Average Rating: 4.60 Rating Variance: 0.14 Objectivity Score: 31% (Poorly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicMiles Davis NefertitiMiles Davis In a Silent WayMiles Davis Miles SmilesMiles Davis Kind of BluePavement Crooked Rain, Crooked RainIt would be a somewhat valid argument to say that Pavement never made a "bad" studio album. Slanted & Enchanted is one of indie rock's breakthrough albums, Wowee Zowee is a sprawling, silly record a la the Beatles' The White Album, and Brighten the Corners and Terror Twilight are well-produced, if not musically solid, albums filled with poppy alt.rock. But Crooked, Crooked Rain struck a balance between all of these records, topped-off by Pavement's one and only hit song "Cut Your Hair". CR, CR also contains the greatest number of memorable songs than any other Pavement album: "Silent Kit," "Elevate Me Later," "Stop Breathin," and "Gold Soundz" have catchy hooks and lyrics that could only have come from the genius mind of Stephen Malkmus. Hell, even their parody of Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" ("5/4=Unity") is pretty neat and doesn't come across as a total joke. Just give this album a chance and it is guaranteed to move you--if not by the first track, then hopefully by the time Malkmus and Co. roll around to the majestic guitar jam "Fillmore Jive"."Slint SpiderlandThe Blue Nile HatsThe National Boxer4.5 superbBonnie 'Prince' Billy I See a DarknessGretchen Parlato The Lost and Found'The Lost and Found' is the most mature, understated effort from a singer who is sure to become one of the leading lights in vocal jazz. Parlato has a such a pure tone, and sings with an intimacy as if she's whispering softly in your ear all her secrets and desires. The band that backs her is just as tight, smooth, and technically impressive: drummer Kendrick Scott and pianist Taylor Eigsti's subtly virtuosic performances give the arrangements a textural and rhythmic complexity not heard on most vocal jazz albums. Although many of the songs here could be described as "hushed," they never bore, maintaining a kind of quiet intensity that keeps the listener hung on every breathy note. The versatility of Parlato and her band is nearly unparalleled as they hop from R&B ("All That I Can Say") to Brazilian ("Alo, Alo") to post-bop impressionism ("JuJu"). Parlato is a vocal force to be reckoned with; she carries a distinctive allure in her phrasing that is absolutely stunning. I look forward to seeing Gretchen and Co. live, in order to experience the beauty of her voice in person. Until then, I'll keep this record spinning (metaphorically) on my iPod, continually awed by each and every song.Meat Puppets Meat Puppets IIMeat Puppets II is unquestionably one of hardcore punk's most seminal albums. The Kirkwood Bros., along with drummer Derrick Bostrom, were among first punk-rockers to seamlessly blend '80s hardcore with country, folk, and bluegrass and then wrap it all up in a vaguely unsettling psychedelic atmosphere. Besides Television's Marquee Moon, this just might be one of the few punk albums to ever have honest-to-god musical roots in the music and guitar playing of the late great Jerry Garcia. Meat Puppets II is a songwriting-based punk album, in the vein of Murmur by REM. Like Murmur, Meat Puppets II is virtually flawless although "Lake of Fire" is the finest tune on here. Give Meat Puppets II a spin--or a million spins for that matter: it's as mind-blowing as any hallucinogen found in the Arizona desert.Miles Davis Bitches BrewMorphine YesThe Blue Nile A Walk Across the RooftopsThe National High Violet4.0 excellentMadvillain MadvillainyMF DOOM is, in many respects, the Thomas Pynchon of rap; he squeezes in odd similes and pop culture references so obscure, it's sometimes hard to tell what the f__k he's rappin' about! Many of Madvillain's "songs" are just extended verses that segue into one another via narration about the eponymous comic book villain. Madlib keeps the beats simple and the samples sparse (and original, e.g. Steve Reich, Frank Zappa, an accordion) laying down the beat for DOOM to show off his amazing flow, which is the aural equivalent of skimming an encyclopedia). I'm by no means a huge hip-hop/rap fan, but Madvillain just bursts with quirkiness and artistic merit usually not found in hip-hop. This is one of the first hip-hop albums I listened to and said, "Man, this is interesting!" and now it holds its reputation as my favorite album of its kind.Miles Davis AghartaMorphine Cure for PainTTNG AnimalsFor over a year I've kept returning again and again to this album, and each time I listen This Town Needs Guns' songs they still feel fresh and exciting. The music is beautiful yet complex, a la Owls or American Football, but with better (read: in tune) vocals and more memorable melodies. The synergy between brothers Tim (guitar) and Chris (drums) Collis is palpable throughout, and the vocals of Stuart Smith manage to transform what would otherwise be overwhelming slabs of cerebral math rock into melodically-rich, even catchy, love songs. TTNG certainly have a sound--one that can be most directly traced back to the late '90s work of the Kinsella brothers--but I wouldn't say that they are entirely derivative; TTNG prefer brisker tempos and hammered-on guitar to the languid post-emo of the aforementioned Kinsellas' work. I'm looking forward to TTNG's future offerings; I hope to hear their sound develop to include a broader range of influences.
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