| 5.0 classic |
| Bon Iver Bon Iver, Bon Iver |
| Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me |
| This guy's got a special place in my heart. Although looking in retrospect, Brand New's previous album was stellar, I really had no faith in these guys until I really sat down and took a listen to The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. 10 seconds into the opener, "Sowing Season", you realize this shit is real, Jesse Lacey isn't singing about high school loves anymore. The thematic creativity of these songs give the album a genuine flow, and after listening to the deep personal lyrics throughout the whole album, you walk away with the sense you've just had a conversation with Jesse. |
| Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning |
| I understand, with Bright Eyes, you hate it or love it. I've heard it all, from Conor Oberst being a bitch, Bright Eyes being too selfish, and the most common: "This music is sappy bullshit made for girls". On this album, Conor really took a step up in terms of maturity, as well as songwriting. Tracks like "At the Bottom of Everything" and "Lua" are so well crafted, they should at least earn a head nod from all the haters out there. Conor Oberst is one of the most prolific songwriters in our generation, and although I know this album will never satisfy all of you pretentious bastards out there, it should at least gain your respect. |
| Built to Spill Keep It Like a Secret |
| Built to Spill There's Nothing Wrong with Love |
| Elliott Smith Either/Or |
| Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica |
| If I had to choose, I would have to say The Moon and Antarctica is my favorite album of all time. Having a broken jaw, Isaac Brock decided to take the more experimental approach to creating music, and the result was fucking beautiful. The jaw-dropping instrumentation along with the intellectual and sophisticated wordplay make this album nothing less than magical, and really shows of Isaac Brock's inner genius. |
| Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy |
| This is probably the weirdest, darkest, most twisted concept album I've heard in a long time. That being said, I would confidently say it's one of the best. The album follows vague story involving a heroin addiction, interfering with a troubled love life. This album really convinced me that Will Sheff is one the best lyricists in the current music scene, and his lyrics along with has howling, raw vocals really make this album unforgettable. |
| Okkervil River The Stage Names |
| The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound |
| The Shins Chutes Too Narrow |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream |
| The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt |
