Intro

This page is dedicated to recording notes about the music I'm listening to, categorized by genre and dated. It's so that I can remember the albums I've enjoyed, my thoughts on them, and whether I'd listen to them again. I've decided as of the start of 2025 to listen to more new music. This journal isn't organized in an advanced way. Everything I listen to is just added to the top of this page, so you can read about what I've been listening to most recently. I also add the dates of when the albums are added to each section, as well as their genres, so if you come back later you can read my thoughts about new things I've heard, if you care. Enjoy!

Albums of the Month

This is where I make my selections of the albums I loved the most each month! I try to pick the one that influenced my music tastes the most that month, something new I fell in love with, or just the one I think stood out.

February 2025

Winner: [[#Random Access Memories Ten Year Anniversary Edition]] Runner Up: [[#always cloudy by saturdays at your place]] Honorable Mentions: [[#Volcano by Jungle]], [[#Brand New Eyes by Paramore]], [[#The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie]], [[#In Rainbows by Radiohead]], [[#Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard]], [[#Out of the Blue by Electric Light Orchestra]] This month was much much MUCH larger than the last one. I listened and logged 42 albums, some new, some re-listens. It was a great experience and a really nice pace. That's an average of move than one album per day. Honestly I'm surprised I made it through that much music. There were some great rediscoveries and amazing new recommendations. I now own all of this month's winners on vinyl aside from Nonagon Infinity. I'm so excited to continue exploring music.

This month's winner is the Ten Year Anniversary Edition of Random Access Memories. It's one of my favorite albums of all time, and I'm so glad I found this version of it. Give it a spin if you haven't! Runner up this month is always cloudy by saturdays at your place and it's one of my most beloved emo rock albums of the past few years. I found it through their song tarot cards and haven't stopped listening since. Honorable mentions this month include Jungle, Paramore, Bowie, Radiohead, Gizz, and ELO. You can find all of the reviews for these on this page - enjoy!

January 2025

Winner: [[#blink-182 by blink-182]] Runner Up: [[#Meteora by Linkin Park]] Honorable Mention: [[#Predicts the Future by Plumtree]], [[#Morning View by Incubus]], [[#Riot! By Paramore]] This was a big month for me, as I started listening to music at the start of the year. I hadn't started cataloguing or writing things down until the end though, so I'm only going to include the ones that I did record in this journal as part of my rankings here. Though I have to admit, it was HARD to make any decisions. I deliberated over this for a while before I came to any solid conclusions. So here they are! The albums that made my January.

If you haven't heard blink-182's self titled album yet, what are you doing reading this oh my god get to it. This is probably one of my favorite albums of all time. I love their pop punk sound, and I think everyone else will to. I own this on vinyl, and play sides A and B over and over. I can't recommend it enough! This was the album I listened to the most and felt the strongest connection to this month. It truly reminded me of things I was going through, and things I had been through. It's relatable, fun, exciting, and will have you jumping out of your seat.

Meteora by Linkin Park was the runner up, it's a grungy emo punk album that is probably one of the most influential pieces of art on my entire life. I find myself making decisions on what to wear, who to be, and how to process how I feel based off this music. It's a beautiful work of art that fills me with determination and anger in the healthiest and most engaging way possible. It's an album you listen to after you get hurt, and makes you remember that getting hurt is a real thing that happens to people. Get in there, thrash in your head, and feel like you're the strongest person ever while also feeling hurt.

Honorable mentions this month are some really cool albums, two of which from bands I hadn't heard before! Plumtree is a great pop punk group from the 90s out of Canada that made some of the best grrl pop punk I've ever heard. It's lighter and more peppy than modern grrl pop punk, but you'll get a kick out of it if you play it on your walk to work. Incubus was a band I had heard about for the longest time but never engaged with personally, and I can't believe how much I like them! I now own Morning View and the remade Morning View XXIII on CD and Vinyl! I'd love to see them in concert. The music is such a good vibe, and a great mix of classic, modern, and progressive rock. And finally, Riot! by Paramore shows up here too. How can it not? If I hadn't heard Meteora or blink-182's self titled, it would have more than likely been album of the month. It was even a contender for runner up. I own it on vinyl and CD, it's one of my all time favorites!

Albums (65 listened)

Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

Released 1973, Listened 03/01/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 To Write

All we Know is Falling by Paramore

To listen

Bark Your Head Off, Dog

To listen

Angles by The Strokes

To listen

Room on Fire by The Strokes

To listen

Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park

To listen

Random Access Memories Ten Year Anniversary Edition

Released 2023 (Logged 02/23/2025) Daft Punk is one of my favorite groups of all time, and is one of the first who turned me on to Electronic Music at all. I remember listening to Discovery when I was a kid and being entranced. I quickly listened through their backlog and ended up enjoying specific pieces of their work rather than all of it, but I still felt like they were simply gods of music. Random Access Memories came out just as I was entering highschool, and I didn't know anything about it at that point other than the fact it was just really, really, fucking good. It felt like I could break rules, love the sound, and just be myself when I heard it. This album holds a dear place in my heart for its truly remarkable sound. Each song holds its own in the context of the album as a whole. It's a six sided vinyl, and I picked it up on the day of writing this.

Side 1 holds Give Life Back to Music, which is a touchstone for all kinds of other genres. It's a banger that reminds you what kind of love you can find in sound. Everything on here has a wonderful guitar track backed up by what feels like one million synths (and a funkadelic bass to go along with it). Finding meaning in the music is what drives this record home. The Game of Love brings it out further, showing the true colors of what Daft Punk is about: Being human and feeling everything. The final Side 1 track is Giorgio by Moroder which features the man himself Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, as he talks through his life. When his story ends, he describes how the rules of music don't mean anything when you're making it, and that once you remove your previously conceived notions of what you can make, you begin to create new sounds that you love. Immediately after this, an orchestra, drum kit, and a wonderful group of synths lift you out of your seat, as you listen to an incredibly complex combination of sounds.

Side 2 opens with the track Within, which simply talks about hiding from yourself and trying to find out who you are. It's eerie listening to a synthetic voice try and find out who it is. It's an introspective sound that really makes you want to help it, but you can't, you're just helplessly listening. The second track is Instant Crush which is a track about falling in love instantly, featuring none other than the lead singer of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas. It's about being obsessed with someone, so much so that you can't be apart from them, but you also can't be with them. It fits the exact theme of the album, and brings the other perspective of the feeling of Love into play. Side 2 ends with the track, Lose Yourself to Dance featuring Pharrell Williams, who's smooth and warm tones create wonderful harmonies that make you want to clap along with the beat. His ability to execute on a track is unbeatable. He can sing with himself like no other artist I know. You can hear how hard he's trying to sing perfectly right there in the vinyl. If you listen closely you can even hear that each part was recorded separately, and none of it was reused. It makes the track feel all that more special.

Side 3 starts with Touch featuring artist Paul Williams, which is a haunting track recounting a robot's memory of being touched. It's scary to listen to, with overlapping and harmonic tones, as a ghostly synthetic voice remembers touch and wants more, which eventually breaks out into a crystal clear voice describing sensory inputs through analogies. It's so much fun to hear this synthetic being learn about being human "Touch where do you lead... I need something more..." The track evolves into what I can only describe as a mixture of orchestral and ragtime music, that just sounds fun and loving. It's a pure showcase of Daft Punk's ability to blend electronic and orchestral music in ways that create new sounds. The track ends with a ghostly harmony between three synthetic voices saying "Hold on... If love is the answer you're home." The song ends with a fully human voice saying "Touch sweet touch, you've almost convinced me I'm real... I need something more... I need something... more..." implying it was an overload. The immediate and sudden transition to Get Lucky is almost comedic, but I kind of love it. It's a clean and crisp track that can't be beat. Everyone knows this shit, it combines all of Daft Punk's best parts. Electronic music, funky bass lines, powerful synths, and wonderful vocals. It's currently their most listened to track on Spotify with 1.2 billion listens, about 1 billion views on YouTube, and loads others in other places. It's everything I love about Daft Punk, backed up with Pharrell's incredibly vocals. Side 3 concludes with Beyond, which opens with an amazing orchestral into what I think is one of the best sounding tracks on this whole album. The combination of the classic synths, the synthetic voice, and the acoustic drums pull off a classic yet real Daft Punk sound that I just don't think anyone can replicate. The lyrics talk about ascending to become alive, in a land beyond love, where you are the knife, you are the ocean. You are the light beyond the cloud, the end and the beginning, a world where time is not allowed. It makes you feel in control, engaged, and locked into listening. You can't just leave, but it also makes you feel welcome and so present.

