave/80's dark/goth electronic driven genre, as well as pop music as a whole. there is so much going on that it becomes more symphonic than it appears on the surface. 4/5 and only cuz i don't personally care for this band, but if i did, this is a near perfect album.

not into these guys pret much at all. this came out while i was in high school and the only thing i felt about it was i wish Hey Ya would never play anywhere ever again. i did not know that this was actually 2 discs with 40 tracks total which is ambitious no matter what i feel. 3 singles that still play, but not my style for any of them. crowd pleaser and culmination of this group's growth over the years. right off the rip, this is 2/5 because it is never something i would put on alone. production wise, its an achievement in layering hip hop with funk and rock styles in a way that modernizes older music to a newer audience. clearly, the meeting of grit from the street and the experienced quality of musicality is what makes this stand out from other artists in the genre. GhettoMusick is a good start. there is no question that they are having fun making this as stacked as possible, it feels like a magnus opus. there is a playful theme throughout and it seems like no genre is off the table. Bust feat. Killer Mike is a good track. a lot of these songs i am not familiar with. Ludacris has a great feature on Tomb of the Boom. lots of features that show just how far this group has come being in the spotlight. the cover of My Favorite Things is probably why this is on the list, its a technical powerhouse that's going to make any jazz head go nuts. the second half seems like Andre's chance to be as out there and experimental as possible. basically this is a record for everyone, with the diehard Outkast fans being completely vindicated, and new listeners have at least one song that will work for them. the last track is an Andre slice of life wrap up reminiscing about old times which gives the whole thing a very uncertain future ending.

i've always been aware of Beck but never actively listened to his music. ofc Futurama and my friends that had this on their iPod, but i became cognizant of his actual songs way after the fact. its surprising how early he started and how skilled this album is for 1996. I don't care too much for Devil's Haircut, but its a good start for a record. hard to pin down what to call his approach: chill rock, modern folk, subtle hip-hop? that's prob what makes it unique. one thing is certain, its a prime example of the temperature of music in the 90's. as a fan of Cake, this fits right in. its unmistakable how in love with music Beck is playing on this record. nothing epic but its still impactful. any fan of music going back 3 decades from its release is represented here. styles are all over the place and move fluidly. ngl, its 2/5 for me based on my familiarity but also that i don't hate this record at all. def a show that would be amazing. a great example of subculture rock approaches hitting the mainstream. Novacane is fun. no song resembles the preceding or following. Where It's At is for sure a standout single that still gets played today. Minus speaks to me the most with a garage punk crunch to it. High 5 is great too, again making it hard to describe this album as anything other than "1990's." the end track feels like a glitch which is funny. from start to finish its an up and down, highs and lows record. i can appreciate all the influences and genres that have gone into making this work. experimentation was the name of the 90's game.

before my time, my parents and many adults in my life treasure this artist. i did not know it was a British band but that makes sense that there is more life going on in the music rather than solo driven pop. Smooth Operator is at this point a certified old school masterpiece still radio played today. The album is a testament to the 80's style of horns and mellow renditions of jazz/funk/r&b that was goin on in 1984. there is def more behind the vocals that gives a vibrance to the tapestry in the background to the singing. soft and cool is the theme, but there is energy on tracks like Hold on to Your Love. there is a range of ability transforming older methods of music to the modern era. When Am I Going to Make a Living is a good song with heart. its goin to be a 2/5 for me because of how often I would listen to it by myself, but if i was back at my parent's patio having BBQ dinner, we would for sure play it from start to finish. reminds me of Prince on some tracks. its a quick record, but achieves the atmosphere its going for in 44 min. the end starts to slow down a bit, but its par for the course with this mood. the last track is a slow buildup to a final message of peace that has a 60's funky vibe. for a debut album, its hot out of the gate and shows a refined handling of 1980's pop music.

finally a record that i was hoping to pull. Isley Brothers are my favorite, but Temptations are one of the most important Motown groups to ever exist. album 9 in 1969 shows just how much material and experience these guys have at that moment. breaking the crest of the 60's with a bold title of Cloud Nine. it starts with power and energy and never lets up. giving a great cross section of this time in America. this record is them on top of their game. i had more but it got erased. essentially this is a short but concise record that has a huge impact for what a drastic direction change this group was making. 4/5

this is why i did this list, to hear stuff my parents talk about but I never got around to actually checking out. Warren Zevon is on my list of top faves (as low as 5) of all time and this fits right in with the old school, beginning-of-irreversible-decay Los Angeles that this exudes. the beginning is goofy and fitting. very 70's rock pushing forward the evolution of 60's pioneering and where it can go. 3/5 is what I'm looking for in the albums i haven't heard of on this list. I don't know any of these songs but they are mellow and fresh for 72. the fatigue of the endless summer of love morphing the rock scene is evident. Nighthawkin' and Get on Top have a groovy, funky feel to them. it can slow down with tracks like Sweet Surrender and Hong Kong Bar, but its a very short album that gets to the point in less than 40 min. what a time to be alive in LA. Devil's Eyes is playful yet technical. i can't say too much more about it, the ending is very era appropriate and its a great example of the time period where the course of music changing was in the hands of the people and could go semi-unnoticed.

