Category: Alternative
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Basement ‘Colourmeinkindness’ (2012)
One of my favorite moments each week is my Saturday morning run. It’s a time for self reflection and “me” time after a hectic week of work and family, alongside a much-needed shot of exercise-induced adrenaline. It’s also a really great time for me to listen to some new music. Today’s album was Basement’s Colourmeinkindness,…
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Narrow Head ‘Satisfaction’ (2016)
I’ve been on a bit of a shoegaze and all of its offshoots kick lately and I stumbled upon Narrow Head during my exploration of that genre. The band draws plenty of inspiration from Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins with those fuzzy, layered guitars and a warm wall of sound that walks that fine line between…
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Slowdive ‘Souvlaki’ (1994)
Souvlaki was marked by some pretty unfortunate circumstances from the outset. Recorded after the band scrapped an entire batch of recording sessions (40 full and completed songs that they simply discarded) it came out in 1993 right as the British press decided that they had enough of shoegaze. The label troubles didn’t make things easier…
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Plain White T’s ‘All That We Needed’ (2005)
Despite the fact that I binge listened to “Hey There Delilah” in high school (along with 99.6% of my graduating class), saw Plain White T’s live at an L3 when they opened for The Matches, and consider Jimmy Eat World one of my favorite bands of all-time (more on that in a second), I never…
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Muse ‘Absolution’ (2003)
In the pantheon of great alternative rock bands in my generation there’s few who come close to Muse in my book. This is a band who simply isn’t just fun to listen to (although they most certainly are) but also frankly a band who made me recognize the transformative nature of what rock music can…
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Nova Twins ‘Parasites & Butterflies’ (2025)
Parasites & Butterflies is a fun romp through modern rock, blending hip hop and dubstep and pop together over highly energetic nu-metal esque instrumentation. Think Cardi B meets Muse meets Skrillex (especially on “N.O.V.A”) and you’re on the right track. I don’t know if this album has much if any staying power for me but…
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Stone Temple Pilots ‘Core’ (1992)
Stone Temple Pilots came together in San Diego in the late 1980s when soon-to-be legendary rock vocalist Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo bonded over a shared love of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Aerosmith. Along with Robert’s brother Dean and Eric Kretz they began refining a sound that combined heavy riff-driven rock…
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Daughtry ‘Daughtry’ (2006)
I used to watch American Idol pretty consistently with my mom when I was growing up and remember Daughtry being a pretty awesome edition to one of the earlier seasons of the show. He was (is) an incredible rock singer on a show that didn’t have many of them which always stuck out to me.…
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The Jump Cuts ‘What A Fun Way To Kill Some Time’ (2025)
Every once in awhile I love to search the deep dark catacombs of Spotify to find unheralded bands super far off the beaten path. Basically the artists like me (shoutout Matthew., Related To Strangers, and Kindergarten Cartel) who outside of their supportive families haven’t quite cracked the big time just yet. So today I fired…
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Soul Asylum ‘Grave Dancers Union’ (1992)
Soul Asylum released Grave Dancers Union in 1992 and went platinum based off their hit single “Runaway Train”. The ballad quickly became the band’s defining hit and eventually earned them a Grammy for Best Rock Song. But its cultural impact extended far beyond MTV rotation as the music video famously featured images of missing children…
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Custard ‘Wisenheimer’ (1995)
If you’re a parent of a kid under the age of 8 years old you are well aware of the Australian TV show Bluey. We covered the album a few years back, but the headline is that over a seven-minute episode the show will have you crying, laughing, and reflecting on how beautiful this time…
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Bloodhound Gang ‘Hooray For Boobies’ (1999)
Bloodhound Gang is one of those bands that only could have really blown up in the late 90’s. I remember being in middle school and laughing my absolute ass off after hearing their hit single “The Bad Touch” on the radio. I think it was on 92.3 KSJO, which definitely had an edgier sound, but…
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Midnight Oil ‘Diesel And Dust’ (1987)
I was taking a sauna with my dad earlier today and got to chatting about some of his favorite bands from the 80’s. He mentioned Midnight Oil as one of those bands that sort of flew under the radar commercially in Minnesota at the time but one that he always connected with on both a…
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Bilmuri ‘American Motor Sports’ (2024)
Bilmuri’s American Motor Sports is far from the most interesting conglomeration of music genres I’ve listened to over the past three years (that honor would go to Carmen’s 1973 album Fandangos In Space which blended flamenco music with prog-rock sensibilities) but it’s certainly an album that has stuck with me in a similar fashion. American…
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Nada Surf ‘High/Low’ (1996)
Nada Surf’s High/Low is one of those albums that sound nostalgic as soon as you hear it. Produced by Ric Ocasek, the album captures the band’s knack for writing emotionally direct songs wrapped in fuzzy guitars and simple arrangements where nary a note is wasted. While “Popular” became the breakout hit thanks to its sarcastic…
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They Might Be Giants ‘Flood’ (1990)
They Might Be Giants’s Flood is sort of this mad scientist pop rock experiment, one that’s equal parts absurdist theater, brainy satire, and manic energy. The album is most certainly a complete nerdfest, but it’s rewarding in its relative absurdity.
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Echo & the Bunnymen ‘Heaven Up Here’ (1981)
I’ve been on a bit of a sad boi kick lately which means Echo & the Bunnymen’s Heaven up Here is an obvious choice to take for a spin. This album is the sound of a band abandoning jangly romanticism for something murky and introspective.
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The Cure ‘Pornography’ (1982)
By 1982 The Cure had reached a breaking point. Pornography was the final installment in their so-called goth trilogy from the early 80’s and it sure as hell sounds like a band clawing its way through darkness while barely holding it together.
