CD of CDs for Ryan
At The Drive-In Relationship Of Command 2000
This band split up shortly after this album was released, and the bands Sparta and The Mars Volta were born out of the ashes of At The Drive-In. This band was widely acclaimed by critics and this album is still loved by most music snobs, mostly because it is simply fucking good.
They don’t have a consistent sound throughout the album, but the band leans toward faster, louder, off-beat rock. I tend to listen to this album when I’m a little pissed off.
Tracks to check out: Arcarsenal (1), One Armed Scissor (3), Rolodex Propaganda (8)
Hum You’d Prefer An Astronaut 1995
I picked up this album on a whim in high school and gave it a kinda-listen, but didn’t take it seriously. Then, about 2 years ago a friend was shuffling through my iPod and played “Stars” and it totally changed my opinion of Hum. I enjoy this album, but “Stars” is the only stand-out track in my opinion.
You can tell this is a 90’s album in the same way you’ll be able to tell Diary by Sunny Day Real Estate is also from the 90’s. Typical not-all-too-great lead singer is overshadowed by awesome guitar progressions and odd lyrics.
Tracks to check out: The Pod (2), Stars (3)
Joy Division Unknown Pleasures 1979
In my book, Unknown Pleasures is a perfect album. These guys are worth looking into, not only because they are the forefathers of punk, but also because they are fucking amazing. These guys influenced just about everyone. Listen to The Strokes, Interpol, She Wants Revenge, Jimmy Eat World (the good early stuff), Depeche Mode, and The Cure and tell me you can’t hear Joy Division. I DARE YOU!
With Ian Curtis’s deep voice, a very lo-fi sound, droning guitars, creepy lyrics, electronic drums and interesting bass lines, this album fucking rocks.
Tracks to check out: Disorder (1), Insight (4), Shadowplay (7)
My Bloody Valentine Loveless 1991
When I have to explain what Shoegaze music sounds like, I play MBV. I don’t know what influenced this kind of music, but I can only blindly assume it was heroine. That’s all I got on this band
The lyrics are virtually non-existent, but the song structure is completely original, and I would suggest doing some drugs before seriously analyzing this band, chances are you’ll critique more favorably if you’re out-of-mind.
Tracks to check out: Only Shallow (1) that’s all you need. Play that shit loud.
Radiohead OK Computer 1997
OK Computer is the easiest Radiohead album to fall in love with. After this album came Kid A, and with that album they started doing whatever the hell they wanted. This album still rocks in the conventional sense, but it still has some off-the-wall tracks, and this makes it easy to love.
Thom Yorke has a great voice, and the rest of the band know how to write damn good music. This album as more predictable and prevalent lead and rhythm guitar parts, so it rocks harder than their later albums, which is not to say their later stuff is soft, they just created different ways to rock.
Tracks to check out: Airbag (1), Karma Police (6), Electioneering (8), Climbing Up The Walls (9)
Sigur Rós ( ) 2002
Okay, I’ll admit that Sigur Rós is weird, but they are undoubtedly a good kind of weird. They are the best thing to come out of Iceland (mostly because Bjork flat out sucks) and, well I guess that’s not saying a lot. I really got into this band in high school, but this is one of the few bands I am not ashamed to have loved and still listen to.
Jonsi, the lead singer, sings (in Icelandic) in an extreme upper register, and mostly plays his guitar with a cello bow. The music is mostly atmospheric, but once and a while they turn into super-epic masterpieces that turn out to me some of the most cathartic music ever.
Tracks to check out: 3 (3), 4 (4), 8 (8)
Sigur Rós Takk… 2005
This album is a lot more epic than ambient. Where ( ) is a good album, Takk… has a lot more killer tracks. You may want to partake in illegal activities before listening to these following tunes.
Tracks to check out: Glósóli (2), Sæglópur (6), Gong (8)
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin Broom 2006
Max from Our Cat Philip told me to look into these guys and I ordered their CD on a whim and was not disappointed. This is probably my favorite album of its kind. They have a D.I.Y. sound that perfectly fits their music.
Largely undistorted guitars and clever lyrics litter this short album.
Tracks to check out: Pangea (1), I Am Warm & Powerful (2), House Fire (6), Gwyneth (10)
Sunny Day Real Estate Diary 1994
This is the album I think of as being very similar to Hum. I dig it, but the album as a whole is not my cup of tea.
This version of the band was trying to do a lot with their music. Even in the song “Seven,” which I love, starts a little over-done. They needed to chill out, and that’s why I like their other CD of theirs I have a lot more. But “Seven” kicks some supreme ass.
Tracks to check out: Seven (1) again, that’s all you need. Listen to that shit loud.
Sunny Day Real Estate Rising Tide 2000
A different lineup and a definite change in their songwriting approach which, at least I do believe, they benefited from. You can still tell this isn’t a by-the-book band, but they did chill out considerably.
Tracks to check out: Killed By An Angel (1), One (2), Disappear (4)
Young Rival Young Rival [EP] 2008
I randomly discovered this band when I was trying to look up another totally fundamentally different band. Oops and awesome.
Lo-fi indie Canadian rock. You don’t need to know more. I’ve given this band to Zach Low and Jared Cheney and they both love these guys.