i have no idea who these guys are. the album isn't listed on Spotify. and for 1989, its kinda surprising this isn't more wildly talked about. is it raw by today's standards, no not really. but at this time hip hop was evolving quickly, so this has a place in that creation. the rap group image was setup by De La Soul and Tribe and continued to grow more dynamic into the next decade. topics became more relevant to a culture rather than being the most popular. I personally like that I've never heard of these guys, but it would be hard for a younger me to be able to see its historical context among current rappers. Souls of Mischief and The Pharcyde are up there as personal favorites, and while I feel this fits in pret well, I don't have that connection. Sunshine reminds me of D.O.C. def a 3/5 for the suggestion. there was more black identity politics in rap back then, like Public Enemy, and Acknowledge Your Own History is a great example of that and prob why its on this list. the sampling goin on in a lot of these tracks is ahead of its time. lots of content here. its consistent throughout to the end, but its crazy to see how many styles for a NYC group are being displayed, a couple of songs have that west coast feel to it, even though it was brand new. Good Newz Comin' is great, as well as the title track. i can appreciate all the effort that went into this to shape the course rap.

this listmaker is a hip hop head for sure. unlike Jungle Brothers, this is 90's underground and def has a had a lasting effect. there is a track called 3000 and the whole vibe reminds me of Deltron 3030 which comes after this. a song like Earth People has this otherworldly style that is reminiscent of MF DOOM which again, comes later than 1996. I know its Kool Keith trying to do material under another name, but the fact remains that a punk, subversive approach to rap was shaping at this time. the term heady rap is the name of the game here. Do you remember Deep Puddle Dynamics? No? the scene blew the fuck up after something like this and this sets a template that was carried over to the next decade. this is mostly context for how long and far rap had gone into commercialization that underground, though following the steps of pioneers, became the less recognized technique, and Keith clearly understands this. this would be 4, but i don't have that direct connection, so i say 3/5. scratching's evolution is visible. I'm all about button pushing when both sides of the aisle can get pissed. to me, Girl Let Me Touch You and I'm Destructive is in the punk style of talking from the perspective involved in the theme of this song, (I'm the villain). Halfsharkalligatorhalfman almost makes it 4 cuz i love sharks. its a winner for me for sure, absolutely something that people with their ear to the underground triumph.

finally an artists i've seen live. i know of Patti through her tentative connection to the early punk scene, but i have never cared for her music. i can't remember if this was around the time she was kicking it with Springsteen, but her career is an interesting one. very New York and with context it was very ground breaking stuff for that time, but its not my favorite. Lou Reed set up a standard that had carried over to a burgeoning scene. if you are a fan of Richard Hell or the Heartbreakers or at the very least New York Dolls, this is fairly polished and disenchanting, but still punk. the opener is a weird cover of Gloria, so Van the champ. it def shows a growth and direction of an unheard of style of rock that hadn't even really been named yet. experimental and fun for sure. i saw them at a festival and they were headlining and played great, (tho so many years from 1975). i will say being alive at this time during the punk growth with only a small group that many didn't make it out of, (and Patti has that distinction) is amazing. it has playful up and downs with that signature New York artsy delivery. lots of piano but energy to follow. it feels more composed and professional than the more raw bands of the time. very quick album, and stands out as pushing creativity to the forefront. Dylan and Bowie much? the song horses is another amalgam of a cover which is very punk rock. this gets a 2/5 cuz its been in my wheel house, i absolutely believe Patti is very important to music i love, but i don't REALLY like it that much. last song slowly serenades out. i honestly loved this time in music, i recommend Please Kill Me as a great read, but i can't lie that she has never been a fixture that i was ever that interested in. I love John Cale, The Underground, and all the people that went into making the scene what it was, this includes her.

another connection to the punk scene that i don't really care for. this might be a 1/5 because of how aware of this artist i am, how much i know they have an impact on the scene, but i just can't get into it.

This is another band i am aware of but never got the chance to listen to. a ton of friends would talk about them in connection with other groups i liked. This album marks 10 years that they had been making music, in that time the scene of punk and alternative changed into what it would become in the 90's and this is an example of that. this style certainly still carried on past 97. Get Duffy is weird and interesting. it goes up and down in a good way. the record has a very experimental feel to it. Star sounds like a modern hippy jam. it has a bunch of instrumental stuff.

hell yeah, WAY better than Patti Smith and Nick Cave. I should dislike this more on principle, but i think Debbie is a badass. these guys are sellouts, that's a fact. but they had a lot going on. they are apart of that scene early on in a very pivotal way. this one has banger after banger for 78. the energy this has from start to finish is undeniable. Hanging on the Telephone should be a hit cuz for the start its amazing. its hard to find a song i skip. there is a 50's theme throughout but it does stray for its own version of that style. the punk roots are here in a big way. I Know but I Don't Know and 11:59 show that. them playing shows with the Ramones at CBGB's is a radical image. there is sense of humor that if you aren't in on the joke, you just take the record at face value as a low budget rock project when, in reality, the ideas going into these tracks are basically the foundation that would build a scene for 30 more years. this is honestly 5/5 for all the markers: i have a connection to it, its a triumph of this group's talent, and moved music forward that we still see influence of today. arguments have been made as to how important they are to the punk scene versus others who are less recognized, but gun to my head, its objectively a perfect record. this idea at that time was brand new and opened doors wide. last song is called Just Go Away which tops that attitude that this album is exudes regardless of what you think.

