1993: Afghan Whigs -- Gentlemen
man, this album is so suave, approaching sleazy, and every time I listen to it I feel like this dude in his early thirties who still hits on barely legal girls in bars and yet he still manages to seem pretty cool and not like a creeper, even though you know he's a creeper, logically. lol and I am a 16 year old girl so that's a pretty impressive feat. that bassline on "Debonair" deserves special mention because it's amazing. also, the growly vocals on "Gentlemen" are rad.
1994: Jeff Buckley -- Grace
oh christ, for some reason I thought this album was more late 80s or early 90s, I had no idea I was alive when it was released. okay I'm sort of teary-eyed now. jeff buckleyyy man why did you have to die so young. anyway, this album is pretty much a masterpiece. the first song I heard from it was (predictably) "hallelujah" when I was a kid, but I rediscovered it when I got older and fell in love, then eventually got the whole album and realized the whole damn thing is phenomenal. "grace" and "lover, you should've come over" especially. buckley has probably one of the best male singing voices I've ever heard.
1995: The Mountain Goats -- Zopilote Machine
"going to georgia", I just have to sing along to this song every single time, and the line "the world throws its light underneath your hair" makes me want to just lay flat on the floor every time I hear it, it's that good. john darnielle is amazing in general and I won't say this is his best album, but his lyrics here are phenomenal as always and the lo-fi production is an awesome touch.
1996: Modest Mouse -- Interstate 8
I am a huge sucker for early Modest Mouse. this isn't even my favorite album by them (haha, I get the feeling I'll be repeating that line over and over) but "Interstate 8" is such an addictive song, and I've listened to "Sleepwalking" on repeat for hours and hours some nights. "Tundra Desert" kinda makes my face explode when the angry part kicks in. the guitar on "Broke" is so lush, it sort of reminds me of water trickling down a window, the way it descends really fast over and over (this isn't my favorite version of the song though). and "edit the sad parts" is probably one of the most emotional MM songs I can think of.
1997: Elliott Smith -- Either/Or
I remember when I first started listening to Elliott Smith, the way he sang sort of high-pitched and breathy sometimes, where he was straining his voice at the top of his range, it bugged me. but now I love it. idk, acquired taste I guess. "Between the Bars" always makes me sad, but not crying-sad, more like lay-in-bed stare-at-the-ceiling feel-despondent sad. it's a gorgeous song. and "2:45 AM," sometimes I've been awake at that exact time listening to this, and it almost scares me how well it fits that time of night.
1998: Neutral Milk Hotel -- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
seriously, I could tell you about how "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" makes me feel like I'm flying through space, or how "Holland 1945" makes me want to do this really dorky freaking out dance, or how "Two-headed boy Pt. 2" is one of the greatest softest album closers ever. but all I really need to say is
IIIIIIIIIIII LOOOOOOVE YOUUUUU JESUUUUUS CHRIIIIIIST
1999: Mindless Self Indulgence -- Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy
this is such a hot mess of an album and I love it to pieces. jimmy urine is such a weird motherfucker and he makes pretty awesome tunes. all those clips of him talking to the audience make me really, really want to see MSI live.
2000: Bright Eyes -- Fevers and Mirrors
has it seriously been almost 10 years since this album came out? i- that is nuts. i don't like the idea of conor getting old. shit. anyway, this is conor oberst in all his warbly-vocals, desperate-lyrics glory. "haligh haligh a lie haligh" was the first bright eyes song i ever heard, and the last lines and the last few guitar notes still give me chills. "you said the choices were given/now you must live them/or just not live,/but do you want that?" and "the calendar hung itself" might be my favorite bright eyes song of all.
2001: Regina Spektor -- 11:11
regina spektor is such a weird, awesome girl. i love the way she sings and her lyrics and her twinkly little piano. "buildings" always weirds me out a little, in a good way, how it sounds so happy but the lyrics are so sad when you think about them. and "braille" was one of the first regina songs I heard, about three years ago, and I remember listening to it over and over with my arms on a windowsill, thinking it was sad but still hopeful. "2.99 cent blues" is always fun. oh man, especially with the ethan frome reference. regina kills me every time when she writes about books.
2002: The Decemberists -- Castaways and Cutouts
this album has ATMOSPHERE, and I want to capitalize that because seriously, ATMOSPHERE. you listen to it and you're like shit, colin meloy, you are not even a product of the 20th/21st centuries, so stop pretending. "here i dreamt i was an architect" - I'm not sure how but this song just never, ever gets old. you can listen to it on repeat for ages and come back to it a week later and it's still just as fresh and amazing, every time. and "grace cathedral hill" is so soft and gorgeous. I want to walk around a city at night listening to this.