Side 4 ends us slowly and calmly with four gracious tracks. Motherboard is a technical marvel. It feels like we're listening to the heartbeat of a computer. All of the elements moving in and out in such a complex fashion begin to feel almost dreamlike in nature. It's a track I could see many underrating just out of its sheer intensity but also non-uniformity. It reminds me a lot of their work from earlier albums, but powered up and more melodic. Fragments of Time carries us through a great flow that guides us through a weird space on the album. It's a wonderful track that reminds one to stay grounded. The busier background noise reminds us that life can move fast, but here, things only move as much as we want them to. Doin' It Right is another wonderful track about just listening to yourself, and feeling how you feel. It's about finding the right balance and "doing it right." Does that mean doing anything specific? No. It just means doing what's right for you. I think it's a great message that deserves as much time as it gets on the album. It's what discoteca is all about. The album ends with Contact, which is a full audio rendition of astronauts making contact with an alien species through music. It's a huge powerful crescendo that builds up to the very end, starting with an astronauts description of what's happening, seeing the flying saucer, and then the music takes hold, powering the track forward. It's a righteous and intense end to an otherwise perfect album.

Feel Something by Movements

Released 2017, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 I found this album through the song Full Circle while I was in my grunge phase. I listened to it over and over like some emo boy (as if I'm not one). The album was a treat. It's the kind of weird non-conforming emo that I like. Favorites on this album are Full Circle, Daylily, and Deep Red. One of the most difficult songs to listen to on this album is Deadly Dull, which tells the story of two people in love slowly losing their minds, once sharp and well maintained, now soft and dull. Unaware of the world around them. It's a little too far in the direction of "wow wait- this... this really hurts... oh my god..." for me to listen to on the regular. That being said, this album is a work of art, talking through themes of depression, anxiety, loss, heartbreak, and a tremendous amount of hurt. It's definitely one of the more intense, deep, moodier albums of my month. It's right in the alley of the kind of emo I like to listen to, with great vocals that make you wince, guitars that sound far away, drums that sound acoustic, and a bass that backs it all up.

always cloudy by saturdays at your place

Released 2023, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Oh man. Well. Here we are. More pop-punk indie alternative emo. This has to be one of my favorite genres of all time. I had heard the track tarot cards from this album a while ago when I was on my math-rock binge. Listening to this entire album was a treat, and I caught it right at the end of the month. It's so fucking good. The changing time signatures, the mopey vocals, filtered guitars, and acoustic drums make this feel incredibly real and raw, just like the lyrics that come with it. This isn't about being a good person, it's an album about recognizing that sometimes you're just a bad person. I've just purchased this on vinyl, and it'll be one of my favorite parts of my collection. It's incredibly indie-felt, raw, and real. Hearing someone talk so openly and honestly about how much they're degrading is, at times, just the kind of sad-sack level of chant I want to hear from a band. It makes me feel so at home just with what they have to say. There's something amazing to hear that we're all in this together, all alone, and all thrown sideways because of it. Every song on here is a banger, and should be treated with the highest level of musical respect for complex and intense musical skill. It's one of my highest recommendations for anyone looking out for emo whiny bullshit. Listen to it. You'll feel worse, and it'll feel great.

Life's Not Out To Get You by Neckdeep

Released 2015, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Was recommended to me by a friend after I said I was getting more into emo soft-rock. Honestly wasn't my cup. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I do think that it's a little too derivative of the genre itself. Every song in there sounds like something else I've heard on another album, and I don't really feel like it does anything to draw me in or make me feel more interested in the material. As I said, it's not bad, it's just not for me. I can see the appeal and totally get it - I think a lot of people feel this way about blink-182's self titled or Weezer's Blue Album. To each their own, not all new albums will be hitters.

Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Released 2016, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Apparently every single song in this album contains at least one element of every other song on the album, and I think that's insane. The entire thing was crafted to be listened to on a loop. It's incredibly driven and powerful. All of it reminds me of the feeling of racing. It's fast and agile and doesn't stop, but it's never dull or subtle. There's nuance in the way it presents its weird and specific time signatures. I love the folk-like usage of just seemingly random words that mean nothing, but sound amazing. My favorites from this album have to be Big Fig Wasp, Gamma Knife, Mr. Beat, and Evil Death Roll. This is an album I can spin at all hours of the day to empower any activity I'm doing, and I can let it got for as long as I want. It sounds like the infinite jam session that the title tells us it's going to be.

Quarters by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Released 2015, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Another gizz album back to back! I listened to this one out of curiosity, and I think I liked it less than Mind Fuzz, but I didn't dislike it. The first half of the album definitely sits more comfortably with me, The River and Infinite Rise are tracks I can really sit and chill to. As the album goes on it becomes a little too contemporary and abnormal for me to follow, but that may just be because I haven't heard enough of it yet. Either way - great listen! Four 10 minute and 10 second tracks that hit really well.

I'm in Your Mind Fuzz by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Released 2014, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 I have NO idea how I hadn't heard this earlier in my life. I've been on this planet for, what, 26 years? Seriously? And I'm only just now getting to this? A friend introduced me to this group, and at first I didn't really get it. Then eventually I thought to myself "wow this is like if the Grateful Dead were a prog rock group" and it immediately clicked. I'm shocked at how much fun I've been having with this album. The first six tracks have given me new meanings to the words Hot Water and Cellophane for no reason other than how groove-worthy they are. I love the direct musical inversions in I'm in Your Mind, I'm Not In Your Mind, and I'm in Your Mind Fuzz. It's hard to express, but those tracks all sound like they came from the same seed, and just grew randomly out in different directions. The Slow Jams on this album rock too. I feel like this is the kind of album I want to go for runs with. It's such a killer mood.

The New Abnormal by The Strokes

Released 2020, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Opening with The Adults Are Talking almost felt overkill. It's a super recognizable new-rock style with catchy tones and lyrics. In so many ways this album is all about grooving along to a song about a person making a series of mistakes. Every song has a super recognizable riff that makes you remember it by force. They're catchy, chill, relaxed, and humanizing to the characters in the songs. I'm also a big fan of NYC based rock groups, especially newer ones. I think that The Strokes are bringing a fresh new face to the world of rock and roll music that doesn't focus on skill or intensity, and instead values well made thoughtful song writing. Simple elements arranged in a wonderful pattern to make something far more engaging and complex than any of the alone parts. Some of the songs break convention such as Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus where the singer character of the song is so far removed from the song he asks "can we go to the chorus now" as if he just wants to get out of there. It's a great listen all about being a human person and being bad at it.

Out of the Blue by Electric Light Orchestra

Released 1977, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Another from the '70s! Fun fact - I first hear this album before I was born! While my mom was pregnant with me she would listen to this over and over. She loved this album deeply. When I was in high school I was trying to figure out how I had known all of the lyrics of the songs, and we came to the conclusion that I must have remembered all of them from before I was born. This album is one of my favorites. It's light hearted, exploratory, bouncy, and poppy. The track everyone knows from this is Mr. Blue Sky, which has been all over the world. However my favorites are Sweet Talkin' Woman, Summer and Lightning, Sweet Is the Night and specifically Jungle. This album fills me with a kind of ultra-nostalgia that feels engrained into my memory. It's a wonderful orchestra of harmonies, technology, and the feeling of the earth turning. You can't go wrong with anything on this album, so give it a listen!

