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Roberta Flack ‘First Take’ (1969)
Roberta Flack’s debut album First Take was initially a commercial disappointment. But like most things in life it just took some time– two years after the album was released her song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was included in the soundtrack for the 1971 film Play Misty For Me, and the album…
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Buddy Holly ‘Buddy Holly’ (1958)
Buddy Holly’s impact on rock and roll is profound and enduring. He shaped the genre’s evolution in a few pivotal ways, from his innovative approach to songwriting and his distinctive style which set a new standard for rock and roll. With hits like “Peggy Sue” and “Everyday”, Holly’s sound combined energetic rhythms with a blend…
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Gene Clark ‘No Other’ (1974)
Gene Clark is best known for his time with The Byrds during the mid-60’s, but his solo work that followed is truly where he began to shine as an artist. His album No Other is honestly somewhat of a lost masterpiece, similar in a way to Dennis Wilson’s magnum opus Pacific Ocean Blue— two great…
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LCD Soundsystem ‘Sound of Silver’ (2007)
LCD Soundsystem’s 2007 album Sound of Silver is a dutiful exploration of dance-punk and electronic music, showcasing lead singer and primary songwriter James Murphy’s penchant for artistry. Building on the success of their eponymous debut album. Murphy’s production combines vintage analog equipment with modern technology, achieving a rich, layered texture that defines the album. His…
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The Jesus Lizard ‘Goat’ (1991)
With their second album Goat the noise-rock band The Jesus Lizard—fronted by the enigmatic David Yow and featuring guitarist Duane Denison, bassist David Wm Sims, and drummer Mac McNeilly—began crafting a unique sound that combined elements of punk, noise, and avant-garde. Their aggressive, visceral approach was further refined with the release of Goat, showcasing their…
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Patrick Stump ‘Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends’ (2024)
As a parent of two young kids you get exposed to (dare I say completely deluged with) programming geared toward children, from TV shows to music to toys. And while some of it is relatively disposable and grating, there exists some really solid offerings that you can’t help but sing along to– Bluey is filled…
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Slayer ‘Show No Mercy’ (1983)
In the damp, dimly lit corners of Los Angeles in 1983, four young men carved their path into heavy metal history with the release of Show No Mercy. The album was completely self-financed, with lead singer Tom Araya using the life savings he earned as a respiratory therapist and guitarist Kerry King’s father chipping in…
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Rüfüs Du Sol ‘Bloom’ (2016)
Rüfüs Du Sol’s ability to take atmospheric electronic music and transform it into something that feels inspirational is a true gift. 2016’s Bloom, probably the most popular album in their discography, saw the band operating at their creative zenith. The Australian trio crafts a compelling soundscape that blends gorgeously blended vocals with sophisticated production, creating…
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Joan Armatrading ‘Joan Armatrading’ (1976)
Standing somewhere in between the hazy folk singer-songwriter vibes of the early 70’s and the more grandiose classic rock production that would come latter in the decade, Joan Armatrading’s self-titled third album has a really sly way of working its way into your headspace over the entirety of its ten songs. It’s an intimate treatise…
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The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Siamese Dream’ (1993)
Released in 1993, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream stands as a defining artifact of 90s alternative rock, capturing a pivotal moment in the genre’s evolution. At a time when grunge was peaking with albums like Nirvana’s 1991 magnum opus Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten, Siamese Dream emerged as a bold statement, blending the…
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Fall Out Boy ‘Take This To Your Grave’ (2003)
Despite the fact that Fall Out Boy is absolutely one of the most prolific pop punk bands of all-time and their debut album Take This To Your Grave was released only two years after Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler and four years following Blink-182’s 1999 album Enema of The State, in my mind the…
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LL Cool J ‘Radio’ (1985)
LL Cool J’s Radio remains a seminal work in the history of hip-hop. At the time of its release it was a bold declaration of LL’s lyrical prowess and Rick Rubin’s innovative production techniques, defining an era with its raw lo-fi beats, LL’s charismatic flow, and the blend of old school and new school hip…
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David Bowie ‘Space Oddity’ (1969)