2003: The Postal Service -- Give Up
when I listen to this album, I don't skip a single song. imo that's a pretty high compliment because there are few albums on which i love every song, i mean genuinely LOVE every song, not just "can tolerate" each one. this album was my anthem in 8th grade, especially "nothing better" and "the district sleeps alone tonight," which are two of my favorite songs ever. "sleeping in" had the honor of the highest playcount on my old computer, like 150 i think, which is a ton for me- i've had this laptop for a year and the highest playcount isn't even 40.
2004: Iron & Wine -- Our Endless Numbered Days
this is autumn music. or falling-asleep music. or walking in slightly cold weather music, with a scarf and a hat and gloves. sam beam has such a lovely calm voice and his guitar, when i think of "acoustic guitar" this is what I think of. "sodom, south georgia" is one of the most lovely songs I've ever heard, especially the lyrics. actually, the lyrics in general on this album are stunning.
2005: Animal Collective -- Feels
Feels. oh my god, Feels. favorite album ever. don't know how to describe it any better than that. there is no better "falling in love" song on this PLANET than "the purple bottle," and "loch raven" makes me feel like I'm falling down in circles through space, and "banshee beat" is like summer in 8 minutes.
2006: Brand New -- The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
I have sat around and been despondent to the song "jesus christ" more times than can possibly be counted.
2007: Beirut -- The Flying Club Cup
so Zach Condon is this 22 year old kid from New Mexico, but he spent a summer backpacking in Europe getting drunk with the natives, and now he makes music that sounds like a Balkan orchestra from heaven. that's what this album sounds like. Eastern European heaven.
2008: Sigur Ros -- Með suð I eyrum við spilum endalaust
when this album came out, I didn't listen to anything else for a full week, which is unusual for me. it was amazing how it went from the happy-get-dancey "gobbledigook" down to "all alright," which I still remember as being so soft and sad. anyway, i was really fond of those long, orchestral middle songs, and now I'd say I gravitate more toward the happier beginning two, but all of this album is amazing and it brings up a lot of really strong memories for me which is cool.
2009: Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
ADOBE SLABS
man, this album is so suave, approaching sleazy, and every time I listen to it I feel like this dude in his early thirties who still hits on barely legal girls in bars and yet he still manages to seem pretty cool and not like a creeper, even though you know he's a creeper, logically. lol and I am a 16 year old girl so that's a pretty impressive feat. that bassline on "Debonair" deserves special mention because it's amazing. also, the growly vocals on "Gentlemen" are rad.
1994: Jeff Buckley -- Grace
oh christ, for some reason I thought this album was more late 80s or early 90s, I had no idea I was alive when it was released. okay I'm sort of teary-eyed now. jeff buckleyyy man why did you have to die so young. anyway, this album is pretty much a masterpiece. the first song I heard from it was (predictably) "hallelujah" when I was a kid, but I rediscovered it when I got older and fell in love, then eventually got the whole album and realized the whole damn thing is phenomenal. "grace" and "lover, you should've come over" especially. buckley has probably one of the best male singing voices I've ever heard.
1995: The Mountain Goats -- Zopilote Machine
"going to georgia", I just have to sing along to this song every single time, and the line "the world throws its light underneath your hair" makes me want to just lay flat on the floor every time I hear it, it's that good. john darnielle is amazing in general and I won't say this is his best album, but his lyrics here are phenomenal as always and the lo-fi production is an awesome touch.
1996: Modest Mouse -- Interstate 8
I am a huge sucker for early Modest Mouse. this isn't even my favorite album by them (haha, I get the feeling I'll be repeating that line over and over) but "Interstate 8" is such an addictive song, and I've listened to "Sleepwalking" on repeat for hours and hours some nights. "Tundra Desert" kinda makes my face explode when the angry part kicks in. the guitar on "Broke" is so lush, it sort of reminds me of water trickling down a window, the way it descends really fast over and over (this isn't my favorite version of the song though). and "edit the sad parts" is probably one of the most emotional MM songs I can think of.
1997: Elliott Smith -- Either/Or
I remember when I first started listening to Elliott Smith, the way he sang sort of high-pitched and breathy sometimes, where he was straining his voice at the top of his range, it bugged me. but now I love it. idk, acquired taste I guess. "Between the Bars" always makes me sad, but not crying-sad, more like lay-in-bed stare-at-the-ceiling feel-despondent sad. it's a gorgeous song. and "2:45 AM," sometimes I've been awake at that exact time listening to this, and it almost scares me how well it fits that time of night.
