Much more than a standard issue album handed out at my undergrad college dorms.
Much more than a standard issue album handed out at my undergrad college dorms.
Fantastic, aggressive, riot grrrl punk rock.
Tremendous energy and jumping rockabilly bluesy swing vibes abound.
An album to dig one last time under the Tahitian moon.
You want it, you need it, you got it… you got it!
Inviting, energetic, and catchy pop punk.
Incredible raw energic punk that sounds both of its time and timeless.
So much that is so great (and so right) about punk rock.
A pop grunge vibe that completely works.
Lots of AiC in slower-paced grunge mode? Yes please.
Mellow, optimistic roots rock with perfect vocals from Darius Rucker.
Loose, fun, and fresh sounds from SCotS… down at the dirt track.
Groovy and swinging (and clever and funny).
Plays as great comedic alt country or country rock material or simply flat out great alt country or country rock music, period. Well, except for…
They keep it low, they keep it hot, they keep heads covered.
Chill, quirky hip hop that is absolutely unique (and uniquely good).
Kravitz doing funk rock and hippie rock for the ‘90s pushes 5 into my best 1,000.
Accessible electronic music with great hooks and the dance vibe to match.
Bombastic, retro futuristic theme songs of glory. And fun!
Incredible underground hip hop with laid back jazz, funk, and r&b influences, fronted by one of the best MCs in hip hop history.
Do you want this album to seduce you? That’d be a yes.
A supergroup with real chemistry. An album that’s deeply affecting and melancholy and cool.
Insanely energetic punk rock with surprisingly agile music dynamics. But also, you know, fun.
A great balance of pop and punky alt rock.
Jay-Z’s debut album has a great blend of rawness and tremendous vitality and energy.
Put your all-star thoughts about this band aside, and you just might be walkin’ on the sun.
Britpop that’s deeply soaked in 1970s and 1980s influences spanning post-punk to glam rock to synth pop to dance music.
A freight train of pioneering grungy punk rock energy.
I can think of, say, uno dos tres quatro cinco cinco seis reasons…
Sure, it’s the “Nothing Compares 2 You” album, but there’s a range of Celtic-influenced rock and gorgeous pure pop to enjoy besides.
A powerhouse of a ska punk album that just happens to layer in… well, you’ll see.
Hip length and hip swinging breakbeats and super stylish swinging samples.
Old school, east coast hip hop flavor with horn riffs and soul music samples for days.
An undeniable hurricane of thrashy, trashy, dirty, funky metal that gets under your skin like very few albums can.
A fun ska band with real musical chops that’s at its most fun-est best live.
The energy of punk music, the feeling of up tempo ska, but it’s very much its own thing that evokes the breakneck freedom of surfing waves, conquering some uncharted territory.
Rap music for getting one’s head up.
It’s delicate (grunge?), but it all clicks.
While sprawling and uneven, this double album contains some of Tupac Shakur’s best artistic output.
Irony and kitsch beget musical admiration beget deep nostalgia.
Quintessential mid-1990s alternative rock.
Definitely not for everyone, but this wildly and weirdly experimental rock album has dizzying and genre transmorphing moments that are tremendously exciting.
Effervescent Britpop from the mid-‘90s with hooks to match.
An album that makes you think about music as a lifelong lifeline.
Underground French hip hop that reminds me that there’s nothing better than discovering great music.
An unusual but ultimately pleasing combination of traditional Irish music and modern American rock.
Uh… this album is crazy. Good crazy, but crazy. Dig it.
Mia Zapata’s vocals matched with urgent, raucous, punky Seattle grunge energy.
Top notch early ‘90s alt/indie rock with fantastic vocals and a knack for poppy hooks.
Old school hip hop with flavors of A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets, and that’s just sweet.