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

Released 1977, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Another from the '70s, and one of the best. This is an album I've heard over and over again throughout my life, either in the car, online, on my iPod, and now on vinyl. All of the songs here are groovy and funky, just what you'd expect. I could see myself hitting the dance floor and enjoying this for hours. It's smooth, groovy, and feels great to listen to. My personal favorite from the album is You Make Loving Fun. It's the kind of track I want to sing to someone while we're waking up just to tell them how I feel. To share it for the sake of being able to share it. There are a ton of other great tracks on here, such as Dreams which is so incredibly good. It talks of lovers, leavers, dreamers, and players. In many ways this album is a chronicle of different kinds of love, with betrayal as one of them. The Chain is another where someone feels strongly as they are betrayed. There are also some great acoustic tracks on the album too, such as Never Going Back Again and Songbird which are far slower and more paced but still rich in their musical and lyrical quality.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie

Released 1972, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Hands down one of my favorite albums of all time. I own it on vinyl. Every track on here is a real heavy hitter. Opening with Five Years we learn that the world only has 5 years left before it is destroyed, and our main character wants to live out the rest of his life as quickly as he can. Soul Love talks us through the difficulties of trying to love fast. Moonage Daydream follows the process of a society trying to advance, but being held back. Starman introduces a character who came to save the world, but no one believes him. This is Ziggy Stardust. It Ain't Easy conquers what happens to those who are defenseless when the world comes down around them and there is nothing they can do. Lady Stardust tells the story of an artist who didn't want to conform to normal gender roles. He had long hair, wore makeup, and was destined to be alienated as an outcast. That is, until he got on the stage, and none of that mattered. Even if the songs are filled with sadness and dismay, they were so amazing that everyone loved them. Just like this album. Star is all about the show business, being famous, and changing as a result. It's all about what happens if you get too famous, and lose your connection with reality. Regardless of how marginalized, down to earth, and human you are, you are always susceptible to change. This theme is also explored in Hang on to Yourself. In the final three song stint, we open with Ziggy Stardust, chronically the downfall of the artist in the final years of his career as he changed from Lady to Ziggy. It's all about how celebrities are held in such a high light, and how society worships them. It's critical, and talks about the separation of himself and the band. He loses his way, they find each other, they play, and things are alright. Suffragette City is all about both Ziggy and Bowie being bisexual, with the result of this being the rejection of someone of the male gender named Henry in favor of a woman, with the title of the song being a play on feminist. That he's having sex with a woman because he's being a feminist. Eventually at the end of the song he has sex with her and the song ends. The final song, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide is about the artist Ziggy Stardust being eaten alive by the fame and savior-status he's achieved. He can't believe how far he's come, and how much of his life isn't going to happen. He feels totally alone, lost, confused, and afraid for what comes next. He doesn't feel part of society, literally drifting through streets past cars and wandering around cafes like he doesn't belong. But it ends with the sentiment "Oh no love, you're not alone." with a slight positive message about no matter what you've done, you're not unsalvageable. You can still be loved "I'll take my share, I'll help you with the pain." It's about being who you are despite your changing sexuality, background, personhood, and identity. It's one of my favorite albums of all time, and I'm glad I was able to revisit it.

Deltron 3030 by Deltron 3030

Released 20, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 This album was recommended to me by one of the people at my favorite record store, Vinyl Veritas in GUMBO, Brooklyn. I was talking about how much I loved the earlier Gorillaz work, and they described an entire hip hop / rap album where Del the Funky Homosapien rapped for over an hour about a dystopian future. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. This album is great, combining sci-fi classic elements with the funkadelic flows of Dan the Automator as the producer. It's an impressive album. Some of my favorites are Positive Contact, 3030, Mastermind, and Time Keeps on Slipping. The story of the album follows a group of futuristic rap criminals as they make their way through society to The Fantabulous Rap Extravaganza to compete. It's a really fun time, and I recommend it to anyone who likes the kind of hip hop that Gorillaz brings to the table!

In Rainbows by Radiohead

Released 2007, Logged 02/27/2025 This is one of the most depressing, exhausting, and dredge-filled albums I've ever heard. And I love every second of it. It's music for a breakup. It's music to cry in the shower to. It's music to disassociate to. It's about lack of ambition. I've lived on this earth for 26 years and I can't believe I haven't heard this music. Every track on here makes me want to feel like shit just for the hell of it. I process my emotions and come out ahead. Not to mention the musical talent on here. From the 4/5 time signature of 15 Step to the wonderful tones of Reckoner, and the beautiful complexity of Jigsaw Falling Into Place, you could listen to this simply to appreciate the talent. Put on your violet-colored glasses and get ready to see the world for what it truly is underneath its mask. Feel shitty. Feel tired. Feel exhausted. Enjoy Radiohead.

American Love Call by Durand Jones & The Indications

Released 20, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 In my minor soul-kick, this album was something I found to fulfill my morning desire to hear someone sing about a country waking up (kidding). This album grew on me slowly. At first I wasn't sure if I enjoyed it, and as time has gone on it's become a high recommendation of mine. It's a slow, endearing soulful groove that brings together the best parts of the soul genre to one compact album form. It's also another great soiree of mine into a genre that I don't typically enjoy, and I got a lot out of it! I'll definitely be keeping this in my rotation as I move forward.

Horizons by Surfaces

Released 2020, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Surfaces is a really specific and unique experience. It's not something I can categorize in any specific genre. They blend quite a bit of different sounds to get their unique sound. It feels like surfer rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz, soul, and pop. See what I mean? I think these are songs written and made to be loved in the morning. They're warm, loving, and inviting. I'd highly recommend giving this a listen while you do your morning routine. They blend an amazing level of sound and music to create a totally new kind of sound that I haven't ever heard before. It's soulful in a way that makes you want to watch clouds pass while making breakfast. There's a ton of things on this album that remind me of ODESZA as well, but with more melodic vocals and pop influenced themes. I would go so far as to say that this album is almost neo-reggae, focusing on instruments and forms which make you feel relaxed, but are entirely digital. Give it a listen!

Painted Ruins by Grizzly Bear

Released 2017, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 I have less to say about this album than I'd like. For the most part it's just really good! The vibes are solid, the environment of the songs themselves is a great listen. I gave it a few listens while I was at work, and I think it stuck with me. Losing All Sense is my favorite track by far, but I think I'll be listening to this more as time goes on. I don't dislike anything on this album, but I do wish it was a little more complex. Maybe I'm not listening to the right parts of it, or I'm missing a key component of what I should be tracking, but for the most part it was a solid album without anything that made me say "that part, right there, is fantastic." That being said I feel like I'm wrong - I feel like I'm missing something here, and I'll give it another few listens to see. It gave me very similar vibes to the other Grizzly Bear album I heard, Veckatimest which I reviewed further below on this page.

Long Nights and Wasted Affairs by Mind's Eye

Released 2023, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 This album sounds like it's made by a bunch of people who didn't go to high school, and want to convince everyone that they did. It's tropey, campy, and made to make you laugh. It's a listen that doesn't fit any particular mood of my life - maybe relaxing at home? Even then, I love how much this reminds me of classic high school American dramas. The one that made me laugh outloud the most was astrology girl, as it literally follows a guy trying to find some girl to be his girlfriend entirely on the basis that she knows signs and what they mean. My other favorite tracks here are running to find you and wasted affairs. A lot of the sound here is all about feeling dreamlike and out of sorts. The album cover reflects this well, with its weird tone and lighting. Everything about this album is campy, funny, and weird, and I think it's a fun listen that I stumbled across well outside of my normal listening habits.

Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear

Released 2009, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 This was another folk-rock recommendation from a friend of mine. I had listened to a few songs by Grizzly Bear in the past, but never dove deep into them. This was a great introduction. This album is incredibly rich, and feels like it was made for people who wanted more from the world of folk rock. Listening to it is incredibly chill, but not in the way that you want to relax and spread out. I think instead it makes you want to go for a walk, bake a cake, or build a sandcastle. Although the material itself is about self security and insecurity at times, the actual feeling and vibe of the album is really relaxing in its own unique way. I'll definitely be spinning this more frequently, and this is a genre that I'd like to invest more of my listening time into as well.

Hoist by Phish

Released 1994, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 This group was originally recommended to me by someone as a weird combination of folk and rock. I ended up finding this album on CD in a local shop and decided to pick it up. I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this is. It's almost like a gospel-rock album, but made by Jewish people (there are Jewish prayers burned on the album at the end). You can very clearly hear the influence of other similar choral-rock groups here. The fun of this comes from hearing the great compositions that the band plays through. There are some fun layered vocals, orchestral elements, backup choirs, and anthems here. None of them stuck out so hard that I could point to a favorite, but as a good metric for what Phish is, I think I got the picture. I'll probably look for more from them if I feel the need, but I didn't vibe with it as hard as I thought I did. I'll give it a few more listens as it's still a really well made album, and I liked it a lot initially. As it settled my opinion of it changed, and I didn't really have a strong desire to return to it. That being said, the album isn't bad by any means, just not what I think I was looking for in that moment. I'll take some time and maybe revisit this later.

High on Bikes by Dios Trio

Released 2011, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 I had heard this album previously during my stint of math rock last year, but I revisited it to see if I still liked the sound, and I do! I think that this is a really fun album. It's complex, confusing, and fun to follow along. My favorites here are Yo, Duh; High On Bikes; Pip; Squeak; and Spoons. There's some really great backing vocals on the tracks too. It's a lot more similar to the other kinds of math rock I was listening to at the time, and as a result reminds me a lot of the kinds of things I enjoyed at the time. This kind of music is great to listen to on a commute, and on the surface I don't feel like it's emotionally pressing or intense. It reminds me a lot of how difficult it is to synchronize a whole band to play these kinds of parts. Whenever I hear this album I think to myself: Wow. This band must have no arguments, ever, at all. (sarcastically). It's a good listen, and I appreciate it for its interesting changes and takes on the genre, while also being different enough from other things I've heard to be enjoyable.

Oh also - dios trio is made up of four people.

Demon Days by Gorillaz

Released 2005, Listened 02/XX/2025, Logged 03/02/2025 Demon Days represents some the cool era of Gorillaz. It's the kicker and representation of what I like the most about their music. A mixture and combination of styles that results in a great blend that everyone can enjoy. Songs like Dirty Harry blur the lines between rock music, pop music, while also incorporating elements of hip hop. The classic that charts this album is Feel Good Inc. It's the song the majority of people know from the group, and it made this album a huge deal in the industry. The blend of different styles makes Gorillaz the band that they are. Features such as MF DOOM illustrate this, and guide them forward to other choices in their later albums, such as featuring Mos Def on Plastic Beach. This album is filled with fun, especially with DARE later down the list. The album-titled track Demon Days is just as much of a symphony as you'd expect from the Gorillaz, and end-caps it well. While this isn't my favorite album by the Gorillaz, and I think that there's some areas which are hard to listen to, the overall feeling of the album gives you what you want from a collaborative and progressive rock-pop album.

Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park

Released 2007, Logged 02/27/2025 Of all the albums I've listened to so far, none of them have made me want to cry as much as this one has. It's a deeply personal and intense narrative. Chester Bennington moves further away from his previous work on Meteora. This album feels like reading the memoirs of someone who knew they were dying and didn't tell anyone. It cuts right to my heart. The song Leave Out All The Rest is literally this. It's a letter written to someone's family, that after they should pass, to please remember the good parts of them. Not the parts that hurt, or the bad things, but remember them for the person they loved being, and the person they loved. The album sticks with this theme of being a person leaving this earth. What I've Done is a strong message of someone trying to forgive themselves for all the sins they've committed as they begin to leave the world. Cleansing yourself of the bad things you've done, and the terrible things you've become, in an attempt to forgive yourself. To let go of them and leave the past behind. It's a painful album to hear, and in many ways represents what makes Linkin Park so unique. They can package this pain and hurt in a way that makes it feel relatable. As if you've experienced it with them. It's a totally unique and wonderful feeling. In many ways this album represents my "Mona Lisa" analogy, which is simple: We hang posters in our rooms because they're casual art. Hanging the Mona Lisa up does not make a space feel relaxed. It's too demanding of a piece to relax around. This album in many ways is too demanding to simply "put on" when you're doing something. It demands your attention and emotional investment. Listen to it with the knowledge that you may come out feeling hurt by someone you'll never know.

Currents by Covet

Released 2015, Lisened 02/28/2025 (Logged After) Continuing with my math rock obsession, Currents is an album that I found through the title track Pelagic some time ago when I was just entering the genre. This is a solid album, with interesting flows and thoughtful composition. I think that it's clear to me that the artists knew what they wanted to make, and set out to do so. I find their use of intensely confusing and rapid time signatures to be incredibly appealing. In a lot of ways this is classic math-rock. It's smooth and fast, but not so complex that you feel lost. If anyone could see this live, I would be completely jealous, simply out of appreciation for how much practice it would have taken for an group to get to that point. It's a neat math rock album, and I'd recommend it to anyone thinking about trying out the genre, but not sure of what they want out of it specifically.

Gorillaz by Gorillaz

Released 2001 (Logged 02/15/2025) Considering how popular Gorillaz became, it's super interesting to go all the way back and listen to one of their first released works. Considering the whole album, I'd have to categorize it as really experimental. It's weird. There's some stuff in here that doesn't really feel like it belongs on an album, and I think that's something a lot of people really enjoy about their music. That being said, there aren't any skips. I think it's easy to categorize weird stuff on an album as skippable material, but I think that the weird songs like Punk, Double Bass, or Slow Country add a lot to this album. They make us take a step and realize that all of this is Gorillaz, and all of that is too. There are also some major underrated tracks on here, the most forgotten of which is M1 A1. I'm personally surprised that's not a worldwide hit. I feel like everyone should hear it, just to get a feel for Gorillaz. Evidently the artist feels the same, because on their Spotify playlist This is Gorillaz it's the title track. Of course I can't talk about this album without pointing out the hits here. Re-Hash plays like a classic punk intro focusing on bouncy bass lines and guitars. 5/4 opens with a weird but great time signature and usage of it, with drums that are actually in 4/4. Tomorrow Comes Today is a huge allusion to the style of Gorillaz that would eventually become their album The Fall, with moodier and murkier vibes. Clint Eastwood of course steals the show, and shows off their ability to blend rock, pop, and hip hop music in a way that feels just so Gorillaz that you can't get from anyone else. Rock the House does this too and you could probably play it for anyone and they'd like it. 19-2000 feels like (and is) a song that belongs on the main menu of a FIFA game. This album is a ton of fun to play, and I think it's a super cool window into what the world of music was like before the 2000s swept it all away into what we know of it as today. This album is like a time capsule of what music used to be. It's genuinely fun, filled with weird jams in a style that you can't find anywhere else.