Before David Bowie was a transformational rock star whose ability to effortlessly shapeshift between baroque pop, psychedelic rock, electronic rock, neo-soul, and dance music had fully taken shape he was a struggling artist whose career was very much at the crossroads. After his self-titled dance hall record David Bowie was a flop commercially, Bowie showed…
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Roy Ayers Ubiquity ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ (1976)
Roy Ayers is the godfather of neo-soul, setting off on a prolific career in the 1970’s that saw him churn out nearly an album per year. Along with his timeless classic “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” (the title track off this album– more on that in a minute), Ayers is also known for his stature in…
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Turnpike Troubadours ‘Diamonds & Gasoline’ (2010)
Turnpike Troubadours’ sophomore album Diamonds and Gasoline is the embodiment of what I would define as contemporary Americana music. Blending country, folk, and roots rock, the band weaves together a captivating tapestry of storytelling and musical craftsmanship that ruminate on love, loss, and life. These themes are set on top of familiar backdrops of Americana…
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Eminem ‘The Slim Shady LP’ (1999)
In my generation there were few albums which had more of a cultural impact than Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP. The album’s gratuitous depictions of violence, drug usage, and feelings of anti-social behavior (a euphemism if there ever was one) absolutely took the world by storm when it was first released in 1999 and led…
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Gene Woods ‘Love & Protest’ (2022)
Alongside my passion for writing and recording my own music I work in sales for a software company that supports nurses in the health care industry. My mom has been a NICU nurse for 30+ years so the opportunity to help nurses provide better care for patients was a natural fit for my unique skill…
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Prefab Sprout ‘From Langley Park To Memphis’ (1988)
Shiny and glittery, Prefab Sprout’s third album From Langley Park To Memphis is a trip down memory lane into the world of late 80’s sophisti-pop. This entire album is a colorful collection of immaculately produced New Wave pop songs that sparkle at every turn, a catchy and fun ride that makes you want to tuck…
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Two Door Cinema Club ‘Tourist History’ (2010)
Jangly and energetic guitar-driven Indie Rock was all the rage during the late aughts and early 2010’s, especially across the pond in Europe. Irish-based Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album Tourist History (aptly named after their hometown of Bangor which is a popular tourist destination) is one of those albums that somewhat flew under the…
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TV on the Radio ‘Return to Cookie Mountain’ (2006)
Return to Cookie Mountain was released during my freshman year of high school. One of my new friends in that class burned me a copy to listen to and I distinctly remember the feeling I had when I first heard “I Was a Lover”. It was a feeling of wonderment, strangeness, and utter disbelief. Being…
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Casiopea ‘Casiopea’ (1979)
Japanese jazz fusion group Casiopea has been around for a minute ever since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1979. The band has gone through multiple lineup changes and released over 40 albums in their nearly 50-year career, constantly pushing the envelope of funk and jazz into the far off corners of the fusion genre.…
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Ingrid Andress ‘Good Person’ (2022)
If you’re at all plugged into the internet over the past 24 hours you probably saw Ingrid Andress get absolutely roasted for her performance of the National Anthem at last night’s MLB Home Run Derby. The internet can be a pretty cruel place and oftentimes more critical than is actually deserving, but this time they…
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The Cranberries ‘No Need to Argue’ (1994)
Dolores O’Riordan’s vocal style was iconic in a way that was often compared to Sinead O’Connor, both for their illustrious high notes, Irish accents, and ability to make every single song they sang on feel intimate and powerful. There is a bleak poetic note to the fact that both O’Connor and O’Riordan both dealt with…
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Barry Can’t Swim ‘When Will We Land’ (2023)
Barry Can’t Swim’s debut album When Will We Land is an incredible experience. I was first introduced to him at a bachelor party in Cabo a few months ago by one of the groom’s cousins and I’ve been casually hooked on it ever since. At face value it’s an electronic dance album in the vein…
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Bertie Higgins ‘Just Another Day In Paradise’ (1982)
