Believe it or not, I have not been slacking off. I’ve been working on this beast of a post. Expect a few more. Buckle up. Get ready. Strap in. PUT ON YER BUCKETS! I hope the new format works OK and doesn’t look too weird on mobile.
I also just want you all to know that I don’t know an album that I listened to. I have been tracking my listens in notes in a way that’s been less and less organized. On November third I listened to an album that I noted as “mavy”. I didn’t save any of the songs. I have no idea what this could be. Please enlighten me if you have an idea. Table of contents below!
- Liv.e – Couldn’t Wait to Tell You… (2020)
- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord (2023)
- Brent Faiyaz – Larger Than Life (2023)
- My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
- The Strokes – First Impressions of Earth (2006)
- Usher – Confessions (2004)
- Cake – Comfort Eagle (2001)
- Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers (2006)
- Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Fronzoli (2023)
- Vince Staples – Summertime ’06 (2015)
- Uncle Tupelo – March 16-20, 1992 (1992)
- Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
- Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)
- King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
- Smokey Robinson – Quiet Storm (1975)
Liv.e – Couldn’t Wait to Tell You… (2020)
Genre: Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul
Recommended for: People who like weird R&B and spoken word
While I respect Liv.e’s approach to the Alternative R&B scene, the spoken word R&B stuff has never really clicked for me. However, when she goes away from that on this record, I find it shows her bright spots. Some cool sounds on this one though.
Favorite songs: She’s My Brand New Crush, You The One Fish In The Sea
My Ranking: Solid
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord (2023)
Genre: Synth Heavy Weirdness
Recommended for: Robots and people feeling like robots
The Silver Cord is certainly a show of King Gizzard’s versatility, but really is some weird ass shit. Even by their standards. Oddball music, very synth heavy, and overall not my favorite sounds from them, which is not to say it’s bad.
Favorite songs: Set
My Ranking: Not for me, maybe for you
Brent Faiyaz – Larger Than Life (2023)
Genre: R&B
Recommended for: People feeling themselves, egotists, and shitty R&B lovers
I really like Brent sometimes, and other times I really think he is bad at putting together albums. This is the latter. Total miss for me. Being a fan of shitty R&B is hard! Like even one of the best songs he ruins with terrible lines. Why do all the pretty girls want to be gay?? Second worst line of 2023 next to Drake saying “Feel like you’re bi, cause you’re one of the guys girl”.
Favorite songs: Forever Yours
My Ranking: Boring
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
Genre: Shoegaze, Noise Rock
Recommended for: Artsy folks, some sad people, music purists
Loveless is consistently rated as one of the best albums of the 90’s, but for me, I just don’t see it. Sure, it “defines shoegaze” but what does that even mean? To me, this is an album with my biggest pet peeve in music (muddled vocals) and some cool riffs and good instrumentation. It’s not bad, but it’s not for me.
Favorite songs: When You Sleep, Only Shallow
My Ranking: Good/Not For Me, Maybe For You
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Recommended for: RHCP Fans (duh)
In many ways this is just another RHCP album. It has some of their best songs, but I don’t think it touches Californication, which in itself is a very weird album. Keidis kind of annoys me. It’s hard to sit through a whole RHCP album tbh. Overrated band? When they hit, they do hit hard though, and Frusciante is one of the best guitarists ever. They would have a top 10 compilation album.
Favorite songs: Funky Monks, Suck My Kiss, Give It Away, Under The Bridge, Apache Rose Peacock, Sir Psycho Sexy
My Ranking: I OD’d on Keidis
The Strokes – First Impressions of Earth (2006)
Usher – Confessions (2004)
Genre: 00’s R&B
Recommended for: R&B fans
I feel like Usher has been cast as this pop icon to my generation because of his output around 2010, but god damn is his earlier stuff some good R&B. I really like this album – it’s hilarious (mostly unintentionally so), the beats are so quintessentially R&B, and let’s not forget this motherfucker can sing. Underrated!
please watch this music video. my favorite intro ever
Favorite songs: Yeah!, Confessions Part II, Burn, My Boo
My Ranking: Very good and a fun listen
Cake – Comfort Eagle (2001)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Recommended for: Fans of White Guy Rock
I certainly wouldn’t say Cake does anything groundbreaking in their music, but I find their vocals to be solid, riffs to be catchy, and their oddball songwriting to kind of work for me. I enjoyed this album a lot more than I probably should have. Short Skirt Long Jacket does have a fat bassline though. What a great music video too!