Heaven Spots by Growing Pains

Released 2020 (Logged 02/15/25) Ethereal, weird, experimental, and spiritual. I'd describe this album as a weird and engaging trip and a 2020 indie rock staple of mine. It's hard to categorize this as anything but mysterious. It's an alternative emo indie rock group with a powerful female singer - what else is new? My taste leads me to the same place over and over. I'm thankful they're continuing to release music and grow. Their work is a bit underrated. Their most played song on Spotify right now is Houseboat from this album, with about 330,000 plays. That's a lot, but I feel like in comparison to how popular other indie artists are, they really deserve some more love. While I don't feel like this is the best indie album ever crafted, I think it's worth a listen. It's high quality, really relaxing, and in many ways very folky. They approach their lyrics like any other modern indie artist. It feels like everything they say is said in lowercase, without punctuation, and I think that's great for this sort of thing. They know their style and they've done a good job of building an album around it.

Comedown Machine by The Strokes

Released 2013, (Logged 02/15/25) If I had to describe this album, I would say it's a clean dirty rock album focusing on driving rhythms and a really great rock sound. It's a powerful tone mixed with great lyrics. This is the first album by The Strokes that I've heard, and I think it's a pretty great listen. It's definitely nice to have on for a commute. The mix of digital and analog instruments makes for a really versatile sound. There's always a great filter on the guitars or the vocals. When you think of modern rock music I think you think of this kind of sound. This kind of repeatable and pushing tone mixed in a ton of different ways to make a really kickass listen. You're gonna bop your head and want to groove to almost every track on here. The ethereal vocals combined with that classic rock sound makes for a great combination. The drum work throughout the album combos incredibly well with all of the other ethereal instruments, making this one of the coolest combinations of sounds that I've heard in a while. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who wants to rediscover what 2000s rock sounds like, and what an early transition to the world of 2010s rock music. This was a great rec and I had a lot of fun with it! I'll be in my rotation for some time, I think.

Edit: The more I listen to this album the more I think I enjoy it. It's got a lot of great songs that I've started to really get into. Welcome to Japan is an absolute banger. The backing vocals and guitar make it exceptionally fun to jam to.

No Drum and Bass in the Jazz Room

Released 2018, (Logged 02/14/25) To me, this is one of the most personal and intense albums I've ever heard. It's an entirely math rock EP, with four songs titled: Elm, Ohmygodiloveyoupleasedontleaveme, Sleepyhead Symphony, and Teleblister. Each of thse is a 5 to 6 minute long math rock ballad, and they have made me cry multiple times. When I think of my past, how far I've come, and the people I've lost. It's an album of self reflection for me, with the incredibly complex and intuitive sounds of the band changing pace constantly, keeping you engaged and excited for what comes next. It's like nothing I've ever heard before, and can't think of anything that compares to it. Unfortunately it's the final thing the band ever made, and they've all moved on. If there was ever an album I wish I could own physically, it would be this one. It can't be album of the month because I've been listening to it for years, but if you haven't heard it then it's a great introduction to the math rock genre. I highly recommend listening to this at Brooklyn Bridge Park as the sun goes down just after you've heard some incredibly depressing life-changing news in the middle of the summer.

Burial by Burial

Released 2006, (Logged 02/14/25) Heavily inspired by Vangelis's work on the movie Blade Runner, Burial has gone out and recreated the strange combination of sounds and feelings that make an album of this kind of music as good as it can be. It's electronic music that's inspiring. Although the moods are dim and low power, the emotional tone of what you're hearing is strong and over-bearing. It's very real, and sounds like the heartbeat of a city. The album itself is hard to compare or describe, because there's not really another album like it other than what Vangelis made for Blade Runner. If I had to put it into words, it would be- If the Blade Runner soundtrack was for the San Fransisco of the future, then Burial's self titled album is the soundtrack to South London. It's murky, viscous, dark, thick, like black quicksand. It sucks you into the dark and keeps you there for 51 minutes and 14 seconds. You can't get anything done while this album is on, don't even try.

The Getaway by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Released 2016, (Logged 02/14/25) This is the RHCP album I'm most familiar with. When I was in highschool and broke as hell I used to walk from Grand Central to 69th and 5th ave for my summer job whenever I would take the train in to NYC from CT. I refused to use the subway for some stupid reason, so I would walk 45 minutes in a sweater in the middle of the summer with a backpack on. And each time I would play this exact album. It holds a special place in my brain as my "New York Walking Album" and nothing else. The funky bass lines and the groovy flow give this album a great feel for your commute. It's also the closest thing to Math Rock that I think RHCP has produced. If you're into complex rhythms and abnormal timings then I'd say jump in here. Many people online seem to say that this is not RHCP's best work, but I definitely don't think so. To me this is one of their best albums, but maybe not THE best ever. If you want a groovy setlist about robots, the history of the automotive industry in Detroit, following a hunter through the wilderness, and the dreams of a samurai, then this is for you.

Paramore by Paramore

Released 2013, (Logged 02/14/2025) It's hard for me to pick a favorite Paramore album, and I don't think I have one, but this one definitely gets close. It's so poppy, fresh, and powerful in a way that's incredibly engaging and exciting. It's this kind of music that makes me love Paramore for what they are. Songs like Grow Up and Ain't It Fun illustrate the core themes of the album: Getting older, while not sounding too heavy or intense. It's Paramore's ability to paint heartfelt and intense narratives without making it feel like they're tearing the world down. I find myself jamming out to these songs all the time, and even though their themes are intense, the emotional framing of them makes them feel relatable. Ultimately that's the chord Paramore keeps striking for me; They always make me feel less alone. They don't talk down to me, they don't make me feel less-than, and they're always there to make me feel better about it. Ain't it fun, living in the real world? Being on your own? I find value in new parts of my life because of their music. I can take a moment to reflect and realize where I am, who I've become, and what being on my own truly means. This album has what I believe to be Paramore's heaviest hitter, Hate to See Your Heart Break, which is about considering the highs and lows of life, and just let the pain remind you that hearts can heal. It's a grueling, heart wrenching recount of how hard it can really be. Joy Williams (unrelated) joins Hayley Williams for an incredibly powerful duet here to remind you that they've been there, and made it out. They hate seeing your get hurt and want you to remember that it's possible to heal. It's a true and honest reminder that we're only human, and there's only so much we can do at one time. The album ends with the song Be Alone, which is a power ballad about wanting someone to spend time alone with you. It's cute and endearing in a wonderful flirtatious way about the human desire to be with someone else. The song is incredibly personal and endearing, and more importantly it's just fun. This whole album stands on the shoulders alongside all of Paramore's other work, holding up their banner to say: You belong here, you are loved here, this music is for you. I can't recommend this album enough.

Volcano by Jungle

Released 2023, (Logged 02/11/2025) Electronic This might be my favorite Jungle album. Every single track is a total bop. I love the flow and electronic pacing of the entire thing. It's a wonderful listen for any activity, though it may get too distracting with how good it is. As their latest release this is genuinely impressive. Their ability to not only set a standard of quality, but keep up with it throughout their process of a huge album like this is remarkable. I can't give them enough praise. Groovy tracks like Holding On find me singing along to the beat incredibly often. The appearances on their album are incredibly well picked, with appearances of other artists I've loved, such as Channel Tres, Roots Manuva, and Bas. The emotional tone of this album swings from "let's conquer the planet!" to "you? really? HA" and I think we need more of this in the world of music. Such a broad and wide spread shift in stroke, which really comes out in the variation and color of what they produce. Jungle is one of my favorites of February, and I think everyone should hear them! I might try to grab this on vinyl

II by dios drio

Released 2017, (Logged 02/11/2025) Math Rock Compared to their other album (High on Bikes), II offers a different and more coordinated approach to dios trio's style. I think it's a bit more experimental, and a lot less joyous sounding. This feels like their more serious album, with a far more coordinated and thought out approach. Not to say that their other album didn't have great intent and taste, but I do think this one is a little more to the point than their other one. It's far deeper, with tones and music choices prioritizing gloomier and darker sounds, compared to High on Bikes, which has you wanting to cheer along to the music as it goes off. This doesn't mean this one is any less fun though. There are some good songs on here and some skips, but it's still a great math rock album. I think dios trio will remain in my rotation for some time. I really like the sound they bring, and the fact that they're only three people makes their math rock so much more interesting. You can tell they care deeply about their craft. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this one as a starter album for the genre or for them. Maybe once you learn you like math rock a lot, and are willing to try some more experimental stuff, you can give this a run.

