Bjork-Debut (1993)

The Beach Boys-Summer Days (And Summer Nights) (1965)

Slayer-South Of Heaven (1988)

U2-Zooropa (1993)

Hootie & Blowfish-Crack Rearview (1993)

Suicidal Tendencies-Suicidal Tendencies (1983)

Frank Zappa-Waka/Jawaka (1972)

Overkill-Under The Influence (1988)

Bill Callahan-Julius Ceasar (1993)

Brian Eno - Before and After Science

A-Agharta-Miles Davis

B-Bolton Swings Sinatra-Micheal Bolton

C-Cut The Crap-The Clash

D-Danzig Sings Elvis-Glen Danzig

E-Evolve-Imagine Dragons

F-Father Of all Motherfuckers-Green Day

G-Generation Swine-Motley Crue

Johnny Cash-American V: Hundred Highways (2006)

Foo Fighters-Foo Fighters (1995)

Sujfan Stevens-Illinoise (2005)

The Prodigy-Music For The Jilted Generation (1994)

Jay-Z-Magna Carta: Holy Grail (2013)

Flotsam & Jetsam-Doomsday For The Deceiver (1986)

Rise Against-The Sufferer & The Witness (2006)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u6PTc7IkEya1wZfsagVtNYvxOOWX7N6SYV2HAs8v3cA/edit?usp=sharing

Synopsis:

Few albums in alternative rock history have drawn a line in the sand quite like Weezer's fifth studio album, Make Believe (2005). To casual listeners, it was a massive commercial triumph that spawned the ubiquitous multi-platinum smash "Beverly Hills." To the band's fiercely defensive, Pinkerton-loving fanbase, it was viewed as an existential betrayal. Looking to repair fractured relationships within the band and write more empathetic, universal lyrics, Cuomo brought in  Rick Rubin and encouraged Cuomo to dig deep into his feelings, resulting in hundreds of demo songs. However, the final product took a sharp turn. Instead of raw, unvarnished emotion, Rubin polished the songs into hyper-slick, radio-friendly modern pop-rock. The production is completely stripped of the crunchy, messy guitar feedback that made early Weezer great, replacing it with rigid drum mixes and clean, heavily compressed arena hooks. It became an album caught between genuine introspective pain and a desperate desire for commercial validation.
Review:
The album opens  with “Beverly Hills” ; it is one of the more polarizing songs in the Weezer catalog. Built on a stomp stomp clap beat and a simple three chord progression. It also has a talk box guitar solo. It is just a catchy pop rock track. It gave Weezer one of its biggest hits but infuriated the Weezer stans who wanted a Pickerton or Malatriot sounding first single. “Perfect Situation" begins with a great guitar hook but then levels off into this nice pop-rock melody. It sounds like classic Weezer. “This Is Such A Pity” has this sharp synth rock groove. It feels like it was recorded in the 80’s. It gives off such Cars energy. The duel guitar solos from Cuomo and Brian Bell top off one the album’ finest moments. “Hold Me” is one of the emotional highlights of the album. It is a melodic power ballad. The song feels so fragile before it explodes into a dense catchy hook. “Peace” is your pretty standard 2000’s power-pop track. With its heavy distorted guitar riffs and crisp clean rhythms. Rivers is reflecting on his meditation journey he was going on during that time. “We Are All Drugs” has this slick yet heavy modern rock groove. The song is about how we are all addicted to communism and hooked on our screens. It is the moment on the album that the Weezer die hard fans felt the album was turning corny. I love this song. I think its one of the best in the Weezer catalog. “The Damage In Your Heart” is this melodic power ballad. It channels Pickerton era sadness but is wrapped in a power-pop melodic haze. “Pardon Me” is Rivers' attempt to apologize to everyone he hurt during his egocentric rock star phase. The song is built on a simple power-pop rhythm. “My Best Friend” has this bouncy pop-punk vibe. It feels out of place on an album filled with melodic power ballads. “The Other Way” is inspired by the woman who inspired Pickerton. It is a moment of empathy for Rivers as he attempts to show some empathy for her after her partner’s death. “Freak Me Out” has this weird creepy sound. Brian Bell plays a warbling harmonica. Lyrically it is about Rivers finding a spider in his room and being freaked out but tries to empathize with it. Pure Rivers awkward weirdness. The album closes with “Haunt You Everyday” it is the first song that Rivers wrote on a piano rather than guitar. It gives off a dark atmospheric vibe. One of the more gothic sounding songs in the Weezer songbook.   
Final Thoughts:

I know I am supposed to hate it but I find myself putting this album as one of my favorite Weezer albums. It might be a bit too polished at times but there’s real emotion underneath it. Being a Weezer fan is hard you never know what you going to get from Mr. Cuomo the band has had so many ups and downs in their career but I will always come back to them. If you want to go down the Weezer rabbit hole this one should be a part of it for sure.

My favorite Flaming Lips album acquired today

The White Stripes-White Blood Cells (2001)

Nick Drake-Five Leaves Left (1969)

Minutemen-Double Nickles On The Dime (1984)

Parliment-Up For The Downstroke (1974)

Husuker Du-Zen Acarde (1984)

D'Angleo- Brown Sugar (1995)

Muse-Black Holes & Revalations (2006)

The Verve-A Northern Soul (1995)

Pop Smoke-Shoot for The Stars Aim For The Moon (2020)

Dio-Last In Line (1984)

Fleetwood Mac-Mirage (1982)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions-Imperial Bedroom (1982)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers-Into The Great Wide Open (1991)

Crowed House-Woodface (1991)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Broken Arrow (1996)

Dela Soul-Stakes Is High (1996)

Nas-It Was Written (1996)

Kendrick Lamar-Section 8.0 (2011)

Synopsis:

When British seven-piece ensemble Black Country, New Road dropped their debut album For the first time in early 2021, they immediately cemented themselves at the absolute absolute forefront of the modern post-punk renaissance. Emerging from the same Windmill Brixton scene that birthed bands like black midi and Squid, BC,NR arrived with a sound that felt less like a traditional rock band and more like a chaotic, highly calculated chamber orchestra.

Review:
The album opens with "Instrumental" Heavily inspired by traditional Eastern European klezmer music and minimalist post-rock, the song is built around a driving, hypnotic drumbeat and a looping, syncopated keyboard line. Evans' saxophone and Georgia Ellery's violin weave around one another as drummer Charlie Wayne and Bassist Tyler Hyde create a foundation that feels like a sturdy base for the chaotic ride the tracks evolve into. “Anthens, France” is built on this dense math-rock groove. It is a reworking of one of the first singles the band released taking out some of the more explicit content the band no longer felt comfortable performing. The song flows in waves of high and low inspiration but post-punk and avant garde you feel like you are just gliding alone in this massive journey.  “Science Fair” begins with this needling bassline and distorted guitar feedback before it explodes in this abrasive wall of noise. The song describes a disastrous encounter with a girl at a science fair Isaac Wood’s spoken word vocal delivery gets more distress and maniac and the band follows suit as you feel the narrator getting more agitated as he falls into despair and madness.  “Sunglasses” is a ten-minute masterclass in indie post-rock dominance. It feels very claustrophobic at times as we get a handful of massive math-rock  and post-rock grooves. In the middle of the song it changes courses and brings in some melodic energy that seems to come in waves. The track changes courses again as it ends in an explosion of a massive blast of chaotic energy.  “Track X” lowers the tension of the previous track. Trading in the abrasive wall of noise for a gentle slow minimalism. It will be the closest thing the band will have to a love song. Wood’s vocals sound fragile and tender. As the band moves along in this angelic wave that feels so lush. Georgia Ellery (Volin) and May Kershaw (keyboards) provide the faint backing vocals that complete the song’s quiet energy. The album closes with “Opus” revisits many of the themes of the opening track “Instrumental” with that heavy  post-rock mixed in with avant jazz hybrid wall of sound. The track levels in and out of density and then quiet melodic movements. Before one last blast of energy before it loses steam and just disappears into the abyss. 
Final  Thoughts:

This is a massive debut from one of the best artists that emerged in this decade. It is a masterclass of post-rock melodic energy. One of the best debut albums of the century. If you haven’t heard this great piece of  Avant Garde art rock mastery please put it on your bucket list soon.