1998: Neutral Milk Hotel -- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
seriously, I could tell you about how "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" makes me feel like I'm flying through space, or how "Holland 1945" makes me want to do this really dorky freaking out dance, or how "Two-headed boy Pt. 2" is one of the greatest softest album closers ever. but all I really need to say is
IIIIIIIIIIII LOOOOOOVE YOUUUUU JESUUUUUS CHRIIIIIIST
1999: Mindless Self Indulgence -- Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy
this is such a hot mess of an album and I love it to pieces. jimmy urine is such a weird motherfucker and he makes pretty awesome tunes. all those clips of him talking to the audience make me really, really want to see MSI live.
2000: Bright Eyes -- Fevers and Mirrors
has it seriously been almost 10 years since this album came out? i- that is nuts. i don't like the idea of conor getting old. shit. anyway, this is conor oberst in all his warbly-vocals, desperate-lyrics glory. "haligh haligh a lie haligh" was the first bright eyes song i ever heard, and the last lines and the last few guitar notes still give me chills. "you said the choices were given/now you must live them/or just not live,/but do you want that?" and "the calendar hung itself" might be my favorite bright eyes song of all.
2001: Regina Spektor -- 11:11
regina spektor is such a weird, awesome girl. i love the way she sings and her lyrics and her twinkly little piano. "buildings" always weirds me out a little, in a good way, how it sounds so happy but the lyrics are so sad when you think about them. and "braille" was one of the first regina songs I heard, about three years ago, and I remember listening to it over and over with my arms on a windowsill, thinking it was sad but still hopeful. "2.99 cent blues" is always fun. oh man, especially with the ethan frome reference. regina kills me every time when she writes about books.
2002: The Decemberists -- Castaways and Cutouts
this album has ATMOSPHERE, and I want to capitalize that because seriously, ATMOSPHERE. you listen to it and you're like shit, colin meloy, you are not even a product of the 20th/21st centuries, so stop pretending. "here i dreamt i was an architect" - I'm not sure how but this song just never, ever gets old. you can listen to it on repeat for ages and come back to it a week later and it's still just as fresh and amazing, every time. and "grace cathedral hill" is so soft and gorgeous. I want to walk around a city at night listening to this.
2003: The Postal Service -- Give Up
when I listen to this album, I don't skip a single song. imo that's a pretty high compliment because there are few albums on which i love every song, i mean genuinely LOVE every song, not just "can tolerate" each one. this album was my anthem in 8th grade, especially "nothing better" and "the district sleeps alone tonight," which are two of my favorite songs ever. "sleeping in" had the honor of the highest playcount on my old computer, like 150 i think, which is a ton for me- i've had this laptop for a year and the highest playcount isn't even 40.
2004: Iron & Wine -- Our Endless Numbered Days
this is autumn music. or falling-asleep music. or walking in slightly cold weather music, with a scarf and a hat and gloves. sam beam has such a lovely calm voice and his guitar, when i think of "acoustic guitar" this is what I think of. "sodom, south georgia" is one of the most lovely songs I've ever heard, especially the lyrics. actually, the lyrics in general on this album are stunning.
2005: Animal Collective -- Feels
Feels. oh my god, Feels. favorite album ever. don't know how to describe it any better than that. there is no better "falling in love" song on this PLANET than "the purple bottle," and "loch raven" makes me feel like I'm falling down in circles through space, and "banshee beat" is like summer in 8 minutes.
2006: Brand New -- The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me
I have sat around and been despondent to the song "jesus christ" more times than can possibly be counted.
2007: Beirut -- The Flying Club Cup
so Zach Condon is this 22 year old kid from New Mexico, but he spent a summer backpacking in Europe getting drunk with the natives, and now he makes music that sounds like a Balkan orchestra from heaven. that's what this album sounds like. Eastern European heaven.
2008: Sigur Ros -- Með suð I eyrum við spilum endalaust
when this album came out, I didn't listen to anything else for a full week, which is unusual for me. it was amazing how it went from the happy-get-dancey "gobbledigook" down to "all alright," which I still remember as being so soft and sad. anyway, i was really fond of those long, orchestral middle songs, and now I'd say I gravitate more toward the happier beginning two, but all of this album is amazing and it brings up a lot of really strong memories for me which is cool.
2009: Animal Collective -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
ADOBE SLABS
