So apparently Wisp got their start on TikTok. I don't really care about TikTok, but this album kind of rules. This is a collection of six really solid heavy shoegaze (is that a term people use?) songs. Pandora and Luna sound incredible. It's a shame if anyone who likes shoegaze dismisses this because of its social media roots, and I'd encourage them to at least listen to Luna. This album is so short, and the songs are so consistent in their quality, it makes for a breezy listen. Excited to see ... read more

This is a short, nice, sort of incongruous album. Most tracks fit into the shoegaze/dream pop mold, but Montana is kind of country/folk and Movey sounds straight out of the Toe Jam and Earl soundtrack. I'd also say that some tracks sound a little too alike such as Idaho and Track which are placed right next to each other yet start with very similar riffs. I appreciated At It Again cranking up the energy and tempo a bit in the middle though.

Despite not being a cohesive album, Moveys has some ... read more

This is a fantastic album. Lush has more of a pop sound than similar bands, with prominent vocals and shorter songs. The two longer songs on here, Desire Lines and Never-Never are both highlights though. The group manages to make these songs feel really atmospheric and not overly meandering. There are so many cool riffs and vibes on here. Uptempo tracks like Blackout and Starlust are mixed with more relaxed songs such as Desire Lines and When I Die, keeping the album interesting and fresh all ... read more

Somehow, I had never heard of the Smiths until recently. This is the album of their I've found most enjoyable. Most of the songs have a slower pace but are really nice. The livelier stuff is the best though. The Headmaster Ritual is an outstanding first song, and all of the ones after that are solid until the eerie title track which feels really out of place. Barbarism Begins At Home has a crazy instrumental jam that reminds me of the best moments in The Headmaster Ritual, so it's a shame they ... read more

The Bends is Radiohead's magnum opus. (So is OK Computer and In Rainbows)

Radiohead's sound really changed after this album when they embraced more spacey effects along with more sophisticated concepts and production. The Bends is rawer, more essential rock. Songs like Bones and Just have an edge to them with walls of distorted guitars and shouted vocals that the band never got back to. And it sounds great! The mix of these more hard-rocking tracks with the softer, sentimental ones gives this ... read more

I love this album's vibe. This is (possibly) the beginning of Britpop, and it feels almost, but not quite, forgotten about. The La's were a troubled band: they were obsessive and could barely get a single album together. Even so, I can't help but feel like they had a lot of unrealized potential. There She Goes is undoubtedly the highlight here, and it's a personal favorite. But that catchy-as-hell guitar riff on Feelin' doesn't get enough appreciation. After that one, the quality trails off a ... read more

What Once Was is one of the best pop songs I've heard in a long time! Granted, there are some not-so-great songs on here too. The good more than outweighs the bad though, and this is really impressive for a first album. Those chorused guitar riffs on Dorothy and What Once Was coupled with the driving bass just sounds so damn good. I like Stephen Fitzpatrick's reverbed high vocals on some of the tracks too. They kind of remind me of Thom Yorke's vocals on The Bends at points, or at least I think ... read more

I've only recently discovered Beach House, and Bloom is the album of theirs I've found myself most drawn to. There's something to love about every track here. This album just creates a dreamy, melancholic vibe. This has to be intentional, but no song really changes things up or creates contrast with the others. Consistently striking choruses and intriguing lyrics kept my attention throughout though. I have a feeling this one might grow on me more than it already has.

Stand-out track: New Year

I would occasionally hear an R.E.M. song on the radio growing up and always liked them, but never listened to their albums. After listening to this a lot, I'm excited to check out their other stuff! This is one of those albums with a brilliant run of songs at the end, with Man on the Moon, Nightswimming, and Find the River. Michael Stipe's vocal inflections are pretty distinct, and he brings a lot of charisma to songs like The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite with his laugh or Man on the Moon with his ... read more

I had no idea what to expect with this one, but these songs are some real gems! The album's maybe a little short to be called an LP though. The vocals are gorgeous. They're put pretty high in the mix, but never to the detriment of the songs. There are some great guitar sounds here as well. The production is restrained, lending the record a natural sound. Overall, the vibe is very pleasant and uplifting. My only nitpick is that Film and Flowers feel like filler compared to the other stuff. If ... read more

I love the futuristic, otherworldly songs that comprise Selected Ambient Works. It has a really distinct sound. It's from the 90's but avoids most of the cliches of that decade's electronic music, much to the album's benefit. None of these tracks quite rise above being background music, content to just settle into a vibe and meander for a bit.

Regarding the "genre" of IDM, that being intelligent dance music, what is that supposed to mean? That if you listen to this, you must be ... read more

I never cared for Rage Against the Machine, so when I finally decided to listen to this record I was surprised that swapping Zack de la Rocha for Chris Cornell resulted in some great rock music! Show Me How to Live, Like a Stone, and I Am the Highway stand head-and-shoulders above the deluge of post-grunge garbage that was on the radio in the early 2000's. There are a lot of forgettable songs on this somewhat overstuffed album, but the ones that have stuck with me are downright powerful to this ... read more

Really solid rock album with some great tracks. Monkey Wrench, My Poor Brain, and Everlong stand among the best rock songs of the 90's but the other tracks are mostly just alright. My Hero is kind of corny, but there aren't any outright bad songs here.

Stand-out track: Monkey Wrench

Among the greatest albums of the grunge era. This record is raw and disturbing with a sound that's pretty heavy metal. What elevates the music into something special is Layne Staley's incredible vocals. Them Bones and Rooster are highlights alone for just how much soul he belts into those lyrics. This album has very little filler too, it's all good stuff.

Stand-out track: Rooster

This is actually a phenomenal jangle pop record with the catchiest songs Alice in Chains ever wrote. Other than the downright depressing lyrics, I don't think this really fits the grunge label. Layne Staley's vocals are, as always, the highlight of these songs. His performances on Nutshell and I Stay Away are harrowing. Whale & Wasp and Swing On This are alright, but every other song is among Alice in Chain's most emotionally raw and compelling.

Stand-out track: No Excuses

This was the first King Gizzard album I heard. It's definitely fun and there are some good moments, but a lot of songs sound similar and can be pretty repetitive, verging on annoying. It probably sounds better the more stoned you are.

Stand-out track: Open Water

Pretty much Infest the Rats' Nest but leaning all the way in on silliness. Sadly, I just don't think any of the songs are as good as on that album. These guys are still thrash powerhouses though.

Stand-out track: Flamethrower

I'm not really as into metal as I used to be, but this is great. Everyone's just having fun. There's an infectious, raucous energy in this populist thrash.

Stand-out track: Mars for the Rich

The first time I listened to Geogaddi, I thought I didn't like it. It's abstract, unsettling, and at times even grating. No song serves as an easy on-ramp like Roygbiv or Olson. But something about it compelled me to keep coming back, and it eventually became one of my favorite albums. It's completely unique. Aside from Music Has the Right to Children, I've never heard anything that could truly be described as a musical journey. There's an intangible, infinite quality to this album as a whole ... read more

The concert film is obviously as classic as it gets, but this collection of songs alone comprises the best music the Talking Heads ever put out. I've always felt like each performance here is the definitive version of each song. The addition of Bernie Worrell to the band brings so much energy to songs like Burning Down the House and Girlfriend is Better. It's unreal--this guy was seriously a master of playing cool synth leads.

The interplay between all of the musicians is just endlessly ... read more