Weezer (Green Album) by Weezer

Released 2001, (Logged 02/09/2025) Pop Rock I'll be honest, I've heard better by Weezer, but this isn't bad by any means. It's a great sequel to their blue album, but I feel like there's a lot more to be said about them on other albums. There's a few tracks on here that everyone would know, but a few that I think are forgotten about, for better or worse. Island in the Sun dominates this album's popularity. It is by far the most popular song here. The rest of the album plays off as a chill and low-key vibe session with songs about smoking weed, being weird, and dating. It's not bad, just not something that I think everyone should listen to. If you like Weezer for their other work then you'll probably like this, if not, then you won't.

Brand New Eyes by Paramore

Released 2009, (Logged 02/09/2025) Pop Punk Hearing Hayley Williams talk about a girl lost to the world and being totally discarded, so much so that she resorts to pulling wings off of butterflies, is a heartfelt and intense narrative written so deeply that I would be surprised if it wasn't just about her directly. In the best way possible, you, the listener, feel bad about hearing this. It feels like listening to someone's most personal diary. This album presents itself in the same pop-punk-rock manner as the rest of paramore's work. Open, honest, full of power and truth, and proves to me that paramore simply cannot miss a beat. They're full of life and color. Despite their hardships and the problems they face, they can make amazing music about anything and everything they want to. It's a heartfelt and lovely message sent to the world right from their hearts, and I can jam out to all of them on loop.

Discovery by Daft Punk

Released 2001 (Logged 02/08/2025) Electronic There it is. There's that sound. That pure harmonic melodica. The sampled speech overlapping with a rad synth. The vocaloid guitar solo put through a sick filter. Every single song on this album deserves to be heard as an introduction to electronic music. They make you wish you were dancing. This shit is where it's at and I love it for it. It's hard for me to believe this was the same group that made the other two albums I've heard so far. The composition, execution, and even just the mix are all far superior to the others in every way. It feels almost surreal how good this shit is. Opening this album is One More Time, which is universally loved by everyone who hears it. It's special blend of synthesizers and what seem to be sampled horns makes it a wonderfully interesting and appealing sound. Aerodynamic, Digital Love, Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, and Crescendolls keep the party going, featuring sampled power packed bites of wonderful tunes layered over one another in experimental and incredibly jam-worthy ways. Nightvision slows us down, and plays slow and calming notes while we relax and take a breather from the every-going party. Superheroes locks us back in, boasting "love is in the air" over a heavy driving bass drum, and a wonderful automated synt

Human After All by Daft Punk

Released 2005 (Logged 02/08/2025) Electronic I... what the fuck was that? Are you kidding me? Every track on this is just, garbage. Maybe Technologic was good, but the rest of it was shit. There's not a single melody or fun track on here that had me jamming or even remotely interested in listening to the rest. I couldn't believe it. There were points where the album was so bad that I had to just... Turn it off. What a huge let down. So much of it is just a really harsh and disgusting serrated noise. It's not the melodic and funky Daft Punk that the world knows. Why did they make this? I mean, honestly, it sounds like something they didn't even make. Comparison to all their other work it sounds totally foreign aside from the fact that it's also electronic music. I wouldnt recommend this to anyone.

Homework by Daft Punk

Released 1997 (Logged 02/08/2025) Electronic Don't get me wrong, there were some bangers on this album. A few of the songs are renowned classics that I think will live on forever as electronic music staples, and I love them too. They're songs that everyone knows. If you hear them on the radio you're immediately happier for it. But the rest of the album is... Okay. I think that this is a real hit or miss for me as an album. If I just pulled the songs I liked, which is about 3 or 4, I would say they're 10/10 tracks. This album as a whole didn't feel like it captured the love of electronic music in the same way as their other work did, and I think that's a real shame. I'm glad they found success here, but am upset that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

Raditude by Weezer

Released 2009, (Logged 02/10/2025) Pop Rock I'm not entirely sure what I just listened to, but the majority of it was not good. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To is a banger, and I feel like I've felt that feeling all the time. It's a relatable and chill track. But the rest? Eh... I'm not sure. It feels like a weird mix of songs that don't sound like Weezer at all? There's a song on here in hindi, one about partying, and just weird topics that don't feel in place at all. The title track well than makes up for the rest, and I would recommend just listening to that. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of the album as a whole, but the first track is chill enough to make me want to share it with people. I'll admit, it's fine to see Weezer explore new styles, and not everything can be a hit, but some of this felt a little like- what? what is this? why did they make this?

After Laughter by Paramore

Released 2017, (Logged 02/02/2025) Power Pop Rock Back again with another Paramore album. This one is a lot more poppy and peppy. Most of these songs are so much fun that I can't help but bop my head and jam out to them. It's definitely a lot different than their other work, but I love it. Hearing Hayley Williams belt about self sabotage, what other people don't do for her, how she's stuck between her old self and the person she wants to be, all makes this a wonderful album. It's a carefree listen that I've had in my rotation since undergrad. Listening to this on vinyl has been a treat. All of Paramore's albums are my favorite Paramore albums. This one lives up to their name, giving off the vibes that you'd expect from a group as powerful and fun as Paramore. Any of these make me want to dance in a room filled with balloons with my friends while we sing along. It's all about growing up, feeling older, being afraid of yourself, and what might happen. You have to let it be, and let it go. It ends with a heartfelt goodbye, through the breakup of a relationship. It's one of the most heartfelt and powerful performances I've heard in my life. Hayley puts herself before us, and says, take me for who I am. Feel the rose colored sound I've made for you, listen to my audible mask, and listen to me plead. It pulls your heart away from the song as just one part of the album, and makes you think of your own relationships, what you care about, and letting go of people who suffocate you.

X&Y by Coldplay

Released 2005, (Logged 02/02/2025) Alternative Rock, Post-punk I knew so many of these songs before I even put this album on. I picked up the CD from Westsider, and didn't realize how familiar I already was with this. It's a wonderful album to put on if you're ready to get emotional. It's feely, moody, sad, but hopeful in a way I really appreciate from Coldplay. It's got that touch that you can really only get from them where you feel sorry for yourself while also telling your friends how much you love and appreciate them. There's a lot to their presentation of the world and themselves. Their representation of the individual here is more abstract, targeting feelings of loss, heartache, failure, and ultimately hopelessness.

Twin Galaxies by Delta Sleep

Released 2015, (Logged 02/02/2025) Math Rock It's really cool to see where Delta Sleep got their start! This is their earliest studio album. It's a super interesting mix of their further math rock, combined with a lot more of a grunge feel. It's not something I'd listen to frequently, but I think that it's pretty sick to where they started and where they ended. Some of these songs are their most popular, listening to the album as a whole one-shot through is a nice vibe, but I think that it has to be a pick-and-choose scenario to get the most out of it, otherwise the vibe can be jumbled a bit here and there. Otherwise, I think this is a great listen. I'd definitely say that it's a good introduction to Delta Sleep, but not their best work by far. It's a great first album, much better than I had expected. I love their later work a lot more though, and would probably point people there. But if you're curious what they had to offer at the start of their career, this album offers a lot.

