Rock
Noah’s Barks pages related to the rock music genre. Combine with other tags for subgenres, e.g. “alternative+rock,” “noise+rock,” and “indie+rock.”
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Sixpence None the Richer – “Sixpence None the Richer” (1997)
I remember hearing “Kiss Me” played on the radio all the time as a kid. Listening to it now brings a smile to my face, bringing back feelings of simpler times. I figured I’d finally repay Sixpence None the Richer for all those happy feelings and listen to a full album. This is actually a… (read more)
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Black Flag – “Damaged”
On Damaged, Greg Ginn is one of the best punk guitarists I’ve ever heard. His semi-droning buzzsaw riffs are sharp enough to probably grind through metal if played at a high enough volume. Sadly, their edge is dulled by Henry Rollins’ dumb meathead lisp. He’s like the Rocky Balboa of vocalists, but at least Rocky… (read more)
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Blur – “Blur”
“Beetlebum” and “Song 2” are really great songs, so what the hell happened to everything else on Blur? Sounds like they weren’t even trying with the rest and the album is just a vehicle for those singles. What if it is? What if all of it is bad, and I’m just fooling myself? What if… (read more)
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Wipers – “Wipers Box Set” (2001)
Wipers Box Set compiles almost all of Wipers’s best work—certainly their best albums. Wipers produced some of the catchiest punk tunes of the ’80s. Greg Sage is a wonderful guitarist who mixes melody with aggression in a way that predicted the alternative rock movement to follow. His voice is deep and rough, making him sound… (read more)
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Mudhoney – “March to Fuzz” (2000)
Disc one of March to Fuzz contains a lot of Mudhoney’s fan-favorite songs. For the most part, it’s pretty comprehensive, though there are plenty of fantastic tracks missing, primarily from Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles, Mudhoney (self-titled album), and Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. The compilation spans their first five albums up to Tomorrow Hit… (read more)
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Land of Talk – “L’aventure acoustique” (2008)
L’Aventure Acoustique was released the same year as their “official” second album, Some Are Lakes, and isn’t a traditional album. It is essentially an acoustic reimagining of Land of Talk’s debut EP, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, right down to having the same track listing, other than the included two tracks from Some Are Lakes and… (read more)
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Coldplay – “A Rush of Blood to the Head”
Coldplay have been the subject of some controversy amongst more devout music fans ever since their debut album Parachutes garnered them instant success. Despite global success with total album sales of over 55 million records worldwide and universal appeal, the band’s musical style has often been criticized for being unoriginal and derivative of their influences;… (read more)
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Swervedriver – “Raise” (1991)
There’s good songs on Raise, but they’re severely weakened by some of the worst production of all time. Raise sounds like it was recorded inside of a tin can, and mixed with a mixing board also made out of tin cans. The vocalist sounds like he just got home after a hard day working at… (read more)
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Lilys – “A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns” (1994)
Excellent ’90s alternative rock that retains a fair amount of the noise from the first album, which was heavily inspired by the early ’90s shoegazing scene. On the A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns EP, Lilys breaks away from that a little with a more aggressive sound that still sounds very melodic. Lilys went from… (read more)
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The Replacements – “Let It Be” (1984)
Let It Be is the weakest of The Replacements “power trilogy,” despite what its reputation may tell you. Too much of the band’s punk phase still lingers without the induction of power pop that earned them their alternative sound and much of their identity. Paul Westerberg’s vocals are rough and grating, and he carries a… (read more)