Classic Tom Waits! Especially when it comes to the percussion, which he mostly performed himself using whatever random objects he had lying around. For avant-garde, alternative, and experimental rock, this album will always stand as a classic.

This was a very impactful album that’s heavily driven by mood and texture. It definitely sits within the world of contemporary R&B and neo soul, but what really stood out to me was the way she uses recorded conversations and layers them into the music. It plays perfectly into the somber, ambient vibe of the album and adds a deeper sense of intimacy. It breaks the ice and makes you feel like you’re right there in the room with them.

This album turned out to be better than I thought it would be. Obviously it’s rooted in 80s pop and contemporary R&B, but it had a more innovative edge than I was expecting. It still has that polished, radio 80s sound, but there’s also a rawer side that adds texture, probably since some of the tracks featuring collaborations with members of Heaven 17. I also thought she did a decent cover of Bowie’s “1984,” especially since the album itself was released in 1984.

This is one of those artists I’ve heard random tracks from before, but this was my first time sitting down with a full album, and I’m glad I did. Essex Honey leans heavily into soulful, ambient art pop and experimental pop. The overall production has a warm, analog feel that I really enjoyed, because it adds so much to the mood, color, and texture.

The percussion is more breakbeat driven, but it’s softly processed and blended into the ambient atmosphere, giving the whole ... read more

For some Afro Cuban jazz, this was a pretty good album. I like jazz across the board, but big band ballroom-style jazz has always been my least favorite. Since this album definitely leans into that big band feel, I don’t really see myself coming back to it often, but I still enjoyed it for what it is.

Neil Young is one of those artists that’s hit or miss for me depending on the album, but this one hits hard. It’s got that country twang mixed with the grit of garage rock, and several of the tracks jam out a bit longer than usual. If grunge could’ve existed in the late 60s, this would’ve been it.

If you ever want a snapshot of what early ’70s soft pop rock sounded like, this is the album to check out—it hits every stereotype imaginable. That said, I just found it bland and boring. It didn’t grab me at all.

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s is when I first discovered Gang Starr, and at the time, I really thought Guru was a solid MC, but what really pulled me in was DJ Premier. That said, this album doesn’t quite click for me the way it used to. It’s not that it’s bad, it just feels like it’s passed its expiration date for me personally. The magic I used to hear in it just isn’t there anymore.

I think this is one of the essential shoegaze albums from the first Shoegaze wave. It’s their full length debut, and what’s interesting is that every album they’ve released since has evolved in a slightly different direction. But this one really stands out because it bridges the gap between shoegaze and dream pop. If anything, I’d even call it ethereal wave.

Right off the bat, I enjoyed this album. But like with every Deftones release, it’s always a bit of a hazy experience at first, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s the kind of music that takes a couple listens to really settle in and make sense. Once I spent more time with it, everything started to click, and it got better with each listen.

That’s just how Deftones operate. Their ambient, shoegaze infused metal is built for slow immersion, not instant gratification, and ... read more

This was actually a decent album from Duran Duran. It’s a Halloween themed concept record that originally came out of a Halloween show they did in Las Vegas. There’s no truly new material on this album, but most of the tracks are either covers or reimagined versions of songs from their past catalog. The best way to describe the overall vibe is electro pop and new wave, but with a gothic disco twist.

This is pretty much a B-sides album, but in its own way, it almost passes as a standalone release. It’s got that classic Calexico blend of alternative and desert noir Americana, but what stood out to me was the droned out, ambient atmosphere running through it.

Well, this was definitely a flashback to early 2000s mainstream alternative rock. If I had to break it down, they take the 60s garage rock sound, mix it with modern neo-psychedelia, and throw in the raw edge of 90s grunge.

It definitely has some fun pop hooks, and if you were listening to music during the early 2000s, you’ll probably recognize a few tracks from the past. It’s nothing too extraordinary, and I personally wouldn’t add it to any top albums list, but if you take ... read more

When it comes to the earliest stages of industrial music, and hearing it the way it was originally meant to sound, Throbbing Gristle was the first band to really create it and to even coin the term “industrial.”

I’ve known about these guys since the mid 90s, back in my teens when I was listening to bands like Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM. Back then, I had a hard time appreciating Throbbing Gristle. Their music was too destabilizing and disjointed for me, with vocals that were ... read more

This was a decent album for rootsy folk rock and Americana. I can’t say it’s something I see myself coming back to, but it was good for what it was. It definitely has its time and place, even if it didn’t fully click with me personally.

This was a great progressive house album for 90s dance music. It has breakbeats mixed in, but what really sets it apart from a lot of other records in the genre is the dub influenced soundscape, which gives it an ambient, atmospheric feel while still keeping a tempo that works perfectly on the dance floor.

What’s crazy is that I always expected Leftfield to be a drum and bass group. I’ve known about them since the late 90s, and every time I saw their name, I just mentally lumped ... read more

This is definitely a good album from The Church. They really found their sound that would go on to define their music moving forward. There’s a lot of great tracks on this album, but for anyone in the U.S., there probably won’t be anything you recognize right off the bat.

That’s because this album was released in Australia and Europe, but the American branch of their record label rejected it. They wanted the band to change their sound to be more commercially accessible for ... read more

I hope this band sticks around for a while, because I really love the post-hardcore, industrial leaning noise rock sound they’ve developed. It’s dark, dystopian, and feels like desperation channeled through the soundtrack of a collapsing society.

Apparently, this is a supergroup made up of seasoned musicians, members from Daughters, Made Out Of Babies, Unsane, and Cop Shoot Cop. These are names I’ve heard of before, but never really dove into. After hearing Gone Dark, ... read more

I’ve only heard a few albums from The Jesus Lizard, but man, after a 25 year break, this album rocks. It really picks up right where they left off. The energy is raw, the instrumentation was tight, and on-point. There were also a few tracks on here with some genuinely great hooks. Definitely a strong comeback.

This was a really cool album, especially considering it came out before the grunge revival movement had really kicked off and was still underground. They capture the spirit of the more melodic side of grunge, particularly something like the Siamese Dream era. The guitars are down tuned, distorted, and layered with a shoegaze like wall of sound, but nothing ever feels too overbearing. They really find the perfect balance between heaviness and melody, and that’s what makes this album stand ... read more