Favorite songs: Opera Singer, Meanwhile Rick James…, Short Skirt/Long Jacket, Love You Madly
My Ranking: Good, fun listen
Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers (2006)
Genre: Garage Rock
Recommended for: Jack White Purists
This is the end of the Jack White saga, I promise! His band after the White Stripes is more of the same, honestly. I do like some of the songs here, but you really know what you’re getting going into it. If you like that grungey, classic rock sound that Jack White often has, here’s some more!
Favorite songs: Steady As She Goes, Together, Level
My Ranking: Eh
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Fronzoli (2023)
Genre: Garage Rock
Recommended for: Garage Rock Purists, Small Band Lovers, Australians
The new Crumpets album is much more garage/noisy then psychedelic, and thus loses me a bit compared to their older stuff. I think it was OK, but certainly far from what their peak is.
Favorite songs: (I’m a Kadaver) Alakazam, Dilemma From Us Evil, Sierra Nevada
My Ranking: It was ok
Vince Staples – Summertime ’06 (2015)
Genre: Rap
Recommended for: Lovers of more a more underground rap sound, or people who like Norf Norf
As mentioned above – Summertime ’06 put Vince on the map for a lot of true rap lovers, as well as a bunch of people who liked the song Norf Norf. The album, to me, is much more than that; it’s a slice of nostalgia, a show of a new sub genre of rap I really liked, as well as a rap album with hilarious, intelligent lines and great flows. It’s a bit long, and some fat could be cut, but it’s a very important album in understanding rap in the 2010’s.
Favorite songs: Lift Me Up, Norf Norf, Jump Off the Roof, Señorita, 3230, Surf, Get Paid, Street Punks
My Ranking: Iconic, good, a bit long
Uncle Tupelo – March 16-20, 1992 (1992)
Genre: Alternative Country, Folk
Recommended for: Fans of laid back country via acoustic guitar, or Jeff Tweedy Lovers
Certainly the first of this genre, Uncle Tupelo is the first album from Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and features a ton of acoustic guitar, some banjo, and a mix of low pitch country twang vocals from their lead singer and then some Jeff here and there. This album is filled with great riffs, finger picks and all, and is a very nice listen and apparently very influential on the alternative country scene I know so much about.
Favorite songs: Grindstone, Wait Up, Moonshiner, Take My Word – B Side
My Ranking: Solid
Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
Genre: Rap
Recommended for: Jay-Z Truthers, Beyonce Haters, People into the history of the rap GAME.
There is much, much better Jay-Z then this to me. There are some absolultely iconic songs on here Izzo, Heart of the City, Renegade, but it’s mixed with hilarious Jay-Z filler which doesn’t really hold up to me. Also I can’t believe two things; first, he just completely dissed Nas to his face many times, and second, that he said this:
Now that’s Spanish chick, French chick, Indian and black
That’s fried chicken, curry chicken, damn I’m gettin’ fat
Favorite songs: Izzo, Heart of the City
My Ranking: Black Album better
Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)
Genre: Rock
Recommended for: Lovers of 70’s rock and famous riffs
Seriously though, this album takes the cake for most iconic riffs. Every song has something you’ve definitely heard before, and it definitely came from Black Sabbath. I feel like this is an important album for the history of rock – maybe not my favorite, but very important to listen to and place these songs. You will know 3 of the first 4 songs without question. Also, Mandela Effect, how was Black Sabbath making music in the late 60’s/early 70’s? Just me?
Favorite songs: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan
My Ranking: Educational
King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Genre: Rock
Recommended for: Older rock fans, fans of long songs, pretentious people, but also people that like various music
21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAAAN. One of the best rated albums of all time, King Crimson has been one that always weirded me out and I stayed away from because of all the music fans that are so pretentious about shit like this + the songs are so long. Like come on. However, I really do think this one lived up to the hype as much as it could have. The compositions are fantastic and original, the songs are varied, and they hold up to this day. Really cool record.
Favorite songs: 21st Century Schizoid Man, I Talk To The Wind
My Ranking: Am I pretentious for enjoying this?
Smokey Robinson – Quiet Storm (1975)
Genre: Soul
Recommended for: Fans of smooth 70’s soul
I am one of the above fans of smooth 70’s soul. That genre has a chokehold on me, and this has some really good songs of that variety. However, I can’t see Smokey anymore without thinking about his video wishing people happy Chanukah. Although I did still like that.
Favorite songs: Quiet Storm, The Agony and the Fantasy, Baby That’s Backatcha
My Ranking: Happy Chanukah
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