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Boris – “Attention Please”
Minimal shoegaze Attention Please is as far away as you can get from shoegaze while still being shoegaze. It’s actually a pretty unique-sounding album for the genre and I never gave it enough credit for that before. I have to say though: Wata may be a good guitarist, but she is a terrible vocalist, and I’m not… (read more)
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Broadcast – “Pendulum”
I’d call the ‘Pendulum’ EP inessential, but that’d be a lie, because with the short career of Broadcast, nothing is truly inessential. (read more)
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Stereolab – “Margerine Eclipse” (2004)
Margerine Eclipse is one of Stereolab’s best albums and possibly my second-favorite right behind Sound-Dust. Stereolab play off their strengths by making an album full of great retro, space-age pop songs, avoiding lengthy repetition. The end result is a relaxing journey that’s just about perfectly paced, if only a little bit long when it comes… (read more)
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Queen – “Hot Space”
Many consider Hot Space to be Queen‘s worst album (personally, I believe that title goes to The Miracle), and it’s fans often abhor it for its shift from rock to pop, featuring many songs driven by synthesizer dance beats. Certainly, a move that could (and would) easily anger the band’s long-time fans and rock purists. But… (read more)
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Nick Drake – “Five Leaves Left”
Five Leaves Left is currently my favorite album by Nick Drake, only in competition with Bryter Layter for his best (not like there’s much to compete with). All the strings in this album accentuate the music perfectly. The piano often may as well not be there, but it doesn’t bother much. Also, I’m pretty sure… (read more)
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Nick Drake – “Bryter Layter”
Yes, Bryter Layter is overproduced. The horns often eclipse and cover the delicate fine cracks of Nick Drake‘s songs which are his strongest facet and appeal. But they don’t completely cover the great songs underneath, and Bryter Layter at it’s core is still the sound of an excellent folk artist remaining in the peak of… (read more)
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The xx – “Coexist” (2012)
Come on, did The xx run out of album covers already? Anyway, Coexist isn’t much of a departure from their first album—I don’t know how you could have expected it to be. Likewise, it’s just as inoffensive, overly self-conscious indie-pandering with token “chill” minimalist beats and lyrics about Sad Things that express genuine emotion just… (read more)
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XTC – “Skylarking” (1986)
On Skylarking, songs are varied, have compelling instrumentation, and most importantly, are great. I kept listening to Skylarking expecting the quality to suddenly take a nosedive after each track, like many seemingly great albums (disappointingly) do—but it never happened. Fan-flippin-tastic psychedelic pop. Absolutely loaded. I disagree with those who say it sounds very similar to… (read more)
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10,000 Maniacs – “In My Tribe”
‘In My Tribe’ is 10,000 Maniacs’ most popular album, and it’s far more than its reputation as "mom pop" would suggest. (read more)
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Cheap Trick – “Cheap Trick”
The debut, self-album by Cheap Trick is a fantastic power pop album brimming with smooth melodies, catchy choruses, perfect-key harmonies and perverse fun. Whether it’s the stomping chant-a-long “ELO Kiddies,” the punk roar of “He’s a Whore,” or the dreamy ballad “Mandocello,” all these qualities consistently shine through this eclectic album. For all of the… (read more)