The Band-Music From Big Pink (1968)

Judas Priest-Screaming For Vengenance (1982)

The Avalanches-Wildflower( 2016)

Sufjan Stevens-Michigan (2003)

Naplam Death-Scum (1987)

Limp Bizkit-3 Dollar Y'All (1997)

Oasis-Heathen Chemistry (2002)

A-Agharta-Miles Davis

B-Bolton Swings Sinatra-Micheal Bolton

C-Cut The Crap-The Clash

D-Danzig Sings Elvis-Glen Danzig

E-Evolve-Imagine Dragons

F-Father Of all Motherfuckers-Green Day

G-Generation Swine-Motley Crue

A ton of great third albums. Here are some of mine by some of my favorite artists.

Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)

The Progidy-Fat Of The Land (1997)

Wilco-Wilco (The Album) (2009)

Sly & The Family Stone-Fresh (1973)

Steve Winwood-Back In The High Life Again (1986)

Queen-The Game (1980)

Madonna-True Blue (1986)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Life (1987)

System Of A Down-System Of A Down (1998)

Kyuss-Blues For The Red Sun (1992)

Fugazi-In On The Kill Taker (1993)

Synopsis: 

Released in 2018—just over a year after the hyper-loaded, guest-heavy   Humanz—The Now Now served as a direct and immediate tone change.  If the previous record was an anxious, apocalyptic block party where Damon Albarn barely got a word in, The Now Now is a breezy, melancholic summer road trip where Albarn is firmly in the driver's seat. The  genesis of the album was practical: Albarn wanted an album of new material that he could perform live on tour that didn't require flying in dozens of guest stars. Written primarily in hotel rooms across America, the record captures a distinct sense of transience, loneliness, and Americana seen through a rearview mirror.
The Review:
The album opens with "Humility"  . It has this hazy electronica yet soulful vibe. Jazz guitarist Geroge Benson is featured and brings some coolness to this breezy summer drenched track. The album kicks into high gear with “Tranz” with its EDM/brit-pop hybrid melodies. It creates an 80’s synth pop throwback vibe.  “Hollywood” is the only track that is heavy on featured artists. Snoop Dogg has one of his most chilled laidback guest verses and house music artist/producer Jamie Principle creates a backdrop of electronica fuckiness. The track has this catchy soulfulness that just feels fun. “Kansas” doubles down on the funky beats of the previous track. That bassline just feels so juicy and phat. When Albarn comes in he lays down one of his more chilled and hazy vocals. “Sorcerez” has this 70’s soul/space disco groove. It just feels so hypnotic and chilled out. “Idaho” is the one of the closest things the Gorillaz ever got to Albarn’s Blur sound. Inspired by a stay in a cabin in the country landscapes of Idaho. The song sounds eerie, haunting and beautiful all of the same time. I love 2-D’s (Albarn) vocal presence on the track. “Lake Zurich” is a mostly instrumental hard hitting funked up disco groove heavy track. “Magic City” was named after a billboard Albarn saw in Miami. The track features warm synthesizers that gives the track this dreamy hazy vibe. It feels futuristic and nostalgic at the same time. “Fireflies” Built around a slow, brooding, and heavy bassline that throbs like a heartbeat. The synths swell up that makes the instrumental feel so dreadful. The song is about 2-D’s self-doubt and loneliness. Albarn does an excellent job at purveying those emotions with his excellent vocal vulnerability. “One Percent” is the shortest track on the album. It has this chilled out ambient melody that sounds so soft and quiet. Albarn’s vocals feel hazy and echoed to give the track this luminesce. The album closes with “Souk Eye” begins with a soft, acoustic guitar loop and a gentle bossa-nova rhythm before layers of synthesizers, and soft orchestra notes.  slowly stack on top of one another that builds momentum until the climax then it slowly disappears into nowhere. 
Final Thoughts:

For a cartoon band this album hits on another level. Abandoning the guest heavy track list. Albarn creates a record that feels personal and has this late night road trip vibe. I might be crazy but this might be my favorite Gorillaz project to date. Crazy right? Maybe top 3. If you haven’t checked this album out put it on your bucket lists soon.

It is perfect, in my opinion. Obviously it will vary from person to person because people have different tastes on genres, and many other things. But in my eyes, Seychelles is a perfect album. It is Takanaka’s 1976 debut solo album, which blends jazz fusion and city pop. The album consists of eight songs. It is ~40 minutes of pure eargasm. You will not regret listening to this album. Trust me.