Music is special and holds a special connection with us as a society. Obviously some of my favorite music has changed me as a person, and I would like to share the albums that have shaped who I am. Some of these albums are just really good, some of them hold a deeper meaning to me, but they all have made a grave impact in my life. Enjoy!
5. Weezer-Pinkerton
This album makes me shiver it is so good. It is a desperate mess of finely crafted tunes. On their debut, Weezer showed a much happier side, while on this album they maintained many of their pop sensibilities, but they really stepped up here lyrically, instrumentally, and especially emotionally. This album can be almost embarrassingly personal sometimes, but that's one of the reasons I love it so much. It is so human and so real. It is so much more sincere than anything they have released, including the masterpiece Blue Album. It really blows their robotic bubble gum pop music of the 2000s out of the water. This album has not just influenced me, but it has clearly influenced many. It's grown into a legendary cult album and It will only grow more popular with time.
4. Radiohead-Ok Computer
This album is not my favorite Radiohead record, but has certainly impacted me the most. While Kid A is a great executed experimental record, I think it lacks the personal connection of Ok Computer (that being said it's still a masterpiece). There is something so dreamy about this record that connects with me. This record displays fantastic musicianship as we see both haunting, dark moments, and beautifully happy moments. This record also just has some of my favorite songs on it. Yorke's lyrics are haunting, Greenwood's riffs are amazing, Phil's percussion is outstanding. Overall this record just flat out destroys. It has changed me because it opened my eyes to what music can sound like. I no longer just blankly enjoy everything I hear, and this album is a main reason for it.
3. The Dismemberment Plan-Emergency & I
I think this album was the defining album for my musical tastes today. I sadly don't have many to share the glory of this album with, but that's their loss. This band is quirky, fun, and very intelligent. As I delve deeper into their discography, I am constantly surprised at how seamlessly they churn out these curveball indie pop tunes. At the peak of their game, Travis Morrison was possibly one of my favorite songwriters. He kind of just rambles on, but this allows him to become the listeners annoying best friend. He shares so much in such a little amount of time. On Back and Forth he essentially explains how the universe works in about 5 minutes. The man is a genius. This band is also willing to do very strange things. They will challenge their listeners at times, but the rewards are endless. This album has opened my ears significantly. I love it so much, and it has taught me to never give up on an album, or just in general to never give up in life. You might find something you like in an unknown place.
2. The Strokes- Is This It
This album was monumental for me. It is one of the main reasons I got into music in the first place, and I think many people are right there with me. It's the first record I ever loved front to back, and it wasn't the last record of theirs to earn my praise. The Strokes truly do have an amazing skill for making the most catchy indie-pop tunes; this is especially present on this album. Someday, Last Nite, Hard To Explain, Soma, The Modern Age, Etc. are all classics that flow so well into one another. The hooks are infectious, the guitar interplay is magnificent, and the basslines are pretty fantastic as well. This band really has it all. Julian's vocals are rough, but beautiful in their own way. He is an amazing singer, but his voice never sounded as commanding as it did on this record ever again. Overall, this album is pretty much perfect. It helped save Indie Rock in the 2000s and it has only grown more revered over time. This is the record every band at the time was trying to make. Everyone wanted to be The Strokes, including me. I have looked up to these guys ever since in a way, and while they aren't on top of their game anymore, they will always have a special place in my heart.
1. Modest Mouse- This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
The very first Modest Mouse is not my favorite album on this list, nor is it my favorite Modest Mouse record, but it has been a very valuable piece to me. That's also not to say this record isn't amazing because it is, but the music itself cannot compare to the lesson it has taught me. As I get older, I realize simple pleasures are fading away. Soon I'll have to go into the real world and fend for myself, and this is a very stressful thing for me to think about. At some point of my life I will forget that sometimes the best thing to do is to just stay put. However, whenever I put on this album I remember just what is important in life. If this album has taught me anything it's that living in the moment is always the right thing to do. Sometimes you just have to ground your mind, and stay in one place, and this album always does this for me. This album never takes you on too vast of experiments. All the tracks kind of just blend together, and I mean that in the best possible way. When I listen to this album, I am somewhere else where my worries are gone. I am in a car driving across the world, or I am at a music festival seeing my favorite band. The album is truly a journey. It takes you away from your reality, and takes you somewhere else. This album thrills, relaxes, and worries me all at once. I kind of see it as a microcosm of my own life right now, and to me that is truly reassuring to see someone else having these thoughts. While there are some silly songs on this record, the serious songs are legitimately legendary. Dramamine, Custom Concern, Beach Side Property, Too Tundra, Talkin' Shit About a Pretty Sunset, and Mechanical Birds all blow me away and make this journey of an album all the more fulfilling. I guess this album just takes me out of my messed up crowded mind for a good 70 minutes, and that's just what music is for.
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