Tracks to check out: Your Island (1), 4:15 (3)
This band split up shortly after this album was released, and the bands Sparta and The Mars Volta were born out of the ashes of At The Drive-In. This band was widely acclaimed by critics and this album is still loved by most music snobs, mostly because it is simply fucking good.
They don’t have a consistent sound throughout the album, but the band leans toward faster, louder, off-beat rock. I tend to listen to this album when I’m a little pissed off.
Tracks to check out: Arcarsenal (1), One Armed Scissor (3), Rolodex Propaganda (8)
Hum You’d Prefer An Astronaut 1995
I picked up this album on a whim in high school and gave it a kinda-listen, but didn’t take it seriously. Then, about 2 years ago a friend was shuffling through my iPod and played “Stars” and it totally changed my opinion of Hum. I enjoy this album, but “Stars” is the only stand-out track in my opinion.
You can tell this is a 90’s album in the same way you’ll be able to tell Diary by Sunny Day Real Estate is also from the 90’s. Typical not-all-too-great lead singer is overshadowed by awesome guitar progressions and odd lyrics.
Tracks to check out: The Pod (2), Stars (3)
Joy Division Unknown Pleasures 1979
In my book, Unknown Pleasures is a perfect album. These guys are worth looking into, not only because they are the forefathers of punk, but also because they are fucking amazing. These guys influenced just about everyone. Listen to The Strokes, Interpol, She Wants Revenge, Jimmy Eat World (the good early stuff), Depeche Mode, and The Cure and tell me you can’t hear Joy Division. I DARE YOU!
With Ian Curtis’s deep voice, a very lo-fi sound, droning guitars, creepy lyrics, electronic drums and interesting bass lines, this album fucking rocks.
Tracks to check out: Disorder (1), Insight (4), Shadowplay (7)
My Bloody Valentine Loveless 1991
When I have to explain what Shoegaze music sounds like, I play MBV. I don’t know what influenced this kind of music, but I can only blindly assume it was heroine. That’s all I got on this band
The lyrics are virtually non-existent, but the song structure is completely original, and I would suggest doing some drugs before seriously analyzing this band, chances are you’ll critique more favorably if you’re out-of-mind.
Tracks to check out: Only Shallow (1) that’s all you need. Play that shit loud.
Radiohead OK Computer 1997
OK Computer is the easiest Radiohead album to fall in love with. After this album came Kid A, and with that album they started doing whatever the hell they wanted. This album still rocks in the conventional sense, but it still has some off-the-wall tracks, and this makes it easy to love.
Thom Yorke has a great voice, and the rest of the band know how to write damn good music. This album as more predictable and prevalent lead and rhythm guitar parts, so it rocks harder than their later albums, which is not to say their later stuff is soft, they just created different ways to rock.
Tracks to check out: Airbag (1), Karma Police (6), Electioneering (8), Climbing Up The Walls (9)
Sigur Rós ( ) 2002
Okay, I’ll admit that Sigur Rós is weird, but they are undoubtedly a good kind of weird. They are the best thing to come out of Iceland (mostly because Bjork flat out sucks) and, well I guess that’s not saying a lot. I really got into this band in high school, but this is one of the few bands I am not ashamed to have loved and still listen to.
Jonsi, the lead singer, sings (in Icelandic) in an extreme upper register, and mostly plays his guitar with a cello bow. The music is mostly atmospheric, but once and a while they turn into super-epic masterpieces that turn out to me some of the most cathartic music ever.
Tracks to check out: 3 (3), 4 (4), 8 (8)
Sigur Rós Takk… 2005
This album is a lot more epic than ambient. Where ( ) is a good album, Takk… has a lot more killer tracks. You may want to partake in illegal activities before listening to these following tunes.
Tracks to check out: Glósóli (2), Sæglópur (6), Gong (8)
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin Broom 2006
Max from Our Cat Philip told me to look into these guys and I ordered their CD on a whim and was not disappointed. This is probably my favorite album of its kind. They have a D.I.Y. sound that perfectly fits their music.
Largely undistorted guitars and clever lyrics litter this short album.
Tracks to check out: Pangea (1), I Am Warm & Powerful (2), House Fire (6), Gwyneth (10)
Sunny Day Real Estate Diary 1994
This is the album I think of as being very similar to Hum. I dig it, but the album as a whole is not my cup of tea.
This version of the band was trying to do a lot with their music. Even in the song “Seven,” which I love, starts a little over-done. They needed to chill out, and that’s why I like their other CD of theirs I have a lot more. But “Seven” kicks some supreme ass.
Tracks to check out: Seven (1) again, that’s all you need. Listen to that shit loud.
Sunny Day Real Estate Rising Tide 2000
A different lineup and a definite change in their songwriting approach which, at least I do believe, they benefited from. You can still tell this isn’t a by-the-book band, but they did chill out considerably.
Tracks to check out: Killed By An Angel (1), One (2), Disappear (4)
Young Rival Young Rival [EP] 2008
I randomly discovered this band when I was trying to look up another totally fundamentally different band. Oops and awesome.
Lo-fi indie Canadian rock. You don’t need to know more. I’ve given this band to Zach Low and Jared Cheney and they both love these guys.
Tracks to check out: Your Island (1), 4:15 (3)