Loving in Stereo by Jungle

Release 2018, (Logged 02/01/2025) Another funky and progressive electronic album! I appreciate the attention to detail in these tracks. In a weird way I'd almost describe this album as far more gospel and choir focused. There's so many moments where it sounds like a full chorus of voices is singing all together. All of Jungle's work reminds me so much of the UK's underground electronic scene, and this is some of the more melodic and engaging, funk-fueled albums of it. I'd highly recommend this! Listening to it makes me want to dance, no matter the time. It's a great listen, and makes me feel excited to jump up and clean, work, or

For Ever by Jungle

Released 2018, (Logged 01/31/2025) Funky, jammy, relaxed and tonal. Jungle makes me bop with every one of these tracks. Combinations of funky sounds and flowing, fading tracks makes this an incredibly chill and total vibe. I loved the vibe throughout. It's almost like listening to one long funky jammy song. All of the songs on the track make you feel super comfortable. Perfect for parties, hang outs, or just any get together. They're all songs that would get stuck in your head if you weren't careful.

Hydranism by Oracle Sisters

Released 2023, (Logged 01/31/2025) Folk A combination of lovely little folk and indie classics, this album takes you on a relaxing journey through the chill audio realm of Oracle Sister's relaxed and blue jazzy folk tones, reminding me of classic relaxing mornings by the fire on a camping trip, or of my journeys on long car rides with friends. It's a relaxing album. Turn down your emotional tone for 37 minutes, and let it ride. It's a comfortable space to be in. The voices of the vocalists, the acoustic instruments, and the raw dreamy harmonies make this a perfect introduction to folk for me. I feel right at home with the precious sounding piano and guitar. I found this album through Ruby on the Run and ended up going through it multiple times. The songs are about living your life, spending time with the people you love, being a person in the skin you don't like, but going with the flow as you make mistakes and find your way out. It's a calm, collected album, that brings you back to earth and asks you to stop for a moment and listen.

blink-182 by blink-182

Released 2003, (Logged 01/30/2025) Punk Rock This is a classic from my childhood and I didn't even know it. Every song on here is a memorable one that I've always loved. Upon listening I immediately recognized all of them. Blink really does run deep. The intense harmonies matched with their personal and piercing lyrics make each track on this album sound like a conversation you'd have during a breakup, backed up by an insane orchestra of harmony, perfect timing and Travis Barker's amazing drumming. It's relatable more than I thought it'd be, all about relationships that fall through, feeling things about people that you don't want to feel, being unable to rely on yourself... and just being alive in a life that doesn't want you. The first four tracks play out an entire relationship from start to finish. We open with Feeling This as we're making out with a girl and starting a relationship, Obvious tells of hindsight and a breakup, I Miss You is about the immediate aftermath, and Violence is a ballad about the end of it all, and how he'll never be the same after. Like violence, you kill me, forever, and after. The tracks go further and further to drive home the feeling of being in a terrible relationship. This entire album is just one power ballad after another, with tracks that will have you wanting to head bang, scream, and sing along while the group takes you on a power packed journey through their incredibly diverse and intense self titled album. Every time I listen to this I think- what's not to love? Everything about it is kickass, powerful, and full of heart. Even the songs that get turned into memes like I Miss You have lyrics that feel great when you hear them over and over. My personal favorite here is Violence, which combines all of the elements on the album to one final push. If you haven't heard this, what are you doing reading this like actually what's wrong with you? Go listen. Now.

Planet Fantastic by Delta Sleep

Released 2021, (Logged 01/28/2025) Math Rock This was the first Delta Sleep album I had listened to, the first song I heard was Afterimage, a single of theirs, which led me to this album. It's all about climate change, and it makes a huge political statement about how we shouldn't be destroying the planet. We should be living on it like it's part of us, and matters to us. Not that it's a huge dump. This album touches on very important points, and the band plays to their strengths of math rock feelings to deliver this bitter but important message to all of us. It's strong willed and loud. Echoing drums fill the voids of silence with sudden power and intensity. It simultaneously makes you feel part of the community of planet earth, and less existential of the impending need to fix the world as a result. We're all here, and eventually we'll have to deal with it. We can't just ignore it, and eventually we'll be forced to.

Blue Garden by Delta Sleep

Released 2024, (Logged 01/28/2025) Math Rock Math rock is one of my favorite genres, and Delta Sleep makes some of the best alt-prog math rock I've heard in a while. Their combination of clean and filthy tones with varying tempos and beats makes for a powerful combination of timing, vibes, and tracks that make you bop your head to an otherwise changing beat. All of the instruments are masterfully played. The guitarists and bassist are so creative, playing in opposing parallel times with the drummer, who drives everything so well. It's all devilshly well crafted, with consistent highs and lows. Listening to this band climb and fall their emotional tones throughout the album is such a treat. They do such a good job of building up to a huge drop with varying tempos and tones. Thematically they're so political, and always make a statement of how we're all going the distance through this life and here on planet earth together, so shouldn't be fighting while we're here, we shouldn't be destroying the planet, and we should work together. It's ultimately a message I agree with, and I think that it's great. Their other work is very similar politically. I can't get over the vocalists voice and how good a tone it makes when coupled with the guitars and bass. It's a really powerful message being conveyed in powerful method. "In 20 years they say the city is the sea, how 'bout that?"

The Smiths by The Smiths

Released 1984, (Logged 01/28/2025) Post Punk Rock This is a very ethereal and rebellious album. It's audibly very relaxing and chill, and works well as a background album for doing idle things and relaxing. The vocals are dreamlike and almost hard to understand at times, but rebellious in nature. Consistent references to how much the country of England owes them, and how much they have to answer for. The Smiths yell about their desire for more through slow tempo dreamlike tracks that are reminiscent of classic rock. It's recognizable as anti-establishment and is very clearly part of the post-punk movement of the 1980s in the UK. They're fed up with their lives and want to see change made, one way or another. This album covers ideas of loss, lives ending for no reason, questioning why the world is the way it is, and audible calls out to a future that isn't there.

Dookie by Green Day

Released 1994, (Logged 01/27/2025) Punk/Skater Rock This album was pretty solid! Definitely has some immediate classics on it. Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, When I come Around, Longview, and She are all bangers. The combination of the loud and whiney lyrics from Billy Joel Armstrong mixed with the power-forward punk drums and guitar makes this whole album incredibly fun and powerful to listen to. The vocals, guitar, and bass are also almost always in harmony with one another making the palette here really complex and deep. There are points where they combine in really coordinated ways to make super satisfying moments in the tracks. Not only that, but the fact that more often than not the vocals have to yell across the band makes them feel so much louder and angrier, which fits the theme of the album (most of which is FUCK YOU). The tracks on this album are about counter cultural practices and going against the norm of society, because society sucks, and so do you.

Flutterboard by Plumtree

Released 1994, (Logged 01/27/2025) Pop Rock This album was self-released on cassette tapes in 1994! It can only be found online now and not on streaming services. You can listen to the whole thing on Bandcamp here. It's weird to hear them starting out so early, the whole style feels super raw and unfound yet, but not too far away from what they became. Cool to see their origins.

Out of Time by R.E.M.

Released 1991, (Logged 01/27/25) Alternative Rock This is a classic work of 90s rock. It's got the wonder-hit on it, Losing my Religion that I really adore. I've heard it on the radio a ton, but the rest of the songs on this album feel so experimental, and reminiscent of older 80s bands, which makes sense since this is just after the 80s. It's a very cleanly played but still very experimental album that tries a lot of interesting things. While the instruments being played are being played within the bounds of what I would measure as "conventional" the mixture of them is interesting. Orchestral percussion replaces the drums at times, accompanies by clean electric guitars and more subtle vocals that often repeat the same lines over and over to drive the point home. At times you don't notice it, but often entire instruments will fade out of the mix, and you'll be focused on what's going on immediately in front of you. There's also a ton of folk influence in the way this sounds. The overlaid vocal harmonies, acoustic guitars and drums, and general structure remind me a lot of other folk-based acoustics. But, they accompany this with more conventional rock-like structures and sound, making this safely within the bounds of alternative rock. While it's not as grunge-worthy as other other entries within this section, it definitely isn't conventional rock. There's a lot of experimental choices being made here, including the usage of a harpsicord halfway through the album. A few of these songs go really hard, feeling like classic rock ballads with their own little twists and turns. But many of them went forgotten by me, and I ended up checking out. That being said, there's some really loveable tracks on this album, and I don't want it to seem like it isn't worth a listen.

Around the Fur by the Deftones

Released 1997, (Logged 01/26/2025) Alternative Metal This album was hit or miss for me. Some of the tracks were ones I really vibed with. So much of what makes this album literally alternative are the chilling vocals and intense instruments brought on at such an astounding pace. The lead vocalist breathes and winces into the mic in ways that make you say, wow. The accompanying power of the instruments makes so many of these songs thrashers and bangers. I would say that for my own personal taste this album goes a bit too hard. Much of the alternative parts where the lyrics and band is driving well and the vibe is solid are great, but once the lead starts screaming hard it loses me. This kind of music is probably better live, but it can be really difficult to listen to outside of that context. Some of these tracks really hit, but the album is too metal-head for my tastes.

Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer

Released 1994, (Logged 01/26/2025) Every single track on this album hits. The powerful lyrics combined with the grungy and sticky guitar tones and acoustic drums give this entire album a garage-recorded feeling. Every part of Rivers Cuomo vocals brings a sound that feels like a teenager yelling at their friends over something dumb. His personal tone and harmonies make each track feel like he's talking to you personally. Everything about the way this album sounds is imperfect, and I think that's what gives it it's charm. It's music for people who care about the sound, not the perfection of it. And that's what the songs are about, being people, imperfections, depression, loneliness, selfishness, and trying to be better. Some songs are just fun, like Surf Wax America, that fall outside of this. The rest are about relationships, being a person in the world, and getting by how you can. Say it ain't so resonates with me when I discover something I don't want to believe. It feels unreal and insane to hear. Guess I'll just close my eyes.

Riot! By Paramore

Released 2007, (Logged 01/26/2025) Pop Punk Oh FUCK. Wow. Dude relax, hold on, this whole thing is a destructive operation. Haley Williams is a modern wonder of an artist. Her vocals drive this incredibly alternative emo mixture of intense rock ballads that make each song a huge matter of trust that you can't help but want to learn all the lyrics too. Not to mention the classic 00's power punch that all of the tone has throughout every track. You can feel the emotion in the track itself. It's been produced with the care and feeling you'd expect from modern poetry and art. You can tell the band cares tremendously about the way the songs feel in tandem with the content and emotional tone they're looking for. Every track is about an intense relationship, being yourself, growing into someone else, and being the person you want to be and most importantly: hating fake people. I think that's why if you listen closely you can hear all of the acoustic instruments in the backing track. Misery Business has an acoustic guitar throughout the track for example. All of these songs are incredibly hype and deserve their own rambles and rants to talk about how in depth they are. God it just feels so... It just feels so good... I can't believe how hard crushcrushcrush hits either. This might be my favorite album I've heard so far this year, even though I've already heard it so many times. It's been a while since I had rediscovered it.

Mass Teen Fainting by Plumtree

Released 1995, (Logged 01/26/2025) Pop Punk What a banger. Every track on this album is wonderful. It feels like Plumtree can't miss. The opener to this album throws us immediately and quickly into the vibe. We're talking about life, relationships, highschool problems and becoming an adult. The poppy vocals and guitars breathe life into this album quickly and easily. I was surprised how chill and well rounded this album was. The later songs drive so hard, with overlapping vocals that give it a super unique punk pop style. The Phone, The Phone is one of the best examples of this. The grit in the audio, insane guitar solos, and lyrics that sound like they came right out of a diary make it one of my favorite songs on the album. That's hard to judge though, because the rest of the album feels great to listen to. When I listen to this I also feel heard. It's a bop, and I really enjoy it.

Morning View by Incubus

Released 2001, (Logged 01/25/2025) Alternative Rock This was one of my first albums in the alt-rock genre. The opening track tells us what the album is about - the character's relationship with someone. How he feels amazing with a specific person, and how much they change when they're with someone for the worse. And because of this, they leave them. Loads of other songs on this album are about this. Wish you were here is an amazing track all about the opposite. Some of the songs on this album are a bit too slow for me, but the balance of fast and slow pacing makes it a better listen in my opinion. It breaks up the flow and keeps it from feeling boring or monotonous. The ending track Aquatic Transmission is all about flowing with life and keeping your stride. The strongest parts of this album are when it's very personable and memorable. You can really feel the passion in the parts that matter.

Make Yourself by Incubus

Released 1999, (Logged 01/25/2025) Alternative Rock This is a lot more experimental than the other Incubus albums I've heard so far, but I'm down with it. A lot of it is about becoming yourself despite what others think. Many of the songs talk about being yourself even when there are major detractors and problems with that. It also explores the ideas of being yourself even at the detriment of others. Is it worth being yourself even if it hurts others? Would good people be okay with you being yourself if it doesn't benefit them, and does it have to? The dreamlike guitars and groovy drums match up well with the powerful vocals and lyrics. It's very clear to me that this album is pursuing an experimental style of music that focuses on interesting combinations of sounds and rhythm. There's an entire song that uses whale noises as it's opener. I love it when albums use weird and different things to change up the norm. One thing I like a lot about the lyrics here is the high use of metaphor. Every song has a great line in it that describes the artists current mental state. Some of my favorites are "Mental Piracy", and how he describes being in love with being in outer space. Great listen!

Predicts the Future by Plumtree

Released 1997, (Logged 01/24/2025) Pop Punk This album is one of the most fun and poppy ones I've heard this year. The opening track is literally a count down to a pop punk fun power pack. The songs are all about relationships, life, winning, losing and being yourself. It's a really great ballad for your 20s, learning who you are and doing what you have to do. This all girl band yells their way into my heart with their poppy guitars, powerful drums, and heartfelt vocals. This was a grand introduction to the grrrl pop punk of that 90s and early 00s. It holds a wonderful tone through the entire album and truly cements itself as one of my favorites. It's perfect for morning ones and hanging out. Great background tracks if you want them to be, but also a fun and exciting listen. The pop punk nature of this track originates from each of the members desires to individually make pop, metal, rock, and punk music, creating a strong dynamic of clean and dirty sounds, strong lyrics, all of which layer themselves into a quintessential pop punk experience. You can tell this is their prime, and unfortunately it's their last album. They're in their element and they fully understand what they're doing. This album is about growing up, and after doing this for almost 5 year of their life, it was time for the band to come to an end. It's a bittersweet privilege that this album made it out into the world, and that it still remains online on Spotify and YouTube. For an indie sub-culture pop-punk grrrl group in Halifax, Canada they managed to build and retain a really great cult following.

Meteora by Linkin Park

Released 2003, (Logged 01/24/2025) Alternative Rock This is probably one of my favorite albums of the past few months. I've listened to it loads of times and I wanted to hear more Linkin Park. I was drawn in by their new album, but every song on this is a banger. I really identify with the tracks Somewhere I Belong, Easier to Run, Faint, Breaking the Habit, Figure.09 and so many more. It's one of the first alternative rock albums to really get my attention. The striking vocals and harsh instruments balance out to make an intense and high powered album about becoming oneself, not caring what others think, and leaning your own needs and wants. It's heavy, gritty, and intense, but also makes you remember who you are, and what you want. It makes me understand the feelings that I have aren't just my own, and that other people have been there before. The gritty lyrics combined with the intense presentation make this a genuinely powerful and intense experience. As the listener you're almost forced to yell on behalf of Chester Bennington, as he decries the disdain he holds for the people who've hurt him, and the people who've hurt you. It feels like a war cry in favor of your own emotional wellbeing, so strong and hurtling that you can hear it from miles away. Meteora is my introduction to the alternative rock genre, and I can't believe I hadn't found this sooner. I've heard Linkin Park my whole life, but haven't had a chance to really soak this in in a meaningful way.