back to back winners, Van Morrison is way up there for me. Live in Los Angeles in 73 is about as good as it gets. this has pret much everything he has done up until this point, which is a ton and only half way through his ongoing career. i separate Van by his voice during his career: early it was higher pitched before it became low and deep. this is when it was younger sounding. it is super polished because Van is a professional, but it doesn't get too exciting, (just enough IMO) because of that. but that these tracks can translate as perfect as they do to the live experience is a feat of talent. this record works more for diehard fans like me and my mom that want different versions of the songs we've heard a thousand times, 3/5. there isn't too much more to speak on this, other than its insane that one person has this many hits under their belt after about 7 years.

I will come back to this one.

oh man, this hits home for sure. big fan of Steve Earle and Emmylou Harries, and I've seen all 3 of them on San Fran festival stages in the park early mornings. that whole scene of modern country incorporating more influences from other genres is represented here. its a fun record, even if you don't like country. she is a firecracker (with a song called Metal Firecracker) both lyrically and vocally. Right In Time is a basically a perfect opener, country aside. her style continues to be felt today even though you may have never heard of her. its simple and playful, stripped of pretention and judgement. I will say this would be something i listened to later in my life and have come to appreciate it more, def did not grow up liking these songs. but me and parents loved goin to see her live and listening to Drunken Angel having beers in the park. that grit of country living with the painful remorse of loss is a theme running throughout. its got that 90's feel as well that gives it that uniqueness from what came before and after. the debutante of country music is a memory of the past, Lucinda tells how its ugly as well as beautiful. its not for everyone, but the people within this scene agree that she is one of the greatest of all time. having seen her live, (18 years AFTER this record) she still has that spirit. its almost a 4/5 for how important to music it is and my personal connection, but truthfully, i prob wouldn't turn it on without other people. its clear that she loves music and puts out honestly. Joy is a banger. its music made for the live experience and the community that sprouts from it. "sometimes people just want to have fun." Jackson is slow and super country, a somber yet appropriate ending.

its prob another 5/5 for the reg markers. when it comes to jazz, this is THE name on THE album. moving a scene to a new era so far and ahead of the game its insane to think about. it can't be said enough how long lasting this record has been. i love jazz, and for sure John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and him together is crazy. the atmosphere in every single note is phenomenal. its hard to say anything that hasn't been stated in the past. I'm no jazz head but this must be over 20 albums deep for Davis in an almost decade long career in the game, and all the experience and talent has built up and formed in this masterpiece in 1959. it all flows together and intertwines beautifully. the energy here is fantastic, what a year to be alive in the USA, GOD BLESS o7. truly from a time where you didn't dwell on single tracks and vocals, but an entire symphony coming together that seems to have no pause or empty space. all the players at this time were masters of their respective craft. the tone and temperature of the country is still beating like a heart in these songs. there may not be any one artist that defines this time better than Miles. again, if you said, "i know nothing about jazz, where should i start?" the answer will almost always include this record. the legacy edition with diff versions is a certifiable text book template for how the process behind these decisions and how subtle changes can shift the whole direction of a piece. contemplative moods, visiting older family members, even just at Christmas, walking around a city--there are so many places this music can play. All Blues is my favorite. its hard to go into detail more than that. SOOO BECUZ OF THAT///////i will stick my Solomon Burke review here////////// So this right away give me Otis Redding vibes, and again its Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, and then Otis Redding on a very personal level best of all time. this is a gem for 63, nice and easy but still intense soul. Cry for Me and Goodbye Baby are great. i have heard of him, but not familiar with his music. it speaks to that 60s live music scene rising up and giving a second life to these albums after wax; the performer/performance over the composition. 3/5 for a solid record.

talk about back to back 1959. Ray is more of a pop artist than Miles, but that bond with people is what makes his music timeless. i will say i dislike this title, but that's a small thing. this is his 7th record, so his stride is in full swing. like Kind of Blue, the pulse of the American spirit is on this album. Ray is pushing his style of jazz forward with songs like Alexander's Ragtime Band. there is music that defines places like New York and Las Vegas, this is it. he has a sense of humor that doesn't need to tell jokes. its hard to tell what his motive is, other than making songs he thinks are good. styles are varying and rounded. Deed I Do is actually a song that I've heard, and its very playful. with songs like Don't Let the Sun..., it shows the bigger and symphonic direction his music was heading towards. his identity of American culture is being woven into the minds of everyone at this point in his career. at 38 minutes, its crazy the depth this goes into. with songs like Come Rain of Come Shine, how we define soul with a gospel feel was brand new and ground breaking at the time, and you can tell Charles dedication to that distinction. he has a vision of what he wants and its evident in this album. 3/5 for such a memorable time before the explosion of the 60's would change the course for everyone.