I was legitimately obsessed for Bertie Higgins song “Key Largo” about five years ago, around the time my first child was born. And when I say obsessed I mean obsessed– I played it about three times a day for an entire calendar month and it ended up on my Spotify Wrapped at the end of…
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My Bloody Valentine ‘Loveless’ (1991)
Every once in awhile an album comes along that completely changes the trajectory of music history. The Velvet Underground inspired a legion of miscreants to start their own bands in 1967 with their lo-fi avant garde production quality, Eric B. & Rakim’s 1987 magnum opus Paid In Full introduced complex rhyme structures that changed the…
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Horace Silver ‘The Stylings of Silver’ (1957)
Horace Silver’s album The Stylings of Silver is a tidy romp through the hard bop genre which showcases Silver’s distinct blend of rhythmic innovation and melodic sophistication. Featuring a formidable lineup of pianist Silver, trumpeter Art Farmer, saxophonist Hank Mobley, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Louis Hayes, the record combines intricate jazz arrangements with Silver’s…
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Simple Plan ‘No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls’ (2002)
During the rise of pop punk in the early aughts there were a ton of bands that plied their trade on MTV’s Total Request Live. Few were better than capturing the silly teen angst of being a 13-year old than Simple Plan, whose debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls captured exactly what it felt…
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No Pressure ‘No Pressure’ (2022)
I’ve been a huge fan of The Story So Far for a long time now. Their album Proper Dose is one of my favorite pop punk albums of all-time, a seminal record in the genre. As I wrote earlier about it: Whether it be the perils of substance abuse (“Keep This Up”) or a triumphant…
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Looking Glass ‘Looking Glass’ (1972)
When my wife and I were first seriously dating she played me Looking Glass’ hit single “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”. I don’t remember if I had ever heard the song before, either on a yacht rock radio station or otherwise, but what I do remember is that I’ll never forget that moment. The way…
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Forever The Sickest Kids ‘Forever The Sickest Kids’ (2010)
There was a brief moment in the late aughts where neon pop punk reigned supreme. That genre adopted all the elements from the early 2000’s pop punk wave of bands like Blink-182, The Starting Line, and Fall Out Boy and took it a step further, introducing even more formal power pop song structural elements and…
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Spiral Starecase ‘More Today Than Yesterday’ (1969)
The career of Spiral Starecase was a brief one– the band broke up a mere 18 months after their debut album was released, marred by infighting and legal disputes amongst the band members. But before they burned out they released one of the greatest oldies hits of all-time in “More Today Than Yesterday”, a soulful…
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Chris Isaak ‘Heart Shaped World’ (1989)
Chris Isaak’s blend of moody rockabilly drenched in reverb and magic dust is a haunting blend. Heart Shaped World features a sort of expertise for uncanny world-building that is immediately gripping the moment you first hear it. It sounds like a live concert put on by a 50’s rock and roll band taking place in…
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Chappell Roan ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ (2023)
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess reminds me a whole helluva lot of a combination of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Cyndi Lauper, which certainly makes sense considering her aesthetic and musical inspirations. Roan takes a lot from Swift’s melodic traits, blends it together with 80’s synth pop, and adds a…
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Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (1977)
Bat Out of Hell is the first edition of the musical trilogy that made Meat Loaf a household name over the course of four decades. Bat Out of Hell and its two companion albums (1993’s Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell which features his most famous song “”I’d Do Anything for Love (But…
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The Mother Hips ‘Pacific Dust’ (2009)
The Mother Hips are somewhat of a Bay Area institution having delivered their brand of 90’s alternative meets 70’s classic rock for over 30 years now. Pacific Dust carries on the spirit of what has made The Mother Hips such a fixture in the Northern California music scene– dynamic guitar parts, rock-steady rhythm section, and…
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About the Author
Jason Matthew Plank listens to copious amounts of music and writes about one album each day. He is currently active in the bands Related to Strangers (post-hardcore) and Kindergarten Cartel (punk covers of children’s nursery rhymes).
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