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Webbed Wing ‘What’s So Fucking Funny?’ (2021)
Taylor Madison, best known for his work with Superheaven, leans deep into 90s nostalgia with his project Webbed Wing in all the best ways. Thicc-ass guitar tones, sharp songwriting, and a real warmth to the production that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a beat up couch in your parent’s living room watching Home…
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Wheatus ‘Wheatus’ (2000)
Wheatus’ self-titled debut was an album I never listened to in full until about two weeks ago. And while it’s a solid offering front to back, the album was really a delivery system for their single “Teenage Dirtbag” which still to this day remains an iconic late 90’s/early aughts alternative rock song. This the kind…
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Bayside ‘Bayside’ (2005)
Bayside is part of a rare breed of bands from the mid-aughts who despite being really good 20 years ago might be even better today. Their 2024 album There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive is an absolute banger, rivaled in stature only by their second album Bayside which we’ll be covering today. All the…
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The Unband ‘Retarder’ (2000)
Known for their wild live shows that featured on-stage antics like vomiting, lighting fires, and stripping on stage, The Unband are certainly a chip off the ol’ block when it comes to good ol’ fashioned rock and roll. Their music embraces the same reckless hedonism that their live shows celebrated, taking a page out of…
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R.E.M. ‘Out of Time’ (1991)
With Out of Time R.E.M. transitioned from beloved college rock icons to full-fledged international superstars, crafting an album that expanded their jangly guitars into a world of strings, horns, and unexpected guest musicians. While still maintaining their signature introspective lyricism, the album took on a more brooding, atmospheric tone, trading some of their earlier urgency…
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Inhaler ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ (2021)
Inhaler’s It Won’t Always Be Like This was a fresh and energetic debut that blends the shimmering synth-pop of the 1980s with the raw edge of modern indie rock, creating a sound that draws on nostalgia while keeping things fresh and new. Drawing clear inspiration from bands like The Killers, The Strokes, Kings of Leon,…
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Incubus ‘Make Yourself’ (1999)
Make Yourself was a musical revelation for me the first time I heard it. It was one of the first albums I can remember playing on repeat on my trusty blue Sony Walkman CD player. This album legitimately went everywhere with me in the early 2000’s– baseball practice, family road trips, walks to a friend’s…
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Linkin Park ‘Hybrid Theory’ (2000)
In 2000 I was in seventh grade when Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory dropped. At that point I was starting to get into some of the nu-metal bands (as I discussed in my write up for Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other) but once Linkin Park stormed onto the scene it sort of redefined the possibilities of rap-rock…
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Dredg ‘Catch Without Arms’ (2005)
Growing up in the Bay Area I always felt a special connection to the local music scene and the bands that came from it. Dredg was one of those band for me– they formed just down the road from my hometown in Los Gatos, CA and had a pretty big pop into the mainstream when…
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The Killers ‘Hot Fuss’ (2004)
The Killers’ Hot Fuss remains one of the most electrifying debut albums in alternative rock history, a record that blends the grandeur of synthesizer-driven melodies with the grit of heavy, intricate guitar work. Tracks like “Mr. Brightside” showcase the band’s technical prowess, with its instantly recognizable riff being deceptively difficult to play (seriously that thing…
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The Goo Goo Dolls ‘Dizzy up the Girl’ (1998)
Buffalo, New York in the mid-80s was the unassuming cradle of The Goo Goo Dolls, a scrappy trio carving their niche in the hardcore punk scene. With John Rzeznik’s gritty guitar riffs and Robby Takac’s punk ethos their sound was raw and in your face aggressive (yes, really). They were far from the polished, radio-friendly…
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Wunderhorse ‘Cub’ (2022)
Two years ago I set out on a mission to listen to one album per day. I’m beginning year 3 of that journey starting today, and there’s no album more fitting to kick off 2025 with than Wunderhorse’s debut album Cub. It’s an album that demands to be listened as a cohesive whole, and one…
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Sunny Day Real Estate ‘Diary’ (1994)
Diary came during a time when grunge dominated the airwaves but despite the fact Sunny Day Real Estate was based in grunge’s birthplace of Seattle their unique blend of post-hardcore and emo rock was able to cut through the noise (it also didn’t hurt that frontman Jeremy Enigk could channel the hell out of Kurt…
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Momma ‘Household Name’ (2022)
If you’re like me you love 90’s alternative rock and Momma’s Household Name is without a doubt a love letter to that bygone era, bringing the raw, unapologetic energy of grunge back to life with a fresh indie twist. Channeling the rebellious spirit of bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement, and Hole by weaving those…
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Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’ (2013)
Arctic Monkeys had somewhat of a second coming with their fifth studio album AM in that they did what has been nearly impossible for British rock bands over the last 40 years– completely take over American radio stations well over a decade into their career. The journey began years earlier when they harnessed the power…
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Queens of the Stone Age ‘Songs for the Deaf’ (2002)
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has always been a personal favorite of mine. He’s an alternative rock juggernaut, with a drugged-out and sleazy vibe that immediately makes you feel like you’re halfway through a bottle of tequila every time you hear him play. He plays like the guitar with an almost Medieval…
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Fontaines D.C. ‘Romance’ (2024)
I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Washington DC a few weekends ago (absolutely splendid time) and he started playing me a few songs off a few playlists he put together. My brother has always had an incredible ear for new and interesting music, stuff that’s sort of off the beaten path while still…
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At the Drive-In ‘Relationship of Command’ (2000)
At The Drive-In’s Relationship of Command stands as a watershed moment in the post-hardcore genre, blending frenetic energy with intricate lyrical depth. Released in 2000, the album captures the raw intensity of the band’s sound, characterized by Omar Rodríguez-López’s frenetic guitar work and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s impassioned vocal delivery. Tracks like “One Armed Scissor” and “Pattern…
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