xaver2

A true "one album wonder", one of the most unique albums I've heard. Sue Tompkins is an amazing vocalist - she repeats phrases a lot but the delivery is different each time. "The Leanover" is the big standout that goes through many twists and turns. "Young Offenders" has some good riffing that feels mathy at times. The last two tracks are not as aggressive and provide some neat lyricism. This is one of the best albums of the '00s, nothing else exists ... read more

This has some of their best songs like the title track, The Girl Who Lives in Heaven Hill, Celebrated Summer, and shows off their more poppy side with Books About UFOs and Terms of Psychic Warfare. Perfect Example provides a break from the action, and they throw in a goofy track (How To Skin A Cat) near the end. The production is quite muddied but it works with this blend of punk and alt rock sound. I know Zen Arcade is the consensus pick, but I prefer New Day Rising as Hüsker ... read more

Raw, melodic, and full of hooks, this is Sleater-Kinney's peak. The interplay from Carrie's and Corin's vocals (especially on Words And Guitar) is one of my favorite things about this album, and Janet's drumming is unstoppable. This is a perfect balance of their earlier punk material and the noisier sound of The Woods.

My favorite album of all time. Westerberg's songwriting is top-notch and all of the songs have great melodies. The jangly pop of I Will Dare leads into the more punk rock Favorite Thing and We're Comin' Out, which has an unexpected piano breakdown.
There's quite a lot of variety here: the rocker Tommy Got His Tonsils Out and the silly Gary's Got A Boner sit next to classics like Unsatisfied, the ahead of its time Androgynous, and the slower Sixteen Blue. This (along ... read more